Gameloft developing proprietary gaming network

October 28th, 2011, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster

The French publisher Gameloft is working on its own mobile gaming network.
In an interview with Gamasutra, publishing senior vice president Gonzague de Vallois admitted that it was "dangerous" to use partners like DeNA and GREE rather than building direct relationships with its customers.
"Those guys have been pretty successful in Asia," he said, "and we have a strong presence in Japan, so we've been working with them in Japan. On the feature phone business, not yet on the smartphone business. DeNA, mainly."
However, de Vallois claimed it is, "dangerous that we have somebody in the middle, that will dictate whether the consumer will take." Discussions about building a more agreeable working relationship are ongoing, but Gameloft is also developing its own mobile social network.
"Yes, that's also something that we are working on, and investigating to see if it makes sense to. We always value the consumer experience, so if it makes sense to add this component to our games, then we will do it -- and that's something we are studying now."
"We are still looking to find the right way to get there. There are some very strong leaders in the space that are hard to catch up with, so we are still investigating on finding what we can bring to the platform that the others don't bring."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...gaming-network

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Epic calls for open pricing on next-gen consoles

October 28th, 2011, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster

Mike Capps, president of Epic Games, has called for Microsoft and Sony to facilitate price elasticity and new business models if they want their next consoles to be relevant.
In an interview with Develop, Capps explained that services and micro-transactions now dominate game revenue.
"Consoles need to start being comfortable with that," he said. "They need to be able to do something where small virtual items can be sold and bought for 20 cents without a long certification process and a price approval process."
"Right now we're not even allowed to change the prices of virtual content. We're not even allowed to set the prices. I just don't think this protectionist approach is going to be successful in a world where the price of virtual items changes on a day-today basis."
Capps suggested that rigid policies on the pricing of virtual items is "the best way of driving developers to PC," and that Valve's Steam distribution platform would be a good model for the level of freedom required of the next generation of consoles.
"Double-A games will never come back unless we get rid of this notion of a game being $60 or not released. The console manufacturers need to let this happen."
Capps also discussed the need for console technology to produce results that the consumer can immediately see, "is not possible on current consoles."
"And that's a very tall order. I mean, PlayStation 3 is still very bad-ass - Heavy Rain looks great. To blow that away we need the hardware to do it."
This echoes comments Capps made at GDC Europe, where he explained the significance Epic's next generation tech demo, The Samaritan.
"It was just a way of showing what consoles could do and putting it in front of console manufacturers and saying - please, we love you, please make it do this."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...t-gen-consoles

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Sainsbury's adds digital games in 2012

October 27th, 2011, 01:23 Posted By: wraggster

Sainsbury’s new £1m acquisition will let it develop a digital games service for 2012, it has told MCV.
The supermarket giant purchased Global Media Vault (GMV) from Music Box Leisure last week. The online entertainment specialist has a unique entertainment ecommerce and digital media platform, with a digital database of over 3m music, film and game assets for the UK market, which can be searched through, bought and distributed via the web, mobile platforms, TV and even kiosks.
The platform will allow customers to buy, stream or rent from the firm’s Entertainment website, which it launched last year. The company said the acquisition is a real time saver as it means it doesn’t need to build a platform from scratch.
“This acquisition will enable us to develop our Sainsbury’s Entertainment online and games proposition significantly and quickly,” said Sainsbury’s head of entertainment Richard Crampton.
“The digital vault will allow us to develop a media and digital games service delivered to our customers through a variety of channels in 2012.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sains...in-2012/087001

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DJ Hero 3 ideas 'on ice' include dual-platter mode, dev reveals

October 27th, 2011, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster

DJ Hero developer FreeStyleGames has revealed its "on ice" ideas for a future instalment in the shelved music series.
Activision announced it was axing the DJ and Guitar Hero businesses last year due to "continued declines in the music genre". But it sounds like developer FreeStyleGames hasn't completely given up hope.

Speaking in the latest issue of Edge, the studio revealed ideas on ice for DJ Hero 3 include an expert mode that lets two platters attach to one control unit for a significantly enhanced challenge.

"We're going to have to take a real shift in thinking how music gets licensed, because that's the real blocker at the moment," creative director Jamie Jackson told the mag.

FreeStyleGames revealed earlier this year that it's working on "a new, innovative project" for Activision.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...e-dev-reveals/

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Epic plans to influence next-gen consoles

