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Megacorps are bad for gaming; Sony, EA, Activision, MS, and their ilk
Topic Started: Oct 24 2006, 09:29 AM (6,744 Views)
sheath
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I like this because it's true.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/evolved-games-market-has-stumped-next-gen-console-plans

Evolved games market has stumped next-gen console plans

Alex St John has told GamesIndustry.biz that he believes the reason Microsoft and Sony haven't announced a new generation of consoles is because it's no longer clear what they can do to improve on the systems they are already offering.

The former executive at Microsoft and WildTanget, and now president of social games business hi5, said that the Wii proves that high-tech consoles aren't the next step in home entertainment, and cheaper social gaming via the web has left manufacturers in a niche market.

"This is usually when you announce [consoles]. It's 2010. No rumours either. There's two reasons for delaying. The reason for the delay is the reason I'm right," said the out-spoken executive.

"I love 3D, but that revolution is over. People academically say there's always room for more realism. But actually there isn't. There's diminishing returning for better graphics. People don't see more realism even if you give it to them. Once that's happened, games have to be differentiated for a different reason. You can't do more 3D than you've got. So what's happened is that differentiation is happening by community, multiplayer, social dynamics.

"When they rationalise making a new console, they're thinking the most successful console was the one with the crappiest 3D – the Wii. The cheap-assed 3D console, that's the one that beat everybody. The 3D didn't matter – it was a new input device, and Xbox Live." He added: "Coming third is Sony with the best 3D – oops."

"So they're sitting over there at Sony and Microsoft right now – I don't know that but I can hear them thinking, 'what the hell do we do? The ones we're shipping are finally profitable – we'll never recoup the losses for the 3D we invested in these consoles, we don't want to do that again. This online world is changing so fast we have no idea how to control it or how to participate in it. You know that Wii thing is neat, let's try some of that'.

"You can't spent $2 billion inventing a new console when you don't know what it's going to do," he added. "The only thing you know is the thing that you used to do is wrong. There was a time when the future wasn't blurry – it was clear what you had to do – it's not that way any more."

St John said that Microsoft had made a mistake in continuing to chase the dream of its technology being the centre piece of the living room – a goal he points out the company has had since the 1990s.

"When I was at Microsoft, Bill Gates wanted to get into the living room. I was in meetings with Gates and I'd go, 'I don't want to piss you off, because I know you've already lost a billion dollars on stupid web TV ideas – no offence, I know you can fire me – but the Japanese walked into your living rooms the entire time you were sat here scratching your heads, with games.

"Now what are they doing now they are in the living room? It wasn't easy but they got there. And what are they saying now they're in the living room? 'We're going to stream music and video'. You idiots! Do you ever learn? You morons - don't touch video with a stick, be focused – that's why you finally got to the living room, with games." In the time it takes for the future to become clearer, which he predicts will be in around five years, St John said one thing is certain: "Games are just made out of electrons and people have very powerful personal computers and growing internet connections. This idea of a living room is dying. Everyone is carrying a screen around with them constantly, they've got them everywhere, 3D chips are a commodity – once you have that, I think that maybe the living room just dissipated," he said.

More insight from the Game Developers Conference can be read in our updated feature here. St John is set to host a session on Hi5 at GDC today (Wednesday), at which he'll announce new plans for the company.
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sheath
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That's right folks. Sony thinks the masses are going to go from the Wii, to a big huge expensive box that you have to hook up *three* controller/devices to just to play the same games.

Between this "move", and the fact that EA has already set the precedent that anything they make for the Wii Motion Plus automatically gets ported to the PS3 motion controller, I'm pretty sure we're going to see dozens of failures for Sony's wonder wand.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-names-motion-controller-playstation-move

"Sony has finally announced the name of its PlayStation 3 motion controller – now officially known as PlayStation Move – revealing that it will also operate with a 'sub-controller' alongside the PlayStation 3 Eye

The platform holder said that a bundle of the controllers will sell for below $100 when launched in "fall", adding that 36 third-party developers and publishers are on board to support the new platform.

