Archive for June, 2010

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2010 E3 – it’s all about Sony (so far)

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

While the E3 industry trade show and event is only in it’s second day, it looks like Sony Computer Entertainment is leading the charge out of the gate with a ton of announcements.  Let’s dive right in….

3D

SFM066LOGOLet the 3D gaming wars begin! Sony officially announced their commitment to Stereoscopic 3D at the E3 yesterday. Some of their hottest titles including MLB® 10 The Show, MotorStorm®: Apocalypse, Killzone® 3, The Sly Collection, and Gran Turismo®5 will be available in this new format. Where Sony holds the upper hand in this, sure to be developed my the other major platforms very soon, card game lies in the fact that the 35.7 million PS3s around the world can already play 3D stereoscopic content as of a firmware update that went out in April of 2010. Four titles: PAIN, MotorStorm® Pacific Rift, Super Stardust™ HD and WipEout® HD are already available for 3D consumption via the PlayStation Network.

Move

Mark your calendars, September 19th will be the day that Nintendo lost it’s monopoly on motion based gaming controllers. Sony stamped the date on their anticipated Move controller yesterday. Sony is offering up three different pricing/packaging options: a Move/Eye/Sports Champions bundle for $99.99, a PS3 console, Move/Eye/Sports Champions bundle available for $399.99, and a standalone Move for $49.99. Additionally, Sony announced the Move navigation controller which is used alongside the Move for intuitive in-game navigation (can you say nun chuck?). Sony already has 15 Move approved titles ready to go for launch, with 40 more in the pipeline projected for a holiday season 2010 release.

Subscription plus

Now joining the ranks similar to the Xbox 360 style of online gaming, Sony has announced their PlayStationPlus subscription package. Hitting a PS3 near you on June 29th, the PlayStationPlus package will offer users:

  • Full game trial*3 – Members will have access to full versions of designated PS3® and PlayStation Network titles including PS one® Archives (PS one® Classics). The titles on offer will be available for download on PlayStation Store for a stated period and change every month. Members will be able to play the full version of the game for a designated period and even after the trial period expires, users will be able to continue playing the game by purchasing the game on-line*4.
  • Games – Member will be able to play the full version of designated PS3 downloadable and PlayStation Network titles including PS one Archives (PS one Classics) and minis*5 with no limit of time as long as membership is effective. These games will become available exclusively for PlayStation Plus members at no extra cost.
  • Special content – Content such as avatars and custom themes many of which are exclusive will become available for PlayStation Plus members at no extra cost.
  • Discounts – Members will have access to exclusive discounts on designated PS3 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) titles. Titles will vary every month on PlayStation Store.
  • Early access – Members will have early access to designated new game beta trials, game demos and video content prior to public distribution.
  • Automatic content downloads and updates – PS3 will automatically download and install designated game demos and game updates and also download the system software update data*6. PS3 will automatically start up at a designated time to download content and will turn off after the download has completed.

Sound

SCE announced that they’ll be releasing an all-in-one subwoofer included surround sound system for the PS3 this fall. Priced at $199, this audio solution seeks to immerse players in a rich digital audio system that includes the upcoming Move based titles. The speaker system taps elements from Sony’s high end audio department including the S-Force PRO front surround sound that produces surround sound from only a single front speaker.

50 Million PlayStation accounts

And last but certainly not least, and a cherry on top of the Sony sundae, they’ve recently surpassed 50 million registered accounts worldwide as of June 14th. Accounts come from over 58 countries around the world, and Sony has racked this number up in just 3 years and 8 months.

Not a bad showing for Sony at this year’s E3.

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New Report – Gaming bigger and more social than ever!

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

A new report released by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) – indicates that 67 percent of all U.S. homes are playing video games. Furthermore, the report also found that 62 percent of all American gamers reporting that they are playing games in person with another gamer at least one hour a week. And it’s not just ‘kids’ playing games, as just under half (48 percent) of parents reported that they play with their children at least once a week.

logo_esa“Computer and video games are now available to consumers on every screen from smart phones to computers to flat screen televisions. This enables millions of Americans to enjoy the immersive storytelling, incredible graphics, and compelling plot lines,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. “These works of art are a fun and engaging way to bring people together, especially families who are playing video games together now more than ever.”

