Category: Development (Page 47 of 51)

      Proof that 3D gaming is a long way off

      December 19, 2009 /

      XpanD shutter glasses.The other day, Sony said it would rely on motion control, 3D gaming, and the PlayStation Network to drive sales in 2010. To me, 3D gaming is a pipe dream, at least for the next five years or so, and today I’ve got a little proof.

      XpanD, the company that produced the glasses for Avatar has said a pair of their shutter glasses will start at $70 a pair and run up to $150. That’s on top of the premiums you’ll pay for the TV, though some sets will likely ship with glasses included.

      For a family of four, you’re looking at about $300 just for the glasses. Granted, your average family of four won’t be gaming in 3D together, but think about having your friends over. The expense of the hardware is going to dictate that you enjoy your 3D games alone, a trend the industry has been moving away from for the last decade.

      Until costs come down, there’s no way Sony can expect real revenue from 3D next year. It’s just too expensive.

      Development, PS3

      Playstation Home reaches 10 million users

      December 19, 2009 /

      Playstation Home logo.Despite the service’s non-priority status, Playstation Home has hit a significant milestone this week. According to a press release this morning, the place “where users and developers meet” has hit 10 million users. The news comes as Home has opened new spaces recently, including one for Uncharted 2.

      “Every new game space enhances the overall experience for consumers, offering more variety, more choice and more enjoyment from a PlayStation Home session,” said Dan Hill, Sony’s European Home business manager. “The more game spaces there are, the better it gets, and the number of spaces keeps on growing. For developers, there’s no better way of driving interest in their titles than giving fans a hands-on, interactive experience based around the game itself.”

      Well, a hands-on, interactive experience with the game itself always seemed sufficient to me. Really, I have very little interest in Home as any sort of serious marketing platform. It might be a nice way for Sony to make a few bucks if they can properly monetize it, but I can’t imagine the value for developers being as high as Hill makes it out to be.

      Development, PS3

      Waldo is this week’s top-grossing iPhone game

      December 18, 2009 /

      Where's Waldo: The Fantastic Journey.If the success of Virtual Console titles tells us anything, it’s that gamers love their nerdy past. Classic titles sell like mad, and I know I practically flip when I find out something I loved is coming to a new console. One developer’s been paying attention to the classic game frenzy, and it’s turned a childhood classic into a serious moneymaker.

      To find the game, you only have to look at this weeks’ top-grossing iPhone OS games. At the top of the charts, yes all the way at number one, is Where’s Waldo: The Fantastic Journey. This isn’t just a fluke, either. The game beat out Call of Duty: World at War Zombies and Dragon Lair to take the top spot.

      Among other games Waldo has pushed out this week are Super Monkey Ball 2, The Sims 3, and Tetris. It’s quite an achievement, really, and something developer Ludia has got to be happy with.

      Development, Mobile Gaming

      Team Fortress 2 brings the love to Demomen, Soldiers

      December 17, 2009 /

      The Scottish Resistance.The Soldier/Demoman war is almost over for TF2 fans, which means we’re that much closer to getting the new weapons and achievements for those classes. The total frag count is over the 11 million mark, the two sides separated by just 14,792 kills.

      In honor of the beginning of the end, Valve has revealed the new weapons. For Soldiers, it’s The Equalizer, a melee pickaxe that does more damage the more damage you’ve taken. As the little newspaper clipping says it, “Get close enough to death and you will become Death himself.” Cool.

      The Demoman gets a new gun in the form of The Scottish Resistance. This new sticky launcher allows you to set more bombs, detonate enemy bombs, and set off your own bombs in clusters. The extra utility means the bombs do a little less damage, and the primer is longer – 0.4 seconds – so you’ll need some careful planning to make this thing work. It does turn the Demoman into one hell of a defensive tool, though.

      Development, PC, Xbox 360

      Sony to rely on motion control, 3D, and PSN in 2010

      December 16, 2009 /

      Sony taking a swing.When you consider the NPD data for 2009, it’s hard to imagine why Sony thinks it will have such a great 2010. John Koller, Sony’s director of hardware marketing, talked with Gamepro about what’s in store for for Sony fans next year, a plan that hopes to stand on the “three big pillars” of motion control, 3D gaming, and the PlayStation Network.

      You’ll have to excuse my sarcasm, because I do think Sony has a big year ahead. The biggest its had in a while, anyway. The PS3 Slim is selling like mad and there are some great games out for the system. The only “pillar” I see working in 2010, though, is PSN. Motion gaming already exists on another system, one that is much more family friendly than a console like the PS3. And 3D gaming? That’s a pipe dream for 2010. Hell, I’d call that a pipe dream for 2015. There just won’t be enough 3D TVs to drive any kind of reasonable business for a game system.

      That doesn’t keep Koller from claiming that Sony just might hit the “Holy Grail of gaming,” by “placing you as a consumer into the game physically.” I think he’s nuts. Read the full interview at Gamepro.

      Development, PS3

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