Sony says the sub-controller is designed to further expand gameplay options – it features an analog stick and directional buttons – but users can also use the regular DualShock controller for the same effect. "

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This is interesting, two former devs who were shut down by MS and EA blame themselves for not being disciplined enough. So my question is, if the industry (meaning the megapublishers) are killing the talent by ruining people in less than five years, how does discipline fix that? The only way discipline could fix that is to tell everybody to stop being workaholics, write a budget that includes a reasonable expectation of income and tell your publisher to stop being so greedy that they have to put everybody out of business to stay afloat. That would take discipline.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ex-ensemble-dev-attacks-workaholic-culture

Ex-Ensemble dev attacks "workaholic" culture

Former Ensemble Studios developer Paul Bettner has blamed himself and Ensemble's studio culture for the company's demise and has refused to condemn Microsoft for the developer's closure.

Speaking at the recent Game Developers Conference (GDC), as reported by sister site Eurogamer, Bettner commented: "The reality is that every single game we shipped took twice as long as we said it was going to take, and cost twice as much to make."

"Microsoft is a public company, they answer to their shareholders, and we were simply too expensive."

Bettner went on to blame himself for the poor quality of life at the studio, where "everyone was a workaholic", and for the cost and inefficiency of running the studio.

"I watched this happen and I did almost nothing to stop it. As an employee, and later as a manager, I didn't take a stand. I just kept hoping for that next high," said Bettner.

Referring to claims of similarly destructive work environments at EA and Rockstar Games, Bettner claimed that over a third of people in the games industry intended to leave within five years.

"This is a horrible vicious cycle. We burn out all our best people. We destroy these precious artists, we wreck their families and we sacrifice their youth," said Bettner. "So they leave, and they take all their experience with them."

A twelve year veteran of the Age Of Empires and Halo Wars developer, Bettner has subsequently gone on to found iPhone developer NewToy with his brother David.

Bettner's talk during one of many "rant" sessions at GDC received a standing ovation and his comments were also echoed by former Pandemic Studios developer Carey Chico.

Closed by EA in November 2009, Chico indicated that Pandemic also suffered from a lack in internal accountability and a failure to hit milestones.

"We were very good for a long period of time in the middle there," said Chico in reference to the company's more celebrated titles such as Full Spectrum Warrior and Mercenaries.

"Then, we got our own money. And that was probably the beginning of the fall."

Access to greater funding lead to the decision to develop the company's own technology and take games closer to completion before selling them to publisher, but according to Chico the studio lacked the discipline to execute this business plan successfully.

"When you have your own money, what happens is that you have to maintain your own accountability internally, and if you don't have that, you just f**k everything up," said Chico.

Chico, who recently became president and COO at Globex LA, claimed that having to follow publisher milestones and schedules "are actually good restraints in a lot of ways".
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If you want to play Command and Conquer 5, Assassin's Creed 13 and Silent Hunter 22 in the near future, plan on having a persistent connection to the publisher.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/connection-failure-editorial

On paper, the decision to force PC games to maintain a persistent Internet connection as part of their DRM protection measures is a terrible one - yet this week it's been revealed that Electronic Arts plans to follow in Ubisoft's footsteps by forcing Command & Conquer 4 players to remain connected to EA's servers while playing. Any interruption in the connection will result in the game being suspended - even in single-player mode.

EA obviously sees some merit to this system which the rest of the world has missed. To describe Ubisoft's similar protection methods for Assassin's Creed II and Silent Hunter 5 as "much-maligned" would be understating the case quite dramatically.

Hammered before launch by critics for being yet another example of DRM which cripples the products purchased by legitimate consumers but does little to hamper those who planned to pirate the game in the first place, the system proceeded to score PR own-goals by being cracked within hours (in the case of Silent Hunter 5 - a crack for Assassin's Creed II followed shortly afterwards) and then by dramatically failing on the first weekend, when Ubisoft's servers went down and prevented customers (but not pirates) from playing the games.

If Ubisoft had wanted to illustrate its support for the argument that restrictive DRM simply endangers your relationships with legitimate consumers while affording no real protection from pirates, they could simply have sent out a press release. There really wasn't any need for this melodramatic stage production of a DRM worst-case scenario.

More after the link
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Megacorps use any means to put their competition out of business, except making better products that is.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/edge-game-completely-certain-of-victory

The company of controversial trademark litigator Tim Langdell has claimed that it is "completely certain" of defeating EA's petition to the US Patent & Trademark Office, to cancel its wide range of registrations relating to the word "edge".

Speaking to sister site Eurogamer an unnamed spokesperson for Edge Games complained of a "biased press" and that EA "doesn't like the fact there is still one UK company older than itself that they have not yet destroyed."

