Video games to go open source?

Indie games companies are developing open source projects to produce video games...

An increasing number of mainstream video game veterans have abandoned big-budget, big-business game development and "gone rogue" as small, self-funded, often self-published independent game developers, or "indies." Some see indie development as an entry point into a career in the majors. But for some jaded professionals who love gaming but are dissatisfied with the mainstream industry, indie development offers an escape - and a unique opportunity.

The video game market is dominated by large vendors, as discussed in this Portfolio article about Disney's efforts to lead Hollywood into video games. A bit of surprise to me was just how many games and studios Disney has acquired over the last few years, even creating a new business unit.

This isn't terribly different from what we've seen in the enterprise as big vendors Oracle have consolidated smaller vendors while frustrated developers (and business folk) have created open source companies to go against the corporate grain. Open source has flipped the enterprise market on it's head, can an open source-like model for game development help the growth of the independent gaming world?

Best I can tell is that console and downloadable games have some specific technical challenges that most people don't have experience with. It seems like there are some big opportunities in gaming right now.

CNet

Race Driver - Grid on Nintendo DS - new video

Now shipping - the smash hit racer returns this Friday in handheld form on Nintendo DS complete with circuit creation system.

New video available from http://community.racedrivergrid.com/

RACE DRIVER - GRID returns in portable form this week as Codemasters today announced that the Nintendo DS edition of the game is now shipping and will launch this Friday, 8th August.

An all-new video of the Nintendo DS edition in action is now showing online .

The Nintendo DS edition of the game that Top Gear magazine called “the racing game of the year” has been specifically designed for the handheld and offers the most complete pick-up-and-play pocket racing package. Players can take inspiration from competing in the world’s most exciting racing cars on legendary circuits and iconic city streets and then get creative with the most powerful track editor in portable gaming.

RACE DRIVER: GRID delivers intense, incident-packed wheel-to-wheel racing against aggressive AI opponents to create a breathtaking race experience. Accessible handling enables gamers to jump straight into the action, while a huge career mode includes championship and race events. Quick fire Challenges offer a fast fix of racing for gamers on-the-go and include Time Trials, Speed Tests and Chase events.

Bringing a new world of motor sport to life, players race at beautifully realised and diverse locations across three continents. In Europe, race prestige marques on the world’s most famous circuits including Spa and the Nurburgring. In America, compete in powerful muscle cars through the streets of San Francisco to Washington DC. Taking the race to Japan, experience the unique exhilaration of drift racing on the neon lit streets of Shibuya and then compete in Touge events, downhill races that operate on the fringe of legality.

Exclusively for the Nintendo DS edition, RACE DRIVER: GRID features a multi faceted track editor, enabling gamers to create their own dream race track. With over 60 individual pieces, the creation system offers near-limitless design options, including the ability to personalise trackside hoardings and billboards. Players can craft complete championship circuits in detail or, using the simple Free-Draw tool, create and race within minutes.

Extensive online and multiplayer options has players competing in four-player races, climbing to the top of global online leader boards for every race event, or sharing up to four individually created tracks with up to four players in the ultimate custom race series.

With a stunning selection of real-world settings, outstanding racing cars, a powerful track editor and incredible graphics, RACE DRIVER: GRID is the most exciting, fun and feature packed racer you can fit in your pocket. Developed by Firebrand Games, the team responsible for the award-winning Race Driver: Create and Race, the Nintendo DS edition of RACE DRIVER: GRID launches this Friday, 8th August. See the new video and for all the action from the track visit http://community.racedrivergrid.com/

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New website with games, movie and music reviews - Win a TV

The Leisure Lab is a new website from Haymarket Consumer Media that reviews the latest games, movies and music.

Aimed at home entertainment enthusiasts, the Leisure Lab's unique approach is to assess new releases not only on their creative qualities, but also on their technical achievements. We help readers to find the games, movies and music that best showcase the power of their home cinema system or HiFi.

The Leisure Lab's reviews are presented by a huge team of experienced journalists from Stuff.tv and WhatHiFi.com, who add new podcasts several times each week.



Visitors to the site also have the opportunity to enter The Leisure Lab's competitions where prizes worth £1,500 are on offer, including a 46in LCD TV, a Home Cinema System and a Blu Ray Player.

