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Publisher starts annual e-book licensing for libraries, attempts blood extraction from stone
Public libraries are en vogue again now that e-readers and e-books are so popular, and publishers are wary of the trend. To the dismay of many and the surprise of few, HarperCollins Publishers has set its e-books to expire after 26 rentals -- effectively giving them around a one-year shelf life (assuming 2 weeks per rental x 26 = 52 weeks). So now cash-strapped public libraries have to pony up license fees on an annual basis because the publisher is concerned that "selling e-books to libraries in perpetuity, if left unchanged, would undermine the emerging e-book ecosystem." In other words, HarperCollins thinks lending e-books is costing the company money it could make selling them. The publisher is the first to treat library e-books differently from hard copies, and the policy change has caused some librarians to stop purchasing HarperCollins e-books. Should the new licensing scheme become a trend, we shall see if libraries are forced to stop the electronic lending party. [Thanks, Scott]
Riot Games confirms Tencent majority buyout
Riot Games has confirmed that a majority of the company was bought by China's Tencent, putting its stamp of approval on rumors of the deal last week. Brandon Beck, Riot's CEO, is quoted as saying that "Tencent's investment will provide our talented team of designers, developers and community staff with additional resources to focus on innovating around League of Legends and launching new projects that push the boundaries in the gaming space." Financial Times has a nice analysis of the deal -- it sounds like this agreement will help both sides, as Riot will not only get that nice cash infusion of a rumored $350 million, but also invaluable assistance and insight for what it was already hoping would be a nice overseas adoption. And Tencent, of course, gets to lay claim to League of Legends and any other titles that Riot developers, along with the huge microtransaction-based revenues that go along with them, both here and eventually overseas. Plus, this is a sign of the growing trend of Eastern publishers picking up Western companies to develop content for the large audiences over there. Chinese publisher The9 recently bought another Blizzard spinoff, Red 5 Studios, for $15 million, and Japanese firm DeNA picked up iOS developer ngmoco for $400 million as well. Western audiences are big, but Eastern audiences are bigger and, as a result, there's high demand for well-developed games in that market.
QVS to distribute RIFT in Australia
The global distribution picture for Trion Worlds' RIFT MMORPG just got a bit clearer thanks to an announcement made by the developer earlier today. Trion signed a multi-year retail deal with QVS, a renowned publisher in both Australia and New Zealand. Thanks to the new agreement, Kiwis and Aussies alike will be saying g'day to RIFT's dynamic content, familiar class-based gameplay, and lush graphics along with the rest of the world when the title launches in early 2011. "We are excited to join forces with QVS to bring RIFT to gamers throughout Australia and New Zealand. Working with QVS allows us to expand our commitment to deliver quality games to gamers worldwide," says Trion's David Reid.
SouthPeak says CDV dispute is resolved, wasn't cheap
SouthPeak Games CEO Melanie Mroz told investors this week that the ongoing legal argument between her company and distributor CDV has been resolved, and while full terms of the agreement weren't released, SouthPeak attributes a solid chunk of its $5.8 million in losses to the legal issues. Mroz says "the litigation costs of $3.2 and 3 million" that the company had to pay "were mainly related to CDV." Next up, the company wants to "put these matters behind us and continue to focus on our business and future growth," but not without My Baby. SouthPeak is still embroiled in the fight over that title with Nobilis and Majesco. Chairman Terry Phillips says that SouthPeak feels the My Baby title "is our series, so we're still hoping that that can happen."
GameSalad announces GameSalad Direct, publishing model outside of Apple's dev program
We've posted about GameSalad here before -- the company offers up a third-party development and publishing solution that allows anyone, even non-coders, to jump into the GS SDK, make a game, and then quickly publish it out to the web or platforms like Apple's App Store. The company has been narrowing its focus recently after a round of funding -- last week at GDC, it announced that the Gendai Games brand was no more, and instead it would be consolidating everything under the name "GameSalad." This week GameSalad continued in that focus with a service called GameSalad Direct. Previously, developers could pay a fee to simply remove GameSalad's branding from apps created with the software, and sell those apps on the App Store under their own Apple developer accounts. That will still work for GameSalad developers for now, but when those accounts expire, everything will move to GameSalad Direct, which instead will either be free for devs publishing free games, or part of a revenue share for publishers wanting to sell paid apps. That means GameSalad game devs won't use their own Apple accounts any more -- presumably, everything created by GameSalad in the store will need to be published under the GameSalad banner. That has raised some hackles on GameSalad's forums, and Apple might not be too happy with it either (since if developers do sign with GameSalad, that's potentially a lost developer connection). We've contacted GameSalad to get some more information on the change and an official perspective on the reaction to the news.