October 27th, 2011, 01:09 Posted By: wraggster

Unreal Engine powerhouse Epic Games plans to actively influence how Microsoft and Sony build their new home console systems, according to company president Mike Capps.
Speaking in an interview with Develop, Capps explained that Epic intends to engage with platform holders as production on new systems ramps up.
"That's absolutely our plan. I can't say much more than that," he said, before cryptically adding, "Okay, let's say, a year ago that was our plan, and I can't tell you whether we've done it or not yet."
Capps went on to explain that the Samaritan demo shown off at GDC last year was the first part of that plan.
"Our Samaritan concept, if you look at PC hardware in two or four years' time, is something that the next consoles can achieve. It was just that no one knew what a next-generation game would look like - so that was our idea, to show people what we can achieve.
"I mean, The Samaritan is a real-time demo that looks like an animated movie from about five years ago - the tech is getting that sophisticated. So our goal was to show off some of the technologies we would like to see on the next-gen platforms, and also to have The Samaritan as the benchmark.
"We believe what we've demonstrated is achievable at a reasonable development cost, so it's what gamers should be demanding for next generation."
Elsewhere in the interview, Capps detailed exactly what he wants to see from next-gen consoles. First up: more power.
"I think it's very important that a gamer sees an Xbox Next or PlayStation Next and can clearly see the tech is not possible on current consoles. Otherwise they won't be a success. And that's a very tall order.
"I mean, PS3 is still very bad-ass - Heavy Rain looks great. To blow that away we need the hardware to do it."
His other key demand was that platform holders grant publishers and developers a more open content delivery system.
"I think another thing that's changed is the way people are willing to spend their money. Consoles need to adapt to this," he explained.
"Game revenue has moved to the service model and the microtransactions model. Consoles need to start being comfortable with that. They need to be able to do something where small virtual items can be sold and bought for 20¢ without a long certification process and a price approval process.
"Right now we're not even allowed to change the prices of virtual content. We're not even allowed to set the prices. I just don't think this protectionist approach is going to be successful in a world where the price of virtual items changes on a day-today basis."
Capps argued that allowing developers to set game prices - as is the case in the digital PC market - is vital in maintaining a healthy market for console games.
"Double-A games will never come back unless we get rid of this notion of a game being $60 or not released. The console manufacturers need to let this happen.
"The best way of driving developers to PC is telling them they have no freedom in what prices they can set for virtual items. It would be great to have the level of freedom that, say, Steam gives you."
If Epic's input is taken on-board by console manufacturers it wouldn't be for the first time. The company reportedly convinced Microsoft to double the amount of RAM on the Xbox 360 from 256MB to 512MB, arguing that the original Gears of War needed the extra power to run in HD.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...t-gen-consoles

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Japan chart: top 10 debuts for Dead Island, FIFA

October 27th, 2011, 01:06 Posted By: wraggster

The PlayStation 3 version of zombie FPS Dead Island debuts at number five on this week's Japanese sales chart.
As reported by Andriasang, it shifted 39,945 copies on PS3, while the Xbox 360 version shuffled in at 10, with 13,147 sales.
Mech anime crossover Macross F Sayonara no Tsubasa topped the chart, with FIFA also seeing a top 10 debut down at seven. It seems PES, which entered at number one a few weeks back, retains its vice-like grip on Japanese footie fans, despite FIFA's recent domination of the Western market.
Elsewhere, Deus Ex: Human Revolution failed to make much of a mark, entering the chart at 13.
Here's the full top 20:

1. Macross F Sayonara no Tsubasa (Namco Bandai, PS3): 142,607 - NEW
2. Naruto Narutimate Impact (Namco Bandai, PSP): 53,148 - NEW
3. Go Vacation (Namco Bandai, Wii): 47,209 - NEW
4. Just Dance (Nintendo, Wii): 45,580 (Life to date: 135,619)
5. Dead Island (Spike, PS3): 39,945 - NEW
6. FIFA 12 (Electronic Arts, PS3): 25,640 - NEW
7. PES 2012 (Konami, PS3): 22,902 (356,724)
8. Ace Combat Assault Horizon (Namco Bandai, PS3): 18,120 (167,591)
9. AKB1/48 If I Loved an Idol in Guam (Namco Bandai, PSP): 17,562 (288,263)
10. Dead Island (Spike, Xbox 360): 13,147 - NEW
11. Rhythm Heaven Wii (Nintendo, Wii): 12,377 (517,691)
12. Wii Sports Resort Wiimote Plus Pack (Nintendo, Wii): 12,334 (613,144)
13. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix, PS3): 8707 - NEW
14. NBA2K12 (Take-2 Japan, PS3): 8701 - NEW
15. Dragon Quest Collection (Square Enix, Wii): 8354 (371,151)
16. Nintendogs + Cats (Nintendo, 3DS): 7980 (332,292)
17. Kirby Mass Attack (Nintendo, DS): 7309 (265,670)
18. Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo, 3DS): 7133 (422,495)
19. Tetris: Axis (Namco Bandai, 3DS): 6787 - NEW
20. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd PSP the Best (Capcom, PSP): 6685 (49,209)

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War of the Words: Call of Duty vs Battlefield

