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Microsoft announces Office 2013 and 365 pricing, nudges users towards annual subscriptions
While we still don't know exactly when Microsoft will unleash Office 2013 and Office 365 upon the world, we do know how much they'll cost. While standalone versions, licensed for use on a single computer, will still be available, the new strategy makes it more affordable for many homes and business to opt for a subscription package instead. Office Home and Student 2013 (with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) will cost $139, while Home and Business adds Outlook for $219, and the top of the line Professional package includes all of those along with Access and Publisher for $399. Compare those to the two Office 365 packages, which promise customizations that follow their users around, expanded cloud storage, access to all of the apps and automatically receive any future updates that come out for them. Office 365 Home Premium will cost $99 per year, with 20GB of SkyDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype calling per month and access on five computers, along with the ability to change out the devices at any time, and use "full featured apps" temporarily on any PC. It's a single subscription for up to 5 users, and will have a 30 day free trial available. Alternatively, small businesses with 1-10 employees could opt for Office 365 Small Business Premium that also comes with all the apps, but lets each user install it on up to 5 different PCs or Macs, along with 25GB Outlook storage, an organization-wide 10GB cloud drive plus 500MB for each user, online meetings and even website hosting. That also has a free trial, but costs $149 per user, per year. If you can't wait, buying Office 2010 or Office 2011 for Mac as of October 19th entitles users to a free upgrade to Office 2013 or one year of Office 365 free. Clearly, Microsoft would prefer it if users took advantage of the new pay-per-year offerings, but what do you think? Check out all the details from Microsoft's blog and check list linked below (or our preview) as well as a few of their examples after the break, and let us know if you'll be upgrading or switching over to an alternative like Open Office.
Star Trek: Infinite Space canned
Sorry Trekkies, but if you were hoping for a second Star Trek MMO, you're going to be waiting for some time. Gameforge announced that it is cancelling Star Trek: Infinite Space effective immediately. This doesn't come as a complete surprise, as the publisher put the beta on hold last year in a desperate search for a co-publishing partnership. Gameforge explained the decision in a statement: "Since autumn 2011 we made many efforts to find a publishing and marketing partner for Star Trek: Infinite Space. Unfortunately, our efforts were not successful. So we have decided with a heavy heart to finally abandon the project Star Trek: Infinite Space." Infinite Space was to be a browser-based title set in the war-torn Deep Space Nine era of Star Trek. The publisher had obtained the assistance of Trek staples such as Nana Visitor, René Auberjonois, and Denise and Michael Okuda.
Activision hires Team 17 founder to start new UK mobile studio
While EA has been bullish as all get out on its mobile and iOS properties, we haven't seen the other big dog in game publishing, Activision, act on the same impulses, despite a few hits with the Call of Duty Zombies games. But here's a first indication that Bobby Kotick and company do have a mobile strategy: They've hired former Team 17 (of Worms fame) Martyn Brown to put together a mobile studio in the UK. There's no word on the studio's name yet, or what they're going to be working on (though presumably, it'll be iOS titles at least, with other mobile platforms on tap in the future). The move is being seen as a vote of confidence by Activision for UK game development, especially since in the past few years that company hasn't been very friendly to its UK game studios, closing them down left and right. I'm very curious to see how this works out -- hopefully, Activision has realized along with EA that iOS development is one of the best parts of the game industry to be in right now.
Adobe upgrades its Digital Publishing Suite with iPhone viewer, improved social media features
Between rolling out Creative Suite 6, Creative Cloud and a new video platform for broadcasters, Adobe's been mighty busy lately. If that's not evidence enough that the outfit is making good on its promise to restructure around digital media, hear this: the company just announced a slew of enhancements to its Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), which Conde Nast and others use to format magazines for mobile devices. For starters, publishers now have a way to tailor content specifically for the iPhone, just as they can for the iPad, Kindle Fire and Android tablets. So far, we know Conde Nast will be using this tool to build a modified edition of The New Yorker, though Conde Nast hasn't announced when it will become available for download. Meanwhile, art departments used to working in InDesign can now take a single a layout and repurpose it across multiple devices. Similarly, DPS is now integrated with Adobe Edge, which means publishers can create HTML5 animations and then easily port them over to their digital editions. Moving on, SocialSharing is exactly what it sounds like: it promises to make it easier for people reading these magazines to share stories using built-in email, Twitter and Facebook functionality. Getting more granular, a new font rights policy means that once a publishing company buys rights to use a certain font, it won't have to pay additional per-usage fees every time someone downloads the app. Lastly, Adobe announced that Meredith, the company that brings you (yes, you) Better Homes and Gardens, Parents and Fitness will also begin using the platform to create digital editions. Hold onto your britches, kids.
