Gamasutra - News - Spooky Cool Labs: What happens when arcade vets take on Facebook

Can a group of arcade, console, and casino veterans change social games? Spooky Cool Labs hopes so.

CEO Joe Kaminkow worked for arcade greats in the 1980s and has the Donkey Kong and 1942-fueled anecdotes to prove it -- and has spent the last 13 years working in the casino space at industry leading manufacturer IGT. 

Fore more information: Gamasutra - News - Spooky Cool Labs: What happens when arcade vets take on Facebook

Gamasutra - News - Why GTA V's delay could cause an industry-wide ripple effect

So Rockstar delayed another game. Is anyone really, truly surprised by that?

In my nearly 20 years covering video games, Take-Two's crown jewel has missed more initial deadlines than I can count, but that hasn't stopped them from knocking it out of the park more times than they've whiffed. This delay, though, could have a more notable impact on the industry than previous postponements.
 
For more information: Gamasutra - News - Why GTA V's delay could cause an industry-wide ripple effect

Gamasutra - News - EA's CEO talks about violence, the Steam Box, and why Wii U isn't 'next-gen'

Electronic Arts is facing a tough uphill battle. While the company is proving itself in the digital and mobile spaces, its boxed retail games -- still the bulk of its business -- are declining badly, particularly after the commercial and critical flop from its military-based shooter, Medal of Honor: Warfighter.

For more information: Gamasutra - News - EA's CEO talks about violence, the Steam Box, and why Wii U isn't 'next-gen'

Gamasutra - News - All signs point toward a PlayStation 4 unveiling in February

It looks as if Sony Computer Entertainment is going to unveil the successor to its PlayStation 3 console in three weeks.

On Thursday the company tweeted a link to an event on February 20, simply saying "See the future."

For more information: Gamasutra - News - All signs point toward a PlayStation 4 unveiling in February

Gamasutra - News - 250 out of work as Gameloft suddenly shuts down its India studio

On the same day that Gameloft's company heads boasted to investors and journalists of its 27 percent revenue growth in 2012, the entirety of its India studio was told to pack up and go home.

Over 250 game developers are out of work from Gameloft's Hyderabad studio, Gamasutra is told. Worse, the company allegedly asked its employees to sign a note lying about their resignations being voluntary.
 
For more information: Gamasutra - News - 250 out of work as Gameloft suddenly shuts down its India studio

Gamasutra - News - Atari U.S. files for bankruptcy to escape its French parent company

The U.S. branch of Atari has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as a means of separating its financials from its French parent holding company Atari S.A., and in turn securing a fresh start.

For more information: Gamasutra - News - Atari U.S. files for bankruptcy to escape its French parent company

Gamasutra - News - Get a job: Infinity Ward and others hiring now on the Gamasutra jobs board

Do visit Gamasutra - News - Get a job: Infinity Ward and others hiring now on the Gamasutra jobs board for Latest Hot Jobs in gaming industry.

Gamasutra - News - Sony fined $400K for PSN breach in the UK

The Information Commissioner's Office, a UK public body that deals with the Data Protection Act, has presented Sony with a £250,000 ($395,775) fine for the PlayStation Network outage that occurred in 2011.

For more information: Gamasutra - News - Sony fined $400K for PSN breach in the UK

Interview: Jason Rubin Talks About THQ's Struggles And Final Days - Features - www.GameInformer.com

When Jason Rubin joined THQ less than a year ago, he was brought in to help the company with his years of experience crafting excellent games with Naughty Dog. Unfortunately, THQ could not be saved, leaving Rubin and the company with the difficult task of assessing options, filing for bankruptcy, and ultimately selling off the company's assets. In a candid interview, Rubin talks about his stewardship of the company and his firm belief that gamers will be blown away by some of the great titles THQ had waiting in the wings.

For more information: Interview: Jason Rubin Talks About THQ's Struggles And Final Days - Features - www.GameInformer.com

A letter from 'Ben Cureton', Lead Combat Designer, Vigil Games.

My name is Ben Cureton, and I was the Lead Combat Designer at Vigil Games. I'm sitting at my desk among... what appears to be a warzone. The walls look bare. It's quiet.