October 27th, 2011, 00:34 Posted By: wraggster

The arrival of Battlefield 3 next week doesn’t just mark the culmination of EA’s campaign to unseat Activision’s yearly Call of Duty colossus. It’s a calculated attack on the most lucrative modern games franchise of all time. Grudges between the publishers run deep, and this fight has dragged in not just two banner franchises, but also warring developers, rival distribution systems and opposing console formats. MCV reviews the story so far...
THE FRANCHISES: CALL OF DUTY vs BATTLEFIELD
This year’s Call of Duty-Battlefield face off is the culmination of a tussle between two decade-old franchises that have long tried to assert dominance over the shooter genre.
Battlefield came first with September 2002’s Battlefield 1942. It was followed by three expansion packs. Battlefield 2 didn’t arrive until 2005, but it took the franchise into the present day, and was extensively supported with add-on packs – Special Forces, Armored Fury, Euro Forces and the familiar-sounding Modern Combat. Think of it as a military take on The Sims model, with regular updates.
Certainly, like The Sims, Battlefield has been keen to diversify. There have been two download-only versions: Battlefield 1943 on consoles and free-to-play PC game Battlefield Heroes. There was also a futuristic sequel, Battlefield 2142, and it’s also got a spin-off action-oriented console brand, Bad Company, which has had two retail releases. Across 18 instalments the franchise has sold well over 20m units – but analysts say hype is so strong for Battlefield 3 it could sell at least half that in 12 months.
Call of Duty came a year later and has been a bit less promiscuous than Battlefield. Modern Warfare 3 is only the eighth main game released since the original Call of Duty in late 2003, although three console-only spin-offs were released in the franchise’s more PC-focused beginnings. Most famously, development has regularly switched between two US studios, creator Infinity Ward (formed by a squad of Medal of Honor developers who defected from EA) and Treyarch. Whereas Battlefield has been almost-entirely under the remit of Swedish team DICE.
Treyarch has sometimes unfairly (and sometimes fairly) been branded the ‘B team’ to Infinity Ward. IW has developed the defining instalments CoD and CoD 2 (2005), plus Modern Warfare (2007) and Modern Warfare 2 (2009). But Treyarch’s have been franchise-growing crowdpleasers in their own right – Call of Duty 3 (2006), World at War (2008) and Black Ops (2010). There have been mobile and handheld remakes, but these are footnotes in the franchise, which hasn’t been as milked quite like Battlefield.
While the last ten years have also seen Halo, Half-Life and Medal of Honor grab attention, the tension between CoD and Battlefield as rival shooters has slowly mounted, but never been truly realised. Oddly, major releases in each series have never coincided until this year. So when the first shots are fired, any gains – and any weakness – might just define their futures.
THE PUBLISHER SLURS: ACTIVISION vs EA
Choice quotes from the key execs that have stirred up trouble
“I have only seen Battlefield 3 shown on a PC. I’ve not seen it on a console, which is where the bulk of our business is. If it is just a PC title as it looks like today, that is a very small audience to participate.”
Bobby Kotick, Activision
“Our game is more authentic. It’s definitely going to do a lot of things better. A lot of people bought Modern Warfare more for the coffee table and didn’t play it for two months. There’s sort of that mass audience... they’re going to win there. The question is, ‘So, if the gamer buys our game and the mass audience buys their game, where do the two meet?’ And all I want to do, if you will, is to have them rot from the core,”
John Riccitiello. EA
Recently, a competitor of ours was quoted as saying that he wants to see one of our games to “rot from the core.” Can you imagine the head of Dreamworks coming out with a new animated movie and saying that he wants to see Toy Story “rot from the core”? Or the author of Twilight saying she wants Harry Potter to “rot from the core”? We should all support great content, even if we didn’t create it.
Eric Hirshberg, Activision

“Welcome to the big leagues Eric. I know you’re new in the job but someone should have told you this is an competitive industry. You’ve got every reason to be nervous. Last year Activision had a 90 per cent share in the shooter category. This year, Battlefield 3 is going to take you down to 60 or 70. At that rate, you’ll be out of the category in two to three years. If you don’t believe me, go to the store and try to buy a copy of Guitar Hero or Tony Hawk.”
Jeff Brown, EA

“We [the developers] have a lot of respect for each other. We know how hard each team works, I know the sacrifices they are putting in and their families are putting in, so there is a lot of respect there. I think it’s fought at a different level of ours. So although they may be our competition, I actually view Modern Warfare 2 as the benchmark that I need to aim for.”
Glen Schofield, Sledgehammer Games

“We’ve been making Battlefield for 12 years now and we wouldn’t have been able to do it and continuouslygrow if we didn’t focus on our thing. So I’d use the comparison of runners. If you’re running a race and youlook at your competitors, you fall. If you focus on your lane, you have a chance of beating them. That’s whatwe do at the studio.”
Lars Gustavsson, EA DICE