"Just before they filed their amended petition to cancel we filed our Motion for Summary Judgement, but their resubmission of their petition gets coverage and our Motion to have the entire issue go away gets no coverage," said the spokesperson in an email.

"How could these people be more blatant in their bias in favour of EA?," they asked.

"We are completely certain of winning in both the US and UK against EA/EA DICE and against Papazian on the European CTM issue," continued the email. "We have asked Connect2Media to remove Papazian's EDGE from mobile phones and are confident they will do so if they have not done so already."

Edge Games believes it is "extremely likely" that EA's petition will be turned down, claiming that the publisher has "no new detail that enables them to argue fraud" but instead merely "trumped up" accusations.

For years Edge Games has issued a series of legal attacks against any games-related company using the world "edge" in the title of its product, from Future Publishing's Edge magazine to Mobigame's iPhone title Edge and, most recently, PuzzleKings' Killer Edge Racing.

EA's involvement began following the release of EA DICE's Mirror's Edge, with the company refusing to pay Edge Games a licensing fee and alleging that the developer had begun filing similarly named new trademarks for games that weren't in production.

A full history of Langdell and Edge Games' litigious past is available on gamesindustry.biz.
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Call of Duty fans had better get used to buying from EA again.

More staff quit Infinity Ward

At least another four staff have left Modern Warfare studio Infinity Ward, following the high-profile departure of Jason West and Vince Zampella.

Lead designers Steve Fukuda and Zied Reike have walked according to a report by Kotaku, both of whom had been with the team since it was established in 2002.

Programmer Rayme Vinson and lead artist Chris Cherubini have also resigned from the company. Bruce Ferris, senior animator, left the company earlier in the month to join Big Red Button Entertainment, according to IGN. Activision said yesterday that there remains a "deep bench of proven talent" at the studio despite recent departures. "

EA Promises not to meddle, honest.

"EA Partners has said that it will not interfere with the development process at Respawn Entertainment, the new studio established by sacked Infinity Ward employees Jason West and Vince Zampella.

That's despite EAP bankrolling the start-up and announcing the business on behalf of the high-profile developers, as they begin the process of staffing-up to and set their sights on creating blockbuster games to rival some of the biggest in the business.

"We're in the back seat advising when asked, we're not necessarily in the front seat grabbing at the wheel trying to make life more difficult," EA Partners general manager David DeMartini toldGamesIndustry.biz. "That's one of the key differences, we have taken more of a back seat to allow these developers to stay fiercely independent." "
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Killing the Goose

"Killing the Goose

The parable of the goose that laid golden eggs has been used and abused greviously in the past few weeks to describe the developing situation at Infinity Ward. It's a compelling way to describe the tale - the studio which creates enormous blockbuster hits in the Modern Warfare franchise, laid out on a mortuary slab by the naked greed of its publisher - but its merits in narrative terms are outweighed by the inaccuracies in the metaphor.

After all, there's little evidence in any of the acrimonious and occasionally astonishing legal documents flying between the two sides in the dispute which suggests that Activision executives actually turned up with a carving knife in hand, keen to slice the studio up. Rather, it seems that the publisher's sin was simply to expect the team which had made one of the most successful games in history to turn up the next day as if nothing had happened, put their heads down and get to work on a sequel - on a fairly tough timescale, at that.

There will be two distinct groups of people reading this article - those who shake their heads in astonishment at such naivety, and those who simply don't see the problem with such expectations.

Both sides have a point. After all, it's not unreasonable to expect your employees to turn up to work and keep doing their jobs, even if the product they've been working on turns out to be a success. There'll be promotions and bonuses in the offing at some point, of course, but in the meanwhile, there's another product on the way which needs working on, so everyone needs to get over their champagne hangover and pitch in.

That's not an unsympathetic viewpoint, but is sadly one which is rooted in two core misconceptions. Firstly, the idea of corporate loyalty - the sense that "we're in this together" which many managers and executives, especially those of a certain age, love to expound upon. In the modern climate, in which jobs for life are something that hasn't happened for over a generation, "corporate loyalty" is simply a nice way of saying "the ship isn't sinking, so the rats aren't fleeing just yet". Loyalty from valued employees is not granted but earned, not by paycheques but by good treatment, regular promotions, control over their own work and plenty of share options to hang over them like a sword of Damocles.

