The anticipation for the next generation consoles is heating up. Who will win the fight: X-Box One or Playstation 4? Well that's not going to matter, because that's nothing compared to the one game that dominates every year: Call of Duty!
2 days ago, Activision released the latest chapter in the Call of Duty franchise dubbed "Call of Duty: Ghosts" across the Playstation 3, X-Box 360, Nintendo Wii U and the Windows PC(Steam). However, this also marks the first time the franchise will be on the X-Box One and the Playstation 4: The former out on the 15th, and the latter out on the 22nd.
However, not everyone is on board with this newest chapter in the Call of Duty franchise. Case in point: a number of reviews.
Polygon's Russ Frushtick: 6.5/10
Call of Duty: Ghosts is mired in a distinct lack of
ambition. Outside of the stellar Extinction mode, Ghosts follows more
often than it leads, bringing with it familiar missions, modes and
experiences. Ghosts feels like an accountant's sequel, with just enough
content to justify a new installment. It just never goes beyond that.
Giant Bomb's Jeff Gertsmann: 60
Ghosts offers the same style of video game combat that Call
of Duty has had since 2007. The core of it is still engaging and can be
very thrilling, if you're receptive to this type of action. In fact,
it's still my favorite online multiplayer shooter. But the bells and
whistles surrounding the game are muted and missing, leaving behind that
same core without giving you enough new and exciting reasons to come
back. Even with the improved graphics to be had on next-generation
consoles, I'd rather play Black Ops II.
Quater to Three's Tom Chick: 40(The Lowest score so far)
And so that’s the sum total of Call of Duty: Ghosts. The
disappointing single-player, the usual multiplayer, the slightly
confused squad bot matches, and a nifty co-op Extinction mode that could
use more maps. When you start Ghosts, the logos for three separate
studios flash onscreen, which speaks volumes about what follows. Here
is several different things, some of them intriguing, some of them
familiar, most of them slight. Frankly, I’d rather have fewer better
things, because this is like picking through a sack of candy instead of
having dinner. For those of us who aren’t devout adopters of the usual
multiplayer, a big bag of modest distractions can’t compare to something
with the depth, breadth, legs, and unique identity of, say, Battlefield
4, Grand Theft Auto 5, or Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Does anyone really
like getting a gift basket?
And finally: Destructoid's Jim Sterling: 5/10
Call of Duty may have picked up a reputation as one of the
laziest, most callously developed cash cows in the business, but I've
always believed that reputation was undeserved. Call of Duty: Ghosts,
however, with its slapdash campaign and unambitious multiplayer,
contains enough factory-standard cynicism to earn itself plenty of
scorn. Nothing Ghosts does is especially bad, but nothing Ghosts
does is worth paying any attention to. It exists to exist, a stopgap
bit of filler spat out as the industry transitions from one generation
of consoles to another.
Contrary to the old saying, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Black Ops II demonstrated that with style. Ghosts,
however, is a dog that simply doesn't want to change. It knows what it
is, and sticks with it. It would be a respectable endeavor, if it didn't
lead to such an underwhelming and predictable little product. What a
sleepy, sleepy dog.
Metacritic currently points it at a 74/100. A good score, but not as impressive as the previous chapters in the franchise. Which gets to one question: What happened? Has the Call of Duty franchise finally lost its midas touch? Do people no longer care about serving up American Patriotism? Or is it just Infinite Ward mucking up the game?
Regardless, it seems Call of Duty: Ghosts is not without its own flaws that weights it down from being terrific. Time will tell if this game makes the November NPD next month, or if it finally shows its age and marks a decline in the franchise overall.
One last thing before I go, Jim Sterling's review of Call of Duty: Ghosts marks the final review of his on Destructoid. From 2006 to 2013, Jim Sterling has provided comical articles on the website and his Escapist video "Jimquisition." He will now join Escapist Magazine as apart of the same team that Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and Bob "MovieBob" Chipman are apart of.
Thanks for those memories, Jim. Though I haven't forgiven you for giving Sonic Lost Worlds a better review than the other sites. XP
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.832758-Jim-Sterling-Leaves-Destructoid-UPDATE-Jim-Joins-The-Escapist
Works Cited:
Polygon
Giant Bomb
Quarter to Three
Destructoid
Metacritic
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
NPD September 2013: Ghoulish edition
Before we wrap up October, first things first. A big and hearty congratulations to Valve and the Steam service for reaching the 65 million mark.
Valve announced that its Steam platform now has 65 million users, with the last 12 months alone bringing a 30 percent increase in active accounts.
Steam reached its current milestone as Valve prepares to launch Steam Machines, an initiative that aims to bring PC gaming to the living room with dedicated
hardware , a platform-specific operating system, and a gaming-optimized controller. Currently, Steam hosts over 3,000 downloadable games from a broad spectrum of publishers and independent developers.
"The main goal of Steam has always been to increase the quality of the user's experience by reducing the distance between content creators and their audience," said Valve president Gabe Newell. "As the platform grows, ourjob
is to adapt to the changing needs of both the development and user
communities. In the coming year, we plan to make perhaps our most
significant collaborations with both communities through the Steam Dev
Days and the Steam Machines beta."
Valve announced that its Steam platform now has 65 million users, with the last 12 months alone bringing a 30 percent increase in active accounts.
