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Age of Empires Online no longer in active development

04/01/2013

Active development on PC RTS Age of Empires Online has ceased, Microsoft has announced. Writing on the game’s blog, executive producer Kevin Perry announced there would be no new content created for game as it has finished its “development phase” and was now moving into its “support phase”.


Perry was quick to reassure players that the free-to-play game is not on its last legs, however. “You can still do all the things you do today; we’re not taking away anything you already have. There will be no new civilizations or features, that’s all.”

Publisher Microsoft and developer Gas Powered Games will continue providing support for the game, but Perry conceded that “fixing any remaining bugs and addressing balance issues will be slower and, frankly, more difficult for the team.”

“Some may, in fact, be unfixable. We will be watching carefully in case any critical bugs appear.

Perry also explained that development on the game has been forced to stop for financial reasons. “Creating top-tier content, as we have been for the last year and a half, is very expensive – too expensive to maintain for long, as it turns out.”

“We can no longer afford to keep creating it. AOEO already has a very large amount of high-quality, hand-crafted entertainment, and adding more is no longer cost-effective.”

“This is a bittersweet announcement for me to make,” Perry added.

Age of Empires Online, one of Microsoft’s few attempts at breaking the free-to-play market, was launched in 2011 to modest appreciation from critics. The game was initially criticised for being too miserly with its content, though subsequent updates lowered the costs dramatically and the game went fully free-to-play in June 2012.

Microsoft’s other attempt at free-to-play, Microsoft Flight, spent less than four months in the air before seeing its wings clipped.

“We have come a long way since August 2011,” concluded Perry, “but now we have finished building the world of AOEO. We hope that you will join us in playing there for a long time to come.”

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/age-of-empires-online-no-longer-in-active-development-6402016

BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition hits January 14

04/01/2013

Before taking to the skies in BioShock Infinite, 2K Games is hoping to allure some gamers back into the depths of the ocean. The company today announced the BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition, due January 14 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America. The bundle will be available in “some” international territories at a later date.


The $30 Ultimate Rapture Edition includes the 2007 original BioShock, its 2010 sequel BioShock 2, and add-on content for both games. In addition, the bundle features the “Museum of Orphaned Concepts,” which provides a look at concept art and character models that never made it into the BioShock universe.

Downloadable content included with the Ultimate Rapture Edition is listed below by title.

BioShock:
Plasmids Pack, Challenge Rooms Pack (previously a PlayStation 3 exclusive).

BioShock 2:
Sinclair Solutions Tester, Rapture Metro, The Protector Trials, Minerva’s Den.

Also included in the Ultimate Rapture Edition is a sticker pack for BioShock Infinite.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/bioshock-ultimate-rapture-edition-hits-january-14-6402021

30 million Angry Birds downloads last week

04/01/2013

Angry Birds franchise games were downloaded 30 million times during the Christmas week (December 22-29), developer Rovio Entertainment announced today. In addition, the franchise saw 8 million downloads on Christmas Day alone, which is up from 6.5 million last year.


Citing data from application analytics firm Flurry, Rovio also claimed that some 17.4 million iOS and Android devices were activated on Christmas Day, meaning about one Angry Birds game was downloaded for every other new device activated.

Rovio had a busy 2012. The company released four new games (Angry Birds Space, Amazing Alex, Bad Piggies, and Angry Birds Star Wars) during the year, which also saw the Angry Birds series reach one billion downloads.

Last month, Rovio announced that the Angry Birds movie will release in summer 2016, helmed by Iron Man and Despicable Me producers.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/30-million-angry-birds-downloads-last-week-6401999

GameStop shares tumble following Sony patent application

04/01/2013

GameStop shares dipped Thursday by more than 5 percent following the publication of Sony’s patent application for technology that could block used games for a future system. The company closed trading today at $24.36, down $1.30 (or 5.07 percent) from the day’s start.


The technology would make it so only the original purchasers of a game could play the title. Thus, retailers that buy and sell second-hand games like GameStop would be negatively impacted.

A GameStop representative was not immediately available to comment.

Analysts–speaking to Bloomberg Businessweek–said blocking used games, previously rumored to be a feature of the PlayStation 4, would be detrimental to Sony’s overall business. It would put the platform at a competitive disadvantage, nullify revenue from game rentals, and elicit consumer backlash, these analysts said.

