What’s the best way to make billions of dollars?  Why, create one of the most popular video game franchises of all time and watch the money flow in.  That’s exactly what Activision did and today they announced that the Call of Duty franchise has brought in more than $3 billion in lifetime sales.  That figure includes more than 55 million units of the popular franchise including the latest release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which made the company more than $550 million in its first five days of release.

“Call Of Duty has become one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, Inc. “If you consider the number of hours our audiences are engaged in playing Call of Duty games, it is likely to be one of the most viewed of all entertainment experiences in modern history.”

I’ve played every release in the series, except the most recent one.  How about you?  How much money have you given to Activision Blizzard so that you could play their games?

Source: Press Release

Activision Blizzard is getting sued, and the filer is none other than the infamous Erik Estavillo. Estavillo has previously filed law suits against Microsoft; Sony and Nintendo, for various reasons, all of them rejected.

The issue this time is Estavillo’s claim that the game progression in World of Warcraft is deliberately set at a low pace, to make sure that playes stay longer in the game and pay their monthyly fee. Estavillo especially makes a point of his character’s walking speed, for some reason.

I wonder if anybody really had any doubts that this is part of the game design. Of course Blizzard designed the game to keep players hooked. Anything else would be terrible game design and a complete mockery of the marketing department.

Obviously, Estavillo is also a complete video game addict, relying heavily on video games for the little ongoing happiness he has left in his life.

Sad story, no doubt about it. Perhaps he should see a psychiatrist?

I swear, this guy has way too much time on his hands.

Banned gamer Erik Estavillo has struck again, filing another lawsuit with Activision Blizzard for Blizzard’s World of Warcraft (or WOW).  According to an article from GamePolitics.com, Estavillo is suing Blizzard for ‘deceitful’ business practices.  Quoting from the article:

Among Estavillo’s claims is that WOW is designed for a gamer “to walk or run at a calculated slow pace, resulting in the player taking longer to get where he or she needs to go in the game.” This slow pace, says the plaintiff, leads to a longer time needed to finish game play or quests, in turn leading to more subscription revenue for Activision Blizzard.

Estavillo also complains that faster transportation is not available until a player levels up accordingly, or purchases an expansion pack.

Estavillo has tried to connect his list of health problems (OCD, Agoraphobia, Panic Disorder, major depression and Crohn’s Disease) with another former gamer’s condition, Shawn Woolley; Shawn Woolley, who played EverQuest, committed suicide in 2001.  Estavillo stated his wishes to not be like Woolley since he himself “relies on videogames heavily for the little ongoing happiness he can achieve in this life…”

To add more absurdity to the matter, Estavillo has subpoenaed two celebrities:  Depeche Mode band member Martin Gore and actress Winona Ryder.  He explained that Gore was chosen because of his song-writing (“he [Gore] himself has been known to be sad, lonely, and alienated”), and that Ryder was chosen because of their common interest in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye (“[Ryder can] explain the significance of alienation in Catcher in the Rye and will also testify to how alienation in the book can tie to alienation in real live/video games such as World of Warcraft”).

Well, I can vouch that OCD is definitely one of his illnesses, because he seems to be obsessively compulsive in filing lawsuits left and right with the video game industry.

Seriously, Estavillo must think he’s being a poster child for all those “poor and unfortunate” gamers.  He must feel that, by going against the ‘big, bad video game corporation,’ he is exposing the industry for what it really is to its consumers.  He probably believes that his sickness is proof of the ‘dark side’ of the industry.  Does Erik Estavillo really believe he’ll make waves across the video game frontier, fighting for free speech and the pursuit of selfishness?

I was originally disappointed when Estavillo first tried to sue Sony for being banned from the PlayStation Network.  I already knew the judge would have nothing to do with the case.  When he decided to appeal the decision, I figured he was just trying to make up for the dignity he lost and merely waved a hand at his attempt.  Then he sued Microsoft and Nintendo for theft and software infringement; by then I was disgusted and livid at this childish lawsuit.  Now that he’s going after Activision Blizzard and trying to get two celebrities to join his cause, my feelings about him are angry, distant, and furious; I now despise the name Erik Estavillo.

You may ask yourself, “Why are you talking about him if you hate him so much?  You’ve just given him another 15 minutes of fame.”

