Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Science picks Dead Space 2 as 360's scariest game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/08/science-picks-dead-space-2-as-360s-scariest-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/08/science-picks-dead-space-2-as-360s-scariest-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/08/science-picks-dead-space-2-as-360s-scariest-game/#comments You could rely on your friends, game critics or helpful GameStop sales associates to tell you which games are scary, but that's so two-thousand-and-late. We're sticking with science, thanks to this helpful feature from Gamasutra, which used player feedback and biometric data to rate not only the most frightening games, but their most horrifying moments. [Update: The study itself was conducted by Vertical Slice, so if you're looking for dream jobs in the research field, that's where we'd start.)

A victor was picked, but some of the study's other conclusions were more interesting. For instance: The threat of combat was typically scarier than combat itself. Also, gore, while provocative, wasn't, particularly frightening. The game that understood those concepts the best? Well, that would be Dead Space 2, which took the brass ring over Condemned, Alan Wake and Resident Evil 5.

Presumably, Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis was not in the running.

JoystiqScience picks Dead Space 2 as 360's scariest game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>condemneddead-space-2gamasutrahorrormicrosoftresident-evil-5xboxThu, 08 Sep 2011 19:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Analysts consider dance genre 'bubble,' Ubisoft says more 'The Experience' games possible]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/analysts-consider-dance-genre-bubble-ubisoft-says-more-the-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/analysts-consider-dance-genre-bubble-ubisoft-says-more-the-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/analysts-consider-dance-genre-bubble-ubisoft-says-more-the-e/#comments Ubisoft's Just Dance and its successful clones like Michael Jackson: The Experience, along with Harmonix's Dance Central, have established the dance genre as a viable market for milking. Now the industry must play the delicate game of sucking the marrow dry without creating a zombie.

Gamasutra hit up go-to industry analysts Michael Pachter and Jesse Divnich for their takes on the sustainability of the genre. Both analysts essentially characterized dance games as part of a bubble that is largely unaffected by critical reception (UK hit Zumba Fitness has a 43 on Metacritic). "In short, yes, the dance category is a bubble," said Divnich, "much like most things in entertainment."

That doesn't mean that the bubble is about to burst -- or that the bottle of suds is close to empty. At least, Ubisoft is planning to keep on dipping in. The publisher's Tony Key teased that Michael Jackson: The Experience is "just the first 'The Experience' brand." He added that there's no reason why "another artist can't make a great dance game under 'The Experience brand,'" but didn't pitch any bright ideas. The Smurfs, anyone?

JoystiqAnalysts consider dance genre 'bubble,' Ubisoft says more 'The Experience' games possible originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analystsbubbledancedance-centralgamasutrajesse-divnichjust-dancejust-dance-2michael-jackson-the-experiencemichael-pachtermicrosoftnintendowiixboxMon, 25 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Former Blizzard dev starts Atomic Operations game studio]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/26/former-blizzard-dev-starts-atomic-operations-game-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/26/former-blizzard-dev-starts-atomic-operations-game-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/26/former-blizzard-dev-starts-atomic-operations-game-studio/#comments Industry veteran Chris Millar has been around -- he's been with Blizzard since the WarCraft II days, and has worked on everything from Black and White 2 to Fat Princess - but now he's off to head up his own company called Atomic Operations. In this quick Q&A with Gamasutra, he says that the company will be a grab-bag of methods and products, all using "an evolved production method similar to that of movies." They've already got a project out the door, too: Atomic is the company that's supporting Fat Princess, with the bugfixes released the other day and presumably more to come.

Millar and Atomic Operations join the multitude of other Blizzard veterans off working on their own companies. Let's see, there's Keith Lee and his crew at Booyah, the ex-Blizzard folks at Red 5 Studios, the unfortunate souls at Castaway Entertainment and Flagship Studios (now Gravity Bear and Gargantuan Studios), new WoW TCG licensees Cryptozoic, and a few other little developers and divisions headed up by ex-Blizzard devs. Whew, that's a whole lot of babies -- Blizzard is like the Zeus of gaming studios lately. What are they serving in the cafeteria over there, startup cola?

JoystiqFormer Blizzard dev starts Atomic Operations game studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-and-white-2blizzardcastaway-entertainmentcolacryptozoicdevelopersdivisionsdlcex-blizzardfat-princessflagship-studiosgamasutragargantuan-studiosgravity-bearkeith-leeprojectsred-5-studiosstartupstartupswarcraft-2warcraft-iiFri, 26 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Plummeting PS2 and PSP sales shrunk Sony's market share in 2009]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/18/plummeting-ps2-and-psp-sales-shrunk-sonys-market-share-in-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/18/plummeting-ps2-and-psp-sales-shrunk-sonys-market-share-in-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/18/plummeting-ps2-and-psp-sales-shrunk-sonys-market-share-in-2009/#comments For many, 2009 was the year Sony started turning things around: the PS3 finally dropped to an affordable price with an ad campaign that didn't give children nightmares. However, Gamasutra's Matt Matthews points out that in terms of revenue, 2009 is one of the worst years for the company. Whereas Sony was able to generate $6.4 billion in revenue from its family of PlayStation products in 2008, the company was only able to rake in $5.1 billion in 2009 -- that's a drop of $1.3 billion, or 20 percent.

While Microsoft and Nintendo also shed some revenue in the difficult economic climate, their losses seem insignificant in comparison: about $200 million each. Matthews notes that a large portion of Sony's lost revenue in 2009 comes from sagging sales of its decade-old PS2 platform. The (understandable) lack of software sales on the PS2 resulted in the loss of approximately $700 million in revenue, while hardware sales have contracted another $150 million.

The PSP also had a difficult year, and it appears the PSP Go hasn't turned around Sony's fortunes. According to Gamasutra's analysis, hardware and software sales on Sony's handheld shrank by about $425 million in 2009. With the demise of the PS2, and the languishing state of the PSP, Sony's former dominance of the market seems but a memory.

JoystiqPlummeting PS2 and PSP sales shrunk Sony's market share in 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analystgamasutrarevenuesonyMon, 18 Jan 2010 23:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo to Greenpeace: We do care about the environment]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/nintendo-to-greenpeace-we-do-care-about-the-environment/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/nintendo-to-greenpeace-we-do-care-about-the-environment/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/nintendo-to-greenpeace-we-do-care-about-the-environment/#comments Greenpeace harshed on Nintendo's eco-coolness last week, and this week the House that Miyamoto Built is firing back. It's released a statement to Gamasutra saying that it takes environmental responsibilities seriously, and that the company is committed to saving energy, making both of its consoles energy efficient and using carefully picked and clearly-labeled materials in an effort to make post-usage recycling easy.