The seats are empty.

We've all been on edge for the past couple months... and more so, the last couple weeks. I mean, I'm sure you can imagine what it's like to wonder if you will have a job tomorrow. Most of us here joked about it just to keep the mood light, but we all knew what could happen. Now I look around and I realize... it did happen.

Am I sad? Well yea. I've been in this industry for 20 years. Seriously. Two decades. I've been laid off more than once. It sucks every time. But am I sad I don't have a job? Not really... I'm sure I'll get another one eventually. I'm sad because it won't be THIS job. It won't be at Vigil. That's why I'm sad. The people I waged war with are no longer together. The people that I bled with, vented with, argued with (often times LOUDLY), and kicked back with... these people will never be together again in the same combination.

Not that it was perfect. But what is perfect? Did I like coming to work? Yes. Was I proud of the work that I did? Yes. More importantly, was I proud of the work that WE did? Absolutely. I knew, without a shadow of the doubt, that the project we were working on (Codenamed: Crawler) was going to blow people away. In fact, it DID blow people away. We did, in TWO months, what many companies haven't done in a year. The pride of knowing that no one was doing anything like us was so satisfying, it kept us coming to work and giving 100% every single day, even through the dark times.

... so maybe you can imagine what it feels like when you read the list of who bought what only to discover your name is not on the list. Why? Did we do something wrong? Were we not good enough? Were we not worth 'anything?' Imagine that.

Vigil was filled with people that I would put up against the best in the industry. People that made my work better, people that made me a better designer, and people that made me a better person. And now they are gone.

Their seats are empty.

It's OK, though. I guess this post makes it sound a bit melodramatic. Seriously... if you work in the video game industry you have to be resilient. Doing what you love often comes with a price - anyone who has been around for a while can tell you that. Today, that price has been paid. That being said, I'd still never dissuade anyone from following their dreams if their dream is to make video games. While it's not as romantic as it sounds, it's sure a hell of a lot of fun.

So don't cry for the people at Vigil. We made games for game players. I have no Horror stories from working here... only Honor stories. Through both praise and critiques alike, our goal was always to make a product as if we, ourselves, were the end-user. We may have gotten pushed and pulled in certain directions by forces out of our control, we were always in it to make games for game players. And that's what we did.

I can only hope that those spared from the other companies remain employed long into the future. There is not much worse than false hope, and these people deserve to continue making great games. You may not know their names, but they exist, and they bleed, sweat, and cry for your entertainment. I mean that honestly, with no negativity. They do it... no, WE do it... because we want you to have a good time.

In closing, I can only say thank you to the fans of Vigil games. Your support means more than you can imagine. Your feedback (both positive and negative) gave us long-lasting insight that we will all take with us, wherever we may go. You are the reason we made Darksiders 1 &2... and you are the reason we will continue to make games.

And with that... my seat is empty.


Ben Cureton
Lead Combat Designer
Vigil Games


P.S. This is no place for a horse.

Gamasutra - News - Without a buyer, Vigil loses more than a few jobs: It loses a team

"The people I waged war with are no longer together. The people that I bled with, vented with, argued with (often times LOUDLY), and kicked back with... these people will never be together again in the same combination."

- Vigil Games' Ben Cureton writes an open letter following the news that his studio didn't make the cut at today's piecemeal auction of THQ's assets.

For more information: Gamasutra - News - Without a buyer, Vigil loses more than a few jobs: It loses a team

Gamasutra - News - With THQ's demise, plenty of questions remain

The fat lady has sung at THQ. After years of near misses, the company that was at one time the industry's third largest publisher is being sold for parts.

THQ has a lot of haters in the game world, with plenty of people pointing fingers of blame at the company's management, expansion philosophy and business methods. But any time a publisher is forced to close its doors – especially when it has titles on the near horizon that seem to have so much potential – it's sad.

For more information: Gamasutra - News - With THQ's demise, plenty of questions remain

Gamasutra - News - Funcom closing its Secret World Beijing studio

Funcom's restructuring efforts continue onwards this week, as the MMO company announced that it is closing down its Beijing studio following the completion of The Secret World.