Well, if Estavillo is willing to voice his opposition to the video game industry, then I’m more than willing to voice my opposition to him.  I refuse to stand by and watch the industry fall down because of some misguided quest from a disgruntled gamer.  I deny him the luxury of holding the industry hostage for his own problem.  I revoke his privilege of voicing his opposition without responsibility.  I will not let Erik Estavillo cheat his way into justice for personal gain…

You know Activision has to love stuff like this.  They’ve not officially confirmed the next Guitar Hero game, though you know it’s coming.  In a talk posted on Joystiq Tesla guitarist Dave Rude had the following to say:

“Oh, by the way, ‘Modern Day Cowboy’ is going to be in Guitar Hero 6.”

That is, of course, not confirmation of the game.  I’m done with the rhythm games for the most part.  They’ve gotten old and I would much prefer to see the companies just stick with giving us new stuff through the download channels.  Does this news, that Tesla is going to be in Guitar Hero, make you any more or less excited for the next game?

Source: Joystiq

Миналата седмица финансовият директор на Activision, Томас Типл разкри че, Активижън се “ослушват” за нови начини за “издояване” на големите си франчаизи като Call of Duty.

Определено виждаме потенциала в това, и разглеждаме различни бизнес модели за “осребряване” на онлайн геймплея… Нашият онлайн екип обменя доста знания с хората от Blizzard. Също така натрупахме доста опит, с успеха на Call of Duty в Xbox Live и PlayStation Network. В интерес на истината голяма част от нещата които научихме се вгражда в Battle.Net платформата…

Мисля че всички страни ще бъдат облагодетелствани от това, и трябва да очаквате, че ще започнем да тестваме допълнителни платени онлайн модели за някой от големите ни франчайзи като Call of Duty.

Да, разбира се, до тук всичко звучи логично. Имаш крава пиеш мляко… и търсиш различни методи за нейното по-качествено издояване.

По интересен обаче е един материал от 18-ти на които попаднах благодарение на RPS. МатрЯла се намира в latimes.com и е още един по темата за това колко голямо е било пускането на Modern Warfare 2 и как за пореден път игрите конкурират холивуд и т.н. Това което е особено интересно обаче е края на матряла:

Човек близък до компанията е казал, че обмислят да адаптират Call of Duty в MMO. Жанр в които Blizzard са лидер, и които изисква огромни инвестиции но може да бъде много печеливш защото игачите плащат месечна такса.

Уж още го обмислят, но нека да погледнем фактите:
- Вече има трети екип които работи по Call of Duty вселената;
- Самият Bobby Kotick (CEO в Activision) още миналата година спомена, че обмислят Call of Duty MMO;
- Activision все пак не са просто Activision а са Activision Blizzard. А Blizzard знаят как се прави качествено MMO;
- Дали играчите биха плащали за CoD MMO? Ако се направи както трябва – определено!

Тъ, какво мислите вие по-темата? Бихте ли плащали за такъв тип игра?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 continues to destroy previous theatrical box office and video game sales records for worldwide sell through. The biggest entertainment launch in history set a new worldwide estimated five-day sell-through record of approximately $550 million, according to internal Activision estimates and continues to rack up the numbers.

“In just five days of sell through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has become the largest entertainment launch in history and a pop culture phenomenon,” said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc. “The title’s success redefines entertainment as millions of consumers have chosen to play Modern Warfare 2 at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media.”

Modern Warfare 2’s launch beat all previous first-and five-day entertainment industry box office, book and video game sell-through records:

- The largest reported five-day opening worldwide box office gross figures, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million)

- The largest reported five-day opening domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($203.8 million)

- The largest reported five-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (6 million units, $500 million)

- The largest reported opening first-day domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($66.4 million)

- The largest reported first-day book sales in dollars, held by Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows ($220 million)

- The largest reported first-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (3.6 million units, $310 million)-

Modern Warfare 2’s record breaking run also had an effect on Xbox LIVE, in which the title’s release established the following new records: -

- More than 5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone.

- More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10th. A new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.

- More than 11 million achievements were unlocked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day.

It just goes to show that even in these cash strapped times and alleged global recession, a good title that actually delivers on the hype will always generate good revenue and encourage gamers to part with their hard-earned cash.

Peter Gray

for more news and reviews get your free subscription of Phonica Magazine UK online here!

After the heady heights of the Diablo series, Fate and Mythos, a number of designers and developers that ended up being made redundant in the face of recruitment for bigger and better games managed to band together under the name of Runic Games.

Headed by the Schaefer brothers who co-designed the huge successes Diablo and Diablo II for Blizzard Entertainment, and Travis Baldree, the developer of Fate, Runic Games is made up of a number of developers, composers and graphic designers that had been splintered from their original companies. With the now-defunct Flagship Studio crew under their wing, Runic Games decided to “go back to their roots” and develop a small but very flexible RPG that would enable them to put their name back on the gaming market.