THQ*ICE closes doors, suspends operation of Dragonica Online
Players of Dragonica Online have been left high and dry since August 31st, when publisher THQ*ICE closed its doors. This state of affairs might change soon, as the game is being transferred to another publisher. WarpPortal is taking over the game, and in an effort to make it an easy transition for players, all account information is being transferred to the new publisher. Dragonica, the EU version of the game, is unaffected. If you missed out on this transfer, the new publisher has a Q&A on the forums, and a date for relaunch should come soon. We'll keep an eye out for Dragonica Online's reintroduction!
APB needs partner to make console version, but willing
The idea of console MMOs is nothing new. After all, EverQuest Online Adventures, Final Fantasy XI, and the Phantasy Star titles have managed to successfully publish on consoles. With that said, it seems as if there's been a trend with recent MMOs to say they were going to console like Age of Conan and Champions Online, only to change their minds later. That's why we weren't surprised to see that David Jones, Creative Director of Realtime Worlds, sat down with Eurogamer and discussed the potential of a console port for his company's recent release, All Points Bulletin. What we did find interesting was that, despite knowledge of consoles from working on the first two Grand Theft Auto titles and Realtime Worlds being partnered with EA for distribution, there has been no discussion between the two companies regarding porting All Points Bulletin to consoles. Jones notes that the team at Realtime Worlds will remain focused on working on the PC version, as opposed to shifting into trying to build a console version, or trying to "shop around" for a partner. That said, he certainly sounds willing to discuss a deal if the right distribution partner for consoles were willing to contact them. Be sure to pop over to Eurogamer if you're wondering what else Jones may have in mind for All Points Bulletin.
Blizzard, NCSoft talent set up MMO developer En Masse Entertainment
A piping-hot press release from Korean MMO developer Bluehole Studio has announced a new subsidiary for the company named En Masse Entertainment. Based in Seattle, En Masse will focus on "selecting high quality online games and adapting, refining, and positioning them so they are perfectly suited for audiences in Western markets." In other words, slightly reducing the size of everyone's swords. You know, just to the point where it looks reasonable that they could lift them off the ground. According to the presser, the En Masse team features talent from other big players in the MMOverse, including Blizzard, EA, ArenaNet and NCsoft. It sounds like the studio's got a pretty experienced roster; whether or not they'll be able to get us excited about their first project -- a Westernized version of a Korean MMORPG called TERA -- remains to be seen.
Activision co-founder co-founds a new iPhone publisher
Activision co-founder David Crane knows a thing or two about profitable business ventures. In addition to helping one of the most lucrative gaming industry juggernauts get off the ground, he (and business partner Garry Kitchen) founded a successful iPhone app publisher named Skyworks. (You know, of Spill Da' Milk fame?) Now -- for unknown reasons -- the two men are starting up yet another iPhone publishing firm, this time titled AppStar Games. It's unclear whether the duo have left their posts at Skyworks, though the company's contact page no longer mentions their involvement with the studio. According to a press release, the new studio will focus its efforts on "the booming market for 'small footprint' gaming across a diverse field of devices, including smartphones, wireless tablets and handheld console devices." We're not sure you can call anything on the iPad "small footprint," guys. At the very least, we'd say it's comparable to an average-sized loafer. [Via Develop Online]
MumboJumbo wins $4.6 million in lawsuit against PopCap, PopCap appealing verdict
[Image credit: bloomsberries] In a recent legal battle fought in the Dallas courts, casual game publisher MumboJumbo was awarded $4.6 million in "damages" from ... casual game publisher PopCap Games? Really! According to a press release announcing MumboJumbo's win, the two companies entered into a publishing agreement in 2006 "whereby MumboJumbo would produce, distribute and sell certain PopCap games in North America." Following the trial, a Dallas jury "agreed that PopCap breached the contract when it went behind MumboJumbo's back and decided to market and sell its games on its own." When we contacted PopCap for comment, a representative told us: "PopCap continues to believe that it did nothing wrong in this case, and will vigorously pursue its claims and defend itself through the appeals process." That said, given the basis of the jury's verdict (again, according the MumboJumbo's press release) is allegedly based on "PopCap's own internal e-mail messages, which showed the company employed a calculated use of false and misleading statements," we're not exactly sure how well the appeals process will go.
