Sunday, April 11, 2004
What started out as people hacking into a game's code to customize their experience has turned into an essential part of a game's development.
From The Hollywood Reporter, "Modding itself is nothing new. In 1996, alterations to id Software's 'Doom' resulted in modified versions, or 'mods,' whose popularity extended the life of 'Doom' years past the point when the game's excitement would have ordinarily dwindled. Indeed, because mods cannot be played unless the gamer owns a copy of the original retail version, it became apparent that mods have a very positive effect on the sale of the games on which they are based. Valve Software's 'Half-Life' is a case in point. 'Mods absolutely helped us drive huge sales to 'Half-Life,'' said Doug Lombardi, director of marketing at the Bellevue, Wash.-based firm. 'In the typical scenario, even if a game is a mega-hit, within eight to 12 months on the store shelves, it's gone. But, in the case of 'Half-Life,' our revenue stream increased year after year for the first three years of the game's life. I attribute a lot of that to three mods -- Day Of Defeat, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike."
Posted by
Al on 04/11 at 09:36 AM
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Thursday, April 08, 2004
Ubisoft has announced that their Red Storm studio is developing the game for the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2.
"Ghost Recon has established itself as a mega-selling franchise, and we've retained the core elements that made the first game such a success," said Laurent Detoc, President of Ubisoft, Inc. "But for Ghost Recon 2, we wanted to dial up the intensity and adrenaline to create an experience of total war. We've retooled and improved every aspect of the game, and have integrated a host of incredible new features -- and the result is amazing. You will truly feel like you are the hero of a near-future war movie when playing this game."
"Our ultimate goal is to become the primary player in the military shooter game arena, thanks to both our internal studios, proven to be amongst the best in the world in this category, and also through strategic alliances with high profile 3rd party developers," said Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft's President and CEO. "Stay tuned for more announcements that will significantly expand this area of the industry and further reinforce our overall military strategy."
Posted by
Al on 04/08 at 02:19 PM
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Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Bethesda Softworks is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Elder Scrolls series by offering the original DOS game Arena to anyone that wants it.
Experience how the series started from its humble roots to what eventually evolved into Morrowind. The original Elder Scrolls: Arena is now free and available for download here. Note that if you are running Windows XP you will also need to download and use the DOS emulator that is also mentioned on the page.
Posted by
Al on 04/07 at 10:32 AM
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Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Atari has launched a service where consumers can purchase their games and have them immediately delivered in digital form through the Internet.
Atari, Inc. today announced the launch of the Company's first online software service that delivers its back-catalog titles over the Internet to Atari fans worldwide. The service will distribute the software to personal computers in pure digital form, bypassing the need to install from a disk. Unlimited access to Atari's growing e-catalog of games, productivity software, and kids' software is available at http://www.atariondemand.com for a monthly fee of $14.95. The "Atari On Demand" service uses the EXEtender Turnkey technology solution from Exent Technologies Inc., which powers leading online game services in North America, Europe and Asia.
The "Atari On Demand" subscription service, powered and operated by Exent, opens up Internet access to a large and growing selection of Atari's back catalog, offering value packages for the Atari gaming enthusiast and casual user alike. With a broadband connection, Microsoft Windows operating system, and an international credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover), customers can join the service from any place on the globe. The Atari software is delivered using Exent's innovative streaming technology, which ensures that bandwidth utilization is kept to a minimum and that the customer's computer can handle application-specific requirements prior to delivering the software.
Posted by
Al on 04/06 at 07:02 PM
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Monday, April 05, 2004
Ubisoft has announced that the next game in the Myst series will be available this fall.
From GameSpot, "Ubisoft has today announced the development of Myst IV: Revelation. The adventure game, which is currently scheduled for release this fall, will see players investigating the mysterious disappearance of a young girl as they venture deep inside the worlds of two evil brothers named Sirrus and Achenar."
From 1up, "Ubisoft has very little to say about the game as yet, not even a release date, other than to explain that the game will delve more deeply into the histories of Sirrus and Achenar, the feuding brothers whose struggle set the scene for the original Myst adventure. The immediate goal is to find a lost little girl, but naturally a more complex plot will unfold around the search."
From Gigex, "'Myst IV: Revelation will be welcome addition to the Myst franchise, strengthening what is already a world-wide leader in the Adventure category,' said Alain Corre, Ubisoft's Managing Director for Europe, Asia Pacific and South America. 'We are now back to the roots with this new opus, in perfect line with the first trilogy of games Myst, Riven and MystIII: Exile. Myst IV: Revelation will be the first Myst game to be developed in our own Ubisoft Montreal studios, and we are extremely proud of this'."
From IGN, Lauren Detoc, president of Ubisoft Inc. states "The game is simply a 'must-have' for Myst fans and will also appeal to new players. The storyline is very suspenseful, the puzzles are compelling, and the music, produced by Jack Wall in partnership with Peter Gabriel, will create an unparalleled experience."
Posted by
Al on 04/05 at 12:55 PM
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