The Leisure Lab's editor, Jamie Ewbank, says: "Not only does the Leisure Lab cover music, games and movies all in one place, but all our reviews have a little something extra.

The Leisure Lab stands out because our reviewers not only know films, music and games, they also know about the kit you have in your living room. So when we review a game, we don't just ask how good the gameplay is, we ask how good it looks and sounds, how well it uses your equipment to immerse you in the game world.”

The Leisure Lab launches on Friday 8th of August at http://www.theleisurelab.co.uk .

Guitar Hero Nintendo DS may surprise you

GUITAR HERO-  ON TOUR Imagine someone came to you and said "Hey, I just invented a cheetah that dispenses napkins!" You'd be pretty impressed at first, I'm sure. But then you'd just be confused, because you wouldn't be able to figure out exactly why anyone would want to do that.

That's Guitar Hero - On Tour

If someone had to put a version of the music game (which is typically played with an undersized plastic guitar controller) onto Nintendo's portable DS system, this is probably the best way of doing it. A DS add-on (included with the game) applies four buttons to the side of the console, and players must hold in the right combination of them and strum along with the music.

The songs (all full pop/rock songs) sound really great, it's shocking that they all fit on one DS cart. But as my wife and I (both music game fans) played around with it, the question we kept coming back to was "Why?" Why would one want to play this party game without a big TV and the faux-guitar controller?

Speaking as two people who've spent endless hours with plastic guitars, we both agreed it was infinitely less fun watching someone strum a pick-shaped stylus across the DS's tiny screen.

If you're at home, I imagine you want to actually play "Guitar Hero." If you're on the go, I imagine you don't want to look like a doofus. If you don't fit into either of these categories though, "Guitar Hero: On Tour" is probably the best you're going to do.

Guitar Hero - Metallica Lars Ulrich on MTV news

We know that Activision is contemplating more band-themed Guitar Hero games, but they are mum as to which bands they are working with. With the recent deal to make the next Metallica album available on Guitar Hero III the same day it is released to the public for purchase, one has to wonder if they are working with the band for their own Guitar Hero title. Lets see what Las Ulrich has to say about the matter.

I think at some point a band can actually get big enough to just not care what they say. Take for instance this recent interview with Metallica rocker Lars Ulirich where he all but says “they’re making Guitar Hero Metallica”.


There’s an Aerosmith game out there that’s super successful, and if somebody’s gonna follow that up…we’re talking, and its exciting, and the people at ‘Guitar Hero’ and Activision are rapidly becoming our best new friends in the world. You can put the rest of it together yourself.

My puzzle-solving skills aren’t what they once were, so I’ve contacted my crack team of specialists, and we’ve translated the text to mean that either Lars just confirmed a Gutiar Hero: Metallica title, or that the band is planning on buying the Guitar Hero franchise and will rule the gaming world with an iron fist. I’m not sure, but I think I’m leaning toward the latter.

Watch the MTV interview here...

Source: SlashGear

Video games make $18 billion last year

The one-day record holder for a movie premiere is Spiderman 3, which brought in $59 million in ticket sales on its opening day.

Spring's opening blockbuster brought in $500 million in sales. It was the biggest entertainment opening ever. But it wasn't a movie…

Grand Theft Auto IV, a video game, recorded sales of $310 million… on its first day.

It's not the first time video games have made a one-day killing like that. Game sales have outpaced movies for some time now. For the first time last year, the video game industry surpassed the movie industry in gross sales.

Last year's game industry grew to $18.8 billion. That's a 40% increase from the prior year. Software sales represented $9.5 billion of that figure, and it's not hard to see why.

The video game industry of today looks nothing like it did 10 years ago. Gone are low-tech games and disconnected users. Today's video game players are all ages, demographic and geographic backgrounds. And there's a lot of money at stake…

Sixty-eight percent of households in the United States play computer or video games. Game software sales were $2.6 billion in 1996, and by 2006 they had reached $7.4 billion.

In 2007, the industry sold 267.8 million games. That's 540 games sold every minute.

