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Epic Says it’s a ‘Myth’ That They’ve Abandoned PC Gaming
Jul 6th
In some gamers’ minds, Epic Games has snubbed the platform that put them on the map. Gears of War 2 and 3 have both skipped the PC on their way to retail. Previous comments by Gears lead designer Cliff Bleszinski and Epic President Mike Capps have stated the move was due to rampant piracy on the platform. Epic Vice President Mark Rein spoke with Rock, Paper, Shotgun to set the record straight.
“We’ve released an update to the Unreal Development Kit every single month, with huge amounts of changes and improvements which are obviously going into our engine and making them available to customers, we’ve tested them on PC,” Rein said when asked about Epic’s dismissal of the PC. “If you look at all the UDK games they’re PC only at this point, and we will eventually see them on other devices. But I think that’s a myth that we’ve abandoned the PC, it’s just not true. I mean, Bulletstorm is coming out on three platforms.”
Rein says that Gears of War being published by Microsoft has informed that title’s status as console-only. “We’ve just been in this situation where our biggest franchise has been published by a console-holder, and was a very console designed-IP. I wouldn’t want people to mistake that for our intentions or our interests, because we’re very much into the PC game business.”
“Don’t confuse Gears of War with everything we do. There’s a tendency to think that because we wanna do one thing really, really well and not a hundred things really poorly or just okay that we’re less committed,” he added. “Bulletstorm is PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and you’ll see when it comes out, it will be a full-blown, oh-my-god amazing PC game. I wouldn’t draw the comparisons there.”
Sony Also Wants to See Team ICO HD Collection Made
Jul 6th
Ever since the release of God of War Collection for PlayStation 3, there have been rumors of a possible Team ICO Collection for the system as well. Earlier this week, Sony Worldwide President Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that more HD collections were in the works for classic titles. Today,Joystiq reports that Yoshida acknowledged that Sony is aware of the outcry for Team ICO’s masterpieces in a definitive HD collection.
“As soon as we released God of War in an HD collection, there were people that were giving us suggestions,” Yoshida said. “And ICO and Shadow of the Colossus is on the top of the list. And we are very aware and we want to see and play it in HD with a better framerate as well, so that’s something we are very, very aware of.”
The next HD remake, Sly Cooper Collection, will be out this November. Hopefully a Team ICO Collection will follow close behind.
Xbox 360 Slim Provides 800% Sales Spike in Japan
Jul 6th
The Xbox 360 Slim has made something of an impact in the Japanese market; last week sales of the console hit 17,370 units, with 15K of those being the new slim model. The redesign has helped boost sales of the Xbox 360 by over 800%, a figure not seen since the release of Ace Combat 6, which helped bring console sales to 17,673 units the first week of the game’s release.
Andriasang provides a translation for the news, stating that the numbers of sales from the Xbox 360 the previous week only numbered 2,060 units. The new hardware launch also coincided with the launch of a major exclusive 360 title in Japan, Monster Hunter Frontier. Monster Hunter hit the top of the sales charts at 93K units.
Though these sales figures are a major improvement for the console, sales still lacked behind the other consoles. The PS3, PSP, DSi and Wii all outsold the console, with the PS3 hitting 19,578 units, PSP hitting 23,257 units and the Wii netting 19,115 units. The DSi however, took the top spot at 41,676 units sold last week.
Though this is a success in the Japanese market for the Xbox 360, it represents a minor bump in sales, as the 360 has rarely been a success in the country that Nintendo and Sony hail from.
Sony Developers Assisting with PS4 Design
Jul 6th
One of the more common complaints during the PS3’s first couple years on the market is that it’s “hard to develop for.” While developers, especially Sony’s first-party studios, have come to grips with the console’s unique architecture, Sony wants to make its next console far more developer friendly. And to that end, the company has said that it’s now working with its developers to help build the PS4.
