| Avalanche boss to devs: "Without passion you will fail" Jun 26th 2013, 15:41 Just Cause studio founder Christofer Sundberg says it is easy to get distracted as projects grow in size, but success comes from passion. 
Avalanche Studios founder Christofer Sundberg has a message to studio leaders: success comes from passion. As part of a wide-ranging GamesIndustry International feature on studio growth, Sundberg warned of the perils of putting aspirations for money ahead of making great games. "In terms of nurturing the studio, I'd like to encourage studio heads to not lose touch with games development, which was probably (hopefully) the reason they started their studios in the first place," Sundberg said. "I know it's easy to get detached as the budgets and projects grow, as bigger publishing partners and investors join, but without the passion for game development you will fail." "Finally, everyone wants to make money, but I have always said that the day we start focusing on being a business rather than a game development studio, we've lost our soul and our right to exist," he added. "Passion for games is everything. If you find yourself flat broke (I've been there) and still feel motivated to create the game of your dreams, you're a winner." Sundberg made headlines recently for saying most games today are too short and that's why they are traded in. The latest project from Sundberg and Avalanche Studios is Mad Max, which will be released in 2014 published by Warner Bros. The car combat-focused game does not feature any multiplayer. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | Codemasters brings Colin McRae Rally 2.0 to iOS Jun 26th 2013, 15:39 Update: Colin McRae Rally released on New Zealand app store. 
Update: Colin McRae Rally has been released on Apple's New Zealand app store, which traditionally suggests a worldwide release tomorrow. The game is based on Colin McRae Rally 2.0 and includes 30 rally stages alongside the Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, Lancia Stratos and Colin McRae’s Ford Focus. The app requires a minimum of an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 to run. Original story: UK developer Codemasters has said it will announce its latest project tomorrow. The developer has released artwork of rally legend Colin McRae's iconic Ford Focus, suggesting the new title will be rally focused. The typography from the new artwork is reminiscent of the cover for classic PlayStation title Colin McRae Rally 2.0, suggesting a possible revival of the iconic rally racer for a modern platform. "Working on a new thing to announce tomorrow, bringing back lots of memories. Will hint soon with usual subtlety," added Codemasters' communications director Rich Eddy on Twitter. Codemasters' latest racer, GRID 2, was released in May. GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.5 in its review. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ken Levine gives update on BioShock Infinite DLC Jun 26th 2013, 15:03 Irrational Games boss says studio has been working on expansion since game shipped in March; "game development takes time." 
Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine has provided an update on the status of BioShock Infinite's downloadable content. "DLC Update: We are working on it--have been since the game shipped," Levine wrote on Twitter today. "Things are going well, but plz understand: game development takes time." Asked if he could give any hints or release any screenshots, Levine said, "We can't until we can. Sorry." The first DLC for BioShock Infinite is rumored to add a new AI companion character to the game. BioShock Infinite's $20 DLC season pass includes three expansions for the first-person shooter, said to provide "hours" of additional gameplay and include new stories, characters, abilities, and weapons. For more on BioShock Infinite, check out GameSpot's review. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Limbo hitting iOS next week Jun 26th 2013, 14:58 Playdead's black-and-white platformer coming to iOS devices July 3 for $5; series sales climb to 3 million. 
Playdead's black-and-white puzzle platformer Limbo will launch for iOS devices next week, the Danish developer announced today. The game will be available for $5 on July 3. Limbo for iOS devices will feature an "amazing touch-based experience" and is compatible with iPad 2 (and higher), iPad Mini, iPhone 4S (and higher), and the latest generation of iPod Touch. The game sells for $15 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita, while the PC/Mac version is available for $10. Playdead said in a statement that its ambition has been to bring Limbo to as many devices as possible. This model is paying off for the developer, as the company also announced today that the game has sold 3 million units across PS3, Xbox 360, Steam, Mac, and PS Vita. Limbo puts players in the shoes of a small child who must find his way through a black-and-white world, filled with puzzles and dangerous, often deadly, obstacles. The game won critical acclaim upon release, which was followed by a small avalanche of award nominations that yielded multiple Interactive Achievement Awards and a Game Developers Choice Award. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Browser-based Xbox Music launching next week - Report Jun 26th 2013, 14:23 Web-based version of Microsoft's music streaming service arriving next week at music.xbox.com according to sources. 
Next week, Microsoft will launch a browser-based version of Xbox Music, sources have told The Verge. Xbox Music, which offers a Spotify-like streaming service, is currently available through Xbox 360, Windows 8, and Windows Phone 8. The rumored browser iteration of Xbox Music will reportedly be available at music.xbox.com, though that URL currently does not resolve to anything. Xbox Music for the web will reportedly work in the same was Spotify and Google Play Music, allowing users to stream music and manage playlists through a browser. Streaming Xbox Music is free thanks to advertising support, while an ad-free option is available for $10/month. The service launched in October 2012 and boasts a library of over 30 million songs from numerous prominent labels. In addition to the arrival of Xbox Music for the web, The Verge has heard from sources that Microsoft plans to refresh its Xbox Music app for Windows 8.1. Updates include a new two-panel interface and support for music files from SD cards, among other things. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Battlefield 4 Second Assault DLC remakes four BF3 maps Jun 26th 2013, 14:01 DICE details its second DLC pack for Battlefield 4. 
