The PC Centric Extravaganza 5.06.08
Posted by Chris Evans on 05.06.2008
GTA IV PC?
The PC Centric Extravaganza 6th May 2008
Ok I am dead tired having just worked a full day of over-time after also working the past four days. I have an exam on Wednesday and I really need to revise. Sorry if this is a poor article!
GTA IV PC?
This is just a collection of posts taken from my blog in order from the first one to the latest.
First Post
Thanks to a tip off from a forumite from Half-Life2.net I was pointed in the direction of GameRush which in turn linked me to German retailer CityDisc which lists a PC version of GTA IV for a November 30th release.
Considering previous GTA games have taken between 6 and 8 months to arrive onto the PC this does seem a plausable release date. It is also a date that sits well with the holiday game rush.
I am going to get in touch with RockStar to try to get some clarification on this.
The release date is now for 30th October and this has appeared in German for what I assume is the product description.
Das Spiel GTA 4 für PC ist vom Publisher Take 2 noch nicht bestätigt.
Releasedatum noch offen!!
Which translated on Babel Fish comes out with this.
The play GTA 4 for PC is not yet confirmed of the Publisher Take 2. Release date still openly!!
Which when translated again into proper English by yours truly comes out with something like this.
The release date for GTA 4 for PC has not yet been confirmed by the Publisher, Take 2. The release date is not guaranteed and is open to change.
As of writing this I have not had any response from Rockstar or Take 2 regarding this issue.
Third Post
Well at least according to CVG who have received a 'No Comment' from Rockstar UK regarding the GTA IV on PC rumours.
Dark Rock Games
Dark Rock Games is a Welsh based game studio set up by Adam Griffiths. Dark Rock is a studio that is both making their own casual games, and outsourcing for other projects.
Adam went to the University of Wales Newport and completed a games design course along with a group of friends. After completing his course Adam was faced with a choice of what to do, he had the possibility to get a job in England and commute, move to England or to take the choice he did, set up his own game studio.
This is what he did along with his friends thanks to a grant from the University. They set up shop in Newport and have been working hard ever since.They currently have two completed projects.
Firstly there is Transitions a mod for Half-Life 2 created by Adam as his final year project at University.
several titles, our two main titles (our own projects) are based on some old retro style games but re-invented, with new worlds, characters, environemnts and gameplay, they're both geared towards the casual market due to our lack of capitol, which prevents us from making anything mainstream.
While Adam and the team are not yet ready to show anything off about these games he promises to get out more information on them as soon as possible. They will hopefully be released in the next few months while the team continue to work on outsourced projects.
Dark Rock Games are a shining light to other Welsh students that there is always a chance to go it your own and make something happen.
I plan to write more on Welsh Gaming over the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled!
Peter Moore on Piracy
Peter Moore the head of EA Sports has revealed that piracy is at the heart of the reasoning for cutting back on EA Sports titles, specifically Madden 09, being released on the PC. In an interview with Game Daily he had this to say.
Piracy's a big issue on the PC. I can't turn a blind eye to the fact that it's very difficult for us...and we lose money making a game. At some point, I have an obligation not to bring out products that lose money.
Which is quite a crap excuse really, if EA used better methods of prevent Day 0 piracy then the money lost from pirates would be much much less. They just have to invest money in preventing the games getting leaked before release to cut down on a large number of the pirated games.
Finally I don't think just churning out the same game with updated team sheets and a few minor improvements each year endears EA Sports titles well to PC gamers.
Piracy is not just a consumer problem, developers have to accept that their actions are causing and leading to people pirating games.
Rest of World
video by Jorwell
The Steam Group Rest of World which is fighting against unfair game prices and availability for different countries around the world has now reached 5000 members.
The group is now going to act on its promise and will be attempting to get in touch with and developer or publisher which they feel are excluding the Rest of the World from being able to purchase games, purchase games at a fair price and to purchase games as they are meant to have been releaed.
More information on this latest information can be found here and Jorwell's original video can be seen here in higher quality.
UK Retailer Plan Ratings
UK retailer of all things electronic, Currys are planning to set up a new games rating system (according to CVG) in an attempt to make the classification system more family friendly.
Currys will establish a customer panel to rate games on a variety of factors including suitability and the challenge they pose.
"Video gaming is now a mainstream form of family entertainment and we've seen a huge surge in the number of non-core gamers purchasing consoles and games," Amanda Clift, head of brand for Currys, told Sky News.
It will be interesting to see how this is actually used. It is starting as a pilot scheme in five areas before being rolled out nationwide. It is not clear right now how this will be implemented considering the Byron review claimed that game ratings are already too complex. Currys using their own system is due to lead to further confusion.
Press release:
Currys to launch in-store classification for family friendly video games
Currys is to classify video and PC games according to their suitability for family viewing, under a new scheme launched today by the leading electrical retailer.
Video and computer games available in Currys stores will be rigorously tested by a panel of families recruited by the retailer. Feedback from the panel will be used in-store to help clearly identify those games best suited for family entertainment.