With the co-designers of the Diablo series in their midst it was pretty much guaranteed that any fan of the RPG genre would be interested in what this small company could come up with. In Diablo II in particular, the developers managed to stumble across an almost perfect formula for limitless enjoyment even in limited confines. Items, dungeons, monsters, lore – it was all there to some degree, but the degree was perfect for the whole concoction to come together to produce a game that is currently nearly 10 years old and still going incredibly strong in both the single-player and multi-player variants.

What Runic Games came up with is Torchlight. 11 months in the making, Torchlight does indeed go back to the Diablo roots and presents a wonderfully simple yet deceptively addictive single-player RPG that simply highlights the incredible talents that Runic Games currently holds. Released in October 2009, Torchlight is really just the essence of action role-playing – the small town with baddies to kill, a merchant for gear and another for potions, the rather weak but strangely enthralling storyline about an evil buried deep in layers and layers of caves underground. There’s no flesh to this skeleton because it doesn’t really need it to be good. All the points are covered – characters, storyline, graphics, sound – and the game really does stand up well by itself.

The game is very easy to enjoy but to a rather veteran gamer like myself (I’m also very modest, can you tell?) you can instantly recognize the tell-tale signs of things beneath the surface just waiting to be revealed – items, bosses, skill builds, etc – and this indicates that Runic Games didn’t stumble back onto the magic formula – it was carefully planned and mapped out.

Gameplay is refreshingly smooth, with spells looking very clean and importantly, magical. Music is kind on the ears (though the annoying gem drop sounds and the YOUR PET HAS ARRIVED comments made by the narrator at times does give you a little shock) and the graphics are, to be fair, just about spot-on for a game like Torchlight – not too realistic to lose the fantasy touch but not too “what the heck?” to prove a hindrance to gamers.
To be completely honest you can see that Runic Games does not have the funding that Blizzard managed to provide to the developers. The graphics are cartoony (although this was the objective), the storyline is flimsy, the itemisation doesn’t make sense at times (20% faster cast speed on a sword?) and the dungeons may get a little repetitive.

However, what Runic Games managed to do though, was use that money and funnel it into making a game that was simple, flexible and set the tone for… wait for it… a Torchlight MMO to be produced in the following years. With the release of Torchlight, the developers stated that they would like to have an MMO based on Torchlight in the next 2 years.
Now, if they manage to keep the special formula intact for their MMO, I personally guarantee it will be huge – almost every Diablo fan will jump ship and Blizzard (now Activision Blizzard) will be ruing the day they let Max and Erich Schaefer go.

Paul Park

for more news and reviews get your free subscription of Phonica Magazine UK online here!

«Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2», da Activision Blizzard, chegou na passada terça-feira a mais de dez mil lojas norte-americanas. As estimativas de vendas variam de 11 milhões a 13 milhões de unidades até o fim deste ano, o que deixaria o jogo entre os mais vendidos da história, depois de as pré-vendas já terem atingido um recorde. O título assinala o sexto capítulo da saga, que foi lançada em 2003. Os jogadores desempenham o papel de soldados de elite, que caçam alvos na América do Sul, Rússia, Cazaquistão e Afeganistão.

Το πρόγραμμα της Blizzard! | byteme

Κατά τη διάρκεια παρουσίασης χθες, ο Thomas Tippl, Chief Financial Officer της Activision Blizzard μιλώντας για την πορεία της Blizzard και την οικονομική της ευρωστία, παρουσίασε τη διαφάνεια που βλέπετε στη splash screen.[next]

 

(baogame.vn) – Tựa game FPS của Activision đã lập kỷ lục mới của GameStop khi đã trở thành game được nhiều người đặt mua nhất. Và bây giờ, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 lại phá vỡ một kỷ lục khác.

Source: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 đã bán được 1.23 triệu bản trong 24h qua

(baogame.vn) – Chiều chủ nhật tuần trước, một số cửa hàng thuộc hệ thống phân phối GameStop đã chào bán Modern Warfare 2. Ngay lập tức, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 đã được đưa lên mạng và đã được tải về với tốc độ chóng mặt. Theo tin tức từ giới thạo tin tại Việt Nam, ngay lập tức đã có một bản crack đã được tung lên mạng.

