Nintendo: third-party games look 'dramatically better' on Wii U

Third-party games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II look better on Wii U than they do on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. That's according to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, who told CNN recently that players seeking the best-looking experience would be smart to choose the Wii U version. Responding to a question regarding the Wii U being on par in terms of specifications with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Fils-Aime said this was not the case.

"First off, I have to correct you. The specs are quite different than the competitive systems; much more graphically intensive. If you do a side-by-side comparison you would actually see that third-party like Call of Duty look dramatically better on our system," Fils-Aime said.

Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford said earlier this year that the Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines would be the best-looking iteration of the game. The title is also planned for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Fils-Aime was also asked how Nintendo feels about launching the Wii U just a year before Microsoft and Sony are rumored to have new, more capable systems on the market. Ultimately, he said the Wii U's second-screen approach is the "next innovation" and early sales of the system in the Americas are proving this point.

"And then, in terms of what competition is going to do in the future, we'll see," Fils-Aime said. "We know that, based on our development, this two-screen gaming experience really is the next innovation that consumers are gravitating to; it's selling extremely well here in the Americas, already stocks are quite low in the marketplace. And so for us, certainly the consumer is deciding that the innovation is well worth their investment."

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Beyond Good and Evil: Morality and consequence in The Walking Dead

Jessica McDonell wrestles with tough decisions and her own emotions in The Walking Dead.

Spoiler alert: The following piece contains minor spoilers for The Walking Dead and Heavy Rain for the purposes of providing illustrative examples; it is not intended to summarise or spoil the game's narrative.

The best games extend the story beyond the role of a functional mechanic used to contextualise gameplay, and instead use it to create an emotional connection to the player, where they are confronted and compelled in equal measure. The Walking Dead is one of these games. It employs a decision-making system that forces its players to make difficult in-game choices, which in turn cause the gamer to confront their own morality, priorities, and sense of self.

The Walking Dead isn't the first game I've played that offers up extensive player choice. I remember siding with the Imperial Legion in Skyrim for the good of Tamriel, and sacrificing my own life to save my son's in Heavy Rain. Those choices were clear; at least, they were to me, considering I believed that they were in line with my own sense of right and wrong. The choices in The Walking Dead are not clear; they are messy and devastating, with each difficult choice resulting in an often unpleasant consequence.

The choices in The Walking Dead are not clear; they are messy and devastating, with each difficult choice resulting in an often unpleasant consequence.

So often, player choice in games is divided into light or dark. Chaos or mercy. Helpful or hurtful. In games such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, this division is dichotomous; it is the bipolarity upon which the whole story--and, in fact, the whole universe--hangs. Even stealth-action games such as Dishonored respect this division. It's a little less clear cut, but the message is the same: commit chaos, and you will be rewarded with chaos; deliver mercy and incapacitations instead of death, and the world comes out a little brighter.

The decision-making system in The Walking Dead is reminiscent of "Would You Rather" games that I played as a child. Two often unpleasant or downright awful options are offered up, and a choice must be made as to which would be more preferable. An early conflict in The Walking Dead resulted in my first confrontation with the game's "who will you save?" mechanic. Two people were in danger, and, as far I was concerned, the one I did not choose to aid would die. The choice in question was between a little boy who I had not spoken to, and an adult man who had given me a ride to safety.

The Walking Dead is not a classic adventure game, as you don't have all the time in the world to play with puzzles or toy with dialogue options to make an informed decision. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. A menacing white time bar trickles down in the centre of the screen, forcing your decision to be impulsive and your actions to be permanent. The second I noticed the bar moving and realised my time was running out, I made a spontaneous decision that I wasn't aware I had even processed. I saved the man and left the young boy to die.

The result was confronting, so confronting, in fact, that I had to stop playing for a little while. Not merely because the boy had lived, having been saved by his father, and the adult man had died as I struggled to help him, but because I didn't know if I had made the right choice. I didn't know if there was even a right choice to make. On top of that, I had chosen to save an adult--with whom I had formed only a basic rapport--over a helpless boy. The Walking Dead seemed to not only force me to make impulsive decisions; it also subsequently left me considering what those decisions said about me as a person, my priorities, and moreover my personal sense of morality.

The philosophical school of utilitarianism, which has permeated society's sense of ethics for decades, consists of the "Greatest Happiness" principle. It states that "It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong". Because of this, it is considered morally correct and noble to sacrifice oneself if it is for the greater good. Whether this philosophy is ascribed to or not, it is evident in both its direct representation and antithesis in games that contain divergent morality systems. Generally, players will either choose to abide by this system by replicating this noble, moral philosophy, or, conversely, push back against this expectation and act immorally and selfishly.

