He has predicted it, Activision has denied it – but now outspoken US games analyst Michael Pachter has published his most detailed argument yet as to exactly why he believes Call of Duty: Black Ops will offer an additional paid-for multiplayer component.
“Multiplayer online game play is as strong as ever, with an estimated 15 million people spending an average of 10 hours a week playing games such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Halo 3, Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Red Dead Redemption,” he said in a note to investors.
“While downloadable content (DLC) sales have been strong (we estimate that Activision has sold 8m map packs at $15 in the first half of the year), revenues from DLC are insufficient to offset the declines in packaged goods sales resulting from the online multiplayer time vacuum created.
“In our view, it is likely that multiplayer online game play will continue to be offered for free, but we expect the publishers, led by Activision, to devise a way to extract value from consumers who are playing online.
“We estimate that four billion hours of game play have been spent on Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 online multiplayer alone. 20 million game purchasers would have spent around 250 million hours finishing the single player and co-op campaign modes. The incremental 3.75 billion hours spent playing online multiplayer dwarfs this figure, and represents the equivalent of 15 full-game equivalents that were not purchased from any publisher.”


That’s not it, though, Though Call of Duty: Black Ops will be the beginning, Pachter thinks a number of 2011’s biggest titles will ask for an online subscription.
“The premium services that we expect to be monetized are the sale of virtual goods, the opportunity to play in tournaments, the maintenance of achievements, the creation of ladders and leader boards, and access to value-added content,” Pachter added.
“We are not sure which direction that monetization will take, but expect to hear about future plans for charging for premium services some time between this earnings cycle and early 2011. We think that scheduled releases like Call of Duty Black Ops, Medal of Honor and Halo Reach, and unscheduled releases like Grand Theft Auto 5 all will contain the opportunity for gamers to pay more to the publishers. While we don’t think that anyone will be compelled to pay for premium content, we think that it is highly likely that the content will be offered for a fee, and that as a result, fewer hours will be spent playing these games for free than has been spent on their prior versions.”
Critics of Pachter’s theory argue that customers who have become accustomed to years of free console multiplayer will react in horror at the introduction of a new fee-based structure. Even if that is the case, the analyst argues that the model remains sound.
“Charging for premium content is important for two reasons: first, it should drive higher revenues and profits for the publishers who charge; and second, it is likely that the creation of premium content will limit the number of hours spent playing multiplayer games for free, thereby disaggregating a large number of consumers who will likely begin purchasing packaged products again,” he explains.
“At the margin, we expect somewhere around half of the current 15 million online game players to pay something for premium content, and expect the other half to play fewer hours online if the free experience is slightly less robust in the future. Should the 7.5 million people who choose to pay generate only $5.00 per month (around 11.5¢ per hour), publisher revenues and operating profits would increase by $450 million; should the other 7.5 million people purchase only one additional game per year to make up for fewer hours spent online, publisher revenues would grow by another $450 million.”
Pachter then goes on to conclude that the introduction of such fees could actually emerge as the catalyst that lifts gaming out of its current market slump.
“We think that premium online multiplayer content will be the event that turns the negative tide of industry sales around,” he blieves. “In our view, investors value recurring revenue streams far more than those from “hit driven” packaged products sales, and we think that once a premium service is established, likely by Activision, other publishers will quickly follow suit.
“As we said above, we do not think that charges for premium content will be mandatory, and we expect the publishers to continue to provide some form of online multiplayer for free. However, we think that the opportunity to charge something is too great to be overlooked by the publishers for much longer, and we expect to see Activision lead the way by creating a new system some time before the end of the year.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/40247/Pach...nline-COD-fees ...

Microsoft is offering those who have pre-ordered Xbox 360 RPG release Fable III the chance to design an in-game character who will appear in their quest when the game arrives on October 29th.
The Fable III Villager Maker, which is accessible via browsers, allows those who have pre-ordered the game the chance to create their own character.
Once the final game arrives the character will then present gamers with an exclusive quest, as well as supply them with 1,000 gold pieces. The character will also persist throughout the game.
2,000 variations are possible using the tool, including customisations to his or her appearance, back story, personality and homeland. Users will also be able to use the character is a custom PC desktop and share their creation on Facebook and Twitter.
“Whether you create a valiant ally, an evil villain, or perhaps the perfect spouse, let your imagination run free as you make your mark in the fantastical world of Fable III,” the press release reads.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/40251/Fabl...aker-goes-live ...