Apple Tablet rumor roundup: publishers and carriers edition
This day simply wouldn't be a day between January 18, 2010 and January 27, 2010 without a new gaggle of Apple Tablet rumors to sift through, and while we're gritting our teeth as we skim every word, we've the latest and greatest most far-fetched rounded up here for your perusal. The rumor: The Apple Tablet will "strike a familiar chord with owners of the original iPhone, with similarities in industrial design trickling all the way down to the handset's button and connectivity components." Our take: Honestly, we can believe this one. Apple has had a great deal of success with the iPhone, and we've already seen the "tablet PC" as it's known today take a nosedive. Apple Insider is saying that the device may look a lot like a "first-generation iPhone that's met its match with a rolling pin," and while we've obviously no inside way to confirm nor deny, we can get why Apple would stick close to a design that it knows will work. Oh, and be sure to peek two more clearly fake mockups after the break. The rumor: New York Times Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. won't be at Apple keynote next week. Our take: So? Just because the head honcho from The Times is planning to be in Davos, Switzerland next week while Apple unveils its tablet doesn't mean that Jobs can't showcase the device's ability to video chat across oceans in front of the masses... if Apple even has a deal with any publisher. If Apple really is reaching out to publishers for content deals, you can bet your bottom dollar the NYT is listening. And be honest -- if you had the option of being in Davos or some convention center in San Francisco, which would you pick? More after the break... if you dare.
AFTRA, SAG negotiate new contracts for video game voice actors
It's fairly unlikely that you, dear reader, have done voice acting in video games, or are a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. While this news might not directly apply to you, we thought we'd take a moment to celebrate the contracts these two unions recently negotiated with video game publishers to get better wages for their respective voice-acting members. The contracts will bump SAG members' wages up 3 percent upon ratification, bringing SAG wage hikes into parity of those offered by the AFTRA. On April 1, both groups will receive another 2.5 percent wage increase. Publishers are also now required to inform voice actors as to when they'll be doing "vocally stressful work." We're not exactly sure what that means, but we think it applies to any gravel-throated protagonist ever featured in a first-person shooter. All that gruffness is rough on the ol' pipes, dontchaknow? [Via Big Download]
Breaking: Turbine sues Atari over Dungeons and Dragons Online
Turbine has filed a lawsuit against publishing partner Atari in New York courts for a breach of licensing agreement all centered around Dungeons and Dragons Online. The two companies are locked in a legal battle regarding accusations including failing contractual obligations and wrongful termination of agreements.The court documents filed on Monday paint the picture of a long chain of grievances against Atari made by Turbine, starting with lackluster support all the way back when Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach launched in 2006. Turbine asserts that Atari has failed to maintain their obligations as the publisher of the game while still holding onto the licensing for Dungeons and Dragons. These obligations mostly include the marketing aspects of the game, such as commercials, advertising, retail box creation, retail promotion, and cross-promotion with other Atari products. (Fans of the game will remember the very lackluster marketing campaign at the game's launch, especially when compared with Champions Online's marketing, another Atari-backed game.) Because of these failures, Turbine has had to step in and become the publisher of the game in North America, costing the company millions of dollars.
Way of the Samurai 3 coming to North America via two publishers
At long last, there's an answer to the following timeless riddle -- how many publishers does it take to port a Japanese-centric franchise to North America on two different systems? Okay, fine, that's not so much a timeless riddle as it is a question we just made up, but it's been answered regardless: In the case of Way of the Samurai 3, the answer is two. Agetec and UFO Interactive will be bringing Spike's samurai sim stateside, each publishing the title on one platform a piece (PS3 and Xbox 360, respectively).We knew UFO would be bringing the game to North American 360s -- but couldn't foresee Agetec's involvement in the game's importing. Now we just need Atlus to bring the game to the Wii, and this bizarre localization triumvirate will be complete.
Ubisoft opening studio in Toronto, continuing to take over Canada [Update]
Having already built successful strongholds in Quebec, Vancouver and Montreal, Ubisoft will reportedly continue its fiendish occupation of Canada by building a studio in the heart of Toronto as part of an agreement with the Ontario government to create more digital-age jobs in the area.The focus of the studio, the number of jobs it will bring to Ontario and projects it will be tasked with developing are still unknown, though Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat are expected to make a detailed formal announcement later today. Heck, we don't even know what the new studio will be called -- hopefully it'll break from the "Ubisoft + Territory Name" formula the company has used so many times in the past. C'mon, guys! Get original!Update: Sure enough, McGuinty and Mallat's press conference pulled the veil off of Ubisoft Toronto (ugh!), a new studio which will open up 800 new jobs to the area over the next decade. The new studio will be headed up by Mallat himself, and "will work on Triple-A games" as well as "build on the city's existing experience with the film production industry." Ubisoft has been boasting its digital effects work in films lately -- this new studio will likely lend even more pizzazz to Canadian-made movies. We've got an interview scheduled with Mallat later today, so stay tuned for more specific details. [Image] [Via Clint Hocking's Twitter]
Black Prophecy creators reach out to the community
Black Prophecy is a space-based science fiction MMO in development at Reakktor Media in Germany, which we've covered a bit here at Massively. But the fact is that Reakktor may not be a company that many MMO gamers are all that familiar with. The Black Prophecy team has decided to try and remedy this, with a Q&A in their community forums that introduces a bit about CEO Kirk Lenke and development director Simon Bachmann, as well as their approach to the game.Ultimately, the Q&A answers some of the questions that people have about Black Prophecy, both in terms of game mechanics and the business decisions behind getting the title published.
