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Second Life's Linden Lab expands with digital distribution service
Second Life's Linden Lab has announced this week that it has acquired the digital distribution service Desura. What's Desura? Think of it as a lesser-known version of Steam, yet without the DRM headaches and more focused on player mods. So, not really like Steam. Linden Lab's CEO, Rod Humble, is optimistic about Desura's offering to the 14-year-old virtual world company: "This acquisition gives us a global platform for serving creative developers of all kinds, and we're looking forward to growing both Desura's global community of gamers and its fantastic portfolio of thousands of games, mods, and other content. Our aim is to invest and support the Desura team in making it the most open and developer-friendly platform in the world."
NPD: Digital game sales growing year-over-year 33 percent
Digital games and downloadable content sales are growing at a rate of 33 percent year over year in the US and Europe, according to data presented by NPD, iResearch and Digi-Capital analysts at GDC. The speakers at the digital games sales talk noted that sales in China are expected to grow over 10 percent every year for the next three years.According to GamesIndustry International, NPD analyst Liam Callahan told attendees that digital game content sales in 2012 reached $5.9 billion in the United States. Sales in the UK reached $1.7 billion, followed by Germany with $1.4 billion and France with $1 billion. Callahan also said that digital content composes 40 percent of the United States' total spend on games, an increase from 28 percent in 2010.NPD estimated that 48 percent ($7.1 billion) of the $14.8 billion spent on games in the US in 2012 came from purchases on brand new games at retail. The other 51 percent was from digital games and downloadable content ($2.22 billion), mobile game sales ($2.11 billion), used game sales ($1.59 billion), subscriptions ($1.05 billion), social network gaming ($544 million) and rentals ($198 million). The NPD also reported a drop in used game sales from 2011 by 17.1 percent.
GameFly PC sale: cheap Mass Effect Trilogy, Hitman Absolution, more
GameFly is running a special on select Windows PC downloads, offering up Hitman: Absolution for $12.49, Max Payne 3 for $14.99, Deus Ex: Human Revolution for $4.99, Mass Effect Trilogy for $24.99, Anno 2070 for $17.49 and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City for $12.49.Late last year, GameFly introduced its standalone PC client, a digital storefront to purchase and rent PC games for subscribers and non-subscribers alike. Subscribers gain access to the Unlimited PC Play section, where they can persistently sample from hundreds of PC games.
Yoshida: PS Vita digital purchases beat PS3 each month
Last night's PS4 unveiling event showed Sony is a company committed to digital distribution and the cloud. Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida echoed those sentiments during follow-up interviews, telling Destructoid that the digital business is quite booming for Sony, especially on the PS Vita – which has more people purchasing content on a monthly basis than on PS3."Digital business is the faster growing business," Yoshida said. "We do not publish numbers, but every month it's almost a new record that the purchase on Vita is higher than the PS3, because everything is available [digitally]."Among the things we anticipated from last night's event was a price drop for the PS Vita in North America. Sony lowered the price in Japan last week, but during our own interview with Yoshida, he confirmed no such plan exists for North America.
Ubisoft's Uplay adds third-party games, EA's Origin nabs Ubisoft ones
Ubisoft's Uplay service, a hub for purchasing Ubisoft PC games, has expanded to include third-party titles from major publishers such as EA, Warner Bros., Focus Home Interactive, Freebird Games, Paradox Interactive, Telltale Games and more. A few games listed at launch are Batman: Arkham City GOTYE, Crysis 3, Orcs Must Die 2, The Walking Dead and To the Moon.To entice potential customers to check out the new and improved Uplay, Ubisoft offers a free copy of one of the following games with a purchase of £16.99 or more (excluding pre-orders), now through March 4: Driver San Francisco Deluxe Edition, From Dust, Might and Magic Heroes 6 Deluxe Edition, Rayman Origins, The Settlers 7 Gold Edition or World in Conflict: Complete Edition. Uplay members can also redeem rewards for Assassin's Creed 3 and Far Cry 3 for free during this time.As part of the deal, Ubisoft is throwing its own games onto EA's Origin service, another PC digital distribution hub.In September, Ubisoft teased the idea of offering games from other publishers on Uplay, and said that the service would eventually feature things "beyond digital distribution."At the time of publication, Uplay is down for maintenance.
Origin officially launches on Mac
Origin has had an alpha client on Mac since back in September, and today the service officially launches. Origin features on Mac are pretty much the same as on PC – you can upload saves to the cloud, interact with friends and the community through Origin's social feeds and, uh, play games.Select EA games that are compatible on both Mac and PC will also support cross-platform play – if you purchased a game on PC and it's also compatible with Mac, you also get access to that. Sound familiar?EA launched its digital distribution platform Origin in the summer of 2011. During its first year, the service garnered 12 million downloads and signed 50 publishing partners. As of October 2012, Origin has accrued 30 million registered players, 4.4 million of whom have forked over cash for content.
The Daily Grind: Should you be able to resell your digital downloads?