Global shipments of Android smartphones grew by 886 per cent last quarter, analysts have found.
Researchers attribute the unprecedented year-on-year rise in Q2 to new product launches from the likes of HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG.
Android devices represented a 34 per cent share of the US market in the quarter, making Google’s platform the country’s most popular.
“Our detailed and complete country-level smart phone shipment data for Q2 2010 clearly reveals the impressive momentum Android is gaining in markets around the world,” said Canalys VP and principal analyst Chris Jones. “These products have been well received by the market, with consumers eager to download and engage with mobile applications and services, such as Internet browsing, social networking, games and navigation.”
In terms of vendors, Nokia retained its substantial lead in the global smartphone market, with a 38 per cent share. The Finland-based firm shipped a record 23.8 million units during the quarter.

RIM was once again the second placed vendor, with BlackBerry shipments rising 41 per cent, thanks to the popularity of devices such as the Curve 8520. The firm had an 18 per cent market share in Q2.
Despite the iPhone 4 antenna debacle, Apple held a 13 per cent share of the market, representing 61 per cent growth.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/34122...-up-almost-900 ...

Game Trading Technologies Inc has announced that it is to launch its first ever games peripheral.
Now it has confirmed that it has designed, developed a produced what it describes as “a revolutionary plastic hockey stick that will be bundled with a new multi-player hockey video game for the Nintendo Wii platform”.
The company has risen to prominence in recent times having played a big part in supplying software for the pre-owned games aspirations of many US retailers including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Toys-R-Us, and 7-11.
GTTI CEO Todd Hays stated: “We are very pleased with the working relationship we've established with one of the world's largest entertainment software companies.
“With world-wide distribution of this game accessory, Game Trading Technologies not only opens up additional revenue channels, but also significant new market opportunities for GTTI in the design, development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art accessories for video games.”

GTTI recently announced a new iPhone app that will allow users to sell their games via their handsets.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/40246/GTTI...to-peripherals ...

Jet Set GamesTM today announced that HighbornTM, the critically and commercially successful turn-based strategy game, is now available with high-resolution artwork as Highborn HD on the iPad for an introductory price of $2.99.

Highborn HD, now live on the iTunes App Store at http://itunes.com/app/HighbornHD features re-designed maps with enhanced, high-resolution graphics.

“Highborn HD on the iPad really showcases the hand-drawn maps and the higher-resolution artwork we’ve been working hard on over the past few months,” said Rade Stojsavljevic, president of Jet Set Games. “It’s gorgeous, and well worth the price, even if you’ve already purchased the iPhone version. Especially now that the OpenFeint integration allows for multiplayer gaming against all iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch Highborn gamers.”

In Highborn, players are treated to two strategy games that combine to offer an intelligent, tactical experience without the frenetic play of a traditional RTS. Players move forces around an overhead map to secure spells and combat support, then dive into 3D combat to deploy those advantages against an unsuspecting enemy. All the fun and fighting is set against an irreverent tale, filled with wacky heroes, witty dialogue and wild assumptions.

Features:

A Light Touch – Highborn is a casual mobile strategy game that offers a satisfying experience for players, no matter if they spend minutes or hours in the game.
Time for a New Strategy – Highborn features a unique blend of strategic movement and 3D combat that caters to a variety of gameplay styles and offers a great deal of replayability.
Multiplay at Your Pace – Turn-based gaming enables players to think, then act, in round-based play via OpenFeint’s 30-million-person community. Players can have multiple games going at once, and can trash-talk their opponents in player-to-player chat.
Many Styles of Play – Players unlock hero characters as they progress through the game, giving them access to different abilities and play styles, along with different strategies to use against their opponents.
Achieve Greatness – More than 20 single- and multiplayer achievements to unlock, including judicious use of turns, using units as bait, and making it through an entire mission without capturing support structures. ...

Bulkypix, award winning iPhone and iPad games publisher today announced that following the successful launch of Snake Galaxy on the iPhone, the game has been ported to iPad and will be available on August the 4th, on the App Store.

Snake Galaxy is a three dimensional version of the classic Snake game, that has players slithering around beautifully rendered 3D planets. Your goal is simple—consume as many jewels as possible before you crash and burn. You direct the snake with your finger, guiding it toward the goodies while avoiding obstacles like giant letters, like on the gorgeous newspaper planet. With each jewel you consume, your “snake” grows a little longer, making it harder for you to avoid obstacles—and your tail.

There are point thresholds you must reach to unlock the next planet. In order to reach those point thresholds, you must eat the goodies in your path as fast as you can. There is a multiplier bar at the bottom of the screen that refills every time you feed your snake. But you must be careful not to let the bar zeroes out. If it does, you will have to start the multiplier chain all over from scratch. There are large diamonds that appear from time to time that are worth big points. Grabbing these before they vanish is critical for making it to the next stage.

The iPad makes the movement in the game feel natural and the controls make the game play beautifully accurate; you will salivate at the 3D environment of this game in motion. Snake Galaxy also features a great soundtrack, but you can listen to your own music while playing.

