There's alot of people who want to hear me talk about the Playstation 4. And while I do have some criticism directed at it, I have something else that caught my attention. The shuttering of 1up, GameSpy and UGO, all apart of the same group that's with IGN(Which is also facing layoffs)
The move, according to a statement, is so that the publisher can focus
on its two "flagship" brands, IGN and AskMen. It will no doubt be a sad
shock to those who have frequented these sites for many years.
"Given
the state of the market and the economy, it simply wasn't feasible to
run multiple sites all focused on video game content," wrote IGN's Casey Lynch,
the poor sod who has to relay the corporate message like it's a good
thing, and take the heat from disappointed readers around the world.
"Layoffs
and site closures *CENSORED* suck. It reminds us that this is indeed a
business, and not just a fun past-time that kids tumble into an office
to type about," he added.
"I choose to remember all the heart,
soul, blood, sweat and beers that went into creating 1UP and GameSpy,
and all the hard work, love, and devotion that those we say goodbye to
today poured out for you and this industry while at IGN, 1UP, and
GameSpy."
A tragic move by Ziff Davis. Which means we'll be having less review sites to trust. So, for the rest of this post, the final message of all 3 websites that will be no more. 1up, GameSpy, UGO, thanks for all those years we had.
1UP.com's final message
As of today, 1UP will be entering the sunset into which all former
websites eventually must ride. This comes as huge disappointment for me
-- not because I'm editor-in-chief of the site, but because I've been
with it since the beginning. That's nearly 10 years of my life invested
in this website through all its ups and downs... and ups... and
dooooowwwwwns.
It's been a fantastic (almost) 10 years. Even in its most frustrating
and even dispiriting moments (there were some pretty dark times before
IGN bought us in 2011), 1UP has always been fueled by the sincere
enthusiasm of everyone writing for the site. Dozens upon dozens of
people have moved through the various doors of our assorted offices, and
each of them brought passion and talent to their work. I'm proud to
have been a part of something so much larger than myself, and to help
guide it as gracefully as possible to its slow halt since taking over
the role left behind by my predecessors, Sam Kennedy and James Mielke.
Read through the site's archives and you'll find some truly amazing
content. In-depth interviews with legendary developers, insanely
detailed explorations of the niche and obscure, brilliant coverage of
the top news of the day. You'll find revolutionary video programs and
trendsetting podcasts. Incisive reviews and comprehensive blogs. God,
there's so much here we need to archive in case someone does pull the
plug on the servers.
But most of all, 1UP has always been fueled by passionate readers. No,
you guys are more than readers -- you're participants. You've called in
for podcasts, shaken our hands at trade shows and conventions, flagged
us down on the street, berated us in comments, and chimed in to express
your own take on the topics of the day. 1UP has played a huge role over
the years in changing the perception and nature of the gaming press from
broadcast to conversation. And the outpouring of memories and affection
today on forums, on Twitter, and in our blogs has only served to reinforce the impact 1UP has had on countless people. You guys are awesome.
GameSpy.com's Final Message
GameSpy, as we know it, began in 1999. Today, 14 years later, it has
reached the end of the road. We had a good run, and we want to sincerely
thank all of you for reading and joining in discussions with us. It's
been fantastic.
Just to be clear, we're not being shut down because PC gaming isn't a
big, important, and growing thing -- because it is. That's not even
debatable. It's not even because the GameSpy staff did a bad job of
talking about it. Hell, from where I'm sitting we did an awesome
job, particularly in covering the technical quality of PC versions of
cross-platform games in our Port Authority features, reality-checking
the hype of about-to-be-released big games with our Questions &
Concerns series, delving into the nuances of MMORPGs, strategy, MOBAs,
and simulations in our columns, regularly checking up on free-to-play games in Free Agent, calling out Microsoft's neglect of PC gamers, mocking Ubisoft's claims of a day-and-date PC release of Assassin's Creed 3, breaking the news on SimCity's lack of save/reload, and of course our amazingly bizarre The War Z interview.
