Tag Archives: Video Games

PC gaming hardware sells double that of consoles

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Reports of PC gaming’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, and it is in fact stronger than every current console combined. That’s according to a report by the PC Gaming Alliance

Among the key findings of the Horizons Hardware research report, was that volumes for the PC Gaming hardware market in 2009 were over two times larger than the combined Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 console units shipped in the same period.  Revenue from ‘PC’s capable of gaming’ totalled $54.6 billion during last year, and the alliance expected this to grow to $61.3 billion by 2014.

The report also estimates the worldwide number of consumers gaming  on their PCs – which includes both Desktop and Notebooks – to be 212.6 million for 2009 and expects this to grow to about 322 million by 2014.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s the Asia Pacific region which has the highest percentage of PC gamers with 33% using desktops or laptops.

PCGA Research Committee Chairman Matt Ployhar says gamers are moving away from bulky desktops and towards more mobile laptop systems.

“One of the biggest trends I’m seeing in the 2009 Horizon’s hardware report indicates a strong demand for more capable mobile based systems by PC Gamers.”

“PC Gamers are playing a central role in fuelling healthier margins, and driving innovation in this space worldwide”.

Meanwhile, research manager at IDC covering PCs Richard Shims says PC gamers are more willing to spend large amounts on their systems than console owners.

“PC gaming is the highest profile and most mature example of a new era of computing systems based on usage”

“These new usage-based systems are hardware configurations optimized for an improved user experience. Consumers are often willing to pay more for such an experience. In the case of gaming PCs, up to 25% more as compared to a mainstream system.”

Of course, saying PC gamers are more mature than other gamers won’t start a flame war at all. There’s also no mention in the report of gaming on Macs, with Valve in particular pushing more games onto the Apple system. Of course, if you’re unfamiliar with PC gaming, you can read how it could be the ideal platform for Train2Game students in this blog from the archives.

So Train2Game, are any of you PC gamers? Do you think the PC is a stronger system than consoles? Or do you think the PC Gaming Alliance might just be trying to push their vested interested in the system?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Batman: Arkham City coming Autumn 2011

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The much anticipated sequel to critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum will be called Batman: Arkham City. The bad news for excited fans of The Dark Knight is that it won’t be released until autumn 2011.

Players will enter Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. It’ll introduce new characters from the DC Comics series into the Arkham universe, with Game Informer revealing on its latest cover that Catwoman will be one of these. Will she be an ally or an enemy?

It’s rumoured that Mr Freeze, Talia Al Ghul and Two Face will all feature, with a figure that looks an awful lot like the latter appearing on a poster behind Batman and Catwoman in this image. The previously released teaser trailer shows that The Joker and Harley Quinn will both be making a return.

Batman: Arkham City will be available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, with publishers Warner Brothers promising an array of new and enhanced gameplay features “to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.”

The Batman: Arkham City website is now live.

So Train2Game, how many of you played the original Batman: Arkham Asylum and what did you think? How excited are you about Batman: Arkham City? What heroes and villains would you like to see make an appearance?

And from a Games Designer, Games Developer or Games Artist & Animator perspective, is there any particular franchise, be it comic book or not, that you’d like to work on in future?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

DJ Hero 2 Multiplayer Developer Diary

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Here’s another little developer diary that Train2Game students may find interesting. This one is from Freestyle Games, and features Creative Director Jamie Jackson talking about their upcoming title DJ Hero 2.

During the two and a half minute video, he speaks about DJ Hero 2’s six new multiplayer modes. These include Party Play, which lets you and friends freestyle through continuously running mixes at will, and Streak, a battle game that also let’s a vocalist join in on the action.

The other modes are DJ battle, head to head, Accumulator and Checkpoint challenge which are all explained in a bit more detail in the developer diary.

Jamie Jackson says the main idea behind the multiplayer modes of DJ Hero 2 is to ‘inspire a party in your living room.’ He also adds that the bars gone up and claims the games multiplayer modes have something for everyone. Reckon he’s right, Train2Game? Why don’t you tell us after watching the Developer Diary from Freestyle Games below? (Careful now, it contains ‘Mild Suggestive Themes!’)

So, have you thought about designing multiplayer games? Do you think it’s more difficult than doing it for a single player game? And do you like what you’ve seen of DJ Hero 2?

