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Zynga welcoming Konami, Rebellion, and Playdemic to Zynga.com
Zynga is expanding the reach of its newly launched Zynga.com platform, with VP of platform partners Rob Dyer telling attendees of a GDC 2012 talk this afternoon that Konami, Rebellion, and Playdemic will all be contributing titles to Zynga's recently launched web portal. Moreover, Dyer teased Konami's game as a "stealth project" that will "debut soon."No word was given on the other projects from Rebellion and Playdemic, but we're following up for more info. Like, right now.Update: This piece originally speculated that the title was Metal Gear related, due to its "stealth" wording; however, Zynga PR tells us what the wording really means is that Konami is working on the project "quietly." With the project coming "soon," it shouldn't take too long to find out exactly what Dyer's carefully worded speech was referring to.
Steinberg, Dyer leave Sony's Playstation team
We don't get it, PlayStation. Did you get a new haircut? What is it that you've changed recently that's driving away all of your top execs? Earlier this year, it was Peter Dille (again) and now Scott Steinberg and Rob Dyer. Steinberg, who was VP of marketing since 2007, and Dyer, senior VP of public relations since 2008, are out as of today, a spokesperson confirmed with Industry Gamers. An IG source claims that Steinberg was escorted out by security -- "let go" as it were -- while it's rumored Dyer has resigned from his post for a new spot at Zynga. Both have quite the history in the gaming industry: Steinberg has served at Sega of America, Eidos and Crystal Interactive; Dyer also served at Eidos and Crystal Interactive prior to his jaunt at Sony. We've followed up with Sony for confirmation on both fronts. In the meanwhile, we'll be tearing up some TPS Reports in the office shredder in honor of our fallen homeboys. Update: A Sony representative has confirmed the departure of the two. "We thank them for their considerable contributions to the PlayStation business and wish them all the best for the future," the representative added.
GameStop, Sony, Ubisoft on the growth of retail in the age of downloads
"We are looking for ways to make money," Sony's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, said at an SXSW Interactive panel about the rise of digital distribution. "We are not looking for a system -- whether it's iPhone, Android, whatever -- that is this wonderful socialist idea that we can give things away for free. " That helps frame the discussion -- it was from a moneymaking perspective that representatives of Ubisoft, SCEA, and GameStop discussed retail and its role as downloadable content and digitally distributed games become more popular.
PlayStation Move two-fer: Sony tells devs to avoid bad Wii clones, ad points to July release
There's no question that PlayStation Move news is only going to get more frenzied in advance of E3, and it looks like things are already starting kick up a notch, with two stories recently surfacing that could shed a bit more light on what's in store for Sony's new motion controller. The first of those comes directly from Sony's Rob Dyer, who told Gamasutra that the company has been "spending a lot of our time" going back to game developers and telling them what works and what doesn't, and offering other helpful advice like "it didn't work on the Wii for a reason" -- the general idea there being that Sony doesn't want Move developers simply churning out clones of bad Wii games. The second bit of news comes courtesy of New Zealand South African game retailer BT Games, which recently put out a flyer containing the notice above that suggests the Move could be coming as soon as this July. Of course, that conflicts with some earlier listings that pointed towards a September release (and Sony's own word that it's coming "this fall"), but this particular retailer does apparently have a bit of a history with leaks, having correctly confirmed the existence of the 250GB Xbox 360 Elite a few months before its release.
Sony offering PSP developers code to 'slow down' piracy
Sony's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, has always been vocal about the "biggest problem" that plagues the PSP: Piracy. However, a new endeavor by the platform holder may offer renewed hope in the continued battle against illegal downloads. Dyer told Gamasutra that Sony has been helping developers implement some kind of protective code, potentially offering "a 60-day shelf life" before a game inevitably "gets hacked." Dyer did not provide details on how this added code functions, and whether or not it functions similarly to the PlayStation Network connectivity first tested in SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3. Like EA Sports' Online Game Pass, all online functionality of Bravo 3 is locked out for gamers that don't buy a legitimate copy of the game at retail or online. The upcoming PSP version of ModNation Racers also features the same restrictions. "It's become a very difficult proposition to be profitable," Dyer admitted. With PSP on the cusp of a series of major releases -- including God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep -- publishers and developers will undoubtedly want to pay close attention to Sony's continued battle against non-seafaring pirates.
Sony exec says PSP Go 'confused' consumers, might have been too expensive
Well, we've already heard some rumors that Sony was considering a relaunch of sorts for the PSP Go, and it looks like at least some execs from the company are now starting to speak publicly about why such a move might be necessary. In an interview with IndustryGamers, SCEA Senior Vice President of Publisher Relations Rob Dyer admitted that the PSP Go did "confuse" customers, and that the "higher price point didn't help matters any either" -- not exactly the sort of thing you hear Sony say every day. Does that mean we'll be seeing updated hardware or a lower price anytime soon? Dyer unsurprisingly wouldn't say when pressed, adding only that Sony is "going back and re-communicating" with consumers.
