Hot Shots GPS Details

April 19, 2007 on 12:26 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

We just got through writing about what we thought was the PSP's first dual UMD game, when we looked through a recent issue of Famitsu and learned that we were wrong. It turns out that the first PSP game to span two disks will be the latest entry in the Hot Shots Golf series.

Minna no Golf Ba, as the new entry is to be known in Japan, was announced last year as one of the first games to be compatible with Sony's PSP GPS attachment. While we were previously in the dark as to how the game would make use of the GPS receiver, the magazine has at last cleared things up.

The Hot Shots Golf series is known for offering a casual experience for all. Minna no Golf Ba, on the other hand, appears to be designed for people who actually golf in real life. Take your GPS-ready PSP and your copy of Minna no Golf Ba with you to one of the included real-life courses, and you'll have in your hands a a digital caddy! The game supports you as you golf, informing you of the remaining distance to the green and your current height. When used in virtual caddy form, the PSP is meant to be held vertically rather than in the traditional horizontal position.

Those who just want to play golf the traditional Hot Shots way will be able to as well. The game includes a mode of play with standard Hot Shots Golf play mechanics over the included courses. Super-spin and other special moves are missing from the gameplay, but the control is the same.

All this content apparently requires some hefty disk space. Minna no Golf Ba will span two disks. The first disk will include sixteen courses from southern Chiba along with one special course. The second disk will include fifteen courses from northern Chiba. Chiba, in case you're not familiar with Japanese geography, is the large mass of nothingness located just East of Tokyo.

The full name of this GPS-ready Hot Shots Golf is actually Minna no Golf Ba Vol.1. Sony is planning on releasing additional volumes in the future, featuring data on other courses from throughout Japan.

We presume international courses would also be possible if the idea takes off. Golfers worldwide should keep an eye on Minna no Golf Ba when it hits Japan on 5/31.

Via IGN

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Playing Video Games – Bbfc Publishes Research

April 19, 2007 on 12:23 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Video games tend to polarise opinions in a way that other entertainment media do not. People who do not play them cannot understand their attraction and that lack of understanding can lead to some games being demonised. While there is research designed to show the short term physical reactions of video games players, there is very little information about why people play video games and what impact they think playing games has on them. The BBFC today published the results of a research project involving video games players ranging from children as young as seven through to players in their early 40s; parents of young games players; games industry representatives; and games reviewers.

The research set out to gain insights into a number of issues including:

the attractions of playing video games;
what impact games players think playing has on them and their behaviour;
whether the interactivity element of games alters the experience;
what players think about the violence in some games;
how they choose which games to play; and
what parents think about video games.
The key findings of the research were:

that children begin playing games at an increasingly early age, but that the overall age of games players is getting older;
there is a sharp divide between male and female games players in their taste in games and how long they spend playing;
female games players tend to prefer ‘strategic life simulation’ games like The Sims and puzzle games and spend less time playing than their male counterparts;
male players favour first ‘person shooter’ and sports games and are much more likely to become deeply absorbed in the play;
younger games players are influenced to play particular games by peer pressure and word of mouth, but negative press coverage for a game will significantly increase its take up;
people play games to escape from every day life and to escape to a world of adventure without risk which is under the control of the gamer, unlike the real world;
games provide a sense of achievement and are active, unlike television and films which are passive. However, games are better at developing action than building character and as such gamers tend to care less about the storyline than making progress in the game;
gamers appear to forget they are playing games less readily than film goers forget they are watching a film because they have to participate in the game for it to proceed. They appear to non-games players to be engrossed in what they are doing, but, they are concentrating on making progress, and are unlikely to be emotionally involved;
gamers claim that playing games is mentally stimulating and that playing develops hand eye coordination;
violence in games, in the sense of eliminating obstacles, is built into the structure of some games and is necessary to progress through the game. It contributes to the tension
because gamers are not just shooting, they are vulnerable to being shot and most gamers are concentrating on their own survival rather than the damage they are inflicting on the characters in the game. While there is an appeal in being able to be violent without being vulnerable to the consequences which similar actions in real life would create, gamers are aware that they are playing a game and that it is not real life;
gamers are aware that violence in games is an issue and younger players find some of the violence upsetting, particularly in games rated for adults. There is also concern that in some games wickedness prevails over innocence. However, most gamers are not seriously concerned about violence in games because they think that the violence on television and in films is more upsetting and more real;
gamers are virtually unanimous in rejecting the suggestion that video games encourage people to be violent in real life or that they have become desensitised. They see no evidence in themselves or their friends who play games that they have become more violent in real life. As one participant said: “I no more feel that I have actually scored a goal than I do that I have actually killed someone. I know it’s not real. The emphasis is on
achievement.”;
non-games playing parents are concerned about the amount of time their children, particularly boys, spend playing games and would prefer that they were outside in the fresh air. However, they are more concerned about the ‘stranger-danger’ of internet chat rooms. While the violence in games surprises them and concerns some of them, they are confident that their children are well balanced enough to not be influenced by playing violent games;
while parents agree that there should be regulation of games some are happy to give their children adult games because they are “only games”.
David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:
“The BBFC classified just under three hundred video games last year. Most games in the UK are classified under a pan-European voluntary system, but those with adult content are required to
come to us. We take this part of our responsibilities under the Video Recordings Act very seriously. Our examiners actually play the games for up to five hours, assessing all levels of the games and considering all the key issues. Players and the parents of young players can be sure that all aspects of the game have been taken into account before reaching a classification. We
require key issues to be flagged and aids such as cheat codes to be supplied to us. We take context into account, and examine works in a way which is as thorough and penetrating as
anywhere in the world.

