GDC 2009 San Francisco, Thursday Updates

If your life revolves around making video games, then you would be in San Francisco this week.  The annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco (http://www.gdconf.com/) is THE major event for the game development industry.  GDC is five days of educational sessions, specialized summits, networking events, and expo & career pavilions.

The second day for the main part of the show opened today with the Career Fair and Expo Hall as well as more session for Art, Programming, Design, Production, etc.

Some things that caught our attention on Thursday were:

Performance Designed Products (http://www.pdp.com), a manufacturer of video game accessories announced and demonstrated their latest products. 

Gametrak Freedom is a proprietary and patent-pending ultrasonic 3D motion sensing technology that delivers performance, increased control and flexibility. The system is comprised of a base unit, which attaches to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft via USB, and a hand-held controller. Unlike other motion sensing gaming systems, Gametrak Freedom™ does not rely on the gamer pointing a controller at the screen nor does it restrict the gamer to limited movements. The system accurately tracks the true 3D position and precise movements of up to four players anywhere within a given environment. This technology provides players with total control and unrivaled game play opportunities.

PDP will launch the Gametrak Freedom™ exclusively for Xbox 360 in fall 2009. The system will be bundled with ““Squeeballs™,” a game specifically developed to showcase the technology. PDP recently received a worldwide product licensing agreement to publish games for Xbox 360 and “Squeeballs” is their first Microsoft-approved title.

“Squeeballs™” http://www.squeeballs.com is a collection of over 150 unique challenges that showcases the capabilities of the controller. In the game, Squeeballs are toys that are manufactured on a secret island somewhere in the Pacific. Before the Squeeballs can be sold to children across the world, they must be fully tested by the players of the game. By using the controller, players can blow up, cook, slice, bat, bowl, shoot and bounce the Squeeballs with greater accuracy than is capable with any other controller.

PDP also unveiled the new revolutionary wireless SmartStylus™ 1 and 2 devices . The patent-pending SmartStylus™ 1 and 2 both feature a?for the Nintendo DS vibration feedback that players using the stylus will feel based on movements and commands in the game. The SmartStylus™ 2 can include a variety of added features, including LED’s, sound, and motion feedback. With the motion feedback capability, the stylus can now act as a motion input device, allowing you, for example, to hit a home run by swinging the stylus off the DS screen. The SmartStylus™ 1 will launch this fall and is pending licensing by Nintendo.

“The technologies offered by both the Gametrak Freedom™ and the SmartStylus™ tools are the first of their kind,” said John Moore, senior vice president of marketing for the California-based PDP. “PDP is excited to be introducing these new technologies. They will create a new level of gaming that can be enjoyed by the whole family.”

id Software just unleashed Wolfenstein 3D Classic ™ for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  The “grandfather of first person shooters” will now feature your choice of all new touch and tilt-based controls personally developed by technical visionary and id Software founder, John Carmack.  While I found the game a little hard to play, it is very cool to have this classic game on the iPhone.

John recently said “Not very long ago, it was an open question if classic first person shooter play styles could be adapted to the touch and tilt controls of the iPhone and still remain fun, so I set out to find the answer with a small research project based on our classic Wolfenstein 3D game.  It quickly became apparent that it could work out very well indeed, and it was a lot of fun to grow the project from a little experiment into a full-fledged product.  To me, the iPhone is the most exciting new platform in ages, and I am very much looking forward to bringing our entire historic series of titles over, as well as brand new work.”

Wolfenstein 3D Classic is non-stop action and all of the memorable enemies are there for players to conquer from Hans Grosse to MechaHitler!  As OSA super agent B.J. Blazkowicz, players must escape from Castle Wolfenstein and defeat the twisted Nazi regime.  The game includes all six original episodes with 60 classic levels and unforgettable weapons like the brutal chain gun that still define action gaming today.  Also, a new top down map shows where you have been in each level while players can search for hidden secrets that reveal stolen Nazi treasure, health packs, ammo and weapons, or even short cuts. 

Fans can expect a lot more from id Software in future releases of their world renowned games now coming to the iPhone.  Wolfenstein 3D Classic is just the first in a series of unforgettable games under the “id Classic™” label that they plan to release.  Watch for upcoming information about id Software’s other classic properties, including DOOM® and QUAKE® coming soon. 
Wolfenstein 3D Classic is currently available at the iPhone app store for $4.99 and can be accessed at http://www.idsoftware.com/wolfenstein3dclassic/.

