Ars Technica
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Square Enix summons development studio in LA
In a move that we'd have considered entirely out of the ordinary just a few years ago, Japanese developer Square Enix has shored up on the west coast of the US and opened shop. According to Ars Technica, this new development studio plans to cater to a western audience not by changing the type of games they make, but by employing western developers."It's not a good idea to make a game for people you don't understand," game development manager Fumi Shiraishi told AT." According to the piece, this new studio won't set out to develop "another FPS" but will push the envelope with regards to traditional Square Enix-developed titles. Considering the tepid reviews The Last Remnant received in the States, we're hoping this new studio can bring the signature Square Enix style to us with some much needed fresh ideas. Shiraishi wouldn't reveal what the studio will be working on next, though he did say it falls under the "western niche" banner. So, an Infinite Undiscovery RTS, eh? Well played, Shiraishi. Well played indeed.
Sony opens complete EverQuest 2 database to researchers
The players of EverQuest 2 might be pleased to learn that their gameplay may further science. They may be less enthused, however, to learn that a complete record of their interactions with one another is being studied by researchers. Following a session at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, ars technica's John Timmer reports, "With the cooperation of Sony, a collaborative group of academic researchers at a number of institutions have obtained the complete server logs from the company's EverQuest 2 MMORPG." That's right. This is everything you've ever done in the game, but it's all in the name of science.The researchers are among those who believe that massively multiplayer online games can be used to model real world collective behavior. The task ahead of them is a daunting one, with close to 60 TB of data to pore over. "The end result is a log that included four years of data for over 400,000 players that took part in the game, which was followed up with demographic surveys of the users. All told, it makes for a massive data set with distinct challenges but plenty of opportunities," Timmer writes.
Is Bobby Kotick bad for Blizzard?
Yesterday, when we wrote about Blizzard's mistakes in patch 3.0.8, I made very sure to stay away from any mention of Activision. Call me naive, but I still don't think the Activision-Blizzard relationship has yet affected how Blizzard conducts business -- Blizzard's mistake of releasing the patch before it was ready was, in my mind, all their own. But not everyone feels that way (just read the comments on yesterday's post), and Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica will go a step further: he's calling Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick out for caring more about how much money his games make rather than how good they are.We've talked about Kotick here before, and we've got him saying both that Activision will leave Blizzard alone and that they'll be seeking additional revenues where they can get them. But Kuchera isn't so balanced -- he's ready to pin Blizzard's decisions, including the idea to cut Starcraft II up into three different games, and the pending monetization of Battle.net on Activision's influence. And the last nail in the coffin is Kotick's recent profile in Forbes, which apparently had the writer calling Rock Band a "knock-off" of Activision's Guitar Hero (even though history says otherwise, since Harmonix, without Activision, created both franchises).But that gets a little too far into non-Blizzard territory for us. Kuchera finishes by saying that there's two forces at work in Azeroth: "the loyalty of [WoW's] players" and "Kotick's cash lust." And he questions what will happen when the two finally face off. Which is basically what we've been saying for a long time. But the question so far is whether that's happened or not. Have Activision and Kotick pushed Blizzard to make the Starcraft II and Battle.net decisions, or is Blizzard making all of these choices on their own?
DC Universe Online's 'classes' and combat explored
While DC Universe Online was being shown at CES 2009, there hasn't been too much new information coming out of the show. Whether that's a product of a videogame being at a tech and gadget show, or simply because SOE doesn't have anything new to show yet, is hard to say. Still, Opposable Thumbs got a chance to spend time with the game at the show and came out with some new information.There are no classes in DC Universe Online, instead players spend talents on individual powers. Anyone can switch between three combat stances: offensive, defensive and support. Offense stance gives more damage but takes more, while defense gives less and takes less and support boosts healing and buffing powers. And each stance offers access to certain powers, as well. It is important to remember, however, that a tank-spec character will always do better with a defense spec than, say a hybrid-spec. The goal of this system seems aimed at designing a flexible partying system, where certain people can fill a role in a pinch. Did you enjoy this? We've donned our capes and tights to explore SOE's DC Universe Online in-depth. Come explore more of Metropolis and Gotham with your friends at Massively!
EA Store's 'extended download' perk comes at a price
In a desperate attempt to play Spore while visiting family in Tahoe, an Ars Technica writer stumbled across a disagreeable little caveat in purchasing products from EA's online store. He was charged an extra $7 for the "extended download service," a nasty little program by EA's digital distributor, Digital River. The company only allows purchases to be redownloaded for a certain period of time (which varies), but to enable the option to download the product again within two years, the customer will have to pay the fee. Apparently, there's no indefinite download option.Ars went down the rabbit hole to get some answers from Digital River about why the company does this, but was met with a perma-hold and disconnects when calling. Considering that we haven't heard of "extended download service" fees on independently-created digital distribution services like Steam, which now sells Spore, it's probably safe to stick with that if you're a PC user. Feel free to let us know if you've seen "extended download service" fees from other distributors, because what Digital River is doing sounds like shady business.
