Νέα από την βιομηχανία των videogames!

[NonBorn]

NCsoft Unveils New Dev Team 'Made in Heaven'


Carbine Studios, a team in Orange County comprised of a number of World of Warcraft veterans, is officially a part of the NCsoft family. The studio is looking to expand and is currently working on an unannounced MMO project for NCsoft.

Korean online games giant NCsoft today officially took the wraps off its latest studio acquisition, Carbine Studios. The Aliso Viejo, California-based studio was originally formed back in 2005 by ten former members of Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft core development team. According to NCsoft, the team is now up to 17 former Blizzard employees. And some members have ties to hit games such as Starcraft and Fallout.

Carbine co-founder Kevin Beardslee, who serves as the vice president of design, was a lead developer on World of Warcraft. Tim Cain, Carbine's programming director, was the producer, lead programmer and designer on Fallout; he was also co-founder of Troika Games. In addition, Carbine's Executive Producer Jeremy Gaffney previously worked as executive producer on City of Heroes, and established the product development group at NCsoft's Austin headquarters as VP of development. Previously Gaffney was the co-founder of Turbine, Inc., where he spearheaded development on the popular MMO Asheron's Call.

"This is a dev team made in heaven," said Robert Garriott, CEO for NCsoft's North American business. "This group is as experienced as they come in the area of computer role playing and multiplayer game design. Making successful games is second nature to them. They are a very welcome addition to the NCsoft family. The gaming community should be excited to see what great things come out of Carbine Studios in the coming years."

"NCsoft's established global infrastructure, commitment to their development studios and passion for online gaming makes them an ideal partner," says Carbine co-founder Kevin Beardslee. "In the coming months Carbine Studios will continue to grow and we look forward to bringing many more talented industry professionals into our fold."

Details are scarce, but NCsoft said that Carbine is currently working on an unannounced project that "promises to break new ground in massively multiplayer gaming."

As Carbine is looking to expand, the studio is currently hiring. According to the jobs page, Carbine is searching for a lead level designer, a senior programmer, a senior tools engineer, and several others.


Πηγή: http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/fe...00500000000004

[NonBorn]

David Braben: BioShock, Halo 3 not "next-gen"

Frontier Developments boss David Braben believes BioShock and Halo 3 are not examples of "next-gen" games.

He was speaking exclusively to Eurogamer about his new project The Outsider, which he still believes will be one of the first proper examples of fifth generation gaming on the market.

"I loved the 1930s-1950s atmosphere of BioShock: the lovely Art Deco visuals and the audio that worked especially well," Braben told us. "Overall the whole game was beautifully executed, but the gameplay itself was not 'next-gen'."

"I found Halo 3 great fun, too, but also a little disappointing - as although there were a few nice touches and improved graphical fidelity, it hadn't really moved on much from Halo 2 in terms of the gameplay.

"So to answer your question, if anything I am reassured; I think Outsider more than stands up to them, and I still think Outsider will be one of the first 'next-gen' games," he added.

The Outsider was announced back in 2005 as a game that would bring around the same sort of freedom as Braben's other famous creation, Elite. For him, a next-gen game means giving you the tools to change the outcome of a story much more dynamically than by choosing good or evil paths - something only the new consoles have the grunt to deliver.

The Outsider is a high-tech thriller that pops you in the shoes of an Elite CIA agent made public enemy number one at the outset of the game. From here your choice of how to proceed is up to you: turn the tables and exploit your former employers, bring about ultra-violent destruction with your Jack Bauer-like training, or crusade to clear your wrongly slurred name.

Development on the title is going "very well, thanks", although no platforms, dates, or details have been heard about for the past two years.

Frontier Developments is also currently working on roller-coaster sequel Thrillville: Off the Rails, which will launch on PC, 360, Wii, DS, PS2 and PSP on 19th October.

Join us later in the week for our full chit chat with David Braben to find out how he has found working on the PS3 and 360, and what exactly the Wiimote is capable of.


Πηγή: http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=85108

Σίγουρα ο David Braben έχει τους λόγους του να το λέει αυτό το πράγμα, ίσως για να προωθήσει δικά του συμφέροντα όμως μέσα σε όλα όσα λέει υπάρχει μία αλήθεια... Next-Gen gameplay δεν έχουμε δει... Κάτι καινούργιο,κάτι διαφορετικό... Όπως το Eye of Judgement, ή το LBP ή ακόμα και το locoroco στο psp...

