Among next year’s trends, big changes for mobile gaming and independent developers.
As the hectic holiday shopping binge winds down, video game companies in 2005 were shocked to find that kids weren’t exactly begging Santa for their games this year. It was no big surprise to analysts, who had predicted weak sales due to poorly targeted game titles and problems in the hardware supply chain (see Holiday Game Sales Freeze).
But it appears video game giants like Electronic Arts and Activision were caught off guard by the gaming public’s modest appetite for games. Both companies warned about weak sales for the holiday season, while analysts like Piper Jaffray’s Anthony Gikas said video game sales this holiday season declined 20 percent over last year (see EA Warns on Game Sales).
That’s hardly jolly news for a company like Microsoft that used the holiday season to launch its new game console, the Xbox 360. As the first product to spark the next-generation console wars, Microsoft cranked up its marketing engine this year to try to ensure that the console made a splash upon arrival.
An event dubbed “the Burning Man for gamers” brought 3,000 gamers into the desert to play the Xbox 360 for 36 hours straight, while long lines circled around the retailers before launch day, often 24 hours before the store opened (see Xbox’s Desert Launch).
The buzz worked, though hype wasn’t the software giant’s problem―supply was. Microsoft has sold out all its roughly 500,000 Xbox 360s available so far, but a lack of the units in stores sent holiday sales down even further (see Europeans Brave Cold for Xbox).
Analysts like Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter called Microsoft’s marketing weight and weak manufacturing experience a mismatch. They also said the Redmond-based company would have likely stocked up more supply and launched next year if it weren’t for its goal of beating Sony to the market. Sony’s PlayStation 3, a rival to the Xbox 360, is expected to launch in 2006 (see Xbox 360 Starts Console War).
This year also saw a knock-down brawl over video game violence and kids. When gamers uncovered hidden sex scenes in one of Take-Two Entertainment’s Grand Theft Auto game, politicians and concerned parents declared that graphic game sales to kids had reached a tipping point (see GTA Gets ‘Adults Only’ Rating).
Senator Hillary Clinton and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger set laws into motion to restrict sales of graphic games to minors, while the $25-billion video game industry used its weight to cry censorship. The real loser ended up being Take Two, which lost millions after the offending game was taken off shelves (see Sex Hurts Game Maker Profits).
But with 2006 just around the corner, game execs can start looking past frozen holiday sales and the effects of Grand Theft Auto’s “hot coffee mod,” the name of the hidden sex scenes in the GTA game. Next year the industry can look ahead to new players in the console war, new trends pushing games ahead, and no doubt another violent video game scandal to start the hand-wringing all over again (see Gaming Death Stirs Debate). We can’t wait! Here’s RedHerring.com’s take on the top five video game trends in 2006.
The Year of Sony
Sony’s new PlayStation 3 game console comes out next year, but the Japanese giant has been stumbling a bit as of late. Some weak financial results, slipping sales of consumer electronics and problems with its digital rights management software have all kept the heat on Sony CEO Howard Stringer. But Sony is still the game God and next year may well quiet Microsoft’s Xbox 360 machine.
Around 50 percent of gamers who intend to buy a next-generation console are waiting until Sony’s PlayStation 3 comes out next year, according to Nielsen Media Research. Sony is thought to release its console mid-2006. If history is any indicator, the Japanese electronics giant could show a finished product at the year’s massive game convention in May, E3.
Expect as much hype, if not more, over Sony’s sleek PS3. But more important, look to Sony to use its manufacturing history to hit its supply targets. As the long-dominant leader in the console market, Sony has the supply chain know-how to avoid the mistakes of still-learning Microsoft. Microsoft might sell 3 million consoles by February 2006, but Sony could start gaining on Microsoft’s head start by year’s end.
Mobile Games Mature
The mobile game market had its first major acquisition in 2005, with Electronic Arts buying Jamdat Mobile for about $700 million (see EA Buys Jamdat for $680M). Analysts like Piper Jaffray’s Mr. Gikas said that price was roughly $200 million too high.
But the deal size will bring in a slew of big companies looking for their own mobile game houses. Game developers like Activision, along with Internet companies like Yahoo and Google and even carriers like Sprint, will be scouring the market for cheaper mobile gaming arms.
Companies like Glu mobile could get high asking prices, though Glu CEO Greg Ballard said the company will likely go public next year (see Time Warner Attaches to Glu). Either way, the mobile games market will continue to mature and consolidate. The successful companies will make nice exits, while the bottom feeders will just plain exit. Mr. Ballard said 2006 will be the year when the mobile game market starts to “weed its garden.”
Independent Developers
With the console battle getting two new entrants next year, all eyes will be on Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft as they wrestle for market share. But the business model of building console games will get even more strained next year.
Analysts like David Cole of DFC Intelligence compare the development of console games to the Hollywood film industry—massive amounts of money go into a few hits that have to carry the game developer companies for the entire year. It’s a risky business model with few companies with enough cash to sustain it.
However, with new entrants like the combined BioWare and Pandemic game developers, smaller independent game companies are finding niches with less money and creative talent (see Bono Fund Grabs Game Makers). Gamers are getting tired of the rehashed sequels that dominate the console business. And independent developers are trying to find a way in to add creativity and hopefully find a hit.
