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Everyone agrees: new IP needed for industry 'to survive'
What do Sony's Michael Denny, Square Enix's Yoichi Wada, and Codemasters' Rod Cousens have in common? Okay, they're all middle-aged men that happen to work in the video games industry -- but they also share a common belief in pursuing original IP. "For me the answer is clear, simply, we must support new IP creation to survive as an industry. Consumers crave new things. If we want to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace, we have to continue to produce new experiences," Denny told GI.biz. Certainly, SCEE has been pushing a lot of new IPs this generation, with Denny overseeing games like Heavy Rain and EyePet. Wada agrees with Denny's sentiment, noting that "as an entertainment company the business won't be viable if we don't continue to nurture new IPs." This may be ironic coming from a company that's releasing a game called Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers this holiday, and both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIV next year, but we can credit them for making The World Ends With You, right? Cousens goes a step further, saying innovation has always been at the heart of the industry. "From day one since we walked in the door we've always tried to be experimental, to be innovative, to take things into new areas and to make it interesting." Obviously, the reason why publishers need to invest in new IPs is clear -- let's not forget that games like Madden used to be an original IP at one point. Source - Sony: Industry needs new IP to survive Source - Wada: Business 'not viable' without new IP Source - Cousens: Industry must pursue new IP
EA trademarks 'The Ripper,' could be Visceral's next game
It's a well-known fact that for the past year or so, Electronic Arts has developed an insatiable addiction for new intellectual property. Rather than kick the habit, the company's making moves to further feed its franchise fixation -- EA recently filed two trademarks reserving the title "The Ripper" for use in a computer game (or other "entertainment service"). Now, this title could mean one of two things: It may be a Visceral Games-developed action title based on Jack the Ripper, a project which was hinted at by anonymous EA sources to the LA Times back in July. It could also be an interactive biography of the life of Rip Taylor, which has no supporting evidence behind it whatsoever, but would make us happy for the rest of our lives. [Via Superannuation]
Video: Breath-over-IP concept is a fun way to creep out your friends
This might have been a Crapgadget contender but for the fact it's a homemade system and therefore deserves some kudos for the ingenuity shown. An irrepressible geek by the name of Thomas Edwards has concocted a system for communicating breathing over the interwebs -- a surefire way to take your cyberstalking game to the next level. Employing an Arduino protoshield, AdaFruit Xport shield, Lantronix Xport Direct, and a Kestrel impeller to create the device, Thomas demonstrates a taste for obscure technology usually not seen outside of prototyping labs. Click through for video of a candle being blown out remotely, perhaps the one and only family-friendly use for an instrument like this.[Via Make]
Midway Newcastle reveals new IP: Necessary Force
It seems a certain beleaguered studio listened to our humble suggestion! Midway Newcastle, one of the splinter studios that wasn't rescued in the Warner Bros. buyout of Midway, just revealed its formerly unannounced open-world action game in an attempt to drum up buyers before the developer is forced to close down in just 13 days. The new IP is called Necessary Force -- a "gritty detective drama" about a cop who "sets his own rules." So, like Nash Bridges, only grittier.Details about the game are slim, though three months of development have resulted in a gameplay-free teaser trailer (seen above). What do you guys think? Is this the ace in the hole Midway Newcastle needed to stave off the reaper?
Blizzard confirms new MMO is completely original IP
A year and a half ago, we learned that Blizzard was hiring for an infinitely titillating "Next-Gen MMO," one which we assumed would be based on brand new intellectual property (as repeatedly hinted at by Blizzard COO Paul Sams). We haven't heard much about the project since then. However, the silence was recently broken by Blizzard community manager Zarhym, who confirmed on the official WoW forums that the upcoming MMO will "be a brand new franchise."While this is the first official confirmation of the franchise's freshness we've heard, it's still up in the air as to what the genre of said project will be. If you'll remember, the game is reportedly being developed on the World of Warcraft engine until its developers work up a fittingly new interface. Therefore, we think it's safe to assume it won't be an online dating sim. (Unfortunately.)
The Daily Grind: Games with potential
One of the things people chalk growth in an MMO up to is the strength of the IP - especially when you're talking about an established IP in popular culture like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, etc. Of course, some others will point out that there's something to be said for a completely new experience with an interesting story or idea behind it. City of Heroes, while based on comic books, wasn't based on any one comic in particular. EverQuest was general fantasy. World of Warcraft, while based on the Warcraft RTS wasn't nearly as much of a pop-culture buzzword then as it is now. Assuming all games have good mechanics - do you think that having a well-known IP can offer more potential in terms of creating an MMO these days, or do you feel that a well-timed new concept with a fresh new IP would do better? What particular games do you think have the most potential - and are they new franchises, or old, established stories already well-known to popular geekdom? Will it take a new spin on an old IP to really make things interesting in terms of upcoming games?
ZigBee adding IP capabilities to its wireless devices, Texas Instruments likey
We've seen ZigBee wireless functionality showing up in everything from remote controls to robots, but apparently that was all just the beginning. The Alliance has announced plans to expand its low-power standards to support Internet Protocol, a move that member-company Texas Instruments is apparently quite pleased about -- perhaps seeing an opportunity to make up some of those declining sales in the mobile phone area. IP connectivity in all sorts of random devices should open the door for plenty of exciting and new-fangled connectivity options, all of which can only mean one thing: dung beetle MMO.
Blizzard hiring for unannounced fifth project, might use new IP
Blizzard has a quite a bit on its lavish, diamond-encrusted plate -- between Diablo III, Starcraft II, yet another expansion to World of Warcraft and a mysterious "next-gen MMO," you'd think it would be hesitant about taking on new projects. However, the company recently published a "Help Wanted" ad searching for two up-and-coming developers. The employment opportunity wasn't filed under the site's "Next-Gen MMO" category -- rather, it can be found under the infinitely titillating "Unannounced Project" section.Even the most spot-on industry soothsayers haven't been able to predict what the project will be, though Blizzard COO Paul Sams has repeatedly stated the company's interest in starting up an entirely new franchise. The game is apparently temporarily running on the World of Warcraft engine until the aforementioned new hires can create an interface of their own -- an interface that hopefully won't include karts, and the inevitable racing of those karts.
More hints of a Fallout MMO?
We've alternately consulted both our Magic 8 Ball and a Ouija board for answers to the Fallout MMO question. As in, will there be one? We think we've got a handle on the licensing intricacies of Fallout between ZeniMax Media (parent company of Bethesda Softworks) and Interplay thanks to a stellar article written by Daedren for r1ft Gaming. Briefly stated, Bethesda owns the rights to the Fallout IP, but not a Fallout MMO. Interplay holds the Fallout MMO rights, but only if they could raise $30 million and begin development by April 2009. Interplay has mentioned an MMO project with a tongue-in-cheek codename Project V13 (a nod to Fallout) but we've heard little of this game beyond that 2008 announcement that a dev team was being formed. In addition, we reported just last week that ZeniMax Media is hiring for an MMO division, project(s) unknown. While it hints at the potential to bring Fallout into the MMO space, we're still chalking it up to rumor. That rumor got a bit juicier today though when we came across something of interest at our sister site Big Download. The original Fallout designer Jason Anderson, formerly the creative director for Project V13, has parted company with Interplay to work for inXile on a new RPG. We're still not certain if the various bits of news we've found in the last few weeks indicates a potential ZeniMax/Bethesda Fallout MMO or if Interplay's Project V13 will chug along just fine without Jason Anderson, so we're still firmly in the realm of "rumor," albeit an interesting one to fans of all things post-apocalytic.
The Daily Grind: Is it IP or people?