To be fair to Nintendo, most of Greenpeace's argument against it was that the company didn't share information about what it did for the environment, and let's be honest here: Nintendo's not really one for sharing. While Nintendo did get blamed for increasing its CO2 emissions, most of Greenpeace's other complaints (as you can see in the PDF) were not actually about mistakes Nintendo was making, but its failure to share information or release reports about its operations. We can't really blame Nintendo for that -- on at least a few of its points, it seems Greenpeace's methodology was more responsible for the big N's bottom-of-the-barrel listing.

[Via GoNintendo]

JoystiqNintendo to Greenpeace: We do care about the environment originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSenergy-efficientgamasutragreenpeacemariomethodmiyamotoNintendorecyclingreportstatementWiiTue, 12 Jan 2010 03:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom: Wii is 'a tough market to crack']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/capcom-wii-is-a-tough-market-to-crack/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/capcom-wii-is-a-tough-market-to-crack/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/capcom-wii-is-a-tough-market-to-crack/#commentsFiled under:

Capcom spoke to Gamasutra recently about the difficulty in taking advantage of the Wii's huge user base -- it and other third-party developers have struggled for a long time to sell games to the casual folks who bought Nintendo's console, and Capcom's senior director of communications Chris Kramer says it hasn't gotten any easier. "If you're not Nintendo," he says frankly, "it does seem harder to make money on the Wii today compared to the PS3 and the Xbox 360."

So what's the solution? Fewer titles, higher quality. Kramer promises that Capcom will release fewer titles on the Wii in 2010, and that the few that do hit store shelves "will be much larger, event-size games." And he expects that other major developers will follow suit: You'll see "fewer games from the major third parties, like EA, Activision, and Ubisoft." If third parties don't see sales on the console, says Kramer, they'll stop developing for it.

JoystiqCapcom: Wii is 'a tough market to crack' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomconsolefeaturefewer-but-bettergamasutraNintendoreleasesthird-partythird-party-developertitlesWiizach-and-wikiFri, 08 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamasutra compiles the 99 best free games of 2009]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/04/gamasutra-compiles-the-99-best-free-games-of-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/04/gamasutra-compiles-the-99-best-free-games-of-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/04/gamasutra-compiles-the-99-best-free-games-of-2009/#comments These days and weeks after the holidays are traditionally some of the tightest fiscally, but Gamasutra reminds us that it's still possible to have fun without cracking open the ol' pocketbook with its recently released list of the best free games of 2009. We understand that we're probably losing you for the day with that link, and we want you to know we'll find a way to struggle forward alone.

Though we can't speak for the quality of most of the games on there, the site is already ahead of the curve by including Evidence of Everything Exploding, Jason Nelson's best game for sincerely unstable people since his last one.

JoystiqGamasutra compiles the 99 best free games of 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>free-gamesgamasutrajason-nelsonMon, 04 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Average CoD World at War player has spent $9 on DLC [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/npd-says-average-cod-world-at-war-player-has-spent-9-on-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/npd-says-average-cod-world-at-war-player-has-spent-9-on-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/npd-says-average-cod-world-at-war-player-has-spent-9-on-dlc/#comments
If there were any doubt left in your mind that Call of Duty is a popular franchise, a recent report from Gamasutra should firmly cement the fact in your mind. According to the piece, Call of Duty: World at War's three DLC packs digitally pushed 6.5 million units between March and mid-August of 2009 across the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

As you might imagine, those kind of numbers add up to a lot of extra revenue for the mega-publisher - the piece approximates a cool $45 million. Taking that one step further, the average cost of each box of CoD: WaW sold at retail becomes $65. We're not sure if that number accounts for the chunk taken out by Microsoft and Sony respectively for distribution, but even cut in half that's still a nice chunk of change.

So today, we'd like to officially announce that we're changing the site's name to Call of Duty: Joystiq. Call it a strategic business move - it's all about brand recognition, people!

Update: To be clear, the $45 million number is an approximation by Gamasutra, put together with information from NPD, EEDAR, and Activision PR. It was apparently calculated by taking 65% of 7 million units at $10 a piece, without accounting for giveaways or bundles.

JoystiqReport: Average CoD World at War player has spent $9 on DLC [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbusinesscall-of-dutycall-of-duty-world-at-wardigital-distributiondlcgamasutraMicrosoftnazi-zombiesnpdtreyarchworld-at-warworld-at-war-dlcXbox-360Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Batman: Arkham Asylum creator focused on quality over quantity, hasn't played BioShock]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/batman-arkham-asylum-creator-focused-on-quality-over-quantity/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/batman-arkham-asylum-creator-focused-on-quality-over-quantity/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/batman-arkham-asylum-creator-focused-on-quality-over-quantity/#comments
In a lengthy post-mortem with Gamasutra this week, Rocksteady Studios creative director Sefton Hill spoke his mind on a mess of topics regarding this summer's surprise hit, Batman: Arkham Asylum. "There are too many games out there that deliver lots of average content," Hill said when asked about the relative "tightness" of Batman in comparison with other games. Personal inspiration for the game's design came from places like Zelda and Metroid, two game series he's been a fan of "for years," as well as Silicon Knights' Eternal Darkness. And though Arkham's audio logs and "environment as a character" motif hearken back to 2007's BioShock, Hill claimed he's never played it. "It's on my list of games to get back into ... I can't say for me that was a big direct influence."

Truth be told, we're just scratching the surface of Gamasutra's thorough dissection of Batman -- a game we loved with all of our jaded, rancorous hearts -- so do yourself a favor and stroll through the entire five pages. Call it an afternoon treat! You deserve it, dearest Joystiq reader.

Gallery: Batman: Arkham Asylum

JoystiqBatman: Arkham Asylum creator focused on quality over quantity, hasn't played BioShock originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arkham-asylumbatmanbatman-arkham-asylumbioshocketernal-darknessgamasutrametroidMicrosoftpcpost-mortemrocksteadyrocksteady-studiossefton-hillXbox-360zeldaMon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Thank the Canadian government for these great games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/09/thank-the-canadian-government-for-these-great-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/09/thank-the-canadian-government-for-these-great-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/09/thank-the-canadian-government-for-these-great-games/#comments
Ever heard of Fez? How about N+? DeathSpank, maybe? If any of these games are near and dear to you like they are to us (we're looking at you, N+), then you have the Canadian government to thank. Government funding towards game development in Canada helped make each of the aforementioned games come to fruition, according to Gamasutra.