While PC games are a smaller business, PC game companies are popping up to make cheap but rich games for computers. Companies including PC game firms like Wild Tangent and PlayFirst have margins a lot higher and costs a lot lower than console game makers. Next year, the console blockbuster business model will likely break a few console game makers, pushing them deeper into the PC game market or just pushing them out period.
China’s Online Games
Every industry touts China as its killer market several years out, but Chinese online games are already a massive business in 2005 (see China’s Wild Online Game Biz). The market hovers about $580 million today and is expected to hit $1.7 billion by 2010.
The World of Warcraft counts 1.5 million Chinese players out of 5 million players total (see WoW Boasts 5M Paying Gamers). But next year, China will see a growing number of companies changing the business model to suit the Chinese gamer. That business model will be the future of the global online game industry.
Most massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), use a monthly subscription fee model collecting roughly $15 per month from players along with additional costs for added services. DFC Intelligence’s Alexis Madrigal said an increasing number of MMOs in China will become free to gamers next year, while the companies rely on sales of in-game items to bring in profits.
Several companies have already switched over to the new business model, and the market for in-game items that are sold outside of companies’ watchful eyes is already about $200 million. That’s hundreds of millions that the companies are missing out on.
Chinese game companies are some of the first to get wise to the switch in sales. It’s also smart to run a service off of in-game sales, when piracy of games in China is so prevalent. Chinese game companies find it hard to make money off of the pure-play of games because pirates are always one step ahead.
But it’s the future of the global games industry. In the era of growing broadband penetration, the global game market will face similar damage from piracy and will be forced to adopt a similar model. Expect the early movers to head that way next year.
Responsibility of Going Mainstream
With the growth of the video game market reaching $28 billion by early next year according to David Cole of DFC Intelligence, games will rival the recorded music industry for the first time. It’s a major milestone, and proves that video games have major heft as a medium to reach a much-coveted demographic of 15- to 35-year-old males.
As advertising dollars for old media like newspapers and television drop, new media like the Internet and video games are getting more eyeballs and winning over ad dollars.
Every medium, from movies to music to television, has seen its share of backlash and concern from critics. But video games, now more than ever, are mainstream. That means that the hullabaloo over the video game violence of 2005 could subside as politicians and parents get more comfortable with the medium.
But that’s only if the creators of the games take responsibility for game content. As a medium that many teenage boys play regularly, game creators will more than ever have to stick to already-established guidelines set by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.
Next year, few parents and politicians will sit back and watch another company “pull a Take-Two” and fail to rate one of its own games with the correct label. If an irresponsible company somehow follows in the path of the hot coffee mod, the year of 2006 could see a battle of violent games that even outweighs 2005.
New Dungeons and Dragons online game to have integrated voice chat
In the online role-playing universe, sometimes it's hard to type when your character is getting roasted by a dragon. The upcoming Dungeons and Dragons: Stormreach online game will feature integrated voice chat that will let players concentrate on the battle, rather than fumbling with a keyboard.
Traditional online battles often require players to help each other by either helping attack monsters or healing fellow party members. Some players have coded keyboard shorts that broadcast text messages for help, but in a frenzied battle it is very easy to hit the wrong key. Hard-core players have turned to voice chat to solve this problem.
Chat programs are nothing new and FPS (first person shooter) players have used them for years. It is only recently that third party programs such as Team Speak and Ventrillo have come into vogue for role-playing gamers. While very effective, these programs require extensive setup both on the client side and the chat server side.
Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach is being developed by Turbine and will be distributed by Atari. It is undergoing beta-testing and is set to launch in the first half of 2006.
Nokia introduces the next generation of mobile gaming development tools
PRESS RELEASE: Nokia introduces the next generation of mobile gaming development tools to premier mobile games studios from North America, Europe and Australia Press release supplied by Games Press 12:00 19/12/2005
Espoo, Finland, December 2005 – Nokia's next generation mobile games development platform was unveiled for the first time to sixteen of Nokia's first party games developers, during the inaugral next generation mobile gaming workshops in Helsinki, on the 1st – 2nd December, 2005 and Vancouver, on the 7th – 8th December, 2005.
Nokia's first-party games development studios were given an exclusive opportunity to learn and experience the development environment of the next generation games platform where rich and immersive N-Gage quality games can be played on a variety of Nokia smartphones. During the two-day Workshop, the developers learned about fundamental functionalities for the new mobile games platform and got the opportunity to interact with Nokia to share their thoughts and consult on game design, middleware, tools, certification, software developer support, hardware and how to bring a connected gaming experience to the global community via the N-Gage Arena.
Kamar Shah, Head of Industry Marketing, Games at Nokia, commented, "Working with first party developers at each workshop is a crucial initial step to introduce the new end-to-end gaming platform." Shah continued, "Our first party developers have already worked on the N-Gage platform and know how to push the boundaries of mobile gaming to ensure that our next generation mobile gaming platform offers a plethora of rich, immersive mobile gaming experiences from launch. Our collaborative workshop format provides our developers with the tools and information to push the envelope on Nokia's new next generation mobile gaming platform."
Joe Bonar, Executive Producer of Backbone Entertainment commented, "The workshop left us with a feeling of excitement about Nokia's commitment to making mobile gaming a more accessible and widespread experience across millions of mobile phones. Backbone is working closely with Nokia to create distinctive and entertaining games that harness a phone's technical abilities to create unique and compelling mobile games experiences. The recently announced Shadow-Born is a testament to that collaboration".