“The element of interactivity in games carries some weight when we are considering a video game. We were particularly interested to see that this research suggests that, far from having a potentially negative impact on the reaction of the player, the very fact that they have to interact with the game seems to keep them more firmly rooted in reality. People who do not play games raise concerns about their engrossing nature, assuming that players are also emotionally engrossed. This
research suggests the opposite; a range of factors seems to make them less emotionally involving than film or television. The adversaries which players have to eliminate have no personality and so are not real and their destruction is therefore not real, regardless of how violent that destruction might be. This firm grasp on reality seems to extend to younger players, but this is no reason to allow them access to adult rated games, as they themselves often admit that they find the violence in games like Manhunt very upsetting. Parents should not treat video games in the same way they would board games. We will continue to examine very carefully those games which come to us, to flag any concerns we have and, if necessary, to use our statutory powers.

“There is no question that video games are an important form of entertainment for an ever increasing number of people. As the technology improves the games will become more and more
realistic and it is important that games are properly rated to protect younger players from the games with adult content, which the BBFC does. This research provides some valuable insights into why people play video games and what effect they think playing has on themselves and friends. It has also highlighted parental attitudes to video games. We hope that it will provide some food for thought for the industry, and everyone who has an interest in the impact of games and we will be taking the research outcomes into account as we review our games classification policies over the coming months.”

Via DCEmu

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Games industry enters a new level

April 19, 2007 on 12:21 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

It's larger than Hollywood, its virtual stars may live happily on a diet of bits and bytes, but the video games industry has not been able to insulate itself from upheaval.

Yes, gamers are snapping up the new generation of games consoles - Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's Playstation 3 [PS3], but at huge cost to the industry.

Hardware makers are losing hundreds of dollars on every console sold, and games publishers face an "increasingly difficult environment, as rising development costs and small user bases [mean] that return on investment in next generation games development is unlikely to be achieved before 2008," according to media analysts Screen Digest.

More importantly, though, the video games publishers are facing a revolution of their business model.

'Volatile' industry

Not every video game sees arrests as peaceful as this one

Even the industry's undisputed giant, Electronic Arts (EA), is not immune from turmoil.

It's a "volatile" industry, acknowledges Gerhard Florin, executive vice president at EA and the general manager of its international publishing business.

More than double the size of its nearest competitor, the Redwood City, California, based company employs 7,200 people; 5,200 of them work on games development.

Titles like Fifa Soccer, Need for Speed, The Sims, and Command and Conquer games underpin the company's success.

The sequel syndrome

"Scale does matter" in this industry, says Mr Florin, because "the more complex games become" the more tools are needed "to keep costs under control".

VIDEO GAMES SALES
Consoles games
2006: $11.2bn
2007: $12.2bn
PC games
2006: $3.9bn
2007: $3.7bn


And selling software in a shrink-wrapped package just doesn't bring in enough money anymore.

The market for computer games is stagnating. Screen Digest predicts their sales to fall to $3.7bn this year - although they at least provide a stable stream of income, says Mr Florin.

The real money spinners are console games, but subject to the ups and downs of the hardware cycle as consoles launch or go out of fashion.

To ensure steady revenues, says Mr Florin, games publishers therefore have to build strong brands.


Franchises like Fifa Soccer are mainstays of EA's business

It may not be original, but no video games executive has yet been sacked for commissioning the annual upgrade to popular franchises like Fifa Soccer or Madden NFL.

Ed Barton, games analyst at Screen Digest, calls it "a common syndrome in the video games industry".

"Wonderful innovative titles are sometimes ignored [by consumers], while some repetitive titles with minor improvements in game play and graphics provide much better returns to the games publishers," he says.

He compares it to music publishers, who have Madonna or Elvis Presley "to keep the home fires burning," but also invest to freshen up the catalogue.

The next generation

The new generation of consoles is a prime opportunity for innovation, but have not made life easier for developers.

ELECTRONIC ARTS
Founded in 1982
HQ: Redwood City, California
Revenue: $2.9bn (2006)
Staff: 7,200
Main studios: Redwood Shores, Los Angeles, Orlando, Vancouver, Warrington

Right now video games use probably 30-40% of the power of the new hardware, says Mr Florin.

"You only learn what you can do with these platforms over time, and as a result using 100% of Playstation 2 [PS2] is nearly as good as today's starting point of PS3 games," says Mr Florin.

"We haven't even started to see PS3's power, it will take the longest to exploit in full," says Mr Florin.

Games publishers face a dilemma, though. To reduce cost, they would love to put their games on as many platforms as possible.

It used to be relatively easy to port a game from one console to the next. Nintendo's "Gamecube, the Xbox and PS2 were much more alike," says Mr Florin.

Next generation platforms are different, he says: "Now we have to have very distinctive games for each machine and can't port that much."

That plays into the hands of the console makers, who want exclusive games to lure gamers to their platform.

See the market share of competing video games consoles
Standing on five legs

The critics of video games are modern book burners

Gerhard Florin

"Development times, team sizes and complexity have been exacerbated by increasingly demanding next generation games," says Ed Barton at Screen Digest.

He predicts that "only a tiny proportion of next generation titles are likely to achieve profitability in the near future".

To survive and expand, says Mr Florin, publishers have to move beyond console and computer games, and stand on three additional legs:

Handheld games;
mobile phones, which are "up and coming"; and
the "fifth leg, online communities".
Mr Barton calls it the industry's "risk reduction strategy" - a combination of outsourcing, releasing games on as many platforms as possible and "making sequels to popular titles and producing games based on popular movies".

Going online

The biggest driver for change in the industry, however, is the internet .

Gamers are now "getting connected to the internet at a large scale," says Mr Barton. "We have only seen the beginning of this."

Here Microsoft is way ahead with its Xbox Live service. Sony's online gaming was launched fairly recently and is considered to be much less accomplished than Microsoft's.

Is she playing this game online?

Nintendo's efforts, scoffs Mr Barton, are "frankly stone age compared to the others".

But this is about more than using Xbox Live to play the shooter game Halo against friends at the other end of the world.

Games publishers can reach out to new consumers, for example with sites like EA's pogo.com, which is "purely advertising driven," and designed not for hardcore gamers but people who want to have a bit of fun in their lunch break.

They also discover novel ways to distribute games in regions like Asia, where EA did not really have any presence.

The benefits of software piracy

As it turns out, software piracy can be good for you.

"We have extremely strong brands [in Asia] thanks to the pirates; they have created millions of consumers - not customers," says Mr Florin.

The internet allows EA to tap into this market and make some money after all.

Next-generation games provide ever more realistic graphics

In South Korea, EA set up an online community based around the Fifa Soccer game. It was the firm's first venture in this market and has broken all records, with five million players or 12% of the population.

The Korean gamers are spending serious money on accessories and customisations of the online game.

"We now have to learn the business of running an online community," says Mr Florin.

He also has his eyes set on China, which has some 20 million players of football video games.

The next level

The online service model may even work in regions like Europe, where the old shrink-wrap content model still dominates.

"We have to find the right mixture of content and service," says Mr Florin.

In the future, believes Screen Digest's Ed Barton, companies will release barebones versions of games for free, and then make money by charging subscriptions for enhanced access or one-off payments for extra features.

Sony, meanwhile, is already thinking about the next step. Players will be able to create new levels for games and share them online. "Users could create revenue for games," says Mr Barton. "The potential for this is absolutely enormous".

