Description:
Joystiq
Contents:
MMO Roundup: Massively's week in review
When it comes to MMO news and special features, Joystiq sister site Massively.com has you covered. Whether you're looking for info on the hottest new MMO, or you're just curious about an old favorite, you'll find it at Massively. Check out our biggest features of the week:
 |
Funcom receives grant to create extreme sports MMO
In between navigating the sometimes-choppy waters of Age of Conan and working toward the launch of The Secret World, Funcom is having a busy year, but it looks like they are adding one more project to the pile as well. |
 |
Exclusive interview with Linden Lab CEO Mark Kingdon
Mark Kingdon, Linden Lab's CEO, has been a bit of a mystery figure since his appointment about a year and a half ago. While he has not been uncommunicative, it's been hard to get a very good sense of the man at the helm of Linden Lab, his passions, interests and direction. |
Continue reading MMO Roundup: Massively's week in review  MMO Roundup: Massively's week in review originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
LGJ: Read the fine print!
Each week Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq ("LGJ"), a column on legal issues as they relate to video games:
Well, after the incident with Courtney Love and Kurt, it looks like the whole issue of famous musicians in games is back in the press with No Doubt suing Activision over Band Hero. A one time event is an anomaly, but twice in just a few months suggests something else. Of course, both of these all tie back to the contract, and since I'm a transactional attorney who spends the majority of most days negotiating and drafting agreements like these, I'm hoping I can shed a little light on what might be causing the problems. Since I wasn't involved in these particular negotiations nor have I read these contracts, all of what I'm presenting is speculation.
But before I begin, I suppose I should answer the simple question, "What is a contract?" I assume that most people reading this have at least some idea, but just in case, it's worth describing in detail. A contract is a legally binding agreement between two parties to perform certain promises in the future. In theory, to form a contract there are five elements: Offer and acceptance, consideration, intent, capacity, and formalities. In reality, it's fairly simple. The parties must have a meeting of the minds, that is agree to the same terms, which is often viewed as an offer by one party and acceptance by the other. Each party must put up something of value, called consideration, for the contract to be valid. The parties must intend to enter into a contract, and be of the appropriate mental capacity to enter into the agreement. And then the agreement is generally recorded in writing, as most jurisdictions have rules that require written agreements, which is then signed by the parties. And that is how a contract is born, in theory anyway.Continue reading LGJ: Read the fine print! LGJ: Read the fine print! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Readers pick best webcomic: Babicide
The dynamic duo from Penny Arcade have had long-standing animosity with infants, as evidenced by a number of their past strips. This cycle -- and the comic's victory streak -- continued in last week's Webcomic Wrapup winner, titled "Babicide." Just to be clear, they're talking about demonic baby murder in this strip, and not that blue liquid that hairstylists use to clean combs. Yes, that's how it hit us first, too.
Second and third place went to Brawl in the Family's "Zombie Attack" and Hiimdaisy's "Big Long Persona 4 Comic Part Two," respectively. If you've got a favorite strip you'd like to see in tomorrow's poll, it's not too late to send it in! Just leave a link in the comments section of this post, or shoot us a tip!Readers pick best webcomic: Babicide originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Demon's Souls director talks difficulty, sequel possibility
Perhaps you've heard, but Demon's Souls is a hard game. Like really hard. Like bone-crushingly, soul-scathingly hard. Speaking to Game Informer, Demon's Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki explains why. According to Miyazaki, the difficulty was designed around giving players "a sense of accomplishment," specifically in regard to the soul collecting mechanic. For those who haven't played the game, souls act as currency and you lose all of them upon death. They can be regained, but only if you make it back to your bloodstain without dying twice more. Trust us, it's not as easy as it sounds.
According to Miyazaki, "If the Souls could be recovered anytime, there would be no suspense or sense of accomplishment." He added that he wants players to feel like, "I did it! I made it to my bloodstain!" Of course, Miyazaki fails to mention the sense of utter, despairing failure one feels when they don't make it back to their bloodstain (a frequent occurrence).