If iPhone development is something you are considering, then check out Unity (http://unity3d.com/unity/).  Unity is a complete development environment and toolset for development and publishing.  Versions are available for different platforms such as iPhone, Wii, Online, etc.  The pricing is very reasonable for development tools as a complete set of iPhone development is under $3,000 USD per user.  Prices will vary depending on the exact set of features you want.

And finally, some 2008 data on the game industry and estimates for the future.

Gaming PC Market Bigger than Thought
$20 Billion with gains in all regions but Asia largest market

Jon Peddie Research (JPR), the industry’s research and consulting firm for graphics and multimedia, announced estimated worldwide PC gaming hardware shipments and regional; market share out to 2012 – the growth is an amazing:

• The Enthusiast segment has a worldwide CAGR of 9%
• The Performance segment will have a CAGR of 19%
• The mainstream segment’s CAGR is 21%

Gaming PCs touch all segments of the market, with the most expensive at the high-end, known as the Enthusiast segment where the utilization for gaming is highest, down to the mainstream where the utilization for gaming is about 6 percent

The total, hardware only, market value in 2008 was just over $20 billion, and that will grow to over $34 billion by 2012 – and those systems will pull in an additional $6 billion in software and services sales.
Also, the economic recession may stymie the assumed growth of the console gaming market and shift the balance to the PC gaming direction. Why? Because the cost of an HDTV (for the console, in addition to the console is a serious investment in something you can’t do thousands of other things with like a personal computer.

One size doesn’t fit all

However, all countries are not alike in their PC gaming habits. Jon Peddie research looked at gaming cultures worldwide as an influence on hardware sales in those regions. Hardware suppliers are cautioned: Don’t get caught sending the wrong stuff to the wrong place.

The three segments studied in these reports examine and profile thirty-seven countries in seven regions giving the reader the highest granularity in any report on PC gaming hardware ever.

Desktops and notebooks

Gaming PCs are delivered in both desktop and notebook configurations, with notebooks showing strong gains.

DIY and aftermarket

In addition to branded and boutique fully assembled PCs, JPR discovered there is a robust market of do-it-yourselfers and consumers who upgrade their PCs with high-performance gaming graphics boards
“Don’t let the retail numbers fool you,” said Ted Pollak, co-author of the report series. “Enthusiast PC gamers often latch onto one or two games that offer multiplayer and stick to these titles for years. Hardware is where they spend the big bucks. The retail numbers don’t capture the casual and digitally distributed games either. Retail figures are not an accurate barometer for the health of the PC gaming industry.”

“The PC Gaming Hardware industry is a worldwide growth phenomenon and there are striking changes to the environment on the horizon,” said Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie research. “Don’t get caught surprised – our PC gaming hardware reports will provide virtual binoculars for companies involved in the space so that they are prepared for the approaching shifts. Now, more than ever, suppliers can’t afford to make any missteps in their marketing and sales strategies.”

Stay turned for more news and products from GDC San Francisco.

—Harvey Lee

View the original article here

GDC 2009 San Francisco, Friday Updates

If your life revolves around making video games, then you would be in San Francisco this week.  The annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco (http://www.gdconf.com/) is THE major event for the game development industry.  GDC is five days of educational sessions, specialized summits, networking events, and expo & career pavilions.

On the final day at GDC, the show continues with lots of activity in the Career Fair.  With the continuing bad economy and poor job outlook, there were many people visiting all the exhibiting companies with resumes and demo reels in hand.  While there were many companies looking for new talent, then number of openings appears to be small.

Many of the final lectures and sessions were very full as the conference attendees eagerly rush to take in a final chance to learn from the many experienced speakers before the close of the show.  As the show ended, hundreds gathered in the main lobby of the convention center reluctant to see this year’s GDC end.

Some things that caught our attention today were:

Hi-Rez Studios gave the first hands-on demonstration of its spy-fi action MMO Global Agenda.  Guests experienced fast-paced combat, in both PvE and PvP missions, using stations within the Hi-Rez exhibition booth and playing real-time with remote players.