Secondly, there's the notion that creative staff in the entertainment business - people who are heavily invested in the projects on which they work - can simply be managed as though they worked on a production line, or in a cubicle farm. The attachment and investment of a game developer into their project is simply incomparable to that of a regular employee working on, for example, a corporate IT system. On one hand, that means that game developers are more easily coerced into working ridiculous hours throughout a protracted crunch period - because any financial reward aside, this project is their baby. On the other hand, it also means that the success of the project is equally personal, and their expectation to benefit from and share in the fruits of its success is, reasonably enough, very high. "

...

"Infinity Ward's gradual reforming under EA's wing as Respawn grants a unique opportunity for those two concepts to go head to head. In the coming years, we will inevitably see a battle for sales and critical acclaim between a title from EA / Respawn, and an Activision title bearing the Modern Warfare brand. The owners of the IP will go head to head with the talent that created that IP.

Although the circumstances were very different, the last notable instance of that came when British studio Sports Interactive launched Football Manager (for SEGA), competing directly with a new title using their old, well-loved IP, Championship Manager, which had been handed by former publisher Eidos to a newly formed studio following their split with SI. History relates the rest - things did not go well for Eidos, while Sports Interactive's new IP quickly regained the full prominence which their old IP had enjoyed.

Activision will fervently hope that this does not prove to be a blueprint for future comparisons between its handling of the Modern Warfare franchise and EA's new IP from Respawn. The rest of the industry, meanwhile, will look on with bated breath. What started out as an entertaining spat between a publisher and its star developer could, in time, be a landmark incident in defining the evolving relationships between publishers and the creative teams on which they rely for their hits. "
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sheath
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EA says you'll love Medal of Honor forever, because they're going to RAM ROD IT down your thoat.

Quote:
 

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/ea-were-going-to-be-in-the-medal-of-honor-business-for-a-long/

EA's upcoming reboot to the Medal of Honor franchise has a few major contenders, one of which EA itself created, to compete with when it arrives at retail this October. But EA Games prez Frank Gibeau remains confident in MoH, telling Gamasutra in a recent interview that, "With Medal of Honor, we're rebooting the series to get into the top 10." Gibeau lays out plans for an extensive marketing campaign first aimed at "core shooter fans," then branching out to a "true mass-market campaign." Speaking frankly, he claims "It'll be a big launch with a lot of dollars behind it. We're going to go in and we're going to compete." He believes that, between the IP's pedigree and the quality of this reboot, EA's " going to be in the Medal of Honor business for a long time."


No mention of why the game is going to be better than all those other shooters out there, they're just going to spend a boat load of cash on advertising.
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it's going to be better because it's going to be in the top ten. As we all know, higher sales = better game.
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EA says, we'd like to punish you for being patient. The consumer says, "A spanking! A spanking!"

-edit-
Courtesy of Joystiq
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http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ea-project-USD10-saw-over-70-percent-of-new-purchasers-redeeming-codes

EA has said that over 70 per cent of new purchasers of Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age: Origins and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 went online to redeem their Project $10 bonus codes, while the number of consumers purchasing the code for the used copy a game was a "low single digit percentage".

But COO John Schappert said that the aim of moves such as Project $10, and EA's just-announced Online Pass, was to stop consumers thinking the game began and ended with the disc and to encourage them online, where they'd find even more bonus content.

Speaking at a call to investors following the release of EA's year-end financials, Schappert said: "We saw that by giving people this access code we got them into the online world and so we saw very very strong uptake in downloadable content across all of those titles because we had content available from day one and because we seeded it with a bonus token."

"That is really our drive with our online pass," he added.

"Invariably the consumer is getting a boat-load more content than they otherwise would," explained CFO Eric Brown. "We used to pull people off games 4-6 weeks pre-ship and they'd go to work or something else because the game was done.

"Our teams are [now] being held in place through and beyond ship and they continue to create content and entertain the consumer with new content associated with the IP they like.

"This is why we believe we can successfully go from 73 or 75 titles three short years ago to 36 titles - halving our title count and retaining our revenue.

"By generating more revenue per IP, by extending our business model into subscriptions, into micro transactions, into downloadable content and then into new platforms like social networks or putting our IP out through Pogo or building directed services like Tiger Online, FIFA Online and Battefield Online."

Brown said the company had been preparing the Online Pass for "the best part of 18 months" and that the infrastructure just hadn't been ready in order for it to introduce the scheme in time for the World Cup.