Having been raised by a lawyer--one of the honest ones--and a psychologist, I have always had a strong sense of doing what is right. I abide by laws, even those that I may not necessarily agree with, and I try to be honest wherever possible, even if it impacts me negatively in the short term. Consequently, I see these traits reflected in the characters I create in game worlds, and the way I go about my play. I always choose to be the Jedi, the martyr, the friend and confidant. I pour my credits into the hands of needy NPCs, and singing birds and forest fauna pick out my wardrobe like something out of a Disney movie. You get the point.

The Walking Dead is not as simple as that, though. The game doesn't make it easy to just be good or moral, because there's more at stake than getting Dark Side points or temporarily annoying a companion. If you don't ration out the scarce amounts of food you're given to the right people, you will alienate some of them, and that small action will reverberate through the rest of the game. If you're cruel instead of comforting to an NPC in need, they will remember it, and it will factor in to their willingness to help when you inevitably need their help.

I always choose to be the Jedi, the martyr, the friend and confidant.

An old man lay dying on the ground, and four people, including my character and a little girl, were trapped in a room with him. If he died, he would become a zombie and we would all be in danger. His daughter tried desperately to revive her father while a man screamed that we needed to destroy his brain before he became one of the undead. Another decision. Side with the man and help kill a woman's father for the possible good of the room, or side with the woman and try to help her father while endangering the group. I chose the latter, but before we could try to revive him, the shouting man had driven a concrete block through the dying man's head.

This scene depicts another important feature of the game: the characters are not under your control. Just because you step in doesn't mean the person in peril who you side with will be saved, or that the characters around you will go along with whatever you choose. The NPCs have their own families, concerns, priorities, and, yes, morality. Without so many points of reference, it would be difficult to gauge a comparison to my own priorities and decency in the game world, where survival is constantly threatened.

Later in the game, my group found an abandoned car full of much-needed supplies. There wasn't a person in sight, but the sinking feeling in my own gut, and on the minds of some of the other characters, was that the supplies were not ours and it wasn't right to take them. On any other day, I wouldn't, but I had an eight-year-old girl in my care who hadn't eaten in days, and in The Walking Dead supplies are few and far between. The ordinarily clear-cut, black-and-white thought process is an unnavigable grey. I fought the sinking feeling, and opted to take the food and medicine for our group. The little girl, whose moral compass must have been stronger than mine, looked on, disappointed, and claimed that she wanted no part in the spoils. Immediately, I felt terrible as I watched my character hand out every last thing in the boot of that car while my ward looked down at the ground.

I sat back from the game and my urge to reload spiked, but it was already too late; the saving symbol in the top-right corner of the screen set my decision in stone. The situation and its results passed through my mind as it would in any other game. Did I say the wrong thing? Was it wrong to place survival above righteousness? What about a child's survival? The questions swirled inside my head.

This is a game that manages to confront the player beyond the mere act of telling a grisly story. Choice in games has generally been celebrated, but it is rarely taken beyond two paths. Here, it is transformed into a tangled web of spontaneous choices that drastically alter the player's experience. It will still lead the player through the same locations, regardless of the relationships between the characters, though the way that these affect the experience is seldom evident. Every episode left me lying awake, contemplating the results and feeling emotionally drained; each new option was accompanied by ramifications.

I found myself taking a moment before revealing to friends who had also played the game what my decisions were in different sections. I contemplated what they would come to conclude about me as a result. What would a choice to ransack a stranger's belongings out of self-interest say about who I am? Would they be able to see through my choice to yell at my young ward for putting herself in danger? Could they connect that decision to my deep-seated personal struggles in dealing with anger and my fierce over-protectiveness?

Perhaps it's over-analysis, but I feel it would be remiss of me to deny the power of a game that can evoke so much emotion and contemplation that it makes me question my own beliefs. It is jarring to be faced with a reflection of yourself, particularly one you weren't expecting, and presented with a side you didn't think you had.

The Walking Dead is an unsettling game, and it tested my subconscious sense of self and priorities at every turn. It's fascinating to be able to connect with a video game in such a way that it pushes my own emotional boundaries to breaking point. Gameplay and story seldom come together in such a harmonious way as they do here, and, with such powerful results, my hope is that this season will provide a model of emotional resonance that other developers will also want to shoot for in their own games.

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Phantasy Star Online 2 for PS Vita spacing out February 2013

November 25, 2012 11:42PM PST

Closed beta session slated for mid-January 2013; registration starts on December via PlayStation Store.

Sega has announced the release date for the PlayStation Vita version of Phantasy Star Online 2. The free-to-play MMORPG will be out in Japan on February 28. The game will be free to download on the PlayStation Network and will also share online servers with the PC version.

Sega also announced that it will host a closed beta for the PS Vita version in the middle of January 2013. Registration for the session begins next month; players can send in their details at the PlayStation Store.

The company is also selling a special package version of the game at Japan retail stores which costs 5,229 yen. This version contains eight special costumes (only two of them are selectable), three special weapons, a MAG device, two music CDs featuring the game's soundtrack, and a 1000 FUN points used to buy in-game items.