Επίσης παιχνίδια όπως το Heavenly Sword ή το LAIR που αν μη τι άλλο κατακρίθηκαν έντονα από τους περισσότερους έφεραν στο χώρο κάτι νέο... Μπορεί να μην είχαν να δώσουν στο gameplay κάτι τόσο διαφορετικό όπως αυτά στα οποία αναφέρθηκα παραπάνω αλλά είχαν "κάτι". Και σίγουρα όσοι δε τα έχουν παίξει και μένουν στα reviews ή τα παίζουν μόνο και μόνο για να πουν κάτι αρνητικό στο τέλος δε θέλουν να δουν ουσιαστικά αυτό που αυτά τα 2 παιχνίδια έφεραν στο χώρο... Τον κινηματογράφο στα videogames!! Έδωσαν άλλη ποιότητα στα παιχνίδια είτε μπορούν κάποιοι να το καταλάβουν είτε όχι...

[NonBorn]

Unreal Engine 4.0

Epic's "Long-range research project"



In 2005, Epic Games VP Mark Rein revealed that development on the fourth iteration of the Unreal Engine was in the works, and had been so for 2 years.

"Unreal Engine 4 will be totally groundbreaking and the way games will be done in the future," said Rein.

"I don't expect it to be staffed up as a full team for several years. But when people come to work at Epic, they can come here with the knowledge that we're always keeping one eye on the future and they're going to be helping to shape the future of the videogame business".

Fast forward over a year later and some new details on the new engine have surfaced. During a visit at Epic Games, a press member from came upon Tim Sweeney's office only to find a large pad of graph paper covered in code and digits. Later, it was revealed to be code for the Unreal Engine 4.

PSU contacted Mark Rein earlier this month to see if there was any new word on the development of Unreal Engine 4. This is what he had to say:

"We're not ready to say anything more about the next Unreal Engine at this point in time. For now it's a long-range research project."

Not much, but at least it's good to hear that it's in development. Judging by his words "long-range research project", it will probably be another year or two before we see the first tech demos.


Πηγή: http://www.psu.com/Unreal-Engine-40,...0001516-p0.php

[NonBorn]

Will Wright (Sims Creator): Wii the only next-gen console



Will Wright is one of the biggest names in gaming: the man behind Sim City and the world's most popular game, The Sims. His next title, Spore, is due out next year. This week Wright was admitted into the fellowship of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Bafta, and Guardian Unlimited caught up with him in London.

"Somebody asked me what I thought next generation meant and what about the PlayStation 3 was next generation. The only next gen system I've seen is the Wii - the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement. [...] In some sense I see the Wii as the most significant thing that's happened, at least on the console side, in quite a while", Wright told Guardian Unlimited.

Wright went on to reveal that he has an Xbox 360 at home "collecting dust in the background", with a Wii hooked up that "we use quite a bit". He doesn't own a PS3, apparently.

Πηγή: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology.../26/willwright

[NonBorn]

Games with Downloadable Content Sell 114% More, says EEDAR


Publishers listen up! If you're not providing downloadable content for your games, you're missing out on big revenue opportunities. We speak with EEDAR COO Geoffrey Zatkin about downloadable content and the three console storefronts.

The folks at research firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR), who previously told us about the great impact "achievements" have on game revenue, have found that publishers have the potential to nearly double their profit on any given game through revenue generated by both purchasable and sponsored downloadable content. "...console storefronts represent a major opportunity to offset growing development costs and stabilize revenue momentum between major releases," EEDAR stated.
Publishers of games for the Xbox 360 in particular have done a tremendous job of creating long-tail revenue and extending the shelf life of these titles. After examining 180 downloadable games and 2,100 pieces of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, EEDAR found that Xbox 360 games offering downloadable content sell 129 percent more and PS3 games sell 16 percent more (Wii offers no extra downloadable content currently).

"Our study shows that the marketplace is rapidly evolving into utilizing revenue options beyond retail game sales," said Geoffrey Zatkin, COO, EEDAR. "In an environment with crippling production costs, publishers have new ways to dramatically impact their financial gain, while making gamers happy, if they understand how to utilize the new generation of console storefronts. At EEDAR, we are studying ways game makers can be more successful by offering better products that yield more revenue."