Red 5 Studios CEO denounces consoles and publishers
"Who needs publishers any more? I certainly don't. I couldn't care less about them at this stage," said Red 5 Studios CEO Mark Kern. In a candid interview with Eurogamer, Kern ripped into both consoles and publisher-led models as relics on their way out the door. Kern said that the pressure that publishers put on studios are death to the industry, resulting in either "an indie game or... a massive AAA, IP-backed sequel with derivative gameplay." He thinks that there's no middle ground, and it disturbs him how many studios fire staff right after a game launches. Instead, the man behind Firefall believes that the free-to-play model puts the power back in the hands of the developers who then can concentrate on making games without having to kowtow to the publishers and distributors. "Look at Riot Games and League of Legends. They have more users than World of Warcraft does. That's crazy. And they don't have a publisher," Kern said. Citing the expense and sluggish reaction of console development, Kern also predicts that mobile and PC gaming are on their way to take over the field. "Something has to change," he concludes. "Consoles, I believe, are dead."
What crisis? Sony Music buys EMI's back catalogue for $2.2 billion
While its parent company goes through a dramatic reinvention, Sony Music's scraped together $2.2 billion to lead a consortium that's just bought EMI's music publishing business. While it'll sell off the three Virgin and Famous Music labels to avoid competition concerns, the company will gain access to three million songs from artists like Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z and Adele. It won't affect the day-to-day running of EMI's record label, which is a separate entity, but it will make Sony the biggest music publisher in the world. It's hard not to envisage a future in which the company's influence in the way we buy and listen to music becomes even greater -- especially given that EMI led the charge in abandoning DRM all those years ago.
Steam weekend sale on Square Enix catalog, Hitman special deal today
The entire catalog of Square Enix titles on Steam is half off for the entire weekend, with daily deals today through Sunday on top of that already ridiculous sale. Today, the complete Hitman franchise is 75 percent off, at $6.25 for Codename 47, Blood Money and Silent Assassin.The Square Enix Hit Collection, which includes Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Thief: Deadly Shadows and more, is 76 percent off today, for $75 instead of the standard $314.
Comics iPad app gets Retina-friendly update, 'POW!' bubbles now much POWier
ComiXology is usually keeping up with the latest-and-greatest, and it's doing so yet again by rapidly updating its Comics app to meet the new iPad's Retina-sized needs. In addition to the CMX-HD comic books coming to the 2048 x 1536 screen, the updated application also includes novel social sharing features via Twitter, Zuck's network and email. Among other bits worth noting are a handful of nondescript bug fixes as well as stability improvements. Best of all, the refresh won't cost you a dime and it's available now in the App Store, linked just below for your convenience.