There is currently no word on the North American or European release date for the PC and PS Vita version. The iOS and Android versions of the game will be out in 2013. Check out GameSpot's impressions on the PC version here.

By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.

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Sound Byte: Meet the Composer “ AC III: Liberation

November 26, 2012 1:58AM PST

We speak to Winifred Philips, the composer for the Assassin's Creed III spin-off.

Readers of Sound Byte will recognize Winifred Philips from a previous Sound Byte. To recap, Philips is best known for doing music work for God of War, The Maw, and the LittleBigPlanet series. Recently she won a Hollywood Music in Media award for her work on Assassin's Creed III: Liberation.

We managed to catch up with the composer about her recent work on Ubisoft's open-world action stab-heavy series.

What are the key differences when composing film and video games, in your own opinion?

Films have a predetermined pacing, and a fixed sequence of events. Composing music for film is a matter of fitting a musical composition to the on-screen action. In many ways, composing music for film is a much simpler process.

Game composition must take into account the unpredictability of the pacing and the order of events. The music must enhance the sense of excitement and add emotional depth to the experience, no matter how the action unfolds.

What were your key influences when composing Assassin's Creed III: Liberation's music?

Aveline's personal background was a key influence in developing the musical style for Liberation. Her French heritage from her father was expressed through many of the French Baroque musical influences. Her African heritage from her mother lent the musical score a visceral energy from the complex rhythms and ancient instruments of that culture.

What is the tone you're going for in Liberation's main theme?

I wanted to communicate Aveline's dual heritage through the construction of the theme. The driving percussion is accented by African tribal voices to form a strong and assertive backbone for the musical piece. At the same time, the full string orchestra infuses the piece with a European instrumental approach, and the female lead vocal represents Aveline's personality balanced between these cultural influences.

Does Liberation's music coincide with Assassin's Creed III in any way? Or were you instructed to do a totally new style for Liberation instead?

My work on AC III: Liberation was completely independent. I didn't have any contact with the music team for AC III, nor was I instructed to write the music in any style that would refer to what the AC III music team was doing. I never heard the music from AC III while I was composing for Liberation. It wouldn't have made sense for the music of Liberation to reference the style of AC III, because the two games are set in very different environments, and their main characters share very little in common.

What are the main instruments in Liberation's music?

I concentrated on a balance between Baroque string orchestra, African percussion and wind instruments, and some more contemporary rhythm influences. Since the Assassin's Creed franchise is based on the idea that modern day people are reliving the past through a marvel of modern technology known as the Animus, it made sense to weave some contemporary instrumental textures into the score.

If you had to pick one track to sum up the entire game, which would it be and why?

The main theme. It expresses a lot of the fundamental elements found in the rest of the score including some important melodies and instrumental choices. While I don't think it can fully sum up the entire game, it does serve as a good introduction to the musical style that informs the rest of the score.

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is out now on PS Vita. Check out GameSpot's review here. Music fans can also check out the game's soundtrack here.

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Bioshock Infinite will not feature multiplayer

It's been a tough six months for developer Irrational Games and its latest game, Bioshock Infinite. In May, publisher Take-Two announced that the game was being pushed back beyond its scheduled October release date to arrive on February 26, 2013 instead. Then, in August, a number of the team's top development staff began leaving the company. First were director of product development Tim Gerritsen and art director Nate Wells, then combat design director Clint Bundrick and artificial intelligence lead Don Norbury headed to Microsoft in October.

One rumour to emerge from the disruption was that Bioshock Infinite's multiplayer modes had been axed. Today, the game's creative director confirmed that this was indeed the case. Answering a question from a Twitter user spotted by Kotaku, Ken Levine said: "RT @tha_don_101: @IGLevine can you clear up whether or not Bioshock Infinite will have multiplayer modes? ---Nope." Shortly after he answered another user looking for greater clarity on the situation by saying: "RT @wolverine11111: @IGLevine Does that mean nope it won't or nope you can't clear that issue up? --No multi."

Multiplayer was first introduced to the Bioshock series in 2010's Bioshock 2--an addition that GameSpot called "fun and engaging" at the time. More recently, another development studio working for publisher Take-Two, Yager Development, said that multiplayer for Spec Ops: The Line "should not exist". In an interview with website Polygon, the independent studio said that, "the publisher was determined to have it anyway," and that, "it was literally a check box that the financial predictions said we needed, and 2K was relentless in making sure that it happened."

Bioshock Infinite is set for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on 26 February 2013 worldwide. A Vita version is slated to follow.

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Atari founder 'baffled' by Wii U

November 26, 2012 3:56AM PST

Nolan Bushnell says "I don't think it's going to be a big success," adding that the console "feels like the end of an era."

One of the founding fathers of games is none too keen on the Nintendo Wii U. Speaking to the New York Times, Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's founder Nolan Bushnell said he doesn't think Nintendo will find much success with its new console.