Similar initiatives are being proposed or practiced in many US cities, however, the Canadian government has a long history of promoting game development in the country. It even gave DeathSpank developer Hothead Games over a half million dollars -- to develop a game named DeathSpank! Though it'd be nice to say that such quality stuff was being developed in our backyards, we'll take what we can get. Good games are good games, no?

JoystiqThank the Canadian government for these great games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>canadadeathspankfezgamasutragame-developmentgovernment-fundinghotheadhothead-gamesn Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney Interactive posts 20 percent losses in third quarter, citing bad economy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/disney-interactive-posts-20-percent-losses-in-third-quarter-cit/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/disney-interactive-posts-20-percent-losses-in-third-quarter-cit/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/disney-interactive-posts-20-percent-losses-in-third-quarter-cit/#comments
Businesses don't adhere to the same rules we silly humans do; the cycle of the Earth around the sun, for instance. Disney Interactive Media Group is no exception, posting its quarter three financial results -- the quarter that ends in June, folks -- just this week. According to Gamasutra, revenue dropped by $29 million year over year, which company CEO Robert A. Iger said during a conference call was due to "adverse economic conditions."

Though Iger didn't specifically spell it out, we would imagine that investing in the development of multiple major titles in Split/Second and, um ... whatever it is that Warren Spector's working on at Junction Point isn't helping with the money intake either. The CEO is positive about the future, but remains worried about the current economy, saying, "We do see signs of economic stabilization, but the pace and strength of recovery remain uncertain and we are managing accordingly." We're guessing it's a bad time to ask for those free passes to Epcot?

JoystiqDisney Interactive posts 20 percent losses in third quarter, citing bad economy originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdisneydisney-interactiveeconomyepic-mickeygamasutrajunction-pointjunction-point-studiosrecessionrobert-igersplit-secondFri, 31 Jul 2009 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Sims 3 sells over 800K copies in US first month]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/23/sims-3-sells-over-800k-copies-in-us-first-month/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/23/sims-3-sells-over-800k-copies-in-us-first-month/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/23/sims-3-sells-over-800k-copies-in-us-first-month/#comments
EA's piracy demo program apparently paid off as Gamasutra reports The Sims 3 sold 820,000 retail copies this June in the US. Digging a little deeper into the numbers, the site believes the game has hit 2.5 million sales globally, which means it may reach analyst projections of 4 million units cha-chinged by year's end.

With vampires, built-in microtransactions, and an inevitable assembly line of expansion packs planned, The Sims 3 has only begun to pour coal into its money train. How does one say "bagiggles of cash" in Simlish?

JoystiqSims 3 sells over 800K copies in US first month originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaelectronic-artsgamasutrasims-3Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360 and DS see significant growth, in spite of industry slowdown]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/22/xbox-360-and-ds-see-significant-growth-in-spite-of-industry-slo/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/22/xbox-360-and-ds-see-significant-growth-in-spite-of-industry-slo/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/22/xbox-360-and-ds-see-significant-growth-in-spite-of-industry-slo/#comments
The video game industry is not "recession-proof," as many have trumpeted. So far, the industry has seen a 12 percent decline in revenue in the first half of 2009 versus the same period in 2008. Sales of hardware have slowed down as well, with Nintendo selling 13 percent fewer Wii systems and PS3 selling 30 percent less. There are a few bright spots, however.

Gamasutra notes that Microsoft has "caught its second wind," selling a dramatic 21 percent more Xbox 360 units so far this year. (Aaron Greenberg was right!) This achievement is even more remarkable when one considers the challenges of this economic climate. Astoundingly, the Nintendo DS has also managed to increase its sales, which begs the question: Who doesn't already own one -- or two? When coupled with the newly introduced DSi, combined sales of Nintendo handhelds have gone up more than 56 percent from last year.

Sony continues to struggle with its PlayStation trifecta, as the aging PS2 slowly loses its relevance and consumers appear reluctant to spend $400 on a PS3. We'd continue this paragraph, but it's pretty clear what Sony needs to do if it wants to turn things around.

JoystiqXbox 360 and DS see significant growth, in spite of industry slowdown originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSdsieconomygamasutraMicrosoftNintendonpdsalesXbox-360Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rag Doll Kung Fu was the most downloaded PSN game in April]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/rag-doll-kung-fu-was-the-most-downloaded-psn-game-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/rag-doll-kung-fu-was-the-most-downloaded-psn-game-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/rag-doll-kung-fu-was-the-most-downloaded-psn-game-in-april/#comments

Rag Doll Kung Fu has the honor of being the most-bought PSN game in the US during the month of April, according to Gamasutra's monthly top ten list. In case you're wondering, the game was made completely free to download for a week on May 14. That may result in the game staying put at the top of the list when next months results roll in, too.

Comet Crash debuts at number six this month, with the only other new game, Flock, not even being placed in the top ten. Bit of a shame, in our opinion. We would've liked to have seen it do much better. However, it's good to see that some of the PS3's more quirky games are still going strong, such as Flower, Linger In Shadows and Noby Noby Boy.

JoystiqRag Doll Kung Fu was the most downloaded PSN game in April originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 May 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamasutrapsnrag-doll-kung-fuTue, 26 May 2009 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Wal-Mart wants your copy of NFL 2K1: Now accepting trade-ins]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/wal-mart-wants-your-copy-of-nfl-2k1-now-accepting-trade-ins/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/wal-mart-wants-your-copy-of-nfl-2k1-now-accepting-trade-ins/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/wal-mart-wants-your-copy-of-nfl-2k1-now-accepting-trade-ins/#comments
Adding to the already robust list of big box retailers offering game trade-ins, Wal-Mart is apparently entering the fray with a variety of less than fantastically functioning trade-in kiosks (read as: robots). Some photos were snapped by the folks at NeoCrisis and, according to the writer's experience, GameStop probably shouldn't be too worried, as no games were actually able to be traded in.