Blu-ray's market share has almost doubled since HD DVD's demise
Packaged media sales go up and down every week depending on the titles -- as documented by our weekly VideoScan post -- but for some reason, the 13 percent drop in Blu-ray sales last week got a lot of attention. What we can't figure out is why the 30 percent increases during the two weeks before (combined) went unnoticed. It boggles the mind why so many so-called tech evangelists only pick up on the bad weeks, but either way, let's go back and take a look at the facts since HD DVD called it quits about seven months ago.
With persistent worlds comes persistent racism
The promise of what virtual spaces can bring us is significant -- erasing geographic limitations on interaction with others while fostering an exchange of cultures, beliefs, and languages. To this high-minded end, millions of dollars have been spent and many thousands of hours of work have been invested into creating rich graphical settings coupled with immersive environmental soundscapes. Crisp digital communication at its finest, right?Much like the promise of the the eradication of artificial barriers to meaningful communication through the Internet, virtual worlds and online spaces in general have fallen short of expectations. It's generally not the fault of the companies or the service providers though. The fault lies with us, the users.
19 months later, the PS3 is a different (and better) machine
The gaming community was confused by the launch of the PS3, some 19 months ago. While it looked and felt futuristic, something felt amiss. Gaming site Ars Technica criticized the underwhelming gaming and hardware offerings of the launch PS3, awarding it a poor 6/10 rating when it launched.However, the system has evolved quite a bit since then, and Ars Technica has finally re-reviewed the hardware, noting the various improvements to Sony's system since launch. As it goes through all the changes, it's clear that PS3 is no longer the same machine it was at launch. Media functionality has expanded significantly, with Blu-ray becoming the definitive HD movie standard. DVD upscaling, DivX support, and support for Blu-ray profile 2.0 make PS3 not only a games machine, but a media hub as well.The redesigned Store gets rightfully applauded. The new interface is not only a significant improvement over the previous offering, it's by far the best digital store on the three consoles so far. It's fast, sleek and offers an excellent amount of exclusive content. Games like PixelJunk Monsters and Everyday Shooter have turned PSN into a bastion of original, independent gaming. Retail games, like Uncharted and Warhawk, are solid reasons to own the system.Not everything is perfect, though. PSN still lacks the comprehensive features set of Xbox Live. Granted, players don't have to pay for PSN. There's still room for growth, and when one looks at Sony's track record in the past 19 months, it's clear that PS3 will become an even greater machine in the future. Ars Technica's re-review of PS3 gives it a score far more befitting of it -- a 9/10. Who knows? In 19 more months, it may finally become a 10.[Thanks, railbird13!]
Ars Technica dishes out guide for building your own green PC
There's certainly no shortage of companies out there touting their own ready-made green PCs, but if that's not your thing, the ever-helpful folks at Ars Technica have now let loose a guide for building your own. As you might expect, there's no shortage of compromises involved in this particular endeavor, although Ars has at least laid out a pair of different options to accommodate different needs, including a Green Gaming Box and an Extreme Green Box. All told, that former option will run you just over $1,000, with one of the biggest energy-saving trade-offs coming from the video card (a Radeon HD 3850) which, as we all know, is one of the biggest power hogs in any system. The Extreme Green Box, on the other hand, pushes things up past the $1,400 mark, and includes no-comprise options like a VIA C7 processor, integrated graphics and, of course, a 32GB SSD drive (which is obviously responsible for a huge chunk of that total cost). Needless to say, Ars thinks you'll have to make fewer such compromises in the not too distant future, what with things like cheaper SSD drives and VIA's low-power, high-performance Isaiah processor on the horizon.[Via Slashdot]
Ars Technica defends Nintendo from Greenpeace goose egg
"Say it ain't, so, Mario!" was the cry that went out from green-conscious gamers when they heard that Nintendo had scored a big zilch-o on Greenpeace's guide to the greenest electronics companies. Now, Ars Technica has taken the group to task on the credibility of the guide, reaffirming what all rings of the Nintendo Defense Force have always known: Big N can do no wrong.Ars writes, "The research in general appears lazy. Nintendo's failing grade appears to be based entirely on this entry in the corporate FAQ, which briefly summarizes some of the steps the company has taken to protect the environment. Anything that's not covered there is simply rated 'No Information.'" While it's possible that Nintendo is as big an offender as Greenpeace says, their rankings would seem to lend no credibility to the claim.Now, as far as the Wii's shelf pollution ... well, let's just say they should be happy the score stops at zero.[Via GamePolitics]
Study says games really don't hurt you
According to Ars Technica, a study appearing in the June edition of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine covering the effects of video games on young people paints a relatively reassuring picture. The study suggests that video games have no significant impact on academics or socialization. From the article:Although there were some figures that might suggest that gaming displaced academic activities, such as reading and homework, the total time spent on these pursuits was so small that minor effects were magnified. If people are concerned about the lack of reading done by adolescents, the fact that non-gamers spend only eight minutes a day reading should be a far larger concern than the fact that gaming causes that figure to drop by a little more than two minutes.And in my experience playing World of Warcraft with both kids and adults, I have to say that the game is very social, and can even teach plenty of social skills. (Well, as long as you eventually level out of Barrens chat.) Of course if you're replacing homework time with World of Warcraft time, that's one thing, but this study doesn't suggest that's what's happening. What's your opinion -- do games like World of Warcraft have a negative effect on our kids?[Thanks, Mogwai!]