“If you are a shooter fan, you should be getting both, because they’re both going to be excellent experiences. But more importantly they’re going to be very different experiences. I think any shooter fan would be extremely disappointed if you only got one.”
Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward
THE DEVELOPER DISSES:ACTIVISION vs EA vs ACTIVISION vs EA vs…
Some of the most scandalous context around 2011’s Call of Duty vs Battlefield showdown has been how the bad blood goes deeper than just sound bites and commercial competition.
In 2009 the talented heads of EA’s Visceral Games, Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey, walked out of the firm to form a new Activision-owned developer, Sledgehammer Games.
According to Activision accusations, EA then tried to do the same thing by persuading Jason West and Vince Zampella – the heads of Call of Duty creators Infinity Ward – to jump ship and join them.
As a result, Activison fired Zampella and West who then set up a new studio, Respawn Entertainment, and poached some 20 staff from Infinity Ward.
Respawn Entertainment then went and signed up to EA’s Partners programme.
But it’s not all over. Activision is now taking Electronic Arts to court for deliberately interfering with contracts and engaging in unfair competition.
THE DIGITAL SHOWDOWN
ORIGIN vs STEAM
EA’s latest bid to grow its digital revenues is Origin – the new PC digital distribution service that goes head-to-head against market leader, Steam. Battlefield 3 on PC requires Origin to use, and as a result the game will likely not be appear on Steam.Modern Warfare 3 on the other hand requires Steam to play on PC.

PS3 vs 360
A long-term deal between Activision and Microsoft means Call of Duty DLC will be released first on Xbox 360 before the PS3 version. This year it goes even further, with a special Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 console and controller set for release.EA on the other hand has signed a deal with Sony, which means all of Battlefield’s DLC will be available on PS3 a week before it is released on other formats.

ELITE vs BATTLELOG
Elite is Activision’s new social network for Call of Duty. Users can check stats, upload videos and create groups, and those that want to pay £34.99 a year will get the DLC for free and win real prizes in multiplayer.Battlelog? It’s EA’s free cross-platform social service with built-in text messaging, game stats and the ability to connect with friends. There’s no competitive gaming element on Battlelog, but Virgin Gaming has teamed up with EA to run tournaments.
WHAT THE CONSUMERS THINK
MCV visited GAME and Gamestation in Stevenage to ask gamers which FPS they’re most excited by...
"Call of Duty, obviously. I just like the game. I’ve got Modern Warfare 2 and it’s the next one out. Battlefield doesn’t appeal to me – I’ve always been a CoD fan. I’ve also got Gears of War 3 and that’s a stop-gap until Modern Warfare 3 comes out."
Aziz Abdul, 34

"I’m not going to get either of them. I don’t have an Xbox 360 or PS3 but if I did and I had to choose one, it’d be Battlefield 3. I don’t really like the Call of Duty games – all you do is go online for a few minutes and you just die over and over and over again. It’s not my style. But it’s kind of the same with Battlefield 3."
Kai Brighamslow, 17

"Call of Duty. I’m a fan of CoD. I’ve tried the Battlefield beta and I didn’t enjoy it as much.Carl Steadman, 23I’ll be getting Modern Warfare 3. I’m not a Battlefield girl – I’m a Call of Duty girl."
Emma Bawden, 22

"Both games – but not for a while because I’ll be playing Skyrim too much. I’ve never played a Battlefield before but I just like the look of it. I always get a Call of Duty because all my mates get it, so I’ll be getting both sometime in the year."
Gary Edwards, 24

"Well these days they’ve gone a bit far on both I think. They need more realism than what they’ve got. I’ll give both a miss. I liked Modern Warfare 2 but it wasn’t realistic enough. If I’m going to be shooting at people I’d like it to seem a bit more realistic."
Craig Kirk, 25

"I’ll probably get Battlefield 3 first because I’ve heard it’s got a co-op campaign and I’ve played the beta for it which is quite good. I like the fact that the shooting is quite realistic. Call of Duty is good because the campaign is quite well put together. I’ll probably get Battlefield 3 first then Modern Warfare 3 afterwards."
Rhys Andrew, 19

"Battlefield 3. This is purely opinion-based but because I’m a team player I prefer to be a part of a team rather than play a single-player arcade-style kind of game. For me Modern Warfare 3 is more arcadey, it’s more to do with what you can do as an individual as opposed to what you can do as a team. Battlefield 3 I find more fun asa team."
Jordan Samuels, 20
WHAT THE INDUSTRY THINKS
Publishers, press and retail give us their thoughts on the upcoming battle royale...
"Battlefield 3 all the way. The team play is much better and I am blessed with clever friends that tell me to lay down suppressive fire while they go take out the baddies! Unfortunately when I play Modern Warfare online it is like the last scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.....run, shoot and wonder why I die in less than three seconds."
Gian Luzio, Bee.com

"I’m not getting involved. I’ll be too busy with Batman: Arkham City to care, but good luck to them both. I’m sure they’ll both be just smashing."
Dan Maher, Xbox Live

"We have executed a great long term marketing campaign with EA and have gained an excellent pre-order quantity which for ShopTo will mean that we will see greater success with Battlefield 3 over Modern Wafare 3 for pre-orders. No doubt in the marketplace overall Modern Warfare 3 will sell more units through to Christmas though."
Igor Cipolletta, ShopTo