Gamasutra spoke with Wal-Mart and has found out that the kiosks belong to E-Play, a company that specializes in game rental and trade-in kiosks that are hosted in a variety of locations. The current set of machines are part of a now running pilot program, found in only 0.02 percent of Wal-Mart's 3,656 US outlets. Good news, though! The machines are said to accept games from the Xbox and PlayStation 2 era as well, so you can finally get rid of that copy of Blinx you were really hoping would become rare some day!

Source 1 - CheapAssGamer
Source 2 - NeoCrisis
Source 3 - Gamasutra

JoystiqWal-Mart wants your copy of NFL 2K1: Now accepting trade-ins originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 May 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesscheapassgamere-playeconomygamasutraneocrisistrade-inused-gameswal-martMon, 18 May 2009 15:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Creditors fight back: MIdway gets sued]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/creditors-fight-back-midway-gets-sued/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/creditors-fight-back-midway-gets-sued/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/creditors-fight-back-midway-gets-sued/#comments
Sumner Redstone, his daughter Shari (a former Midway board member, mind you) and the mysterious Mark Thomas are all being sued, among others, by the various creditors that a nearly penniless Midway owes money to. Gamasutra obtained a copy of a 29-page lawsuit, detailing the alleged financial liberties taken by Midway's board (as well as the majority stockholders -- Sumner Redstone and now Mark Thomas), which accuses specific people of "breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and unjust enrichment."

The suit claims Midway's current financial situation as one that "arises out of a series of disastrous and ill-advised financial transactions that largely occurred during 2008," further positing that Midway's board "either approved of the transactions or, upon learning of them, looked the other way -- taking no steps to investigate and unwind them." According to the report, Redstone's now famous infamous sale of Midway to Mark Thomas for only $100,000 was an effort to obtain a "massive tax refund," sacrificing Midway in the process. Finally, the suit states that Midway, as a company, has been "insolvent" since some time in late 2007 and its board of directors simply turned a blind eye, allowing the company to sink further into debt.

Oh, and Frank from legal? Your wife wants you home. She knows you've been pretending to go to work for the last seven months.

JoystiqCreditors fight back: MIdway gets sued originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesseconomygamasutralawsuitlegalmark-thomasmidwaynational-amusementsshari-redstonesumner-redstoneTue, 12 May 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney Interactive revenue down citing lack of console games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/07/disney-interactive-revenue-down-citing-lack-of-console-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/07/disney-interactive-revenue-down-citing-lack-of-console-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/07/disney-interactive-revenue-down-citing-lack-of-console-games/#comments
Disney Interactive has been having a pretty rough year. The company kicked off 2009 with a handful of layoffs, and now, according to reports at Gamasutra, it's also facing a near 20 percent drop in year-over-year revenue. Big surprise? Not exactly, considering the publisher only internally published a handful of games last year (including critically acclaimed Pure and not so critically acclaimed Turok).

Also not a big surprise, Disney Interactive prez and CEO Bob Iger cites "the weak economy and other factors" when explaining his company's less than fantastic financial situation. Let's just hope Warren Spector's "epic" Mickey Mouse game can help to bolster Disney's 2009 lineup.

JoystiqDisney Interactive revenue down citing lack of console games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 May 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdisneydisney-interactiveeconomygamasutrapurerecessionturokwarren-spectorThu, 07 May 2009 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft continues layoffs, Massive allegedly hit the worst [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/06/microsoft-continues-layoffs-massive-allegedly-hit-the-worst/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/06/microsoft-continues-layoffs-massive-allegedly-hit-the-worst/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/06/microsoft-continues-layoffs-massive-allegedly-hit-the-worst/#comments
According to multiple reports this morning, the second round of Microsoft layoffs has affected Microsoft's in-game advertising arm, Massive. Apparently as much as 75 percent of the staff has been cut, according to anonymous sources at VentureBeat.

"As part of the plan we announced in January to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, today we are eliminating additional positions across several areas of the company ... Microsoft is not breaking out layoff figures by divisions," a rep for Microsoft told Gamasutra. We've contacted Massive and Microsoft for confirmation of the layoff numbers and will update this story when we hear more. If you were affected by the layoffs and want to speak with us (anonymously or otherwise), please feel free to shoot us an email.

Update: Microsoft and Massive have responded to our emails and corrected reports from this morning.


Source 1 - Gamasutra
Source 2 - VentureBeat
Source 3 - BigDownload

JoystiqMicrosoft continues layoffs, Massive allegedly hit the worst [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 May 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesseconomygamasutralayoffsmassivemicrosoftventurebeatXbox-360Wed, 06 May 2009 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Extensive overview of GameStop reveals rising profits, world domination plans]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/extensive-overview-of-gamestop-reveals-rising-profits-world-dom/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/extensive-overview-of-gamestop-reveals-rising-profits-world-dom/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/extensive-overview-of-gamestop-reveals-rising-profits-world-dom/#comments
Looking at this examination of GameStop's sales over at Gamasutra, it's hard to not get frustrated thinking about how much money the used game monolith is making on our undying urge to play "the next big thing." Pulling figures from the 10-K filings made each year by the company with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Gamasutra noticed some interesting figures. Notably among those: "between 41 and 46 percent" of the company's gross profits are coming from used game sales alone.

And how much is the company making, on the dollar, for each dollar they invest in the used game market? According to the analysis, GameStop is making 48 cents on every 100 spent in the used games trade -- a nearly 50% profit margin on a service that accounts for "22 percent to 28 percent of GameStop's revenue."

Though GameStop's plans for world domination weren't explicitly spelled out in the 10-K, we expect to hear more about them in the coming months. Alright, alright -- fine, you got us. GameStop isn't planning global domination ... yet.

JoystiqExtensive overview of GameStop reveals rising profits, world domination plans originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10-kanalysisbusinessearningsgamasutragamestopsecused-gamesWed, 29 Apr 2009 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MadWorld places relationship between online hype and actual sales in doubt]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/madworld-places-relationship-between-online-hype-and-actual-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/madworld-places-relationship-between-online-hype-and-actual-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/madworld-places-relationship-between-online-hype-and-actual-sale/#commentsAnalytics firm OTX Research seems to already be making a name for itself after announcing intentions last month to track game sales. Speaking at the LA Games Conference, OTX's Nick Williams explained the surprisingly weak connection between strong online awareness of a game versus actual, hard sales numbers, citing Sega's recently released MadWorld as a striking example.

