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Skyrim Predicts the Super Bowl
While everyone on the internet is busy running Madden simulations to predict the Super Bowl we thought we'd take a different approach. In order to determine the winner between the Patriots and the Giants, we're taking Skyrim's home-grown patriots, the Stormcloaks, and pitting them against the country's giants.
Mass Effect 3 Demo Shows the Absurdity of Xbox Live Gold
Downloading the upcoming February 14 Mass Effect 3 demo will upgrade the subscriptions of Xbox Live Silver members to Gold so that all players can sample the game's multiplayer before its release on March 6.
The temporary upgrade system that the demo takes advantage of indicates that Xbox Live as we know it is so outdated that it can't cope with offering users a single demo. The current XBL Gold/Silver division needs to change. After five years of Microsoft's biggest competitor offering multiplayer for free the console maker maintains what amounts to a $60 annual surcharge to play online. Online gaming is not new or novel -- it gained popularity nearly 20 years ago. Even consoles began supporting the function in the Dreamcast era. Multiplayer gaming should come standard with any system in 2012.
Surprisingly Constructive Protest Planned for Half-Life 3
I love Half-Life, but somewhere around E3 2010 I resigned myself to the fact that Half-Life 3 won't see the light of day anytime soon. Steam, Portal, Left 4 Dead, Dota 2, Counter-Strike, as well as some projects we've probably never heard of seem to keep Valve busy (and rich) enough for the time being. Not all fans are so patient. A Steam group named, A Call for Communication (CFC), is hosting an event called "A Red Letter Day" and asking players around the world to play Half-Life 2 this weekend at 2:00 P.M. Eastern, 11 P.M. Pacific, with the hope that Valve will take notice and begin to share more information about the future of the series.
Years of listening to forum-posters demand things of game makers with a remarkable sense of entitlement and lack of shame has led me to expect little constructive work to come fans, but CFC's positive tone and earnest message managed to shake me of my cynical world view (if only for a few moments). The group even goes out of their way to encourage positive interaction between Valve and fans on their official site:
"The lack of communication between Valve and the Half-Life community has been a frustrating experience. While continued support for current and future products is greatly appreciated, fans of the Half-Life series have waited years for a word on when the franchise will return. So, Instead of focusing efforts in a negative and disrespectful way, we have decided to gain Valve's attention by delivering a basic message:
OP-ED: THQ and Ignition Troubles Show That Gamer Taste Threatens the Industry
This week was not kind to video game publishers. THQ announced plans for 240 lay-offs amidst the board of directors and CEO giving themselves a 50% paycut. Meanwhile, Disney bought a controlling stake in India-based UTV Ignition -- a publisher which went through its own set of lay-offs and restructuring last year -- for an undisclosed sum after the Indian government approved the deal which had reportedly been in the works since at least last summer. Disney plans to use the firm to expand their own presence in the Asian market. Neither company revealed how the changes would impact Ignition's gaming division. It's entirely possible that it will have little or no effect, but that seems unlikely given the troubles the company endured last year. THQ ran into financial trouble after relying on licensed properties and kids and family titles, specifically uDraw, whereas Ignition announced they would shift their focus to downloadable titles last year after a series of poorly performing games.
These two publishers are hardly the only ones publicly struggling. Various factors, including high-cost HD development, have led to a shakeout amongst small and medium sized publishers like Eidos, Gamecock, Midway, and others while Activision rakes in massive profits. Of course, this is normal, companies that fail to adapt die. However, THQ's and Ignitions's recent troubles stem from a disturbing trend in game consumers, not from development or publishing difficulties. It seems that players are spending more time playing games, but paradoxically spending that extra time with fewer titles. Game makers have never in the forty-year history of the medium had such a massive consumer base to sell to, but players have never been so unwilling to try new experiences.
Ubisoft Server Transition Stresses the Faults of DRM
PC gamers have become accustomed to being treated less than ideally as a result of DRM schemes like those which force you to have an active Internet connection to play or only provide you with a limited number of installations before having to ask for more. Next week gamers will get a taste of what it's like to be treated even worse when Ubisoft migrates its online services to new servers.
As outlined on the publisher's website, the process will begin on February 7. There's no estimate given for how long this will take which is problematic because not only will Uplay be unavailable, but a handful of PC and Mac games will also be impacted. That impact goes beyond online multiplayer; a number of games will not be playable online or offline for the duration of the transition. You didn't read that wrong: you will not be able to play a game you own offline because of a server transition.
Skyrim Workshop Could Bring Mods to the Masses Like Never Before
For all of its bugs, glitches, and issues, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still a remarkable game. As I'm sure was the case for many other gamers, the promise of eventual mod support was in and of itself enough reason for me to purchase the game on PC. Expansive mods are no longer all that far off as support is in place for the Skyrim Workshop now that the 1.4 update is available through Steam.