Why is this closure happening, then? It's a business thing, and like
most business things it's not easy to explain or understand unless you
spend all day crunching numbers and paying bills. Which I don't. So
here's the simple version that even I can comprehend: Ziff Davis wants
to run an efficient, focused company, and managing several different
sites that all cover videogames isn't exactly the model of efficiency.
Even though GameSpy had its own unique voice that was separate and
distinct from those of our sister sites, and there has always been value
in that, it's hard to argue with that logic. Even if it does totally
suck.
The silver lining is that the value of all of the voices and opinions of
our staff and writers won't just go away. We'll still be out there
talking and writing about the great things happening in the world of PC
gaming, both at IGN and other places around the internet, because it's
what we love to do. It's why we wanted to work at GameSpy in the first
place. We hope you'll keep reading and watching and talking about PC
games with us.
On that note, here's a list of the people -- and associated Twitter
names -- who helped make GameSpy the fun and insightful PC gaming site
it's been for the past year. I think you'll find there's more where that
came from.
- Dan Stapleton, Editor in Chief
UGO.com's final message
Yo,
I've spent many years of my life trying to turn UGO.com
into something entertaining for you guys. Hopefully you stopped by
recently to watch one our funny videos. Or you found yourself debating
one of our nerd culture lists, read a movie review or pondered the age
old question "Who would win in a fight, a minotaur armed with a trident
or a centaur armed with a crossbow." Could be you tried to win something
off our homepage or you Googled "Hot Girls" and found a couple of pics
you liked. I don't really care how you got here, just as long as you
were entertained when you did.
Be excellent to each other,
Chris Radtke
Works Cited:
Spong
1UP
GameSpy
UGO
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
AlienGate: The Dark sides to Aliens Colonial Marines
Aliens: Colonial Marines. It was suppose to be a game done by the same team responsible for the Borderlands games. It was suppose to be a game of high quality. But, what happened?
As for Aliens: Colonial Marines, as a total package this should be a solid enough shooter to appease all sorts of fans of the series, but it's also a retread of many outdated and familiar gameplay mechanics. Maybe some day, Gearbox will make an open-world thriller of a game based off exploration of LV-223 in Prometheus. But until that time, I believe that if nothing else, Aliens: Colonial Marines will at the very least be a decent franchise tie-in that continues the canon of the series.
So far, so good, according to Destructoid's Casey Baker. It seems the game was labeled as a solid game. But when the game finally came out, the reviews didn't take kindly to it. Jim Sterling has this to say.
Multiplayer raises the game's stock, but not by much. Certainly not enough to be worth the time of any Aliens fan, when there are cheaper, more professionally produced alternatives on offer. This feels like an amateur's dalliance, not a high profile mainstream release that's been in production since 2006 and heralds itself as an important addition to science fiction history. It works, just about, and it comes across as a game developed to attain that one lowly goal -- to simply work, to achieve the bare minimum quality required to escape being labeled unplayable. The result is something that is, indeed, playable, but nonetheless heartbreaking in its awfulness.
At first, Colonial Marines surprised this lifelong Aliens fan with its ignoble crudity. Then it angered me. Now ... I'm just very, very sad. I don't even feel like ending this with an obligatory movie reference. (Score: 2.5/10)
Very disappointing indeed. And it's not just Destructoid. But other sites like IGN, Gamespot and Game Informer that cited a disappointing review, though EGM gave it a positive review with a whopping 90.
You can find them at Metacritic
But what about the Wii U version? Well some say that game is the superior one.
However, what alot of people don't identify (again because of general concensus) is that the Wii U version (still very much on the way), done exclusively by Demiurge studio's, is the big version; the joint venture was banking on.
I know what you're thinkin right? "WTF!?, how stupid, no ones adopting the Wii U, what were they thinking?" and you'd be right if it wasn't for the fact that SEGA's industry analysis favoured the U version, in fact the entire joint venture did.