For more information: Gamasutra - News - Funcom closing its Secret World Beijing studio

Gamasutra - News - THQ buyers confirm their future intentions for studios, IP

Each of the companies that grabbed a slice of THQ at auction earlier this week has spoken out, confirming their purchases and teasing their intentions for the future.

For More Information: Gamasutra - News - THQ buyers confirm their future intentions for studios, IP

Gamasutra - News - Layoffs at PlayStation fighting game developer Superbot

Unknown number of employees were affected by layoffs at Sony-exclusive independent developer Superbot on Friday.

Superbot is the developer behind Sony's fighting game PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, which was released simultaneously for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in late November.

For More Information: Gamasutra - News - Layoffs at PlayStation fighting game developer Superbot

Gamasutra - News - THQ Montreal is pretty happy with Ubisoft buy, says Ubisoft

"This is the very first time in my life that I have come to a studio that was just newly acquired, given a speech to everyone, and then have everyone applaud."

- Yannis Mallat, Ubisoft Montreal chief executive, describes his first meeting with the THQ Montreal team.

Ubisoft acquired the studio as part of the THQ auction earlier this week, and Mallat told the Financial Post that 170 THQ Montreal staffers are now part of Ubisoft.

On visiting the ex-THQ Montreal headquarters, Mallat says that his new employees were more than happy to receive him. "It was a very sincere reaction," he notes. "Maybe it was due to the fact that we at Ubisoft are a very humane company and we were talking to the people in a very fair way and are very approachable."
For more Information: Gamasutra - News - THQ Montreal is pretty happy with Ubisoft buy, says Ubisoft

Courting the core: how Ubisoft nailed E3 2012

While other publishers ask you to ignore the gaping, next-generational holes in their line-ups, Ubisoft went to E3 with the express intent of capturing the core gamer’s love – and it got it.

Ubisoft was clever this year. The publisher has loads of digital, casual and social initiatives on the go, many of which are likely to prove important and successful, but it didn’t waste its E3 time talking about them. Instead, it dropped its triple-A cards on the table, looked its core fans in the eyes, and promised them the world. We’re swooning.

Every year we ask “who won E3?” with plunging levels of hope that anyone will emerge a clear victor. From a core perspective Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have been fronting increasingly lacklustre shows as the generation has approached retirement; Activision barely bothers to turn up; and EA, while reliably equipped with a stack of games, tends to make its reveals externally.
When we get together and place bets in the lead up to the show, those are the names we bandy about. But next year, we’ll probably extend the book to cover Ubisoft. And you won’t get very good odds betting against them.
Ubisoft has a strong catalogue of core intellectual property, something that’s easy to forget when the French publisher is spamming out reboots for a hardware launch. For all its family and casual friendly activities – remember that it opened its show with a Just Dance 4 showcase – Ubisoft seems to be the only major E3 attendee willing to speak directly to the core.
While Sony devoted 20 minutes to an AR Harry Potter book, Microsoft hooked Apple devices to its consoles, and Nintendo gave an exhaustively detailed look at a collection of casual mini-games in a social network setting, Ubisoft got right down to business. Its energising but brief Just Dance 4 shenanigans out of the way, the publisher moved right onto Far Cry 3, one of the most curious and exciting products of the late 2012 slate.
Far Cry 2 is one of those divisive titles which fans will go to the grave defending. It’s sufficiently different to be both attractive and tremendously off-putting, depending on how you like your toast buttered, and Ubisoft seems to have captured the spirit of that in Far Cry 3, if not the substance. It certainly channeled controversy by showing a stage demo which begins with a sexual encounter; social media exploded with both praise and reprobation, and everything that followed was tinged by these reactions. The over-the-top gameplay which followed, not to mention host Aisha Tyler’s relatable but badly-received comment about shooting tigers, fuelled furious discussion. If Ubisoft’s intention was to make waves, it succeeded admirably – and what is E3 for, if not to generate buzz around products?
One core shooter down, Ubisoft transitioned neatly into another. The Splinter Cell: Blacklist presentation was short but sweet, because we’d already seen it at Microsoft’s press conference. It would have been silly to skip over the game completely, but again, Ubisoft showed it knows who it’s talking to by refusing to labour the point, skipping directly into the next main showcase – the Wii U.