Noting the game's top position among IGN.com's games with the "highest level of unique interest," MadWorld came in at a paltry number 41 using OTX's "GamePlan" metric, a system that measures "1,000 gamers on a weekly basis, tracking 400 games at any given time." This translates to a bleak eight percent of Wii owners having even heard of the title, much less purchasing it (that's .32 percent according to April's MadWorld sales data compared with the 20 million Wii owners in the US currently). Hmm, we wonder what that data would look like for Grand Theft Auto's recent foray onto Nintendo's massively popular handheld!

It took an awful lot of numbers right there to explain an idea we've all quietly agreed upon for so long now -- hype and marketing in the "hardcore" gaming world doesn't necessarily equal copies moving at retail. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be over here playing BlazBlue.

JoystiqMadWorld places relationship between online hype and actual sales in doubt originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysisgamasutraignla-games-conferencemadworldmetricsnick-williamsNintendootxotx-researchplatinum-gamessegaWiiWed, 29 Apr 2009 16:25:00 EST<![CDATA[What defines a 'casual' game?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/what-defines-a-casual-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/what-defines-a-casual-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/what-defines-a-casual-game/#comments
James Portnow, game designer at Divide by Zero Games, has an editorial up on Gamasutra examining the definition of "casual games." The term has taken on a strange life of its own over the last few years, especially when a game like Braid wins the Interactive Achievement Award for "best casual game." How many within the industry would consider defining Braid as "casual"?

So, what is casual? Portnow believes it's hard to define, but the quick and dirty answer is: a game that can be played in short sessions, lacks finality and is "replayable ad nauseam." Now, that could mean Bejeweled, but it may also include "hardcore" darlings like Geometry Wars.

His analysis concludes, with full recognition of how obvious the answer is: a game with simple mechanics that takes skill and time to master is the key to making casual games for the hardcore. Portnow's piece is worth reading all the way through and certainly requires some introspection as the term "casual game" becomes ever more muddled.

JoystiqWhat defines a 'casual' game? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualcasual-gamesdivide-by-zerogamasutrajames-portnowWed, 29 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision and Gibson settle Guitar Hero patent lawsuit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/25/activision-and-gibson-settle-guitar-hero-patent-lawsuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/25/activision-and-gibson-settle-guitar-hero-patent-lawsuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/25/activision-and-gibson-settle-guitar-hero-patent-lawsuit/#comments
Earlier this month, Activision and Gibson Guitar Corporation (the guitar manufacturer) settled the year-old litigation over a patent dispute, according to court documents obtained by Gamastura. With all the lawsuits we've been writing about recently, you'd think we'd see more posts like this every once in a while, right?

The terms of the settlement haven't been released as of yet and we've requested comment from both companies. Confusing the situation even more is Gibson's recent loss in ... umm ... another case with the publisher, we suppose? Perhaps the two companies will explain.

Activision remains engaged on another music/rhythm game front with Genius Products ... via 7 Studios, its development studio, over Scratch: The Ultimate DJ. Like us, you'll just have to wait patiently until the tantalizing results of that lawsuit come to light.

JoystiqActivision and Gibson settle Guitar Hero patent lawsuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionactivision-blizzardbusinessgamasutragibsonguitar-herolawsuitlitigationsettlementSat, 25 Apr 2009 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Court approves Square Enix buyout of Eidos]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/court-approves-square-enix-buyout-of-eidos/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/court-approves-square-enix-buyout-of-eidos/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/court-approves-square-enix-buyout-of-eidos/#comments
We're really beginning to understand why more corporate buyouts don't happen. It was reported yesterday that a court has approved the Square Enix purchase of Eidos -- the third and (hopefully) final approval the Japanese publishing house needs before officially acquiring UK-based Eidos. According to Gamasutra, Eidos' board of directors confirmed the transfer of the company's titles Tomb Raider and Deus Ex (among others), while the court has acknowledged its delisting in the company's native country, effective as of last night.

And so it seems all there is left to do now is make silly combinations of the companies' names, as per the image above. Squeidos? Square Enixos? Kane & Enix: Dead Square? Alright, we're reaching a bit much with that last one ... we'll admit it.

JoystiqCourt approves Square Enix buyout of Eidos originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businssdeus-exeidosgamasutrasquare-enixtakeovertomb-raiderWed, 22 Apr 2009 13:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision: The Ultimate Lawsuit -- day two]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/15/activision-the-ultimate-lawsuit-day-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/15/activision-the-ultimate-lawsuit-day-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/15/activision-the-ultimate-lawsuit-day-two/#comments
Day two of news regarding the Scratch: The Ultimate DJ LLC vs. Activision lawsuit has arrived, and with it a comprehensive analysis of the "full 30-page complaint" by way of Gamasutra. Before we launch into that though, we first put this question to you, dearest readers: What the heck do we call this thing? Scratch-gate? Court Scratch Fever? Breakin' (the law) 2: Electric Boogaloo? You tell us!

Aside from the litany of information we already know, the piece paints an interesting tale of tortuous interference on the side of DJ Hero publisher Activision ostensibly strong-arming Scratch: The Ultimate DJ developer Genius Products (and its partner, Numark) into releasing its game later than Activision's. Furthermore, the suit alleges that 7 Studios, former contracted developer of Scratch for Genius Products (and recently purchased by Activision), is still withholding "nine custom-manufactured turntable and beat-button game controllers" belonging to Numark.

To help break down the analysis with significantly more expertise and clarity, we contacted LGJ columnist Mark Methenitis, who had this to say:

"If you thought Silicon Knights vs. Epic had the potential to get ugly, imagine the stakes when the next major branch of the music game genre hangs in the balance. Taking Genius's claims at face value, Activision is basically trying to bully them out of the market so that Activision's own DJ Hero can become the top billing DJ-based music game. This is similar to the claim that Silicon Knights made, where they alleged Epic was neglecting the Unreal Engine 3 licensees to benefit Gears of War. The major difference here is when Activision couldn't buy the game, it bought the developer to control the game's development and attempt to force the hand of Genius. This gets into tortuous interference with the existing development agreement, the basic gist of which is that as a third party, you're not allowed to interfere with someone else's contract. Of course, there's likely another side to this story, which I'm sure Activision will present in its answer to Genius's claims."