“The Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer's Edition has just declared that the mobile version of Snake is the most played game on the planet,” said Vincent Dondaine, COO of Bulkypix. “Snake Galaxy for the iPad is beautiful. The design of the 3D worlds is stunning. Different planets all have different types of fun obstacles to pass by, keeping you wondering what's next. You’ll enjoy yourself for hours.”

The game will be available on the iPad for 3.99€/ $4.99. ...

NaturalMotion Games have lifted the lid on Greathouse, the forthcoming update to their revolutionary, euphoria-powered football game, Backbreaker. The update introduces brand new features, gameplay enhancements and dozens of important tweaks, resulting in a greatly enriched Backbreaker experience.

“We are lucky to have such a passionate community who have supported us throughout the development of Backbreaker and continue to do so post-launch,” said Todd Gibbs, Head of Game Development, NaturalMotion Games. “Greathouse will give them what they have asked for, packed as it is with additions, changes, tweaks and requests taken directly from our online forums, reviews, as well as from individual players who spent time at our offices testing the latest features. I am extremely proud of what the team has managed to achieve in just a month.”

Major features in Greathouse include:

Brand new replay system with the addition of seven fully functional cameras, including free flight mode and a cinematic ‘ball-lock’ option.
More than 100 new plays added, including an additional nine formations.
Improved Quarterback camera view and passing game.
A user-catch system, giving the player a much greater level of control over the on-field action.
Interception control, the user is now given full control over interception attempts when controlling a defensive player.
Comprehensive review of the penalty rulings following an analysis of reported errors.

“We were stunned by the sheer volume of user videos that were posted on YouTube following the release of Backbreaker,” said Ant Lewis, Lead Designer, NaturalMotion Games. “It is obvious that the community loves the realism and live nature of the game and wants to share their unique moments. The new suite of cameras introduced with Greathouse will give them complete creative control over their footage and we are excited to see what appears as a result.”

The Greathouse update is currently progressing through final tuning and is scheduled for release in early August.

Backbreaker, developed by NaturalMotion Games and published worldwide by 505 Games, is the world’s first truly live sports title. Utilizing the studio’s own euphoria engine, Backbreaker brings a revolutionary in-game animation system to the on-field action, meaning no two tackles will ever be alike. Backbreaker is available on Xbox 360TM and PlayStation® 3. ...

The most expected MMORPG World of Dragons GOLD version has been launched by CorsairBand, multiplatform social online videogames developer and publisher.

Users play the role of a hero inside the devastated world of Iglion, where the Black Dragon´s return announces the end of the world. World of Dragons follows the big classics of MMORPG, where, besides playing in a huge virtual world, the player can find lots of options: races, classes, items, monsters, spells, etc.The community of the game is increasing, and at the moment there are more than 100.000 players who have started their adventures with the BETA version. The great difference between World of Dragons and its competitors is that it is presented as a multiplatform game, which has both, web and mobile versions that allow the player to access the game anywhere and anytime, just using an Internet device.

Now World of Dragons is available in more than 600 mobile devices, and Android and iPhone versions are under development, and both will be launched during the next months.

Players can find World of Dragons for free in the main mobile distribution channels, or in its official website www.worldofdragons.com ...

Grab your fedoras and pin stripe suits for Gamertag Radio’s Official Mafia II Community Launch Events in Miami and New York in August. Gamertag Radio (GTR) is excited to partner once again with 2K Games for the official Mafia II Community Launch Events, sponsored by Sony Playstation 3, Playboy, Scion, Game Juice, C.H.P. and more.

Starting August 22, 2010 Gamertag Radio will be partying it up in Miami at Grand Central (www.grandcentralmiami.com) along with DJ Sharpsound (www.freshbasilcrew.com) and live performances by Garcia (www.crazyhood.com) and ¡MAYDAY! (www.maydayonline.com). For a chance to check out the game, there will be Xbox 360’s and Sony Playstation 3’s on hand for attendees along with giveaways and more.

Special guest Miss Info from Hot97 (NYC) will be co-hosting the event along with GTR’s own Godfree and Peterocc. Doors open at 8pm. It's an Open Bar for the 1st 200 people at the door. Pre-Order Mafia II and present a valid receipt at the door to skip the line!

The party continues on August 28th, as GTR brings the party to Bronx to celebrate the launch with Miss Info and special guest Playboy’s Jo Garcia (http://www.playboy.com/gamernextdoor). Expect the same treatment up north as down south with giveaways, open bar for the 1st 200 attendees and the opportunity to skip to the front of the line with your receipt of a Mafia II pre-order.

For more information on the 2K Games Mafia II Community Launch Events, go to www.gamertagradio.com! ...