Although there is a high margin of what could be classified as ‘violent’ games on the market today, the ESA report found that parents with a child under the age of 18 were present when games were purchased or rented 93 percent of the time. 86 percent of the time, children received approval from said parents before purchasing or renting a game. These parents indicated that they always or sometimes monitor the games their children are playing 97 percent of the time.

Additional highlights:

  • The average game player is 34 years old and the average game buyer is 40 years old;
  • 40 percent of game players are female;
  • 48 percent of all games sold are rated ‘E’ for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board;
  • 64 percent of parents believe games are a positive part of their children’s lives;
  • Two thirds of parents (76 percent) believe that the parental controls available in all new video game consoles are useful;
  • 42 percent of Americans play games on wireless devices such as cell phones or PDAs.

These facts were released as part of a much larger study, Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry 2010. The study was conducted by Ipsos MediaCT and represents approximately 1,200 U.S. households that indicated that there was either a video game console or personal computer used for gaming purposes. Grab the full report directly from TheESA.com.

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Microsoft Kinects with users

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Microsoft has finally let the beans spill about the highly anticipated, and extremely well received Project Natal; now known as Kinect.

kinectPrior to the opening of industry event E3 in Los Angeles this week, Microsoft put on a pretty impressive show, Cirque du Soleil included, at the University of California’s Galen Center. Highlights of the show included video clips of Kinect in action starting with athletic sims. The videos showed participants running and jumping to complete a hurdles sim, others throwing a virtual javelin. Other sports based games included soccer, white water rafting, while still others offered up yoga and dancing games.

Microsoft is reported to be building deep social networking features into Kinect, which will in turn allow users to share their gaming experience with their friends (and in turn, subtly encourage others to join the fun by purchasing their own Kinect). Microsoft hasn’t set a specific price point, but rumors afloat on the great ship U.S.S. Internets, are indicating anywhere between $70 – $200. The scheduled release date for Kinect is this autumn, which gives Microsoft plenty of time to line up the Kinect launch with an anticipated Xbox 360 ‘slim’ (can you say bundle?).

The Kinect marks Microsoft’s foray into taking on the wildly popular Nintendo Wii. Wii, which has sold some 70 million units worldwide, features a unique motion-sensing controller that players use to interface with the game. Sony also has their own answer to the Wii interface, and is expect to debut its “Move” controller at E3 this week. However, Sony’s Move looks to be little more than a reverse engineered Wii controller, as the general principles are the same. Microsoft takes this motion sensing concept one step further, and eliminates the controller altogether. The player of the game IS the controller.

As social/casual games start to take a much bigger hold, and appropriately, attention of gamers, it’s clear that there’s quite a lucrative market here waiting to be tapped. Realizing that their ‘core’ brand of gamer is perhaps a bigger fan of shooters (I’m looking at your Halo and Gears of War), and has sought to bring in a much larger audience with the control-less interaction features of Kinect, as well as tap into the social networking pull of it all.

And while Sony might not have the Bing-Bang-Zoom features that Kinect is sporting, there are other rumblings in the news that could put both Sony and Nintendo back in the spotlight: 3D. The Nintendo handheld 3DS is on tap at E3, and Sony is expected to have 3D-compatible PlayStation titles on display, including the … wait for it … long awaited … Gran Turismo 5 (really? Do not tease me, yet again).

