DCEmu Homebrew Emulation & Theme Park News
November 6th, 2012
by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:03- Categories:
- DCEmu
People don’t want to pay for games.
That’s what MCV was told repeatedly at E3. And indeed many of this year’s high-growth or most controversial games – World of Tanks, League of Legends, CSR Racing amongst others – were absolutely free.
Of course anyone that has followed this market as it has exploded over the past few years will know that these games aren’t exactly ‘free’. The publishers and developers make their money via premium subscriptions or micro-transactions where gamers can obtain extra items or in-game currency for a small fee.
The idea is simple and attractive. By removing the cost barrier, the potential market for a game is infinitely larger. And although the vast majority of those gamers will never spend a penny, the small percentage that do will often spend more than just £50.
Despite its recent popularity, free-to-play is not a new concept. It existed as early as the mid-90s, and could even be spiritually linked to the freeware scene. The breakthrough game was even developed in the UK – the MMO RuneScape arrived in 2001.
It then exploded in Asia and Korea, via games developed from major players such as Nexon, before slowing growing across the world. Although it took a combination of Facebook and iOS to finally make free-to-play a ‘thing’ in Europe.
“Five to six years back there wasn’t that many successful free-to-play games in Europe,” notes Scott Yoo, director of Game Service Division at Nexon Europe.
“But now the market is growing. What really changed the game was the expansion of social networking and mobile devices. I don’t think the Europeans were keen on discovering content online, particularly things offered for free. I think there may have been some bias towards free stuff. Lots of people were saying something free is very low quality. So there was some negativity towards it. But with the help of the social networks and mobile devices, people are more comfortable with playing online and that has benefitted the free-to-play market.”
FREE CONTROVERSY
In many ways companies such as Zynga – and before them Jagex and Bigpoint – pioneered free-to-play across Europe. But not everyone was in favour of the business model. Even today there are concerns that ‘freemium’ lacks transparency and tricks consumers into parting with cash.
“It’s not really free-to-play,” says Bohemia Interactive’s CEO Marek Spanel, the developer behind the smash hit Steam game Arma II.
The firm has also released a free version of the game.
“The cost of the play is not very transparent to users so while they may be tempted to think it’s a very good thing for them, I think it’s tricks people a bit. It’s difficult. Maybe if they put a note for parents about when kids play freemium games and then they are billed from their operator for some excessive amount.
“It’s more fair to do other business models. We are not even contemplating converting to freemium based. If you call a game free-to-play and then you start collecting money from the game, I don’t think it’s free-to-play. I think it’s a bit misleading.”
Yet slowly the games industry is coming around to accepting free-to-play. And, following the success of titles like World of Tanks and League of Legends, the major publishers are investing in big-budget, console-quality freemium titles. Ubisoft has just released Ghost Recon Online, Activision has teamed up with Tencent for Call of Duty: Online, while EA has invested in a multitude of free-to-play games, including the next game in the Command and Conquer series.
“We have great games and big brands,” says Sean Decker, VP of EA’s Play4Free division. “We are putting out games like Command and Conquer and making it free-to-play, and EA is behind this 100 per cent. We’re putting out a top-tier game from a top-tier franchise.
“EA believes this will become one of the dominant business models.”
FREE AND EASY
Browser and social games are only one part of the free-to-play boom. Smartphone gaming has played a significant role, too. In 2009 Apple introduced in-app payments for games sold via iTunes and freemium titles on iOS has since become the norm. They’re huge cash generators, too. iPhone game CSR Racing from Natural Motion is reportedly generating around £7.5m a month. And the free-to-play smartphone market is likely to grow further, with Japanese mobile giants such as Gree and DeNA making significant moves into the Western markets.
“There are multiple models in the market. But the item-based model is very strong, and it has been for us in Japan, just as it has been for Zynga,” says Gree’s senior VP of Gree’s EML business, Ryotaro Shima.
Gonzague de Vallois, SVP of publishing at mobile specialist Gameloft, adds: “Smartphones have become ubiquitous, mass-market devices. Today the vast majority of smartphone and tablet users are casual gamers. They’re searching for new high-quality risk-free experiences. Our focus on free-to-play games, like Ice Age Village, is simply a response to that demand. The free-to-play model makes our games widely accessible and gives customers the power to play things their way. The model also naturally ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:01- Categories:
- DCEmu
Free UK magazine ShortList is celebrating a gaming first this morning.
Today’s issue features what editor Martin Robinson describes as “the world’s first playable gaming cover”.
Using augmented reality app Blippar, the cover can be turned – or ‘blipped’ – into a playable version of ‘80s title Chuckie Egg.
There’s other interactive gaming coverage inside, too, including access to Grand Theft Auto V and Tomb Raider trailers as well as an interactive Assassin’s Creed III photography game.