 

 

Source: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 đã chính thức xuất hiện

(baogame.vn) – Đầu tuần này, một cơ quan có quyền hành thuộc chính phủ Trung Quốc đã yêu cầu World of Warcraft phải ngừng hoạt động ngay lập tức. Chỉ vài ngày sau, bộ Văn hóa Trung Quốc đã có phát phản pháo đầu tiên, gọi hành động kể trên là “vượt quá thẩm quyền” cho phép.

Source: World of Warcraft vẫn hoạt động bình thường tại Trung Quốc

After a mammoth overview and re-evaluation of the tear-inducing (in a good way) ShadowMan, it felt necessary to time warp back to the future to cover the happenings of contemporary gamage. In the last week an embarrassing failure occurred, CEOs uttered unusually meaningful monologue, awards were distributed (to Activision) and Modern Warfare 2’s now controversial release is imminent as we finally creep into the hotly anticipated month known to traditionalists as ‘November’.

A match made in Hell, apparently

Let’s begin with that notorious Xbox 360 Sky Player ‘launch’, shall we? Announced back in May, Sky and Microsoft had formed a potent, potentially rival-devastating and revolutionary partnership. Live streamed Sky TV was 360 inbound in an unprecedented move for home consoles. While downloadable films and television has been made industry standard by Apple, Sony and Microsoft (Nintendo are currently sticking to their gaming guns, thankfully), live TV via your binary box had yet to be accomplished. And that feat still remains beyond reach. Error codes and a seemingly non-existent service were the order of October 27th, rather than a banquet of Sky television as planned. After a swift and ‘normal’ Xbox update, most if not all users received the following agonising message: ‘Can’t connect to the Sky Player Service. Error codes: 0C01/8009/0304/0h-d34r’.

Well, maybe not the last few digits, but ‘oh dear’ were the words that sprang to mind upon apparently accessing the service. After much hype and marketing ploys, the error message suggests that there were more than a few teething problems, most likely some mis-codings and insufficient testing, despite this running demonstration of it. Yet the official story, however, wasn’t ‘their fault’, rather it was the ‘unprecedented demand’ for the latest Heroes episode that threw the launch off-track. Riiight. It’s as if they didn’t expect it to be in demand. Poor guesstimation or porkies? I’d go for the latter. They weren’t ready, end of. Slightly embarrassing really.

Since then, in fairness, all matters have been rectified as far as one can tell. I’ve tried to use it but not knowing the details for my (parents’) Sky subscription has impeded my acquisition of a Sky ID. I’ll do it eventually, and then probably report back on how well it works, particularly those live football matches on Sky Sports…

UPDATE: They haven’t yet redeemed themselves after all, according to GamesIndustry.biz. A ‘revised rollout’ is currently in process, where a randomly selected(?) queue has formed in order to release the service gradually rather than at a simultaneous, program-melting time. Still, it might be worth acquiring a Sky ID while-u-wait…

My central criticism of Sky’s availability via the Xbox, however, is most likely that of the view of Nintendo. As promising as the current generation has been, it seems that in this supermarket-led postmodernist all-under-one-roof culture (a smidgen of degree usage, there) that we’re forgetting what people and things are for. Once upon a time a games console meant games, yet now it means CD player, television, cinema, DVD player and online multiplayer abuse centre. Admittedly, I’m not the greatest fan of TV or films, but while the convenience of everything being available in one box sounds ideal, I don’t actually care all that much. A console ’should’ be for games, and good ones at that, which I’ve failed to find recently. However, I concede that the thought of watching football on the Xbox is pretty damn salivating!

Miyamoto and Iwata, celebrating good times about a year ago

Moving to Nintendo’s not-quite-so-rosy-side of the industry, head honcho Satoru Iwata has finally admitted that everyone has a Wii, causing sales to  ’slump’. It was inevitable though, wasn’t it? Nintendo hoped their flagship ‘Wii’ prefix games would carry the wee console (sorry) through to its eventual successor, yet Iwata has realised after being a few Yen short to buy another yacht, that Nintendo need to actually make more games in order to keep interest fresh. He solemnly admitted, “We were unable to continually release strong software, and let the nice mood cool. We were unable to show a new game to become ‘the next thing.’ In the game market, once you’ve lost the momentum, it takes time to recover.” Perhaps he read up on Karl Marx’s theories of commodity fetishism and realised the communist was right about something.