Gamasutra recently reported on a German consumer advocacy group that has a bone to pick with the game industry's largest digital distributor. VZBV has gone to court over a complaint against Valve which stems from the software giant's stance against digital resales. Valve's Steam platform doesn't allow users to sell previously purchased games, and VZBV says that similar policies will harm digital distribution over the long-term "as users realize more fully the implications of having their content tied down to a single digital platform." It can be argued, though, that the industry-wide shift to digital is predicated on the desire for more control over end users and the desire to kill used game sales, so it will be interesting to see Valve's response to this and other similar challenges that may surface in the future. What say you, Massively readers? Do you think you should be able to resell your digital games? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
GTA Vice City PC 'temporarily' pulled from digital distributors over music licensing issue
Rockstar has decided to pull the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City from digital distributors for an undisclosed period while it deals with some licensing-related complications."Due to some music licensing issues, we've had to temporarily remove Vice City PC from digital stores. We'll make it available again as soon as possible," a statement to Game Informer reads. Rockstar hasn't specifically called out which song(s) are at the heart of this dispute, but tells Game Informer this current licensing issue won't affect the upcoming mobile port.Cinema Blend suggests it's Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something" that's the problem, which Sony Music Entertainment owns. If you've already purchased Vice City through Steam or your other favorite digital distributor, you should run into no problems installing and playing the game – unless you do, in which case you'll want to call your cousin Carl. He's real good with them computers.
Ubisoft wants full games on Wii U eShop 'as soon as it's possible'
Though no concrete plans have been outlined, Ubisoft's intention to join Nintendo's push towards more digitally available retail games on its new flagship console is now evident: "As soon as it's possible, we will do it," Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot told Polygon, speaking on whether his company had plans to sell full retail games as downloadable jams through Nintendo's eShop. No further information regarding pricing and availability was given, so whether this expansion into the eShop happens at launch, or later down the road, remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Ubisoft's games on the Wii U (regardless of purchase methodology) will eventually include UPlay integration, as its current-gen releases do. "Nintendo has been very open to us and allowed us to use our systems to communicate with our customers," Guillemot said. UPlay integration is expected sometime after launch.
GameFly's digital distribution client officially exits beta, celebrates with free copies of Bioshock
After nearly a year of testing, GameFly is ready to pull the beta qualifier off of its PC game distribution client. The desktop software serves not only as a digital storefront for PC games, but also as a queue management program for subscribers to GameFly's game-by-mail service. Active members get free access to a few hundred "Unlimited PC Play" titles as well -- offering subscribers a wide range of games from Diner Dash to Assassin's Creed. The official release doesn't differ from the beta in any significant way, but GameFly and 2K games is celebrating its launch by doling out free copies of Bioshock to anyone willing to give the platform a test drive. Crash on down to the source link below for a free ticket to Rapture, or read on for GameFly's official press release.
PointMMO goes into open beta
Despite what the name may have you believe, PointMMO is not a game but a digital distribution service specializing in online RPGs. Today the site announced that it has transitioned into open beta for those looking to test out its system and features. Currently, PointMMO's library is rather anemic, with its most well-known titles being World of Tanks, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, and Allods Online. Some of the game pages include mentions of special promotions for signing up through the service, such as an Anarchy Online leets giveaway. PointMMO claims to offer the fastest way to get into MMOs with its downloader and comes with several social options that are integrated with Twitter and Facebook. The service is currently available only in North America, although the company plans to expand into Europe in 2013.
Steam Greenlight adds non-gaming category for your consideration
Indie game makers have been lobbing titles over Gabe Newell's fence for a short while, but now his company is inviting everyone else to join in as well. Valve has widened Steam Greenlight's crowdsourced approval process to include non-gaming software, with the community voting the most popular and useful apps onto Steam's virtual shelves. We're thinking of submitting a program ourselves, that calculates the time required for three quantities of a decaying substance to fall to half their value, just so we can see everyone's faces when Half-Life Three appears on the list.
Outlast is a new survival-horror game from industry vets at Red Barrels
Outlast is a survival-horror game built on Unreal Engine coming from new studio Red Barrels. The Montreal-based studio was founded by industry veterans from Ubisoft and Naughty Dog, with Outlast being the newly formed outfit's first game. Outlast is set to debut in 2013 for the PC through digital distribution channels.Outlast stars journalist Miles Upshur, who breaks into Mount Massive Asylum, located in the isolated mountains of Colorado. The long-abandoned asylum has been recently re-opened by the "research and charity" branch of the Murkoff Corporation and, acting on a tip, Upshur breaks in to ascertain exactly what the corporation is up to. If there's one thing we're certain of, it's that Upshur will probably come to regret that decision.