"I actually am baffled by it," Bushnell said. "I don't think it's going to be a big success."

Answering a subsequent question regarding the viability of new consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, Bushnell was similarly unenthusiastic. In fact, he said new consoles from the Big Three actually mark the end of an era instead of a beginning.

"These things will continue to sputter along, but I really don't think they'll be of major import ever again," Bushnell said. "It feels like the end of an era to me."

The Wii U launched in North America on Sunday at $300 for an 8GB basic model and $350 for a 32GB deluxe version. The system comes to Europe and Australia on November 30 and will launch in Japan on December 8.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wii Mini hitting December 7?

A Wii redesign could be on store shelves as early as next month, if one report proves accurate. NintendoWorldReport has obtained a supposed internal release schedule from an unnamed "major retailer" that reveals a "Wii Mini" console will arrive December 7. No price was listed.

The bundle will come with a new, more "compact" Wii system, as well as a sensor bar, nunchuck, and Wii Remote Plus.

If the report is true, it would mark the second Wii redesign, following last year's Europe-only "Wii Family Edition" bundle. This console did not feature GameCube controller ports.

A Nintendo representative was not immediately available.

Last week, Nintendo director of product marketing Bill Trinen said the Wii remains a viable platform because of its large install base. He also suggested Nintendo could spur hardware sales by making the system available "at the right price."

"I think there's also the potential for a lot of people who still haven't purchased Wii, believe it or not, who might be interested at the right price," Trinen said at the time. "So we'll probably be looking at it more from that standpoint."

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Steam hits 6 million concurrent users

November 26, 2012 6:06AM PST

New all-time high for simultaneous player usage through Valve's service recorded over the weekend; up from 5 million in January.

PC gamers set a new Steam record this weekend. According to the official statistics page for Valve's online service, there were more than 6 million members concurrently logged in to the service this weekend, representing an all-time high.

The exact peak simultaneous user figure of 6,046,314 was logged around noon on November 25. It is one million stronger than the 5 million recorded in January and 4 million logged in September 2011.

Launched in 2003, Steam is Valve's digital distribution hub, and it currently boasts 40 million users. Presently, there are over 1,800 titles from various publishers available for purchase and play through the online distributor.

The next advancement for Steam is its Big Picture mode. Currently in beta, the service allows users to browse, purchase, and play all Steam games through TV sets they already own.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

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Korean player PartinG wins Starcraft II World Championships

November 19, 2012 2:23AM PST

Fellow countrymen PartinG and Creator battle it out in Starcraft II World Championships final, with the former taking the title and the $100,000 main prize.

The final of the Starcraft II World Championships took place in Shanghai, China this weekend, and a winner has emerged victorious. South Korean player PartinG beat fellow countryman Creator by four games to two to win the competition and take home the $100,000 first prize. Creator bagged $40,000, with third place player Rain being rewarded $16,000. All three finalists were Protoss players.

The Starcraft II World Championships final was the culmination of many rounds of qualifying that took place starting in April 2012. Individual countries held their own qualifiers before going into four continental heats between August and October, with the overall finals held in China over the weekend.

Starcraft II developer Blizzard announced this weekend that the Battle.net World Championships next year will take place at BlizzCon 2013, Blizzard's annual event for fans which went on hiatus in 2012. The date and location for BlizzCon 2013 is not yet known.

By Guy Cocker, Editor

Guy Cocker is the Editor of GameSpot UK, a handheld gaming fan, and someone who actually managed to use video games to lose weight. He recently took up the position of games expert on BBC 5 live and is a BAFTA games judge.

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Black Ops II tops UK chart

November 19, 2012 2:54AM PST

Latest Call Of Duty pushes Halo 4 from the top of the UK chart; Xbox 360 version takes 60 percent of sales.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops II has entered the UK charts at number one, pushing out last week's champ Halo 4. The Xbox 360 version of Black Ops II proved to be the most popular, with 60 percent of sales. The PlayStation 3 took just 38 percent. The Vita version of the game, Black Ops Declassified, debuted at number 16.

It's no surprise to see Black Ops II at the top of the UK charts. Last week, publisher Activision revealed that the game has generated half-a-billion dollars in day-one revenue. That's a marked increase over Modern Warfare 3, which took home $400 million in day-one revenue.

The Sims 3: Seasons' number nine spot marks the only other new entry in this week's top 10. Some releases that didn't quite make it include Sony's Wonderbook, which entered at 25; Codemaster's F1 Race Stars, which entered at 26; and Sega's Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed, which entered at 27.

By Mark Walton, Senior Staff Writer - Reviews

Writer, riff maker, purveyor of fine foods. Mark currently spends his days trying to overcome his small (large) obsession with high-top trainers and mobile games. He's known to respond well to Long Island Iced Tea, falafels, and karaoke, but not necessarily in that order.