This is because that version ports to the new consoles by Sony & MS (in the future) and thus has the tightest longevity of the product. Instead of a few months in the dying period of current gen systems, they favour a product that will last (potentally) 2-3yrs and allow for sequals.
Moving on, alot if not all the pre-production of the title was handled by Demiurge studio's before they went onto work exclusively on the Wii U version from the ground up.
Sounds kinda fishy if you ask me. But one tester claims the opposite.
“Oh wow. Yes okay. I was hoping someone would ask this. I have played the WiiU version. The one that is supposedly the best of all of them? It is not. It is the worst. It is a bit of a joke. The WiiU is basically the same game as the console version but with framerate issues, worse texture loading, and horrendously misguided minigames thrown in. You get a ‘scanner’ to scan enemies and get bonus points that aid your harming them. When you cut open doors (which happens a lot in the game) you have a game where you have to keep the heat ‘optimal’. They just add frustration, and take away even more from the fun. We don’t know if it will come out, Sega are conisdering canceling it, but right now its still going.”
The worst version. As if the 360, PS3 and PC versions were bad enough, the Wii U version happens to be worst. And you thought the mud on Gearbox software's face wasn't bad enough. But it seems rumor has it that Gearbox pulled Aliens developers out to work on Borderlands 2
"Gearbox was taking people off the project to put them on Borderlands 1," he says of his time on the job. "This was before the big art style change happened on Borderlands. Our team was getting smaller by the month, making it very difficult to get the game made. Ironically several of the team members were ex-3D Realms people who were saying [paraphrasing] 'Finally, we're going to Gearbox to make Aliens, and we're going to ship a fucking game!' Hah."
According to our man with the inside track, it was later learned that SEGA actually canceled Colonial Marines, deciding to cut its losses after such a long development cycle.
"At some point in 2008, SEGA temporarily pulled the plug on the game," he said. "They caught wind of Gearbox shifting resources (despite still collecting milestone checks as if the team were full size) and lying to SEGA AND 2K about the number of people working on each project. This led to the round of layoffs at Gearbox in late 2008."
Did Gearbox go too far in destroying the reputation of Aliens: Colonial Marines? Were both SEGA and 2K games lied to? Why is Randy Pitchfork of Gearbox software not talking about this game? AlienGate: The rise and fall of Aliens: Colonial Marines. What really went wrong?
Works Cited
http://www.destructoid.com/hands-on-with-aliens-colonial-marines-240418.phtml#PhlLvjdrhqOv3xzd.99">Destructoid: Hands on With Aliens Colonial Marines
http://www.destructoid.com/review-aliens-colonial-marines-244276.phtml#PTZTOwJi6Fw0LUDL.99"> Destructoid: Aliens Colonial Marines Review
TimeGate Studio Forums
DSO Gaming: Aliens Colonial Marines Tester Spills the Beans: SEGA were well aware the game sucks
http://www.destructoid.com/developer-gearbox-lied-to-sega-2k-over-colonial-marines-245986.phtml#PqUdHCCO4SV1wtbe.99 "> Destructoid: Developer: Gearbox lied to SEGA, 2K over Colonial Marines
As for Aliens: Colonial Marines, as a total package this should be a solid enough shooter to appease all sorts of fans of the series, but it's also a retread of many outdated and familiar gameplay mechanics. Maybe some day, Gearbox will make an open-world thriller of a game based off exploration of LV-223 in Prometheus. But until that time, I believe that if nothing else, Aliens: Colonial Marines will at the very least be a decent franchise tie-in that continues the canon of the series.
So far, so good, according to Destructoid's Casey Baker. It seems the game was labeled as a solid game. But when the game finally came out, the reviews didn't take kindly to it. Jim Sterling has this to say.