Tadd Jensen, Senior Developer at Barking Lizards, said, "Nokia's new next generation games platform is a forward looking end-to-end gaming strategy, and we're excited about the new opportunities it will bring. Nokia is in the position, and is the right company, to make this platform work."
Laszlo Molnar, Designer and Project Manager, Bonus.com commented, "The workshop has been a great forum for all the developers to ask some straight questions and receive straight answers. Nokia has a very visible commitment to the mobile games industry, and provides confidence to us games developers for the next generation gaming platform."
Xavier Carrillo Costa CEO, Digital Legends Entertainment, said "Nokia's next generation mobile games platform will allow developers to reduce their development costs by bringing a unique development platform for a wide range of mobiles devices. We believe this new platform has the potential to set a new reference in our industry to bring 3D high quality games to the mass market."
Rob Hendry, Producer at Ideaworks 3D commented, "Nokia is delivering a solid business global gaming eco-system for the future, and we're delighted to be involved at its inception."
Martin Vilcans, Lead programmer, Jadestone Group A, commented, "Nokia's next generation initiative is a broad platform for the next generation of mobile games - a market we surely want to be a part of."
David Leitch, Development Director, Razorback Developments Ltd commented, "We're delighted and extremely flattered at Razorback to be invited to the unveiling of a very exciting new games platform."
Kevin McIntosh, Producer, Torus Games commented, "We like the way the workshop allowed us to share ideas and interact with the first party community. We feel that Nokia is committed and professional about the next generation games platform and we feel confident about its launch to market."
Martijn Reuvers, Two Tribes B.V. Business Development said, "By organizing this workshop, Nokia went through great lengths to actually listen to game developers. By doing so, I'm confident Nokia is taking to right step towards bringing the next generation initiative to gamers."
Nokia announced the expansion of N-Gage quality gaming onto the range of Nokia smartphones at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The Nokia strategy is to expand the N-Gage platform's rich connected multiplayer experience across a wide range of Nokia multimedia devices. This next generation mobile gaming platform includes enhanced 3D game graphics capability and offers user-friendly search, purchase and installation of high-quality rich games as well as connected gaming with instant access to a global mobile gaming community. The solution will work with a number of new Nokia smartphones, giving consumers the freedom to choose a multimedia device that best suits their individual needs.
The next developer workshop will be held at the Games Development Conference in San Jose, California – March 20 – 21, 2006.
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com
About the games developers:
# Backbone Entertainment developed RIFTS: Promise of Power and Atari Masterpieces Volume 1 for the N-Gage platform. Atari Masterpieces Volume 2 is due to ship Q1 2006
# Barking Lizards developed X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse for the N-Gage platform
# Bonus.com developed Mile High Pinball for the N-Gage platform
# Digital Legends developed ONE for the N-Gage platform
# Ideaworks 3D developed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Colin McRae Rally 2005, System Rush and Tomb Raider for the N-Gage platform
# Razorback is currently developing Warhammer 40,000: Glory in Death for the N-Gage platform, and is due for release in Q1 2006
# Torus Games developed Ashen and Operation Shadow for the N-Gage platform
# Two Tribes developed Worms World Party for the N-Gage platform
ViewSonic® To Provide LCD Customers With A Free Trial Of Guild Wars
Consumers Who Purchase Ultimate Gaming Monitors Will Receive Trial of Popular Online Game
WALNUT, Calif., ViewSonic® Corp., a worldwide leader in visual display products, announced it has teamed up with NCsoft® - North America and ArenaNet® to offer a free trial version of the online game, Guild Wars®. Guild Wars takes the best elements of today’s massively multiplayer online games and combines them with a new mission-based design to create an exceptional competitive game that has gained popularity with more than a million players worldwide. A 10-hour free trial will be included with purchases of ViewSonic’s ultra-fast ultimate gaming monitors, the 3ms, 19-inch VX924, 17-inch VX724 and 2ms, 19-inch VX922. ViewSonic selected the Guild Wars online game, as it showcases the capabilities of the company’s response time technology, proving that LCDs are affordable and can meet the demands of gaming enthusiasts.
“This promotion allows ViewSonic and NCsoft to demonstrate an un-paralleled gaming experience,” said Jeff Volpe, vice president of marketing, ViewSonic. “Gamers now have the ability to play without the drawbacks of typical LCD monitors—no ghosting, trailing or blurring.”
"Gamers are some of the most demanding users of display technology," said Dorothy Ferguson , vice president of sales and marketing for NCsoft North America. "We partnered with ViewSonic because we know that the speed and quality of the Xtreme LCDs will best showcase the game."
The promotion that began Dec. 1, 2005 and runs through Jan. 1, 2006, will allow customers to participate in Guild Wars, a global online roleplaying game set in a stunning 3D fantasy world. Players can engage in cooperative group combat, in single player adventures, or in head-to-head guild battles. The ViewSonic displays that are sold with the free 10-hour trial are part of the company’s Xtreme LCD lineup that provide response time performance up to 12 times faster than that of typical LCD displays on the market today. ViewSonic’s Xtreme LCD line is ideal for extreme gaming, DVD viewing, television watching, and traditional computer usage, such as rapidly scrolling content within a Web site or a document.