DICE has released details of its second premium DLC pack for Battlefield 4, which will launch later in the year for current and next-generation platforms. The Second Assault DLC, which was announced at Microsoft's E3 2013 press conference, will feature four "fan-favourite" Battlefield 3 maps redesigned for Battlefield 4's Frostbite 3 engine. DICE also says the quartet of maps will be "enhanced to include new multiplayer features from Battlefield 4." No more specifics about the content were revealed. In a Reddit thread, Battlefield 4 gameplay designer Alan Kertz said "[Operation] Metro and Caspian [Border] are runaway favorites" in popularity. Battlefield 3 received a similar expansion in December 2011, Back to Karkand, which remade four famous Battlefield 2 maps--Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, Wake Island 2014, and Sharqi Peninsula--in the Frostbite 2.0 engine. The Back to Karkand DLC was offered free to customers who preordered Battlefield 3. Customers who preorder Battlefield 4 get free access to the China Rising expansion pack at launch, which adds four new maps, new vehicles, and new equipment. Battlefield 4 DLC will be released first on the Xbox One. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Analysts predicts Battlefield 4 sales to hit 14 million Jun 26th 2013, 13:40 Sterne Agee analyst offers sales estimate for upcoming shooter; believes it can successfully coexist alongside Call of Duty: Ghosts. 
Despite competition from Call of Duty: Ghosts, DICE's Battlefield 4 will sell 14 million units upon launch later this year, according to Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia. The analyst revealed the prediction today in a note to investors that was focused on Activision Blizzard. In the note, Bhatia explained that both Battlefield 4 (October 29) and Call of Duty: Ghosts (November 5) can "coexist successfully" despite releasing just one week apart. Bhatia also predicted that one-third of all Battlefield 4 sales will come through PC, while just 10 percent of Call of Duty: Ghosts' overall units will be sold through PC. "The Battlefield series resonates particularly well with the PC gamers while Call of Duty tends to do well on consoles," Bhatia said. Battlefield 4 producer producer Patrick Bach said earlier this month that competition is good for consumers and that his title will emerge as the "best game" this holiday. Elsewhere in the note, Bhatia downplayed potential concerns for Activision Blizzard investors related to Grand Theft Auto V, saying that game's release date (September 17) is sufficiently far enough away from Call of Duty: Ghosts, which should "limit overlap." He also predicted that the Skylanders series will remain the market leader in the toys-to-life genre, despite competition from Disney Infinity. And though World of Warcraft is losing members, Bhatia said the game still has "plenty of life and many years of strong free cash flow still left." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Sony: Negative Xbox One response a "very useful source" for PS4 Jun 26th 2013, 12:59 Shuhei Yoshida says backlash over Microsoft's policies helped inform decision making for PlayStation 4. 
The backlash surrounding Microsoft's controversial (and since-reversed) DRM policies was a "very useful source" for Sony in its PlayStation 4 marketing planning, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said in the latest issue of Famitsu (via Polygon). "There were lots of people who gave their opinions on that issue to my Twitter account before E3," Yoshida said. "It's not that our hardware policies are decided strictly based on user reaction like this, but when we were thinking about what we had to bring across and how to bring it across, it was a very useful source." Sony capped of its E3 2013 briefing earlier this month by declaring that the PS4 would play used games without limitations and would not require an Internet connection. This announcement, from SCEA CEO Jack Tretton, drew a rousing applause at the time. SCE Japan Asia president Hiroshi Kawano further explained in Famitsu that the response to the PS4 has been positive all round--from consumers to developers. "As of now, I feel like we're getting a very positive response. For this system, we made a list of what people expected from us, debating over each point, with user feedback forming the main basis for the list," Kawano said. "The software makers are also telling us that they feel like they really make some fun stuff with it. A new platform always provides the basis for new forms of play, so I'd like to see it connect to a revitalization of the marketplace." Kawano also addressed PS4 pricing for Japan, saying this information will come during a "full announcement" sometime in the future. Elsewhere around the world, the PS4 will retail for $399/€399/ £349. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Sims creator praises Xbox One policy reversal Jun 26th 2013, 12:30 Will Wright says it was "impressive how responsive" Microsoft was to backlash surrounding DRM issues for next-generation console. 