Steam reached its current milestone as Valve prepares to launch Steam Machines, an initiative that aims to bring PC gaming to the living room with dedicated
"The main goal of Steam has always been to increase the quality of the user's experience by reducing the distance between content creators and their audience," said Valve president Gabe Newell. "As the platform grows, our
It's rather obvious that the Steam service is doing a lot to attract the end user. With low-priced sales, collectables, and a more open-ended service, Steam is the number one system for gamers nowadays.
But onto the Console peasants of September.
At number 10: Saints Row IV by Deep Silver for the 360, PS3 and PC. The Real GAT V is in the house.
At number 09: Minecraft by Mojang and Microsoft for the 360. I use to be a great miner, but then I took a Creeper to the face.
At number 08: NHL 2014 by Electronic Arts for the 360, and PS3. Just in time for Hockey season.
At number 07: Disney Infinity by Disney Interactive for the 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U and 3DS. Now when are they gonna put Marvel and Star Wars characters in? Oh, and some Muppets as well
At number 06: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix by SquareEnix for the PS3. R.I.P. Wayne Allwine, the previous voice of Mickey Mouse
At number 05: FIFA 2014 by Electronic Arts for the 360, PS3 and Vita. Now this is real football
At number 04: Diablo III by ActivisionBlizzard for the PC, 360 and PS3. Stay awhile and listen.
At number 03: NBA 2K12 by Take 2 Interative for the 360, PS3 and PC. Now if this won't let Michael Jordan return to basketball, I dunno what will?
At number 02: Madden NFL 25 by Electronic Arts for the 360 and PS3. Pigskin powerhouse.
And finally at number 01, at its highest yet: Grand Theft Auto V by Take 2 Interactive for the 360 and PS3. Online problems not withstanding.
While GTA is the highest selling game of the franchise and in any September, it is not the highest opening month, right behind the Call of Duty franchises.
Speaking of which, after topping the PS3, Wii and Wii U for along time, the 360 finally gets knocked out of 1st place by the PS3. The Wii U, despite it's sluggish sales, got a nice jump in sales due to the price, though we are hoping an additional set of games will boost it up. Regardless, the 3DS is still the number one console to beat.
Speaking of which, what kind of sales will the Pokemon franchise do next month? Keep your eyes peeled.
Works Cited:
Sunday, October 20, 2013
The Good the Bad and the Ugly: Pokemon and Street Fighting
It's been more than a week since Pokemon X and Y debut on the 3DS. Unlike previous entries in the series, Pokemon X and Y is the first title with a worldwide simultaneous release. That means the title released across Japan, Europe and the Americas. But how well did this new chapter in Pokemon history do? Well according to Destructoid, it actually sold 4 million in just 2 days.
Nintendo's first worldwide Pokemon launch was a success. They report that that Pokemon X and Pokemon Y managed to sell more than 4 million units across Japan, Europe, and The Americas this past weekend, October 12 and 13.
They've never done a worldwide launch before, so this is a first, but even looking at regional launches this would have been the fastest-selling 3DS game of all time.
And compared to the last Pokemon title launch, Black and White 2, X and Y are beating it by more than 70 percent, says Nintendo.
The series weighs in at more than 245 million games sold worldwide. Five sets have exceeded 10 million: Diamond/Pearl, Ruby/Sapphire, Black/White, HeartGold/HeartSilver, and FireRed/LeafGreen.
Impressive of Nintendo to sell that much Pokemon. With familiar faces like Pikachu, Meowth and Mewtwo, along with the return of the Kanto trio(Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle), Pokemon X and Y will bring along fun for the entire family.
Or so we all think.
Recently, a bug that occurs in the outer ring of Lumiose City will prevent you from reloading your game if you save and quit in that ring. To prevent that, ether save within the inside of the city, or inside a building(Especially a Pokemon Center or the Gym at the center of the city). And according to Destructoid again, Nintendo is aware of this.
A few days ago, we made light of a potential game-breaking glitch for Pokemon X & Y -- if you save outside in Lumiose City, your game may crash and your save file may become corrupt. While a Reddit user seems to have discovered a potential fix in mashing your home button until it works again, Nintendo has become aware of the issue, and is working on a more long term solution.
Apparently their fix will work on already corrupted files, as well as making sure it doesn't happen again. An ETA hasn't been given, but if you have a massive amount of Pokemon already attached to your save, you may as well wait before restarting entirely. In the meantime, make sure you save inside of buildings in Lumiose.
Scary isn't it?
But what's scary is outside of Pokemon. For those of you hoping for an X-Box One or Playstation 4 take on Street Fighter IV: Ultra Hyper Epic Combo Edition, well I'm afraid I have some sad news. Due to the lack of resources, Capcom is unable to do a Next Generation Port of Street Fighter IV, or any new fighter. This, according to a tweet from Yoshinori Ono to the website "Gamin Realm"
More bad news regarding Capcom. When asked by a fan if the company would be bringing Ultra Street Fighter IV to next gen consoles, Yoshinori Ono responded with a very grave statement:
Earlier this year we reported (through GameIndustry) that Capcom had a very minuscule amount of cash in the bank. The company is currently in financial disarray. Then the news surfaced that Capcom of Europe is planning to cut more than half of its staff members. Combining those two older reports with Ono’s recent remark, it’s clear that Capcom is seriously, undeniably in trouble.