As demonstrated in the video above, Bethesda will soon be releasing the Creation Kit (mod-making software comprised of the same tools used to make the game) to the masses, enabling those who are so inclined to begin creating new content for what is already a content-rich game. Mods do exist for Skyrim but they are largely limited to things like UI refinements, improved world maps, enhanced textures, and so on. The Creation Kit should allow for a great deal more than that.
The Free-to-Play Shift Continues: Rift Now Free Up to Level 20
As if EverQuest dropping subscriptions wasn't enough of a sign that the subscription-based MMO business model will eventually be replaced by free-to-play, Trion Worlds has announced it will begin allowing players to experience a good chunk of Rift's early game content for free.
It's an identical move to the one Blizzard made last summer in the face of declining World of Warcraft subscription numbers. Coinciding with the release of the 1.7 update, a version of Rift known as Rift Lite is debuting today. By signing up for a free Trion account, you will be able to play up to level 20 without any restrictions on how long you can play for. Previously the trial available would only allow for seven days of play time before requiring the game be purchased in order to continue. That was a more significant free period than WoW's (which allowed you to play for only 48 hours), though removing the time limit altogether is a smarter approach.
Zynga’s Alleged Copycat Seems to be Lacking the Innovation it Preaches
Although it was hardly the first time it had been accused of copying an existing game, accusations that Zynga had cribbed the design of Tiny Tower struck a more sensitive nerve than usual. Maybe that's because Tiny Tower is more beloved and well-known than, say, a game like Farm Town, which seems to have had a pretty clear influence on FarmVille. As expected Zynga has denied the allegations and even suggested those complaining about their games being copied are not as innocent as they would have you believe, though it still remains to be seen where Zynga has innovated on the Tiny Tower formula.
Following in the footsteps of Tiny Tower developer NimbleBit, Buffalo Studios released an infographic contrasting the recently-revealed Zynga Bingo with its own Bingo Blitz game. There are certainly similarities, though Zynga posits the reason its game resembles Buffalo's is not because Zynga copied the competition.
Free-to-Play Everquest Highlights the Slow Death of Subscription MMOs
Sony Online Entertainment announced today that the original Everquest would make the transition to a free-to-play system in March. Released in 1999, EQ was far from the first MMO, but the industry followed its model. It's hard to imagine World of Warcraft finding success without SOE's game preceding it. The game's transition marks the end of an era -- it's the death knell for MMOs as we've known them.
Everquest's relatively small player base means the shift to free-to-play is more a sign of the times than an agent change in and of itself. Several high profile MMOs --including Everquest 2 -- have gone free-to-play past several months, but the original EQ isn't just another entry into the genre. It proved to the world that MMOs could become wildly profitable, and set off a game development gold rush that gave us everything from WoW to Star Wars: Galaxies. I don't mean to say that we'll never see a new MMO, but the free-to-play business model's ascension is complete. Don't expect to see another Star Wars: The Old Republic-sized launch anytime in the next five years.
OP-ED: Online Passes Aren’t the Unfair Evil They’re Made Out to Be
In the past few days, two more games joined the long list of those using some sort of online pass. Since Electronic Arts introduced the concept in 2010 with Project $10, more and more publishers have adopted the practice of locking out certain features for those who purchase used games. Many feel it's unfair, but I'm not so sure that's really the case.
Many gamers consider online passes yet another way they're being shafted this generation. Like downloadable content, it's another scheme cooked up to maximize the amount of money squeezed out of each gamer, they would say, and in the case of DLC that has been true at times. I'm hardly in favor of publishers releasing incomplete games and expecting people to then pay for the rest of it later, and I was as annoyed as anyone when cheat codes started showing up on the Xbox Live Marketplace for a fee. But there is a difference between hoping to make some money off of the game you created and withholding a part of the game simply so it can be sold to players at an additional cost now that it's technically feasible to do so.
Resident Evil 6 Demo Shows Capcom Needs Dragon’s Dogma to Succeed
Capcom announced today that it plans to release Dragon's Dogma on May 22, and the package will include a download code for a Resident Evil 6 demo. Fans will be able to download the demo from Xbox Live on July 3, while PS3 owners will have to wait until September 4.
Other publishers have found that tying an anticipated demo or beta to an unanticipated game boosts sales of both. The original Zone of the Enders did quite well thanks to the on-disc inclusion of the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty demo. Access to Halo 3's beta came along with new copies of Crackdown -- helping it become a cult hit. Without early access, fans and critics alike would have overlooked both titles. There's little doubt that Capcom is hoping the same strategy will work with Dragon's Dogma. What's not obvious is how much Capcom needs this gambit to succeed.