Multiplayer raises the game's stock, but not by much. Certainly not enough to be worth the time of any Aliens fan, when there are cheaper, more professionally produced alternatives on offer. This feels like an amateur's dalliance, not a high profile mainstream release that's been in production since 2006 and heralds itself as an important addition to science fiction history. It works, just about, and it comes across as a game developed to attain that one lowly goal -- to simply work, to achieve the bare minimum quality required to escape being labeled unplayable. The result is something that is, indeed, playable, but nonetheless heartbreaking in its awfulness.
At first, Colonial Marines surprised this lifelong Aliens fan with its ignoble crudity. Then it angered me. Now ... I'm just very, very sad. I don't even feel like ending this with an obligatory movie reference. (Score: 2.5/10)
Very disappointing indeed. And it's not just Destructoid. But other sites like IGN, Gamespot and Game Informer that cited a disappointing review, though EGM gave it a positive review with a whopping 90.
You can find them at Metacritic
But what about the Wii U version? Well some say that game is the superior one.
However, what alot of people don't identify (again because of general concensus) is that the Wii U version (still very much on the way), done exclusively by Demiurge studio's, is the big version; the joint venture was banking on.
I know what you're thinkin right? "WTF!?, how stupid, no ones adopting the Wii U, what were they thinking?" and you'd be right if it wasn't for the fact that SEGA's industry analysis favoured the U version, in fact the entire joint venture did.
This is because that version ports to the new consoles by Sony & MS (in the future) and thus has the tightest longevity of the product. Instead of a few months in the dying period of current gen systems, they favour a product that will last (potentally) 2-3yrs and allow for sequals.
Moving on, alot if not all the pre-production of the title was handled by Demiurge studio's before they went onto work exclusively on the Wii U version from the ground up.
Sounds kinda fishy if you ask me. But one tester claims the opposite.
“Oh wow. Yes okay. I was hoping someone would ask this. I have played the WiiU version. The one that is supposedly the best of all of them? It is not. It is the worst. It is a bit of a joke. The WiiU is basically the same game as the console version but with framerate issues, worse texture loading, and horrendously misguided minigames thrown in. You get a ‘scanner’ to scan enemies and get bonus points that aid your harming them. When you cut open doors (which happens a lot in the game) you have a game where you have to keep the heat ‘optimal’. They just add frustration, and take away even more from the fun. We don’t know if it will come out, Sega are conisdering canceling it, but right now its still going.”
The worst version. As if the 360, PS3 and PC versions were bad enough, the Wii U version happens to be worst. And you thought the mud on Gearbox software's face wasn't bad enough. But it seems rumor has it that Gearbox pulled Aliens developers out to work on Borderlands 2
"Gearbox was taking people off the project to put them on Borderlands 1," he says of his time on the job. "This was before the big art style change happened on Borderlands. Our team was getting smaller by the month, making it very difficult to get the game made. Ironically several of the team members were ex-3D Realms people who were saying [paraphrasing] 'Finally, we're going to Gearbox to make Aliens, and we're going to ship a fucking game!' Hah."
According to our man with the inside track, it was later learned that SEGA actually canceled Colonial Marines, deciding to cut its losses after such a long development cycle.
"At some point in 2008, SEGA temporarily pulled the plug on the game," he said. "They caught wind of Gearbox shifting resources (despite still collecting milestone checks as if the team were full size) and lying to SEGA AND 2K about the number of people working on each project. This led to the round of layoffs at Gearbox in late 2008."
Did Gearbox go too far in destroying the reputation of Aliens: Colonial Marines? Were both SEGA and 2K games lied to? Why is Randy Pitchfork of Gearbox software not talking about this game? AlienGate: The rise and fall of Aliens: Colonial Marines. What really went wrong?