Profiting from the video game industry isn't as simple as investing in the company making a blockbuster game. You also have to know about the machines these games are played on…

The Video Game Industry Profits from Multiple Platforms

The video game industry is broken down into games and consoles. Games can come in many different formats. Most are console games, meaning they only play on a specific company's game system - called a console, while the PC versions can play on any computer.
PC games represent only a small sales segment in the game market, but they have an incredible reach with users. Last year, 40% of all U.S. residents two years of age or older played an online game.
The console market is concentrated among a few game systems like Nintendo's Wii and DS, Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's X-Box 360. Consoles represent $9.35 billion in sales for the industry.
Aside from the tremendous time that goes into the coding and construction, labor is the largest cost in producing a game. Programmers can make $90k annually, or more. With the ability to locate offices in economical locations, and the ability to sublet work wherever it's cost efficient, the game industry can produce games for less.
The cost to make an average game can run from $10 to $50 million. When you compare that to the average 2007 movie cost of $106 million, you can see why the profit margins are so attractive.
Diverse platforms have given rise to a multitude of games as companies have rushed to meet the demands of numerous demographic segments.
New Players Have Opened up Huge New Markets
The stereotypes of video games being the domain of teenage boys, as well as being ultra-violent, are changing. Gamers are more likely to be older, young professionals who can afford to purchase games and consoles. The average gamer has been playing for roughly 12 years.
And men aren't the only ones playing these days…
Forty percent of all game players are women, and there are more women playing games (30% of all gamers) than there are boys under 17 years old (23%). Women represent a larger and larger population of game players every year.
Companies are tailoring their games to this growing audience, making games less violent and more family friendly. While the news likes to report that video games are getting more violent every year, the small number of violent-rated games is proof that the industry gets more bad press than it deserves.
Only 15.5% of last year's games were rated "M" for mature. The majority of games - 56.5% - were rated "E" for "Everyone 10+." The fastest growing segment in the games industry is the family segment that grew 110% from 9.1% to 17.6%.
As younger generations grow and have children of their own, more parents are playing video games than ever before - 36% of parents play video games. "Families that play together stay together" can now mean playing video games.
Eighty percent of gamer parents play video games with their kids.
Forty-seven percent of video game players are between the ages of 18 and 49. The fastest growing demographic is the 50-plus crowd. This doesn't mean that kids aren't playing video games anymore; far from it… they still represent 28% of all gamers out there.
More and more older Americans are playing video games than ever before. Video games are perfect activities for seniors by providing activity without physical stress. They offer health benefits with coordination, balance and endurance. 24% of Americans over age 50 played video games last year, and that number should only increase.
The average game buyer is 38 years old, five years older than the average player. This gap in age represents the scores of parents buying games for their children, and the tremendous influence parents have on sales.
Regardless of age brackets, entertainment traditionally declines during economic downturns and recessions. But the video game industry has defied conventional wisdom.
Why the Video Game Industry Does Better During Recessions
Economists haven't called our current downturn a recession yet, but there's no shortage of bad economic news to help support that argument.
The last recession the United States had was after Sept. 11, when technology demand crashed. Despite that, sales of video games during that period increased 43%. 2002 became a record year in video games, posting $7 billion in sales.
And it's happening again…
Retail sales in February fell by 0.06, but video games and equipment increased sales 34% over January to $1.33 billion. But this sales boom hasn't stopped.
Game sales hit $1.7 billion in March 2008. That's a 57% increase from the same time last year.
In the same way people 'cocoon' themselves during winter storms, consumers stay home more when the economy is down.
It may sound counterintuitive, but the increasing costs for entertainment have encouraged people to spend less, and as a result they are purchasing games that cost much more than the average movie ticket.
Time is the reason gamers are willing to spend the money for these products. While an average movie may run two to three hours, a new game may take an expert player 100 hours to finish.
A $50 to $60 cost for that game starts to look very reasonable. Especially when you consider the time spent playing these games means less time for spending money on more expensive entertainment options.
Even when hard times end, the game industry will continue to profit. Today's gamer is a devoted player logging an average of 7.5 hours a week playing games.
That's a dedicated player who will continue to buy and play games for years to come.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto IV for the PC

Grand Theft Auto IV will be arriving on the PC on November 18th and 21st in North America and Europe, respectively.

"We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can't wait for people to play it."


Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, the latest installment in the enormously successful Grand Theft Auto series features a painstakingly detailed and life-like city for players to explore; a rich, immersive narrative experience; an original soundtrack highlighting the cultural eclecticism of Liberty City; and newly expanded multiplayer just for the PC.

