February 2007 Issue

[rickjames]

The writers of the Gaming Chronicle will add their video game impressions, reviews, previews, and general opinion columns below this post.

(If you are interested in writing for the Chronicle, then click on the groups link in the header. Then chose the Chronicle usergroup, and then click join.)

[danny12]

The revolutionary game that originated way back at the beginning of PS1's time has been confirmed for PS3.

When questioned over details of a new WipEout game a Sony spokespersion simply said, "We'll be making a full announcement about WipeOut on the PS3 at some point in the future".

Source: http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/760/760828p1.html

[danizduhman]

Electronic Arts Plans a Wii Invasion



Video-games publisher Electronic Arts plans to significantly boost its support for Nintendo's Wii game console. In a company earnings report, EA's chief executive, Larry Probst, noted that in the year ahead, the publisher would build on its efforts with the
Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, but the largest boost would be for the Wii.
ADVERTISEMENT

EA released only two titles for the Wii console last quarter, with four games released for the PS3 and five for the Xbox 360. Probst noted that about 15 new Wii games were in development.

The game publisher will need to make up some ground over the coming year; EA lost market share during the holiday season, according to analysts.

Game Console War

With the holiday shopping season over, analysts are now watching to see how game developers are honing their title strategies for long-term success. What seems to be occurring is that Microsoft and Nintendo are on one side of the selling battle, while Sony is on the other, noted Forrester Research analyst Paul Jackson.

"Sony is having a hard time," he said. "People who used to bash Microsoft are now going after Sony, and even Microsoft says, 'Don't get a PS3, get an Xbox and a Wii for the same price.'"

Sony appears to have distanced itself somewhat from its gamer audience, Jackson noted, by pricing its console so high. The company had to boost its price tag above competitors because it chose to include more expensive components. Jackson pointed out that some gamers would rather pay less than shell out for the cutting edge.

The game battle had another salvo this week, when Sony's U.S. spokesperson, Dave Karraker, dismissed the Wii as an "impulse buy," according to news reports.

Developing Situation

The use of older, more standard components is doing more than keeping Nintendo's costs down, Jackson said. That tactic is also what is driving developers, including EA, to consider doing more game development for Nintendo, because creating games for less powerful hardware takes less money.

"In the past, Nintendo has typically had the best games coming from in-house, rather than third party developers," he said. "It makes sense, because if you publish your own games, it's more profitable than just getting a licensing fee."

But Nintendo has begun to realize that there are only so many games that can be developed within the company in any given year, Jackson noted. For its part, EA has started to see that the Wii might be the dominant console in the space within the next few years and is eager to cater to a large gamer base.

"Nintendo has done very well in the past two months; they've sold an awful lot of hardware," said Jackson. "They'll build on that, and it's one of the reasons that EA is looking at them more seriously than in the past."


Source

[World Domination]

Activision sues Guitar Hero developers
Publisher files suit against series producer, brand manager, hardware group member, RedOctane's PR firm, and unlicensed peripheral manufacturer The Ant Commandos.

Last year, Guitar Hero publisher RedOctane and parent company Activision sued The Ant Commandos, a company that makes unlicensed guitar controllers for the popular rhythm game. They claimed that the peripheral maker infringed on its trademarks. The Ant Commandos filed a countersuit alleging that RedOctane copied the official Guitar Hero peripheral's design from its parent company's "Magical Guitar" controller, released years earlier for Konami's Guitar Freaks line of games. By year's end, the two companies had settled their dispute.

Now Activision is suing The Ant Commandos again, with a complaint filed in US District Court in Los Angeles last month. But the peripheral maker has some company this time. Three people who worked on Guitar Hero and PR firm Reverb Communications were also named as defendants. Reverb formerly represented RedOctane, and last month announced that it was providing services to The Ant Commandos. In the same press release, The Ant Commandos announced that Reverb's vice president of business development had joined its board of directors. Harmonix, the studio that developed the first two Guitar Hero games, is not named or involved in the suit.

According to legal filings in the case, three of the people who worked on Guitar Hero II for RedOctane--executive producer John Tam, brand manager Corey Fong, and hardware group member Jamie Yang--started a new company in conjunction with The Ant Commandos, referred to as both Lodestone Entertainment and Hourglass Interactive.

Activision is accusing the three workers of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, misappropriating trade secrets and confidential information, breach of contract, interference with contractual relations, and more.

The publisher has already obtained a temporary restraining order against the developers, preventing them from distributing a demo Tam created. The demo incorporated elements of Guitar Hero and StepMania, a free dance game for the PC that supports dance pads and includes a step editor. The restraining order also prevents them from "taking any steps to develop, market, manufacture, sell, or distribute any guitar or drum based video games," unless The Ant Commandos can produce evidence that such a game was developed without the involvement of the trio or Reverb Communications.

Furthermore, the three developers are prevented from using or disclosing any knowledge of Activision trade secrets they have. The order specifically mentions things like contract terms for music licensing and in-game advertising, sales figures, marketing plans, product designs, and possible future songs and artists to be featured. They are also restrained from taking any steps to develop a guitar controller for the Xbox 360 edition of Guitar Hero II until the game has been on shelves for at least three months.

Finally, the developers have been ordered not to solicit Activision employees, partners, or Asia-based manufacturing vendors.

The developers' lawyer, representatives for Reverb and The Ant Commandos, and a representative with Activision all declined to comment on the suit.

Source