For more information about the promotion and ViewSonic’s displays, please visit www.ViewSonic.com/GuildWars.
About ViewSonic
ViewSonic® Corp., a worldwide leader in visual display products, offers comprehensive display solutions for today’s business, education and consumer electronics markets. The company’s products have won more than 2,000 awards globally from independent publications and organizations.
Headquartered in Walnut, Calif. , ViewSonic was founded in 1987 and is a privately held corporation. For further information, please contact ViewSonic Corp. at tel: 800.888.8583 or 909.869.7976; fax: 909.468.3736; or www.ViewSonic.com.
About NCsoft® North America
NCsoft® - North America (NC-NA) is headquartered in Austin , Texas and is part of Korea-based NCsoft® Corporation. NC-NA, with development and administrative offices in Texas and California , launched two ground-breaking titles in the first half of 2004, Lineage® II and City of Heroes® and Guild Wars in April of 2005. The company also works with NCsoft® subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. More information about NCsoft – North America can be found at http://www.PlayNC.com
About ArenaNet®
ArenaNet®, located in Bellevue , Washington , is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art, interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet’s first title, Guild Wars, is a global online roleplaying game that allows gamers to play with anyone, anytime and anywhere in the world. The novel business model, which requires no subscription fees and emphasizes instant action rather than time spent playing, has undoubtedly contributed to the huge commercial success of Guild Wars. More information about ArenaNet can be found at http://www.arena.net.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including all statements relating to the performance expectations of ViewSonic products, business opportunities or financial performance. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different than expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, ViewSonic’s dependence on third-party manufacturers; its need to maintain and expand its sales channels; market acceptance of ViewSonic’s products; general industry trends, including cyclical trends in the PC and visual display industries; and the impact of competitive products and pricing alternatives. Investors are advised to read ViewSonic’s Form 10 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly the section entitled “Factors that May Affect ViewSonic’s Business and Financial Results.”
Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and ViewSonic undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND - CCP Games, an independent developer and publisher of massively multiplayer online games, announced today the triumphant launch of "EVE Online®: Red Moon Rising", a new content upgrade to its highly successful and fast-growing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) "EVE Online®: Exodus".
"We are delighted with how smoothly this update went through" said Magnus Bergsson, CMO of CCP Games. "EVE Online has become the most massive and dynamic playground on the market today with over 100,000 active players all on the same server, so updating such an enormous game universe is no small feat."
In EVE Online®: Red Moon Rising, the empires are marching towards the brink of full scale war as the tentative peace presiding over the galaxy continues to slip away. Nations begin to conspire against one another, secretly preparing for the inevitable conflict that threatens to redefine the borderlines of EVE forever.
"Red Moon Rising is a massive content addition to a universe that grows larger and larger each day," said Nathan Richardsson, Lead Producer for EVE Online. "No other expansion that we've released thus far has been executed while hosting such a large number of subscribers, and we're thrilled to see this trend continue for future expansions as well."
Some of the key features of this upgrade are:
* Titans: The largest, most fearsome space faring battle vessels ever created * Carriers: Front line capital ships providing fighter coverage and support for fleets * Bloodlines: The addition of Asian bloodlines available to each of the races * COSMOS Constellation Expansion: Addition of constellation missions to Gallente and Amarr territories * Fighters: The main offensive and defensive weapon of the Carrier * Starbases and sovereignty: Additions of roles to improve control access of services and improved calculations of player-determined Sovereignty * New Bloodlines: Asian bloodlines will be made available to each of the races * COSMOS Expansion: Constellation missions will be added to Gallente and Amarrian territories * Starbases and Sovereignty: Roles to improve control access of services and improved calculations of player-determined sovereignty * Next-Generation Manufacturing & Research Facilities: Addition of mass-manufacturing and remote industry management capabilities * Performance Optimizations: Major optimizations to core systems designed to enhance game performance at all levels * Mining Industry Upgrade: Powerful new equipment, ships and skills for miners * Combat Enhancements: Varied improvements to combat, enhanced defenses and configuration overhauls * Jettisoned Canister Flagging: Marking players who steal from jettisoned containers as thieves * Drone Enhancements: New drone capabilities and improved performance * An Eye for an Eye: CONCORD will allow lawful retribution for the unlawful destruction of your ship * Tech II: 23 new ships, including destroyers, battlecruisers and mining barges * New Corporate Logos: Corporations have more options to create their own identity * NPC Changes: New NPC's featuring elite ships with advanced capabilities such as cap draining * UI Improvements: Numerous changes to enhance user's client management * Full Unicode Client: The EVE client now supports any language in the universe
About CCP CCP Games is a privately held company that specializes in the creation, development, and distribution of massively multiplayer online games (MMPOG). Founded in 1997, CCP is recognized internationally as a pioneer in the single-server persistent universe concept of the MMPOG genre. CCP Games is headquartered in Reykjavík, Iceland.
About EVE Online Set tens of thousands of years in the future, EVE is a breathtaking journey to the stars, to an immersive experience filled with adventure, riches, danger, and glory. Supported by a vast player-run economy, EVE offers professions to choose ranging from commodities trader to mercenary; industrial entrepreneur to pirate; mining engineer to battle fleet commander; or any combination of these and much more. Your greatest asset is the starship, designed to accommodate your specific needs, skills, and ambitions. Complementing its lethal arsenal are thousands of modules and components, allowing for countless customizations. From brokering business deals to waging war, you will have access to a diverse array of sophisticated tools and interfaces to forge your own destiny in EVE.