The price of independence: What it really costs to be an indie developer
Will Stallwood is a gambler. He's had the same addiction for years, yet he's never stepped foot inside a casino.He's never found himself hunched over a table fitted with worn green felt, sliding his last two chips between sweaty, shaking palms. He's never felt the sick dread as a slot machine whirs through its final frame; he doesn't know if he prefers red or black. Stallwood has been addicted to gambling on the success of his indie studio, Cipher Prime, since its triumphant launch of Auditorium in 2008. But this year feels different. This year Stallwood feels as if his lucky streak may finally be running out.Cipher Prime isn't an unknown team of novice developers working out of a garage, but that doesn't mean they're rolling in dough either. Its previous titles were successful, but after a deal went raw with Fractal's publisher, Zoo Games, Cipher Prime was stuck with a rushed title and more debt than it ever expected.Stallwood and Cipher Prime co-founder Dain Saint had to legally fight for the rights to their own game, eventually getting them back more than 200 days after Fractal launched on the App Store. Saint and Stallwood were understandably turned off of the old-school publishing route."We were not a fan of the publisher model before, because it just covers development and we never see royalties no matter how good the game goes," Stallwood said. "Now, we're just completely sour to the whole thing. We're not completely opposed if it means the difference between making games or not, but if there is any way we can avoid it and still make games, we're certainly going to try."Cipher Prime has found another way -- it hopes -- with Kickstarter.%Gallery-148865%
Atari announces Pong contest for indie iOS devs
(Disclaimer: As you'll read below, I'm serving as a judge in this competition, though I'm not getting paid or compensated for any time I'm contributing to it.) Atari has been betting big on iOS lately. It recently released a Greatest Hits app with its own controller, as well as remakes like Breakout: Boost (our review) and Asteroids: Gunner. Now the original Atari classic, Pong, is being re-imagined and the company wants help from iOS developers. Atari is offering up to US$100,000 to indie developers who can put together an "original take" on Pong for iOS devices. The contest is essentially a publishing deal. Developers can make an iOS game and submit it to the judging panel, which includes Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Pocket God creator Dave Castelnuovo and me, TUAW's Mike Schramm. The winner of the contest will be published by Atari on the App Store. In addition, community-based voting will help determine both a community winner and the overall winner, so you'll be able to have a voice in the proceedings as well. The contest's official rules are now available online, and it's basically an opportunity to do some spec work for Atari (some developers have objections -- see Update below). The winner gets a publishing deal with Atari, so part of that $100,000 prize is going to come from splitting up App Store sales, not just a giant check. Still, if you're an iOS developer who's been looking for an idea to jump on, and think you've got a compelling spin on Pong, here's your opportunity to work with a pioneering video game company. I look forward to your entries, and wish good luck to everyone who decides to compete! Update: The rules and regulations for the contest have made it online, and as developer Brian Robbins notes, they're pretty heinous: Atari is basically asking devs to make games for them on spec, with no real indication or guarantee that they'll make money, even if they win the contest (Atari points out that there are some cash prizes, in addition to the publishing deals: $50,000 for first place, $37,500 for second, $25,000 for third, and $5,000 each for up to seven more runner-ups. But obviously, this requires developers to "win" -- if a lot of work is poured into an idea that doesn't make it, there's no guarantee of any reward at all, and the spec couldn't ever be published separately without major changes.) I will say that even despite my reservations about a scheme like this, I am still behind the contest as a judge, and I still think it represents an opportunity to work with Atari that a lot of indie developers might not normally get. But devs, don't go into this thing blind: Know that by entering a contest like this, you're basically entering an arena in which Atari holds most of the cards. If you don't want to submit your game in this way, there's always the option of just publishing on your own. Show full PR text Atari Announces the $100,000 Pong® Indie Developer Challenge Winners Receive Cash Prize, Publishing Agreements and Industry Accolades LOS ANGELES – Feb. 28, 2012 – In celebration of Atari's and Pong's 40th anniversary, the company today announced the official start of its Pong® Indie Developer Challenge, calling on entrants to reimagine the classic game for a chance to win up to $100,000 and see their vision go from concept to market. Beginning Feb. 28, 2012, developers can submit their original take on Pong® for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, with finalists launching their games on the App Store later this year under the Atari brand. Winning entries will also receive a long-term publishing agreement with Atari that includes development, creative resources and full marketing support. Submissions are now being accepted until March 31st, 2012, 11:59pm ET, at: www.atari.com/pongdeveloperchallenge Following the success of Atari's recent indie-developed mobile games including Asteroids®: Gunner™, Atari's Greatest Hits© and Breakout®: Boost, the Pong® Indie Developer Challenge opens the door for up-and-coming developers to deliver the next smash hit. The judging panel will include notable industry figureheads, including original Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, infamous Pocket God creator Dave Castelnuovo, TUAW's Mike Schramm, and select members of Atari's executive team. Atari fans can participate by submitting their own votes during the selection of an Atari Community Winner. An additional community voting period will also help to determine overall contest winners, details of which will be revealed soon. "The Pong Indie Developer Challenge is a great opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of an iconic game franchise," said Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari. "We are enthusiastic about working with the independent developer community to evolve Pong through a wide variety of creative concepts and gameplay experiences that will further engage our Atari fan base and introduce new consumers to this pioneering video game franchise." For full details regarding the contest and rules, including how to submit, eligibility, timing of submissions and prizes, please visit: www.atari.com/pongdeveloperchallenge For more information about Atari games and the latest news: - Visit our website: www.atari.com - Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/atari - Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/atari - Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/atari
E-book publishers are now being investigated in the US, not just Europe
Just two days after the European Commission announced that it was investigating Apple and major international publishers for possible e-book price fixing, the US Justice Department has made it clear that it's also launching a probe into the possibility of "anticompetitive practices involving e-book sales." Although Justice Department officials didn't name which companies they're looking into, it's very likely that they're focusing on the same agreements between publishers and the major e-book platform owners -- either Apple or Amazon or both.