With this much chatter on the radio waves before the main doors have even opened, it looks like E3 may just have regained its slot on the top of gaming conferences. The event opens tomorrow, Jun 15th, and runs through June 17th at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

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Quickhit takes it to the RedZone with NFL License

Friday, June 11th, 2010

Massachusetts based social football coaching game Quickhit has recently been granted the coveted “seal of approval” from the National Football League via a licensing agreement. The license now allows Quickhit to use the league’s 32 professional teams, uniforms, logos, and stadiums in their free-to-play game.

quickhitNFL

Notably, this license is the first and only one of it’s kind outside of the EA deal, which was inked in 2004. It’s a bit of a loophole, but the EA agreement with the NFL is limited to PC and Console platforms, including multiplayer online play, as well as hand-held games, but does not have any clauses directed at purely internet based games.

While former Turbine CEO and EA employee, Quickhit chief Jeff Anderson could not comment on the negotiations, he did say that he was very excited about getting NFL teams into Quickhit.

“I was at EA and saw the value and the power of the franchise. It is the most popular sport out there. Having the NFL and getting that validation is an incredible opportunity to bring in new users and expand our content.”

And although the licensing might be seen as a direct shot across the bow at EA’s Madden franchise, Quickhit design director Brandon Justice stresses that Quickhit is focused on attracting a different type of player, one that may not be attracted to console games or put off by the complex interface. As Justice puts it, “Quickhit aims to be more of a sports RPG than a sports action game.”

With fantasy football leagues starting to grind to life, the Quickhit/NFL deal couldn’t have come at a better time. Instead of directly targeting Madden fans, Quickhit has an entirely separate demographic to go after, as Quickhit could very easily become a coaching tool/simulator for fantasy football fans. And now that they’ve signed the NFL, how long do you think it will take ESPN to sign on the dotted line, making Quickhit the fantasy football, free-to-play of choice?

Formerly known as Play Hard, Quickhit launched their debut title, Quickhit Football during the 2009 NFL season, and now has over 1 million players. In late January 2009, they added the voice of former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher to the game. The new, NFL licensed content is expected to be released in time for the 2010 football season.

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Riot Games opens European office

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

The good folks at Riot Games must have known that their League of Legends offering was going to strike a chord with both hardcore and non gamers, but chances are they hadn’t counted on opening a European office in less than a year since the title’s launch. The goal of the new office will be to provide better support and publishing infrastructure for European operations.

In an interview with Gamasutra, Riot chief Brandon Beck comments, “The game has been received really well in Europe, and that growth has largely mirrored US growth Going into Europe has been an opportunity to get close to our users and improve the quality of service there.”

First up on Riot’s to-do list is to bring the European publishing arm of League of Legends in-house, similar to their modus operandi in the North American market. Having feet on the ground in Europe will also help the company address localization issues, community relations, marketing, and network support. Until now, League of Legends has been distributed in Europe by GOA.

According to Beck, the decision to settle in Dublin was based on it’s “”emerging hub for online game servicing. And because it’s close to the Guinness factory.” I’m quite sure this decision has nothing to do with the fact that Ireland has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in all of Europe.

Riot’s commitment to fully engaging it’s European audience is evidenced by their current search for a European Community Manager, with one part of the job description reading, “Evangelize internally on behalf of the European player, ensuring they receive a quality of experience equivalent to North American players.”

Since the successful launch of League of Legends last October, Riot Games’ staff numbers have more than doubled, with 70 staff members on board. And while the Dublin office is starting off with only 7 employees, Beck says that there are “definitely plans to expand on that.”

“We intend to continue to grow and expand upon League of Legends really aggressively, more than is usual or typical for a game post-launch. That’s to support the growth we’ve had and the desires of users to expand the experience and the feature-set. We’ve got a larger live development team than we had at any point on the game pre-launch.”

Beck also commented on future Riot offices around the U.S., but more interestingly hinted at new gaming projects “in the coming months.” If Riot’s first entry is any indication of what this talented team is capable of, I can’t wait!

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Nexon poised to make big E3 debut

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

In their first ever E3 appearance, Korean free-to-play firm Nexon plans on making a big splash. Not only is it the company’s first time at E3, but they also plan on bringing along not 1, not 2, but 3 (what they’re dubbing as) next-generation free-to-play games. On tap will be Vindictus, Dragon Nest, and Dungeon Fighter Online.