"I would say ‘both’ as they’re entirely different games, but if I had to choose right now, it would be Call of Duty. With plenty of time-stealing epics in my pile already, from Rage to Skyrim, the need for a quick fix of tightly plotted, in-and-out campaign carnage, Hollywood set-pieces and a multiplayer where most people I know will be hanging out is large. And no one does all that better than Modern Warfare."
Matt Hill, T3

"Call of Duty this time round. It has the momentum that only an all-time great can carry and right now that appeals to the masses. But, there is a rising star and Battlefield 3 is arguably the better game. Nothing is forever and could this be the tipping point from here on in.Great news for the industry though as 35 to 40 million units across both titles will be sold. What a lift – bring it on."
Rod Cousens, Codemasters

"It will be a 3-3 draw!"
Ian Livingstone, Square Enix

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/war-o...lefield/087004

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Games Media Awards 2011 - Liveblog and Twitter

October 27th, 2011, 00:26 Posted By: wraggster

Tonight is the biggest night of the year for the UK's games media as the industry joins for The Games Media Awards 2011, in association with Grainger Games.
Whether you’re going to be there or are observing from afar, MCVuk.com is the only place you need to be to get all the news, gossip and nonsense as it happens.
On this very page (bookmark it!) you can read the exclusive Liveblog that pulls together all the talk about the event from Twitter. You can find it at the bottom of the page.
If you want your thoughts included, simply use the official hashtag – #gma11.
The Games Media Awards 2011, in association with Grainger Games, take place on Wednesday October 26th at the super chic Vinopolis venue near Borough Market. Greg Davies, top stand-up and star of The Inbetweeners, will be the host for the evening.
Grainger Games has signed up as headline sponsor of the event, with other sponsors already signed up including Microsoft, Codemasters, EA, Sony, Ubisoft, Nintendo, OnLive, Namco Bandai, Trion Worlds, Gamescom, Nordic Games, Konami, Sega, NC Soft, Rising Star Games, Green Man Gaming, Games Tribe, 2K Games and Venatus Media.

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Valve: Piracy is not a pricing issue

October 25th, 2011, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

The common consensus is that pirated games are popular because they’re free. But not so, according to Valve co-founder Gabe Newell.
“One thing that we have learned is that piracy is not a pricing issue. It’s a service issue,” Newell told a conference audience in Seattle, as reported by GeekWire.
“The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates. For example, Russia. You say, oh, we’re going to enter Russia, people say, you’re doomed, they’ll pirate everything in Russia. Russia now outside of Germany is our largest continental European market.”
Elsewhere in his talk Newell also revealed that since making Team Fortress 2 a free-to-play game, its user base has grown by a factor of five.
Interestingly, the developer speculates that TF2 has enjoyed more success as a F2P title than it ever would have done as a purely free release.
“The most recent thing that also is really puzzling is that we made products available for free on numerous occasions, without significantly impacting the audience size,” he added.
“We recently said, we’re now going to do something different, we’re not only going to signal that it’s free but we’re going to say, ‘it’s free to play,’ which is not really a pricing signal, even though that’s what you would ordinarily think it is. And our user base for our first product that we made free to play, Team Fortress 2, increased by a factor of five.
“That doesn’t make sense if you’re trying to think of it purely as a pricing phenomenon.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/valve...g-issue/086979

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Next-Gen Game Consoles Still Years Off

October 25th, 2011, 21:59 Posted By: wraggster

Gamers who have grown bored with the current generation of game hardware will have to sit tight a bit longer. Word on the street has it that the next PlayStation won't be ready until 2014, and the next Xbox won't appear until Christmas 2013 at the earliest

http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/1...till-years-off

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SURVEY: When will digital dominate discs?

October 24th, 2011, 21:47 Posted By: wraggster

At what point will digital content be the driving force behind game revenues?
It’s a question that many retailers dread, that others embrace, and one that publishers constantly deliberate.
Now we want your view on the matter.
MCV has launched a new survey for industry professionals. Take part in our eight-question survey and you’ll also be entered into a prize draw to win a ticket to London Games Conference on 10 November (worth £269).
You can take part in the survey here.
LGC is the essential business forum and networking event for decision makers within the interactive entertainment sector, examining the challenges within a fast-changing market and new business models.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/surve...e-discs/086967

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Batman flies straight to top of the charts

October 24th, 2011, 21:40 Posted By: wraggster

Swooping straight to the top spot Batman: Arkham City is the biggest ever launch for Warner Bros, with double the first week sales of its predecessor.

Only Gears Of War 3, LA Noire and FIFA 12 have seen bigger launches in 2012.

Football Manager 2012 entered the chart at 3, with EA's The Sims 3: Pets debuting at 6. Lower down the chart there were two new entries, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One at 24, and just scraping in at 40, Harmonix Music Systems' Dance Central 2.

This week's chart also saw some big drops, as Dark Souls fell from 7 to 18, and sports title Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge from 10 to 19.

