Worst Company in America: The loser is?

 

After EA brought out the NFL and effectively making it impossible for real competition in the sports game market, they have been on my “evil” list. As time has gone by they have continued to earn that title.  Microtransactions seems to be the new thing now. The $10 charge to play a used game online also seems very shady. You can leave Bank of America for another bank but you can’t get another NFL video game anywhere. So, EA get’s my vote for worst company out there.

It was only a matter of time: Google+ gets games (yes, Angry Birds is here)

You knew it was going to happen. It was a matter of time before Google brought the missing part of the social puzzle together. The wait is over people. The still beta and arguably highly successful invite only social network is testing out games.  It is only has a few right now but I am sure the flood gates will open up very soon.  Once games are activated you will be able to play at any time by clicking the games button at the top of your stream. You will be able to see the latest game updates from your circles. When you can browse any invites that you may have or see the games that people you know are playing. The Games page will also have accomplishments just like  Xbox 360 & PS3.

One neat feature is that your circles will only see the updates when they’re interested in playing games as well. So no spamming people with each new score. The developers that are on the list do not number too many but those lucky few will have a very big foot hold on a sure to be big market. Angry Birds and Zynga Poker are sure to get a lot of love. Unfortunately right now its invite only within an invite only beta. So if you go the plus.google.com/games page all you get is a “We’re glad you want to play games on Google+. Don’t worry, your turn is coming up! We’re currently testing with a small number of Google+ users. Please check back soon.In the meantime, why not start a hangout?”

Race in Gaming: Big deal or big to do about nothing

I recently read an article about race in video games. Rather lack of race in games. The well written article got me thinking. Is race really a big deal? I mean after all its just a video game. Well not really. I think it speaks more to the psyche of a generation. I mean thanks to President Obama little African Americans as young as grade school know its not only possible but doable to become Commander & Chief of the United States.

When you play Madden stereotypes are very evident in the game. Is it fair that most NBA players are black. Or 90% of movies have an all white cast plus the one token black cast member? No but that’s the way it is. Something’s can’t be helped without compremising story. Games on the other hand can. I think we read way more into this than there needs to be when it comes to games. Games would surely benefit from more diversity but before it can make it to the finish product the makers need to be diverse.

There has to be more producers, developers, designers, publishers and for that matter diverse game companies in general before change can take place. The reason is people like to see their likeness in all that the produce. Be honest, the first thing you do in a game with character customization is make the character as close a representation to you as possible.

Mass Effect 3 senior designer Manveer Heir who is a great proponent of more diversity in games recently shared his thoughts. He feels that games can embrace more racial diversity and in doing so, tell better stories. “It’s not about fairness, it’s not video game affirmative action. It’s about actually pushing our medium to make better games, to tell better stories in our games.” I could not agree more with him.

Video Games are big business: It’s expected to Exceed $74 Billion in 2011

 

Games are not what they use to be. You don’t have to blow on the carts anymore. If you pull out your friends controller the game will pause. Come to think of it your friend does not even have to be in the same country with you anymore to play along with them. Games have truly come a long way. As far as they have come the stigma remains that they are for kids only or losers. Well take note main media. Call of Duty holds the record for the biggest day in entertainment. Not the movies. What’s more This year alone games are expected to exceed $74 billion. That is Billion with a B.

That is what new research from Gartner said will be spent on global gaming. That is up 10.4% from 2010. What that is not enough? Well video games are to reach $112 billion by 2015.  Casual gaming can be thanked for expanding games into other markets.  It’s not just the systems anymore as more and more of them are holding on to long life cycles. Software sales are expected to reach $44.7 billion in 2011.  Gartner research director Fabrizio Biscotti  said “This large market size means that many consumers embrace gaming as a core piece of their entertainment budget and will continue to play as long as game publishers deliver compelling and fun games,”

Gartner PRESS RELEASE:

Gaming Software Spending Dominates but Online Gaming Growing Fastest Over the Next Five Years

Egham, UK, July 5, 2011—

The gaming ecosystem is undergoing major technology and business model transitions that will last beyond 2015. Gartner, Inc. estimates that worldwide spending on the gaming ecosystem* will exceed $74 billion in 2011, up 10.4 percent from 2010 spending of $67 billion. By 2015, spending will reach $112 billion.

Overall, Gartner estimates that the gaming software component will represent $44.7 billion in 2011, and it will continue to dominate the overall gaming market in the next five years as it absorbs almost two-thirds of consumers’ gaming budgets.