The infrastructure and databases had "not been simple to build," he said, adding that EA hadn't wanted to make mistakes.

On the subject of retailers, he said that they would ultimately find a way to participate, pointing out that GameStop was supporting the move while the majority of retailers were also behind it.
Edited by sheath, May 13 2010, 07:02 AM.
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Sony continues to lose more money per year than Sega lost in the five years following the Saturn's launch and subsequent failure. Sega had to get out of the hardware business because it wasn't a megacorp and couldn't continue losing money forever. Sony on the other hand, well, everybody loves Sony, their shit is the best isn't it?!

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-games-division-records-USD889m-loss

Sony games division records $889m loss

Sony has said that sales in its Network Product and Services division, which includes the PlayStation business, were down 10.2 per cent for the full fiscal year ended March 2010, due to a decrease in PlayStation 2 and PSP sales.

However, sales of the PlayStation 3 hardware were up during the year from 10.3 million units to 13 million, due to the launch of the new slim model.

PSP sales were down from 14.1 million to 9.9 million, while 7.3 million PlayStation 2 units were sold in 2010, compared to 7.9 million the previous year.

The division recorded an operating loss of ₯83.1 billion ($889.1m / £597.3m), down ₯4.4 billion compared to last year. While PSP and PS3 hardware sales were down, this was offset by cost reductions on the PS3 hardware, increased software sales and improved profitability from Walkman digital music players.

Sales of PlayStation 3 software increased to 115.3 million units during the year, up from 103.7 million the previous year.

PSP titles were down to 44.4 million units, compared to 50.3 million last year, and PS2 game sales down to 35.7 million units, compared to 83.5 million.

Noticeably, Sony expects software sales across all formats to remain the same in the next financial year ended 2011, despite an expected increase in PlayStation 3 sales.

Sales for the division were ₯1,578.8 billion ($16.8bn / £11.3bn) during the full year, but despite the performance of the Network Product and Services division, results for the entire group were more positive.

Sony Corporation recorded an operating income of ₯31.8 billion ($339.7m / £228.1m) in 2010, compared to a loss of ₯227.8 billion the prior year, and a net loss of ₯40.8 billion ($438.4m / £296.7m), an improvement over last year's ₯98.9 billion, with the Financial Services division and sales of LCD TVs in Consumer Products & Services as highlights.

For the full year ended March 2011, Sony expects an operating income of ₯160 billion, with an improvement in operating loss of the Network Product and Services division due to better game sales and VAIO PC sales.
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i like reading sony's losses in yen better than in dollars. makes it seem bigger ^_^
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So, what is going to motivate the next six months of PS3 purchases? Brand loyalty at home, brand marketing of new technology, and brand loyalty at friend's houses. Games sure don't matter, that's good to know.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/research-killer-apps-dont-sell-consoles

New research from Nielsen Games has shown that, contrary to popular belief, the release of a big game isn't necessarily enough to motivate consumers to buy a new games console.

In fact, wanting to play one particular game was cited as the least motivating factor in buying a console by gamers questioned for the survey, coming out as far less important than Blu-ray capabilities, price reductions and online capabilities.

For its research, Nielson quizzed 700 active gamers aged 7-54 who did not currently own a PlayStation 3 but were "definitely" or "probably" interested in buying one in the following six months.

The company interviewed the gamers over a three week period prior to, during and after the release of God of War III on the console, using the game as a lens to determine how important it would be in motivating purchases of the PS3.

However, the results showed that it was of little relevance, with just 12 per cent stating that one specific game would be a motivating factor in their decision.

Instead, the most motivating factors were Blu-Ray capabilities, the recent price reduction of the PS3 and the library of games currently available, which were cited by 65, 63 and 62 per cent of those questioned respectively.

62 per cent said that their decision was motivated by wanting to upgrade from the PlayStation 2, 56 per cent said they wanted the console in order to connect with friends that also had a PS3, and 50 per cent said they were interested in the PS3's other online capabilities.

49 per cent were interested in the PS3's other multimedia capabilities. 42 per cent wanted the console for online multiplayer, and 36 per cent said they were motivated by offers bundling an HDTV with the PS3.

Despite the fact that buying a specific game ranked lowest on the list of reasons for acquiring a PS3, God of War III was the most popular game named among those that did list it.

