Weekly news
Each Wednesday will be news day. I’ll cover the top PC gaming stories of the week and offer any thoughts I may have on a particular story.
MMO subscription revenue to hit $2 billion by 2013 according to media analyst Screen Digest, which says it will remain the key method of monetizing virtual worlds. The report, entitled Subscription MMOGs: Life beyond World of Warcraft, shows that the MMO market grew by 22 per cent in 2008, with consumer spending levels of USD 1.4 billion in North America and
Europe. World of Warcraft accounted for 58% share of Western consumer spending on subscription MMOs. However, spending on other subscription titles was also strong in 2008, growing 27%. (I guess it’s safe to say MMOs are definitely recession-proof!)
Today, Ubisoft announced the launch of R.U.S.E., a new intellectual property developed by Eugen Systems, creators of the critically acclaimed strategy title Act of War: Direct Action. R.U.S.E. is scheduled for release on Windows PC for fiscal year 2009/2010. R.U.S.E. is a one-of-a-kind real-time strategy game that allows players to bluff their enemies to lead their nation to victory, controlling the action using views that range seamlessly from the heart of the battlefield to the full theatre of war. Players will be plunged into the action thanks to the exclusive IRISZOOMTM Engine which offers an intuitive interface that allows for smooth, rapid transitions from a birds-eye view of the entire conflict, down into the heat of the battle and vice versa. (This should be interesting. The RTS genre needs to be revitalized.)
On March 24, Valve announced a new set of advanced features delivered in Steamworks, a complete suite of publishing and development tools that are available free of charge to developers and publishers worldwide. Headlining the new feature set is the Custom Executable Generation (CEG) technology that compliments the already existing anti-piracy solution offered in Steamworks. A customer friendly approach to anti-piracy, CEG makes unique copies of games for each user allowing them to access the application on multiple machines without install limits and without having to install root kits on their PC.
And…
Microsoft has unveiled the latest features and upgrades making their way to its Games for Windows Live platform, with a focus on increasing anti-piracy efforts. Games for Windows will now offer “zero day piracy protection”, including server side authentication on top of a further layer of authentication required for online play. In addition, sellers on the platform’s market place will now be able to design their own storefronts, while the “roaming” function will allow consumers to save their personal settings and have access to them on any other compatible Windows PC. “This update and other features currently in development represent a tipping point in the evolution of Games for Windows Live as a leading online PC gaming network,” said Ron Pessner, general manager of Games for Windows Live. “In the coming months, we will continue to deliver on our promise to provide gamers and publishers with the industry’s best connected gaming experiences through the Live service.” Dave Luehmann, general manager of Window games for Microsoft Game Studios, added: “As a publisher, no one is more excited to see the continued growth and evolution of Games for Windows Live than Microsoft Game Studios.” “We have several projects underway which will incorporate the Live service, and we’re continuing to build new developer relationships here at GDC to bring the best in the industry to Games for Windows Live.”
And again…
Stardock announced today that the forthcoming update to its digital distribution platform, Impulse, will include a new technology aimed to pave the way to solving some of the common complaints of digital distribution. The new technology, known as Game Object Obfuscation (Goo), is a tool that allows developers to encapsulate their game executable into a container that includes the original executable plus Impulse Reactor, Stardock’s virtual platform, into a single encrypted file. When a player runs the game for the first time, the Goo’d program lets the user enter in their email address and serial number which associates their game to that person as opposed to a piece of hardware like most activation systems do. Once validated, the game never needs to connect to the Internet again. (All of these articles prove that piracy is rapidly becoming a threat of the past. As digital delivery gets pushed to the forefront, I expect we’ll see more publishers using similar methods to protect their games.)
According to GamesIndustry.biz, The Game Developers Conference has been voted the most important event on the busy industry calendar, with over 40 per cent of those surveyed labeling the San Francisco show as essential. The annual developers conference beat E3, the show once considered the industry’s glitzy showcase, but which has spent the past two year’s struggling with an identity crisis that left it down-sized and lacking inspiration. GDC09 runs from March 23-27 this year. (It’s nice to see GDC get some love this year. E3 has become an embarrasment with its emphasis on sizzle over steak!)
Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that the Games for Windows® version of THE LAST REMNANT™ has shipped to North American retailers today. Brought to life by both rising stars and veteran Square Enix developers, THE LAST REMNANT is an epic RPG adventure that was released for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft last holiday season. This Games for Windows version features all-new elements not seen in the Xbox 360 version, such as a speed selection option for battle sequences and the removal of leader unit restrictions when creating unions. The Games for Windows version of THE LAST REMNANT invites a new audience of players into a lush, real-time fantasy world where they control massive cinematic battles. With a carefully crafted battle system and epic storytelling, Square Enix offers an exciting adventure for all RPG lovers. (If it’s one thing Square knows and knows well, it’s EPIC RPG!)
Aspyr Media and Activision Publishing, Inc. have teamed once again to rock the computer gaming world with the announcement of Guitar Hero World Tour for Windows PC and Mac. Transforming music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience, Guitar Hero World Tour for PC and Mac offers state-of-the-art wireless controllers to computer gamers for the first time, new online and offline gameplay modes and a Music Studio feature for composing and editing original rock and roll anthems. Guitar Hero World Tour is the most complete music game to-date with 86 on-disc tracks from music legends such as The Eagles, Van Halen, Metallica, Michael Jackson and The Doors and features in-game appearances by world famous artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Corgan and Travis Barker. (Mixed feelings here… I like the fact that the PC isn’t being ignored by one of the hottest trends in the business. But this game lends itself best to a large screen. Sitting in front of a 19″ monitor just doesn’t seem to be the best way to play Guitar Hero…)
Here are the top 10 PC game sales for the week of March 8-14 according to NPD Group:
1. Empire: Total War
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe
4. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War II
5. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest
6. World Of Warcraft
7. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Expansion Pack
8. Spore
9. Mystery Case Files: Return To Ravenhearst
10. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
