Category Archives: Gamasutra

Opinion: PlayStation Move – Between A Rock And A Hard Place?

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[As Sony’s PlayStation Move launches this weekend, Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris gathers his thoughts about the debut of the PS3’s motion control device, and the intuitiveness and needle-threading it requires to satisfy all parties.]

A little over a week ago, my wife fell asleep early when we were watching TV. I knew if I played Halo: Reach, it would likely get too loud, wake her up and I’d be in the doghouse for the rest of the weekend, so I figured this would be a good time to do some testing with the new motion control device for the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation Move.

I had just set things up and was turning the system on when she woke up. She looked over at me, got a confused look on her face and asked, “Are you holding a vibrator?”

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Analysis: The Coming Battle – Game Console Makers Vs. Cable Companies

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The relationship between console makers and cable companies can be a dicey one. Both compete for consumer eyeballs in the living room – and dip their toes in the other’s waters from time to time – but have avoided any sort of direct battle so far. Were they to square off, the brawl would likely be an epic one.

It might be time to start looking for ringside seats.

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Analysis: Are Long Development Times Worth The Money?

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[In this Gamasutra editorial, editor-at-large Chris Morris looks at Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption and its much-delayed development cycle, examining whether taking your time in completing development on your game makes creative and business sense.]

Before Red Dead Redemption became the year’s best-selling console title to date (and an earnings savior), Take-Two Interactive Software took a lot of heat over the game’s five-year development span.

To be fair, it seemed legitimate at the time. Take-Two (and especially its Rockstar division) has never been the speediest of companies when it comes to getting games on store shelves.

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In-Depth: Pitchford On How Gearbox Got To Own Duke Nukem Franchise

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On Friday morning, Gearbox Software and 2K Games dropped a bomb on gamers and industry alike at Seattle’s Penny Arcade Expo. Not only was Duke Nukem Forever alive once again, it was playable. On Sunday, they dropped another one.

3D Realms, the company that gave birth to the cigar chompin’, alien ass-kicking muscleman, had sold the rights to Gearbox. The story behind that is nearly as winding as Duke’s march to retail has been.

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In-Depth: The Fragile Existence Of Online Worlds

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[Gamasutra’s new editor-at-large Chris Morris examines the curiously abrupt end of Acclaim’s 9Dragons, which stranded 1.5 million U.S. players — when a game struggles in the high-risk MMO market, the players end up losing out, too.]

Nobody saw the end coming for 9Dragons – especially the players.

A post in the game’s Acclaim-operated forums, which went up just hours before the U.S. servers shut down, was the only official notification.

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