From a total of 20 PS3 titles, which also included Heavy Rain, Modern Warfare 2, LittleBigPlanet and Gran Turismo 5, 33 per cent named God of War III, followed by Final Fantasy XIII with 13 per cent.

"Not to be overlooked is that nearly half (49 per cent) cited interest in the console for its multimedia capabilities," noted Nielsen on its blog.

"This is especially interesting because the tagline for Sony's recent marketing campaign, 'It only does everything,' touts the entertainment versatility of the PS3 even as it features specific high-profile games, including GOW III, in select ads.

"Considering the data, it appears as though this marketing strategy complements consumer sentiment. While many potential PS3 buyers will see GOW III as an important asset, more often the game will be considered one of many reasons to acquire the console rather than the sole motivator."

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now, scott, don't go putting a spin on it like Sony does - stick to the facts.

All that report is saying is that one specific game isn't going to make most people buy a console, and there's little to be surprised about in that statement. If people were wanting to drop nearly $400 ($300 for the system, $60 for the big game, and however much for tax) for one game, Sony would be rolling in money. Those people buy arcade boards. :-P

Buried in there it does say that 62 percent were interested because of the library of games currently available. Granted, most of it is generic popular swill, or downgraded ports of 360 games, but there are still a lot of games available for the system.

The poll doesn't sound like it was asking for particular weight to why people would buy the system either... Probably leading questions like:
"Are the blu-ray capabilities something that interest you?"
"Are the online capabilities something that interest you?"

If they had made a list and asked people to itemize their top five reasons in order of importance, I think blu-ray would probably still be on the top, particularly amongst xbox 360 owners who already have most of the games available on the sony system.
Edited by benstylus, May 20 2010, 05:06 AM.
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I might have bent it a little bit, but the study obviously set out to "prove" that multi-media functionality, internet functionality, and blu-ray were more important than AAA exclusives to Sony fans. Why would they want to do this? Because AAA exclusives cost a ton of money and it's easier to market the PS3 as an 360 with Bluray than it is to make more exclusives.

To me it is incredibly funny that the industry has gotten this way. I'm taking notes on all EGM and Gamepro issues in 1991 right now. When Atari announced the Jaguar they tried to promote it by it's "advanced chipsets" and by having a "variety of storage mediums, including VHS"! That's how I look at DVD-Bluray playback on a console still, but Sony has managed to create a huge niche (thank goodness not a dominant one anymore) based solely on the same tripe Atari tried to market the Jaguar with.
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http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/insomniac-goes-multiformat-with-new-ea-deal

Resistance developer Insomniac Games is working on a new intellectual property to be published on Microsoft's Xbox 360 platform - the first time the studio has worked on a non-Sony platform in its sixteen year history.

The new franchise, to be published by EA Partners, will be for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360, and will take place in a "brand new universe", although further specifics on the project are being kept strictly under wraps.

"Working with EA Partners allows us to extend the reach of our games to a multiplatform audience while retaining ownership of the intellectual property," said Ted Price, founder and CEO of Insomniac Games.

"We are excited and eager to introduce Insomniac to a new group of gamers while reinforcing to our loyal fans what makes our games special."

Insomniac's Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank and Resistance franchises have combined to sell more than 35 million units worldwide on Sony platforms.

EA Partners has announced a string of high-profile deals over the last 12 months, including publishing duties for Crytek's first move onto console with Crysis 2, the ambitious release of Realtime Worlds' APB and last month's partnership to partly bank-roll Respawn Entertainment, the new team from ex-Call of Duty leads Jason West and Vince Zampella.

"This is an exciting day for all of us at EA Partners and for gamers everywhere," offered David DeMartini, senior vice president of EA Partners.

"Insomniac is renowned for their commitment to quality and their ability to create unique, exciting worlds for gamers to explore. We look forward to help them bring their next blockbuster franchise to the millions of diehard Insomniac fans on PlayStation and the soon to be millions of diehard Insomniac fans on Xbox 360."

An interview with DeMartini and Price can be
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sheath
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I honestly can't believe it...

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/nfl-loses-antitrust-ruling

NFL loses antitrust ruling

The National Football League (NFL) has lost a Supreme Court battle in the U.S., following a lawsuit from sports apparel maker American Needle.

American Needle claimed that the NFL's exclusive agreement with Reebok was an unfair limit on competition and kept prices for consumers artificially high. Lawyers also argued that other companies were left unable to negotiate agreements with individual teams.