Not to mention that fighting games aren’t necessarily as resource-heavy as say adventure or 3D action games. The fact that the company cannot afford to make a fighting game, or even port a fighter is devastating news.
As I stated in our earlier reports, I personally cannot feel sorry for the company. What goes around comes around. This is what happens when you betray your fans and kill off beloved franchises.
A dire future for Capcom? What will we do without having a ultra realistic E. Honda lay the smackdown on Guile? Oh the humanity. OH THE SADNESS!
Works Cited:
Destructoid article 1
Destructoid article 2
Gaminrealm
Nintendo's first worldwide Pokemon launch was a success. They report that that Pokemon X and Pokemon Y managed to sell more than 4 million units across Japan, Europe, and The Americas this past weekend, October 12 and 13.
They've never done a worldwide launch before, so this is a first, but even looking at regional launches this would have been the fastest-selling 3DS game of all time.
And compared to the last Pokemon title launch, Black and White 2, X and Y are beating it by more than 70 percent, says Nintendo.
The series weighs in at more than 245 million games sold worldwide. Five sets have exceeded 10 million: Diamond/Pearl, Ruby/Sapphire, Black/White, HeartGold/HeartSilver, and FireRed/LeafGreen.
Impressive of Nintendo to sell that much Pokemon. With familiar faces like Pikachu, Meowth and Mewtwo, along with the return of the Kanto trio(Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle), Pokemon X and Y will bring along fun for the entire family.
Or so we all think.
Recently, a bug that occurs in the outer ring of Lumiose City will prevent you from reloading your game if you save and quit in that ring. To prevent that, ether save within the inside of the city, or inside a building(Especially a Pokemon Center or the Gym at the center of the city). And according to Destructoid again, Nintendo is aware of this.
A few days ago, we made light of a potential game-breaking glitch for Pokemon X & Y -- if you save outside in Lumiose City, your game may crash and your save file may become corrupt. While a Reddit user seems to have discovered a potential fix in mashing your home button until it works again, Nintendo has become aware of the issue, and is working on a more long term solution.
Apparently their fix will work on already corrupted files, as well as making sure it doesn't happen again. An ETA hasn't been given, but if you have a massive amount of Pokemon already attached to your save, you may as well wait before restarting entirely. In the meantime, make sure you save inside of buildings in Lumiose.
Scary isn't it?
But what's scary is outside of Pokemon. For those of you hoping for an X-Box One or Playstation 4 take on Street Fighter IV: Ultra Hyper Epic Combo Edition, well I'm afraid I have some sad news. Due to the lack of resources, Capcom is unable to do a Next Generation Port of Street Fighter IV, or any new fighter. This, according to a tweet from Yoshinori Ono to the website "Gamin Realm"
More bad news regarding Capcom. When asked by a fan if the company would be bringing Ultra Street Fighter IV to next gen consoles, Yoshinori Ono responded with a very grave statement:
Earlier this year we reported (through GameIndustry) that Capcom had a very minuscule amount of cash in the bank. The company is currently in financial disarray. Then the news surfaced that Capcom of Europe is planning to cut more than half of its staff members. Combining those two older reports with Ono’s recent remark, it’s clear that Capcom is seriously, undeniably in trouble.
Not to mention that fighting games aren’t necessarily as resource-heavy as say adventure or 3D action games. The fact that the company cannot afford to make a fighting game, or even port a fighter is devastating news.
As I stated in our earlier reports, I personally cannot feel sorry for the company. What goes around comes around. This is what happens when you betray your fans and kill off beloved franchises.
A dire future for Capcom? What will we do without having a ultra realistic E. Honda lay the smackdown on Guile? Oh the humanity. OH THE SADNESS!
Works Cited:
Destructoid article 1
Destructoid article 2
Gaminrealm
Monday, October 7, 2013
NPD August 2013: Sonic returns edition
Before we get down to our late NPD again, first things first. I wanna give a big congratulations to Sonic the Hedgehog for making his return to the Smash Bros scene almost 7 days ago.
Sonic will join returning characters like Mario, Link, Pikachu, Samus, Donkey Kong and Pit, and will join newcomers like Mega Man in the new Super Smash Bros game.
And now, the dark moment before the storm. NPD August 2013. And once again, Madden comes in swinging.
At number 10: Pikmin 3 from Nintendo for the Wii U. More cuddly than Justin Bieber that's for sure.
At number 09: Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn by SquareEnix for the PS3 and PC. They finally got it right.
At number 08: Payday 2 by 505 Games for the 360 and PS3. Who needs a boatload of cash to make a game when you got this?
At number 07: NCAA Football 14 by EA for the 360 and PS3. Madden's younger brother.
At number 06: Mario and Luigi: Dream Team by Nintendo for the 3DS. A part of the Luigipalooza going on this year for everybody's favorite green brother
At number 05: Minecraft, originally published by Mojang, for the 360 published by Microsoft. Building fun, now in console form
At number 04: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist by Ubisoft for the 360, PS3, Wii U and PC. Rest in Peace: Tom Clancy: 1947-2013
At number 03: Disney Infinity by Disney Interative for the 360, Wii, PS3, Wii U and 3DS. Watch out Skylanders.