Yesterday after the announcement of the new Marvel MMO, a bit of lively discussion sparked up on Twitter between Shuttler from Limited Edition, Brenda "Tipa" Holloway, West Karana blogmistress and Massively alumni, and me. There was of course, the discussion of Marvel's MMO re-entering the scene, but also the question came up of whether the IP is what draws people in to a particular MMO, or if it's the people? Tipa and I generally felt that, much like World of Warcraft's success, pulling new people in has a lot to do with people suggesting the game to their friends, who then jump in and start playing it. Shuttler suggested that for those who aren't getting in via friends, IP may be the most important thing that brings new players to the table. After all, how likely are you to walk into a store and pick up an MMO in a genre you don't particularly care about - even if it has millions of players - when a genre you like (superheroes, in the original discussion) has an MMO? So this morning I wanted to open this discussion up to you all, as it was an interesting topic. What do you think pulls in new people to MMOs? For new players, do you think it's more important to have a recognizeable IP like Star Trek, Marvel, DC, Star Wars - or is it more important to have good word of mouth from people you know? When you started out, what got you into the genre? Was it friends telling you about a great MMO they were playing, or did you decide to check out a particular game because of the story/genre behind it? How important do you think IP is in the initial hook? Are there other factors that you feel are more important to bringing new players to the MMO genre? Or is it a combination of all of them, really?
Star Trek Online producer blog explains early choices made in development
One of the massively multiplayer online titles eagerly awaited by sci-fi fans is Star Trek Online, currently in development at Cryptic Studios. Star Trek Online's executive producer Craig Zinkievich has written a dev blog for MMORPG.com titled "Focusing the Experience." Zinkievich discusses that initial excitement the Cryptic Studios team had when they obtained the license to create Star Trek Online, and the process of deciding what the IP's MMO universe should encompass. This was no small task. The Star Trek universe spans decades across multiple television incarnations and film, so the challenge wasn't so much about what to include, but what not to include while making sure that the setting is fleshed out. The developers asked themselves how they could make the MMO universe of Star Trek Online a place where there's more to being part of the setting than energizing transporters all day. And how to incorporate the roles of characters seen in Star Trek television and film into the MMO?
Microsoft still focusing on 'exciting' new IP despite economy
Microsoft VP Chris Lewis states that despite the current economic situation, Microsoft -- which has already resorted in layoffs -- is still investing in new intellectual property. Speaking with GI.biz, he expresses that all the "big, mature companies" will continue development in "exciting IP for the future," because this crisis will end eventually. Lewis believes "healthy companies" will be those that invest now for when things get better.The only thing we find Lewis being overly optimistic about is the weather. He describes the industry as being "in the eye of the [economic] storm right now." To us, from the ground, it appears that storm just hit landfall and started tearing apart livelihoods, but we'll take Lewis' optimism and assume that we're in the calm of the eye and just have the other side to contend with now.
Apple wins comprehensive patent for iPhone, bares teeth at Palm
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Apple patent number 7,479,949 covering key aspects of the iPhone's multi-touch user interface. The filing, with 358 pages of drawings and Steve Jobs as its first author, comprehensively describes the iPhone operating system's interface, and how hardware on the phone interprets finger movements and taps as instructions for the software. The filing makes liberal use of the word "heuristics" -- a trial-and-error-based engineering technique that reduces the calculations necessary to arrive at a solution to a problem. Heuristics may not always be correct, but good heuristics result in something at least close to the right answer. This patent, combined with Tim Cook's statement about protecting Apple's intellectual property during their first-quarter conference call, is a shot across the bow for Palm and their new Pre smartphone. Cook said that Apple would aggressively defend their IP, and a patent covering that IP is an important shield for Apple. AppleInsider also notes that the patent covers features not seen on the iPhone, but interestingly are critical features of the Palm Pre. For example, Apple's patent mentions a touch-sensitive area that does not display visual output: a dead-ringer for the Pre's gesture area, separate from the touch screen. The Pre uses multi-touch gestures as part of its webOS interface. If the technologies in Palm's devices are found to infringe on Apple's patents, Palm will either have to change the way the device works, or license the technology from Apple. The likelihood of Apple granting Palm a license is slim to none. [Via AppleInsider.]