“This large market size means that many consumers embrace gaming as a core piece of their entertainment budget and will continue to play as long as game publishers deliver compelling and fun games,” said Fabrizio Biscotti, research director at Gartner.

In 2011, the gaming software spending will be followed at a distance by gaming hardware and online gaming, reaching $17.8 billion and $11.9 billion, respectively (see Table 1).

Table 1: Total Gaming Market Spending, 2010-2015 (Millions of Dollars)

	2011	2013	2015
Gaming Hardware	17,797	24,621	27,354
Gaming Software	44,730	51,129	56,512
Online Gaming	11,899	21,453	28,298
Total	74,426	97,204	112,163

Source: Gartner (June 2011)

Within the gaming software market, mobile gaming will experience the largest growth opportunity with its share growing from 15 percent in 2010 to 20 percent in 2015.

“As the popularity of smartphones and tablets continues to expand, gaming will remain a key component in the use of these devices. Although they are never used primarily for gaming, mobile games are the most downloaded application category across most application stores,” said Tuong Nguyen, principal research analyst at Gartner. “For this reason, mobile gaming will continue to thrive as more consumers expand their use of new and innovative portable connected devices.”

The segment that will drive the largest revenue will come from video game consoles (hardware and software). In 2010, it generated more than two-thirds of the gaming ecosystem revenue, and Gartner predicts revenue to grow 4 percent in 2011.

Over the next five years, gaming hardware’s market share will remain constant while software spending will lose share to online-gaming spending, the fastest-growing segment. Gartner estimates consumer spending on global online gaming (subscriptions and microtransactions) will show a compound annual growth rate of 27 percent through 2015, with consumer spending on subscription fees slightly declining while spending on virtual goods will grow exponentially.

“We find that subscription fees are giving way to ‘freemium’ models, in which the game is provided for free to gamers but is monetized through advertising (both in-game advertising and display advertising) and in-game microtransactions, such as the sale of value-added services or virtual-good purchases,” said Brian Blau, research director at Gartner. “This trend is prevailing given the rise of social gaming, in which online gaming is connected to social networking sites and social networking platforms.”

“Users have become multichannel-oriented by choice and expect vendors to continue to deliver quality content and experiences by extending their gaming possibilities across multiple platforms,” said Mr. Blau. “If today’s mobile technology does not evolve quickly enough, the gaming industry is set to see the rate of innovation severely decline. Alternatively, it will provide opportunities in technology and content genres that we can’t foresee today.”

Additional information is available in the Gartner report “Market Trends: Gaming Ecosystem, 2011″ at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1724014.

Wii U: Giant remote for Wii or a new way to play games?

I say it’s a little bit of both. One thing Nintendo has always been is forward thinking. Everything they do is not for the sake of what people want but rather to answer the question; “How do we make great games.” They were the first with a 6 boutton controller on the SNES. Everyone soon followed their lead after seeing the advantage. (I say thanks to Super Street Fighter II but that is just me) They were the first to have analog controls on the N64. Everyone followed that as well. Then Motion came into play with with the Wii. It took a little time but soon Play Station with the Move and Xbox wiht The Kinect followed like ducks. To be fair Nintendo may be first but the others always come and make it better.  The only thing lacking is game quality at times.

Nintendo has done it again. The Nintendo Wii U is a step in a new direction but if you know your game history something similar has been tried with the Saga Dreamcast. Although Nintendo has taken it to a whole new level.  Though Nintendo calls it a system its more like a controller that happens to have a 6″ screen. This thing has the works. It will have a microphone, a gyroscope, dual analog controls, two shoulder buttons, two triggers, a front-facing camera, a stylus, and a touchscreen. Now keep in mind this all going to in your hand. People were saying that the first iPad was too heavy to hold for a long time. Just think what they will say about this.

I will say that Nintendo did beef up the specs to 1080p and with the new controller has jumped off the map. However that is something they like to do anyway. It will just be a matter of time before we know if they are leading on the way or off that path.

 

 

Now recognized as art, Games get some Endowment Love By the Feds.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a federal agency supporting artists and art organizations across the U.S., recently expanded eligibility for grant money to media produced for the Internet, interactive/mobile technologies, and digital games.

“We will continue to support television and radio,” explains Alice Myatt, director of media arts at the NEA, “but we are also going to support content developed for the Web, for theatrical release, for mobile phones, content to be distributed via satellite, and even content for game platforms.”

The NEA decided to expand the grant to games due to their ability to reach a large audience. Video games are viable grant candidates because technology allows anyone to experience art at any place and any time. Myatt said the NEA also wants the grant foster new forms of art, regardless of platform, and that by embracing games, the agency will demonstrate how art is evolving.