Bethesda confirms publishing duties for Wet, coming Fall 2009
The rumors were true! Bethesda Softworks confirmed in a press release today that it had picked up the publishing rights for Artificial Mind and Movement's gun-and-sword-toting action title, Wet. The fate of the game was imperiled by The Great Vivendi Franchise Culling of 2008, though we're pleased to hear it won't be wandering the vaporware wasteland much longer -- according to the release, Wet is set to moisten PS3s and Xbox 360s come this fall.As an interesting aside, the press release also reveals that Buffy vet and current Dollhouse star Eliza Dushku will provide the pipes for Wet's armed-to-the-teeth protagonist, Rubi Malone. Oh, you picked Faith to voice your sassy, violent femme? Way to think outside the box, guys.
Ubisoft 'least consistent,' Rockstar 'most consistent,' concludes study of Metacritic
Prepare yourself for some simple math and inflammatory statements. Gaming industry analysis site GameQuarry recently performed a breakdown of Metacritic ratings for titles released by major publishers to determine whose releases were of a consistently high quality. Assigning each release an A - F grade, then using a simple point value cipher (A = 2, B = 1, C = 0, D = -1, F = -2), it ranked each publisher by their final scores, providing some fairly interesting results.Rockstar Games took home top honors in this respect, with a grade score of 19 over its 23 releases. Telltale Games was a close runner-up with a score of 14 for its 23 titles. On the not-so-braggable end of the spectrum (chart posted after break), Ubisoft was listed as the "least consistent" publisher, with a final score of -148 over 237 games, with Activision hot on its heels with a score of -138 for its 227 games.Is this study the final word on which publishers are currently putting out the highest quality product? No, not exactly, as the list includes the entire portfolios of the publishers listed (at least for titles current enough to merit Metacritic ratings), so it doesn't do much to point out current publishing trends. Also, the more prolific publishers seemed to be somewhat penalized for their largeness -- Activision, who ranked second from the bottom, had more Grade A titles than anyone else on the list. However, it does provide a little food for thought -- and more than a little fuel for a few flamewars, we suspect.
Peanuts + Crimson Skies = Snoopy Flying Ace
What's this? Charlie Brown's beagle, Snoopy, in a game that actually looks like fun? Snoopy Flying Ace looks a little hardcore for the Peanuts crowd, pitting Snoopy against the Germans in World War I. You play as Snoopy, the flying ace, and it doesn't look like he's just fighting the Red Baron anymore, he's taking on all comers. While it's not clear if Charlie Brown, Linus, or any of the others will be showing up, Woodstock is definitely in there.Smart Bomb Interactive is developing this title, and it's doing it a bit backwards: without a publisher. The developers secured the license for the game on their own, and they're hoping someone will want to get it on shelves once it's finished... in 2010 (!). It looks like an updated version of their own Snoopy vs. The Red Baron, which Namco Bandai published a couple of years ago, and is slated to appear on "the usual consoles" according to their press release.Since we've yet to see another Crimson Skies title, this might fill the gap until we do. Especially if there's a Lucy vs. Snoopy: No Holds Barred mode.
American McGee seeks to bring kart-racing MMO to the west
Lots of people predict a new game being the next WoW-killer, or at least irritate others with those predictions, but in China some people are talking about a KartRider-killer. One of the most popular games in China -- indeed, throughout Asia -- is an MMO based off of GoKart racing and it looks like other competitors are about to take on Nexon's KartRider dominance. What's interesting is that the main person behind this is none other than American McGee, who's now turning his attention to the MMO space with a new game called BaiJiu Racer, which our sister site Big Download reports.If you've ever played the trippy game American McGee's Alice, a twisted continuation of Alice in Wonderland released in 2000, you'll probably remember his name. American McGee currently heads up the Shanghai-based Spicy Horse game studio which most recently developed the episodic PC game Grimm. BaiJiu Racer (context: BaiJiu is a 120 proof liquor) already has a Chinese publisher, but McGee is seeking to bring the title to western markets as well, and is putting out a call to interested parties. While a kart-racing game might not seem like the most viable MMO game to release outside of Asia, you might want to have a look at the trailer found below the cut, it looks like fun.