At number 02: Saints Row IV by Deep Silver for the 360, PS3 and PC. Remember folks, believe in the GAT
And finally at number 01: Madden NFL 25 by EA for the 360 and PS3. So, uhh, when is 2K Games gonna get the license?
Game sales have gone up 21% year over year. That's good news for the market as gamers are buying in drove across the 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS and even the Wii U is starting to get into gamers.
However, the hardware side of things have taken a turn for the worse. The 360, the highest ranked console platform, is below 100K this month. The 3DS has done more than the 360 has, while the Vita is still dead last.
Rumor has it that the new Zelda bundle may have done something to help with the Wii U. Is it true? And is the console industry being held back by the upcoming hardware? Or is it something more sinister? Stay tuned
Works Cited:
NeoGAF
Sonic will join returning characters like Mario, Link, Pikachu, Samus, Donkey Kong and Pit, and will join newcomers like Mega Man in the new Super Smash Bros game.
And now, the dark moment before the storm. NPD August 2013. And once again, Madden comes in swinging.
At number 10: Pikmin 3 from Nintendo for the Wii U. More cuddly than Justin Bieber that's for sure.
At number 09: Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn by SquareEnix for the PS3 and PC. They finally got it right.
At number 08: Payday 2 by 505 Games for the 360 and PS3. Who needs a boatload of cash to make a game when you got this?
At number 07: NCAA Football 14 by EA for the 360 and PS3. Madden's younger brother.
At number 06: Mario and Luigi: Dream Team by Nintendo for the 3DS. A part of the Luigipalooza going on this year for everybody's favorite green brother
At number 05: Minecraft, originally published by Mojang, for the 360 published by Microsoft. Building fun, now in console form
At number 04: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist by Ubisoft for the 360, PS3, Wii U and PC. Rest in Peace: Tom Clancy: 1947-2013
At number 03: Disney Infinity by Disney Interative for the 360, Wii, PS3, Wii U and 3DS. Watch out Skylanders.
At number 02: Saints Row IV by Deep Silver for the 360, PS3 and PC. Remember folks, believe in the GAT
And finally at number 01: Madden NFL 25 by EA for the 360 and PS3. So, uhh, when is 2K Games gonna get the license?
Game sales have gone up 21% year over year. That's good news for the market as gamers are buying in drove across the 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS and even the Wii U is starting to get into gamers.
However, the hardware side of things have taken a turn for the worse. The 360, the highest ranked console platform, is below 100K this month. The 3DS has done more than the 360 has, while the Vita is still dead last.
Rumor has it that the new Zelda bundle may have done something to help with the Wii U. Is it true? And is the console industry being held back by the upcoming hardware? Or is it something more sinister? Stay tuned
Works Cited:
NeoGAF
Sunday, September 29, 2013
A week of Steam
Last week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Valve and the Steam service got a boatload of announcements set to shake up the PC gaming industry and the Console gaming industry. Their goal is set: To compete against Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft and Apple.
The first announcement was a new OS called SteamOS. This Operating system is based off the Linux Operating System. While this version of Linux will let you play games and view videos, you are only limited to the games compatible with Linux
When it comes to gaming, SteamOS will work particularly well for audio performances and reducing input latency. Yet, only Linux games will work on SteamOS. While many games are now available on Linux, it still has a long way to go compared to Mac OS and especially Windows. That’s why you will be able to run Steam on your Windows or Mac computers in another room and then stream your games to your living room using SteamOS. Latency shouldn’t be an issue, as everything happens on your local network.
That's right. The ability to run your favorite games from your computer to the Steam OS. Similar to what Sony will be doing with an alternative version of its Playstation Vita system called Vita TV, in which you can stream PS4 titles from the system to the Vita TV. Complicated, isn't it? Sure you could hook your PC to the TV, but some people don't want to.
As a matter fact, on Wednesday, the second announcement was the SteamBox itself. But it wasn't just one console, it was many.
Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all world. We want you to be able to choose the hardware that makes sense for you, so we are working with multiple partners to bring a variety of Steam gaming machines to market during 2014, all of them running SteamOS.
That's right. A variety of machines. Steam Consoles will be a variety for everyone to choose from. You can pick your favorite and lock it in. But that's not all, Valve is also doing a contest where 300 lucky Steam Customers will win a beta console(With some strings attached: They are property of them and you're not allowed to sell them). Here's what you need to do
1) Get at least 10 Steam friends
2) Join the Steam Universe community group
3) Accept the Beta Terms of Service
4) Make your Steam profile Public
5) Play one Steam game on the Big Picture Mode with a controller(The Logitech F310 is recommended)
If you complete these by late October, you will get a badge and will qualify for a chance to win one of 300 beta consoles.
And finally, to top things off, Valve decided to announce a Steam Controller. I bet it's gonna be like those 360/PS3 knock-offs
Oh my goodness. IT'S GOT NO THUMBSTICKS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Wait, wait. Calm down. I bet people aren't gonna buy this controller because it has no thumbsticks or d-pad
Dan Tabar is an indie game developer at Planetoid Pioneers studio Data Realms, and he was one of several indie developers who had hands-on demos with the controller at Valve's Bellevue, WA headquarters on Labor Day this year.
What he described was an extremely flexible, mappable controller -- perhaps the most flexible control option this side of a keyboard and mouse setup -- that offers generous tactile feedback.