Assassin’s Creed III. Raging moisty amirite.

The new hardware was one of the hot topics of the show and Ubisoft could have been forgiven for devoting more time to it, but instead popped out a rapid-fire look at Avengers: Battle for Earth – likely the most fringe of its launch titles – before tantalising with a good brief on Rayman: Legends. An effective bit of marketing introduced ZombiU with one of the coolest trailers of the show, and a quick montage skipped through the casual slate. Again, Ubi was speaking to the core, and the core doesn’t want to spend longer than a minute looking at Rabbids.
The time was better spent elsewhere. Ubisoft pulled out a lengthy Assassin’s Creed III demo showing off some key changes to the franchise, and then in what was perhaps its chanciest gamble, hosted a live 3v3 match of Shootmania Storm. This was the only point at which the presentation fell a little flat; although the core console and eSports demographics are increasingly overlapped, this is the kind of demo which would have been amazing as part of a tournament event, but proved a little baffling to the console crowd in attendance.
If you tuned out at that point, you were unlucky, because Ubisoft then did something nobody expected: it produced an entirely new IP out of nowhere, right at a time when “new” is as rare as hen’s teeth. Although what we’ve seen so far of Watch Dogs could probably be described as Assassin’s Creed with guns and gadgets – well, just say that out loud. It doesn’t sound bad at all, and later previews demonstrated the game’s clever use of interconnected mobile apps and social features as a serious differentiator from the rest of the triple-A scene.

A new IP? Wait, what? It’s 2012, right?

Having knocked half a dozen excellent core demos out of the park, Ubisoft had already won a huge number of points. For it to turn up later on in Sony’s press conference was the icing on the cake. On a business level, Sony may benefit the most from the Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 3 exclusives it announced – a jab in the eye at Microsoft’s frequent content coups – but it was we at home who got the immediate pay out. Seeing Far Cry 3′s co-operative multiplayer in action for the first time, as well as Assassin’s Creed III’s naval battles, has driven the hype up around both titles – and the announcement of Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation was arguably the best thing to happen to Vita owners all show.
Ubisoft was clever this year. The publisher has loads of digital, casual and social initiatives on the go, many of which are likely to prove important and successful, but it didn’t waste its E3 time talking about them. Instead, it dropped its triple-A cards on the table, looked its core fans in the eyes, and promised them the world. We’re swooning.

EA Weighs In On 'Star Wars: The Old Republic' Going Free-To-Play

EA’s Star Wars: The Old Republic has been struggling lately, so it’s not that much of a surprise to hear that the MMO may adopt a free-to-play model in order to survive. The game has bled 400,000 subscribers since its peak in February.
“We are looking at free-to-play, but I can’t tell you in much detail. We have to be flexible and adapt to what is going on,” BioWare Lead Designer Emmanuel Lusinchi said recently. Now EA has weighed in on the matter.
“We’re going to be in the business from a long-term standpoint so absolutely we’re going to embrace free access, free trial, ultimately some day we can move in and embrace that model,” EA’s Frank Gibeau told GamesIndustry International, noting also that EA is ”really proud of Star Wars” and “ really excited about the launch.”
“I don’t think subscriptions ever go away, but when you have an IP as broad as Star Wars, we’re definitely going to look at opportunities to grow that business and look at different ways of bringing customers in and serving them,” Gibeau continued.

In other words, all options are on the table. Will free-to-play save the struggling MMO? With such a strong IP it’s startling the game has lost so many subscribers, pointing to much deeper problems than simply the loss of casual gamers.
My own experience with the game was less than stellar. The over-abundance of long cut-scenes and fully voice-acted, animated sequences felt out of place in an MMO and made the game drag out unnecessarily. And the framerate issues were puzzling to say the least given the quality of the graphics.
Which is a real shame, honestly, because even though I’m not a huge MMO fan, I do love Star Wars - an IP that has a ton of potential for a really interesting online universe.

Source: http://www.forbes.com
 

EA’s LGBT Staff Promises “It Gets Better”

Contributing in a big way to the It Gets Better Project, EA released an inspirational video today featuring stories from LGBT staffers about growing up gay. The project was conceived after bullying led two gay teens – Justin Aaberg and Billy Lucas – to commit suicide in unrelated incidences.
The video begins on a slightly somber note, detailing the hardships that spawned the project in the first place. During the lengthy video the tone changes to a more positive one, however, as the EA staffers discuss their accomplishments and shed light on what the future can hold for struggling youth.
Kudos to EA.

Video game sex that's sexy, not sophomoric

BioWare has integrated sex into its games in a way that's deft and daring

BioWare With "Mass Effect 2," video game developer BioWare proves it knows a thing or two about what makes sex sexy. And it's probably not what you think.

By Winda Benedetti Citizen Gamer

msnbc.com

 

I was having a hard time deciding who I wanted to jump into the sack with more — the green-skinned lizard-man assassin with the sexy voice or the battle-scarred space warrior with a face like a steel-plated grasshopper.

Both of my potential bedmates were just so … attractive. No, perhaps not attractive on the outside and perhaps not attractive by the usual human standards — but attractive, you know, on the inside. After all, they had both traveled the galaxy. They had both led daring lives. And they had both come to my aid in the toughest of times.
But a decision had to be made. I’m no space ho, after all. So I decided to put the moves on Thane, the reptilian killer who’d left a trail of dead bodies strewn across the galaxy and yet seemed to have a genuinely sensitive side. (I’m a sucker for the strong, troubled types.)
After spending some 40 hours playing BioWare’s latest role-playing game, I can tell you that there are a lot of things that make “Mass Effect 2” one of the greatest games ever — the engrossing story, the stellar shooting, the outstanding voice-acting, the sublime score. But I’m not afraid to admit that my top favorite thing about this game is the digital sex.
When the first “Mass Effect” game launched in 2008, some conservative and mainstream media outlets (*ahem* Fox News) stirred up a moral panic over the game’s sex scenes. They suggested that “Mass Effect” — which allowed players not only to save the galaxy but to bed humans and aliens alike along the way — was corrupting our youth, objectifying women and destroying the very fabric of civilization itself.

BioWare/Youtube

 

Sure, Thane Krios — the lizard assassin from "Mass Effect 2" — may have left a trail of dead bodies strewn across the galaxy, but his sensetive side won my heart.

The sequel to that game, “Mass Effect 2,” launched last month and contains even more possible romantic liaisons for players to pursue (when they’re not busy saving the galaxy yet again). Meanwhile, BioWare also recently launched “Dragon Age: Origins” — a game that allows players to explore a variety of sexual relationships — relationships with humans, relationships with elves and relationships with homosexual humans and elves (gasp!)
Right on cue, the conservative commentators have freaked. But having played both of these games, I say “bravo, BioWare, bravo!” No matter what the critics say, this development company has integrated romantic and sexual relationships into its two latest games in a manner that is deft, daring and adult … and gaming is far better for it.

That lovin’ feelin’ If you haven’t had a chance to lose days of your life to these games, allow me to explain. “Mass Effect 2” is an epic space opera of a role-playing game — one that puts players into the boots of the super heroic Commander Shepard  as he or she (you decide the gender) sets out to stop some super nasty space beings who are up to some serious no good. “Dragon Age: Origins” is a “Lord of the Rings”-style RPG that lets players fight some medieval-style evil as a human, an elf or a dwarf (again, the gender of the hero you play is your choice).

For the record, both “Mass Effect 2” and “Dragon Age” are Mature-rated games meant for players who are 17 and older. Also, for the record, no player is forced or even remotely required to get it on with a green, blue or rainbow-hued alien in “Mass Effect 2” or with, say, a bisexual elf in “Dragon Age: Origins.” In fact, no digital coitus is required to enjoy or to complete these games.
And one final bit of record keeping: The sex scenes are, like, totally tame.
Whether you go for a private romp with Leliana the lovely lesbian bard from “Dragon Age: Origins” or you fall into bed with Jacob, the super-fit interplanetary super soldier from “ME 2,” the scenes that eventually unfold before you will involve some warm embraces, a bit of kissing and perhaps the removal of  some articles of clothing. But nobody ever gets totally nekked. Meanwhile, just when things start to get hot and heavy … the music swells and the picture discreetly fades to black.

BioWare/Youtube

 

Video game developer BioWare deserves kudos for creating games with thoughtfully-crafted adult romances. In their role-playing game "Dragon Age: Origins," players can partake in heterosexual or homosexual relationships — or skip the romancing all together.

Yep, you’re guaranteed to see more skin at a Florida beach … or on prime-time TV. In fact, some players have complained that the sex scenes in “ME 2” and “Dragon Age” are too tame. They suggest that BioWare dialed down the steamy stuff because of all the hysterics over the first “Mass Effect.” Of course, BioWare insists it didn’t dial anything down for anyone.
Too much sex. Too little sex. Not the right kind of sex with the right kind of ... er ... people. Rubbish, I say. BioWare is spot on with its depictions of sex and romance in its latest two games.
Video gaming is a young medium, one that’s still in its adolescence. And so sexuality in games has historically existed for two purposes: To offer eye candy for randy teenagers or to provide juvenile comic relief (bouncing bosoms of “Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2,” I’m looking at you). I’ve often wondered when the medium would finally grow up enough to present genuine adult sexual relationships. Looks like that day has finally arrived.
Knockin’ digital boots Here’s the deal — the reason I think the sex in “Mass Effect 2” is so, like, wow is because by the time I got around to knocking boots with Thane the Galactic Lizard Assassin, I actually cared about him.
The thing is, the developers have gone to extraordinary lengths to populate their games with memorable and believable characters that are fully fleshed-out in terms of their personalities and their back stories …. rather than just fully fleshed-out in terms of their bra and bicep sizes. And that makes all the difference in the world — especially when it comes to trying to portray authentic and compelling sexual experiences in a game.
Whether it’s Zevran the randy bisexual elf in “Dragon Age: Origins” or Subject Zero the violent woman warrior from “ME 2,” players are treated to unique characters, each with their own take on life and love and sex. And players are strongly encouraged to take the time to dig beneath the surface of each to find out who these characters really are.
For example, throughout “ME 2,” I had Thane accompany me on numerous life-threatening missions and spent no small bit of time hanging out with him in his quarters, simply talking to him about his past. Little by little, I learned about his strange childhood, his murdered wife and the estranged son he longed to reconnect with.

So by the time we got around to doing the deed, the whole thing played out not like the freaky-deaky space porn one might expect to find in a game but more like the ultimate moment of character revelation. Before he took me in his scaly embrace, the stone-cold killer with the heart of gold confessed his fear of the epic battle that loomed before us — confessed that he feared his own mortality just like the rest of us.
Yeah, you know what's sexy? Getting to know someone.

BioWare

 

You know what's hot? Character development — that's what. "Mass Effect 2" lights that loving feeling by giving players characters amply endowed with … meaningful personalities and back stories. In other words, they give us characters we can actually care about.

“The reason that we put such a focus on characters is because they add an emotional and a human aspect to why you do things in a game,” says Casey Hudson, project director for “Mass Effect 2.” “When I play a game, I always I find it odd when I’m just running around shooting things and beating things up without understanding why I care. I need a personal reason to care. That’s something that the characters offer.” And that’s just the thing … I was surprised just how much I cared. When it was time to head into the last battle of “Mass Effect 2” with my new paramour at my side, I was seriously worried that Thane would die.  What if my shooting wasn’t up to snuff and he took the hit for it? What if I accidentally put him in harm’s way and he was struck down by the enemy? I was invested in this character in the most intimate way and that intimacy made the game all the more gripping.
When Thane did survive, it was a huge relief … and a huge triumph.
In the end, although critics and haters will argue that sex in video games desensitizes players, I’d argue that the thoughtfully portrayed intimacy in BioWare’s video games does exactly the opposite — it makes players care more.
Winda Benedetti isn't afraid to admit she's got that luvin' feeling righthere on Twitter.