Toys R Us launches family-friendly internet movie service, plans Tabeo access, HD video and more
Like Amazon, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble before it, Toys R Us is following the path of being a retailer distributing its own branded hardware (Tabeo, Nabi) with an accompanying app store, and then supplementing those offerings with a digital media service. ToysrusMovies.com is a Rovi-powered digital storefront currently available to PCs, Macs and other Flash compatible devices, with an app planned for the Tabeo soon, as well as Blu-ray players, HDTVs and other mobile devices including iOS and Android. The content consists of "more than 4,000" titles from big names like Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal and more, available for 24-hour rental starting at $2.99, and $5.99 for download or streaming. Right out of the gate its scored an early release of Madagascar 3 two weeks before the disc release, currently a $16 purchase with "unlimited" streaming to activated devices, with downloads to up to 5 devices. Now of course, all it needs is some compatible devices, but building an ecosystem is a process, and may be key to separating Toys R Us' offerings from the competition. Check out more details in the press release after the break or at the site.
Sony's PlayStation 3 getting 'PSN Day 1 Digital' to launch games digitally alongside retail
Taking a cue from Nintendo's Wii U, Sony's PlayStation 3 is getting digital versions of some games delivered at the same time as their physical counterparts starting next week with Resident Evil 6 and NBA 2K13. via "PSN Day 1 Digital." Unlike Nintendo's initiative, however, Sony's is third-party focused -- not one game on its initial list of eight titles is published by any of Sony's international publishing studios. It's unclear whether this is a full-on initiative for Sony's PlayStation 3 or a promotion for October alone, but Sony's PlayStation blog calls PSN Day 1 Digital "a new program," which indicates it's something more than just a one month promo -- all the same, we've asked Sony for more info. Beyond just offering a smattering of games digitally at launch, PSN Day 1 Digital allows for pre-orders, and even offers a 10 percent discount on 007: Legends should you pre-order as a PlayStation Plus member. Head past the break for the full list of titles.
Ubisoft's Uplay may incorporate third-party games
Uplay, Ubisoft's recently revamped PC client, may start selling third-party games, Ubisoft worldwide director for online games Stephanie Perotti says."We remain open to opportunities," Perotti tells MCV. "Right now, we're starting the service with our own games, but as we go forward, we plan to potentially add other titles."Uplay first launched in 2009 as a hub for players to share media and unlock content in Ubisoft games. Uplay got a facelift last month and now allows players to directly download Ubisoft games, offers a collection of personalized player information for each title, and has a friends list and chat system.Perotti says Uplay will offer more than similar services, such as Steam. "The plan for UPlay goes beyond digital distribution," she says.
The Daily Grind: Do you pay retail prices for digital downloads?
Let me say up front that I'm not averse to digital downloads. I used to be, but I've finally been suckered in by the convenience factor, not to mention the (relatively) instant gratification. One thing I won't do is pay $59.99 for a digital download, though. You see, brand-new physical game packages can also be had for $59.99, and that gets you a box, a manual, and a disc. More importantly, it cost the game-maker a certain amount of money to put that package together, and that cost is not there when a digital download is purchased. What about you, folks? Do you support premium prices for downloads, or do you opt for the physical package or wait for a digital sale? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Downloads account for 5 percent of New Super Mario Bros. 2 sales in Japan so far
Nintendo's digital distribution scheme for retail games has had a relatively slow start in Japan. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told the Wall Street Journal that digital sales of New Super Mario Bros. 2, which was released in the region on July 28, have made up 5% of the total. Iwata seemed all right with this result: "This initial offering going forward, we've gotten a good reaction going," he said.The other new retail/digital game, the Brain Age sequel Demon Training, has sold approximately 20% of its total audience digitally. Iwata believes the reason more people opted for the downloadable version of that game is the convenience of playing the daily challenges without swapping cartridges.
GameStop CEO finds digital used market 'interesting'
GameStop CEO Paul Raines mentioned recently the company finds used downloadable goods "interesting," but "it's not a meaningful business yet." Speaking to Gamespot, Raines said, "Right now we're not seeing that as a huge market, but I think we're on the leading edge. There are a few companies, a few startups, out there that we've talked to that are doing this."Coincidentally, we already asked Gamestop about this topic when it purchased Stardock's Impulse digital distribution system, which had been playing with Goo, a system created to create a "used PC license market.""We don't see a lot of interest in that model from our publishing partners," Steve Nix, manager of PC digital distribution for GameStop told us earlier this year. He noted the potential interest by customers, but had a hard time seeing publishers supporting the model. Raines wouldn't share the companies they were talking to over concerns of "competitors rushing in." GameStop has seen great success in slowly applying its physical store practices to the digital realm.
Origin update 9.0 streamlines friends list, library, clock
EA is preparing to update its Origin client to version 9.0, which seems designed to make the experience of using the Origin client as painless as possible.The upcoming update decouples the friends lists into its own little window, so you can move it around or hide it. The library view can now be customized. The help menu has more options, as part of a redesigned pulldown interface."Many of you will also be happy to hear that we've heeded your requests and moved forward production of our in-game clock," EA notes in the announcement, answering a request we didn't realize was common.You can get a preview of this exciting new clock and other features by opting into a beta of Origin 9.0. Even more exciting: you can then use Origin to purchase and play video games!