Bigpoint may co-publish Star Trek: Infinite Space
There may be hope yet for Star Trek: Infinite Space. The title's future was called into question when a series of layoffs wracked Gameforge, causing the studio to state that the Star Trek title would be cancelled unless it could acquire a co-publisher. A post on the Star Trek: Infinite Space official forums stated that Bigpoint has taken an interest in the title. Now all that remains is to wait and see how Gameforge responds to Bigpoint's offer. Stay tuned, and we'll be sure to bring you the latest as it develops.
Norwegian bookseller begins selling e-books on memory cards, for some reason (video)
Literary changes may be afoot in Norway, where one bookstore is looking to drastically revamp the e-book medium. Last week, Norwegian retailer Norli Libris announced that it would begin selling books on small plastic memory cards that can be inserted into the backs of e-readers. Each card, known as the Digi Short, would contain a single file, allowing users to devour one publication at a time on their customized, Android 2.1-laced Kibano Digi Readers. Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of an e-reader? It certainly seems like it, though Norli Libris' Caroline Heitmann says the idea is to simply convert e-books into physical commodities, like their ancestors. Because of this, these one-hitters would be exempt from VAT duties within Norway, though Norli Libris says they'll likely be priced on par with their downloadable counterparts, which won't help the consumer much. The company hopes that this system will be adopted as an industry standard, though it's only available at Norli Libris for the moment. Head past the break for a rather obvious demo video.
In Russia, APB Reloaded hijacks you!
All Points Bulletin's comeback looks to be in a stronger position than ever before as GamersFirst has just inked a deal with Innova Systems to publish and distribute the title in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This hugely expands APB Reloaded's potential market as the title is on the verge of relaunch. While you may not have heard of Innova, GamersFirst's Rahul Sandil said that the company is well-established with a solid reputation in the region. "After an exhaustive diligence, it became clear that Innova was truly the only choice for distributing APB Reloaded to the Russian Federation. With six years of local market experience and more than two million active users, we know that APB Reloaded will flourish in Russia under Innova's watchful guidance," he said. APB players in Russia will need to use Innova's 4game publishing platform to access the game -- which, like it is elsewhere, will be free-to-play.
Big publishers to provide fuel for Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet?
So, word on the street is that Amazon's got an Android-based tablet in the works that looks like a PlayBook and will probably be called the Kindle Fire. But, until now, we didn't know what kind of content would be available on this new Kindle with a color screen. According to All Things D, Bezos' baby has been blessed by Hearst, Conde Nast and Meredith publishers in time for the slate's unveiling later this week -- giving users access to magazines ranging from GQ and Cosmopolitan to Car and Driver and Wired. Evidently, Amazon's taking around a 30 percent cut (not unlike the competition in Cupertino) of slate-based subscriptions, with small variations depending upon the magazine. With these latest leaked tidbits, we're beginning to wonder what details are left for Amazon to reveal on Wednesday -- a little mystery adds to the anticipation, after all.
Amazon to launch Netflix-style service for digital books?