The Sims creator Will Wright has praised Microsoft for its recent dramatic DRM policy reversal, telling CNN Money that such an about-face was an "impressive" move for a company with the size and stature of Microsoft. "From the consumers' point of view, I can really understand a lot of the backlash to DRM," Wright said. "The fact that if something's required on the Internet that means they can't play it on the airplane or if their Internet connection goes down. It was interesting watching the Microsoft thing. I thought it was very impressive how responsive Microsoft was to that." Wright explained that the previously required 24-hour online check-ins could have helped lessen piracy levels, but "you can't use DRM at the expense of the customers." Elsewhere in the interview, Wright said a passionate gamer crowd is a positive for the industry. "These people with a passion for your project are going to go out and sell your game to other people and pull other people in. The more they feel like they have some ownership over the process and they're not just kind of customers, the better," Wright said. "To see a company like Microsoft actually sit back, listen, and understand the fans and respond to them is impressive. For a company that size to be that responsive is great. These companies are the ones that obviously keep us in business and allow us to make games." At the same time, though, Wright warned that a company like Microsoft should make decisions based on its entire audience, not only the vocal minority who speak out through social media. "On the other side there's the Internet thing where 5 percent of the people are making all the noise. Sometimes they represent the other 95 percent, sometimes they don't. A lot of times the 5 percent are asking for ridiculously elaborate features, and as a game designer you know that's going to make the game inaccessible to everybody else," Wright said. "There are these people that want you to push a franchise in a super hardcore direction, and therefore we're going to close it off to 95 percent of the players, so you have to understand what kind of feedback that they're giving you," he added. "But when it's something that's 5 percent representing the other 95 that will probably feel the same way, then I think it's really valuable." Microsoft's policy reversal was also praised by retailers GameStop and GameFly, as well as one analyst, who said he believes the move is a "good first step." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft teases cloud-based Crackdown for Xbox One Jun 26th 2013, 11:13 A brief glimpse of the Crackdown agility orb in Microsoft's Xbox One reveal event "wasn't accidental," says Phil Spencer. 
Microsoft Studios vice president Phil Spencer has said that a brief glimpse of the Crackdown agility orb during the publisher's Xbox One reveal event in May wasn't accidental. ’Oh’ Crackdown is one of my favorite games, and not just because it’s a Microsoft first-party game,’ said Spencer to IGN. ’I have a lot of love for that franchise. The homage to Crackdown in the [May event] was’ I know there was some, like, ’Did we accidentally sneak that’?’ It wasn’t accidental. Definitely.’ Microsoft hasn't said anything officially about the future of the open-world sandbox game since Crackdown 2 was released in 2010, but Spencer added that he doesn't think the series has been retired. ’No, I don’t think Crackdown is dead at all," he said. Earlier this month, Spencer said Crackdown will return with the "right team and time." Spencer continued to say how Crackdown might work on Xbox One, suggesting that Microsoft would make use of its cloud services to make a persistent open world for a Crackdown 3. ’It’s a franchise that’s still close to me. I think there’s a lot of room, especially’ For me, the natural progression for a game like Crackdown--and you see this showing up on our stage--is in these living, open worlds that live in the cloud.’ Crackdown 2 was developed by Ruffian Games, while the 2007 original was handled by the now-closed Realtime Worlds. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | The Division and The Crew coming to PC and current-gen consoles - Report Jun 26th 2013, 10:22 No clarification from Ubisoft about these ports at this point in time. 
While Ubisoft's shooter The Division and racing game The Crew are slated for the PS4 and Xbox One, there are rumors stating that the games will also appear on current-gen platforms. According to the source that broke news of The Crew a few weeks before its E3 2013 debut (via The Examiner), The Division and The Crew will be getting current generation ports for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Additionally, the source stated that Ubisoft may be working on a PC version of The Division. There is no word on whether the ports will be released alongside the PS4 and Xbox One versions. A Ubisoft representative said the following: "we're listening to fans and haven't ruled out other platforms". For more information on The Division and The Crew, check out their respective links here and here. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | State of Decay banned in Australia Jun 26th 2013, 06:50 Xbox Live Arcade zombie game State of Decay refused classification in Australia for "drug use related to incentives or rewards". 
Zombie-survival game State of Decay has been refused classification in Australia, making it the second game to be banned from sale in the country this week. The news was initially announced by developer Undead Labs on the game's official forums, and was later confirmed by the Australian Classification Board and the game's publisher, Microsoft. The Australian Classification Board ruled that the game was refused classification on the grounds that it contains "illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards". State of Decay's in-game medications consist of both legal and illicit substances, including "methadone, morphine, amphetamines, stimulants, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, codeine, aspirin, 'trucker pills', painkillers, and tussin." The board's decision report states, "The game enables the player's character to self-administer proscribed drugs which aid in gameplay progression. This game therefore contains drug use related to incentives or rewards, and should be refused classification." A Microsoft representative told GameSpot that the publisher is "currently evaluating the options with regards to the title’s classification". "Microsoft operates within the legal requirements of the Australian Classification Board when it comes to the rating of all its first-party gaming titles, and agrees that not all content is suitable for all audiences. The Australian Classification system plays an important role in ensuring that Australians can only access age-appropriate games and content." State of Decay focuses on surviving in a zombie-infested world, and promises a dynamically generated experience that changes in real time. The game has sold over 500,000 copies on Xbox Live Arcade since its release in North America two weeks ago, making it the fastest-selling original game on XBLA. A PC version is also in the works, but no additional details or release date have been revealed. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| |
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu