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Ziff Davis games division cost too much?
Doesn't look like the potential buyers for Ziff Davis's games group, which includes EGM, Games for Windows and 1UP, are willing to pay the three times revenue price for the group that Ziff Davis wants. Asking for three times revenue, on a division that brings in mid-$20 million, but still breaks even on earnings is, as one source puts it in Foliomag.com, "Very, very over-the-top."Kevin Gifford explores the sale and the Ziff Davis corporation in his latest Magweasel column at GameSetWatch. Avoiding the pitfalls of dumping on how print is a "rapidly diminishing" presence -- going so far as to say he thinks EGM is doing a "very good job at proving why they should exist." -- he comments more on the turn of events at Ziff Davis. A company which profited from enthusiast publications is finding their business eroding by the ultimate enthusiasts publication tool -- the internet.See also: For Sale: EGM and 1UP
MS wants simultaneous Vista & 360 releases
According to a recent article on GamesIndustry.biz, Microsoft is pushing its third party publishers to release games simultaneously for both Windows Vista and the Xbox 360. The move is designed to facilitate bringing the two platforms together, and no doubt to encourage more developers to make games that are playable across both platforms over Live. According to Rick Wickham, director for Windows Gaming, several titles are expected to debut simultaneously for both platforms this year (we imagine Shadowrun will be the first). He adds that the final decision to make a simultaneous release is left to the publishers.Of course, the big question: is Live more appealing if it allows matches against PC gamers? More players is always better, but there are concerns. For instance, there are already worries that mouse players will dominate controller players at FPS games. What do you think? Are you excited, disinterested, a little verklempt?[Via Tech Digest]
Carmack blasts Vista gaming initiative
id Software's John Carmack isn't ready for his studio to make the jump to Windows Vista. "Nothing is going to help a new game by going to a new operating system. There were some clear wins going from Windows 95 to Windows XP for games, but there really aren't any for Vista," Carmack recently told Game Informer during a lengthy interview, which also featured id colleague Todd Hollenshead.While Carmack remains keen on Xbox 360, he thinks the Vista initiative is bogus, accusing Microsoft of using the new OS's "artificial" tie with DirectX 10 to lure consumers (and developers). "They're really grasping at straws for reasons to upgrade the operating system. I suspect I could run XP for a great many more years without having a problem with it," concluded Carmack. Good news for those content with XP.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]See also: Games for Windows Vista: how the new brand & OS will change PC gaming
Bethesda mum about Oblivion expansion
Call it a formality, but Bethesda refuses to confirm Shivering Isles, Oblivion's first full-length expansion. But the forthcoming content is no myth. After all, Bethesda supplied the details for the scoops that were bought and published by PCZone and PC Gamer, two UK mags. In fact, another Shivering Isles feature will appear in the March issue of Games for Windows (due Feb. 6 on newsstands).This is just the business of embargoes, folks. Once Games for Windows has had its window of opportunity to sell the "exclusive" content, Bethesda will open right up.
Today's most geometric game video: Geometry Wars PC 'Vista'
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved has had its own little evolution, going from minigame, to full-fledged console game, and now it'll be dropping onto PCs everywhere and we've got the video to prove it. Yes, it's retro gaming action that takes you back to the land of arcade quarter-eaters like Tempest and Qix ... and it's incredibly addictive fun. Check out the Vista version in action after the jump. It looks pretty spiffy on that monitor, or else the brightness levels are just kicked up to 11. Either way, PC users can finally toss Minesweeper and Solitaire away, because this will be the new king of the timesuck in cubicle-land.
