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Report: IGN and UGO to merge, spin off from News Corp
News Corp's IGN and Hearst Corporation's UGO are merging, with an official announcement expected this week, reports AllThingsD's Peter Kafka. The alleged plan after that is to take the merged entity in the near future and create a standalone business that focuses on video games outside of News Corp -- the notion being that IGN, which is said will make $10 million in profit this year off $100 million in revenues, will do better outside of News Corp's influence. News Corp is also supposedly looking to take on investors for IGN before the split and may also be looking to acquire more properties before the spin-off occurs. Comscore data claims IGN has an audience of 19.7 million U.S. visitors, while UGO apparently has 13.1 million. If you want to put this into some grander context, this merger actually combines IGN, UGO, GameSpy, WhatTheyPlay.com and the remnants of the 2009 gutting of 1UP/EGM.
Direct2Drive bringing game rentals to UK, Europe this year
Direct2Drive's downloadable game rentals kicked off in North America this past January, and the program has been so popular that it's coming to Europe later on this year. That's the word from head of international digital distribution Paul Herron, who says that "publishers are positive and gamers love the service, with the conversion from rental to purchase remaining extremely high." It's not clear yet which games will be available for rental in the regions. North America still only has about six titles on tap, and Herron says the publisher is "securing content" for the European launch. In many European countries, the company doesn't even have the download service up and running yet, so, yeah: first things first, guys.
IGN's 'Indie Open House' teams selected, move in
The five indie dev teams selected by IGN to receive free office space at the media outlet's HQ in San Francisco moved in this week. The "Indie Open House" program grants those groups free office space for the next six months, along with access to available resources. The teams include: students from Carnegie Mellon working on a medieval combat game; a group working on a steam punk action game with Parkour mechanics; and another assembling a cooperative platformer with furry aliens for up to 100 players. Some advice for the devs: You're at IGN. Buy the features editor shots until they agree to do a 1,200 word piece and don't take anything less than an 8 from the reviews editor -- it helps to copy their hard drive for blackmail material. See: access to available resources.
All MMOs 20% off at Direct2Drive
Looking to pick up some MMORPGs on the cheap? You could go for one of the hundreds of free-to-play titles crowding the market, or if you're looking for something a bit more traditional, Direct2Drive's latest sale might interest you. From now through January 10th (at 10:00 a.m. PST to be exact), you'll enjoy 20% discounts on what D2D deems "top tier MMOs." Titles include (but aren't limited to) the Guild Wars trilogy, World of Warcraft, City of Heroes: Going Rogue, and Champions Online. The discount also applies to MMO pre-orders, so if you're looking for that extra nudge needed to push you towards an early purchase of RIFT or DC Universe Online, look no further.
The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The highlights
To many veteran MMO players, the opening horns of EverQuest's score are enough to trigger vivid memories, violent hallucinations, and an unstoppable desire to leap through the computer screen to return to Norrath. It all depends, of course, on which MMO you first cut your teeth, and while many gamers would claim titles like World of Warcraft as their first, there is a large contingent who will confess that EQ was their first MMO lover. In fact, before WoW came on the scene in 2004, EverQuest was the gold standard of MMOs for a half-decade -- it was insanely popular, perfectly addictive, and absolutely revolutionary. It was a giant that roamed the virtual lands of those days, a giant that continues to forge new grounds well over a decade from its inception. It was 1995 when John Smedley realized the potential for online gaming and roped in Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover to start putting together an online RPG for SOE. What began as a small project ballooned into a crazy endeavor as the growing team created a monster RPG the likes the world had never seen before -- a game that would forever shape the MMO genre. This month, the Game Archaeologist is going after one of the biggest treasures of recorded history as we unearth the secrets to EverQuest's popularity, legacy, and longevity. The first step on our journey is to look at some of the highlights that made EQ what it is today.