NEXON_logoNexon will be located at booth 635 in the South Hall, and if new titles weren’t enough to draw in the crowds, Nexon is taking a play from some famous industry trade show playbooks, and have included former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Michelle Lombardo as eye candy. Of course, Nexon’s official position is that she’s there to show off the Red Wolf Hood, which represents the Gnoll Chieftain from Vindictus. Random visitors to Nexon’s booth will receive a complimentary Red Wolf Hood.

Titled “The Future of Free,” Nexon hopes to present audiences with the new style of free-to-play, including more action and higher level of quality not yet seen in the genre.

Up first: Vindictus. Slated as the first physics based MMORPG that fuses gorgeous visuals with high-speed combat. Powering the action is a modified Source Engine that enables actions such as throwing, shattering, binding with chains, piercing with spears, etc.

Second on the Nexon tap: Dragon Nest. An action role-playing game, Nexon serves up another high-speed action thriller that’s reported to have mind boggling graphics, particularly in regards to attack combos. A hybrid of sorts, Dragon Nest seeks to combine the best of both traditional RPGs and MMORPGs.

And launching today, June 9th, Nexon’s Dungeon Fighter Online already has more than 200 million players around the globe. Centered around arcade style action, this role-playing game builds upon Nexon’s fast-paced side scrolling (think Maple Story) games, while at the same time throwing in elements of classic video game fighting.

“Nexon’s first visit to E3 will definitely be a memorable one,” said Min Kim, Nexon America’s vice president of marketing. “Vindictus, Dragon Nest and Dungeon Fighter Online will set the new standard for free-to-play games and should be a revelation to E3 attendees. We are excited to take our message of great free-to-play gaming to the E3 crowds as well as provide great loot, special guests and a few surprises that will make coming to our booth a great experience.”

One item of note: It looks as though Nexon’s BlockParty.com is not yet ready for public consumption, as I would have thought that an inaugural attendance at E3 would have been the perfect time. Similar in function to ngmoco’s plusplus platform, Nexon’s BlockParty.com will help Nexon game players find and play with other Nexon gamers. Christmas 2010?

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FarmVille: coming to an iPhone near you soon

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

If for no other reason, you’ve certainly got to hand it to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Introducing the new iPhone yesterday with an opening line, “You may have already seen this.” True to form, Zynga prez Mark Pincus wasted no time, and struck while the proverbial iron was hot. White hot in fact.

Announced in conjunction with the new iPhone presentation, Pincus announced that everyone’s (depending on how you look at it) favorite Facebook casual game, FarmVille is headed to an iPhone near you soon. According to Zynga, the FarmVille app will sync your iPhone farm with your Facebook farm via Facebook Connect, effectively eliminating withered crops. In Pincus’ own words, “Say goodbye to withering crops, we now have push notifications.”

The iPhone version of FarmVille comes with all the usual suspects; push notifications, and in-app transactions for virtual goods. The app is slated for an end-June release, which will coincide with FarmVille’s one year anniversary. To commemorate the iPhone app launch, Zynga will be offering exclusive iPhone items, including a Snow Leopard, a tip of the hat to Apple’s current OS.

Interestingly, this time one year prior, Pincus had described iPhone’s monetization opportunities as, “below expectations.” However, and to his credit, he was speaking to revenue opportunities prior to OS3, which brought microtransactions to applications.

I can not say that I’m surprised by the announcement. Sources close to Zynga, as well as some eagle-eyed domain registrants have been fueling the iPhone rumor since late April of this year. The only surprising thing about the Zynga/FarmVille/iPhone announcement is the timing. As in, Zynga is one of the most powerful and lucrative players in the social gaming scene – what took them so long to get the product to market? These guys are clearly not a two man show developing games in their garage; they’re a money making powerhouse based in one of the most tech friendly/huge talent pool areas in the world. A year to dev an iPhone app? Kinda fail guys.