Palm responds to Apple's veiled threat: "we have the tools necessary to defend ourselves"
We've been waiting for this. Ever since Tim Cook made his non-specific, veiled threats in response to a direct question about how the Palm Pre "almost directly emulates the kind of touch interface" found on the iPhone, the entire tech community has waited for the next move. Now Lynn Fox, a Palm spokesperson has stepped into the fray. In a response given to Digital Daily and presumably crafted by a team of lawyers over the 2 days since the Apple analyst call, Lynn says the following: Palm has a long history of innovation that is reflected in our products and robust patent portfolio, and we have long been recognized for our fundamental patents in the mobile space. If faced with legal action, we are confident that we have the tools necessary to defend ourselves. The gauntlet is thrown. Now, will Apple risk the ire of a million new and middle-aged fanboys and crush Palm's Cinderella comeback by forcing the Pre into some state of unreleased legal limbo? Or will Rubinstein and Jobs quietly sort it out over a yoghurt parfait in some strip mall in The Valley? Oh boy, this is going to be good.
Video: Meizu M8 prepped for full-scale launch, IP battle with Apple
Meizu's been on a tear since our last M8 update. Sitting atop a new 0.9.0.1 firmware release complete with working copy and paste, Outlook calendar synchronization, and a "full backup system," the M8 is now supported by a published SDK and licensed to ride the Chinese airwaves for what looks to be a March, mainland China release. With all the passion it could muster, Meizu posted the following announcement to its English website: Let's bear witness together, to the great moment of MEIZU formally entering the big stage of mobile phone industry!Currently, the M8 handset with its iPhone roots (but a WinCE core) is only available to an abiding Chinese press and die-hard Meizu fanatics -- a population said to rival the intensity of Apple's own sheeple elite. Having watched the M8 make the transition from art to part over the last few years, we're mighty stoked at the prospective launch to say the least. And while Meizu has clearly trumped Apple's spec sheet (not user experience) in terms of software (copy paste, background task management, video recording, and plenty more) and hardware (720 x 480 pixel display and beefier silicon), we'll bet there's still enough "inspiration" to get Tim Cook and Apple's legal counsel whipped up into a frenzy of Intellectual Property defense. Latest video after the break.Read -- Mobile license approval Read -- SDK release Read -- firmware 0.9 release
Top 5: Licensed Games That Don't Stink
Apparently, happy is the new angry (Uggh, I apologize; I hate the "X is the new Y" phrase as much as anyone). While the Angry Video Game Nerd series continues to grow in popularity, a legion of imitators -- err, "inspirées" -- have arisen from the depths of YouTube. While most appear to simply swap "Angry Video Game Nerd" with a few synonyms and reduce the effort, quality, and obtainable entertainment of the video, one manages to make the formula something completely his own. Alaskan native Derek, AKA lophatjello, has created the "Happy Video Game Nerd." While the self-explanatory premise may sound eye-roll-inducing, one would be hard-pressed to ignore his passion for the retro games he highlights after watching a video of his. And that is a quality which I value greatly: unbridled passion and optimism for gaming. We're too often deluged by a flood of pessimism and jaded cynicism from the gaming world. Very recently, Derek covered the NES semi-classic Ducktales. He labels it as a "kick-ass licensed game." This is a notable statement, as conventional gaming knowledge tells us that a license is often indicative of a terrible game. While there are always exceptions to rules, I feel confident that most who are reading this post can agree that licenses are too often a kiss of death. Yet the HVGN is correct; Ducktales is a pretty awesome licensed game. Here, in my humble opinion, are the Top 5 games based on popular film and television. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
GSM Association proudly endorses NFC and Carrier ENUM