"[Valve is] really trying to think things through," said Tabar. "They're asking, 'Do we really need thumbsticks? Why are the fingers on the back [of the traditional controller] not doing anything? Why not have paddles there?' The thing I find most exciting is that Valve is just rethinking it. We're totally going to be making Planetoid Pioneers with this controller in mind," he said.
Chris Remo, designer and writer at The Cave developer Double Fine had a hands-on of the Steam Controller at the San Francisco studio.
Remo played a couple different games: Double Fine's upcoming point-and-click adventure game Broken Age and the already-released platform-adventure game The Cave.
"We just plugged it in, and it worked," he said. "We didn't have special support for it or anything. It worked really, really well. I was really impressed with the mouse imitation. It doesn't feel like a trackpad."
Remo said the controller has a tiny speaker in it that offers audio feedback – a subtle "tick" sound that increases and decreases in speed (he compared it to the Wheel of Fortune wheel's sound), depending on how you use the track pad. If you "fling" your thumb across the trackpad – if it's mapped to the mouse – the ticking increases in speed, and slows down as the virtual momentum of your action slows.
"It sounds like there's actually a mechanical device in there, which really makes it feel mechanical, but not in a clunky way," Remo said. "It just feels really high-tech and precise. … I can't stand trackpads on laptops, and this felt really good to me. There was almost no learning curve as far as accuracy goes."
On Twitter, Ichiro Lambe with AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! developer Dejobaan Games also said the haptic feedback of Valve's new controller was a highlight of the device.
"It feels like you're moving your thumbs over a rough surface, though it's all virtual," Lambe said. "From a tech standpoint, think about something that can click whenever you tell it to... Simple example: you move your finger 1 inch up, and it ticks 10 times...You flick it up, and it starts ticking, like you've spun a wheel."
O.O
Excuse me, one moment. I'm gonna go yell out the window proclaiming the death of thumbsticks and damning Valve for this.
Works Cited:
TechCrunch
Steam(Valve)
Gamasutra
The first announcement was a new OS called SteamOS. This Operating system is based off the Linux Operating System. While this version of Linux will let you play games and view videos, you are only limited to the games compatible with Linux
When it comes to gaming, SteamOS will work particularly well for audio performances and reducing input latency. Yet, only Linux games will work on SteamOS. While many games are now available on Linux, it still has a long way to go compared to Mac OS and especially Windows. That’s why you will be able to run Steam on your Windows or Mac computers in another room and then stream your games to your living room using SteamOS. Latency shouldn’t be an issue, as everything happens on your local network.
That's right. The ability to run your favorite games from your computer to the Steam OS. Similar to what Sony will be doing with an alternative version of its Playstation Vita system called Vita TV, in which you can stream PS4 titles from the system to the Vita TV. Complicated, isn't it? Sure you could hook your PC to the TV, but some people don't want to.
As a matter fact, on Wednesday, the second announcement was the SteamBox itself. But it wasn't just one console, it was many.
Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all world. We want you to be able to choose the hardware that makes sense for you, so we are working with multiple partners to bring a variety of Steam gaming machines to market during 2014, all of them running SteamOS.
That's right. A variety of machines. Steam Consoles will be a variety for everyone to choose from. You can pick your favorite and lock it in. But that's not all, Valve is also doing a contest where 300 lucky Steam Customers will win a beta console(With some strings attached: They are property of them and you're not allowed to sell them). Here's what you need to do
1) Get at least 10 Steam friends
2) Join the Steam Universe community group
3) Accept the Beta Terms of Service
4) Make your Steam profile Public
5) Play one Steam game on the Big Picture Mode with a controller(The Logitech F310 is recommended)
If you complete these by late October, you will get a badge and will qualify for a chance to win one of 300 beta consoles.
And finally, to top things off, Valve decided to announce a Steam Controller. I bet it's gonna be like those 360/PS3 knock-offs
Oh my goodness. IT'S GOT NO THUMBSTICKS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Wait, wait. Calm down. I bet people aren't gonna buy this controller because it has no thumbsticks or d-pad
Dan Tabar is an indie game developer at Planetoid Pioneers studio Data Realms, and he was one of several indie developers who had hands-on demos with the controller at Valve's Bellevue, WA headquarters on Labor Day this year.
What he described was an extremely flexible, mappable controller -- perhaps the most flexible control option this side of a keyboard and mouse setup -- that offers generous tactile feedback.
"[Valve is] really trying to think things through," said Tabar. "They're asking, 'Do we really need thumbsticks? Why are the fingers on the back [of the traditional controller] not doing anything? Why not have paddles there?' The thing I find most exciting is that Valve is just rethinking it. We're totally going to be making Planetoid Pioneers with this controller in mind," he said.
Chris Remo, designer and writer at The Cave developer Double Fine had a hands-on of the Steam Controller at the San Francisco studio.
Remo played a couple different games: Double Fine's upcoming point-and-click adventure game Broken Age and the already-released platform-adventure game The Cave.
"We just plugged it in, and it worked," he said. "We didn't have special support for it or anything. It worked really, really well. I was really impressed with the mouse imitation. It doesn't feel like a trackpad."
Remo said the controller has a tiny speaker in it that offers audio feedback – a subtle "tick" sound that increases and decreases in speed (he compared it to the Wheel of Fortune wheel's sound), depending on how you use the track pad. If you "fling" your thumb across the trackpad – if it's mapped to the mouse – the ticking increases in speed, and slows down as the virtual momentum of your action slows.