Janney Capital analyst Tony Wible told Bloomberg news of a similar technology surfaced in 2005 prior to the arrival of the PlayStation 3 and sent GameStop shares into a downward spiral. This technology, of course, never came to be.

In after-hours trading, GameStop shares have rebounded slightly, up $0.04 to $24.40.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/gamestop-shares-tumble-following-sony-patent-application-6402008

Analyst: Wii U GameStop sales below expectations

03/01/2013

 JudgeSim 

Really? I didn’t know Super Mario 1, 2, 3, Land, Land 2, Land 3, World, World 2, 64, Sunshine, Galaxy, 3D Land and the New Series were all the same game all released within an extended time period across multiple platforms. I could’ve sworn each had their own unique identity and all still stand today as amazing games in their own right. 

 

I love how people think all Nintendo has is Mario, granted he is their mascot but they still have a buttload of other successful franchises, some currently dormant while others are seeing a revival, many of which only come out once per platform because you know, when Nintendo creates a game, it stands the test of time and doesn’t require multiple iterations year after year. 

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/analyst-wii-u-gamestop-sales-below-expectations-6401991

Ragnarok Online 2 beta IP locked to Asia

03/01/2013

Ragnarok Online 2: The Legend of the Second’s open beta is finally here, but only if you happen to be living in Southeast Asia.

The beta, which was originally scheduled to go live on December 27, 2012, has been pushed back, and is now set to launch on January 3. The delay was apparently due to high traffic and server congestion experienced on the original beta date, which forced the South East Asian distributor of Ragnarok Online 2–Asiasoft–to delay the launch. All character data accumulated between December 27 and January 3 will also be wiped when the official open beta begins.

And while the beta goes live today, it will only be available to Asiasoft’s target countries in Southeast Asia. According to a post on the game’s Facebook page, only gamers from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam will be able to access the game due to Asiasoft’s “licence agreement with the game’s developer, Gravity Co.”

Asiasoft’s launch of the game is the first English-language version of the MMO sequel to be released worldwide. For more information on Ragnarok Online 2, check out our Now Playing of the closed beta below.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/ragnarok-online-2-beta-ip-locked-to-asia-6401985

Same-sex romance confirmed for Star Wars: The Old Republic

03/01/2013

Same-sex romance is coming to Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare executive producer Jeff Hickman penned a “State of the Game” blog entry today, in which he confirmed that the massively multiplayer online role-playing game will add same-gender romance options with the upcoming Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion.


At first, same-sex romance will be limited to “some” NPCs on the new planet Makeb, though more options will be available in the future, Hickman said.

Same-sex romance in Star Wars: The Old Republic has been a long time coming. Hickman apologized that this feature is “taking so long,” and said implementing such a system is proving a taller task that originally thought. Hickman explained that same-sex incorporation into The Old Republic was put on the back burner as BioWare focused on implementing the changes necessary to add a free-to-play option.

The Rise of the Hutt Cartel add-on increases the massively multiplayer online role-playing game’s level cap to 55, adds a new planet called Makeb, and features fully-voiced conversations.

Star Wars: The Old Republic launched just over a year ago behind generally favorable reviews, selling 2 million copies in its first three months. Subscriber figures fell and the game added a free-to-play option last month.

For more, check out GameSpot’s review of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/same-sex-romance-confirmed-for-star-wars-the-old-republic-6401977

Lego: Legends of Chima hits in 2013

02/01/2013

Warner Bros. and TT Games are taking a different approach for their next project. The companies today jointly announced Lego: Legends of Chima, an entirely new intellectual property that will span three different titles for various platforms.


Lego: Legends of Chima is composed of three different experiences, the first of which carries a subtitle of “Speedorz.” A racing minigame developed by TT Games and 4T2, Lego: Legends of Chima: Speedorz is available today at Lego.com and will arrive for iOS devices tomorrow.

The next is Lego: Legends of Chima: Laval’s Journey. Also developed by TT Games, this title is due out for PlayStation Vita (summer 2013) and Nintendo 3DS (fall 2013). The game has players embarking on an adventure into the world of Chima where brave warrior Laval and company are called into a battle.