With the next-generation of game consoles just around the corner, the line between PC and console gaming is becoming increasingly blurred. Consoles like the Xbox 360 are borrowing standard PC features like media playback and packaging them in an appealing box, at a lower price than an equivalent PC or Mac. The Xbox 360 is also standardizing features like online game purchasing and wireless controllers. It’s easy to see a future where game developers stray away from the PC as a games platform and stick exclusively to consoles with their simple interfaces and standard features. However, there are still several areas in which the PC has the advantage over game consoles. Some things you can’t do with a game console: create machinima exclusively on the console, download cheat codes, take and share screenshots and chat with large groups of people simultaneously.
The stereotype that PC gamers are “hardcore” in comparison to the typical “casual” console gamer is just that, a stereotype. There are plenty of Halo 2 players out there that spend 6+ hours a day gaming, just as there are people that start up X-Plane (a relatively complex flight simulator) for a casual flight every now and again. In the end, everyone needs to settle down and realise that consoles and computers complement each other. This feature is all about software and resources that will help you improve your existing gaming experience on a console and/or your computer.
Azureus, BitComet and uTorrent are three of the most popular BitTorrent clients available. Whilst these applications can be used to distribute illegal or pornographic content, independent game developers are increasingly using BitTorrent to distribute games, demos and mods across the web. Because BT files are peer to peer, the more people that download a particular file, the faster that file downloads. Anything that reduces the time people have to wait for a new mod or demo is fine by us. Just make sure to avoid any dodgy content - there’s a lot out there.
Whilst the Cheat Database isn’t technically an application — and you’ll definitely lose the repect of your hardcore gamer buddies for bookmarking this site — having a constantly updated library of videogame cheats is an essential resource for any PC gamer. Make sure that the next time you get a “muuuust blow up cars!” craving in GTA, you’re only be a few keystrokes away from a fully equipped Apache helicopter!
In a similar vein to BitTorrent, Download Express (or Download Accelerator Plus on the Mac) is a simple, small and free download accelerator. Getting popular videogame files from the web (whether they’re screenshots, trailers, mods or game demos) can sometimes be a tiresome experience, especially if they’re popular and therefore slow. Whilst some webmasters hate download accelerators (and several download sites ban them), they’re totally legal and can have a very positive impact on download speed.
DOSBox allows you to run older DOS games on your modern PC that may not run correctly (or at all) under Window’s built in DOS emulation. The focus of DOSBox goes beyond mere emulation: the idea here is to get DOS games to run smoothly. That means that features such as network and printer support are on the backburner for now. This program allows people with Windows 2000/XP, Linux and FreeBSD to access a myriad of games from the pre-Windows era. So head up to the attic and rediscover your PC gaming past!
As the homepage for FRAPS states, there are three main things that this versatile application can do. To start with: it can display the framerate of pretty much every DirectX and OpenGL game out there. You can even setup custom benchmarks - just set a start and end point for recording the framerate. It’ll output the data to a file on your desktop which you can then open up in Excel and convert into pie… charts. It also features an excellent screen capture feature that’s light years ahead of Window’s awful “print screen” function. It’ll automatically create a jpeg on your desktop - that’s named and timestamped. Finally, its best feature: realtime video capture! FRAPS is the application to use if you have machinima aspirations. Mac users should check out the similarly featured Snapz Pro X.
MAME, which stands for the “multiple arcade machine emulator”, is the second emulator on the list. As you can probably guess it’s used to emulate arcade games. In development since 1996, with over 100 people helping with the project, this is the emulator to use if you want to play long-lost arcade games. The combination of MAME with above average DIY skills has allowed people to create custom arcade cabinets: the ultimate toy for a bachelor pad.
mIRC and Xchat are are two of the best internet relay chat programs out there and are essential for arranging online games, getting in touch with friends and mocking other inferior gamers. There’s a lot of geek culture surrounding IRC since it’s been around pretty much since the first online multiplayer games. However once you’ve found a server and channel you like, there’s no going back. If you’re a Mac user that’s having aqua withdrawl, check out the Apple styled Colloquy.
NetNewsWire and SharpReader are the best RSS readers on the Mac and PC platform respectively. RSS cuts out the middleman (or more specifically, the web browsing) that gets in the way between you and the latest news from the world of videogames. Both of the above readers have an easy to navigate user interface, but NetNewsWire edges ahead feature-wise with its support for tabbed browsing, smart feed lists and compatibility with Tiger’s automater. Because RSS feeds automatically update whenever new content appears, you don’t have to wait as long to read the latest from your favorite games weblog. RSS is an essential part of the gamer’s daily diet.
RivaTuner (alongside ATIccelerator on the Mac) is the ultimate utility for tweaking and/or monitoring your GeForce or Radeon graphics card. Need a little framerate boost in F.E.A.R? Fire up RivaTuner and overclock your graphics card a touch. Then load up the temperature monitor to make sure you’re not damaging your card. Alternatively you could underclock your card to save battery power in your laptop. Some people have even had some luck with unlocking extra card pipelines in stupid “special edition” graphics cards ( example). WARNING: You may want to skip this utility if you don’t know your VRAM from your FSAA.