Publishers would be wise to regularly offer demos and trailers leading up to their games' release, as retail games with both a downloadable demo and trailer generate 69 percent more revenue than games without either; games with a downloadable demo generate 62 percent more revenue than games without either a demo or a trailer; and games with a downloadable trailer generate 72 percent more revenue than games without either a demo or a trailer.

EEDAR also took a closer look specifically at the three different console storefronts. The Wii provides the most downloadable games, but the Xbox 360 offers the highest number of original titles. The PS3 comes in last in both categories. Interestingly, the PS3 charges the most for its downloadable content, while Xbox 360 has the largest roster of downloadable content to monetize.

The PS3 was found to have a total of 19.2 Gb of downloadable game titles and game content, while Xbox 360 has 106.5 Gb, "which makes a case for why Microsoft is offering the Xbox 360 Elite with 120Gb of hard drive space," EEDAR said. It's also worth noting that the average size of a PS3 download is almost double that of an Xbox 360 download. EEDAR thinks "PS3 users may run into trouble with storage space."
To dig a little deeper into this GameDaily BIZ briefly caught up with Zatkin.


Πηγή: http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/ne.../18539/?page=1

[NonBorn]

Sony plans to open development studio in India as online gaming gains popularity

MUMBAI, India (AP) - Sony Online Entertainment LLC plans to set up a development studio in India for online games that would have local content and a local partner, a company official said Wednesday.

The company is talking to a couple of game developers in India and aims to set up the studio early next year, said David Christensen, vice president, business development and international operations.

«We need to have Indian content for our games and we are looking for local partners,» Christensen said on the sidelines of a gaming conference in Mumbai, India's finance and entertainment hub.

«We will contribute our technology to the joint venture,» he said. The local partner would be expected to provide the creative talent for the games and chip in toward setting up the studio.

Online gaming is just catching on in India. There are only about 2.8 million online gamers in the country, but developers expect the market to explode as broadband penetration grows over the next few years.

With more than 50 percent of India's population under the age of 25, analyst firm Pearl Research estimates the online games market to reach US$200 million (¤135 million) by 2010 from US$4 million (¤2.7 million) now.

Gaming in India is roughly split between Internet cafes and home computers.
Among the video game consoles, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has the edge. Sony's PlayStation 3 was launched in April in India, but PlayStation 2 is more popular than the new console.
Sony's planned studio will likely be in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

Sony recently tied up with Virgin Comics to develop a multiplayer online game based on «Ramayan 3329» _ a comic book written by self-help guru Deepak Chopra and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur that was inspired by a famous Indian epic about a battle against demons.

«If the game is successful in India, we will take it to Europe and North America,» said Christensen. It is a fresh international story and if it is created into a movie it could be a big global property. The Ramayan comic was released in the United States last year, and Bangalore-based Virgin is currently in talks on a movie version. Virgin's President Suresh Seetharamanin said the company was in the process of adding to the creative team that would work on the game with Sony.

«It is one of the most exciting things to happen in India with Sony being one of the biggest players in the online game world,» he said.

Πηγή: http://www.pr-inside.com/sony-plans-...io-r321455.htm

[vasses]

Will Wright (Sims Creator): Wii the only next-gen console



Will Wright is one of the biggest names in gaming: the man behind Sim City and the world's most popular game, The Sims. His next title, Spore, is due out next year. This week Wright was admitted into the fellowship of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Bafta, and Guardian Unlimited caught up with him in London.

"Somebody asked me what I thought next generation meant and what about the PlayStation 3 was next generation. The only next gen system I've seen is the Wii - the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement. [...] In some sense I see the Wii as the most significant thing that's happened, at least on the console side, in quite a while", Wright told Guardian Unlimited.

Wright went on to reveal that he has an Xbox 360 at home "collecting dust in the background", with a Wii hooked up that "we use quite a bit". He doesn't own a PS3, apparently.

Πηγή: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology.../26/willwright

me tetoia fatsa ti perimenes na pei :badpc::rofl::fryingpan::frog:

[TopGunZ]

Ρε εδώ μιλάμε για τον άνθρωπο που έφτιαξε το πιο get-a-life, gay, ανώριμο, ανούσιο παιχνίδι όλων των εποχών, το Σιμς (βέβαια και ένα από τα κορυφαία, βλέπε Σιμ Σίτυ)...αλλά οι Σιμς έπρεπε να καούν στην πυρά της κολάσεως!!! Κι αυτός μαζί... Το wii δε μας πειράζει, έχει πλάκα...