Details are still sketchy here, but the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon's looking to launch a Netflix-like subscription service for digital books, much to the chagrin of some publishers. According to unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Amazon is currently "in talks" with several publishers about the program, which would provide access to an online library in exchange for an unspecified annual fee. The insiders also claim that the service would be available for Amazon Prime subscribers (who currently pay $79 per year for free shipping and access to shows and movies) and that the proposed library would feature primarily older works, with monthly restrictions on the number of books a subscriber could read for free. Publishers would reportedly pocket a "substantial fee" for signing on to the program, though some are reluctant to participate, for fear that doing so would "downgrade the value of the book business," according to one publishing exec. In fact, it remains unclear whether any publishers have thrown their hats in the ring, but we'll certainly be on the lookout for any developments.
Daily iPhone App: DrawRace 2
I got to see DrawRace 2 in action back at GDC this year, and it's a wild one. The title is a racing game at heart, but it plays unlike any racing game you've ever seen: Instead of driving the car around the track, you actually just draw a path around, dictating where the car will go, when it will turn, and how fast it should move. You have to still use the same rules as driving, however, as you push your finger around. Move too fast in the straights, and the car will spin out when you try to go around a curve. Or hit the side of the track accidentally, and you'll lose time in the race. It's a weird concept, but the execution makes it work anyway. The sound is particularly notable -- as you guide your finger around the track, you can hear the tires squeal and the engine growl, so the experience is very much like actual driving. Fortunately, at just US 99 cents, it's not a big risk to download the app and see what it's like. Chillingo is publishing this RedLynx-developed title (RedLynx also worked on the popular Trials HD game on Xbox 360), so there's Game Center support, lots of content and challenges to play through, and plenty of the polish that the publisher is known for. If you like driving or racing games, or just want to try out this crazy interface, definitely give DrawRace 2 a look.
GameStop pulls Deus Ex: Human Revolution PC versions from shelves
GameStop has apparently sent another message out to its retail locations, this time asking all of its stores to pull any PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution from shelves, and place them in the backroom, eventually to be returned to publisher Square Enix. The email was sent after this afternoon's news that GameStop had directed its employees to pull coupons out of the boxes that offered free access to the OnLive cloud gaming service. The latest email confirms that GameStop is indeed working on a competing service with its acquisition of Spawn Labs, and that because of an "agreement" with Square Enix, all of the game's copies will be recalled back to the publisher. The one exception is reserved copies, which will still be available for purchase, according to the memo. GameStop has also pulled the PC version of the game from its website, though the console versions are still for sale. Joystiq has confirmed with local stores that the memo was received and copies were being pulled. We're also contacting GameStop corporate for an official statement on the matter.
Deadly Premonition director wants to make a new game, just can't afford it
Swery65, the director of last year's Deadly Premonition, has taken to the Internet in a new blog posting asking for support for a brand new title. He says that his team at Access Games is itching to start a new project, but game design takes more than just dreams and ideas -- apparently it takes time and money as well. And since time is money, he basically just needs money. "I want to make a new game," he wrote. "As much as I want, but that alone is not enough to start the process. Would anyone be ready to invest in us?" Swery doesn't say anything about what kind of game he plans to make, but does promise that he'll "work until it kills me," and that the team will definitely "make something good." Any big-time investors out there willing to call his bluff? It seems like, despite the mixed reception for Deadly Premonition around the world, Swery shouldn't have too much trouble finding a publisher sooner or later. Even if not, there's always Kickstarter, right?
Sony, Panasonic, others to launch cross-platform e-book service, later this year
Don't look now, but there's some major synergy going on in Japan's e-book market, now that Sony, Panasonic, Rakuten and Kinokuniya have all joined forces on a new digital quest. Today, the quartet of companies announced they're working on a system that would allow users to purchase and read content across their respective e-readers, injecting the e-cosmos with a heavy dose of free love and good vibes. Under the new service, customers would be able to manage their downloads and browse bestsellers within a centralized web-based marketplace, regardless of the device they go to bed with every night. Because within this new universe, there would be no "mine," "yours," or "theirs" -- all will be one and one will be all. The chieftains have already held powows with a handful of digital publishers, though they expect to have more friends around the campfire by the time the project launches later this year.