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Mass Effect 3 Omega DLC skipping Wii U

When Mass Effect 3's single-player Omega expansion arrives later this month, it will release only for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, not Wii U. BioWare tweeted the news recently, saying to a fan, "Unfortunately it will not be available for Wii U."

In a follow-up response, BioWare teased that the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 may someday add new content beyond what is included on the disc. The developer said, "Never say never. :)."

Mass Effect 3 for Wii U launched yesterday day-and-date with the new system in North America. The game comes bundled with the From Ashes content, Extended Cut, and multiplayer expansions Resurgence, Rebellion, and Earth. It does not include the single-player Leviathan expansion.

Mass Effect 3 Omega is due out on November 27. For more, check out GameSpot's Now Playing video feature, embedded below.

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Black Ops II patch hits PS3

November 19, 2012 5:17AM PST

Update for Sony version of latest Call of Duty aimed at fixing lockup/freezing issues, though some still reporting headaches.

Activision has released a new patch for the PlayStation 3 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, but it does not appear to have fixed what it set out to. Activision wrote in its support forums that it has launched an update aimed at fixing lockup/freezing issues, but also notes that some gamers are still experiencing the issues.

"We are doing everything we can to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible," the statement reads. No specific timetable was provided concerning when the new fix will be ready.

Separately, Activision also addressed issues Wii U users are reporting. The company told gamers who are experiencing lockups to make sure they have the most recent version of the game. To do this, Activision said players should make sure they have installed all patches and title updates before jumping in. These updates provide improvements to security and fixes for exploits and crashes and do not affect saved games.

For more on Call of Duty: Black Ops II, check out GameSpot's review.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

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Hitman: Absolution drops online pass

November 19, 2012 5:35AM PST

Square Enix says it planned to launch new action game with code, but has decided to take a new approach.

This week's Hitman: Absolution will not include an online pass. Publisher Square Enix has announced that the game's Contracts mode was planned as being accessible only through a download code in the game's box, but the company has had a change of heart.

Gamers in North America will automatically see the Contracts game mode from the title's menu. Those in other regions can either redeem the code in the box or select "Buy Contracts Pass" where it will be available for free.

It is not clear what Square Enix had originally intended to charge for the Contracts game mode, though similar offers from other publishers run around $10.

Hitman: Absolution's Contracts mode has players creating their own customized assassinations and challenging friends to beat them. For more on Hitman Absolution, check out GameSpot's review.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

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Nintendo Network ID tied to single console

November 19, 2012 5:59AM PST

Company confirms account can only be used on Wii U system where it was created; future support for other devices planned.

Nintendo Network accounts can only be used on the Wii U system where they were created. The company confirmed the news in a Wii U support page. This means players cannot access their accounts from a friend's console or transfer information to a new Wii U should the system break, at least for now.

"A Nintendo Network Account can only be used on the console where it was created," reads the statement. "In the future, you will be able to use your Nintendo Network Account with future Nintendo consoles and other devices, such as PC's."

The Wii U supports up to 12 specific Nintendo Network accounts per console. Each member can have their own unique identity on the console, tailoring items to their specific liking.

The Wii U launched yesterday in the United States. For more, check out GameSpot's coverage of the Nintendo World launch event and reviews of Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

Valve working on new Source engine

Earlier this month, Valve played host to a group of fans from website 4chan's /v/ community at the company's Washington studio. During an hour-long open question session, as reported by Valve community site LambdaGeneration, Newell provided candid answers on the Half-Life maker's business, the direction he believes the industry is moving in, and why he has no interest in exclusive content for Steam.

Newell began by setting the ground rules, asking fans, "So what do you want to know about that's not Half-Life 3?" Attendees queried whether Valve is already at work on a successor for its Source engine, and, if so, whether any follow-up would be an update to the existing software, or a fully fledged replacement. Newell responded by saying that the team "has been working on engine stuff for quite a while", though there were suggestions that the developer may be waiting for the right game to showcase the new technology.

On the topics of Kickstarter games, collaborative development, and where he sees the industry heading, Newell said, "The direction we're heading in now, not just Valve, but everybody…one thing you guys may not know is that the community generates about 10 times as much content for TF2 as Valve does. Even though that's all in pretty primitive stage still, my expectation is that all games will basically be about creating a framework for the community participants to build on top of it."

Newell also revealed why exclusive content is bad for business, saying that Valve has no interest in heading down that path, instead preferring to reap the benefits of organic growth to the digital space.

"A bunch of people have asked us, 'Hey, why don't we do an exclusive, and we won't ship on any of the other services; how much will you give us for being exclusive?' and we said, look, you know, it's bad for you, it's bad for us in the long run. We want lots of people to be innovating on these services. We'll [all] benefit if somebody has some great ideas."