Yes Nintendo, it’s time to eject your fingers from your arses and produce some games again. WiiFit Plus is only going to fool a few (million), as he subtly admitted (ie. not a game to shout about). It’s arguable that the Wii’s essential ‘casual audience’ has burned out, where many part-time Wiis are now most likely left gathering dust. Surely Nintendo’s answer is to start catering for the gaming purists again? With so many opting for 360s and PS3s, Nintendo have surely got to realise that its crucial to their integrity to win the defected folk back. While New Super Mario Bros. Wii looks fun, it sadly won’t be enough to generate new sales come the festive period. Perhaps if Mario Galaxy 2 was scheduled in time for the turkies’ nightmare season it’d help shift a few, along with those delectable new black Wiis. Alas, it appears that Nintendo’s pigeon-holing of themselves in the casual market has finally backfired in their quest to outsell its two big rivals for the entire generation. Microsoft keep innovating, and Sony are on the fast track to levelling up; Shigeru Miyamoto had better get penning the next Zelda, then. Or how about reconsidering the re-release of Goldeneye, eh Iwata? That’s a sleeping gold mine, right there.

Congratulations go to the formidable force that is Fallout 3 for receiving the Golden Joystick Awards’ ‘Game Of The Year’ crown. Bethesda Softworks’ frankly humongous, detailed, excellent and worringlly prophetic adventure deservedly took top spot. What with the release of an additional five ‘episodes’ via Xbox 360 Marketplace, followed soon after on the PS3, Bethesda have ensured a near-constant attention to Fallout, with crowd-pleasing extras and a few more hours on one of the finest games so far this generation. While the downloadable add-ons rarely reached the same heights of the original game, Bethesda have offered the obsessives more time with their child (hang on, that sounds terribly wrong!) in order to fill the void between now and New Vegas, Fallout 3’s follow-up. Elsewhere at Future Publishing’s game-praising fest, Activision Blizzard practically cleared up the rest, with Call Of Duty: World At War oddly receiving two awards and the publisher itself accepting the ‘Publisher Of The Year’ accolade. No doubt the evil Bobby Kotick whipped out the victory cigars once again. Check out the rest of the awards here.

Finally, while on the subject of Activision, their Marine sim which doesn’t need any introduction whatsoever has taken some (amusing) flak in the last week or so. From the ability to heartlessly murder the innocent to making a mockery of, well, their fans, the game’s once near-perfect build-up has recently taken a couple of rifle butts to the temple . While the first is something to do with the single player game, which I don’t want to spoil for even myself, the second was an Infinity Ward-produced promotional video the exact opposite in nature, being offensive for its use of language and promoting the ill-appreciated childish multiplayer abusings. In what seems to be an overreaction (I never got a hold of the video and can’t find it now. Curses!), the glorifying of online tomfoolery and the creation of phoney interest group F.A.G.S. has reportedly caused fans to stall over pre-ordering the game. Quite ridiculous considering there are worse reasons to cancel it, such as the scandalous prices, abusing of PC users’ assumed blind faith and the understandable faux pax of the ability to cause a mass bloodshed of the innocent. And Bobby Kotick. As ever in this thing we call ‘popular culture’, controversy equals publicity, and the rumpus rippling through the internet can only further boost Kotick’s swelling bank balance.

He's a genuine, laugh-a-minute guy really. Buy his games. Now. (For image context, click here)

Social networking is one of the hottest things on the internet right now.  Seemingly everyone has a Facebook page, or a Myspace page or a twitter account.  A number of people strive to have as many friends on those services as they can and that even extends to the world of video games.  A number of characters have Facebook pages or Twitter accounts where you can follow them and find out what’s going on in their virtual worlds.  It’s been a huge tool of advertising for a number of game companies, and Activision is included with that.

The Guitar Hero franchise has a Facebook page and Activision was pleased to announce today that the Guitar Hero Facebook page is the first game specific page to have one million fans. In a press release today they announced the historic feat as well as Guitar Hero having more than 38 million sales world wide. 

They tout the Facebook page as a place where fans can go to discuss their favorite artists and songs featured in the Guitar Hero franchise.  Fans can also get the latest information in the goings on with Guitar Hero, exclusive news and content not available anywhere else and share their favorite Guitar Hero experiences. 

Are you one of the more than a million fans of Guitar Hero on Facebook?  If so let us know if you use that service and what you’ve gotten from it.

Source: Press Release

A revista Game Developer Magazine e o  Game Developer Research’s publicaram um ranking das 20 maiores editoras de games. Leia-se também distribuidoras. Em seis anos de pesquisa, foram entrevistados 900 profissionais das 30 maiores publicadoras de games no mundo.  De acordo com o Gamasutra, a  pesquisa tem como base o relatório por SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), assuntos relacionados à receita da empresa, tempo de produção, retorno de jogadores e parceiros de desenvolvimento. O relatório conta com 160 páginas e não sai por menos de U$ 2.995,00.