The game is released this autumn.

As usual, leave your comments here or on the Train2Game forum.

Kaka the face of FIFA 11 – How important is cover art Train2Game?

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Brazilian superstar Kaka will be the worldwide cover star of FIFA 11, while Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney also appears on the UK packaging. It’s the sixth year in a row the England forward has been FIFA’s man on the box.

However, it’s Real Madrid’s Kaka who’ll be EA’s centre-piece of global advertising, with the midfielder joining 16 other footballers in regional specific packaging. Kaka says he’s pleased to be joining other illustrious footballing superstars who’ve featured on previous FIFA front covers.

“I’ve always been a fan of EA SPORTS and especially the FIFA series.”

“Being on the FIFA 11 cover is a great honour for me since very few players have this opportunity, and there have been some great footballers featured on the cover of this truly amazing football game.”

“Reinvention of player authenticity”  is boasted as FIFA 11’s main new feature. The idea being that players will react more realistically like their real life counterparts with, for example, skilful midfielders touching the ball more often than centre backs when dribbling the ball.

It’ll also introduces new Pro Passing where pass accuracy is determined by a gamers’ ability on the control pad, and player skill, situation and urgency on the pitch.

FIFA 11 is released in the UK on October 1st.

So, Train2Game what do you think of the FIFA 11 box art? Do you think someone else should have been on it? How important do you believe a cover illustration is when trying to promote games?

Have you thought about packaging for your games yet, and if so, how many times have you decided to change it?

As usual, leave your comments here, or discuss it on the Train2Game forum.

Xbox Live & PSN the ‘perfect platform’ for risky games

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The PlayStation Network and Xbox Live are the ideal platforms for publishing creative or risky games, according to Another World creator Eric Chahi.  Speaking  to GamesIndustry.biz about the decision to release upcoming game Project Dust by digital means only, he said:

“There’s no distribution or retail to worry about – no manufacture or production costs, so it’s less risky for a publisher to sign an original game. I think it’s the perfect platform for this kind of game that’s not really mainstream.”

Chaci also added that the lower price of digitally distributed games is also an advantage “At retail games are more expensive, whereas on XBLA and PSN they’re cheaper, so you can reach more people.”

Recent Indie hits such as Joe Danger and Limbo seem to support the theory that the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live are great platforms for smaller developers – like Train2Game students – to publish games. This is even if a recent report suggests that most games are bought on discs.

So Train2Game, do you think it releasing a game on the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live is the way forward? Or are you looking at other ways to publish games? Also, what do you think of Project Dust? The trailer is below.

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forums.

Virgin & Ubisoft form tag-team

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Virgin Gaming has partnered with Ubisoft to be the online tournament provider for some of the publisher’s most anticipated multiplayer console releases. Upcoming titles include Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. CEO of Virgin Gaming, Rob Segal, is pleased with the new deal.

“Ubisoft is one of the leading video game publishers in the world and we are thrilled to offer our members the opportunity to compete in some of their best multiplayer console games,”

“Virgin Gaming is a unique convergence of social networking, video games and competitive gaming, and we are excited that Ubisoft shares our vision for the platform and its potential.”

Ubisoft President of North America, Laurent Detoc, also spoke positively of the partnership.

“Ubisoft is thrilled to be partnering with Virgin Gaming on its new venture. We have an exciting line-up of multiplayer titles this year that we believe will be a perfect fit for gamers to play and compete against each other in a tournament setting.”

Sir Richard Branson unveiled Virgin Gaming to at E3 with an announcement that they would give away over $1 million in cash and prizes over its first 12 months.

Apparently we’ll get more information about Virgin Gaming’s other partnerships in the coming months.

So Train2Game, what do you think of this new partnership? Will it work? And do you think you’ll try and enter any of their online competitions?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Starcraft II ‘the fasting selling strategy game of all time’

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Blizzard has revealed that Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty sold over a million copies worldwide in just its first day on sale.

That already made it the best selling PC game of the year so far, while selling a total of 1.5 million copies in its first 48 hours cemented Starcraft II as the fastest selling strategy game of all time.

More than 8,000 stores throughout the world opened their doors at midnight to celebrate the release of the much anticipated sci-fi sequel, including Game on London’s Oxford Street.