Asked to confirm earlier "leaked" images reported to be Steam controllers, he clarified the company's interest in the hardware space. "We're working on controller designs," said Newell. "We have three controllers we're starting to do user testing on now. The reason we're doing controllers is we didn't think there was enough interesting innovation going on, and there are a bunch of reasons why we think that is happening. Even though we've never thought of ourselves as that, now we're trying to tackle the problems of designing controllers and games at the same time, and we're also trying to figure out how the Steam experience can extend into living rooms. The whole point is saying the things we all value about PC gaming, consoles should not be the only answer for that, so how do we make living room-friendly PCs?"

Finally, fans probed on rumoured and cancelled games, and were given sparse details. "We had an internal project called Stars of Blood, which was a space pirates game, but that never saw the light of day."

The full version of the video is available below.

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Playing Nice: EB vs. Aussie game publishers

We look at reports of a growing rift between Australian game publishers and the country's largest specialist game retailer EB Games.

Video game retail in Australia is under threat. The gradual shift away from established business models toward alternative platforms and delivery channels has changed the way that video games are sold, paving the way for a new generation of consumers fighting for a faster, cheaper, and more efficient way of doing things.

As the local market struggles to adapt to a global decline in physical game sales, the rise of digital distribution, increased online and mobile revenue, and more independent, confident consumers, reports of a growing rift between Australian game publishers and the country's largest specialist game retailer, EB Games, threatens to impact the long-term viability of video game retail in Australia, and with it the future of the local gaming industry.

In this feature, GameSpot will investigate the reasons behind the reported breakdown in communication between some local game publishers and EB, and how this asserted schism is affecting retailers, publishers, and consumers in Australia.

***

EB Games is Australia's largest specialist video game retailer, a position that has given the company the power to affect the way that Australian game publishers price, distribute, and market video games in the local market.

From an economic point of view, EB's business is stable. The retailer is currently operating just over 400 stores in Australia and New Zealand, and continues to grow its store presence across the two regions.

According to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) annual report, lodged by EB Games' parent company GameStop in March this year, EB achieved total sales of US$604.7 million in Australia and New Zealand in the fiscal year ending January 28, 2012, an increase of 7 percent year on year from 2011. The business also experienced a sales increase in the preceding 2010-11 period, with a revenue increase of 6.6 percent.

Several sources in the Australian video game industry who wish to remain anonymous have said that EB's position in the local market reflects this outlook. According to these sources, the retailer reportedly controls roughly 35-40 percent market share.

However, EB's dominance in the Australian retail market comes at a time of industry-wide uncertainty regarding the future of physical games. Figures showing a 19.5 percent year-on-year decline of physical game sales in the Australian market mirror similar reports from the US, European, and Japanese markets, which collectively show that the global video game retail market has suffered three consecutive years of software sale declines, a trend that many market analysts blame on an uncommonly long console cycle that has produced far too few new intellectual properties to bolster consumer interest.

The effect on the Australian game retail market--small by comparison to that of the US, Europe, or Japan--has been disastrous. In March this year, UK video game retailer Game Group--which runs both GAME and Gamestation stores in the UK and mainland Europe--went into administration. The Australian branch of the business quickly followed, shutting down all of its Australian stores and letting go more than 280 employees.

GAME's fate in Australia secured EB Games as the largest specialist video game retailer in the country, a position that has landed the retailer in trouble with Australian video game publishers, who claim that EB has taken unfair advantage of its position, particularly in regards to grey importing.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, several sources working for different game publishers in Australia accused EB of "bully tactics". One source close to a local publisher claimed that the publisher was forced to downsize its Australian business due to reduced local sales as a direct result of EB and other game retailers grey importing in the Australian market. In another instance, several sources currently working for different Australian-based publishers described different exchanges in which EB allegedly told some publishers to lower the selling price of their games or risk EB walking away from the deal, or instances in which EB allegedly demanded an exclusive offer under the threat that if publishers did not comply, EB would grey import the games in question.

As a business measure, grey importing involves the acquisition and sale of goods through unofficial--although not illegal--channels. In the game retail market, this means the sale of game stock obtained from other countries instead of local video game publishers and distributors, often at a cheaper price. Money saved through grey importing certain stock also allows some game retailers to attract more customers through lower prices, a measure that has become particularly widespread in Australia, where consumer business is dominated by one or two specialist game retailers, and not all international publishers are represented (so while publishers like Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA, and Activision have a local Australian presence, other publishers like Capcom and Valve do not.)

Grey importing has reportedly been a point of dispute between Australian game publishers and EB Games since the retailer confirmed earlier this year that it is importing overseas video game stock to sell in its Australian stores.

"There are rare times when stocking product from a local vendor is not a feasible option, and stock needs to be obtained elsewhere," EB Games told GameSpot in May. "This is something that our vendor partners are aware of."