Advertising: in-game and in real life

Bringing games online also allows publishers to venture into in-game advertising.

Soon in-game adverts will be much more valuable than this

If a snow board maker runs an advertising campaign, EA could offer space on billboards in its snowboard game, says Mr Florin: "For six weeks you would see the same advert in the real world and in the game."

Specialist companies like Massive and IGA predict that 2007 will be the year when this form of advertising will take off.

Not only can they segment gamers by location, the type of game and time of day, they also have a highly attentive audience.

In-game advertising is very effective, says Mr Florin. "When you are playing a game, you are completely engaged... and many studies show that you have high levels of retention."

Right now it is a tiny revenue stream. "Will it be 50% of EA's revenue?," muses Mr Florin. "I doubt it - but never say never."

The modern book burners

In their quest to expand the ranks of video gamers, publishing firms have also learned that it's not the high-end games that reap the biggest profits, says Mr Florin.

One of the big hits on the handheld Nintendo DS is Cooking Mama. "Making a cook book is not in our genes," says Mr Florin.

Nonetheless it shifted more than two million copies. He calls it "Pokemon and Mario numbers," in reference to two of the platform's biggest hits.

But when quoting these numbers, his real message is that video gamers are normal people.

"Games are blamed for plenty of ills in this world," says Mr Florin. "There is a discrepancy between gamers and their perception in society by non-gamers."

The typical gamer is not a spotty 16-year-old pondering how to kill his teacher.

Getting passionate, he compares the critics of video games to "modern book burners".

There are more than 50 million games consumers in Europe alone, half of them are adults, and only a tiny fraction of games on the market are rated 18+, argues Mr Florin.

And he issues a plea to them: "Tell your politicians 'I am 22, I play shooters, but I'm a normal person'."

Via BBC News

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Are game system web surfers an untapped market?

April 19, 2007 on 12:19 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

We're not really that big on the whole web browsing on a gaming system thing -- the home computer does a fine job for most of our 'net surfing needs. There must be some people out there who disagree though, because a recent press release from sci-fi eBook provider NextGenBooks reveals that "over half of its traffic coming from Nintendo Wii, DS and Sony PS3 and PSP users."

Perhaps this isn't too surprising, given that the site offers optimized versions of its free eBooks for all four systems (and the site's overall traffic doesn't even cause a blip on monitoring sites like Alexa). Still, the explosion of game-system-browser-friendly versions of everything from YouTube to Virgin Radio to porn sites seems to show that at least some people think the surfing-on-a-system audience is going to be big big big.

Do you use your favorite game console for web browsing? Are you perhaps reading this on your favorite system right now? Or do you think the web is meant for computers?

Via Joystiq

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Game publishers threatened by user-generated content

April 19, 2007 on 12:16 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Video game executives fear you. Seriously. They cower in their cubicles every day, praying that you don't destroy them. So says a poll conducted among entertainment-industry bigshots, which found that 57% of respondents named "user-generated content" among the top three threats to their yacht collections.

That's bad for them, but great for us. Internet distribution and cheap production software have thrown open the gates that, until now, were traditionally tightly secured by publishers. Got an idea for a video, a song, a podcast, a game? Make it, put it online, and people will find it. We all benefit from the mind-bogglingly wide variety of stuff to consume, and the competition increases quality for everyone. The dinosaurs who have become rich off outmoded means of production and distribution are quaking in terror. Some, like SCEA president Phil Harrison, are making attempts to adapt and thrive. Those that don't may perish. Don't pity them. Nobody mourns the Great Auk.

Via Joystiq

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FFXIII going multiplatform?

April 19, 2007 on 12:14 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

The multiple games in development as part of Square's Final Fantasy XIII project will not be limited to PS3 and mobile releases, Square Enix's Motomu Toriyama has reportedly confirmed.

Six games in total are expected in the project which Square calls Fabula Nove Crystallis, and if the report on Gamefront is accurate we could see FFXIII games appear on Nintendo and Microsoft consoles. However, it's speculated that the statements made by Toriyama may have been misread owing to poor translation.

Square UK refused to comment further, but we'd like to note that Final Fantasy VII was unveiled in a similar episodic way, which also saw releases on multiple platforms so our money's on the FFXIII project doing the same.

Square has currently confirmed three games in the project: Final Fantasy XIII and FF Versus XIII for PS3, and FF Agito XIII for mobile.

Via CVG

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