"It sounds like there's actually a mechanical device in there, which really makes it feel mechanical, but not in a clunky way," Remo said. "It just feels really high-tech and precise. … I can't stand trackpads on laptops, and this felt really good to me. There was almost no learning curve as far as accuracy goes."
On Twitter, Ichiro Lambe with AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! developer Dejobaan Games also said the haptic feedback of Valve's new controller was a highlight of the device.
"It feels like you're moving your thumbs over a rough surface, though it's all virtual," Lambe said. "From a tech standpoint, think about something that can click whenever you tell it to... Simple example: you move your finger 1 inch up, and it ticks 10 times...You flick it up, and it starts ticking, like you've spun a wheel."
O.O
Excuse me, one moment. I'm gonna go yell out the window proclaiming the death of thumbsticks and damning Valve for this.
Works Cited:
TechCrunch
Steam(Valve)
Gamasutra
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Atlus the Hedgehog
It was only a couple of days ago that Atlus was its own company. But just recently, Atlus and its parent company: Index Corporation, was bought out. The buyer in question? SEGA Sammy
Sega Sammy Holdings will acquire Index Corporation, the parent company of Japanese publisher and developer Atlus, for ¥14 billion ($140 million) in November, according to the company.
According to Sega's business transfer agreement notice, Sega expects to "achieve steady flows of revenue" through the acquisition of Index's video game IPs. Further revenue growth is expected by exploiting the IPs across online PC gaming and smartphone content. The company also aims to "maximize the value of acquired IPs" by releasing them across pachislot, pachinko and amusement machine segments.
Sept. 18 marked the conclusion of business transfer agreement, according to the notice, and Nov. 1 is the tentative due date for the transfer of Index, pending approval from the court under by Civil Rehabilitation Act.. Sega Dream Corporation was established on Sept. 5 as a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings to oversee the transfer of Index operations. Sega Dream Corporation's name is slated to change in the future.
What does that mean? That means expect the next Persona game to feature Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd, Ulala, Alys, Vyse the blue Rogue, and Segata Sanshiro
Special congratulations goes to SEGA for at least getting them before Electronic Arts.
But while one buyout has gone as expected, another one is being held back. What I'm talking about is ActivisionBlizzard separating itself from Vivendi. Back in July, it was confirmed that ActivisionBlizzard would split from Vivendi and operate as an independent company. But one shareholder is protesting this and has halted the sale from going through.
Call of Duty and World of Warcraft publisher Activision-Blizzard's previously announced deal to buy back its majority stake from parent company Vivendi hit a new snag today, as the company announced the transaction had been temporarily halted pending the outcome of an ongoing lawsuit.
Last week, Activision-Blizzard shareholder Douglas M. Hayes filed suit against the publisher through the Delaware Chancery Court. The suit alleges that the company's CEO, chairman and an elite investor group will disproportionately benefit from the buyback, and should instead leave the buyback deal to a vote by non-Vivendi stockholders, such as the plaintiff. As a result of the filing, Activision-Blizzard has come under a preliminary enjoiner from the court, forcing the company to temporarily halt its buyback proceedings until either the injunction is successfully appealed or the purchase is approved by vote.
In the midst of this, Activision-Blizzard released a statement reaffirming its commitment to the stock buyback from Vivendi, as it outlined in July. The company added that it is "exploring the steps it will take to complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible." This may mean acquiescing to a vote from non-Vivendi stockholders or continuing to campaign for an appeal to modify the injunction.
In other words, expect a delay in the next expansion to World of Warcraft and a slightly watered down version of Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Unfortunately, we must conclude this with some sad news. Hiroshi Yamauchi, former president of Nintendo, has passed away recently. Here's the news of his recent passing
Works Cited:
Polygon
Gamasutra
Nintendo Insider
Sega Sammy Holdings will acquire Index Corporation, the parent company of Japanese publisher and developer Atlus, for ¥14 billion ($140 million) in November, according to the company.
According to Sega's business transfer agreement notice, Sega expects to "achieve steady flows of revenue" through the acquisition of Index's video game IPs. Further revenue growth is expected by exploiting the IPs across online PC gaming and smartphone content. The company also aims to "maximize the value of acquired IPs" by releasing them across pachislot, pachinko and amusement machine segments.
Sept. 18 marked the conclusion of business transfer agreement, according to the notice, and Nov. 1 is the tentative due date for the transfer of Index, pending approval from the court under by Civil Rehabilitation Act.. Sega Dream Corporation was established on Sept. 5 as a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings to oversee the transfer of Index operations. Sega Dream Corporation's name is slated to change in the future.
What does that mean? That means expect the next Persona game to feature Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd, Ulala, Alys, Vyse the blue Rogue, and Segata Sanshiro
Special congratulations goes to SEGA for at least getting them before Electronic Arts.
But while one buyout has gone as expected, another one is being held back. What I'm talking about is ActivisionBlizzard separating itself from Vivendi. Back in July, it was confirmed that ActivisionBlizzard would split from Vivendi and operate as an independent company. But one shareholder is protesting this and has halted the sale from going through.
Call of Duty and World of Warcraft publisher Activision-Blizzard's previously announced deal to buy back its majority stake from parent company Vivendi hit a new snag today, as the company announced the transaction had been temporarily halted pending the outcome of an ongoing lawsuit.