ShortList editor Martin Robinson stated: “We’d been planning a gaming special for ShortList which celebrated retro games as well as new releases, and thought it would make for an exciting magazine first if people could somehow ‘play’ our cover.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/today...-cover/0105930
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by Published on November 7th, 2012 13:58- Categories:
- Wii U News
This is something you don’t see every day.
Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has taken to YouTube to host his very own unboxing video. In which he refers to it as a “Wii U unboxing ceremony”, dons a pair of white gloves and says he feels like he’s “a host on a shopping channel”.
There’s also a video about Wii U user accounts (of which ten are permitted per console) and Wii U Chat.
But really, just skip all of that and check out the unboxing. This is why we need Japan to remain at the very heart of the global games industry.
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 01:08- Categories:
- Android News,
- Apple iPad
"... but retails for $130 more. Teardowns of the Apple iPad Mini and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD have revealed that the two devices cost almost the same amount to manufacture, despite the retail prices being significantly different. Andrew Rassweiler, senior principal analyst of teardown services for IHS iSuppli, explains that Apple is sticking to the premium brand strategy it has always used for its media tablet and smartphone products, whereas Amazon is banking on content."
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...kindle-fire-hd ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 00:35- Categories:
- Wii U News
Publishers do not lack understanding on next-gen console's capabilities, says dev icon
Third-party development for the Wii U is being affected by the console’s unique capabilities and difficulties with making its games multi-platform releases, Shigeru Miyamoto has claimed.
Speaking to IGN, the development icon said that the need for some businesses to develop multi-platform titles to maximise their earnings was not always compatible with Nintendo’s own ambitions to create unique hardware.
He added however that the console giant had been meeting with developers to convince them that they would be able to create new experiences and build successful titles.
"The fact of the matter is that most third-party licensees from a business point of view, had to create multi-platform titles – and because Nintendo has been trying to create very unique hardware, oftentimes it was not considered the first choice for them to work on multi-platform software," said Miyamoto.
"So it’s the entire company decision-making process that is hindering developer’s ability from making unique titles on Wii U hardware. Once again, my job as one of the developers is to meet with the individual people and convince them that they’ll be able to create brand new entertainment that they really wish to realise. My job is to try to assist them in that fashion.”
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...-to-join-Wii-U
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 00:31- Categories:
- PC News
New gaming-specific 7-inch device could arrive before Xbox 720
Microsoft is working on a 7-inch gaming tablet, according to “multiple sources”.
Several sources aware of plans within Microsoft’s Redmond HQ have told The Verge that initial hardware planning for an Xbox Surface has begun.
Specifications for an Xbox Surface 7-inch tablet computer leaked back in June ahead of Microsoft's Surface announcement. The news outlet says the final implementation of new Xbox tablet is being worked on now.
The Xbox Surface will reportedly include a custom ARM processor and high-bandwidth RAM designed specifically for gaming tasks. Its specifications could be altered to include an unannounced Intel SoC and it is apparently being developed to be independent of specific hardware architecture. The device won't run a full version of Windows, but a custom Windows kernel – Microsoft’s current Surface tablet runs an alternative OS called Windows RT.
This gaming-specific tablet is supposedly being developed using a secret hardware production process away from the companies that traditionally manufacturer Microsoft’s Xbox console. Xbox Surface will likely be manufactured at the same facility, however future Xbox consoles will be manufactured in mass quantities.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...-gaming-tablet
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 00:21- Categories:
- Apple iPad
With a production cost of $188 per unit and an RRP of $329, the odd cynic among us may well consider the iPad Mini just a tad overpriced.
The estimated figures, which were revealed this week by HIS iSuppli analysts, indicate that Apple stands to make a 43 per cent profit on each tablet sold.
To put that into perspective, iSuppli found that Google’s 8GB Nexus 7 has a build cost of around $151.75 and a retail price of $200, therefore yielding a gross margin of 24 per cent on each sale.
Apple’s iPad Mini came in for further criticism recently, after US comedian and chat show host Conan O’Brien questioned the need for yet another Apple product
http://store.apple.com/uk/buy/home/s...mily/ipad_mini ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 00:12- Categories:
- Retro Consoles/Translation News
The 1980s cult classic could be getting a new sequel if famed UK developer David Braben’s Kickstarter project is a success.
Elite: Dangerous is seeking an ambitious £1.25m, of which it has currently raised £75,439 from 1,436 backers.
“The original Elite fitted into around 22K of memory, out of a total of 32K on the BBC Micro Model B computer on which it was launched (8K was needed for the screen, 2K for the system),” Braben wrote in the pitch.
“This is less than a single typical email today. In it were eight galaxies each with 256 star systems. Each planet in those systems had its own legal system, economy and so on. Clearly some magic had to happen to fit it into 22K, and that magic was procedural generation.