“Our combat system was inspired by modern multiplayer shooters”, says Executive Producer Todd Harris. “But in addition to firearms, we’ve added melee, hundreds of other high-tech player-usable devices, and jetpacks! We find it a refreshing change from the standard tab-targeting found within fantasy MMOs and we’ve been thrilled to see the reaction from others here at the show. And while we think our combat system is a major differentiator, we’re equally excited about the RPG advancement system and the opportunity for player-groups to compete for territory control.”

Booth guests also got a taste of Global Agenda’s sophisticated, face-customization system and the introductory game sequence in which the player’s special agent character escapes from the clutches of an oppressive world government called The Commonwealth.

“Players begin as a fugitive”, Todd says. “But after choosing a class and advancing their agent skills via PvE or PvP missions, they encounter other groups within the world and choose which ones to align with. We expect most players will eventually participate in our Campaign mode which allows player groups to acquire territory within the world, construct facilities, defenses, and bases on that territory, produce resources, and engage in the player-driven drama to dominate a region.”

Hi-Rez Studios also announced that they are still accepting applications toward their upcoming closed Beta. Players looking for a refreshing take on the MMO genre were encouraged to apply at http://www.globalagendagame.com.

Calling all superheroes and supervillians… City of Heroes Content Update Issue 14 is officially making its debut via the game’s open beta session. In Issue 14, players will have an opportunity to create and give feedback on one of the most in-depth player created mission systems in an MMO to date! The Mission Architect game system is a robust new system that allows players to literally design their own missions for the game, determining details ranging from environments, mission objectives and enemies, to the written fiction and character dialogue. With Mission Architect, players will also be able to share their creation with the entire City of Heroes community as everyone’s story/mission masterpieces will be available in-game for fellow gamers to play and rate - and the higher the rating, the more benefits and rewards players will experience.
City of Heroes Issue 14 was developed by NCsoft NorCal in Mountain View, CA. In addition to the launch of Issue 14, NCsoft will be releasing City of Heroes Architect Edition for both PC and Mac in mid-April, a retail product featuring Mission Architect alongside other content updates.
For more information, please go to the official City of Heroes site at http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/news_archive/issue_14_open_beta_begins.html

The iPhone OS 3.0 news from Apple unlocks many more opportunities for innovative game development for the iPhone. Social Gaming Network has been planning for this moment for years and made huge strides with existing releases to achieve exactly what consumers have craved – and now Apple is responding. SGN has already pushed the boundaries with games for iPhone creating seamless game experiences across platforms. SGN games that monetize through virtual goods with unique pricing structures evocative of the in-app purchasing capability just announced in the iPhone OS 3.0 Software Developer Kit are already available for iPhone including Mafia: Respect & Retaliation, Agency Wars and a proven model (fluff)friends on Facebook.
Shervin Pishevar, president and CEO of SGN, states: “This is a pivotal moment that SGN has been waiting for. Our vision for offering our engaged audience unique and immersive games is further being realized with this announcement from Apple. It will unleash a tremendous amount of creativity and incredibly engaging experiences for consumers around the world from the developer community. SGN is uniquely positioned moving forward to deliver even greater experiences for consumers and go even further with Apple’s announcement of the new OS 3.0.”
Synergies between SGN’s suite of games that have already delivered on Apple’s vision with iPhone OS 3.0 include:

-      A vision of creating immersive games with robust user pay models. From the beginning, SGN recognized that the only viable model would have to generate revenue from both advertising and user pay for in-game items or advantages. SGN’s recent releases for iPhone including Mafia: Respect & Retaliation, Agency Wars and i(fluff) all feature pricing structures that enable users to buy new levels. Now with the convenience of purchasing new levels of content built into the iPhone OS, the possibilities for future games, enhancing games and making game play even more advanced are incredibly exciting.
-      SGN is positioned to excel at an even faster pace with over 10 million users of games such as iBowl, iBasketball, iBaseball, SGN Golf, Mafia: Respect & Retaliation, Agency Wars, iFun, and i(fluff) on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Apple has confirmed with this announcement that sales are more than 30 million for iPhones and iPod Touch. Given these statistics, SGN games are already on one in three devices.
-      With iFun, released in November, using the accelerometer technology in the iPhone, SGN could link the handset to a computer via wireless or 3G connection, making the iPhone into a Wii-like controller for the game. This convergence will continue to develop and become increasingly seamless. With new Bluetooth connectivity, SGN games can potentially be played on other Bluetooth devices, linking players seamlessly wherever they go literally across any platform.
-      SGN has leveraged the convergence paradigm giving users the ability to play games either on mobile devices or on a PC (through social networks). SGN believes in creating high quality games with engaging play that will captivate and connect friends and family. SGN is bringing the vision of the social graph to gaming ever closer.