The NEA is the largest government grantor to art organizations in the U.S., with grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $200,000, based on the scope. Myatt stated that the NEA will judge games on their artistic merit and excellence, but did not identify more specific guidelines. Wonder how Heavy Rain would e looked at? Could a mature game be grated a grant.

Panels made of up experts will judge entries, and only nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c) 3 organizations can apply. Sorry EA and Square. The NEA will have to explain the guidelines on June 15, July 13 and August 10. The deadline for entries is September 1.

Activision will have subscription service for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

Micro economics is big business in games. Just take a look at Xbox Live or Play Station Network when it is working. Download add on’s are the norm right now. With the music craze a few years back it almost became a business on it’s on. Guitar Hero and Rockband at one time had downloaded content every week like new music releases.

Activision Blizzard known for making subscription based games. Maybe you have heard of one of those little games; World of Warcraft. Well they are going to take that know how and try to translate that into a working model for one of the biggest FPS (First Person Shooter) in the world. Call of Duty has sold millions and holds the record for the biggest one day entertainment sale ever.

Activision Blizzard with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will have the first of it’s kind subscription-based DLC (Downloadable Content) service called Call of Duty Elite. The player will be able to get extra content and downloadable map packs.No word yet on how much this service will cost but COD fans are very loyal. This could be a start of a whole new way of doing downloads on home consoles.

[Update]
You can now signup for a closed beta.
You just need your birthdate, your console choice, your email address and of course a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

You can get your name into ‘BioShock Infinite’

Studio Irrational Games is hosting a contest where the winner will have their name honored in their upcoming title BioShock Infinite. Players can enter the “Name in the Game” contest via Irrational’s website. Visitors have until April 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET to enter.

The winner “will be chosen to be incorporated into BioShock Infinite as the namesake of a character, a business, or a building — whatever the Irrational development team comes up with,” reads a statement from the studio. Infinite is the third game in the BioShock series, and features the floating city of Columbia in 1912. The game is launching in 2012 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

[Via USA Today]

Guys Let’s Stop this

 

• Stop treating your video games like a mistress

I love my Xbox 360 just as much as the next the next guy. Madden and Mass Effect have been known to suck the life out of me at times but you have to know when to say when. Telling your girl you don’t feel like going out and want to relax. Then getting into a heated multiplayer call of duty binge all night is not cool. It’s ok to play video games once in a while, but if you find yourself calling off of work to play World of Warcraft or the new StarCraft or Madden 12.  It’s time to think what is important to you.

• Stop Playing house, it’s old school

These days in many ways relationships have come a long way. The woman is no longer the only one that should be washing every dishes, doing all the laundry and cooking.  Stop expecting women to be superheroes and clean up after yourselves.  You share everything else with her, you should share this too.

• Selective responses to communication

You know what I mean fellas. You see her text, bbm, aim or email. You read it, determined its not important at the moment to respond. She might not say anything at first or at all. So when she blows up just one time you are taken aback but it was a build up. Do yourself a favor just respond. Even as much as saying ‘I’m busy right now, I will talk to you later’ would work.

• Sorry because she said so

If you are only sorry because she said you are not sorry then you really are in fact not sorry.  Let her know that you are not sorry because you don’t understand what you did or thinks that you did. Communication is better than patronizing.

• Telecast

Do your friends really need to know a play by of what you do with your girl? As a guy I do this all the time. I sometimes catch myself I sometimes don’t. To be fair though on the real your friends don’t need to know how much of a freak your girl is.

• Loving your Phone more than her

Repeat after me; “my cell phone is not a real person. It is not my child. It does not need my constant attention. I have a girlfriend.”  You should not be having fights with your girlfriend over a phone. If it comes up then it means you are doing it too much.  Try turning it off or at least putting it on vibrate when you get home.  Check it once in a while if you can’t do a whole night with it off. When out this is not an option, it needs to be off. No texting.

Nintendo 3DS: Same Price as a home system

 

The 3DS portable gaming  system will be launching on March 27th. It has the same  form-factor as the DSi and will be backwards compatible with both DS and DSi games. There will be 30 3DS  titles will be available at  launch. The 3DS will be in  “aqua blue” or “cosmo black”.

Now the bad news; the price will be priced at $249.99. Just  a few bucks short of a Xbox 360 or Wii. At this price Sony might be able to take some market share if it prices the soon to be revealed PSP 2 under $200