The store saw hundreds of fans queuing up to be among the first to play Starcraft II, 12 years after the original hit the PC in 1998. CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime, is happy with the title’s initial sales.

“We launched Starcraft II in 11 different languages and on 5 different continents because we wanted to make sure as many players as possible were able to log on and play on day one.”

“We’re pleased that so many people around the world have already picked up a copy of the game, and we look forward to welcoming even more players to Battle.net in the weeks and months ahead.”

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty topped the UK charts this week, and retailer GameStop has confirmed it’s the fastest selling PC title since the release of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – also published by Blizzard – in 2008.

So, Train2Game are you surprised by that Starcraft II sold a million copies in just 24 hours, or was it to be expected? Have you played it yet? And finally, is any other PC or strategy title going to beat it in the near future?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Games on discs still reign supreme

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Discs remain the gamers top choice

80 to 90% of video games are still purchased on disc according to a report by the Entertainment Merchants Association. The D2 Report: Discs & Digital – The Business of Home Entertainment Retailing states that physical media such as DVDs, Blu-rays and other video game discs are remain the overwhelming choice of consumers.

This echo’s previous surveys that suggest despite the rise of digital distribution, especially on the PC thanks to Steam, we still prefer a physical copy of a game over one that’s been downloaded.

The report says combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc sales in the USA totalled $17.9 billion in 2009, nine times the revenue generated by digital distribution channels. 80 to 90% of games purchased were also through these traditional outlets. EMA president and CEO Bo Andersen says there’s a lot of life left in discs yet.

“While there has been a great deal of focus recently on the slippage of revenues in the DVD market, the untold story is that consumers’ embrace of home entertainment remains very strong and packaged media is the preferred delivery instrument”

“Digital distribution is clearly an important segment of the home entertainment market and will continue to grow in market share in the coming year. While it is tempting for industry outsiders to say ‘disc is dead,’ as the saying goes, reports of its demise are grossly exaggerated.”

While the EMA openly support entertainment retailers, the report used data together data from leading home video and video game industry analysts, including Adams Media Research, Digital Entertainment Group, The NPD Group, Parks Associates, and ScreenDigest.

The report also notes that transactions for ‘pre-recorded video content’ increased by 2.8% in 2009.

So Train2Game, what percentage of your games are on discs compared to being downloaded through digital distribution? Do you still think a game in a box is the ultimate form of distribution?

And what were the last games you bought through each method of purchase?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

The making of Red Dead Redemption’s music

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Here’s something interesting for you dear Train2Game blog readers, Rockstar have released a video describing how they composed and produced authentic music for Read Dead Redemption.  They enlisted musicians to play authentic western style instruments including a Harmonica player with 60 years of experience.

I personally find it interesting when they describe how the music changes depending on player actions. You can check out the video below.

So, what do you think of the video? And how much thought have you Train2Game Designers and Developers put into music for your games? Which game do you think offers the best musical score?

Of course, if music doesn’t take your fancy, you could always watch the F1 2010 Developer Diary that we posted earlier this week. That one may be more up the street of Train2Game Artist & Animators.

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forums.

Popcap reveal new Disco Zombie

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Meet Disco Zombie

Those Plants vs. Zombies guys’ sure work fast! Just one day after Popcap revealed that the Michael Jackson estate demanded they remove the Thriller inspired Disco Zombie, they’ve revealed their new design.

Popcap have this to say about their latest addition:

“‘I can confirm that there is in fact a new ‘disco zombie’ (see image attached) and I would really appreciate if you could ‘be nice to the new guy’…the disco zombie is starting to feel like a second class zombie citizen, which is really unfair considering the length of time he spent doing his hair! I actually managed to catch up with him earlier today and, while he’s a little adverse to public speaking, he gave me the following (badly) written statement:

“Dear Alive Peeples, I am pleazed too join the big brainz at PopCap and can’t wait to meat you all. And yes, I du my own heir.”’

Disco Zombie, likes disco music.

Do I get to say I told you so?  The latest addition to the hit Plants vs. Zombies does look like he shares the same stylist as Disco Stu, even down to the dead fish in the platform shoes. The Simpsons won’t be demanding its removal now, will they?

What do you think of the funky new design Train2Game? Do you think you could turnaround a new design in such a short time?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.