Roger Wilco, Teamspeak and Ventrilo are three popular VoIP applications that are optimised for online gaming. If you haven’t got yourself a mic and headset yet, you’re missing out on an important element of online gaming. Combined with a comfortable and good quality headset, these programs will help massively with team based online games. Battlefield 2 and World of Warcraft players should not be without a VoIP application! Mac users can use iChat or Skype, or check out the OS X Ventrilo client or TeamSpeex, a 3rd party OS X Teamspeak client.
ScummVM may not have the most appealing name on the planet (it ranks up there with GIMP for stupid geeky program names), but that’s not the point. Any program that allows you to play games like Broken Sword and Day of the Tentacle on, well, pretty much every platform is an essential part of every gamer’s software collection. The flexibility of the program is astounding: it’s even been ported to the DS and the PSP. And yes, you can use the DS’ stylus as a pseudo-mouse! If portable Monkey Island isn’t enough of an excuse to pick up either a DS or a PSP, I don’t know what is.
Steam is an online game distribution utility created and run by Valve, the creators of a little game (that you may/may not have heard of) called Half-Life. Valve is one of the few commercial games developers that publishes its games online. If you bought Half-Life 2, you’ll know that Steam is required to play the game. Whilst this caused a few problems in the early days of the service they’re more or less ironed out now. Whether or not you feel uneasy about being forced to play your games via another program, Steam offers a convenient location to test and buy a wide selection of games. It offers a flat rate pricing structure worldwide - everyone pays the same price for games (give or take regional taxes). It’s also very satisfying to be able to choose, buy and play games nearly instantly. There’s also the fact that, as we mentioned earlier, Half-Life 2 requires Steam. That alone pretty much makes Steam an essential PC gaming utility.
Xbox Live Dashboard Widget and XBList are essential for any gamers that were lucky enough to pick up an Xbox 360 after the launch. If you were number 51 out of 50, then you’ll still want to check up on Vlad, Joystiq’s editor. Someone’s gotta remind him not to spend his entire life pursuing a higher high score in Geometry Wars!
Xfire is one of the better programs dedicated to organising online PC games. It’s got stat tracking, VoIP and IM chat functionality built-in and supports pretty much every game out there. You can also download and manage PC game demos from within the application. However, the software’s best and core feature is to simplify your PC gaming experience online. When a mate gets bored and fires up Counterstrike, you can join him or her simply by double clicking. So stop fiddling around with IP addresses and get gaming!
XLink Kai is a piece of software that allows you to play games over the internet using the system-link functions of PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, PSP and Xbox 360 titles. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the service is free, there are some downsides. Firstly, you’re likely to encounter more lag than other server based solutions. This is because the system link games are designed for network speed data rates. Secondly, since there’s little or no moderation, you will encounter a lot of asshats if you want to play with the masses. Thirdly and finally, configuring your PC/Mac to work with your console is not easy. This is partly due to the extra hassle with the computer sharing the internet connection to your console. However it’s mainly due to the developers being part time - they have less time to focus on the user experience. However, if you’ve got tech savvy friends living across the globe (or even, down the street) XLink will allow you to hook up and game together - for free.
One (intended) omission to this list is a broadband tweaker. Whilst they may help with speeding up file downloads, they’re ineffective when it comes to multiplayer gaming. There’s no way to decrease pings and reduce packet loss by software alone. If your online gaming is suffering because of high pings and packet loss, you should look into getting a better internet service provider! If you’re experiencing slow download speeds and you’d like to find out what the problem is, check out DSL Reports for a test of your connection.
There’s something for everyone on this list: whether you’re looking to create some machinima, or would like to organise clan matches more effectively, the programs on this list can cater to many a gamer’s needs. If you feel that there are any essential applications missing from the list, feel free to leave a comment below.
After several years of powering up on the sidelines, the online game market is set to go critical.
All the signs are there. Consoles are plugging into the Internet, game producers are conjuring up virtual battlefields for the masses, and the nation's solitary players are finally looking for real-time opponents.
With broadband fast becoming a common household utility, sales of online games and related service fees are expected to smash through the 100 billion yen mark in 2007.
Online games have had a slow start in Japan. Wildly popular in South Korea and China, Internet-based games still play second-fiddle in the domestic market, where most of the action takes place on stand-alone home consoles.
But online games designed for personal computers have already demonstrated their potential in the home market.
Subscriptions for GungHo Online Entertainment Inc.'s Ragnarok Online role-playing game have grown about 50 percent to 1.3 million over the past year. A monthly membership is 1,500 yen.
At any given time, tens of thousands of people are racing, fighting and outfoxing other players.
The new taste for community gaming couldn't come at a better time for the industry, which has seen sales stagnate in recent years.
"Video games have become overly sophisticated, turning off many users," says Nintendo Co. President Satoru Iwata.
With next-generation consoles like Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 as the platform, a new gaming culture is ready to flower, says Hirokazu Hamamura, president of game-magazine publisher Enterbrain Inc.
In Japan, the Xbox 360 went on sale on Saturday, and six titles released simultaneously are Internet-compatible. Microsoft also introduced a new free membership system for online games.