“Imagine what is now possible, squeezing the last drop of performance from modern computers in the way Eliteand Frontier did in their days? It is not just a question of raw performance (though of course these elements will make it look gorgeous), but we can push the way the networking works too – something very few people had access to in the days of Frontier.
“Elite: Dangerous is the game I have wanted Frontier to make for a very long time. The next game in the Elite series – an amazing space epic with stunning visuals, incredible gameplay and breath-taking scope, but this time you can play with your friends too.
“We’re using Kickstarter both as a means of test-marketing the concept to verify there is still interest in such a game that extends beyond the individuals who regularly contact me about the game, and raising the funds to do so.”
Although best known for co-writing Elite in the earlier 1980s, more recent project of Braben’s is the Raspberry Pi – a credit card sized personal PC aimed at teaching basic computer science in schools.
There’s still 59 days to go and plenty of pledges to get involved in, check out the Elite: Dangerous Kickstarter page for more information.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...ngerous/029540
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 00:10- Categories:
- PC News
We all know that exposés of poor computer repairs by consumer campaigners lower customer confidence and damage reputations. But what can or should be done about it?
PCR reported last month that TV programme Watchdoginvestigated a computer repair outfit following a series of customer complaints.
Since then, it's become clear that the effects of that show have hit some businesses very hard.
Consider that many computing firms have similar names.
Ronald Bannister of Click4 Computers has had several enquiries on his Facebook page from customers wondering if his was the firm exposed (it’s not).
ONE MAN'S STORY
Bannister told PCR: “Yes I have been affected by it. Recently I started trying to advertise online. I started to get a few calls through Google Adwords, and it seemed to be working well.
"But then Watchdog featured the companies Click4 PC and Click Computers, and unfortunately the name I am trading as is similar, so when people headed onto the internet searching for the company, they found me.
"People then started posting questions on my Facebook page. I left the first one on there, asking if I was the company on Watchdog, to which I replied stating I wasn't and listing how my business practices are different.
"I also noticed a large increase in clicks on my Google Adwords ad, which rapidly decreased my advertising credit. Then I started to receive a number of prank calls.
"I contacted Watchdog regarding this, and they said there was nothing they could do. In the end they just offered to send me a letter to show to customers confirming it was not me.
"But I don't know what damage has been done long term to my business. I have many happy customers, and some of them have taken business cards from me to hand out to people. But now I don't know if they might have called me, but won't now after seeing Watchdog and incorrectly assuming my business was the one they featured.
"Prank calls seem to have stopped for the moment, but the long term damage can’t be assessed yet.”
RESEARCH IS A NECESSITY
It's can't be easy, working all hours to build a business, only to see something outside of your control damage your reputation.
But why are consumers attracted to these businesses that are being exposed in the first place?
“It never ceases to amaze me how customers will spend more time researching a plumber to fix their shower than a computer store who is going to work on something where photos, bank details and other sensitive data are stored," said Jason Eccles from SimplyFixIT.
"Customers should spend a bit of time looking for a reputable company to do their computer repairs."
WHICH? FOUND FAILINGS TOO
Watchdog isn't the only consumer campaigner on the case. The magazine Which? sent out 24 laptops for repair, including six to independents, but only half were successful and yet all of them charged. The independents were all Brigantia members.
MOVING ON: EDUCATION AND ACCREDITATION
In light of the report, which it is taking very seriously, Brigantia said that it was working on rolling out an educational programme for members of its National National Laptop Repair scheme.
Education and accreditation must be the way forward.
CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux commented: “Consumers can be confident of their computer and IT services providers if they look for suppliers that have earned industry-supported business credentials, such as the CompTIA Trustmarks and Accredit UK.”
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...pairers/029543 ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 00:08- Categories:
- Android News
The latest Kaspersky Lab research shows that Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread was the most popular target for cybercriminals in Q3, closely followed by the latest version Ice Cream Sandwich.
The rapid growth in the number of new mobile malicious programs for Android continued in the third quarter, prompting Kaspersky Lab to identify the platform versions most frequently targeted by cybercriminals.
Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread accounted for 28 per cent of all blocked attempts to install malware, while the second most commonly attacked version was the new 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, which accounted for 22 per cent of attempts.
“Although Gingerbread was released back in September 2011, due to the segmentation of the Android device market it still remains one of the most popular versions, which, in turn, attracts increased interest from cybercriminals,” commented Yuri Namestnikov, senior malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab.
“The popularity of the most recent version of the Android OS – Ice Cream Sandwich – among virus writers can be explained by the fact that the devices running the latest versions of the OS are more suitable for online activities. Unfortunately, users actively surfing the web often end up on malicious sites.”
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...malware/029542 ...- Search DCEmu
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