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by Published on March 15th, 2011 22:59- Categories:
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EA Games label boss Frank Gibeau has admitted that the company purposefully courts controversy in order to gain headlines in the mass media, even going so far as to admit: "We love Fox News".
"When you're building new IPs and you're building games and you're looking at an entertainment audience, they see a lot of messages. Controversy isn't a bad thing. I personally believe you should court controversy," he said in an interview with IndustryGamers.
"You should do it in a way that matches the creative integrity of the game. You shouldn't do it in a gratuitous way, but if it matches the creativity of the game... I loved it when Fox News did the lesbian aliens on Mass Effect. I love when they covered the Taliban; I loved it when they covered the Bulletstorm stuff.
"In each one of those cases, it was true to the game and we were trying to do something creatively. The fact that their point of view is different than ours and represented an audience out there is fine by me. I felt we could stand up and defend what we did and be aggressive about it and be proud of it," he said.
Although many of the controversies, including the recent Bulletstorm coverage and the infamous "Sex-Box" expose for the original Mass Effect, are unique to the US, EA drew considerable criticism in the UK for its handling of last year's Medal Of Honor reboot.
In general though EA's manufactured controversies have had a positive effect on sales, with Medal Of Honor overcoming mediocre critical reviews and only Visceral Games' Dante's Inferno failing to benefit from the publisher's provocative marketing approach.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...nt-a-bad-thing
...by Published on March 15th, 2011 22:56- Categories:
- PSP News,
- PS3 News,
- Nintendo DS News,
- Nintendo Wii News,
- PC News,
- Xbox 360 News
Call of Duty director Keith Arem has told GamesIndustry.biz that the team creating games for the billion dollar franchise know their content will cause controversy, but once they commit to levels such as the infamous No Russian scene, they have to follow it through.
Arem, who has worked on all the Modern Warfare games and the latest Black Ops, said that during the development process the team can become "desensitised" to the subject matter, and need to remind themselves of the impact it can have on those seeing it for the first time.
"Going in on those decisions everyone's going to be aware that there is going to be some sort of controversy behind that. And I think in the end what's creatively best for the project and what's going to tell the story and what's really going to give the team the satisfaction of enjoying what they're working on is really the primary focus," he said.
Some of the actors were very tearful saying the lines because it was a pretty emotionally charged scene
Keith Arem, director, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
"So when we decide to execute on an idea that's been approved both by the developer and the publisher we're pretty committed going in. So knowing that we're going to be dealing with that some times we sort of have to be very careful in announcing that. We knew that the No Russian level was going to be extremely controversial and obviously what happened in Russia and a lot of other areas was a sign of that."
The No Russian scene puts players alongside ultranationalist terrorists murdering innocent civilians, leaving them with two simple options to progress - watch the unfolding carnage or blend in with the protagonists and open fire.
The level proved divisive on release, and caused controversy in the mainstream press for its levels of violence. It was also blamed for a terrorist attack on Moscow airport in January this year. Activision had already removed the scenario from the Russian PC version of the game.
The "brutal" content is something Infinity Ward was well aware of, and Arem admits that it's important to anticipate player reaction to such violent content.
"When you see it actually come together and you hear all the voices and you see what the team bought to that, it's very brutal. It's a difficult experience for anyone to go through.
"At the same time, creatively, when those decision are unanimous between the team we try to make them as engaging as possible. Unfortunately we're pretty much committed once we make that decision because the development cycle is so far in advance of the release of the game.
"Sometimes we become desensitised to the fact that this is going to be so controversial and when it comes out we have to remind ourselves that people are seeing this for the first time and they're also taking in the complete experience for the first time as opposed to seeing it in the various stages of production."
Arem, who is currently working on THQ's latest Saint's Row game, praised the actors taking on the roles of the terrorists in Modern Warfare 2, and revealed that for some the scene caused very real human responses.
Director Arem says he couldn't bring himself to shoot civilians the first time he played the game.
"Sometimes they bring something to the performance that is actually even more tragic or more powerful than anything that we would have actually envisioned. By them bringing that to life, it really engages the player emotionally," he said.
"It's a difficult moral question for the player and directing the actors and hearing what the actors are saying in Russian is actually almost worse than seeing the action on screen, because these families [in game] are separated, fathers telling their wives to take the children and everything will be okay, and knowing that it's not... it was a difficult thing to work with a lot of the actors.
"Some of the actors were very tearful saying the lines because it was a pretty emotionally charged scene."
And Arem confessed that once the final game was complete, he himself found the level hard to play and couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger on the innocent civilians.
"The first time I played it - when the team brought the idea to me I actually raised the point of how controversial this was going to be - and then playing through the game the first time, and actually seeing it put together, at least for me, I didn't engage any of the civilians.