According to Enterbrain, the online game market will grow to 138 billion yen in 2007, up from 58 billion yen in 2004.
"Japan, too, will enter an era when online games really start to spread," Hamamura said.
Aiming to catch this wave, Konami Corp. set up a division in charge of online games in April. Square Enix Co. has made two of its titles online-capable this year.
The game-site operator affiliated with Softbank Corp. set up a 10 billion-yen fund in October to invest in online game producers.
"Online games will become a major sector with the potential to develop business offshore," says Takenobu Miki, president of the company, which has been renamed Movida Investment.(IHT/Asahi)
Kuma Reality Games, the company that utilizes revolutionary video game technology to re-create military events, launched a compelling documentary series on Saddam Hussein. The latest installment takes gamers through the frenzied search through the town of Adwar, and the capture of Hussein by U.S. troops in the infamous "spider hole." Kuma's previous episode was a recreation of the events that led to Saddam's war crimes trial, currently in progress in Iraq. Both episodes are available for free download at KumaWar.
"The Capture of Saddam: Operation Red Dawn," takes gamers through a detailed walkthrough of Adwar, featuring the actual events and strategies the U.S. Army employed to capture Hussein in 2003. Filled with drama, this mission gives consumers an interactive experience from a key event that still resonates throughout the world.
"We utilize advanced game technology to recreate events that are at the center of Saddam Hussein's trial," said Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Reality Games. "These missions allow people to educate themselves on international events that have shaped our history, while providing a dynamic forum for further exploration and discussion."
The previous installment, "The Crime of Dujayl: Saddam's Revenge," spotlights the events of 1982, for which Saddam Hussein faces his first round of judgment. From the Iraqi town of Al-Dujayl, Hussein is accused of executing 143 villagers and imprisoning 1,500 more.
For nearly two years KumaWar has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely recreations of real-world military events. Delivered just weeks after the events take place on the battlefield, Kuma's mission list includes more than 60 episodes to date, including "Uday and Qusay's Last Stand," "Operation Anaconda," "Fallujah Vigilant Resolve," "Iran Hostage Rescue" and "John Kerry's Silver Star."
KUMA, LLC., is the industry leader in the new market for Episodic Video Games -- rich, 3D, immersive game experiences delivered to PCs and consoles in monthly episodes. Using their pioneering technology, Kuma develops and delivers games with unprecedented speed, making interactive game episodes that reflect just-released TV shows, films and real-world events. These episodic games offer players a thoroughly unique experience and present distinct marketing advantages for content owners and distributors. Kuma Reality Games, headquartered in New York, is a privately held company. source: news.teamxbox.com
The Warrior's Code is an entirely new role-playing game (RPG), as compared to its predecessor, with an evolutionary interactive combat engine, new 3D enhanced graphics, special effects and lighting. The Warrior's Code is scheduled for a first quarter 2006 launch.
In The Warrior's Code, the realm is one of chaos and oppression as a powerful warlord's horrific minions continue to slaughter and enslave the people. When members of a secret shape-shifting race begin to disappear, suspicions of an insidious plot to exterminate them lead many of its members to flee into the wilderness for survival. While struggling to escape capture and death, some of the shape-shifting refugees stumble upon a carefully guarded secret that rekindles hope for freedom and peace in the realm.
As one of five shape-changing characters, players will challenge their skills through an epic storyline consisting of five exciting chapters with dramatic in-game cinematics, voiceovers and an upgraded Quest Journal. In addition, there are more than 45 areas featuring interactive objects, devious traps, destructible walls and ambient creatures.
Key features in The Warrior's Code include:
* Evolutionary Combat Engine – Experience all-new action-RPG combat through an upgraded combat engine featuring a wider variety of combat moves and special abilities, dynamic attacks of opportunity, and all the intensity of fast hack-n-slash action. * Epic Storyline – Play through five exciting chapters with dramatic in-game cinematics and voiceovers. * Enhanced 3D Game Engine – Featuring enhanced Graphics, Special Effects, and Lighting with streaming music. * All-New Online Multiplayer Mode – Featuring story-driven two player co-op play seamlessly integrated with the single player game or combat focused player vs. player battles for up to four players. o All New Macro-Chat Communication System o All New Online Lobby and Matchmaking System * New Playable Characters – Five shape-changing player character types featuring enhanced customization and a wider variety of enhanced animations. * Enhanced Quest System – Challenge yourself with a wider variety of quest types and upgraded Quest Journal. * New Hand-Crafted Environments – Explore more than 45 all-new areas featuring dynamic events and a wider array of interactive objects, devious traps, destructible walls, and ambient creatures. * Unique Monsters – Battle and employ different combat strategies against more than 40 unique monsters with improved Artificial Intelligence. * Massive Boss Battles – Experience 12 massive boss battles featuring interactive lairs and unique new gameplay challenges. * All-New User Interface – A completely new User Interface includes multiple control schemes, enhanced mini-map and world map with fog of war and streamlined inventory, skill system, and quick menu options. * Enhanced Item System – Collect and utilize a wider variety of items and enhancements and store in an all new item stash.
This discussion revolves around an email from a technically astute ExtremeTech reader. I'm including it as part of my weekly column rather than as a standard ExtremeTech story, mostly to get people thinking about the issue. Keep in mind that it comes from a single source, discussing a single game. But we thought it was interesting enough to open up to wider discussion.