In an interview with Develop, SCE Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida indicated that SCE head Kaz Hirai implemented a change in philosophy in the company when he took over for Ken Kutaragi. “When Ken Kutaragi moved on and Kaz Harai became the president of SCE, the first thing Kaz said was, ‘get World Wide Studios in on hardware development’,” Yoshida said. “So he wanted developers in meetings at the very beginning of concepting new hardware, and he demanded SCE people talk to us [developers].”
This sort of thinking seems like a great idea, and could potentially lead to much smoother hardware/software integrations, such as what’s commonly found on Apple devices. Most analysts and executives seem to think the next round of consoles is another 2-3 years away, but we’re very curious to see what Sony comes up with, considering this new approach.
Yoshida made it clear that work is well underway. “…we are undergoing many activities that we haven’t yet been talking about in public. Some future platform related activities.”
Dante’s Inferno Sequel Coming?
Jul 1st
Despite the fact that most players panned Dante’s Inferno as a God of War clone, the title sold reasonably well (likely helped by an extensive ad campaign and a Super Bowl spot) and received average reviews. Sometimes in this market, that’s all one can expect from a new IP. So it’s no surprise that Visceral may be working on a follow-up.
Electronic Arts is now looking for a new level designer for “the sequel to a major new IP at the award-winning Visceral Games.” The post follows with “The game sequel will set new quality standards and make the franchise the world-leader in the action/melee-combat genre.”
It looks like Dante’s heading back to hell to get his wife’s soul… again.
Gears of War Could Go Mobile in Future
Jul 1st
The iPhone gaming business has been a rousing success, with more and more developers popping up everyday to get a piece of the App Store market. The newly launched iPad, with its large, clear screen, has made App Store development even more appealing for many. Although these platforms are not as powerful as a high-end console, they will be in the not-so-distant future. Epic Games VP Mark Rein recently demonstrated Unreal engine prototypes running on iPhone, iPad and Android, and he believes that mobile devices such as these represent a large component of Epic’s future.
Speaking on a panel at the GameHorizon event, Rein commented, “These are the consoles of the future.” He added that if mobile phone power doubled “even two more times, you can play Gears of War on this.” Imagine that – playing a high-end console game like Gears in the palm of your hand. We sure would like to see it happen.
Rein also talked about free-to-play versus more traditional triple-A titles. “I’d rather sell 10 million games at $25 and have a chance to sell DLC than 5 million at $50 on a disc that gets traded around,” he said. “I think it’ll change, and it’ll change for the benefit of the customers. We’re definitely going to experiment with micro-transcations and lower-price games.”
That doesn’t mean big triple-A games will become extinct, however. Rein added, “I’m a big proponent of AAA games. Triple-A isn’t going away, it’s going everywhere. As the quality of the games go up, the cost of the games go up, you’re going to have to monetise them better.”
WoW Could Go Free-To-Play One Day
Jul 1st
Following the resounding success of Dungeons & Dragons Online once it went free-to-play, other companies have been adopting the model, with fellow competitor Lord of the Rings Online being the most recent convert. Now the company whose success got everyone into the MMO market in the first place says it’s watching the trend with some interest. Blizzard Lead Designer Tom Chilton spoke to PC Gamer about the future of World of Warcraft’s business model.
Chilton feels that free-to-play is a new way to compete when a title’s subscription numbers cannot keep it afloat. “I feel like they’re doing that to compete with other games that are on a similar subscriber level to what they were at. I imagine that when one of them went free to play it cannibalized some of the other subscribers,” he said. “I can definitely imagine that being the case with World of Warcraft. If another game comes along and blows us away it may not make sense for us to have a subscription fee. Or even further down the line, when we have another MMO out.”
Blizzard has long experimented with different business models as the market allows. In Russia for instance, Starcraft II’s episodes are further broken down and sold in monthly installments to combat piracy. In Korea, World of Warcraft is a digital download-only with a subscription fee and subscribers can also play StarCraft II for free. Even in Western markets the company has expanded their offerings, allowing players to change their characters for a small fee and purchase new in-game addons like a remote auction house, new pets, and new mounts.