With similar ‘Farming’ apps already out on the market (I’m looking at you Social City and We Rule), what could Zynga have to offer that’s new? On the other side of the coin, there are 70+ million people around the globe the regularly play FarmVille. The question is, how many of them are iPhone owners, and how many more players can Zynga pull in with the new app? Or…is the FarmVille app simply a ‘get it out the door’ project that could serve as the basis for future Zynga apps? FrontierVille anyone?

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LotRO goes free-to-play this fall

Monday, June 7th, 2010

It looks like Turbine isn’t wasting anytime making big changes under the Warner Bros. banner. Announced late on Friday, Turbine’s flagship entertainment title, Lord of the Rings Online, will convert to the free-to-play business model.

lord-of-the-rings-online-smallerPreviously based on a subscription model, LotRO can be seen as a viable competitor to Blizzard’s king-of-the-hill MMORPG, World of Warcraft, often involving players in similar, if yet different, gameplay and quest lines, series of play. Turbine’s Lord of the Rings Online has won multiple awards, involving players in a rich adventure featuring a massive world of up-to-the-minute graphics and game mechanics. Naturally, as a former subscription based game, LoTRO also includes all the premium features that paying gamers have come to expect over recent history.

The free-to-play version, which is slated to remain (more or less) exactly the same as the currently paid-only version, will launch this fall in North America and Europe. Euro operations of the title will be handled by Codemasters. And just like Turbine’s Dungeons and Dragons Online, LoTRO will feature a pricing model that allows players to purchase expansion packs, quest packs, items, and account services. Likewise, Turbine will also offer a VIP package, whereby users can get unlimited access to all of the games’ features (so…a subscription, more or less?).

Beta testing of the new free-to-play version will commence on July 16th. Sign up for a potential “first crack” at the new LoTRO here.

Apparently, the Dungeons and Dragons swap to free-to-play is proof in the pudding that this model can and has been working for Turbine. What can be drawn from this move is that free-to-play is more than capable of turning a profit. Dungeons and Dragons was practically done and dusted until Turbine released it to the masses for free. Hours, weeks, and months of data review has obviously brought Turbine to the same conclusion in regards to Lord of the Rings Online. Not only has Turbine used this business model to breathe a healthy breath of fresh air into Dungeons and Dragons, but it now looks like they intend on taking the philosophy one step further and see what the model can do for a healthy title.

“Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is bringing quality games based on The Lord of the Rings to multiple platforms, and the franchise’s expansive adventure story lends itself perfectly for LOTRO free-to-play, giving a wide range of players the opportunity to experience the game,” said Jeff Junge, Senior Vice President Online Games and Digital Games Platforms, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We are focused on expanding our game franchises onto new digital platforms to maximize quality experiences for gamers worldwide and LOTRO’s new model is a great leading example of this.”

Highlights direct from Warner Bros./Turbine:

  • Free means Free! – Players will download LOTRO by visiting www.lotro.com and join with millions of other adventurers as they explore the most complete and authentic recreation of Middle-earth ever created and participate in LOTRO’s award-winning epic story up to level 50 for free.
  • Visit the new LOTRO Store! — The LOTRO Store is loaded with thousands of convenience items as well as expansion packs, premium content, additional character slots, potions, character customization and more! The LOTRO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience using points which can be purchased in the store or earned through gameplay.
  • Be a LOTRO VIP! – Players who elect to become a LOTRO VIP will have unlimited access to all premium content, receive priority server access, 5 character slots, a shared bank slot, and a monthly allotment of points to spend in the new LOTRO Store.

Given the Fall release, it should be very interesting to see what the post-holiday season numbers on the “new” Lord of the Rings Online will look like. My guess? Turbine/Warner Bros. is about to see some resistance right out of the gate, but by Christmas, I’d bet they’re selling digital swords and expansion packs like hotcakes.