Direct2Drive offers last minute shopping deals
Still stressing over what to get the gamer on your Christmas shopping list? Never fear, as IGN's Direct2Drive digital download service has come to the rescue with a few last minute holiday deals. While the sale (which lasts until 10:00 a.m. PST on December 27th) covers games from all genres, there are a couple of particularly noteworthy MMORPG steals. All SOE titles (excluding DC Universe Online) are 50% off -- including all of EverQuest II's expansions. You can also take advantage of the Choose Your Savings promotion through the end of the year by spending preset amounts and using the associated promo codes when placing your order: spend $49.95, save 25% with code BAHHUMBUG spend $29.95, save 15% with code SCROOGED spend $19.95, save 10% with code GRINCH
IGN and GameStop forge partnership, combine traffic, learn the power of sharing
Major corporation cooperation news now, with a report from The Wall Street Journal's Kara Swisher announcing a "partnership" between News Corp's gaming megasite IGN and retail (and recycling) behemoth GameStop. While it's not clear how extensive this partnership will be, Swisher reports that IGN will be creating (and presumably selling) ads on GameStop.com; IGN editorial content will appear on GameStop.com; and, inversely, IGN.com will inherit plenty of GameStop.com e-commerce buttons. Perhaps most notably, IGN and GameStop will merge their traffic, to better appeal to advertisers and further cement IGN's pole position amongst video game websites. GameStop has 7.2 million monthly unique visitors which will be added to IGN's 28.9 million, resulting in a post-rollup total of more than anyone else. We've got notable questions regarding the businesses which overlap. For example, what happens to Game Informer, the GameStop-owned video game magazine and site that competes with IGN? And what about IGN's Direct2Drive PC gaming retail arm? And what about concerns that this extensive of a retail relationship is a little cozy for an editorial outlet? We'll update this post when we learn more.
Rage: Mutant Bash TV brings id Tech 5 to iOS
We saw id games' newest title, Rage, demonstrated earlier this year on an iOS device, but now there's more details and specifics on just how it's coming to iOS. It's not a straight port of the PC and console shooter -- rather, id is calling it Rage: Mutant Bash TV, and releasing this version of the game as an original, on-rails shooter. IGN has some video of the game running, and it looks pretty great. While the on-rails part means that you don't control movement at all, the camera controls and shooting gameplay look like a lot of fun. Of course the graphics look terrific -- Epic Games' Infinity Blade will apparently have some competition for the best-looking next-gen game on iOS. And while there's no word yet on what kind of Game Center integration we'll see (or, you know, price or date), apparently the game will have a "TV Out" option, allowing you to output the video to your television if you've got the appropriate cables for your iPad or iPhone. Sounds good -- we'll keep a look out for this one and let you know when it's out.
Square-Enix working hard to "regain trust" with players and investors
It's been a rocky couple months for Final Fantasy XIV. Due to extensive feedback from the playerbase and mixed reviews, Square-Enix extended the free trial period for new players to a full two months -- a rarity in the industry -- as the company worked to shore up FFXIV's weaker points. Due to all this, Square-Enix has been watched closely by investors and players regarding the future course of the game. President Yoichi Wada recently stated during a money report that the company is doing all it can to improve the situation: "We're quickly working on reforms... We'd like to put our full power into regaining trust." Eurogamer reports that FFXIV has sold 630,000 units worldwide as of September 30th, including 230K in Europe and 210K in North America. According to IGN, FFXIV was the third-best selling title from the company in the past six-month period. Square-Enix points to a couple bright spots in the near future -- a partnership with China's Shanda Games and the upcoming spring 2011 release of Final Fantasy XIV on the PS3 -- that should help boost sales.
Global Agenda looks back at its first six months
It's been a whirlwind six months for Hi-Rez Studios. In that time frame the studio released its MMOFPS Global Agenda, converted the game to a "buy it once and play it forever" model similar to Guild Wars, released a major expansion named Sandstorm, and finally released the game in boxed format. Now, the devs have taken a moment to breathe, reflect, and answer some questions for the folks over at IGN as to what they set out to do, what lessons they've learned, and what players can expect in the upcoming months. The interview focuses on discussing the shift of payment options, what it's like to create and continue running an MMOFPS hybrid, and whether or not others may be looking in that same general direction. While short, it offers an interesting peek into the minds behind the ever-evolving Global Agenda and offers some wide-ranging discussion on the games market in general.