How did various media outlets report the FTC gaming report?
Here's some light weekend reading about politics, the media and gaming. Earlier this week the U.S. Federal Trade Commission released a report about the gaming industry. The real fun for industry folk was seeing how all the various media outlets would report the news and what their headlines would be. Below is the list, shamelessly ripped-off from Dennis McCauley over at GamePolitics, of various media outlets and their take on the report: FTC says content curbs fall short - L.A. Times Report says the young buy violent games and movies - NY Times FTC: self-regulation of violent content working - Beta News Children still see ads for violent content - Advertising Age FTC scolds marketers about violent content - AdWeek FTC: violence still marketed to youths - Hollywood Reporter Report: Violence still aimed at kids - Variety FTC violence marketing report show general compliance - Broadcasting & Cable FTC Report: Violence Still a Problem in Marketing - TV Week FTC: game industry self-policing improving - GameSpot FTC: M-rated games still marketed to minors - Next Generation FTC: games are better regulated than music, movies - Ars Technica FTC report: mixed reviews on industry's ability to self-regulate - Joystiq FTC: game industry stricter than movies, music - Kotaku FTC report praises, spanks video game industry - GamePolitics As McCauley asks in his headline accompanying the list above, "Were these media outlets reading the same report?" The various headlines make us think of the classic question: If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around to see it, does it make a sound? Some say yes, some say no, some say it explodes into various pieces, some say the Earth Mother picked it back up, some say there is no tree. The various headlines and the stores with them is a good read on the diversity of voice in the media -- especially when it comes to gaming.
Ars Technica reviews the new AirPort Extreme Base Station
Clint Ecker at Ars Technica has produced a four-page review of Apple's new AirPort Extreme Base Station, digging into every nook and cranny of what's new in both the software and hardware. Ultimately, Clint really likes the revamped base station, giving Apple strong marks for a broad, powerful feature set and a slick new admin utility. A couple of major dings, however, come in the form of cost (lesser-featured 802.11n routers can of course be had for cheaper) and having to reboot the station after even some of the most minor configuration changes. Still, it seems like Clint is joining others in welcoming Apple's refreshed base station to the market. After just picking one up myself a day ago, I'm offering two thumbs up as well, though I haven't even touched half of the features I'm planning to - yet. For me, the most exciting feature is AirPort Disk, as I plan on setting up automatic wireless backups for both mine and my wife's MacBooks.
Questioning the security of a closed FairPlay
Ken Fisher at Ars Technica thinks something smells fishy about Steve Jobs's claims that licensing a DRM system will lead to its defeat. By comparing the security track records of iTunes's FairPlay and Microsoft's rival and heavily-licensed PlaysForSure, Ken might also have a good point. As history goes, FairPlay has been cracked four times (including Real's own hack for their store), while PlaysForSure has suffered only one true crack in its time. Perhaps more significant than either of these numbers, however, is that none of these DRM breaches were the result of secrets being shared from the inside; they apparently were all spearheaded by creatives from the community who might not hold digital rights management in the highest of regards. Of course, the issue isn't nearly this cut and dry. The iTunes Store's 800-pound gorilla-like popularity can help explain its greater number of breaches (however: wouldn't one be more interested in cracking the store that offers unlimited music via subscription?). In the end, Ken settles on revisiting the possibility of licensing DRM. Since Jobs already let the 'get rid of DRM' cat out of the bag, however, I'm thinking the public isn't going to put the idea to rest anytime soon.
