Tuesday, August 24, 2010
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony of Europe's President, Andrew House, shared his thoughts on EA's and THQ's recent efforts to counter used game sales.
One of the more controversial topics of the past year has been EA's "Project Ten Dollar." A system designed to, in part, combat used video games sales, Project Ten Dollar sees the removal of online-enabled portions of select games such as Mass Effect 2 and Madden NFL 11. These portions are then made as premium downloads, costing between $5 and $15, which customers must purchase before being able to play their game online or accessing specific, online-oriented content such as roster updates or DLC expansions. This fee is waived for customers that purchase the game new via a one-time use code included inside the game box.
While EA's intents were and are obvious, the number of inconveniences imposed on customers by Project Ten Dollar speak for themselves. Concerns were raised again when Ubisoft, having taken heavy criticism for the ridiculous DRM (Digital Rights Management) used in the PC version of Assassin's Creed II, went on record that they were carefully watching EA's efforts and stated that they would probably follow suit in the future. Thus far Ubisoft has yet to implement an online pass system into their games, however publisher THQ was quick to act, adding an online pass to May's UFC Undisputed 2010.
Now it seems it may be Sony's turn. Speaking with GamesIndustry, Andrew House, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, expressed support for EA and THQ's online pass structure when asked about it and rumors that Activision will eventually charge for Call of Duty's multiplayer. "On the principle of making online portions of the game available or unlocked from the disc-based release for a fee, we're broadly supportive of that. And we're exploring actively the same option for our own content," House said. "In terms of just a charge for basic online play, thats something that we have to talk about a lot more and we struggle with a little bit because we feel very vindicated and base a lot of the success of PSN today - a 70 per cent connection rate across consoles - on the fact that weҒve removed that major initial barrier to entry."
Should these plans lead to games such as SOCOM 4, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, or MLB 11: The Show having online passes, it wouldn't be Sony's first attempt at combating used sales and pirates in this manner. Two PlayStation Portable games, ModNation Racers and SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 3, have already used online "entitlement codes" required in order to play them online. This would, however, open the proverbial floodgates with third-party publishers wasting no time following Sony's lead -- at least on the PlayStation 3.
Source: GamesIndustry (Registration Required), via Kotaku
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Posted by
Warp on 08/24 at 04:01 AM
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Thursday, August 12, 2010
Instant Streaming Set to Get a Major Boost with Blockbuster Titles Hitting Netflix
The popular internet streaming video service, Netflix, on Wednesday unveiled a new near-$1Billion deal that will allow the service to stream films from Paramount, LionsGate and MGM studios. This means blockbuster titles such as Iron Man 2 and Star Trek will soon be available for instant streaming.
As a part of the deal, signed with Epix TV, the station owned by all three studios, Netflix will be permitted to stream films that premier on Epix 90 days in advance. In essence, three months after its' debut on Epic, it will debut and be readily available on Netflix.
Netflix is set to start streaming these Epix releases on September 1st.
Source: Kotaku
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Posted by
Apollo on 08/12 at 02:58 AM
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Sunday, August 08, 2010
After a series of multiplayer-specific releases, 2K Games announces a new expansion for the main game.
Still haven't had enough of Rapture's epic tales? Then 2K Games has just the thing with Minerva's Den, a new single-player expansion for February's blockbuster. Set in an entirely new section of Rapture, players will assume the role of a new character and team up with Brigid Tenenbaum to bring down another corrupt dictator. Details beyond that are scarce, however things are rarely that simple in Bioshock's underwater paradise.
Sporting new Plasmids, abilities, weapons, and an assortment of new enemy variants, Minerva's Den sounds a bit more like a new game than a simple expansion. 2K Games's President, Christoph Hartmann, seconds the notion. "Minerva's Den is a substantial addition that will give players more of what they're looking for: more story, more narrative, more gameplay and more of Rapture. The core team has created an exciting product that further enhances the mystery and allure of the world of Rapture. Minerva's Den will be a fitting conclusion to the BioShock 2 saga."
No pricing or release date have been announced yet, but Kotaku reports that it'll be available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Source: Kotaku
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Posted by
Warp on 08/08 at 11:38 AM
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Ubisoft announced last week that the multiplayer beta for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will be both console and retailer exclusive. Starting tomorrow, August 9th, GameStop will begin handing out beta codes to people that pre-order the game. Supplies will be limited and proof of reservation/purchase is required for customers that pre-ordered prior to August 9th. Codes are to be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, and the exact number of codes available hasn't been disclosed.
The beta is scheduled to start on September 13th, exclusively for the PlayStation 3 edition of the game. Xbox 360 players will, unfortunately, have to wait until the game's official launch on November 16th before they can try the multiplayer.
Source: Kotaku
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Posted by
Warp on 08/08 at 11:08 AM
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Retail-exclusive costumes, limited quantity Collector's Edition, and a release date revealed through PlayStation Blog.
2008's LittleBigPlanet, an adorable little platformer with robust creation tools, captured the hearts of many thanks in no small part to its star Sackboy. While Sony spared nothing in its promotion of Media Molecule's first project to ensure the new game's success, a different approach is being taken this time around. With vastly improved and expanded creation tools and an established fanbase, LittleBigPlanet 2's promotions are far more tangible. Retailers Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop, movie giants Disney and Pixar, and game developer Insomniac Games are teaming up with Sony to bring a variety of pre-order swag to gamers this holiday season.
Pre-orders placed through any of the retailers will score customers four exclusive "Even More Animals" costumes, modeled after a cobra, a vulture, a mandrill, and a crocodile. In addition to these costumes each retailer will have its own special costume. Best Buy's pre-order will get customers a costume modeled after the "Aliens" from Disney and Pixar's Toy Story Series. Pre-orders placed at GameStop, meanwhile, will receive the "Clu" costume, modeled after the Tron: Legacy character of the same name. Finally, pre-orders placed through Amazon will gets players not one, but two additional costumes based on the Ratchet & Clank series; one after Ratchet, the other after Clank.
And if that wasn't incentive enough for you, Sony also announced a LittleBigPlanet 2 Collector's Edition. Priced at $79.99 and said to be in limited quantities, this edition includes all of the retail-exclusive DLC costumes as well as its own exclusive costumes modeled after Jak and Daxter. A 7" Sackboy plushie, LittleBigPlanet-themed book ends, and five exclusive PlayStation Network Avatars are also included in the Collector's Edition.
LittleBigPlanet 2 is scheduled for release on November 16th.
Source: PlayStation Blog; Amazon; GameStop; Best Buy
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Posted by
Warp on 07/28 at 01:49 PM
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