IGN's 'Indie Open House' gives indie devs office space, promotional support
Look, guys -- we know IGN has, like, office space to give you and all, but if you needed a crash pad, you shoulda came to us. We could probably better recreate a habitat you're used to: dirty laundry on the floor; shades drawn; a daily diet of Ramen noodles. Wouldn't you be more comfortable with that? Anyway, we're not holding a grudge -- being able to access IGN's San Francisco-based offices 24 hours a day and having direct access to publishers and developers (including booth space promoting your game at GDC 2011) sounds like a heck of a trade-off for just being you. We'd have probably done the same thing, but it doesn't mean we don't want our mix tape back.
Video: Halo: Reach Achievements made easy (and cheat-y)
Halo: Reach isn't even out in stores, but IGN has already found a way to exploit part of the game for the sake of easy Achievements. In this video, its outlines a surefire method for farming up a good amount of the game's cheevos by tweaking the customized Firefight system to be really hard and then giving yourself invincibility. Which means "you can basically shoot around in circles, and get massive amounts of points." Seems like fun ... we guess? If nothing else, this shows off just how customizable the multiplayer system in Reach actually is. Bungie has made it so that the priority is coming up with fun gametypes with your friends, not just tweaking for as many points towards Achievement as possible. Not that we don't appreciate sweet, sweet cheevos, but that's not the only reason we're Firefighting against the Covenant, right? Right?
Half of Mass Effect 2 players imported a save (and other stats!)
Mass Effect 2 Executive Producer Casey Hudson has shared some juicy statistics about the game with IGN. Basic takeaways are that people really did treat the game as a "shooter," with the soldier class chosen more than every other combined. Also, the women's lib movement for intergalactic saviors still has some work to do, with 80 percent of players choosing the male Shepard. The "anonymous player data" collected by BioWare is obviously meant to inform the studio in designing future titles. For example, players skipped 15 percent of conversations in the game, most of the time in "non-critical moments like in the hub worlds." Hudson says that if the company found people skipping 80-90 percent of the lines that they'd have to "reevaluate the work" the team put into digital acting -- and we'd have to reevaluate why people are playing Mass Effect in the first place. Check out IGN's piece for more on how the stats support current decisions and influence future projects. %Gallery-100178%
Behind the scenes with Guild Wars 2 cinematics and demo
ArenaNet scheduled quite a few hands-on sessions for Guild Wars 2 at Gamescom this week, and the first reports are beginning to show up from those lucky enough to get playtime on the first day. IGN has an overview posted with plenty of exciting new details on character creation, events, weapons, and much more. The demo included quite a few events that the writer stumbled across and a battle with an "enormous, purple, glowing dragon," presumably an unrecognized Shatterer. If you've not seen the write-up yet, it's definitely worth your time. While you're at it, pay a visit to the ArenaNet blog as well. The crew back in Seattle is keeping busy, and there is a new blog entry with a video entitled "Creating Guild Wars 2 cinematics." Finally, don't forget to watch for Massively's recap of the Gamescom events on Monday!
The Secret World reveals London: "Biggest hub in the game"
The team behind The Secret World has revealed more information on one of the game's key areas, and Lead Developer Ragnar Tornquist says it's the "biggest hub in the game." London is home base for the Templar faction, and while members will have access to more areas than others, it looks to be a fascinating area for all players to explore. On the surface there are some entertaining -- albeit dangerous -- events to participate in, such as dance competitions and fight clubs, but as you explore you'll find something a bit darker. In keeping with the basic story, the barrier between this world and the next is thin in London, and inter-faction bickering can become the least of your worries pretty quickly. Check out the full story on IGN. [via IGN]
Guild Wars 2 unveils the game's lighter side
We've learned a lot of core news about Guild Wars 2 lately -- everything from class reveals to character creation has been served up to eager fans. The latest batch of new information about Guild Wars 2 takes a look at some of the lighter aspects of gameplay. IGN spent some time chatting with the developers and came away with a wealth of new information on events outside the central storyline. Bar brawls, daily achievements, kill counts, and interaction with NPCs were all covered. We even got hints of some possible side games or minigames, such as a shooting gallery. Check out the full interview at IGN.