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Challenge Games now Zynga Austin

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Times are obviously looking quite good at San Francisco based social gaming behemoth Zynga, as they’ve recently announced…wait for it…yes, yet another acquisition. This time up? Austin, Texas based Challenge Games.

logoWasting no time in establishing who’s who, Zynga has marked the acquisition with an ‘effective immediately’ renaming of Challenge Games to Zynga Austin. Zynga plans to utilize the new Austin office primarily as a game studio focused on product development. The Austin acquisition now brings Zynga’s satellite office total to 5, as they also have offices/studios in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Bangalore, and Beijing, in addition to their main headquarters in San Francisco.

Challenge Games was launched in 2007 with a focus on creating immersive web games based on a virtual goods monetization business model. They were backed by both Sequoia Capital and Globespan Capital Partners. Challenge Games has two popular games, Warstorm and Ponzi. The first focuses on card collecting in a fantasy universe, while the other, as you might guess, is a tycoon/get rich game, both of which Zynga apparently has very bright futures planned for.

Challenge Games’ co-founder and CEO Andrew Busey will stay on as Zynga’s General Manager and Vice President of the Austin studio. He’ll remain with his team of 35 employees, and presumably carry on with business as usual, just now under the Zynga banner.

“Austin is an ideal location to extend our studio operations with its rich talent in the games business,” said Mike Verdu, senior vice president of Games at Zynga. “We look forward to building out our Zynga Austin studio with the best and brightest in the industry as we continue to bring social games to more users worldwide.”

And as much as the cynic in me would love to find the deep, dark secret hiding at the bottom of Zynga’s sock drawer, from all reports coming out of the SFO HQ, things really are going that well at the company. They’ve recently setting the Facebook fiasco by inking a five year (presumably “Sweetheart”) deal, and just a few days ago, they came to terms with Yahoo! This is on top of the previously mentioned acquisitions that Pincus and Co. have worked this year, and just to add a cherry to the sundae, don’t forget about Zynga’s cross over into the “physical” world with a 7-Eleven promotion with special offers and promotions available via your favorite flavored Slurpee. If that wasn’t enough, let’s not forget that the rumor mill has started to circulate regarding a new Zynga ‘Ville, this time based in the Wild West (cashing in on the Red Dead Redemption fever? Possibly).

If I were a gamblin’ man, my bet would be for Zynga to snatch up one, perhaps two more U.S. based firms, and then make the leap to an EU acquisition. 20:1 before year’s end? I’d put $100 on that one…..

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Bigpoint acquires Radon, opens Bigpoint Berlin

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

German based browser games firm Bigpoint has recently acquired Radon Labs, also based in Germany. This Bigpoint acquisition of Radon is a true silver lining for the company, as they’d recently filed for bankruptcy due to financial concerns.

Radon Labs was founded in 1995, and have carved out quite a name for themselves, developing over 20 PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and NDS titles that have received a host of awards. Radon’s biggest claim to fame comes via their first two Drakensang (Dragon Song) titles. At the time of their semi-closure, Radon had Drakensang 3 in production, something that Bigpoint plans on continuing, and is slated for a 2011 release.

Heiko Hubertz, Bigpoint CEO and Founder views the acquisition as a vital strategic move for the company, “Under Bernd and Andre’s leadership, Radon Labs became one of Germany’s top three development studios. We’re excited to add their highly qualified workforce to Bigpoint as we continue to push the limits of what’s possible in online gaming. This acquisition is also greater proof that the market continues to consolidate. As such, we plan to purchase additional studios, both in Germany and abroad, to support our long-term growth strategy.”

Bigpoint has had some impressive expansion already over the course of 2010. They’ve expanded past their headquarters, Hamburg, and opened offices in Malta (Bigpoint Internationa), San Francisco (Bigpoint Inc.), and most recently Berlin. The Berlin office opening is a result of another Bigpoint acquisition. In December of 2009, Bigpoint acquired Berlin based game development studio eLOFD. The former eLOFD offices and staff officially became recognized as Bigpoint Berlin as of the end of May 2010. Bigpoint’s current employee count has surpassed the 500 mark, and with the addition of (now former) Radon employees (35), shows no signs of slowing.

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