For the time being, World of Warcraft is still the big dog in the market, so don’t expect it to go free-to-play anytime soon. “We’re not spending a lot of time thinking about it. It’s not something that’s a reality for us in the near future,” Chilton said.
Video Games Need a Billboard Top 10, says ESA
Jul 1st
Video games have become a solid figure in the entertainment industry. As sales have grown and video games have moved into the mainstream audience, the need for solid stat tracking has been on the minds of some within the industry. ESA President Michael Gallagher believes that a tracking system needs to be put in place.
“I do think that the movie industry has a significant advantage over other forms of media because on Monday morning… whether you are driving, or looking at the newspaper, what’s there: The top ten movies. What’s next to that? Numbers,” Gallagher told a gathering of reporters earlier this month. “I don’t know if they are completely accurate, but we’re trained to believe they are. And that helps the movie industry.”
Though the music and movie industries are well established, Gallagher believes that the gaming industry is still organizing into something more cohesive, “We’re still seeking our center of gravity.”
The need for this stat tracking isn’t just for the consumers; it represents major news to investors, reporters, industry professionals and developers. “I think there is thought, because you now have significant revenue, and growth and investment and where that flows you tend to get better information,” Gallagher said. “Reporters ask for it, investors certainly do and then there are consumers. There is an advantage to the companies to figure out a way to report that.”
“We are looking forward to that evolution, I’d like to see it move faster,” he added. “I think this industry is accomplishing great things across a far great reach, than is traditionally reported.”
The video game industry has only one major group tracking sales figures for the industry. NPD Group releases a monthly stat figure that covers top games sales; this comes at a hitch though. NPD is unable to gather sales data from Wal-Mart, digital sales and the group does not offer full numbers with the public.
“Will NPD be releasing comprehensive digital sales tracking insight into the public domain? We will probably issue some research on a regular basis, but it won’t be at the level of detail that you may be expecting,” said NPD’s David Riley to Kotaku. “This is information we will keep close to the vest. Remember, we are here to serve our clients.”
The ESA has stated that the need for this stat tracker is necessary. “Someone had better do it or you’re going to have a trade association doing it,” Gallagher said. “It has got to be done.”
Mortal Kombat Set to Deliver ‘Most Robust Online Mode Ever’
Jul 1st
One of the most recognized IP out there, Mortal Kombat, is looking to re-imagine the online fighting component to bring about the most “robust online fighting system ever imagined,” says the game’s lead designer John Edwards.
In a very brief interview with Gaming Union, Edwards tells fans of the series that the game is back, and back in a big way. Though Midway closed down, Warner Brothers and NetherRealm Studios are already working to bring back the recognized series.
“We have a really robust online system,” he says. “I can’t go into too many details but it’s going to be pretty much the most robust online fighting system ever imagined.” This lofty claim coincides exactly with Warner Bros. wishes for the upcoming game, and with plans for downloadable content support, the franchise could come right back to the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere once more.
FarmVille and World of Warcraft Partially to Blame for Ruining Marriages?
Jul 1st
An article from USA Today has detailed that popular online games and social networking such asFarmVille and World of Warcraft are being used as evidence to showcase dates and times where partners might have been using their time unwisely.
The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers has stated that 81% of its members have used or faced evidence from such sites as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter over the last five years.
What this showcases is that dates and times are recorded for game plays and “status updates.”
Evidence such as:
“Father seeks custody of the kids, claiming (among other things) that his ex-wife never attends the events of their young ones. Subpoenaed evidence from the gaming site World of Warcraft tracks her there with her boyfriend at the precise time she was supposed to be out with the children. Mom loves Facebook’s FarmVille, too, at all the wrong times.”
These games represent several things to a vast amount of people. Wasting time, playing games, socializing and even committing to extra-marital affairs are all fair game in the digital space. It is more than apparent that the collection of dated gameplay records and efficient stat tracking methods are being used in ways that few could have imagined.
