Blog Archives
Heroes of the Storm: Early Access by Any Other Name
Have you heard of H1Z1? It’s the latest MMO from the artists formerly known as Sony Online Entertianment (now called Daybreak Games). While SOE’s MMOs are all free-to-play, H1Z1 has launched as an Early Access title on Steam for $20. That price gets you immediate access to the game along with a few other perks. By all accounts, it’s quite obvious that it’s in the alpha stages of development.
The problem most people are having is that it’s a triple-A company that have gone the early access route. SOE has a few popular MMOs on offer already and with their financial backing from Sony and now Columbus Nova, it’s not like they should need the funding from Early Access sales to complete and polish the game.
But H1Z1 is the popular example of Early Access gone wrong. They aren’t the only example out there right now. Imagine my surprise a couple of weeks ago when I launched Battle.net and saw Heroes of the Storm waiting for me to click. The problem was that it wasn’t there to download. HOTS got a spot on my Battle.net launcher so I could spend $40 on the Founder’s Pack which includes immediate access to the game along with a few other perks.
So how is SOE and H1Z1 getting blasted for releasing an alpha of their game as early access while Blizzard is getting a pass for Heroes of the Storm?
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Sony Sells SOE, Now Daybreak Games
The developer and publisher behind some of the most popular free-to-play MMOs is under new ownership. Sony Online Entertainment, the company behind EverQuest, Planetside 2, DC Universe Online and the new H1Z1, has been sold by Sony to a management investment firm called Columbus Nova.
The company’s new branding won’t mention their new or former owners. SOE makes a clean break as Daybreak Game Company.
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Green Man Gaming Gets Into Publishing with Idol Hands
If you’re willing to go beyond Steam when doing your game shopping, chances are you know about Green Man Gaming. Sure, they may not have as extensive a catalogue as Steam but they are generally just as good and many an occasion better with their discounts as Valve’s big behemoth.
But GMG isn’t content to just be my favourite digital store alternative to Steam. They’re expanding their product offering to become an indie game publisher as well. Their first published game is Idol Hands.
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Joystiq Rumoured to be Shut Down
We’re about a month removed from the original game magazine, CVG, being shut down but that isn’t stopping the games journalism industry from downsizing some more. Re/code is reporting that Joystiq, a gaming blog that’s been around for over 10 years, is on the chopping block.
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The Dollars and Cents of Monument Valley
You might not have heard Monument Valley but the Escher-inspired mobile puzzle game was one of the smash hit mobile games of 2014. It was one of the best rated mobile games of 2014 (that isn’t Hearthstone, anyway) and was the only mobile game to pick up a Game Awards nomination for Best Indie Game.
While they’re becoming more frequent, paid mobile games are more the exception than the rule. Despite costing over $1.4 million to make (including the Forgotten Shores DLC), ustwo Games sold enough copies and made enough money to more than cover the costs and get them on their way to the next game.
The lesson that ustwo Games teaches us with their breakdown of the dollars and cents of Monument Valley is that you don’t have to have a terrible free-to-play play-to-win monetization model on top of a non-existent game to make money in the mobile space. If you build a great game, people will buy.
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Nintendo Pulls Out of the Brazilian Market
Back in October, we covered complaints over the price of the PlayStation Four and Xbox One in Brazil. As a result of the country’s high import duties and taxes, the PS4, which is priced at $400 in America, costs the equivalent of $1,800 USD in Brazil while the Xbox One jumped in price from $500 to $1,000.
Sony and Microsoft are continuing in the Brazilian market despite very nearly being priced out of it because of the local taxes. On the other hand, Nintendo has decided that the prices caused by high taxes are too much so they are pulling their products from Brazil.
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CVG Shuts Down
Back in May, we brought you news that the world’s oldest gaming publication, CVG, was on the chopping block as part of their publisher’s structural evaluation. A second round of evaluations took place earlier this month and on Friday, CVG announced that they would be closing their doors.
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Twitch Buys GoodGame Agency, Including Evil Geniuses and Alliance eSports Teams
Not only is Twitch is in a being acquired sort of mood lately but they’re also in an acquiring sort of mood. This week, the leading online game streaming service announced that it was buying one of the top companies in eSports. Twitch announced the acquisition of the GoodGame Agency, an eSports marketing company whose portfolio includes leading eSports teams Evil Geniuses and Alliance.
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Rise of the Tomb Raider to be Published by Microsoft
Just when you thought that the controversy over bought and paid for third-party console exclusives had regained new life with the announcement that Capcom’s Street Fighter V would have console exclusivity on the PS4, the story got bigger. Not only is the sequel to 2013’s hit Tomb Raider going to have timed exclusivity on the Xbox One but publishing duties will be handled by Microsoft Studios rather IP holders Square Enix.
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The Death of the Day One Patch
On Monday, CD Projekt Red announced that The Witcher 3 has been delayed until May 2015. That’s the third release window for the game since it was announced. The original 2014 release window was specified down to Fall 2014 which was revised to February 2015 and most recently to May 19, 2015.
At one point in time, a game being delayed for a second time would have been met by the internet gaming community with torches and pitchforks, especially a game that is as hotly anticipated as The Witcher 3. However, reaction to the move has been mostly favourable.
After being burned too many times in a row with games that are broken or technically faulty upon launch, gamers are starting to say enough with the now standard practice of a day one patch and are looking for a return of the good old days when games were done when they were released.
et geekera 