Blog

Wolfenstein Mod Throws Players into a Concentration Camp

09 Dec

The original Wolfenstein had a bit of a revenge streak to it, considering that players killed hundreds of Nazi grunts as a man named BJ Blazkowicz. But a new independent mod of the 1992 3D engine will have players faced with a much more direct struggle. Sonderkommando Revolt, set for release in early 2011, throws players into the 1944 Auschwitz concentration camp facility as Zalmen Gradowski, a titular Sonderkommando, part of a “special unit” of Jewish camp workers that aided in the killings. Surprisingly, the game boosts real-life inspiration, based on the October 1944 uprising that cost the lives of 451 Sonderkommandos and 3 higher-ranked Schutzstaffel soldiers.

(more…)

EA: Single-Player Games ‘Finished’

09 Dec

For years now the most celebrated (and financially successful) titles have included at least some form of multiplayer functionality. The tendency has become so pervasive that Frank Gibeau, President of EA Games, believes that the traditional single-player only games are destined for extinction. The studio head clarified his statements in an interview with Develop.

(more…)

Playstation Network Getting Reward Quests, Neo Geo Catalog

09 Dec

With Microsoft becoming the latest console maker to offer a rewards system, Sony is seeking to differentiate its own plan with an integration of specific “quests.” Similar to trophies, these mini-missions will have players completing tasks for progress towards certain rewards like dynamic dashboard themes, avatars and the like. Examples released so far include “Check Your Pulse” (where players download and watch the system-exclusive news program) and “Move It” (where players log hours in specific Move-enabled games.) The Quest program is still in beta, but is expected to release to the general public sometime next April.

(more…)

Michael Pachter Disappointed with Lack of CoD Multiplayer Fees

08 Dec

Industry analyst Michael Pachter has stated that he was “disappointed to hear Activision’s new head of publishing flatly deny the company’s plans to charge for multiplayer.” Though rumors regarding a possible fee for the multiplayer component of the popular Call of Duty franchise have been floating around for several years now, the CEO of Activision Publishing, Eric Hirshberg, recently stated that the company would never charge for the multiplayer of Call of Duty as it comes out of the box.

Though this position by Activision may initially seem very appealing from a consumer perspective, Pachter believes “that until the publishers address monetization of multiplayer, game sales will continue to be challenged by the publishers’ altruistic decision to provide significantly more entertainment value per hour than ever in history.” He further explained that he believes the monetization of multiplayer components to be one of the greatest opportunities for publishers to maximize their revenues.

Pachter did not specify what he would consider to be a reasonable price for the multiplayer component of games like Call of Duty. (more…)