While grey importing has advantages like lower prices and earlier release dates, the practice of importing video game stock from overseas can have a severely negative impact on video game publishers and distributors operating in Australia. For example, if a publisher cannot sell a game to a local retailer, it can mean that the game will receive no international support from the publisher; no localised special editions, no visiting developers, no local community events or support.

The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (iGEA), which represents Australia's video game publishers and distributors, looks upon grey importing with a sceptical eye, saying that the practice takes away from locally generated revenue.

"Wholesale parallel importing does have a direct impact on local publishers, distributors, and the companies who support them," iGEA CEO Ron Curry told GameSpot in May.

"The revenues generated locally support not only local employment, but fund marketing, in-store displays, advertising, classification obligations, etc. Without this local level of support, retailers in Australia will see a direct impact on their business, as will consumers and other local businesses who survive by supporting the Australian video game industry."

A source who works for an international game publisher in Australia refuted EB's earlier claims that the retailer told publishers about its grey-importing measures. According to the source's own experience with EB, the retailer does not inform publishers about its intentions to grey import video game stock from other territories. Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the source said that grey-importing measures employed by EB and other game retailers in Australia leave publishers with an increasing amount of unsold stock and less profit to operate on.

Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi also confirmed its grey-importing measures in May, telling GameSpot that it orders some of its popular video game stock from overseas in order to provide consumers with a more competitive price on games. However, the retailer did not provide a comment when asked by GameSpot about whether its grey-importing measures are communicated to video game publishers and distribution partners in Australia.

While JB Hi-Fi declined to comment further on its relationship with game publishers and distributors in Australia--telling GameSpot that the information is regarded as "commercially sensitive"--the majority of sources who spoke to GameSpot for this story claimed that JB Hi-Fi maintains a good working relationship with game publishers in Australia. The same sources also reported that JB's grey-importing practices have less of an economic impact on game publishers than those of EB.

***

Grey importing is not the only sore point for the Australian game publishers that GameSpot spoke to where EB is concerned.

The same sources also described numerous instances in which EB allegedly demanded exclusive content from publishers when ordering a particular game, a demand that, according to the sources, must be financed out of the publisher's own pocket, which can often prove to be expensive.

The practice of demanding or requesting exclusive content from game publishers is one that, according to US industry-specific market research firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research's (EEDAR) Jesse Divnich, is an industry standard.

"I wouldn't say EB Games or GameStop are threatening anyone," Divnich told GameSpot. "It is definitely in the best interest of both the developer and publisher to create awareness and buzz via exclusive in-game content. When a retailer controls more than 30 percent of the physical distribution market, it should be expected that they request certain advantages, especially for GameStop, who has the most hardcore and loyal consumers."

Speaking to GameSpot for this article, EB merchandising director Shane Stockwell said the retailer's current relationship with video game publishers in Australia is "excellent".

"We pride ourselves on working hard to find win-win outcomes for EB Games and the local publishers," Stockwell told GameSpot."We work with very long lead times with publishers on almost every product. It helps being a specialist, as we love what we do and we understand what is important in regards to content and packaging."

Referring to its current position in the market (but refusing to disclose the exact market share percentage that EB currently holds), Stockwell said that EB's pre-orders for the upcoming period are at record levels. According to Stockwell, this is a result of the retailer's focus on growing its digital channels and continued focus on its pre-owned business, which he said is important to the overall health of the video game industry.

While a lot of sources that GameSpot spoke to for this article wished to remain anonymous, Mike Westrup, the managing director of New Zealand-based consumer electronics distributor Monaco, agreed to speak on the record about his company's relationship with EB Games. Monaco was once one of the largest video game distributors in New Zealand, looking after publishers like Sega, Nintendo, THQ, Ubisoft, and Disney.

In March 2011, Monaco made the sudden announcement that it would be exiting the video game distribution market altogether. While the company did not provide a reason for its sudden departure at the time, Westrup now says that the company's relationship with EB Games was one of the reasons why Monaco exited the gaming market.

"We never had a favourable working relationship with EB," Westrup told GameSpot. "They are difficult to work with. They use their position in the gaming market to get their own way. They're successful, too, because they employ bully tactics."

According to Westrup, EB refused to pay Monaco for gaming products that the retailer had already received and sold, until Monaco could provide EB with a further discount.

"We had already given them [EB] help in clearing slow-selling product," Westrup said. "So we demanded payment, which we eventually received. We had great relationships with major retailers in both New Zealand and Australia, so why give a bully like EB such a huge advantage over their competitors?"

Westrup said EB approached Monaco's gaming suppliers, who then withdrew their support from Westrup's company. With Monaco's distribution margins unable to support further discounts, the distributor decided to bow out of the gaming market.

"The gaming division was a low return on investment division within the group," Westrup said. "EB simply brought forward the decision to exit."

GameSpot approached EB for comment following Monaco's claims about EB's conduct. The retailer had this to say:

"Monaco is a distributor for many products and companies, most of which are not video game-related, and many of whom have changed over the years," EB regional director for Australia and New Zealand Michael Stocker told GameSpot.