For more information on Social Gaming Networks products, go to http://www.sgn.com

That’s it for now from the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.  We will be following up our coverage throughout the year with reviews and updates of other news and products we found at the show.

—Harvey Lee

View the original article here

GDC 2009 San Francisco, CA Wednesday Updates

If your life revolves around making video games, then you would be in San Francisco this week.  The annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco (http://www.gdconf.com/) is THE major event for the game development industry.  GDC is five days of educational sessions, specialized summits, networking events, and expo & career pavilions.

The main part of the show opened today with the Career Fair and Expo Hall as well as more session for Art, Programming, Design, Production, etc.
Also featured today was a Keynote Address from Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, who spoke about how Nintendo & Independent Developers can both be successful in the same market and how Nintendo’s Star Designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, approaches design and development.

Some things that caught our attention on Wednesday were:

If you are an old gamer like me, then you have fond memories of Lode Runner, a hit game from the 80’s.  Now Tozai Games have brought a greatly updated version to the Xbox Live Arcade for your Xbox 360 game console.  This game is really cool and a lot of fun.
It’s an all-new Lode Runner gold mine: 3D graphics, frenzied 2D action, lodes of modes, 220 levels, multiplayer options, puzzles, a level editor and more! Run, climb, blast blocks, outsmart enemies and grab the gold on your own or with a partner! It’s classic action with lodes of new twists. Battle up to three friends on Xbox LIVE in a frantic game of tag, where the first to die are the first to avenge…as enemies! Survive endlessly spawning foes to earn medals. Create devious levels to challenge the Community. For long-time fans or first-time runners, it’s the mother lode!

Lode Runner legacy: Inspired by the ground-breaking action title, the all-new Lode Runner was recreated block by block for Xbox LIVE Arcade. Just as in the original award-winning game, the new Lode Runner rewards fast, smart and gutsy moves. Preserving the classic style of play was the foundation for creating the definitive Lode Runner experience!
Game modes for everyone: Play expansive single-player and co-op Journey campaigns, frantic Hang On survival challenges, complex puzzles, and a four-player Last Man competition that rewards sabotage, revenge, and outright deviousness.
No player left behind: Revive a fallen teammate and continue play without penalty in Co-op Journey mode, and avenge an untimely death reborn as an enemy in Last Man matches!
New content: Explore five worlds inhabited by unique enemies and featuring special terrain such as avalanche blocks, stalactites and teleports. Blast blocks with bombs and collect energy balls to add lives. Unearth hidden enemies! Transition from one level to the next seamlessly. Master new co-operative play techniques like blasting blocks while riding on a buddy’s head.
Level Editor and Community: Design custom levels for any game mode and environment to challenge your friends. Host Xbox LIVE matches with your own cunning creations or download the coolest custom levels from the Lode Runner Community!

Sony showed a number of current game titles in their booth as well as development tools and technology, but the coolest thing was two of their racing games in TrueHD 3D.  Using a basic pair of glasses, you got a clear, sharp 3D picture on an HD display.  It was impressive.  Too bad it is mainly a technology demonstration at this time and there is no release date or price for it.  Hopefully it will come to your Playstation 3 soon.

If iPhone development is something you are considering, then check out Unity (http://unity3d.com/unity/).  Unity is a complete development environment and toolset for development and publishing.  Versions are available for different platforms such as iPhone, Wii, Online, etc.  The pricing is very reasonable for development tools as a complete set of iPhone development is under $3,000 USD per user.  Prices will vary depending on the exact set of features you want.