Last Week This Week Title
New entry 1 Batman: Arkham City
2 2 FIFA 12
New entry 3 Football Manager 2012
1 4 Forza Motorsport 4
3 5 Just Dance 3
New entry 6 The Sims 3: Pets
5 7 Pro Evolution Soccer 2012
4 8 RAGE
8 9 Zumba Fitness
6 10 Gears Of War 3
16 11 Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
9 12 F1 2011
19 13 Mario Kart Wii
13 14 LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean
11 15 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
15 16 Dead Island
8 17 Driver: San Francisco
7 18 Dark Souls
10 19 Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge
14 20 Dead Rising 2: Off The Record

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-of-the-charts

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Modern Warfare, Battlefield to generate $1.4 billion in Q4

October 24th, 2011, 19:57 Posted By: wraggster

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter estimates that Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 will generate more than $1.4 billion by the end of the year.
Speaking to Forbes, Pachter claimed that EA and Activision's rival franchises will account for 15 per cent of all revenue in the fourth quarter.
Modern Warfare 3 will be responsible for the majority of that amount, selling 16 million units worldwide versus Battlefield's 8 million. That trend will continue in 2012, when Pachter expects Modern Warfare to sell an additional 8 million units versus Battlefield's 2 million.
"I'd guess that around half of the console copies of Battlefield 3 will be bought by people who also buy Modern Warfare 3, so around 2 to 3 million will buy both," Pachter added. "I don't see much cannibalisation of the titles."
The competition between Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 led to public recriminations between EA and Activision, with the latter accusing the former of "mud-slinging tactics."
Battlefield 3 launches in the US tomorrow, with the European launch to follow on Friday. Modern Warfare 3 will be released worldwide on November 8.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-billion-in-q4

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Portal 2 voted GOTY at Golden Joysticks

October 22nd, 2011, 01:44 Posted By: wraggster

Valve's widely admired sequel Portal 2 was voted Ultimate Game Of The Year at the 29th annual Golden Joystick Awards.
Bethesda's The Edler Scrolls V: Skyrim picked up the One To Watch award, while Sonic the Hedgehog was honoured for Outstanding Contribution.
More than 2 million people voted this year, a new record for what are already the world's largest videogame awards decided by public vote.
The full list of winners is listed below.

• Ultimate Game of the Year - Portal 2 (Valve Corporation)
• Action/Adventure Game of the Year - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
• Mobile Game of the Year - Angry Birds Rio (Chillingo)
• RPG of the Year - Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda Softworks)
• Massively Multiplayer Online Game of the Year - World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
• Fighting Game of the Year - Mortal Kombat (Warner Bros. Interactive)
• Racing Game of the Year - Gran Turismo 5 (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Sports Game of the Year - FIFA 11 (EA Sports)
• Strategy Game of the Year - Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (Blizzard Entertainment)
• Music Game of the Year - Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Activision)
• Free-To-Play Game of the Year - League of Legends (Riot Games)
• Downloadable Game of the Year - Minecraft (Mojang)
• Shooter Game of the Year - Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
• One To Watch Award - Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks)
• Innovation of the Year - Nintendo 3DS
• Outstanding Contribution - Sonic The Hedgehog (Sega)
• http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...lden-joysticks

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The Case For Piracy

October 22nd, 2011, 01:36 Posted By: wraggster

A mainstream media outlet has published an article called 'The Case for Piracy. The writer shows how copyright has been hijacked by corporations and that publishers are their own worst enemies. 'One of the main reasons we all have anti-piracy slogans embedded in our brains is because the music industry chose to try and protect its existing market and revenue streams at all costs and marginalise and vilify those who didn't want to conform to the harsh new rules being set.' There's a lot in the article that Slashdot readers can relate to, and it's interesting that so many replies seem to agree with the author

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/...ase-for-piracy

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Golden Joystick Awards breaks Guinness World Record with 2.06 million votes

October 21st, 2011, 01:01 Posted By: wraggster

The GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards has broken the Guinness World Record for the most votes cast in any gaming awards on record.

Over 2.06 million votes were cast during this year's shortlist voting period, smashing the previous world record set by the Golden Joystick Awards in 2009.

The winners of the 29th annual edition of the world's longest running gaming award ceremony will be revealed tomorrow at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London.

As well as the awards, the event promises to offer a number of surprises on the night including exclusives and reveals from across the games industry.