Sony's Dyer predicts more games for PlayStation Motion Controller than Natal
SCEA's Senior VP of Publisher Relations, Kevin Butler Rob Dyer, has some pretty lofty expectations for the still-unnamed PlayStation Motion Controller. Set for release this Fall, it must not only compete against the Wii, but Microsoft's controller-free foray into motion gaming, Project Natal. Dyer obviously believes that Sony's offering has an edge, and expects more games to take advantage of the controller: "My feeling is that we're going to have a lot more games, a lot more innovation," he told IndustryGamers. "It's easier to develop for," Dyer explained. "You can use the same code base that you currently use for PS3 or 360 or even the Wii in order to get a motion controller game out. You can't do that with Natal." While Microsoft treads new territory with its Project Natal offering, Sony's motion controller does seem to play it safe, offering an experience not unlike the one offered by Nintendo. Last year, Resident Evil 5's Jun Takeuchi commented about the theoretical ease of porting Wii games to the PS3, a trait that should expedite the number of games available on Sony's platform. Even the announced offerings have played it safe for now, with familiar titles like LittleBigPlanet and the aforementioned Resident Evil 5 representing a large majority of the Motion Controller's upcoming library. However, while Dyer may tout a larger library of titles, gamers are likely to be disappointed if Sony's line-up is little more than "Wii games in HD" and "old games with tacked-on motion controls." Perhaps Sony's upcoming GDC presentation will assuage some of our concerns.
Sony teases 'very robust' 2010 for PSP, which still struggles with piracy
After completing 2009 with redesigned hardware and several high-profile games (including Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge and LittleBigPlanet), the PSP platform is looking for another strong lineup to carry it until the end of another year. Sony's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, told Industry Gamers that third parties will provide a "very robust lineup" in 2010 -- albeit one that has to face a very old problem. "I think we had a great lineup last year. The biggest problem that plagued PSP was piracy; we have not been able to slow that down," Dyer said. "We think we have some answers going forward, but we're not ready to talk about that publicly at this point. So we're working on fixing that, because that's been a big problem. Publishers, when they put out good games, are not getting the same sales results that they got a few years back. So piracy's been a big issue and we're working on that very diligently to bring about some solutions." Some solutions include the PSP Go, which focuses on digitally acquired games (through the PlayStation Store, of course!) and -- as recently demonstrated by third-person shooter SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 -- a form of potentially consumer-unfriendly online activation. And while Sony appears pleased with the platform's longevity, six years is a long time to still be tinkering with anti-piracy experiments. "We're into the sixth year now on the platform, and that's a long time for a handheld," Dyer noted. "I think given where we're at right now, we're doing very, very well. But yes, the business has had problems and I think it all stems, candidly, from the piracy."
Sony's Dyer emphasizes first-party PS3 strength over third-party exclusives
In a new interview with Industry Gamers, SCEA's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, shared a candid view on platform-exclusive titles -- particularly when they're on that other platform. "Look, we're not going to get the exclusive games," he said. "The Mass Effects, Gears of Wars and Left 4 Deads aren't going to happen nearly as often. But we have our own first-party development and exclusives like Final Fantasy XIV and Agent. Exclusives just aren't as commonplace as they were during the PS2 days. What is going to be the driving force is either exclusive ad campaigns, like the Madden campaign, or exclusive content like we had with Batman." He went on to contrast Sony's considerable first-party firepower with the "very few" developers at Microsoft Game Studios. "So rather than putting their money behind that, they've been going to Epic or Valve or BioWare to do what they did with Mass Effect, and that's where they throw their dollars." Microsoft's money lobbing appears to have paid off for EA, as the Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect 2 sold 572,000 copies in the U.S. within six days. Did consumers care whether its development was internal, external or bought? (Will they care when the Square Enix-developed Final Fantasy XIV arrives on PS3?) According to Dyer, the PlayStation 3's growing install base now does "better for our publishing community than 360 does." Since the PlayStation 3's installed base grew by a greater percentage than the Xbox 360's, "particular" titles have taken the lead on Sony's system. Of course, with more PS3 owners leaping into the fray, more of them are buying games which may have already sold in to the larger Xbox 360 crowd in previous installments (think: Guitar Hero). "As our installed base starts catching up and gaining on 360, you're going to see the publisher side much quicker get to par than even if we had the same number of [360 hardware] units," Dyer said. That's a notable "if" -- if buying trends remain the same, if the 360 doesn't experience its own growth burst -- but it's hard to argue the PS3's improved fortunes in recent times. And who could resist all those exclusives? [Special Thanks: Michael Pachter]