[Katana]

He doesn't own a PS3, apparently.

...ειναι μεχρι να αγορασει.

[vasses]

Oi doliseis prepei na ginontai se vathos xronou 3-4 eton afou exoun axiopoithei oi dinatotes tou ekastote miaxnimatos mazi me tous titlous ton diloseis tetoiou eidous einai kateythinomenes kai aposkopoune stin propaganda

[NonBorn]

CoD5, Guitar Hero 4 and new Tony Hawk's "in pipeline"


Activision Blizzard merger fact sheet reveals new games in development.

Activision has officially revealed that Call of Duty 5, Guitar Hero 4 and a new Tony Hawk's game are in "the pipeline".

Tucked away in a fact sheet explaining the mega-merger between Activision and Vivendi is the little nugget revealing that sequels to three of 2007's biggest games are in the works.

We all assumed that the sequels were inevitable, but this is the first time we have seen official confirmation from the game's publisher, Activision. Call of Duty 4 is currently riding high in the charts and enjoying stellar review scores. Guitar Hero 3 is selling amazingly internationally, and DLC is already in place to keep gamers interested. It's an important time for the Tony Hawk series too, with renewed pressure from excellent alternative Skate. Sequels to all three are likely to be key titles for the newly formed company.

As well as that, the fact sheet details already semi-confirmed news that it is developing "new DreamWorks titles, new Marvel titles and entry into racing with Bizarre", the development studio responsible for the Project Gotham Racing series.

Speculating, the new DreamWorks titles will probably be games based on upcoming and existing DreamWorks films, such as Kung-Fu Panda and Shrek Goes Fourth.

The new Marvel titles could be absolutely anything, but we'd like to see a sequel to Marvel Ultimate Alliance. And while it's a safe bet to say there will be more Spider-man games, how about a decent licensed game based off the upcoming Wolverine movie?
As for the entry into racing with Bizarre, we know it won't come under the name PGR, because Microsoft owns the franchise, but if it's anywhere near as good as the 360 classic we'll be happy.

Πηγή: http://www.videogamer.com/news/03-12-2007-7014.html

[SQP_GR]

Dreamcast 2 in the works?


SEGA Corporation has filed a new application to protect the trademark Dreamcast - sparking rumours that the Japanese publisher is planning on making a shock return to the console manufacturing market with the Dreamcast 2.

The filing could, of course, simply be a further effort from SEGA to protect the Dreamcast name. According to the USPTO the original Dreamcast trademark is still active. However, the two descriptions are very different.

[NonBorn]

Interview: Capcom Economics 101 - PS3 strategy, development costs

Next Generation talks with Nique Fajors, Capcom’s VP of marketing.

“If I’m going to make a blanket statement, I’d say that Xbox 360 and PS3 are basically equal [in terms of development costs],” Nique Fajors says. “The challenge at this early stage lies in the type of games. When you look at the tools and technologies and comfort that people have, given that the Xbox 360 has a year lead on PS3, there are of course more technologies available for a certain genre. So that can make life a little bit easier.

But it’s not purely a dollar issue. It’s mostly tools and technology and a comfort issue. Every year, developers get more and more comfortable with the platforms they’re working on, so that 12-month lead for the Xbox 360 has been beneficial when you’re comparing those two platforms.”

“There certainly wasn’t a lot of angst and pain associated with the decision to bring Monster Hunter 3 to Wii instead of PS3, because we as a company are very much committed to the PS3 as a global platform that we know can be successful in Japan, Europe and the United States,” Fajors says.

Πηγή: http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...=8287&Itemid=2

[PDS]

Μέτρα φοροαπαλλαγής στη βιομηχανία των videogames από τη γαλλική κυβέρνηση



Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση ενέκρινε την εφαρμογή παρόμοιου νόμου με εκείνο που εφαρμόζεται στη βιομηχανία του κινηματογράφου, και στην Αγγλία σύντομα τα ίδια μέτρα



Μέτρο ενίσχυσης της εγχώριας βιομηχανίας παραγωγής videogames πρόκειται να εφαρμόσει σύντομα η γαλλική κυβέρνηση, με τη σύμφωνη γνώμη και της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Το μέτρο αφορά την επιστροφή φόρου σε ποσοστό ως και 20% από την ανάπτυξη software που ανταποκρίνεται σε συγκεκριμένα κριτήρια (πρωτοτυπία, ποιότητα και προβολή της Ευρωπαϊκής κουλτούρας και ταυτότητας), κριτήρια στα οποία υπόκειται σύμφωνα με εκτιμήσεις περίπου το 50% των τίτλων που εκδόθηκαν φέτος στη Γαλλία.