EEDAR releases preliminary E3 interest stats
Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR) has released a report listing various attention metrics from gamers from two sites, GameTrailers and IGN.com, regarding the most "popular" titles from E3. We put "popular" in quotes there because these stats are for things like trailer streaming and page views rather than a scientific survey -- this is a general feel of the zeitgeist on these two specific sites rather than a comprehensive view of what gamers thought of E3. But there are interesting things to note even in this limited set of stats, especially when you compare it to our own anecdotal show floor and "chatter" data from you commenters. We heard from quite a few of you during the show that Nintendo's press conference was the most popular event, and this list agrees. Likewise, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was one of the most popular titles on the show floor, and there's no shortage of Link representation here. Kirby's Epic Yarn is probably the biggest unannounced-before E3 title on the lists, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 captured a lot of attention -- not much was revealed at the show itself, but it was placed front and center on the floor of the West Hall. At the same time, there are some weird conclusions here. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, an expansion which didn't even make an appearance at E3, registered in the top 20 in the GameTrailers stats and Red Dead Redemption, a game that's already out, picked up spot No. 8 on IGN's Page Views list of big E3 titles. EEDAR also notes that the Nintendo 3DS didn't rank on any of these lists, but given the lines at the Nintendo booth to see it, the new handheld garnered plenty of attention. So you can't really bank on these titles yet. But if you're interested, you can check out EEDAR's top 10 in each category after the break.
Reports: 3DS more powerful than Wii, doesn't use Nvidia chips
Reports from anonymous sources are starting to paint a rather surprising picture of the mysterious Nintendo 3DS. Both IGN and Eurogamer report that developers have said off-the-record that the handheld won't use the Nvidia Tegra chip, as it was rumored to do. Eurogamer's sources claim that the 3DS hardware is internally known as "CTR," suggesting that the motherboard image submitted to the FCC in May, which noted the "CTR" codename, was indeed related to the 3DS. According to IGN, "Several developers that have experienced 3DS in its current form have reported, off the record, that it has processing capabilities that far exceed the Nintendo Wii and bring the device with abilities that are close to HD consoles such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360." We'll find out for ourselves when Nintendo unveils the thing at E3, but this sounds rather uncharacteristic. Nintendo's handhelds have always been designed to use not-quite-cutting-edge technology, to keep costs down and battery life long. We suppose a certain level of processing power is required to generate 3D imagery, especially on two screens, but if these reports are true, the 3DS would represent a totally new strategy for Nintendo. Source: Eurogamer Source: IGN
Complement your Star Wars: The Old Republic character with companions
What would Han be without Chewie, Luke without R2-D2, Robin Hood without Little John, or Hall without Oats? Pretty darn boring if you ask Bioware. This is the key reason for adding companion characters to Star Wars: The Old Republic. A lot of MMOs like to build the adventure around one lone character conquering the big bad. In a world with a lot of people who are all the best, why would anyone need anyone else? Bioware's Creative Director and Lead Designer, James Ohlen, tells IGN in an interview today, "Companion characters have a significant impact on the player's experience. They are integral to the player's storyline." So other characters can play a significant role in storyline progression and plot. What about combat? Sure, a lot of games have characters you can talk to and interact with, but they aren't important to battling the enemy. "Each companion has a specific role, whether it be additional DPS, tanking, healing or crowd control. Companions also have special abilities that can be activated to significantly change what's going on during a battle," Ohlen says further in the article. Read more of the article on IGN. Then let us know what role you think companions are going to play, and how you would like to see them used in SWTOR. [Update] the official site has been updated to include companions. In KOTOR tradition they have a blue twi'lek: Vette.
IGN's Casamassina now Apple's global editorial games manager
Apple has taken an important step toward helping us make sense of the bajillions of games on the iPhone App Store, by hiring a new global editorial games manager -- and it's someone you might be familiar with. IGN's "Editor-at-Large" Matt Casamassina, who wrote Nintendo coverage for most of his tenure with the site, announced his departure from IGN, and his new title at Apple, yesterday on his blog. "In a nutshell, I will be leading the charge for games on the App Store," Casamassina explained," so whether you browse through iTunes, iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, the games content you see will be handpicked and organized by me and my team." Perhaps editorial oversight will help developers get attention for their games without relying on brand identity or a 99-cent price. [Thanks, David]