Early last week, we received an email from Igor Levicki, commenting about Jason Cross's feature article, Real Gaming Challenge: Intel vs. AMD. Levicki wasn't disputing Jason's conclusion—that AMD beats Intel by wide margins in gaming tests. But he apparently decided to dig a little deeper. Here's what he did, in his own words:
It intrigued me why Intel CPUs have inferior performance in some games and in others they are on par with AMD.
Therefore, I have reverse-engineered Battlefield 2 game executable and come to the following conclusions:
1. It was compiled using Visual Studio 2003 C++ compiler. 2. It was compiled in blended mode almost without any optimizations.
We headed over to Microsoft's MSDN web site and obtained this little tidbit about blended mode:
"When no /Gx option is specified, the compiler defaults to /GB, "blended" optimization mode. In both the 2002 and 2003 releases of Visual C++ .NET, /GB is equivalent to /G6, which is said to optimize code for the Intel Pentium Pro, Pentium II, and Pentium III."
But Microsoft recommends that code writers use /G7 when designing code for Pentium 4's and AMD Athlon systems. Again, here's more from the MSDN web site on the topic:
"The performance improvement achieved by compiling an application with /G7 varies, but when comparing to code generated by Visual C++ .NET 2002, it's not unusual to see 5-10 percent reduction in execution time for typical programs, and even 10-15 percent for programs that contain a lot of floating-point code. The range of improvement can vary greatly, and in some cases users will see over 20 percent improvement when compiling with /G7 and running on the latest generation processors. Using /G7 does not mean that the compiler will produce code that only runs on the Intel Pentium 4 and AMD Athlon processors. Code compiled with /G7 will continue to run on older generations of these processors, although there might be some minor performance penalty. In addition, we've observed some cases where compiling with /G7 produces code that runs slower on the AMD Athlon."
This is a little unclear at this point. Microsoft's reference to "AMD Athlon" may refer to the older line of 32-bit Athlon CPUs (K7 generation)—the Athlon XP and earlier. Current 90nm Athlon 64s fully support Intel's SSE, SSE2, and SSE3 instructions.
The MSDN document linked above goes on to suggest that the /G7 switch will produce sequences that may have more instructions, but run more efficiently on the Pentium 4 by avoiding high-latency instructions, such as IMUL it would be logical to at least compile the game code with /G6 and /arch:SSE switches. That however, is not the case. I have checked it and the code uses only FPU, which is known to work slower on Pentium 4s. Moreover it uses pretty inefficient integer code too. Even /G6 would help a lot by enabling the compiler to generate conditional moves instead of many conditional branches, which are known to penalize NetBurst architecture so much.
Levicki goes on to speculate about the reasons game developers might do this, and leans towards conspiracy theories about pushing people to buy faster systems. Me, I tend to believe it's more laziness, coupled with extremely tight game-development schedules. Once we skip past this, Levicki returns to some technical advice:
Why not using at least SSE instead of FPU code? It is easy. They don't even have to spend time optimizing by hand. They only have to flip a switch to make the difference (or to kill it, depending on your viewpoint). They don't even have to use Intel compiler: Visual C++ will do for that basic step.
Why not, indeed?
Going back to Visual Studio C++ for a moment, Microsoft's online docs suggest that using the /ARCH:SSE and /ARCH:SSE2 switches allow code to automatically take advantage of the presence of SSE/SSE2 instructions. This is unlikely to penalize AMD specifically, though unrolling loops and other P4-specific operations might possibly penalize the Athlon 64, but it's hard to know without actually trying it. But using SSE/SSE2 shouldn't adversely affect AMD. Even Fred Weber, AMD's former chief technology officer, acknowledged that SIMD was the way to go with floating point as we move into the future.
Let's assume for a moment that Igor is correct in his technical analysis. In discussions with game developers over the past few years, I've learned that they tend to be pretty wary of automatic optimizations generated by simple use of compiler switches. Sometimes a large software build will break when certain automatic optimizations are turned on. Some of this is likely institutional memory, as compilers have improved over the years. Some of it is likely laziness coupled with tight schedules, as alluded to above. If you're a game developer on constant 80-hour a week crunch mode, experimenting with compiler switches is probably the last thing on your mind.
Still, it's an interesting thought. And the issue may not simply reside in the game code itself. Many game developers use third-party libraries and game engines, including physics engines, AI engines, audio processing libraries and more. If that's the case, then the optimizing the core game code may not have as large an impact as it might seem.
So I'd like to hear from the game and middleware developers, if you're reading this. Are your games optimized for all CPU architectures? Do you use automatic optimizations, or do you avoid them? If you do avoid using compiler optimization switches, let us know why. Inquiring minds would like to know.
This Week on ExtremeTech
This week, we've got a review on ATI's midrange X1600 GPU going up, although finding one in the retail channel may be a problem. Also up is Jim Lynch's write-up on the new forum software. Victor Loh covers an innovative new CPU cooler, as well as plunging into his first motherboard review. We also have a review of ATI's latest All-in-Wonder card as well.
Azureus
DOSBox
MAME
NetNewsWire
RivaTuner
Roger Wilco
ScummVM
Steam
Xbox Live Dashboard Widget
Xfire
XLink Kai