Rogue Amoeba's Paul Kafasis at Infinite Loop
According to Paul Kafasis of Rogue Amoeba, about the same time as he sat down with our very own David Chartier for TUAW Podcast #18, he also gave an interesting interview to the good folks over at Ars Tehnica's Infinite Loop. They talk about Rogue Amoeba's focus on audio, the controversy our own Laurie Duncan helped to start over what Paul dubbed The Delicious Generation, and more. So if you haven't already, first go listen to the podcast then check out the interview and you'll have more than met your recommended daily allowance of cool Mac audio developer news.
Microsoft shows off Ana, says no HD DVD in Xbox 360... ever
Microsoft recently had the guys from Ars Technica over to show how the Xbox 360 compares to the PlayStation 3 on one of Sony's own 1080p Bravias, and of course didn't find much difference except in cases where scaling came into play. They looked at the 360's hardware scaler, Ana, which means while it may lack the advanced digital A/V output of the PS3, it will allow every HDTV owner to play games in HD resolutions over component or VGA. Also of note was their response to questions about possibly putting an HD DVD drive in the console, the answer was a firm no, and even referred to the company's own format of choice as a potential "next Betamax". The lack of HDMI may be resolved soon, but with the high def war still very much in flux don't look for Microsoft to put all of its eggs in the HD DVD basket just yet.
Meet Ana, the Xbox 360 hardware scaler
How did Microsoft dodge the scaling issue that has plagued Sony since its launch? Maybe it was the timing -- an HD console in a Standard Def world -- or perhaps it was Ana, the affectionate title for Xbox 360's hardware scaler. Whereas the PlayStation 3 downscales to meet resolution, Ana upscales Xbox 360 titles to 1080p to impressive results, according to Ars Technica's Ben Kuchera. Speaking with Microsoft's Scott Henson, Kuchera learns that Ana was designed at the same time as Xenos, the console's GPU. Though the addition of a PS3 hardware scaler is possible in the future, Xbox Group Product Marketing Manager Aaron Greenberg opines that it would be difficult for Sony to fix the issue with software, leaving first-generation PS3 owners in the cold.However, the truth is, as Kuchera notes, differences between the two console's graphics are minimal to nonexistent. "By [the time PS3 has second-generation titles] we'll have Halo 3," Henson said. "We'll be on the third–generation games. We hope to always be a little bit ahead." When will Sony pull ahead of the Xbox 360, graphically, and to what extent is Ana Microsoft's secret weapon in keeping up?See Also: The second Xbox 360 (with HDMI): introducing "Zephyr" [Thanks, Theo1130; image inspiration]
Ars Technica defends Left Behind, industry grows up a little
Recently Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica was interviewed about Left Behind: Eternal Forces on NPR's All Things Considered and found himself "defending the Christian right." He says Left Behind is being unfairly "demonized," the same way Bully and GTA have been, "We can't pick and choose our fights based on whether or not we agree with what a game says; we must fight for the game's ability to say anything it wants to." And that sound you hear is the industry getting just a little older.Religion, sex, politics and everything else we've heard "don't belong in games" will be -- or already has been -- incorporated into titles that'll sell millions of copies. As the industry gets older and the average demographic playing them does as well, complex ideas that may offend or challenge will start to pop up. What's thrilling and horrible at the same time is we have to defend the games with messages we agree with as strongly as those we don't. Like movies, music, theater, literature, television and other art, we shouldn't stop the message from being said, just make sure to vote with your wallet on what games you want to see more of. See also: Metareview -- Left Behind: Eternal Forces Political groups angry over Left Behind game Islamic groups want Left Behind off Wal-Mart shelves [Via Game Politics]
Ars Technica reviews font managers for OS X
Ars Technica is known for their extensive reviews, and Dave Girard's review of OS X font management programs is no different. He takes a look at FontAgent Pro, Font Explorer, and Suitcase Fusion. Font Book, OS X's builtin font application, is not included in the review because isn't 'industrial strength,' so to speak.If you have lots of fonts, or install lots of fonts, make sure to read over the entire article to get the skinny on the leading font management programs for the Mac.
My Dream App voting round 2
The second round of voting is under way over at My Dream App. Vote and let your voice be heard! Plus, when you vote you get a free copy of Mori, Hog Bay Software's document organizer.This round's judges are the cream of the crop of Mac bloggers including John Siracusa of Ars Technica, John Gruber of Daring Fireball, Merlin Mann of 43 Folders. Oh, and somehow yours truly got invited to be a judge. Go check out the apps and vote for your favorite. My favorite idea so far? Blossom, I've never seen an app like it and I sure hope it gets some votes.