Retronauts Lunch Break: The Week in Review
Every weekday, the Retronauts Lunch Break brings you a dose of classic gaming action, but there's no need to worry if you can't watch our livestream; every Friday, we'll feature a roundup of all the videos produced over the past five days. But if your lunch hour is free, make sure to come back (at 12:00pm PST) starting Monday the 30th as we devote a new week of Lunch Breaks to Resident Evil games -- along with our regular Friday playthrough of A Link to the Past. And hey, why not subscribe to our Twitch.tv feed while you're at it?
1/23/12 - Maniac Mansion
BlizzCon Skipping Out on 2012
Blizzard's annual BlizzCon convention won't be sticking to its annual schedule this year. For the first time since 2006, Blizzard fans won't be gathering at the Anaheim Convention Center to celebrate all things Blizzard.
Blizzard made the surprising announcement on its blog earlier today. BlizzCon will return in 2013 -- it isn't a matter of the event being put on ice indefinitely -- and to make up for its absence this year, Blizzard announced the 2012 Battle.net World Championship. Set to be held later this year in Asia, it'll be home to the World Championship tournaments for both StarCraft II and World of Warcraft. It's another example of Blizzard supporting eSports and professional gaming, with it having already hosted tournaments at BlizzCon itself.
Origin Continues Expanding with 11 New Publishers
Electronic Arts has continued working to expand Origin into something more than a home for its own games. The publisher announced today it has agreed to deals with 11 third-party publishers to bring their games to Origin's catalog.
Trion Worlds MMO Rift (pictured above) is the first of these additions and is now available. Specific games beyond that weren't mentioned, just that in the "coming months" Origin will also be home to titles from Robot Entertainment (Orcs Must Die), CD Projekt RED (The Witcher 2), Freebird Games (To the Moon), Recoil Games (Rochard), Autumn Games (Jimmie Johnson's Anything With An Engine), 1C Company (IL-2 Sturmovik), inXile Entertainment (Choplifter HD), Paradox Interactive (Magicka), Core Learning Ltd., and N3V Games (Arcania: Gothic 4).
Microsoft Points Might Finally be on Their Way Out
Since Microsoft launched the Xbox Live Marketplace alongside the Xbox 360 in 2005, there's been a nagging issue that's bothered many users: Microsoft Points. According to a report, they might be finally going away this year in favor of a more preferable setup.
Inside Mobile Apps reports a source has indicated Microsoft Points are to be replaced by real-world currencies by the end of the year, which means a new currency system would be put in place not only for Xbox Live, but also the Windows Phone and Zune Marketplaces.
OP-ED: Has Ubisoft’s DRM Gone Too Far?
Ubisoft is no stranger to DRM controversies. This was amply demonstrated last year between reviving always-online DRM (and deeming it a success) and what happened with From Dust. But it was the DRM implemented in one of Ubisoft's final releases in 2011 that feels like it may have finally stepped over the line.
DRM, or digital rights management, is a form of technology used by companies in the entertainment and technology fields to control how their products are used. In the case of videogames, it might mean you can only play when you're connected to the internet (as mentioned above) or if you've got the disc in the drive. The goal of DRM is generally to combat piracy, but it isn't always (if ever) effective in that pursuit.
Top Games of 2012 Video
You may have noticed us spamming the site with games of 2012 lists for the past week. Or you may not have been paying attention. But we've been spending a lot of time thinking about the future, and as the final entry in that bag of fun, everyone around here picked their most anticipated game for the year ahead. Then we made a video!
Then we went all crazy and embedded that video into this news story so you guys could make your own picks easily below. If you feel like it!
THQ Denies it Has Canceled its 2014 Games
A number of rumors emerged over the weekend involving the future of THQ, none of which painted an especially promising picture for the publisher. Despite suggestions that it had canceled its entire slate of games set to come out in 2014, it has released a statement denying that is the case.
It all started when Kevin Dent, the head of the IGDA Mobile Special Interest Group, began tweeting about the dire situation THQ finds itself in. According to him, THQ canceled not only The Games Workshop's MMO (referring to Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online), but "all of their 2014 [games]." Also alarming was him suggesting, "[W]ord is spreading that THQ has returned IP to Disney AFTER paying the advance, with no refund."
Mass Effect 3 Passes on Steam, Requires Origin
Much like other recent Electronic Arts game releases on PC, Mass Effect 3 will not be available through Steam. And regardless of what format you decide to get the game in -- digital or physical -- Origin is a requirement for playing.
In a post on the BioWare forums by community man Chris Priestly, some frequently-asked questions regarding the PC version of Mass Effect 3 (launching on March 6 for PC and consoles) were addressed. Regarding a release on Steam, it's said that "during initial release" the digital version will be available through Origin and "a number of other 3rd party digital retailers," Steam not being among them.