According to website Game Politics the Supreme Court ruling overturns that of an earlier lower court and clears the way for a trial against "the joint marketing of the right to use the teams' logos and trademarks on consumer goods".

American Needle will now be attempting to prove that the NFL is not a single entity and that individuals and teams should be free to make separate deals with whatever company they choose.

If as a result it is ruled that the NFL agreement with Reebok is unfair then there are likely to be knock-on effects in the videogame industry, where Electronic Arts currently has an exclusive licensing deal with the NFL.

A victory by American Needle could then see publishers other than EA attempt to license individual teams and athletes for their own games, more similar to the arrangement with non-EA soccer titles such as Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer.

Although EA's deal with the NFL has been one of the most influential, causing almost all other publishers to give up on their own American football titles, similar arrangements exist in many other sports titles.

THQ's relationship with the UFC in particular has created headlines, with the UFC organisation threatening to blacklist any athlete who co-operates with EA's unofficial new MMA title.
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sheath
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Pay no attention to the fact that Sony is depending on you to buy a new TV now, only to see it replaced by an even better one before you can replenish your savings.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-readies-3d-home-assault-article

As it releases its first four 3D-enabled games for PlayStation 3, Sony has begun to reveal its E3 hand, as well as ongoing plans for 3D viewing at home.

The first Sony 3D TV - the Bravia KDL-HX803 - goes on sale tomorrow from around 600 UK stores, and will support 3D gaming and Blu-ray playback for those devices that offer it. The screen will require the separate purchase of a 3D transmitter and glasses, though a higher-end screen due in July will include integrated 3D.

While much of Sony's London press briefing this morning focused on its releases in cinemas and on Blu-ray, there was confirmation of further 3D upgrades for PS3 - including 3D Blu-ray support. "All PlayStation 3s will be able to playback 3D games and movies by the end of this year," said Christian Brown, senior product manager at Sony Consumer Electronics.

"This is really giving the games a deeper experience. We've spoken to a lot of people, and the gamers are the people who are really taking this on board very very quickly, it gives them an advantage... against the people they are playing against online."

As well as 3D updates to PSN titles WipEout HD, Super Stardust HD and PAIN - plus a 3D demo of the latest Motorstorm title - Sony has revealed that its upcoming Move motion controller will be twinned with 3D stereoscopy.

The first game to offer this will be boxing title The Fight: Lights Out. Outside of Move, Killzone 3 and the next Gran Turismo game will be available in 3D, with many more reveals promised at E3.

With prices starting at £1400 and reaching as high as £3500 the first 3D Bravia screens may prove too pricy for most consumers. Sony drew proud reference, however, to a projection by Future Source Consulting claiming 40 per cent of TVs will be 3D by 2014.
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sheath
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When Sony's dominance is on the line "analysts" cite fictional characters created by Sony to make a point.

Michael Pachter doesn't like Kinect

Wedbush research analyst Michael Pachter has again voiced his skepticism of Microsoft's Kinect motion control camera, describing it as "a limited device".

In his latest Pach Attack show on website GameTrailers.com, Pachter described Kinect as "a limited device, because you’re really not, as Kevin Butler said, gonna to be going 'pew pew,' shooting people with your finger."

"If you want to play a dance game and have your whole body picked up, or you want to do a fitness game and have the monitor tell you to lift your knee higher you 'fat B', this is the device that you want to own," added Pachter.

"The hardcore probably aren’t going to be as impressed. Their mums are, their girlfriends are, their wives are, their kids are: that is who wants this thing," he concluded.

Pachter yesterday voiced concern at the effect a high price tag could have on Kinect's success and repeated those comments in his Pach Attack report.

"If Microsoft prices it right I think it blows out, I think it’ll sell like crazy. If they price it too high, I think it’ll take a while to get off the ground," he said.

Pachter suggests that some within Microsoft would like to sell Kinect at a $99 price tag in the US but all evidence so far, including Microsoft's own website, suggests a $149 price.
Edited by sheath, Jun 22 2010, 06:20 PM.
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sheath
Jun 22 2010, 11:04 AM
When Sony's dominance is one the line "analysts" cite fictional characters created by Sony to make a point.
I'm a bit confused here... is this a subtle David Manning reference?

Who is the fictional character you're talking about?
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