JoystiqActivision: The Ultimate Lawsuit -- day two originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7-studiosactivisionbreakin-the-law-2-electric-boogaloogamasutragenius-productslawsuitmark-methenitisnumarkscratch-the-ultimate-djtortuous-interferenceWed, 15 Apr 2009 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst: Investing in Wii development is 'fool's gold']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/08/analyst-investing-in-wii-development-is-fools-gold/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/08/analyst-investing-in-wii-development-is-fools-gold/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/08/analyst-investing-in-wii-development-is-fools-gold/#comments Cowen & Company's Doug Creutz thinks the Nintendo Wii installed base numbers are misleading and he's not afraid to tell the world. When asked by Gamasutra which system developers are best off investing in, he said, "The choice here is really between investing for the Xbox 360 and PS3 -- since their capabilities are fairly similar -- or the Wii. I would caution investors and developers that the larger installed base of the Wii is really a bit of a red herring."

Creutz explained that while there are 19 million Wiis on the loose in the US, the combined numbers for Xbox 360 and PS3 still edge out the Wii by 3 million units. Creutz continued, "I think the Wii installed base represents, to a certain extent, fool's gold for someone looking to invest in video game development." We'll keep that in mind once we get Joystiq Publishing off the ground.

JoystiqAnalyst: Investing in Wii development is 'fool's gold' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessconsolewarscowen-groupdevelopmentdoug-creutzeconomygamasutrainstall-basejoystiq-publishingNintendoWiiWed, 08 Apr 2009 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[EA is 'very, very pro independent development,' says DeMartini]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/20/ea-is-very-very-pro-independent-development-says-demartini/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/20/ea-is-very-very-pro-independent-development-says-demartini/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/20/ea-is-very-very-pro-independent-development-says-demartini/#comments
In what seems to be a multiple year-spanning sea change on the side of EA, the company is not only reaching out to independent developers like Grasshopper Manufacture and Valve, but also working with them to keep their properties autonomous. Chris Remo of Gamasutra sat down with David DeMartini, General Manager of EA Partners, to discuss the idea behind EAP and, in doing so, revealed some interesting truths about the EA initiative.

"I think that there is very much a renaissance within the EAP based on the leadership of Electronic Arts ... John Riccitiello and Frank Gibeau are very, very pro-independent development," says DeMartini, referring to titles like American McGee's Alice sequel and Suda 51's upcoming game (still untitled), as well as Valve-developed Left 4 Dead. The "renaissance," he believes, isn't spurred by the way in which the EA Partners program has been set up, so much as it's been a focus on "great quality."

While last year's Mirror's Edge and Left 4 Dead might not have sold huge numbers out of the gate, there is no doubt that their critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive. To add credence to his argument, sales of both titles have held steady as time goes on."What we've proven is that there is no one model. What we have also proven is quality and innovation always win." Not a terrible truth to arrive at, if we must say so ourselves.

JoystiqEA is 'very, very pro independent development,' says DeMartini originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business-modelschris-remodavid-demartinidead-spaceeaea-partnerseapElectronic-Artsgamasutraindependent-developersleft-4-deadmirrors-edgeFri, 20 Mar 2009 17:10:00 EST<![CDATA[New PixelJunk in early 2009, Dungeons coming later]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/new-pixeljunk-in-early-2009-dungeons-coming-later/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/new-pixeljunk-in-early-2009-dungeons-coming-later/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/new-pixeljunk-in-early-2009-dungeons-coming-later/#commentsFiled under:

Kentaro Yoshida, one of Q-Games' studio directors, has confirmed in an interview with GamaSutra that a new PixelJunk game will be with us soon. Sooner than we'd anticipated, in fact. Yoshida says that "a new team has started in on the next PixelJunk project. We have not yet begun publicizing the game, but it is on schedule to be released in early 2009." That's now!

It seems that the game that was announced at GDC 2008, PixelJunk Dungeons, will not be the fourth in the series. It requires more development time and, as a result, will be released at some point after PixelJunk 4. Whatever that may be. Yoshida also states that "2D graphics have been a hallmark of the series so far, but we are looking to incorporate 3D graphics and take the series in new directions." An exciting prospect. Hopefully a 3D PixelJunk will retain the charm of the 2D versions.

JoystiqNew PixelJunk in early 2009, Dungeons coming later originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamasutrakentaro-yoshidapixeljunkpixeljunk-4pixeljunk-dungeonsq-gamesTue, 13 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[NPD reveals Top 5 console games of '08 ... so far]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/npd-reveals-top-5-console-games-of-08-so-far/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/npd-reveals-top-5-console-games-of-08-so-far/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/npd-reveals-top-5-console-games-of-08-so-far/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


As we head into the last stretch of the year, which is synonymous with a glut of titles flooding the market, it's worth seeing what the top titles in 2008 were up to this point. Gamasutra, using data from NPD, has posted the Top 5 titles for consoles up until August. Don't expect any surprises: Grand Theft Auto IV is in the top spot for PS3 and Xbox 360, while Super Smash Bros. Brawl is champion on the Wii.

The Wii certainly is the most interesting of the lists, with four out of the five SKUs belonging to games with included with some sort of peripheral (Mario Kart, Wii Fit, Wii Play and Guitar Hero III). Gamasutra also estimates that the software sales of the top five Wii titles combined is about 12 million units, nearly double that of the top five on the other consoles (separately). Of course, the year isn't over yet.

JoystiqNPD reveals Top 5 console games of '08 ... so far originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamasutragta-ivGuitar-Hero-IIIMario-KartnpdPS3SSBBWiiWii-FitWii-PlayXbox-360Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analysts: Board games are the next big thing]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/analysts-board-games-are-the-next-big-thing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/analysts-board-games-are-the-next-big-thing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/analysts-board-games-are-the-next-big-thing/#commentsFiled under:


Gamasutra got a cadre of analysts together to look into crystal balls, read tea leaves, and guess what the next big breakout genre will be following the rhythm game's ascension with Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The analysts' guess? The board game. Yes, the humble board game put on a TV (or in the case of Scene It?, being tweaked a bit) is what the group thought would be the next über genre.

Jesse Divnich of simExchange believes that Scene It?, which released last month, will be a "moderate success" and Ben Bajarian of Creative Strategies uses the term "social gaming" to describe this genre of titles. He says that families are still looking for a "board game" to play together, with the natural evolution being to do so on a console. It probably doesn't hurt their hypothesis that the board games we've seen translated to consoles so far (Scene It?, Carcassonne, Catan) have been very effective. With any luck, European games like Alhambra and Puerto Rico will become digital experiences to be enjoyed by those who missed out on them in America. Oh, and would someone get on Scotland Yard and Café International, please?