Last week, Activision-Blizzard shareholder Douglas M. Hayes filed suit against the publisher through the Delaware Chancery Court. The suit alleges that the company's CEO, chairman and an elite investor group will disproportionately benefit from the buyback, and should instead leave the buyback deal to a vote by non-Vivendi stockholders, such as the plaintiff. As a result of the filing, Activision-Blizzard has come under a preliminary enjoiner from the court, forcing the company to temporarily halt its buyback proceedings until either the injunction is successfully appealed or the purchase is approved by vote.
In the midst of this, Activision-Blizzard released a statement reaffirming its commitment to the stock buyback from Vivendi, as it outlined in July. The company added that it is "exploring the steps it will take to complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible." This may mean acquiescing to a vote from non-Vivendi stockholders or continuing to campaign for an appeal to modify the injunction.
In other words, expect a delay in the next expansion to World of Warcraft and a slightly watered down version of Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Unfortunately, we must conclude this with some sad news. Hiroshi Yamauchi, former president of Nintendo, has passed away recently. Here's the news of his recent passing
Today marks a sad day indeed as Nintendo’s former president Hiroshi Yamauchi has passed away aged 85, Nikkei reports.
After his grandfather suffered a stroke Yamauchi-san stepped in as Nintendo’s president back in 1949, a role he held until 31st May 2002 when he passed the role to Satoru Iwata.
It was still a traditional card company when he had taken over, although his decision to diversify soon lead it into the electronics industry and to stride into the increasingly popular arcade market across North America. When his son-in-law couldn’t find success with games such as Radar Scope, Space Fever and Sheriff, he turned to the young Shigeru Miyamoto who dutifully delivered Donkey Kong in 1981. The rest, as they say, became history.
Hardware development teams created the portable Game & Watch and later produced the Famicom, which we obviously know as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). His leadership grew the console’s success through predicting what consumers would want in terms of the software that was being produced, with the company subsequently releasing the Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, and GameCube under his watchful guidance.
Whilst he has been readily attributed as being one of the richest men in Japan due to being Nintendo’s largest shareholder, he donated much of the 7.5 billion yen that he earned through Nintendo’s success with the Wii and Nintendo DS to build a new cancer treatment center in Kyoto.
His efforts contributed to the sheer influence that Nintendo’s output have had on countless people across the world. Rest in peace, Yamauchi-san.
After his grandfather suffered a stroke Yamauchi-san stepped in as Nintendo’s president back in 1949, a role he held until 31st May 2002 when he passed the role to Satoru Iwata.
It was still a traditional card company when he had taken over, although his decision to diversify soon lead it into the electronics industry and to stride into the increasingly popular arcade market across North America. When his son-in-law couldn’t find success with games such as Radar Scope, Space Fever and Sheriff, he turned to the young Shigeru Miyamoto who dutifully delivered Donkey Kong in 1981. The rest, as they say, became history.
Hardware development teams created the portable Game & Watch and later produced the Famicom, which we obviously know as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). His leadership grew the console’s success through predicting what consumers would want in terms of the software that was being produced, with the company subsequently releasing the Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, and GameCube under his watchful guidance.
Whilst he has been readily attributed as being one of the richest men in Japan due to being Nintendo’s largest shareholder, he donated much of the 7.5 billion yen that he earned through Nintendo’s success with the Wii and Nintendo DS to build a new cancer treatment center in Kyoto.
His efforts contributed to the sheer influence that Nintendo’s output have had on countless people across the world. Rest in peace, Yamauchi-san.
Hiroshi Yamauchi: November 7, 1927 – September 19, 2013
Works Cited:
Polygon
Gamasutra
Nintendo Insider
Saturday, September 7, 2013
NPD July 2013: The new village arrives
Well once again, we have a late NPD report to talk about. But before we get to that, a quick story about a UK Game Tester who was finally paid for testing a game out for Sony.
A game tester who worked for a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe studio in the United Kingdom has been paid £4,600 for helping to test Killzone: Mercenary for three months in 2012. The payout is the result of a settlement between SCEE and tester Chris Jarvis, who claimed that he had to work nine-hour-days at Guerrilla Cambridge as an intern.
Jarvis claims that he was initially supposed to "shadow" a developer at the studio so he could get "first-hand experience," but that never happened. Instead he claims that the company put him to work as a tester for the game's 3D artwork.
"I was basically clicking buttons to make sure the pictures that had come in from China were working," he said. "It's normally part of the Environment Artist's job. It's time-consuming and boring work. I was at the end of my overdraft and I didn't know what to do, so I looked into my rights and found that I was legally doing the work of an employee."
After this happened, Jarvis claims that he politely informed the company that the change in why he was at the studio meant that he was entitled to some compensation (the national minimum wage). Jarvis claims that Sony did not respond very well to that demand:
"They were very dismissive and told me I was a volunteer and that's how I could work for free," he said. "I thought they would say they had made an honest mistake. If they got someone in to do the job it would have cost £100 a day. But they said that I was a volunteer so not entitled to any pay."
Finding no recourse within the company, Jarvis went to HM Revenue and Customs and sued Guerrilla Cambridge for unpaid wages. Jarvis sought about £3,600, but before the matter went before a scheduled tribunal, Sony paid him the full amount plus an additional £1,000. The company also asked him to sign a "gag order," which he declined to do.
