Apple presents biggest threat to home consoles, say game luminaries

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Chris Morris

The iPhone has already had a sizable impact on the traditional portable video game industry, but two video game VIPs are cautioning that the company could have a much larger — and potentially devastating — impact on the home console market.

Valve Software co-founder Gabe Newell and Nat Brown, who was one of the first engineers on Microsoft’s Xbox project, have issued warnings about Apple’s potential threat. The alerts come amid analyst speculation that Apple may hold an Apple TV-related special event next month.

Critics pour acid on Aliens: Colonial Marines

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Chris Morris

In space, no one can hear you scream…unless you’re screaming obscenities about the new Aliens video game. We’re hearing that loud and clear.

Critics are eviscerating Aliens: Colonial Marines, Gearbox’s long-anticipated game/sequel to 20^thCentury Fox’s film franchise, making the horrors the game’s xenomorphs inflict seem paltry by comparison.

Gamemakers take Vegas

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Chris Morris

The relationship between Hollywood studios and videogame publishers is evolving, but gamemakers at Thursday’s 16th annual Dice Awards in Las Vegas say there’s still a distance between the two.

“I don’t think they’re completely separate, but I think there are a lot of challenges between the two,” Capcom’s Christian Svensson said at the event, which serves as the Oscars of the vidgame biz, produced by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. “The sheer difference between times of development … is a very hard thing to reconcile. And I don’t know if anyone has really figured out how to make it collaborative. We’ve still got a ways to go.”

Read more at Daily Variety

X-Wing and Death Star battle again on Kickstarter

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Chris Morris

Begun the clone wars have.

Though the U.S. government decided not to fund research into a Death Star, Star Wars fans longing to witness the power of a fully armed and operational battle station have taken to Kickstarter to get it done.

The Rebel Alliance isn’t taking that threat lightly, though, and has countered by using the crowdfunding site in an attempt to build an X-Wing fighter.

Farmville is coming soon to a television near you

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Chris Morris

If you thought the idea of an Angry Birds movie was ridiculous, how about a cartoon based on Farmville?

Zynga’s long-in-the-tooth Facebook hit is being transformed into a half-hour animated series, and it has managed to snag bigwig Hollywood director Brett Ratner to lead the effort.

‘Journey’ big winner at D.I.C.E. Awards

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Chris Morris

The best videogames of 2012 weren’t found on store shelves, but they could be downloaded.

Thatgamecompany’s “Journey” was the big winner at the 16th annual D.I.C.E. Awards, capturing eight awards, including Game of the Year, Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, and Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction. “The Walking Dead,” an episodic downloadable game based on the Robert Kirkman comic, captured four awards, including Adventure Game of the Year and Downloadable Game of the Year for Telltale Games.

Read more at Daily Variety

Valve touts PCs for videogame innovation

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Chris Morris

The bulk of the media focus in the videogame world might be on the mobile and consoles, but Valve Software co-founder Gabe Newell thinks they’re looking at the wrong platform.

In his keynote address at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas, Newell evangelized the potential of the PC ecosystem, noting that it would help revolutionize the living room.

Read more at Daily Variety

‘Halo’ universe feeds fans on multiple platforms

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Chris Morris

The Halo franchise is one of the biggest in the videogame world, but when series creator Bungie Studios walked away from the series after 2010’s “Halo: Reach,” it left Microsoft with a problem.

The series, of course, would continue — but keeping the loyal community fanbase satisfied wouldn’t be easy — and neither would managing a property that had quickly grown into a transmedia giant.

Read more at Daily Variety

Hollywood, games biz unite around ‘Defiance’

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Chris Morris

While J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Valve Software are planning to develop films around the developer’s “Half-Life” and “Portal” franchises, Trion Worlds and Syfy have a warning for them: It’s not as easy as it looks.

At the D.I.C.E. Summit on Thursday, Syfy president Mark Stern and Trion’s VP of production Nick Beliaeff talked about the collaboration of their companies for the upcoming TV series and game “Defiance” and the changes both had to make in their operational procedures.

Read more at Daily Variety

Game pantheon inductees

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Chris Morris

Gabe Newell, latest inductee in the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame, has helped revolutionize the videogame industry.

The co-founder and managing director of Valve Software has overseen development on several beloved and influential franchises, including “Half-Life,” “Portal” and “Left 4 Dead.” And he led the charge in digital distribution efforts with Steam, Valve’s online sales and digital rights management platform. With more than 54 million users, Steam’s sales have doubled every year since 2005. Forbes estimates Steam sales make up 50%-70% of the $4 billion downloaded PC game market — and give publishers a much bigger profit margin.

Read more at Daily Variety