JoystiqAnalysts: Board games are the next big thing originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analystsboard-gamesboardgamesgamasutraTue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamasutra gives a look behind BioShock]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/gamasutra-gives-a-look-behind-bioshock/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/gamasutra-gives-a-look-behind-bioshock/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/gamasutra-gives-a-look-behind-bioshock/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Thanks to decades of hard living and abuse of over-the-counter cold medicine, we're just a couple of months away from completely forgetting BioShock and being able to experience it again for the first time. Until then though, we've had to entertain ourselves with pieces like this one from Gamasutra which explores the classy first-person shooter from its roots.

It's a fascinating look at the game's evolution, especially 2K's Alyssa Finley's revelation that the instincts of the team, in many respects, were wrong about how well players would be able to understand the game. It's a reminder that as much as brilliant games are a product of creativity, they're often equally the result of some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

JoystiqGamasutra gives a look behind BioShock originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2kbostonbioshockgamasutraPCXbox-360Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:56:00 EST<![CDATA[ESRB explains how game ratings work]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/16/esrb-explains-how-game-ratings-work/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/16/esrb-explains-how-game-ratings-work/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/16/esrb-explains-how-game-ratings-work/#commentsFiled under:


The ESRB is drawing back the curtain on how they rate games. ESRB president Patricia Vance explains to Gamasutra that they employ six full-time raters who are hired in a "fairly straightforward interview process." These people review a DVD or videotape created by the games' publisher regarding the content up for consideration. Vance says they prefer raters who have experience with children, whether it be their own or through their profession, and are able to express thier views regarding content. The raters don't have to be gamers, but they do need to know how to use a controller because "part of their job is to test final product after its release to confirm that the original submission materials prepared by the publisher reflected the final product."

Vance says rating games can be difficult, especially in deciding what language to use as descriptors on the box. A prime example she uses is if an animated looking character smacks another over the head with a frying pan; is that "Comic Mischief" or "Mild Cartoon Violence?" She also says that the presence of sensitive social issues like sexual or racial stereotyping has led to "internal debate" on how to address these issues in the rating. We would have to laugh (and be disturbed) if the rating labels ever started warning of "Ridiculous Cleavage" or "Potential Homosexual Content."

JoystiqESRB explains how game ratings work originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>esrbgamasutrapatriciavancevanceTue, 16 Oct 2007 16:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamasutra dissects open world games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/gamasutra-dissects-open-world-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/gamasutra-dissects-open-world-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/gamasutra-dissects-open-world-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Following up on his recent look at difficulty in game design, Gamasutra's John Harris is at it again, this time offering an ample look at what he calls 'open world games' -- titles, according to Harris, where a player is dropped into a larger world and left to figure things out on his or her own. Like his difficult games feature, the lion's share of the article is spent looking at specific examples of games he feels fit this mold, from arcade and 8-bit classics to more contemporary examples like the Grand Theft Auto series.

Interestingly, despite GTA's inclusion in the list, Harris concedes that most of the article is spent talking about older games, an observation for which he makes no apology. According to Harris, older games feature "more elemental designs," meaning they don't get all caught up in trying to be more than just a game. Even so, the list is pretty random, with nods to titles such as Cadash, Crazy Taxi, and even Warren Robinett's Atari 2600 classic Adventure, while MMOs go strangely ignored. This last bit seems more peculiar given that that author himself spends time writing scripts for Second Life, but it is an interesting read nonetheless.

[Disclaimer: I wrote for Gamasutra from March 2006 to August 2007.]

JoystiqGamasutra dissects open world games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurecadashcrazytaxigamasutragtaWed, 26 Sep 2007 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamasutra looks at 20 difficult games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/31/gamasutra-looks-at-20-difficult-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/31/gamasutra-looks-at-20-difficult-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/31/gamasutra-looks-at-20-difficult-games/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Believe it or not, building difficulty into games isn't just about making them more impossible. John Harris over at Gamasutra takes the long route to prove this in an extended look into difficulty in game design. The majority of the feature is spent looking at specific cases of legitimately difficult games, dissecting their design and coming away with lessons learned from each.

Harris concedes that most intelligently difficult games are much older, and typically don't have a "lose" condition. The list includes hair-pulling classics like Defender, Sinistar, and Lode Runner, as well as a few more recent titles like Super Monkey Ball. It's a good read for anyone interested in game design.

John Harris also writes the excellent @Play column for GameSetWatch, which focuses on a long history of games classified as "roguelikes."

JoystiqGamasutra looks at 20 difficult games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defendergamasutragamedesignjohnharrisloderunnersinistarsupermonkeyballFri, 31 Aug 2007 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Line Rider inspired by Gamasutra]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/03/line-rider-inspired-by-gamasutra/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/03/line-rider-inspired-by-gamasutra/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/03/line-rider-inspired-by-gamasutra/#commentsFiled under:


We've exerted our influence on game design a few times before-- and by "a few times" we mean "once", and by "game design" we mean "a subtitle." It hardly compares to Gamasutra's accidental influence on Line Rider.

The creator of the Flash game, soon to be a DS and Wii game, didn't know enough about physics, and therefore couldn't make the physics-based game we all enjoy. That is, until he saw an article on Gamasutra with simple physics calculations laid out in pseudocode. He adapted the pseudocode into real code, integrated it with a drawing tool, and Line Rider was born. We love hearing about gaming websites Making a Difference. We'd love to feel useful someday ourselves!

JoystiqLine Rider inspired by Gamasutra originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamasutralineriderphysicsFri, 03 Aug 2007 10:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamers don't use consoles as DVD players [Update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/29/sorry-sony-console-buyers-dont-care-about-watching-movies/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/29/sorry-sony-console-buyers-dont-care-about-watching-movies/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/29/sorry-sony-console-buyers-dont-care-about-watching-movies/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A new research report by The Diffusion Group has found that only a small percentage of console owners actually use the inherent DVD playback capabilities of their PS2s and Xbox 360s.

According to the report, 80% of console owners have DVD playback options on at least one of their systems, but a staggering 70% didn't even realize that the feature was available. The report concludes that despite the best efforts of companies like Microsoft and Sony, consumers are still using video game consoles to play games, and rarely use them for non-gaming purposes.

For the Xbox 360 and PS2, this may be due in large part to the prolificacy of standalone DVD players, but that's not the case with the Playstation 3. Earlier this week, we reported that PS3 sales make up the bulk of Blu-ray disc players in homes, with less than 100,000 standalone players sold thus far in North America. If PS3 owners aren't using their systems to watch movies, or even aware that the option exists, that spells bad news for Sony's shiny blue format.