International Athletics Out now on the Sony PSP soon on Nintendo DS

International Athletics on PSP just in time for the Olympic Games in Beijing, with the Nintendo DS version coming soon.

International Athletics is the most realistic athletics title on any handheld console and the only athletics title available on the PSP. The title boasts a wide range of events from the 4 key disciplines; running, jumping, throwing and shooting. Thumbs will be wagging and DS stylus’ wiggling as players compete in the single player or four-player multiplayer modes in their quest for multi-disciplined glory.

With full character customisation, gamers will be able to recreate their heroes with startling accuracy and then progress through a compelling career mode, competing for medals and unlocking world famous venues and events.



Speaking on the International Athletics trade stand at the recent London Grand Prix, British Olympic medal hope, Greg Rutherford said “The accuracy and realism of International Athletics is fantastic, certainly better than anything I’ve played on the DS or PSP before. The game is also a great way for children and adults to learn about the different track and field disciplines – I’ll certainly be testing my skills on the long jump before I head to Beijing”

Greg went on to win the long jump at the Crystal Palace event on the 25th & 26th July which was sponsored by Ghostlight and International Athletics. The event attracted 32,000 spectators over the 2 days and reached a television audience over 20 million viewers worldwide. Marketing Account Manager, Adrian Clews commented “The event was a huge success with record numbers attending and watching the action live on TV. The Ghostlight stand was a hive of activity with families taking the opportunity to play International Athletics on both DS and PSP demo pods. The multiplayer functionality and unique realism, which only International Athletics can offer on handhelds, was a massive hit with the largely family based audience.”

Puzzloop puzzle game for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch

Image by via CrunchBaseSimultaneous global release of the popular game 'PuzzLoop' as a new title at the App Store, which sells software for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.

Available today, PuzzLoop ($7.99,) has enjoyed world-wide popularity on several different platforms. With user friendly direct controls, this game makes use of the iPhone and iPod touch's unique touch screen interface, just as did Hudson's 'BOMBERMAN TOUCH - The Legend of Mystic Bomb' ($7.99,), a game released at the opening of the App Store on Friday, July 11, 2008.

Audiences from all backgrounds can jump right into the new PuzzLoop and its many features, including an uncomplicated interface, fun onscreen action, and addictive playability.

Hudson will continue to explore the possibilities in new devices like the iPhone and iPod touch, while releasing games that support them.
Along with quickly establishing its brand, Hudson will provide customers of these devices with new and compelling gaming experiences.

'PuzzLoop'
Release Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Price (including taxes): $7.99
Copyright: HUDSON SOFT 2008

"Fire, Connect & Clear!" Introducing the ultimate 'looping puzzle'
game.

After PuzzLoop began as an arcade game in 1998, the immensely popular puzzle action game has been ported to numerous game platforms. The uncomplicated controls require only touching the screen and aiming at the colorful balls rolling on a rail. Clear the balls by connecting three or more of the same color. String combos together to raise the maximum points awarded. Master the numerous items too, and clear them all!

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Puzzloop puzzle game for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch

Simultaneous global release of the popular game 'PuzzLoop' as a new title at the App Store, which sells software for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.

Available today, PuzzLoop ($7.99,) has enjoyed world-wide popularity on several different platforms. With user friendly direct controls, this game makes use of the iPhone and iPod touch's unique touch screen interface, just as did Hudson's 'BOMBERMAN TOUCH - The Legend of Mystic Bomb' ($7.99,), a game released at the opening of the App Store on Friday, July 11, 2008.

Audiences from all backgrounds can jump right into the new PuzzLoop and its many features, including an uncomplicated interface, fun onscreen action, and addictive playability.

Hudson will continue to explore the possibilities in new devices like the iPhone and iPod touch, while releasing games that support them.

Along with quickly establishing its brand, Hudson will provide customers of these devices with new and compelling gaming experiences.

'PuzzLoop'
Release Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Price (including taxes): $7.99

"Fire, Connect & Clear!" Introducing the ultimate 'looping puzzle' game.

After PuzzLoop began as an arcade game in 1998, the immensely popular puzzle action game has been ported to numerous game platforms. The uncomplicated controls require only touching the screen and aiming at the colorful balls rolling on a rail. Clear the balls by connecting three or more of the same color. String combos together to raise the maximum points awarded. Master the numerous items too, and clear them all!