Blog Archives
Steam Bundles Prices Can Now Drop for Already Owned Games
Have you ever seen a bundle on Steam and thought “it would be a good deal if I didn’t already own half of the games in it?” That feeling may change very soon as Steam has reworked the bundle system and made dynamic bundle pricing available for bundles. This means that the price of bundles on Steam can drop based on the number of games you already own in it.
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Is Microsoft Making a Mistake Pushing the Microsoft Store on PC Gamers?
How many of you have heard of the Microsoft Store? I don’t mean a physical retail location like the Apple Stores. I mean a digital store. If Steam’s operating system stats for its users are to be believed, about 34% of you might have heard of it since the Microsoft Store is only available to Windows 10 users.
I bring this up in the wake of the recent announcement that Microsoft is launching Quantum Break on PC alongside Xbox One. While Quantum Break will be the first game in Microsoft’s own renewed push towards making Windows a prominent gaming platform, the vast majority of PC gamers won’t be able to play it. That’s because Quantum Break won’t be coming to Steam but will be a Microsoft Store exclusive.
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The Division Dev Says PC Version “Kept In Check” with Consoles, Ubisoft Denies
When you’re a PC gamer, you’re used to terrible ports. I’m on AMD hardware so I get it worse than most. Considering that it’s easier to optimize the game for consoles and, anecdotally, there are more people whose primary gaming platform is a console, it makes sense to prioritize them when launching a game. Not everyone is Rockstar who spent two years perfecting their GTA V PC port.
It’s seldom that companies are up front with information that might make gamers concerned about a PC version of a game so no wonder why Ubisoft sprang into action to backtrack. A developer on Tom Clancy’s The Division told YouTube’s Team Epiphany that Ubisoft Massive had to “keep [The Division] in check with consoles.” Ubisoft quickly fired back with a statement saying “this is simply not true.”
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Ant Simulator Cancelled After Team Spends Money on Strippers and Booze
Don’t click away. You haven’t actually landed on The Onion. This is a real story. At least, Eric Tereshinski, former lead developer of Ant Simulator, claims this is a true story.
Tereshinski resigned from ETeeski LLC, the developers of the Kickstarter-funded game Ant Simulator, after finding out that two of his business partners took proceeds from the crowdfunding and investments into the game and spent it on “liquor, restaurants, bars and even strippers.”
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GOG Introduces “Games in Development” Early Access Program
Ever since Mojang used alpha funding to complete the development of Minecraft and turn into a multi-billion dollar company, the alpha funding business model has been a popular way for indie developers to do business. After Minecraft did it, we saw the rise of Early Access on Steam and Game Preview that launched on Xbox last year.
Now, the other big name in digital PC retail is launching their own version of alpha funding / Early Access. GOG announced that they were launching Games In Development to bring pre-release games to its customers.
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PS4 Outselling Xbox One Nearly 2-to-1
EA might be accused of being quite fond of Microsoft and Xbox as a result of Titanfall and EA Access not being available on PlayStation platforms but the feeling may not be quite as mutual following a recent EA investor call. EA CFO Blake Jorgensen told investors that the current-gen console install base was 55 million units through two years on sale. That info also accidentally let slip how many consoles each manufacturer has sold.
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Hitman to Launch as an Episodic Game
Back in October 2015, Square Enix announced that the upcoming Hitman game would release with three of its six levels at launch in March 2016. Less than two months before launch, Square Enix announced that Hitman would be completely episodic with the games six levels being released starting in March.
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Oculus Rift Coming In June for $600
Virtual Reality is the next thing in gaming (again) but if you want to be an early adopter, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny. At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show, Oculus VR announced that the retail version of their Rift virtual reality headset will be shipping starting at the end of March. It will only cost you $599 USD before taxes and shipping to be one of the first to get your hands on one.
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PSX is the Perfect Example of a Games Industry Showcase
It was around this time two years ago that I suggested that the games industry needed a second showcase event apart from E3 every June. Following another edition of The Game Awards that was more interested in the new trailers and game reveals than it was in celebrating the best in gaming during the unspecified nomination period. I was planning on leaving this alone because I don’t see The Game Awards ever being an awards show but rather being a product of hype.
Last month, I changed my mind. While it wasn’t the first time they did this, I realized that Sony might have inadvertently stumbled upon exactly what I was looking for with their second PlayStation Experience convention and industry show.
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Activision Buys MLG for $46 Million
The biggest name in North American eSports is now the property of the biggest game publisher in North America. Just prior to Christmas, MLG’s Board of Directors approved the sale of “substantially all” of its assets to Activision Blizzard for $46 million.
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