Desde 2007, as empresas Nintendo, Eletronic Arts, Activision Blizzard e Ubisoft mantêm, respectivamente, a posição de primeiro, segundo, terceiro e quarto lugares. Já a editora do clássico  Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), a Take-Two Interactive, conquistou o quinto lugar, que em 2008  foi da THQ.  Ainda em relação ao ano passado, a empresa que subiu duas posições  foi a Sony Computer Entertainment, alcançando o sexto lugar.

Pela primeira vez, a  MTV Games e a Bethesda (Fallout 3) marcam presença no relatório. Por outro lado, algumas empresas deixaram o ranking, como a Midway (Mortal Kombat), NCsoft (City of Heroes e Lineage), Codemasters (Dirt, Hospital Tycoon, Soldiers: Heroes of  World War II )  e Eidos Interactive (Age of Conan, Tomb Raider e Hitman Trilogy).

Ranking do Top 20 das editoras de games

01. Nintendo

02. Electronic Arts

03. Activision Blizzard

04. Ubisoft

05. Take-Two

06. A Sony Computer Entertainment

07. Bethesda Softworks

08. THQ

09. Square Enix

10. Microsoft

11. Konami

12. Sega

13. Capcom

14. MTV Games

15. Namco Bandai Games

16. Warner Bros Interactive

17. Disney Interactive

18. Atari

19. Atlus

20. LucasArts

Um pingo a mais sobre as editoras de games

O grande mercado de games segue uma estrutura quase padrão: as grandes publicadoras contratam estúdios e pessoas para desenvolver seus projetos de entretenimento. Uma mesma editora  pode trabalhar sobre um mesmo projeto com estúdios diferentes e de forma simultânea. Isso é bastante comum: enquanto determinado estúdio finaliza um título, um segundo já desenvolve a sua expansão ou cria um aplicativo daquele mesmo projeto para outra plataforma. Outra vertente do mercado, estúdios adquirem a licença para desenvolver  jogos voltados para determinadas plataformas – como a Nintendo, Sony e Microsoft, empresas líderes no mercado de consoles.

Eine interessante Frage stellte mir neulich ein Bekannter: Warum muss aus Spielen jedes einzelne Hakenkreuz entfernt werden, wenn man es in Deutschland verkaufen will? Aktuelles Beispiel ist der Egoshooter „Wolfenstein“. Activision Blizzard hat die Händler Ende September aufgerufen, ihr Spiel aus den Regalen zu nehmen, weil bei der Überprüfung ein Hakenkreuz durchgerutscht sei.

Nur damit keine Zweifel aufkommen. Ich brauche keine nationalsozialistischen Symbole und hab auch nix mit dem alten oder neuen Nazi-Pack am Hut. Dennoch ist die Frage des Kollegen richtig: Warum muss aus Spielen jedes einzelne Hakenkreuz entfernt werden, wenn man es in Deutschland verkaufen will? Während hingegen ein Spielfilm durchaus Symbole des Nationalsozialismus enthalten kann, ein Beispiel dafür ist der Film „Operation Walküre“.

Ein Blick in die Rechtsliteratur besagt: Erlaubt ist in Deutschland eine Hakenkreuzdarstellung nach § 86 Absatz 3 StGB nur, wenn sie „der staatsbürgerlichen Aufklärung, der Abwehr verfassungswidriger Bestrebungen, der Kunst oder der Wissenschaft, der Forschung oder der Lehre, der Berichterstattung über Vorgänge des Zeitgeschehens oder der Geschichte oder ähnlichen Zwecken dient“.

In einem PC-Spiel wie Wolfenstein werden aber keine geschichtlichen Zusammenhänge dargestellt, sondern es geht um reine Unterhaltung. Insofern kann ein Hakenkreuz hier leicht als den Nationalsozialismus verherrlichendes Symbol gewertet werden. Spielehersteller gehen dieser Diskussion aus dem Weg und entfernen die entsprechenden Symbole, wie unlängst bei Activision Blizzard geschehen. In Deutschland ist das Hakenkreuz aus gutem Grund verboten, im Ausland nicht, deshalb gibt es in den USA das Spiel mit den Nazi-Symbolen.

Im Fernsehen sieht man Hakenkreuze im Zusammenhang mit Dokumentationen oder mit der Darstellung der deutschen Geschichte. Auch Filme werden genau geprüft, wie sie mit dem Hakenkreuz umgehen. Grundsätzlich gilt bei Filmen aber der Kunstbegriff.