Update: We received a tip that clued us in to some inaccuracies in our original source for this post, specifically relating to Blu-ray discs. Though the report does bring up Sony's Playstation 3, the research only covers consoles with DVD playback, meaning that the numbers do not reflect Blu-ray sales or the PS3, contrary to our original assumptions.

JoystiqGamers don't use consoles as DVD players [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bluraydvdgamasutraPS2PS3videoXbox-360Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The History of Zork examines a legend]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/28/the-history-of-zork-examines-a-legend/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/28/the-history-of-zork-examines-a-legend/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/28/the-history-of-zork-examines-a-legend/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The idea of a commercially successful videogame with nary a single picture is, in today's market, absurd. But there was a day when the typed word reigned supreme, and Zork was the undisputed king. Gamasutra has just posted a thorough history of Zork discussing its lasting impact on games and the gaming community. The article is the first in what will be a series of features presenting detailed official histories of each of the first ten games voted into the Digital Game Canon.

A whole generation of gamers have grown up with graphics as the centerpiece of entertainment. Many haven't played a single text-based game, let alone the granddaddy of them all. Despite its downtrodden reputation with the "new, hip" modern gamer, interactive fiction is thriving with authors such as Emily Short stretching the boundaries with every release. Even though text adventures aren't as flashy, they're the stuff real gaming is made of.

JoystiqThe History of Zork examines a legend originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamasutrainteractivefictionMacPCtextadventurezorkThu, 28 Jun 2007 19:25:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP hardware to undergo refreshing change?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/17/psp-hardware-to-undergo-refreshing-change/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/17/psp-hardware-to-undergo-refreshing-change/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/17/psp-hardware-to-undergo-refreshing-change/#commentsFiled under:

When speaking of PSP, many gamers come up with one of two qualms. Firstly, the absence of a PSP store, similar to the PLAYSTATION Store found on PS3 consoles. As we reported earlier, this problem is finally being addressed. The second complaint -- a much more common one -- is the hardware design: many people are clamoring for a revised PSP design.

Well, looks like that's going to be happening too. While unlikely to be a true successor to the PSP hardware, Sony seems intent on making a slightly altered system. In a statement that Gamasutra picked up, it appears that Sony is working on a "hardware refresh." Certainly, an interesting choice of words. What could a "hardware refresh" mean? It could be something as simple as a new system color ... or it could be something far more drastic, akin to the change from the original DS Phat to the sexier DS Lite.

Let the speculation and conspiracy theories begin.

JoystiqPSP hardware to undergo refreshing change? originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2007 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamasutrapspredesignThu, 17 May 2007 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Grimm news for GameTap and American McGee]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/17/grimm-news-for-gametap-and-american-mcgee/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/17/grimm-news-for-gametap-and-american-mcgee/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/17/grimm-news-for-gametap-and-american-mcgee/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Oh American, you so crazy. You went and let it slip that your game Grimm was going to be distributed by GameTap. Now, we weren't there to see you talking about this on your blog, but Gamasutra saw. And they remember. They remember that you said it would be a 24-part episodic series. They remember when you said it should start in 2008. Or, at least, we think that's what you said.

Apparently McGee was a bit early letting the Cheshire Cat out of the bag, as the blog post that announced the the game has been replaced with a bean-spilling apology. But the long and short is, as you probably could have gathered from the title, he'll be giving the Hot Topic treatment to a bunch of stories by The Brothers Grimm. Though we're eager to see more of the game, we were disheartened to hear he's been blaming Argentinian McGinty for the leak. Come on man, grow up.

JoystiqGrimm news for GameTap and American McGee originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2007 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>americanmcgeegamasutragametapgrimmThu, 17 May 2007 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Station Launcher to bring downloadable movies to PSP]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/10/station-launcher-to-bring-downloadable-movies-to-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/10/station-launcher-to-bring-downloadable-movies-to-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/10/station-launcher-to-bring-downloadable-movies-to-psp/#commentsFiled under:

Digg!

Sony Online Entertainment is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the PLAYSTATION Network and Store. At yesterday's Gamer's Day event, they revealed Station Launcher, a new service that will bring downloadable content to the masses. The plans are quite ambitious, as detailed by Gamasutra's interview with SOE creative director Nathan Pearce. According to the interview, plans for a PSP version of Station Launcher is already in the works. Through it, players will be able do download movies directly to their handhelds.

"We have a version of Launcher where it recognizes when you plug in your PSP into the PC. You can download a movie straight from the internet through the Launcher straight to your PSP without it ever having touched your PC. There is no version on the PC, if you don't want it to be. It can download straight to your destination device like your PSP."

Movies will be formatted for PSP, and will not incur an additional cost. The possibilities of Station Launcher are nearly endless: imagine if PS1 games were made available for download, sans PS3. Unfortunately, because of the huge scope of the project, it will be a very long time until we see it: "It is going to be a pretty big endeavor, so I don't have a release date for it, but it is going to be a good time after summer."

[Thanks, Colin!]

JoystiqStation Launcher to bring downloadable movies to PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 May 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamasutrainterviewmoviesnathan pearceNathanPearceplaystation networkplaystation storePlaystationNetworkPlaystationStoresoesony online entertainmentSonyOnlineEntertainmentstation launcherStationLauncherThu, 10 May 2007 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamasutra completes CRPG history series]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/12/gamasutra-completes-crpg-history-series/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/12/gamasutra-completes-crpg-history-series/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/12/gamasutra-completes-crpg-history-series/#commentsFiled under: ,


Gamasutra has just posted the third, and (one would assume) final chapter in their massive "History of Computer Role Playing Games" series. (You can read The Early Years and The Golden Age if you need to play catch-up.) There's a lot of fascinating stuff here as they explore the direct and spiritual predecessors of some modern favorites, call out and analyze some of the biggest problems for CRPGs during the 90s, and try to figure out when we'll see the "next big thing" in the genre.

It would be almost impossible to click away from the 20,000-word epic not having learned something, but even if you are a CRPG android, it'll at least be a nostalgic reminder of some of your past favorites. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go dig out our copy of Arcanum.

JoystiqGamasutra completes CRPG history series originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arcanumcrpggamasutraPCrpgThu, 12 Apr 2007 10:32:00 EST