"I was hanging back although I was forced through this level and to go through the experience."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-controversial
...by Published on March 15th, 2011 22:54- Categories:
- Zune News
Reports suggest that Microsoft has stopped introducing new versions of the Zune media player, although it will continue to use the software technology in its other hardware devices.
According to an unnamed sourced speaking to Bloomberg, Microsoft will now concentrate on using Zune software on its Windows Phone 7 line and on the Xbox 360, as the Zune hardware is gradually phased out.
Never released outside of North America, the Zune project was headed by former Xbox frontman J Allard. The first product was released to market in 2006, but never broke into the list of the top five-selling media players - where Apple then held a 77 per cent market dominance.
Responding to Bloomberg's article Microsoft refused to confirm or deny the story: "We have nothing to announce about another Zune device - but most recently have introduced Zune HD to Canada via the Zune Originals store and remain committed to supporting our devices in North America.
"We are thrilled by the consumer excitement for Zune across many new platforms, including Windows Phone 7 and Xbox 360. Our long-term strategy focuses on the strength of the entire Zune ecosystem across Microsoft platforms," added the company.
Bloomberg's source suggests that Zune hardware will continue to be sold in the short term, but that no new versions are expected following 2009's Zune HD.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-zune-hardware
...by Published on March 15th, 2011 22:51- Categories:
- Nintendo DS News
Nintendo's DS RPG double act Pokémon Black/White shifted over a million copies in Europe in their first 10 days on sale....
A spokesperson for Nintendo told Eurogamer that the game, which launched on 4th March, had sold 150,000 copies in two days in the UK, making it the country's biggest ever Pokémon launch.
The announcement comes soon after news that the games topped the million mark in the US after just one day on sale, with Japan sales soaring past the five million mark six months after its September launch there.
Eurogamer's Keza MacDonald slapped a 9/10 on the latest entry in the long running saga, insisting "its connectivity is exceptional, it's mind-blowingly huge, and for the first time, it's beautifully presented."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-1m-euro-salesby Published on March 15th, 2011 22:48- Categories:
- PS3 News
Sony has postponed the UK launch of MotorStorm: Apocalypse following last week's devastating earthquake....
The game was due out this Friday.
In a statement issued this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe noted the unfortunate similarities between Apocalypse's fictional setting and the tragic events of last Friday.
"We are shocked and saddened to see the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and our thoughts are with all those affected, including our colleagues within the Sony family, living and working throughout Japan," Sony said.
"We are very conscious of the parallels between these events and the underlying theme in MotorStorm and are doing everything we can to be as sensitive as possible to the situation.
"Although the game itself is already in distribution, we are ceasing any further shipments and removing as much of the marketing materials as possible."
Apocalypse, by UK studio Evolution, sees players drive around a San Francisco-inspired fictional US city as it is ravaged by an earthquake.
A statement from Sony Computer Entertainment UK added: "Ahough we have shipped the game into the channel last week, given that we are able to do so, we have chosen to postpone the launch in the UK. In the meantime we will continue to monitor the situation very closely."
Sony will donate 300 million Japanese yen to help relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the disaster.
A disaster relief fund will collect donations across the Sony Group from employees worldwide, and their contributions will be matched by the company through a matching gifts program.
Sony will also donate 30,000 radios to assist the relief of earthquake victims, while the Sony Group will prepare further product donations going forward, taking into account local needs.
Sony has been hit hard by the earthquake. The Tohoku region is historically important for Sony, with a high concentration of manufacturing sites, and many employees and their families have also been affected.
The earthquake has caused difficulty in connecting to the PlayStation Network in Japan. Sony has urged players back up their data. Its PlayStation information call centre and repair centre were both suspended by the earthquake.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...launch-delayedby Published on March 15th, 2011 22:44- Categories:
- PS3 News,
- PC News,
- Xbox 360 News
Blizzard could potentially release its next next super-hit on console as well as PC, the firm has told MCV.
CEO Mike Morhaime said the firm has been conducting ongoing exploration into the viability of Diablo on console.
The third game in the franchise was announced in 2008 but was only confirmed for PC. Speculation has been rife since that it will also be released for 360 and PS3.
The 'Diablo on console' rumour had new life breathed into it last month when Blizzard posted an ad its website, looking for a senior producer with top level console experience
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...o-for-consoles ...by Published on March 15th, 2011 22:40- Categories:
- Dingoo News
Newly released for the Dingoo Homebrew Console comes this news from Dingoonity, heres the release news:
Pymon has been updated to version 0.2
Quote
V2 released !