Το μέτρο έχει ως στόχο την τόνωση της βιομηχανίας των videogames στη Γαλλία και έρχεται εν μέρει ως αντίδραση στο φαινόμενο μετανάστευσης των developers από πολλές ευρωπαϊκές χώρες στον Καναδά που παρατηρείται τα τελευταία χρόνια. Οι οικονομικές διευκολύνσεις και οι φοροαπαλλαγές που προσφέρει η καναδέζικη κυβέρνηση έχουν οδηγήσει στη γιγάντωση της καναδέζικης βιομηχανίας videogames μέσα στην τελευταία τριετία. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί πως μετά τη Γαλλία, υπεύθυνοι του εμπορικού συνδικάτου των ευρωπαίων developer έκαναν γνωστό πως και η Αγγλία πρόκειται πολύ σύντομα να επιδιώξει ένα παρόμοιο μέτρο, σε μια προσπάθεια θωράκισης της δικής της εγχώριας βιομηχανίας.


πηγη:Gamelife.gr

[desperate_gamer]

πάρα πολύ ευχάριστα νέα! μακάρι να δούμε αξιόλογα αποτελέσματα με το νέο μέτρο.

[NonBorn]

Top Spin 3 dev says PS3 still has potential
Sony console "comes with some limitations" but "opens up new routes to new things".

There is still loads of potential in the PS3, the creative director on upcoming tennis sim Top Spin 3 has said.

Fracois Giuntini, creative director at Paris-based Pam Development, told VideoGamer.com in an interview to be published on the site today that while Sony's next-generation console "comes with some limitations" not experienced on other consoles, it "opens up new routes to new things".

After a less than stellar start for the PS3, fuelled by a high price and a lack of essential games, the console has in recent months enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence, sparked by price-cuts and the release of high-quality, exclusive titles such as Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

And in November Japanese PS3 sales outstripped the Wii - the first time Sony's power-house has overtaken Nintendo's motion-controlled monster.

When asked whether he thought there is still potential for the PS3, Giuntini told VideoGamer.com: "Definitely. It's quite new and we've already achieved good results with it. But it's so new and it's so different, my guys, the developers and developers we talk with, they're all excited about this new architecture because it opens up new routes to new things."

He added: "But at the same time it comes with some limitations that we don't have on other platforms that are difficult. Now you have to change your mind because you're used to doing things this way. These things were easy to do and now these things are hard. Especially physics, AI, etc, it's becoming easier to have more of it. So, somewhere in your mind you have to shift the way you think and the way you implement things but, yeah, I strongly believe the PS3 is a really, really powerful machine."

Despite his claims, Giuntini believes that it will be impossible to "reach the limit of any console at any time". However, the fact that "it's getting tricky" to make games better is, according to Giuntini, a sign that developers are pushing the hardware.

"We can't say we're reaching the limit of the hardware. That would be untrue. I don't believe anybody is going to reach the limit of any console at any time. It's just impossible. There's always different ways to approach things, to optimise, to make things smoother. There's always ways. And we find new ways every day actually, but it's getting difficult. It's getting tough. We now have to be really clever and use tricks to make everything work together. So that's a good sign that we're reaching the point where it's getting tricky" he said.

Πηγή: http://www.videogamer.com/news/14-12-2007-7102.html

[NonBorn]

Square Enix releases 20th Anniversary history book























Δυστυχώς μόνο στα γιαπωνέζικα... Όποιος ενδιαφέρεται ωστόσο για συλλεκτικούς λόγους κοστίζει γύρω στα 23$.

Link: http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/...intermezzo-22/

[desperate_gamer]

Ήθελα να ξερα βρακιά Final Fantasy δεν βγάλαν ακόμα να κάνουν θραύση; LOL!

[TopGunZ]

Ti έλεγες?

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/final+f...______D/c_703/

Κι έχει κι άλλα!

[desperate_gamer]

Χαχαχαχα.... Το "chocobo". ΚαραLOL!!!