Works Cited
http://www.destructoid.com/hands-on-with-aliens-colonial-marines-240418.phtml#PhlLvjdrhqOv3xzd.99">Destructoid: Hands on With Aliens Colonial Marines
http://www.destructoid.com/review-aliens-colonial-marines-244276.phtml#PTZTOwJi6Fw0LUDL.99"> Destructoid: Aliens Colonial Marines Review
TimeGate Studio Forums
DSO Gaming: Aliens Colonial Marines Tester Spills the Beans: SEGA were well aware the game sucks
http://www.destructoid.com/developer-gearbox-lied-to-sega-2k-over-colonial-marines-245986.phtml#PqUdHCCO4SV1wtbe.99 "> Destructoid: Developer: Gearbox lied to SEGA, 2K over Colonial Marines
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Juding a system by its connectivity
Rumors are always floating around the internet. Ranging from Nintendo bowing out of the video game industry to SEGA going out of business to Obama revealing to be from the planet Equestria.
But the newest rumor from Edge Magazine points out that The Next-Box may not only cut out Used games, but it may also require an internet connection to even work at all. And that may be the tip of the iceberg.
Microsoft’s next console will require an Internet connection in order to function, ruling out a second-hand game market for the platform. A new iteration of Xbox Live will be an integral part of Microsoft’s next console, while improved Kinect hardware will also ship alongside the unit.
Sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft’s next generation console have told us that although the next Xbox will be absolutely committed to online functionality, games will still be made available to purchase in physical form. Next Xbox games will be manufactured on 50GB-capacity Blu-ray discs, Microsoft having conceded defeat to Sony following its ill-fated backing of the HD-DVD format. It is believed that games purchased on disc will ship with activation codes, and will have no value beyond the initial user.
Activation codes? That sounds like what the Wii did with its digital titles, except they're physical titles.
But there's also word that Sony may be more open with the PS4 than Microsoft with the Next-Box
Though the architectures of the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation both resemble that of PCs, several development sources have told us that Sony’s solution is preferable when it comes to leveraging power. Studios working with the next-gen Xbox are currently being forced to work with only approved development libraries, while Sony is encouraging coders to get closer to the metal of its box. Furthermore, the operating system overhead of Microsoft’s next console is more oppressive than Sony’s equivalent, giving the PlayStation-badged unit another advantage.
Is this anything for X-Box fans to worry about? Is Sony up for choking out Microsoft due to a mistake like that? Or will Sony wind up pulling a fast one?
One thing to say is this. It's too early to tell. We'll have to wait till E3 to know more about Sony and Microsoft's next generation of consoles.
Works Cited
Edge Online
But the newest rumor from Edge Magazine points out that The Next-Box may not only cut out Used games, but it may also require an internet connection to even work at all. And that may be the tip of the iceberg.
Microsoft’s next console will require an Internet connection in order to function, ruling out a second-hand game market for the platform. A new iteration of Xbox Live will be an integral part of Microsoft’s next console, while improved Kinect hardware will also ship alongside the unit.
Sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft’s next generation console have told us that although the next Xbox will be absolutely committed to online functionality, games will still be made available to purchase in physical form. Next Xbox games will be manufactured on 50GB-capacity Blu-ray discs, Microsoft having conceded defeat to Sony following its ill-fated backing of the HD-DVD format. It is believed that games purchased on disc will ship with activation codes, and will have no value beyond the initial user.
Activation codes? That sounds like what the Wii did with its digital titles, except they're physical titles.
But there's also word that Sony may be more open with the PS4 than Microsoft with the Next-Box
Though the architectures of the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation both resemble that of PCs, several development sources have told us that Sony’s solution is preferable when it comes to leveraging power. Studios working with the next-gen Xbox are currently being forced to work with only approved development libraries, while Sony is encouraging coders to get closer to the metal of its box. Furthermore, the operating system overhead of Microsoft’s next console is more oppressive than Sony’s equivalent, giving the PlayStation-badged unit another advantage.
Is this anything for X-Box fans to worry about? Is Sony up for choking out Microsoft due to a mistake like that? Or will Sony wind up pulling a fast one?
One thing to say is this. It's too early to tell. We'll have to wait till E3 to know more about Sony and Microsoft's next generation of consoles.
Works Cited
Edge Online
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