Interessant ist aber die Weiterentwicklung des Kulturbegriffs. So sind von einigen Videogames als Kulturgut offiziell anerkannt. Gelten dann für Spiele und Filme die gleichen Maßstäbe? Ich bin gespannt, wie die Debatte weitergeht.

From/De: Microsoft

Xbox 360’s “Project Natal” Awakens Imagination of Global Video-Game Industry

World’s top publishers pledge support for “Project Natal,” helping pioneer a new category of controller-free games and entertainment.

TOKYO — Sept. 24, 2009 — Xbox 360 today announced widespread enthusiasm from the world’s leading video-game publishers for “Project Natal,” a whole new way to play — no controller required. Developers across the globe have embraced the technology and have begun work on titles that will deliver extraordinary entertainment experiences for everyone to enjoy. Coming just three months after “Project Natal” was unveiled at E3, the announcements at the Tokyo Game Show underscore the swift industry support for the revolutionary controller-free experiences being developed exclusively for Xbox 360, the premier games and entertainment system.

Among the elite publishers actively working on games for “Project Natal” are Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, CAPCOM, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and Ubisoft. Together, these publishers account for more than 70 percent of third-party software sales for this generation of console and most of the world’s most recognized video game franchises.

“‘Project Natal’ gives the industry’s creators and storytellers the freedom to dream of new experiences and to tell stories never before possible,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. “The support of these creative partners testifies to the excitement that ‘Project Natal’ is generating among the most innovative minds in the industry, and is proof that Xbox 360 not only offers the best games and entertainment today, but will lead with innovation and new ways to have fun in the future.”

Further details of publishers’ new “Project Natal”-inspired projects will be released at a later date.

Underscoring the widespread enthusiasm for “Project Natal” among the industry’s top creative forces, Xbox 360 is hosting a high-powered panel at the Tokyo Game Show featuring three acclaimed Japanese industry luminaries: CAPCOM’s Keiji Inafune, creator of “Mega Man” and “Dead Rising,” Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of “Super Monkey Ball,” and Konami’s Hideo Kojima, creator of the “Metal Gear Solid” series. The three developers will discuss the possibilities for the groundbreaking new experiences that can only be achieved with “Project Natal.”

Unveiled for the first time in June, “Project Natal” is a code name for a whole new way to play. Combining an RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone running proprietary software, “Project Natal” enables gamers to play in a natural and inviting new way, free from the boundaries of a controller through the use of sight, sound and motion.

Publishers, who received development kits from Microsoft in early June, used the opening of the Tokyo Game Show to voice their excitement about “Project Natal.”

“Microsoft ‘Project Natal’ could fundamentally change the way players experience sports games,” said EA Sports President Peter Moore. “At EA, some of our top development teams are experimenting with these tools with the goal of delivering a completely fresh take on genres like sports and racing.”

“Activision is encouraged by the innovation that Project Natal will bring to the industry and how it can transform consumers’ video games experience. We have development teams working on Project Natal development kits to explore the creative possibilities this new technology affords,” said Dusty Welch, senior vice president and head of Publishing at Activision/Blizzard.

“I strongly feel that ‘Project Natal’ will expand the possibilities of gaming. It’s yet another component that adds to the appeal of Xbox 360 and demonstrates to users the broad level of entertainment it provides,” said Keiji Inafune, managing corporate officer and head of Research & Development Management Group at CAPCOM. “Personally, I too am extremely excited about ‘Project Natal.’ It’s really going to stir up our creative spirits. I think it’s going to bring new ways to play and new surprises to Xbox 360 fans and help further the development of completely original content. ‘Project Natal’ is definitely something people should look out for.”

“Ubisoft sees enormous opportunities with ‘Project Natal.’ With the 3-D camera, your body can become the interface,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. “Any barrier related to the use of pad controllers that may have existed for potential gamers is now abolished. Ubisoft is already taking advantage of this major evolution to design new types of gaming experiences and attract more people to play video games.”

In addition to the broad industry support, Microsoft Game Studios is busy at work creating a diverse slate of experiences that will appeal to a wide variety of entertainment interests.

“‘Project Natal’ is enabling our team of developers to create experiences we couldn’t have accomplished before,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Game Studios. “Microsoft Game Studios will help lead the way in bringing ‘Project Natal’ to life.”