The Golden Joystick Awards hopes to break another world record over the weekend, when GamesMaster's Justin Towell will attempt to beat the world record lap time for the new India circuit on F1 2011 to coincide with the actual Grand Prix.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...million-votes/

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The race is on for Xmas No.1

October 21st, 2011, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

Modern Warfare 3 is the overwhelming favourite to be this year’s Xmas No.1, leading bookmakers say.
Both the ‘official’ odds from betting agent Ladbrokes and those from its rival Paddy Power say the latest Call of Duty will once again be the top game when the last chart before Christmas is proclaimed.
It would be the third Xmas No.1 in a row for CoD, if the predictions come true. EA’s best-selling football title FIFA 12 is expected to come in second according to both bookmakers, who are taking bets from today. Star Wars: The Old Republic, which launches just days before Christmas Eve weekend – tipped to be UK retail’s busiest week of 2011 – will miss out, however, due to Chart-Track’s deadlines.
“Call of Duty looks nailed on to grab the top spot and the others look to be playing for second place only,” said Ladbrokes spokesman Alex Donohue.
“We’ve never known odds so short for a game to be number one at this early stage.”
As usual, however, there are some oddities in the bookmakers’ picks – not the least of which is Paddy Power’s 40/1 odds that Final Fantasy Versus XIII could take No.1. The game only entered full development last month.
THE BOOKIES’ FAVOURITES
Ladbrokes (all odds are correct at time of press)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – 1/12
FIFA 12 – 9/1
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – 20/1
Gears of War 3 – 25/1
Dark Souls – 40/1
Rage – 40/1
Battlefield 3 – 40/1
Dead Island – 50/1
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 – 50/1
Mario Kart 7 – 50/1
The Adventures of Tintin – Secret of the Unicorn – 50/1
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – 66/1
Batman: Arkham City – 66/1
Halo: Anniversary Edition – 66/1
F1 2011 – 100/1
NBA 2K12 – 100/1
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games – 100/1
Need for Speed: The Run – 100/1
Saints Row: The Third – 100/1
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – 100/1
Paddy Power (all odds are correct at time of press)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – 1/16
FIFA 12 – 6/1
Gears of War 3 – 10/1
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 – 33/1
Final Fantasy Versus XIII – 40/1
Mario Kart 7 – 40/1

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/the-r...as-no-1/086790

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Xmas No.1: Date decision disqualifies Star Wars: The Old Republic

October 21st, 2011, 00:28 Posted By: wraggster

Sales of December’s Star Wars: The Old Republic won’t be counted towards the Christmas No.1.
Although the game is the last blockbuster release of the year, due on December 20th, it arrives three days too late to be included in the final count, according to GfK Chart-Track.
The UK chart tracker told MCV this week that the Christmas No.1 will be decided for the week ending Saturday, December 17th – not the week ending Saturday, December 24th as some may have expected.
“Normally we always say the last chart published before Christmas is the Christmas chart,” explained Chart-Track director Dorian Bloch. “We will stick with week 50, ending on December 17th. One issue with not going for week 51 is getting all the data from retail, which will be up to and including December 24th.”
XMAS NO.1s: A BRIEF HISTORY
EA dominates the Christmas No.1 list, with 11 titles taking the position – seven of which are FIFA games.
Call of Duty is the overwhelming favourite to be No.1 this Christmas, with three of the last four titles taking that position. But it’s not necessarily a sure thing. In 2008 Call of Duty: World at War was pipped to the top spot by FIFA ‘09.
Since the official All Formats Charts started properly in 1997 there have been only two single format No.1s, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 1998. There’s no GTA this year, so could Zelda cause an upset? At 100/1, Skyward Sword might be worth a quid.
1985 – Commando (Elite)
1986 – Gauntlet (US Gold)
1987 – Out Run (Sega)
1988 – Operation Wolf (Ocean)
1989 – Chase HQ (Ocean)
1990 – Teenage Mutant Turtles (Mirrorsoft)
1991 – WWF Wrestlemania (Ocean)
1992 – Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Sega)
1993 – FIFA International Soccer (EA)
1994 – FIFA Soccer ‘95 (EA)
1995 – FIFA Soccer ‘96 (EA)
1996 – FIFA ‘97 (EA)
1997 – FIFA: Road to World Cup ‘98 (EA)
1998 – Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo)
1999 – Tomb Raider: Last Revelation (Eidos)
2000 – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Eidos)
2001 – Harry Potter: Philosopher’s (EA)
2002 – GTA: Vice City (Take-Two)
2003 – Medal of Honor: Rising Sun (EA)
2004 – NFS: Underground 2 (EA)
2005 – NFS: Most Wanted (EA)
2006 – FIFA ‘07 (EA)
2007 – CoD 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
2008 – FIFA ‘09 (EA)
2009 – CoD: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
2010 – CoD: Black Ops (Activision)

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/xmas-...epublic/086791

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Core games star in strong September

October 21st, 2011, 00:23 Posted By: wraggster

A big month for core gaming helped UK games retailers take £125.6m during September.
It is only a slight drop of 1.5 per cent compared to September 2010.This is because it was higher-priced core games – such as FIFA 12, Gears of War 3 and Dead Island – that sold the most units.
A drop in casual game sales means that the actual number of titles sold was down 11.5 per cent year-on-year to 4,302,604 units.
umba Fitness was the only lower-priced game in the Top Ten. It costs £24.99 on Wii. The result was a successful month for the HD consoles. Over 70 per cent of all games sold last month were sold either on Xbox 360 or PS3.
As for publishers, Electronic Arts was the biggest company yet again, with Microsoft jumping up ten places to No.2 thanks to Gears of War 3.
But the highest climber in the publisher rankings was Koch Media. Thanks to Dead Island, the firm shot up 20 places to No.4, putting it ahead of big name rivals such as Nintendo, Codemasters, Ubisoft and Activision.
The UK September Top Ten
1. FIFA 12 (Electronic Arts)
2. Gears of War 3 (Microsoft)
3. Dead Island (Deep Silver)
4. F1 2011 (Codemasters)
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)
6. Driver: San Francisco (Ubisoft)
7. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
8. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (THQ)
9. Resistance 3 (Sony)
10. Rugby World Cup (505 Games)

