gamesbeat-2013
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Pathfinder's Dancey on the 'broken AAA themepark financial model'
GoblinWorks CEO Ryan Dancey gave a presentation earlier today at GamesBeat 2013 focused around Pathfinder Online's approach to solving the "two fundamental problems of MMO development." These problems are the "broken AAA themepark financial model" and the customer desire for a game that "persistently reflects the cumulative effects of their actions." The sandbox paradigm is the solution to both problems, Dancey explained, as is a community-driven initiative that GoblinWorks calls crowdforging. Crowdforging revolves around feature implementation that is heavily influenced by the game's community. Pathfinder "maximizes meaningful human interaction, and a minimum viable product allows us to build our game with a small, agile team," he explains, before citing a few of the project's Kickstarter numbers. Dancey also shows off in-game footage from the game's most recent milestone. Finally, Dancey says that Pathfinder monetization will begin following an alpha in early 2014. The monetization will take the form of an early enrollment system akin to Gmail's beta. "We're on schedule, on budget, and ready to change forever how MMOs are made," Dancey concludes. We've embedded a lengthy GamesBeat video stream after the break. The Pathfinder presentation starts around the 03:23:00 mark. [Thanks Chris!]
Oculus Rift retail headset will tether to Android [update]
Update: Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe has clarified that there will be one Oculus Rift headset available at retail, despite the Gamesbeat report calling out a different lighter headset for Android. Oculus VR, the technology company behind the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, is preparing a special variant of its product for Android mobile. Chief executive officer Brendan Iribe revealed at the Gamesbeat 2013 video game conference the mobile headset will be a lighter version of the current headset, hoping to launch at the same time or close to the retail launch of the PC version. "We have some exciting plans on the mobile VR side as the PC VR side," Iribe said, as transcribed by Gamesbeat. "We're really looking at hitting the consumer market. We're very excited about what we're seeing. Skeptical about how good mobile VR could be on such a small platform. It's pretty incredible what [John Carmack has] been able to do." John Carmack, who signed on as Chief Technology Officer for Oculus in August, said the retail headset will likely run on an Android processor. In an interview with Engadget earlier this month, Carmack envisioned "a head-mounted display that probably runs Android, as a standalone system, that has a system-on-a-chip that's basically like what you have in mobile phones." Oculus has yet to announce when the Rift will officially launch, though some developers have had the development kit headset since March. Oculus began as a Kickstarter campaign late last year and managed to earn over $2 million through crowdfunding. The company completed its first round of investor funding in June, securing $16 million.