While laying the foundation for tomorrow with “Project Natal,” Xbox 360 remains the premier device for home entertainment today. Hot new titles for Xbox LIVE Arcade were also unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show, including “Toy Soldiers,” “Snoopy Flying Ace,” “Bomberman Live: Battlefest” and “RayStormHD,” positioning Xbox LIVE Arcade as the premier destination to enjoy the most innovative downloadable games.

Xbox 360 is also set to deliver the best new gaming, entertainment and social experiences for consumers this fall. Not only is Xbox 360 home to the most-anticipated exclusive games such as “Halo 3: ODST,” “Forza Motorsport 3,” “Left 4 Dead 2,” and new content from Rockstar Games including the Xbox retail exclusive “Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City” featuring “The Ballad of Gay Tony,” which will also be available for download over Xbox LIVE, it will also be the only place to watch instant-on HD in 1080p¹ with Zune video, and listen to personalized streaming radio right in the living room with Last.fm on Xbox LIVE. And with new social experiences custom-made for the television, Xbox LIVE continues to offer the most ways of any console to connect and share with friends and family on Facebook, and post tweets on Twitter.²

Additional information about Xbox 360 at the Tokyo Game Show can be found at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/press/2009/tgs.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a premier video game and entertainment system. It is home to the best and broadest games as well as the largest on-demand library of standard- and high-definition movies and TV shows connected to the television — with music coming this fall. The digital center of the living room, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content with the largest online social network of 20 million members on Xbox LIVE to create a limitless entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. With the addition of currently code-named “Project Natal,” Xbox 360 will forever transform social gaming and entertainment with a whole new way to play — no controller required. More information about “Project Natal” and Xbox 360 can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/projectnatal and http://www.xbox.com.

UPDATE: OK, ahora que vi los MTV Video Music Awards ya la conoci ¿Quien es Taylor Swift? pero creo que Kanye West no aprecia a la Srta. Taylor Swift ya que en la emisión se atrevio a decir que ella no merecia el premio que se gano, JAJA, que buena jugarreta . . . por otro lado dejenme decirles que el trailer extendido de NEW MOON realmente me intrigo, pero aun no me sorprende. Para finalizar la actuaciones estuvieron bien, Lady Gaga hizo un performance con su canción que realmente dejo a todos con la boca abierta, por lo violento de las escenas. En fin, que querian son premios de chocolate los de MTV.

Lo unico que valio la pena fue Jack Black con su atuendo a la Brutal Legend.

Es decir, perdonen mi ignorancia pero con eso de que salen tantos cantantes al vapor, ahora resulta que todos son superestrellas, y claro a Activision lo que le interesa es que su nuevo “Band Hero” venda miles de copias. Asi que lo asociaran a una cantante que al parecer es conocida solo en su casa, ejem, USA. Taylor Swift es una chica que al igual que Miley Cyrus y el elenco de High School son revelaciones por sus cualidades en el canto ¿?. En fin, chequen el video.

Guitar Hero & Band Hero . . . uno ya esta disponible, el otro llega en Noviembre. Cada uno dirigido a un grupo en particular de fanaticos . . . a los que gustan del POP y por otro lado a los que gustan del Rock . . . sin embargo el dinero recaudado va para la misma compañia Activision.

Ya les habia comentado que este movimiento es inteligente porque asi Activision tendria mayor distribución, PERO . . . si me dejan decirlo, ninguna de las 2 listas musicales me convence del todo. Es decir, Guitar Hero tiene buenas rolas, pero no como titulos previos y por otro lado Band Hero se me hizo muy tibio (demasiado Pop estilizado).

Pero como siempre esto pasara a segundo plano, ya que tendras disponible el monton de listas de canciones de los titulos previos.

Tambien les cuento un pequeño rumor que no he constatado, segun los foros de la compañia. Guitar Hero World Tour no es compatible 100% con Band Hero ya que este ultimo tendra su propio set de instrumentos. Espero tenerles mas info pronto.

You should already know that Blizzard is working on a new MMO – and yes, it’s not Cataclysm, since that turned out to be another World of Warcraft expansion. We don’t know anything about their new MMO, but according to the latest rumour, it won’t be pay-to-play like World of Warcraft; apparently, it’ll be free. This isn’t confirmed at the time, so it’s still a rumour.

Could Blizzard really make a free-to-play game and jeopardize the future of WoW? I don’t know.

[MMO Hut]
Picture Source: Every Joe

A new gameplay clip of Blizzard’s new Starcraft game Wings of Liberty. Graphics improved a ton compared to the previous version Broodwar. Who else can’t wait to see the full game? How are the new social features going to work in Battle.net? I’m going Protoss and you?