Makes us wonder what's really going on behind the scenes at our favorite video game companies(eyes at Nintendo)
Anyway, let's get down to the Top 10 games of July
At number 10: Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes by Warner Bros Interactive for the 360, Wii, DS, PS3, 3DS, Wii U, PSVita and PC. Interesting fact: LEGO is the only company that has both the DC Comic AND Marvel Comic license
At number 09: NBA 2K13 by Take 2 Interactive for the 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PSP and PC. NBA Jam this ain't
At number 08: Injustice: Gods Among Us by Warner Bros Interactive for the 360, PS3 and Wii U. Scorpion DLC now available on all 3 platforms
At number 07: Battlefield 3 by EA for the 360, PS3 and PC. Call of Duty they ain't.
At number 06: Far Cry 3 by Ubisoft for the 360, PS3 and PC. Don't forget to check out Far Cry: Blood Dragon
At number 05: Animal Crossing: New Leaf by Nintendo for the 3DS. It's your town, your rules.
At number 04: Call of Duty: Black Ops II by ActivisionBlizzard for the 360, PS3, Wii U and PC. Still going strong
At number 03: The Last of Us by Sony for the PS3. I still think there should be more playable female protagonists
At number 02: Minecraft by Mojang and Microsoft for the 360. The PC version still rules
And finally at number 01: NCAA Football 14 by EA for the 360 and PS3. And we're not even into Madden season yet.
Overall, Retail sales are down 19% year over year. Though the 3DS is number one with the 360 right behind, the handheld only made a measly 137K while the 360 is at 107K, which is barely above the competition. Is this slowdown expected? Or is things gonna get worse next year?
Only 2 months left till Pokemon X and Y hit the market. And Nintendo's 2DS is also on its way. Will that be the kick in the pants Nintendo needs to dominate? Stay tuned.
Works Cited:
Game PoliticsNeoGAF
A game tester who worked for a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe studio in the United Kingdom has been paid £4,600 for helping to test Killzone: Mercenary for three months in 2012. The payout is the result of a settlement between SCEE and tester Chris Jarvis, who claimed that he had to work nine-hour-days at Guerrilla Cambridge as an intern.
Jarvis claims that he was initially supposed to "shadow" a developer at the studio so he could get "first-hand experience," but that never happened. Instead he claims that the company put him to work as a tester for the game's 3D artwork.
"I was basically clicking buttons to make sure the pictures that had come in from China were working," he said. "It's normally part of the Environment Artist's job. It's time-consuming and boring work. I was at the end of my overdraft and I didn't know what to do, so I looked into my rights and found that I was legally doing the work of an employee."
After this happened, Jarvis claims that he politely informed the company that the change in why he was at the studio meant that he was entitled to some compensation (the national minimum wage). Jarvis claims that Sony did not respond very well to that demand:
"They were very dismissive and told me I was a volunteer and that's how I could work for free," he said. "I thought they would say they had made an honest mistake. If they got someone in to do the job it would have cost £100 a day. But they said that I was a volunteer so not entitled to any pay."
Finding no recourse within the company, Jarvis went to HM Revenue and Customs and sued Guerrilla Cambridge for unpaid wages. Jarvis sought about £3,600, but before the matter went before a scheduled tribunal, Sony paid him the full amount plus an additional £1,000. The company also asked him to sign a "gag order," which he declined to do.
Makes us wonder what's really going on behind the scenes at our favorite video game companies(eyes at Nintendo)
Anyway, let's get down to the Top 10 games of July
At number 10: Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes by Warner Bros Interactive for the 360, Wii, DS, PS3, 3DS, Wii U, PSVita and PC. Interesting fact: LEGO is the only company that has both the DC Comic AND Marvel Comic license
At number 09: NBA 2K13 by Take 2 Interactive for the 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PSP and PC. NBA Jam this ain't
At number 08: Injustice: Gods Among Us by Warner Bros Interactive for the 360, PS3 and Wii U. Scorpion DLC now available on all 3 platforms
At number 07: Battlefield 3 by EA for the 360, PS3 and PC. Call of Duty they ain't.
At number 06: Far Cry 3 by Ubisoft for the 360, PS3 and PC. Don't forget to check out Far Cry: Blood Dragon
At number 05: Animal Crossing: New Leaf by Nintendo for the 3DS. It's your town, your rules.
At number 04: Call of Duty: Black Ops II by ActivisionBlizzard for the 360, PS3, Wii U and PC. Still going strong
At number 03: The Last of Us by Sony for the PS3. I still think there should be more playable female protagonists
At number 02: Minecraft by Mojang and Microsoft for the 360. The PC version still rules
And finally at number 01: NCAA Football 14 by EA for the 360 and PS3. And we're not even into Madden season yet.
Overall, Retail sales are down 19% year over year. Though the 3DS is number one with the 360 right behind, the handheld only made a measly 137K while the 360 is at 107K, which is barely above the competition. Is this slowdown expected? Or is things gonna get worse next year?
Only 2 months left till Pokemon X and Y hit the market. And Nintendo's 2DS is also on its way. Will that be the kick in the pants Nintendo needs to dominate? Stay tuned.
Works Cited:
Game PoliticsNeoGAF
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