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/core-...ptember/086797

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8 reasons why the UK games market is still strong

October 20th, 2011, 23:55 Posted By: wraggster

There’s no denying that the video games industry has faced tough times in Britain but things are certainly nowhere near as bleak some would have you think. MCV highlights some of our nation’s recent triumphs...
HALF OF THE UK POPULATION ARE GAMERS
We’ve known for years that gaming is not confined to the darkened recesses of teenage boys’ bedrooms, but a recent study by the Internet Advertising Bureau shows just how widespread the pastime has become on our shores.Out of an estimated UK resident population of 62m, 32.9m have said they play iPad, Android, PlayStation and Xbox 360 games online. The overall age ranges stretch from as young as eight up to 65 years old – and 49 per cent of them are female. With such a mainstream audience actively discussing there gaming habits, who says there isn’t a market out there?
OUR CONSUMERS ARE HUNGRY FOR NEW HARDWARE
The original PlayStation launched in the UK sixteen years ago, and sold 30,000 units in just ten days. By contrast, 3DS sold 113,000 units in the UK during its launch weekend alone. And thanks to motion controllers such as Kinect, the peripherals market is just as strong.
THE SUCCESS OF EUROGAMER EXPO AND GAMEFEST
The retailer’s showcase drew in crowds of 30,000 attendees, while Eurogamer pulled in 35,000 the very next week. And organisers of the latter told MCV that only 5.3 per cent attended both events – leaving a combined total of 63,145 avid gamers across the two shows.
UK GAMERS WILL SPEND BIG THIS CHRISTMAS
There’s nothing like pre-orders to show how much interest new releases are generating. Battlefield 3 has already garnered 1.5m pre-orders, and Activision told MCV earlier this year that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is tracking well ahead of the record-breaking Black Ops. Meanwhile, THQ says Saints Row: The Third is on course to be the company’s most pre-ordered title to date. Throw in strong early interest for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Uncharted 3, Zelda: Skyward Sword, and this Christmas is shaping up to be a belter.
WE ARE THE HOME OF FOOTBALL FANS
If there’s one game you can rely on to deliver at retail, it’s FIFA. And you can guarantee the UK makes up a significant portion of the title’s sales. Not only is the flagship footie title a guaranteed best-seller every year, it’s also a great indication of how the market has grown in general. For example, FIFA 06 sold 250,000 units in its first week. Just six years later, the latest edition has smashed that record, selling almost four times as much less time.
MIND CANDY IS A MASSIVE UK EXPORT
The UK social gaming firm’s influence has spread around the world, thanks to its flagship IP Moshi Monsters. This online kids phenomenon boasts 50m registered users – in fact, over half of Britain’s six to 12-year-olds have created profiles on the site.And the brand’s ventures into other fields have been even more impressive. Plush toys, books, trading cards, stickers and other merchandise can be found in Waterstones, Clinton Cards, WH Smiths and other mainstream retailers that few games firms have gained access to since Nintendo.Additionally, the official Moshi Monsters magazine is the biggest children’s publication in the UK, with a monthly readership of almost 114,000 people. Now the company is pushing forward with Moshi TV and the franchise’s first DS game.
WE HAVE GREAT DEVELOPERS
Not all of the world’s greatest studios have moved to Montreal. The UK still has a strong development base thanks to Lionhead, Rockstar North, Rockstar Leeds, Rare, Jagex, Rocksteady, Traveller’s Tales, Mind Candy, Eurocom, Media Molecule, Criterion... to name but a few. And this local talent is working hard to keep the High Street supplied with good quality product. Within the next few weeks alone, retailers can expect such homegrown hits as Batman: Arkham City, Football Manager, Kinect Sports: Season Two, GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7.
OUR GAMERS ARE DRIVING THE DANCE GENRE
The music genre hasn’t collapsed. Far from it. In fact it’s stronger than ever, with GfK Chart-Track data showing that the music games market had its best year to date in 2010 thanks to Just Dance and Just Dance 2. In 2011, this has only grown with Ubisoft’s ever-expanding dance portfolio and new competitors such as best-selling dance-based workout game Zumba Fitness. Earlier this year, MCV research revealed that 1m dance games are being sold every month. And with more than ten new dance games hitting shelves this quarter, retailers can expect good things from the music market in 2012 and beyond.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/8-rea...-strong/086800

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