"Monaco blaming their failure to make a successful business of distributing one product type on a single customer--as you have claimed--is disingenuous in the extreme. I think Monaco's failures in this area of business have more to do with them than their customers. For the record, EB Games denies any wrongdoing in their relationship with Monaco."

The accusations levelled at EB Games lead to questions surrounding the nature of relationships between game retailers and game publishers. Why are they so important? Does a game retailer like EB have a responsibility to look out for and protect the interests of local game publishers and distributors as well as its own? Or is it within every business' right to safeguard its own interests above all else?

iGEA's Ron Curry said the whole industry model disintegrates when publishers and retailers stop working together.

"Though not without its tensions, which is expected in a competitive environment, the whole distribution chain exists for a common goal: to get games into the hands of consumers as efficiently and effectively as possible," Curry told GameSpot. "This is only possible with a shared respect for each other's part in the chain."

***

It's not just EB that's being blamed for contributing to this growing rift between Australian game retailers and publishers.

A former EB Games member of staff who wished to remain anonymous observed the breakdown in relationships between EB and local game publishers and distributors while still working for the retailer. However, the source said it was game publishers, not EB, that first put strains on the partnership.

"As EB's position in the market grew (both in revenue and in the number of stores it opened across Australia), so too did their business with local game publishers," the source told GameSpot. "But the publishers soon became uncomfortable with EB handling such a large percentage of their stock."

The source said that game publishers in Australia began to offer other Australian retailers special deals without telling EB, gradually trying to increase their profits by pushing up the cost price of games to a recommended retail price (RRP) of A$109 or greater, a move that had the potential to cut into EB's own profit margins at a time when the acceptable street price for games was below A$99.95. (The source said EB was used to paying publishers A$68 to A$78 for games with an RRP of around A$99.)

"This wasn't very fair to EB. In all the time I was there, EB didn't demand anything outside of what anyone else was getting due to their size, and suddenly, they were being blindsided. It created a real feeling of frustration between EB and the publishers."

The source also said that EB had strict policies regarding grey importing, considering it as an option only when a particular game was unavailable in Australia. The source said that this policy was driven by EB's desire to protect its relationship with local publishers, something that may have disintegrated.

But while the source defended EB's core values as a company, they believe that the retailer could be doing more to patch up this relationship.

"There's still a chance to mend this relationship. Publishers should communicate equally and fairly to each retailer, and EB should be open to working with them."

The former EB employee said that the future of game publishers in the Australian market is "entirely dependent" on their ability to maintain a healthy and amicable working relationship with a specialist retailer like EB, whose position in the market is strengthening. For its part, EB must recognise that it has a key role to play if any reconciliation is to be attempted.

"Publishers have to stop acting like they're dealing with the devil, and recognise that what is happening is in fact a commercial reality: EB will survive in the market no matter what happens. It has a business model that can adapt to anything. Whether they'll be selling games, or whether games will only make up 30 percent of EB's business in 10 years' time depends on the market.

"Both parties have to sit down, shake hands, and work out a solution. It can be done."

Most of the industry sources who spoke to GameSpot for this story agreed on the fact that EB Games needs to work alongside--not against--video game publishers to find a viable solution for moving forward: things like sharing marketing costs, finding a way to reach out to consumers together, and helping each other overcome the falling video game retail market.

The future of the Australian gaming industry depends on it.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

Firefall open beta sessions announced for November and December

November 11, 2012 11:07PM PST

Each session for the upcoming online shooter to feature different missions; will be held on weekends for 48 hours.

Red 5 Studio has announced that it will be hosting Firefall open beta sessions for the next few weekends.

Gamers can apply for the session as beta testers during the scheduled times. However, Red 5 Studio stated that not everyone who applies is guaranteed to get in.

Each weekend will have its own theme. From November 30 to December 2, players will have to stop as many creatures as possible from invading Copacabana. From December 7 to December 9, players need to team up to stop the game's antagonists, the Chosen, from advancing across New Eden.

For more information, head to the official page of the game. There is currently no release date announced for the full version of the game. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's recent coverage on the title.

By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

Minecraft PC sells 8 million

November 12, 2012 4:59AM PST

Mojang's open-ended creation game reaches new sales milestone following release at retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy.

Minecraft is already a big hit, but now it's even bigger. The PC version of Mojang's open-ended creation game has now sold over 8 million units, according to the game's official website.

Creator Markus "Notch" Persson commented on the sales milestone on Twitter today, saying, "My face is making grinning sounds, so I assume it's grinning."

This latest sales milestone for Minecraft comes after the game became available via download card at major North American retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart.

Minecraft may have originated on the PC, but that is not the only platform the game has seen success on. The Xbox 360 version has sold over 4 million copies since launch in May, driving $80 million in revenue, with the mobile version selling 700,000 units as of January.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More