-No cautions to follow
- enable the display of the mouse
- can type during the demonstration
- sound added
Discuss it here: http://boards.dingoonity.org/dingux-...-v0-1/new/#new
pymon_v2.0.zip
Author/Porter: Monstercrunch
Download: http://www.multiupload.com/JG655AS5FL
...by Published on March 15th, 2011 22:38- Categories:
- GP2X News
ThatotherDev a Coder who has released homebrew for the PS3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and Windows has posted this news:
I’ve already released it for Wii, PC, PS3 and DS. So now here it is remade yet again. This time its for GP2X.
Dont Get Crushed is a simple game in which you must move left and right to avoid being crushed by balls that bounce across the screen. The longer you survive the faster the game moves and the higher your score will be. Its a clone of the iPhone game Falling Balls which I’ve admittedly never actually played.
The background music is Bunny on the Moon by yerzmyey.
Download the GP2X version
Alternate links
OpenHandhelds Archive link ...by Published on March 15th, 2011 22:37- Categories:
- Xperia Play News
With a retractable gamepad and PlayStation games, the Xperia Play is the closest we’ve come to a mobile for gamers.
But can the Xperia Play appeal to those who are just looking to play the next Angry Birds?
A joint collaboration between Sony Ericsson and Sony Computer Entertainment, the mobile features a range of content which they believe will give it the versatility to appeal beyond traditional gamers.
“We believe the Xperia Play will have widespread appeal to a number of consumer audiences including casual and enthusiastic gamers,” says Matt Beavis, head of PR and sponsorship at Sony Ericsson.
“Through the PlayStation Suite initiative, Sony Computer Entertainment will bring PlayStation content to the Android platform. This will of course benefit Xperia Play and mean we will have quality PlayStation content on the device.”
And, in the long-term, this development platform may help Sony regain a hold on the mobile gaming market, as it is being rolled out across a range of PlayStation Certified devices, including the rumoured PlayStation tablet.
GAMES FOR ALL
Along with access to the Android Marketplace and its library of games, there will be over 50 titles available at launch, from publishers EA, Glu Mobile and Gameloft.
Speaking to publishers, making use of the Play’s gamepad is allowing them to deliver a broader range of genres with a higher level of control than touchscreens.
Several popular franchises are being optimised for the device, including FIFA, The Sims 3, Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell and Guitar Hero.
An EA spokesperson says: “The device recognises what EA has believed for some time - that games are one of the key elements that smartphone users are seeking.
“We don’t really see any limitations to who might enjoy playing games on the Xperia Play, so the titles we’ll make available for it will range from those that will attract a more hardcore audience, but also those that will be of interest to casual gamers.”
Gameloft UK’s digital marketing and community manager, Callum Rowley, says: “Gameloft’s philosophy has always been to create the highest quality games on the device the consumer wants to own. The Xperia Play offers an alternative, yet still accessible, avenue to the smartphone market, and with its emphasis on games it will bring new people into gaming. This can only be a good thing in our view.”
Yet the question is will consumers opt for these PlayStation-specific downloadable versions or the cheaper, and ever comparable, Android apps?
The consensus at present appears to be wait and see what the market responds to.
The recent reveal that PlayStation Network content must be re-purchased on the Xperia Play is also raising questions that we may have another PSP Go situation here.
HANDHELD HYBRID
Chris James, managing director of Steel Media, which owns handheld gaming site Pocket Gamer, sees it as “a brilliant addition to the smartphone world.” He is more optimistic about the device’s potential for reaching dedicated gamers as well as casual audiences.
“It’s a touch-screen device like pretty much every other smartphone hitting the market right now so you can play the latest Android casual games in precisely the same way you could on any other Android device.
“In addition, it’s quite likely that some casual gamers will prefer using the control pad to the touchscreen in the first place. It frees up the screen and makes the experience better and arguably easier to control in some cases,” he says.
Where Xperia Play will fit into the current mobile market is still up for debate.
We’ll soon find out whether it is a gaming phone or a phone for all.
James says: “It’s establishing a new niche as a ‘gaming phone’, which considering the incredible similarities between most modern smartphones is an understandable and quite likely direction for manufacturers to follow as they seek to differentiate their products.
“I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see further iterations in the same line from Sony and potentially a response from other manufacturers.
“The other viewpoint is that this is a belated and gimmicky attempt to cross-pollinate the smartphone and the handheld console, and apply the ‘PlayStation’ brand to the mobile space.
“The prevailing view is likely to be down to how successful the device is at retail, and that in turn will be affected by the manner in which both SCE and Sony Ericsson get behind the handset and the content available for it.”
http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/309...-mobile-gaming
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Catherine: Full Body’s English translation for the Vita