Games for Windows Vista: how the new brand & OS will change PC gaming [update 1]
We recently sat down with Games for Windows (GFW) Marketing Director Kevin Unangst and PR Manager Michael Wolf for a brief pre-launch tour of gaming on Vista. Admittedly, the implementation hasn't changed much since we first previewed Vista nearly a year ago. Even so, from a GUI-perspective, Vista features a user-friendly central location for cataloging, accessing, and tweaking (settings, parental controls, updating, etc.) GFW-branded games -- non-GFW games won't necessarily be excluded, but they won't feature many of the required functionalities built into the branded titles.Games for Windows is still very much a vision. The first priority, a retail initiative, is currently underway. By employing marketing strategies used by console makers, namely platform-branding, Microsoft hopes that PC gaming (under the 'Games for Windows' banner) will become less intimidating to mainstream consumers -- no longer will the PC games isle be a cluttered mess of disparate titles. Computer Gaming World was also renamed as Games For Windows to help drive Microsoft's new brand. Aside from retail consolidation, this branding will ensure certain requirements are met by games' publishers. To earn the GFW brand, a title must comply with certain Microsoft-tested specifications, including widescreen support, compatibility with the Xbox 360 controller, parental control features, and simple installation. GFW games will also begin to carry a system rating, based on a 5-point scale. Vista will assess the value of your PC's gaming abilities and assign a rating (or "WinSAT"), say 4.5. You can then weigh that rating against a game's recommended rating (example: 5.0) and its required rating (example: 3.5) before purchasing. Update: The scale will begin at five points, but is designed to grow as newer technologies enter the market.
2006 belongs to PS2, rules Game Informer [update 2]
The new issue of Game Informer (#165) offers the editors' vision of the 'Top 50 games of 2006.' According to GI, while Wii and PlayStation 3 overpowered our attentions, PlayStation 2 quietly enjoyed the year's most fulfilling lineup, trumping Xbox 360's solid first year.Here's a breakdown of the number of Top 50 games per system (includes multi-platform titles): PS2: 20 (8 multi-platform) Xbox 360: 16 (10 multi-platform) PC: 15 (8 multi-platform) PS3: 6 (5 multi-platform) Xbox: 6 (all multi-platform) DS: 6 PSP: 4 Wii: 3 (GI lists 3 in table, but only highlights 2 games in article) GameCube: 0* Despite Sony systems featuring 30 of GI's 2006 favorites, Nintendo was selected as both top publisher and developer of the year; and Twilight Princess (for Wii) was elected as 'Game of the Year.' It's also worth noting that while PS2 featured a wealth of top-rated games, the console was also home to the majority of lowest-rated, compatible with six of the 'Top 10 Worst Games of 2006.'Update 1: because you all demanded it, here are GI's picks for PS3 games included in the year's Top 50 (in no particular order): Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Need for Speed Carbon, Call of Duty 3, Resistance: Fall of Man, Tony Hawk's Project 8, and Fight Night Round 3. Only Resistance is a PS3 exclusive.Update 2: specified number of multi-platform titles per system in Top 50 breakdown.*Twilight Princess was not included in the GameCube category.[Via print edition]See also: Winner of strongest fall lineup is ... PS2?
Wireless 360 receiver for your PC
IGN got their hands on the upcoming Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver that allows one to use all their 360 wireless peripherals on their PC. When hooked to a PC via USB, this little dongle will allow up to four 360 controllers and four headsets to connect to a PC and will natively support all other wireless devices including the new Wireless Racing Wheel. The good news is that IGN actually enjoys the device and gives it praise for being so simple and just working. I'm more of a fan of the price ... $19.99 for wireless connectivity to a PC, not to shabby indeed.
Gaming-ready PCs could hit 90 million in 2007
Forget the other guys, gaming PCs could be sitting pretty at around 90 million units by the end of 2007. According to IDC, an analyst group, Windows Vista is expected to obtain this mad install-base; the bulk of the installations are expected to be in home computers. IDC expects out of those 90 million units that 67% will be Vista Basic and 30% will be Vista Premium (both private consumer versions). Vista requires the PC to have a semi-competent graphics processor, able to push DX9, just to function properly. This could mean the PC gaming market will enjoy more potential customers, especially among more graphically intense programs. Since each Vista PC will have a DX9 capable card sitting in it, we can now understand the logic behind Microsoft's Games for Windows push. This could easily cut into the console market; people buy PCs for functions that consoles cannot perform (word processing, etc). If the PC can play games right out of the box, why buy the console -- where games now cost upwards of $20 more on average -- when the PC they buy at Best Buy does the job? [Via FiringSquad]
Games for Windows Magazine hits newsstands
The first-ever issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine (formerly Computer Gaming World) hit newsstands Friday. Weighing in at 134 pages, the magazine's new focus on games for Windows allows the editorial staff to focus on the PC as a platform to rival consoles "minus the annoying Linux and Mac noise" according to the magazine's editor. A few highlights from issue 01:
