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Mass Effect price dropped to $10 on Steam this weekend

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 7th 2009 at 11:30AM }

Were you one of the seven people on the planet who managed to resist Mass Effect's "possible alien nudity" siren call? Prepare for your steely resolve to buckle: The game's only $9.99 this weekend on Steam. Despite any qualms we may have had with the game's completely broken inventory system, or the frequent appearance of three-toed sloth-powered elevators, we find it hard not to suggest dropping a Hammy to add this to your collection.

It might even help you decide whether you want to drop six Hammies on the upcoming sequel. Or a Grant and a Hammy, we guess, though that sounds like Denny's menu item. (Great, now we want some Denny's. Thanks for nothing, Valve!)

Modern Warfare 2 refused by digital distribution retailers; Steamworks to blame

by JC Fletcher { Nov 6th 2009 at 9:22AM }

PC gamers aren't the only ones angry about the way Modern Warfare 2 is shaping up. PC retailers, starting with IGN's Direct2Drive download service, have made the bold move to leave piles of money on the table by refusing to sell it. It's not in protest of the dedicated server issue or the multiplayer cap, but rather the fact that the game relies on Steamworks for updates, saving and Achievements; and Direct2Drive isn't thrilled about selling a game that requires the bundling of a competitor's product.

"At Direct2Drive," the statement on what would be the Modern Warfare 2 product page reads, "we believe strongly that when you buy a game from us, you shouldn't be forced to install and run a 3rd party software client to be able to play the game you purchased." The site offers an Amazon link to purchase the game, and a $5 coupon for other Activision titles on Direct2Drive.

Impulse and GamersGate won't be offering the Modern Warfare 2 either. Impulse tells VE3D that "the most obvious issue is the forced inclusion of a competitor's store that blocks us from carrying the game."

[Via Gamasutra]

GameStop creates additional digital media executive position

by JC Fletcher { Nov 5th 2009 at 4:27AM }

GameStop is serious about digital distribution -- and it's proved that by hiring another person to be in charge of it. Shawn D. Freeman will be the company's new senior vice president and general manager of digital business, taking a position that the company has just created.

Freeman has previously worked as president of Ticketsnow.com and senior vice president of resale for Ticketmaster, in addition to positions with Hotels.com and Handango. He'll be "responsible for overseeing and cultivating the company's digital business strategy," according to GameStop's statement. He'll presumably be working closely with the general manager of digital media, who is "developing and executing" the company's "digital acquisition strategy."

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Rockstar revamps Social Club's online leaderboards and stat tracking for Gay Tony

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 29th 2009 at 3:45PM }

With the release of this week's second Grand Theft Auto IV expansion The Ballad of Gay Tony, the game's developer has decided to update the online multiplayer statistics tracking in order to reflect the new multiplayer game types. The addition of "BASE Jump" to the mulitplayer as well as "new, tighter Deathmatch arenas" helped spur the leaderboard overhaul, according to the developer blog. The various new additions being made due to the DLC will even get their own section on the Rockstar Social Club, presumably for the four of you tracking your new GTAIV DLC stats after Modern Warfare 2 releases in a couple weeks.

Latest Ballad of Gay Tony trailer showcases Luis Lopez's many exploits

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 28th 2009 at 2:15PM }

Rather than offer interesting social commentary or moody atmospheric tone, the just-released Ballad of Gay Tony teaser instead teaches us that Luis Lopez is not a joking around kinda guy. He takes shots, tosses dudes off buildings – he even goes to the driving range!

In case it weren't already glaringly obvious to you, the second Grand Theft Auto IV expansion will be taking itself quite a bit less seriously than the first digital release. Thankfully, the wait is nearly over and we can find out for ourselves tomorrow just how much Rockstar Games has twisted its latest opus.

Gallery: GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

Fairytale Fights DLC free for first 90 days with online registration

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 28th 2009 at 12:01AM }

Playlogic Entertainment's Fairytale Fights may have just been released today in North America, but the game's developer is wasting no time at all in kinda, sorta announcing the first downloadable content. We say "kinda, sorta" because the promised four "new playable characters" and three "new PvP arenas" aren't detailed whatsoever in the press release. Instead, Playlogic opted to announce the DLC with the promise that those who sign up on the Fairytale Fights website will receive a code giving them free access to the digitally-distributed content.

The various content is alleged to be "valued at over $15," so it would serve you wisely to snag your free code if you have any interest whatsoever in picking up a copy of the game. Hell, even if you're renting, free is free, right? And hey, at least "part of" the DLC will be exclusive to those who register online. Seems like a no-brainer to us.

Gallery: Fairytale Fights

Square Enix mobile title Kuni Yaburete Sanga Ari coming to DSiWare

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 26th 2009 at 12:00PM }

Here's the thing about Square Enix bringing its mobile games to DSiWare -- we want the games over here! (Anything but the clocks and calendars, please!) Andriasang has news that the Japanese publisher will be offering Kuni Yaburete Sanga Ari (translated as "Hills and Rivers Remain") via Nintendo's DSiWare digitial distribution platform starting this week. Unfortunately for those on this side of the Pacific, the game will remain exclusive to Japan for the time being.

Four-player wireless gameplay will be added for Nintendo's handheld, as well as updated stylus controls and "some exclusive maps" in multiplayer. For those of you able to pick it up, the game will run you 800 DSi points ($8) when it's made available this Wednesday. For everyone else, TinyCartridge points out the recent trademark filing by Square Enix for the game's English title. Keep hope alive!

GameStop details three-point plan for digital distro future

by David Hinkle { Oct 22nd 2009 at 10:00PM }

GameStop doesn't really have to worry about digital distribution devices like the PSP Go right now -- in the Go's case, it's because there's pretty much nothing on it -- but, in the future, the company may need to consider adapting to a less physical media-dependent market. Though some say that day won't come until 2017 (others say digital distribution will endanger the company), Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian recently attended an analyst-only GameStop meeting at the NYSE (via IndustryGamers) where the company actually detailed its plans to prepare for the rise of ~~the machines~~ digital distribution.

GameStop's three main goals to adapt included increasing in-store sales of point cards for online purchases, expanding its digital distribution of PC and casual titles via its website and making a strategic investment in the space or acquiring an online entity specializing in digital distribution. The first two are pretty cut and dry, but that last item really gives one food for thought.

There are certainly a plethora of online distributors that GameStop could own; Steam, Greenhouse, Impulse, GoG and Direct2Drive are all established and popular digital distribution services, though we think GameStop may have some trouble should it pursue Steam or Direct2Drive -- which are owned by Valve and IGN (News Corp.), respectively. And, hey, if GameStop decides to purchase any one of these and doesn't like it, there's always the option to trade it back in for ... ah, forget it.

Report: Average CoD World at War player has spent $9 on DLC [update]

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 21st 2009 at 3:43PM }

If there were any doubt left in your mind that Call of Duty is a popular franchise, a recent report from Gamasutra should firmly cement the fact in your mind. According to the piece, Call of Duty: World at War's three DLC packs digitally pushed 6.5 million units between March and mid-August of 2009 across the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

As you might imagine, those kind of numbers add up to a lot of extra revenue for the mega-publisher – the piece approximates a cool $45 million. Taking that one step further, the average cost of each box of CoD: WaW sold at retail becomes $65. We're not sure if that number accounts for the chunk taken out by Microsoft and Sony respectively for distribution, but even cut in half that's still a nice chunk of change.

So today, we'd like to officially announce that we're changing the site's name to Call of Duty: Joystiq. Call it a strategic business move – it's all about brand recognition, people!

Update: To be clear, the $45 million number is an approximation by Gamasutra, put together with information from NPD, EEDAR, and Activision PR. It was apparently calculated by taking 65% of 7 million units at $10 a piece, without accounting for giveaways or bundles.

Q? Entertainment: Music licensing, other issues keeping portable Lumines off PSN for now

by JC Fletcher { Oct 21st 2009 at 11:00AM }

Lumines was one of the most popular launch titles for the PSP -- but Q? Entertainment's puzzler is notably absent from the PSP Go's initial lineup. Q explained the reason for the non-downloadability succinctly in a Tweet.

"We would love to bring Lumines/Lumines II to the PSN store," Q's rep said, "but there are complications, music licensing, was published by Namco, etc." However, "That said, we're obviously looking into it. :)" Q went on to single out the songs "Shinin'" and "Lights" as requiring new licenses for digital distribution, and clarified that it would be Bandai Namco's decision to publish the first Lumines on PSN, since it published the game on UMD (in Japan).

While the licensed music in Lumines makes it even harder to republish, this is starting to sound really familiar. As Sony's Eric Lempel told us, it's especially difficult for publishers of older PSP games to go to PSN, because licenses will have elapsed, and won't have covered digital distribution in the first place. And Sony isn't requiring third parties to pursue digital distribution, so unless they see significant revenue potential from, say, PSP Go sales, many publishers just won't. That said, it's hard to imagine a PSP without Lumines, and we're confident it'll happen eventually.

[Via PSN Stores; thanks, Kassatsu]

Telltale hoping to push content to new consoles, handhelds & Macs

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 20th 2009 at 8:30PM }

With more avenues now open between consumers and game creators than ever before, third-party companies like Telltale Games can sell their wares on every platform -- as long as their software runs on it. That's the tricky part, but Telltale CEO and co-founder Dan Connors has told Gamesindustry.biz that his team is already looking to take advantage of the "huge potential" out there.

"I definitely think there's huge potential there, and right now we're working on getting our content over to some more channels, over to new consoles and the Mac," Connors said. With any luck, PlayStation 3 will be caught in Telltale's wider net -- it's the only current home console that has yet to be visited by a talking dog, a hyper-kinetic rabbity thing ... or even a dog that doesn't talk but is still weirdly expressive.

Telltale's ambitions go further still, added Connors. "And after that's done, we're going to be looking at handhelds. I think we have to consider the PSP Go for sure."

Devs show Steam love as Pitchford defends his criticism

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 20th 2009 at 5:30PM }

Just under two weeks ago, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford let out his less than pleasant feelings regarding digital distribution platform Steam and its owner, Valve Software. Today, Ars Techinca posted a rundown of developers from World of Goo's 2D Boy to Sam & Max's Telltale Games who all feel ... the exact opposite of Pitchford. "If this is exploitation, more please," Audiosurf creator Dylan Fitterer said.

According to Telltale CTO Kevin Bruner, "Steam may be one the greatest things to happen recently ... we put Steam as one of the A-list distribution channels; up there with XBLA and WiiWare." The praise doesn't stop there -- Ars points out that it was unable to find even one developer who would "admit to feeling exploited" by Valve's business practices concerning Steam.

We reached out to Pitchford, who told us, "As a gamer, I love Valve ... as a customer, I love Steam." He clarified, "From an industry perspective, Steam would be even better off if it were a separate company ... trust issues that result from conflict of interest could be mitigated." To Pitchford, it's a question of appearances rather than actual impropriety. "It's just perception within segments of the publishing and development community that, I guess, no one is really talking about."

We've posted Pitchford's entire (and quite lengthy) response after the break. Hopefully we're not alone in hoping everyone will just hug it out.

Continued →

Moore talks digital distribution; disc-based business model 'a burning platform'

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 19th 2009 at 12:58PM }

EA Sports head honcho Peter Moore is all about digital distribution. During a panel on monetization at the PLAY Berkley Digital Media Conference this past weekend (as reported by IGN), Moore extolled the many virtues of a digitally distributed future, when discs are a long-forgotten remnant of an old business model. "I'd say the core business model of video games is a burning platform ... absolutely," Moore said.

Thankfully for all of us disc-owning fools, Moore doesn't believe we'll be seeing a digital distribution–exclusive business model next week. "As an industry, I still think we may be as many as a decade away from saying goodbye to physical discs," he said, positing that Microsoft would likely be the first to release a download-only console (surely, not to be confused with a digital-format portable system or pc-based device). In the meantime, EA continues to ship 125-130 million discs each year while moving toward Moore's envisioned future.

Lite iPhone apps now upgradable to full versions via in-app purchases

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 16th 2009 at 10:26AM }

One of our biggest complaints with the relatively streamlined iTunes App Store was the user's inability to upgrade "Lite" applications to their full, paid counterparts through the demo apps themselves. This led to the App Store being cluttered with two versions of nearly every game app, which sent us into fits of obsessive-compulsive rage. Fortunately, Apple has switched its position on in-app purchases, allowing developers to include the option to purchase and unlock the full version of an app (or even DLC) through the lite version's main menu, folding free and paid apps into one neat, orderly download.

Of course, with this new model, we're likely to see a lot more app developers attempt to nickel-and-dime iPhone owners with insubstantial DLC. Still, the changes should bring a much-needed simplification to the device's download service. Now, if someone could just find a way to fold Fart Machine, Fart Gun, Fart Helicopter, Fart Piano, Fart Bomb, Fart Generator, Fart Machine 2, and Fart Thesaurus into a single, unspeakably crude executable, the App Store would be pretty much perfect.

Steam to be lit by Torchlight on October 27

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 14th 2009 at 9:30PM }

We were a little concerned with the limited release plans for Runic Games' ultra-charming Diablo-esque RPG Torchlight, which would've been sold directly through the game's official site on October 27, then on Steam one month later. Fortunately, Runic recently saw fit to strike up a new agreement with Steam, which will now host the game on the day of its release for the budget price of $19.99.

Hopefully having the might of the undisputed king of digital distribution behind its franchise from the get-go will allow Runic to follow through with that Torchlight MMO it's always dreamed of. You know, the one with the isometric white picket fence.