The launch of the scheme follows the increasing popularity of the Nintendo Wii, which has fuelled a surge in demand for console games amongst a wider family audience of gamers. Over 75 million console games were sold in the UK in 2007, and Currys estimates that eight out of ten Wii consoles are now bought for family use compared to one in five eighteen months ago. Research among Currys customers has revealed nearly two thirds now regularly enjoy video games as a shared family experience.
Games will be tested by the panel against a wide range of criteria including levels of interactivity, engagement, coordination, education and overall enjoyment. Feedback will be used to determine family appeal and the suitability of content for younger family members. Those games classified as suitable by the panel will be identifiable in-store with a new ‘family friendly' logo.
Possible friction amongst family members brought on by competitive game play will be ranked on the label by a squabble-ometer, whilst a laughter scale will be used to indicate likely levels of humour and enjoyment. The family friendly label will also indicate whether a game is physically or mentally demanding. It follows the enormous popularity of the Nintendo Wii's motion sensitive games such as the recently released Wii Fit, which sees players engaged in up to 40 different physical activities including yoga poses and push ups.
The new classification scheme follows the publication of a recent government review, fronted by Dr Tanya Byron, which highlighted confusion amongst parents towards the existing certification system used on computer and PC games.
Amanda Clift, head of brand, Currys, comments: "The notion that video games are played by teenagers tucked away in their bedrooms is past its sell-by-date. Video gaming is now a mainstream form of family entertainment and we've seen a huge surge in the number of non-core gamers purchasing consoles and games. This new scheme will allow us to rate a game based on the collective feedback of a large number of families so our customers can quickly and easily identify which games are going to provide the best form of family entertainment."
Feedback from panel members over 60 will be used to launch a new age category for OAPs following an increasing demand for console games from older family members. Games such as Pro Bowling or Brain Age, which provide mental stimulus or encourage gentle level of physical exercise have been identified as being particularly popular amongst older gamers.
Panel members will be recruited by the retailer through a series of in-store gaming competitions that are to be held at Currys stores around the UK. Local families visiting stores will be encouraged to demonstrate their gaming skills and take part in the competitions, playing on the latest consoles and games within a dedicated gaming area in-store.
The scheme will be trialled in five key locations in the UK before being rolled out nationwide. Test areas include Leicester, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Thanet and Bristol, where demand for console games from traditionally non-core gamers, including parents and grandparents has nearly tripled in the last 12 months.
TOP TEN SELLING FAMILY GAMES
1. WiiFit - Wii
2. Singstar - PS3
3. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue - PS3
4. Buzz Hollywood - PS2
5. Big Brain Academy - Wii
6. Mario Kart - Wii
7. Brain Training - DS
8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Wii
9. Sun Crossword - DS
10. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games - DS
Doug Lombardi talks to CVG
Valve PR honcho Doug Lombardi spent a while talking to CVG at EAs Games Showcase event in London last week.
Doug talked about a whole load of things to CVG ranging from Left 4 Dead and Counter-Strike to Valve wanting to see a Wii game and much more. Some of his comments are really quite interesting.
[Source Engine] It's great, particularly for older PCs, but some say its starting to show its age. Do you have an intended life span for it - a time when you think you'll need a complete refresh?
Lombardi: It's really a conscious decision, on our behalf, to make sure that our games work across a wide range of systems. And I think that we're investing more in the gameplay, AI and design than were are in textures and rendering.
If we wanted to we could beef up Source so that it'd not run on an older PC anymore, but that really wouldn't be a good decision.
That may work within the industry, and it may impress some people at trade shows, but I think when you get that out to Joe-Average, who has a two-year old PC and doesn't have £2000 to buy the latest hardware to run a game, it's not so good. We don't want that disconnection.
This is a great attitude for Valve to have, while graphics will always be an important part of many games, Valve have had great success over the years with their focus on the story, innovation and in getting the player emotionally invested into their games.
I would prefer they keep along with these goals while keeping Source up to date without pushing it beyond the capabilities of the majority of PCs out there at the moment.
You guys are taking your time with the Half-Life episodes, too. How's Episode Three coming along?
Lombardi: Well, the gap between Half-Life and Half Life 2 was six years. It's not quite four years since then and we've already released two follow-ups that we're really proud of. We didn't milk the cow, so to speak, and pump out more of the same content.
While the word 'Episodic' conjures up this idea of TV where episodes are aired every week, maybe that's not the best term to use for this. I do think that we've hit upon something that allows us to have a more enjoyable development experience - to spend six years on the same game is kind of a death march.
We've hit with episodes around every 14-16 months. It won't be another six years until you see Freeman, but it won't be next week. I think we're improving our ability to produce interesting new content in a more timely fashion.
Maybe it won't be as long as Half-Life 2, but hopefully it'll be just as good and just as innovative.
Valve's use of the word 'Episodic' was I think an error in judgement, a different name would have been better. I think that many people see Episodic gaming as being regular once a month release, or at least around that time frame.
While the Sam and Max games may not have been the best games out there, they have been a great example of what to do with Episodic gaming.
Valve have found a mid-point between Episodic gaming as seen with Sam and Max and the release cycle of big AAA games. They have been really successful with what they have done, but at the end of the day they chose the wrong name for it.
The whole interview, which is really in-depth and well worth a read can be found here.