The GSM Association has been gung-ho about near-field communications (NFC) for a good while now, but just recently at a meeting in Macau did it take the opportunity to officially proclaim its support for NFC and Carrier ENUM. As for the former, it's urging manufacturers to have NFC technology (which is most commonly used for mobile payment systems) in "mainstream mobile phones by mid-2009 by using the standardized single wire protocol (SWP) interface, which enables communications between NFC hardware and a SIM card." Furthermore, it gave a hearty thumbs-up to ENUM (previously known as Number Resolution Service), which is an IETF-sanctioned standard for converting traditional phone numbers into IP addresses. It also announced that a related service (dubbed PathFinder) was generally available to mobile and fixed network operators from NeuStar. All this sounds fine and dandy, but what we're really interested in is what these folks did in Macau after the business was settled. Lucky...[Via phonescoop, image courtesy of ISOC]Read - Official GSMA support for ENUMRead - Support for NFC / ENUM
Red Eagle Games to develop The Wheel of Time MMO
Red Eagle Games is a relative newcomer to video game publishing, but their first MMO will be based off of a well-established IP -- Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" series of novels, which are a blend of fantasy and eastern mysticism. Although Jordan passed away in 2007, he left behind 11 novels and a deep imaginative legacy that could prove to be a popular setting in the MMO world. Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon from Red Eagle Entertainment, which has spun off Red Eagle Games, recently spoke with VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi about their plans to bring The Wheel of Time into the realms of film and games. Film tie-ins with The Wheel of Time IP have already been funded, they're still in the process of raising funds for Red Eagle Games, according to Selvage. "That could prove to be difficult, but he said he has already received an enthusiastic reaction, largely because the rights to the series are considered so valuable," Takahashi writes. Funding issues aside, whether or not Red Eagle Games can break free of the stigma connected with games released in tandem with films isn't clear yet. "Selvage said he is aware of the risks and he believes that most games based on movies fail because they are made in too short a time and there isn't enough cooperation with the movie studio," Takahashi adds. Are you familiar with The Wheel of Time series of novels, and do you think the setting and lore would lend itself well to a massively multiplayer online title?
Hanbitsoft admits their Hellgate rights don't extend to US/EU
Hellgate London's state of flux over the past week has been somewhat infuriating for us to follow. No doubt it must be even moreso for players who just want to know if they'll get their game back after Namco Bandai's servers close in the spring. First it seemed that Hanbitsoft would be rezzing the game worldwide, then it was less clear based on Redbana's development. Now it seems even Hanbitsoft has acknowledged that they don't have rights to the game in the US and EU.WarCry is reporting based on a press release from Namco specifically stating that they own the IP for publishing here in the states and over in Europe. Gamecyte follows that announcement up with a more detailed look, noting that Hanbitsoft would like to run the game and do some profitsharing with Namco for these two lucrative markets. Namco's position on the matter, though, seems to be that the service is closing and everyone is moving on. So - for the time being - it looks like we'll be bidding farewell to Hellgate London.
The Daily Grind: Will The Old Republic beat World of Warcraft?
There have been many arguments in the Massively offices -- some bordering on heated (hey, we're passionate people, alright?) -- about today's question. We don't all agree. Some think it's definite, some think it's definitely not, and some folks are on the fence, but here goes: will Star Wars: The Old Republic surpass World of Warcraft by any measure of success -- particularly in subscriber numbers?Sure, reps from LucasArts and EA said so, but they kind of have to, right? We'd love to hear your opinions, but here are a couple points that have been brought up: WoW opened the door for new MMOs -- people are comfortable with them now. Doesn't that mean the chances are ripe for a huge, established franchise like Star Wars to sweep in and take it to the next level? On the other hand, since Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect sold substantially fewer copies than WoW, does the BioWare / KotOR pedigree really matter for this question?Star Wars is neither a star nor a war -- discuss!