And finally, NeuroSky (http://www.neurosky.com/) was showing their brain-computer interface technology.  The NeuroSky Mindset is basically a set of headphones that you wear and while using special software, it allows you to manipulate a game or software program by concentrating or focusing on objects.  The mindset essentially monitors your level of calm or stress and combines that with your level of concentration to control elements of a game.  Of course the technology is not ready to actually allow you to say, drive a car or play a shooting game.  The basic NeuroSky technology is being used in toys such as the Star Wars Force Trainer.  The Mindset will be available this summer and you can check it out on the NeruoSky web site.

Stay turned for more news and products from GDC San Francisco.

—Harvey Lee

View the original article here

GDC 2009 San Francisco, CA Tuesday Updates

If your life revolves around making video games, then you would be in San Francisco this week.  The annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco (http://www.gdconf.com/) is THE major event for the game development industry.  GDC is five days of educational sessions, specialized summits, networking events, and expo & career pavilions.

We will be roaming the show to bring you tidbits of news that will affect the technology and games you will be playing soon.  Many of the news stories we will bring you will become product reviews in the futures as new products announced at GDC reach your local retail store.

The first two days of GDC are specialized summits including Outsourcing and Mobile.  These summits allow the attendees to get focused instruction on specific areas of the game industry.

Some things that caught our attention today were:

Imagination Technologies (http://www.imgtec.com), the leader in graphics acceleration hardware demoed the new 2.4 version of Imaginations’ POWERVR Insider SDK for content developers - plus the latest developments from Imagination’s third-party community.  This technology looks great and will help mobile phone hardware and software developers to deliver high-quality video contents to users.
Zeemote (http://www.zeemote.com/) - makers of the JS1 Controller, the world’s first wireless joystick for mobile gaming, were showing their latest model and new game titles.  This news follow a year of rapid momentum which saw deals signed with major gaming and wireless companies including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, RIM, EA, Gameloft, Glu, Telcel, Telus and many others.  The JS1 will launch in Europe soon with Asia and the US to follow later in the year.  The JS1 is a Bluetooth game controller that allows you to play your mobile phone games with a real analog joystick and 4 digital buttons rather than trying to play with the phone’s keypad.  Playing a game with the JS1 is a major improvement over playing on a standard mobile phone and we found the gaming experience to be very enjoyable.  The JS1 is currently compatible to S60 phones like the Nokia E and N series as well as any Nokia Ngage and RIM Blackberry phones.  Future support for iPhone and Windows Mobile are currently under development.

Australian game developer Firemint today announced that its upcoming game Firemint Real Racing has taken home the IGF Mobile Technical Achievement Award at the 2009 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. This latest acclaim follows its recent win in Barcelona at the International Mobile Gaming Awards. Currently in the final stages of development, the circuit racing simulator will be available on the App Store in April.  “We’ve been working hard for a long time to show that great things can be done on mobile devices,” said Kynan Woodman, Development Director at Firemint. “This award is a testament to our team’s dedication to developing a high quality game that pushes the iPhone’s technical capabilities to its limits including some not yet available on handhelds and all-new connectivity features.”  Firemint Real Racing is a full 3D circuit racing simulator with high definition graphics, 3D sound and extensive physics modeling. The in-car cockpit view has an animated driver and instruments displaying race data. Connectivity features includes the ability for racers to upload video replays of their best races to YouTube with the push of a button, compete in online leagues on the game’s custom built web site, and to compare themselves against friends on Facebook.  Firemint wanted to ensure that Firemint Real Racing had the best possible replay value and options and have done so by packing the game with 36 cars, a dozen tracks, four gameplay modes, three classes and three divisions. Control options include combinations of accelerator or touch-based steering, automatic or touch-based acceleration and automatic or touch-based braking. The AI gives opponents different personalities that affect the way each one competes. Some will be aggressive, others will be careless, but one thing is for sure, they are all in it to win!  More information can be found at http://www.firemint.com/realracing.htm

On the mobile side, development for the iPhone continues to be hot with lots of attention being focused on the new Palm Pre.  We expect to see lots of exciting announcements for new iPhone 3.0 apps.  Symbian and Windows Mobile are still strong with many developers waiting for new Apps stores for those platforms.

Stay turned for more news and products from GDC San Francisco.

—Harvey Lee

View the original article here