Third, Lego: Legends of Chima Online is a free-to-play online game developed by WB Games Montreal. It is due out in fall 2013 and will allow players to build and customize their own world, explore environments, and take on missions.

Lego: Legends of Chima is a departure from how Warner Bros. and TT Games have handled the Lego license recently. The most recent Lego games have been based on established properties, including Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and others.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/lego-legends-of-chima-hits-in-2013-6401957

Analyst: Sandy Hook shooting won’t impact game sales

21/12/2012

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. last week that left 20 children and six adults dead will not have a significant impact on game sales. That’s according to Cowen Company analyst Doug Creutz, who issued a note to investors today outlining the issues at hand.


Creutz said investors have expressed investment concerns regarding potential legislation that could arise from the deadly shooting, as well as fears over consumer backlash against games with depictions of violence. He said investors need not worry about the issues, as their impact is likely to be “minor at most.”

“We have received many questions from investors about the potential impact of the recent tragedy in Newtown on our covered universe of video game publisher stocks,” Creutz said. “While this is a difficult issue to address due to the intense emotions surrounding the incident, we have attempted to present a
summary of the relevant facts herein.”

Creutz pointed out that the Supreme Court’s high-profile ruling last summer, which deemed the sale of violent video games to children a violation of the First Amendment, would make it difficult for any potential new legislation to ever be enforced.

“We believe that any new attempts to regulate video game sales would be quickly struck down by the courts based on this precedent,” Creutz said.

Just this week, West Virginia senator Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill to Congress that would direct the National Academy of Sciences to investigate how violent games and other such programming affect children.

The analyst also suggested that most adults already have “entrenched opinions” about the links between violence in games and violence in the real world, and these are unlikely to be changed by recent events like the Connecticut shooting.

“While these concerns are understandable–particularly given the currently emotionally charged environment–we think video game shares are now pricing in much more risk to their business models than actually exists,” Creutz said in a statement. “As a result, we think the group now generally represents a buying opportunity ahead of what should be a strong year for the industry in 2013 due to a loaded first half release slate and the likely launch of new Microsoft and Sony game consoles in the back half of the year.”

What’s more, Creutz said retailer checks with Amazon show that shooter games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Halo 4 have continued to sell “very well” in the wake of the shooting.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/analyst-sandy-hook-shooting-wont-impact-game-sales-6401895

Analyst: Sandy Hook shooting won’t impact game sales

21/12/2012

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. last week that left 20 children and six adults dead will not have a significant impact on game sales. That’s according to Cowen Company analyst Doug Creutz, who issued a note to investors today outlining the issues at hand.


Creutz said investors have expressed investment concerns regarding potential legislation that could arise from the deadly shooting, as well as fears over consumer backlash against games with depictions of violence. He said investors need not worry about the issues, as their impact is likely to be “minor at most.”

“We have received many questions from investors about the potential impact of the recent tragedy in Newtown on our covered universe of video game publisher stocks,” Creutz said. “While this is a difficult issue to address due to the intense emotions surrounding the incident, we have attempted to present a
summary of the relevant facts herein.”

Creutz pointed out that the Supreme Court’s high-profile ruling last summer, which deemed the sale of violent video games to children a violation of the First Amendment, would make it difficult for any potential new legislation to ever be enforced.

“We believe that any new attempts to regulate video game sales would be quickly struck down by the courts based on this precedent,” Creutz said.

Just this week, West Virginia senator Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill to Congress that would direct the National Academy of Sciences to investigate how violent games and other such programming affect children.

The analyst also suggested that most adults already have “entrenched opinions” about the links between violence in games and violence in the real world, and these are unlikely to be changed by recent events like the Connecticut shooting.

“While these concerns are understandable–particularly given the currently emotionally charged environment–we think video game shares are now pricing in much more risk to their business models than actually exists,” Creutz said in a statement. “As a result, we think the group now generally represents a buying opportunity ahead of what should be a strong year for the industry in 2013 due to a loaded first half release slate and the likely launch of new Microsoft and Sony game consoles in the back half of the year.”

What’s more, Creutz said retailer checks with Amazon show that shooter games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Halo 4 have continued to sell “very well” in the wake of the shooting.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/analyst-sandy-hook-shooting-wont-impact-game-sales-6401895

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