Regarding the possibility of a sequel, Miyazaki said he couldn't give a direct answer, but noted that the team learned a great deal on Demon's Souls and there were several things that didn't make it into the game. Given the opportunity, Miyazaki said he would "welcome the chance to create an even better game in the same style." Gluttons for punishment that we are, we'll take it.Demon's Souls director talks difficulty, sequel possibility originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
So you want to play the Bayonetta demo early, do you?
Sega just announced that 40,000 lucky Xbox 360 owners will get extremely early access to a demo for the upcoming action game Bayonetta. To be considered for the prize, gamers must register for a free Sega Pass -- essentially the publisher's newsletter -- and enter for a chance to be selected on the official Bayonetta demo site.
Registration for the "contest" will be open from Monday, November 9 to Friday, November 13. Winners will be notified on Monday, November 16. Those not selected will then be referred to as "the group least likely to win a 'boot-gun thing' firing contest" ... or PlayStation 3 players. Should you not get selected, you might want to take advantage of making a Japanese account.So you want to play the Bayonetta demo early, do you? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Square Enix summons Earnings Report; Final Fantasy XIII Sales Projections evade attacks
Square Enix recently chose to attack with its annual earnings report, and among the 12-page PDF file's barrage of numbers, things look pretty good for the company. Net sales for the six months ending September 30, 2009 were up 33 percent over the same period last year to 91 billion yen ($1 billion), while operating income was also up by 39 percent to 13 billion yen ($144.5 million) over the same period last year. It's not all roses and Dragon Quest IX sales, however -- net income was down almost 58 percent to 2.7 billion yen ($30 million).
The statement also talks about the acquisition and assimilation of Eidos in direct proportion to Square Enix's games group division -- which includes video games across all platforms and online games for personal computers. Through the aid of titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and the aforementioned Dragon Quest IX, the games division rose its net sales and operating income by 117 percent and 63 percent to 4.8 billion yen ($53 million) and 1.0 billion yen ($11 million), respectively.
As for the company's upcoming darling, Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix prez Yoichi Wada spoke about concern regarding the title's projected domestic sales. Basically, he's not concerned at all! "PS3 sales continue to increase. We're bundling PS3 and FFXIII, and can expect even further sales increases. Orders for FFXIII are definitely not bad," he said. While he didn't reiterate anything as bold as six million, Wada did claim that the game is expected to sell in the millions.
Source - Square Enix earnings (PDF) [Via andriasang]
Source - Wada comments on FFXIII salesSquare Enix summons Earnings Report; Final Fantasy XIII Sales Projections evade attacks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
WRUP: 'Too many games, not enough time' edition
Admittedly, it's not as bad as previous years, but we're already drowning in a bunch of well-received and just-plain-fun games for the holiday season. There are already too many quality titles taking up our time and this was supposed to be a "slow" year. How did our wallets ever keep up with holidays past? Oh wait, they couldn't. What's everyone playing this weekend?
Continue reading WRUP: 'Too many games, not enough time' edition WRUP: 'Too many games, not enough time' edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Alex Evans answers 10 Questions from the Academy
Introducing 10 Questions from the Academy: A weekly feature from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences wherein significant figures in the video game industry provide their input on past trends, current events, and future challenges and goals for the entertainment software community.
Alex Evans is a member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and spoke at the D.I.C.E. Summit in 2009. He's worked for Lionhead Studios, co-developed Rag Doll Kung-Fu independently, and co-founded Media Molecule, developers behind the award-winning LittleBigPlanet.
AIAS: How do you measure success?
Alex Evans: The number of hand written fan letters from 4 year olds showcasing scribbly artwork they've re-imagined from your game.
What's your favorite part of game development?
Top'n'tail - the really fertile bit at the beginning, just messing around; and the final, final, tunnel of light where you actually ship the damn thing. The middle bit itself has phases: wherein you lost site of your initial good idea; realise what you've made sucks in several significant ways; rebuild it (several times); lose sight once more of the original idea; (hopefully) eventually recapture something of the original seed, by now actually usable; and finally enter the glorious 'tunnel of light' towards the end. All of these middle phases effectively only happen because of many, many hours of grind - or 'turning the handle' as my old math professor used to call it.Continue reading Alex Evans answers 10 Questions from the Academy
Home
|
