Serious games
The "serious games" sector could overtake the interactive entertainment business within the next decade according to an expert in the use of games for learning.
A major Serious Games conference was held in Sydney on Friday, featuring speakers from all around the world.
Keynote speaker of the XMediaLab conference and CEO of The Inspiracy, Noah Falstein, told the conference that he thinks "it is inevitable that computer games with purposes beyond entertainment will someday grow to rival and eclipse the current entertainment-only game market, perhaps even within the next 10 years."
But despite Mr Falstein's optimism, games clearly still have a long way to go before they are taken seriously by everyone. Many people still consider computer games as vacuous, violent timewasters.
The worldwide interactive entertainment industry might rake in over $50 billion this year (including $2 billion in Australia) but still suffers from negative stereotypes. Many critics consider games as pointless escapism for children, while others label them dangerously addictive and anti-social, with massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft and the anarchic Grand Theft Auto series usually the popular targets for attack.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 7:39 AM
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Super weekend
Life, work and travel has got in the way of my game time recently, but the weekend provided the chance to pit two superhero romps against each other.
It's almost a shame that Prototype and inFamous have lobbed onto the market at the same time considering how similar they are in many respects.
Both are certainly worthy of your cash and time.
This week I also plan to prove I ain't 'fraid of no movie license, and get stuck into Ghostbusters on PS3.
What have you been playing lately?
- Posted by Jason Hill at 7:12 AM
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Miyamoto musings
Shigeru Miyamoto is one of the past century's most successful artists and undisputedly the games industry's most respected designer. The father of Mario and countless other much-loved gaming icons, Miyamoto's genius is stamped on every product he touches.
But just a few years ago, it seemed that Miyamoto (like his company) was becoming an anachronism in the industry he helped create.
In a rapidly changing and maturing market which was now suddenly more focused on adults rather than children, many felt Miyamoto was becoming out-of-touch. As the designer entered his 50s and Nintendo's share of the ever-growing interactive entertainment industry began to shrink, the Japanese Peter Pan was increasingly berated for refusing to grow up.
We all know how the story has turned around in recent years. Nintendo is the industry leader once again, with Miyamoto and his President Satoru Iwata orchestrating an astonishing comeback by producing incredibly novel experiences like Nintendogs, Brain Training, Wii Fit and Wii Sports, as well as clever updates of more traditional Nintendo fare like New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart and Super Mario Galaxy. Nintendo has now sold over 50 million Wii consoles, and over 100 million DS handhelds.
Screen Play was fortunate to get a (disappointingly brief) interview with Miyamoto at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last week. Click below for some of the highlights.
more- Posted by Jason Hill at 7:14 AM
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In the VidZone
Sony has launched its free music video service for Australian PlayStation 3 owners.
The service lets PS3 users get a free music video fix at any time via streaming video technology.
Sony research has found that music playback is the most used feature of the PlayStation 3 after gaming, and Vidzone provides over 10,000 music videos on demand.
Users can select single videos to watch or create playlists. PSP users can also create playlists at work and have the music waiting for them when they get home.
The service features advertising and music from a range of labels, not just Sony artists. Regular content updates are promised.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 8:37 PM
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Ongoing Effects
One of the most interesting features of Mass Effect 2 discussed at last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo is that the game will examine your save game from its predecessor, and alter the story in accordance with your previously chosen path.
Your decisions in the original Mass Effect will affect the story in Mass Effect 2.
For a story-driven role playing series like Mass Effect, the feature seems like a most welcome and appropriate addition that will greatly assist in making players feel like they are genuinely directing Lieutenant Commander Shepard's unique story rather than just following a linear path.
But I'm keen to hear from you today about whether you think the same technology could also be used in other franchises to interesting effect...
- Posted by Jason Hill at 11:32 AM
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Freeplay in August
The Freeplay independent game developers conference will be held at the State Library of Victoria on August 14 and 15.
Freeplay was founded in 2004 by Marcus Westbury and a dedicated team of indie game developers. Three conferences have been held in Melbourne in previous years, featuring both local and international speakers.
This year's event is being organised by indie game experts Paul Callaghan and Eve Penford-Dennis who promise an interesting and diverse line-up of speakers and a range of workshops and ancillary industry-building and social events where attendees can talk, share ideas and build connections.
The organisers believe that the opportunities for independent developers to create and distribute innovative games has risen dramatically in recent years thanks to simple, low-cost development tools and digital download services like Apple's App Store, Nintendo's WiiWare and Microsoft's XNA.
Tom Crago, President of the Game Developers' Association of Australia said that Freeplay has proven to be a great forum for bringing together students and indie games developers. "As an industry, we naturally recognise the importance of game development at a grass-roots level, and anything that can foster that has our absolute support."
- Posted by Jason Hill at 6:54 AM
Your Turn: The company of others
The recent Interactive Australia 2009 report by Bond University found Australians are social game players.
Only three per cent of all gamers never play with others, either online or on the same couch. Over 20 per cent "often" play with others in the same room, another 41 per cent "occasionally".
Today regular Screen Play contributor Blackwell explores how much fun it can be playing with others, but what a challenge it also represents to game designers.
Blackwell is currently studying networking and database administration in Wagga and is also spending his time creating to create a new customer relationship management system.
Click below for his latest Your Turn entry.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 6:03 AM
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Sony betting on Blu
Sony yesterday opened the first Blu-ray disc manufacturing plant in the Southern Hemisphere.
The factory in Huntingwood, New South Wales, includes three Blu-ray production lines, including one dedicated solely to the manufacture of PlayStation 3 games, with a total output capacity of 12 million discs per year.
Sony Computer Entertainment Australia's Managing Director Michael Ephraim said "PlayStation 3 has played a critical part in the success of the Blu-ray format, both locally and globally, and has demonstrated its value in over half a million Australian living rooms as a true entertainment hub offering. With a current attachment rate of almost eight games for every PS3, that's over 3.5 million Blu-ray Disc games that have been sold to date in Australia."
Mr Ephraim said the new plant should be a clear sign to consumers that Blu-ray is now a "permanent fixture on the format landscape in Australia" but PS3 owners will also be hoping the plant helps reduce local Blu-ray prices and ensures more timely releases.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 5:52 AM
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In the House
Just a month after becoming the head of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Andy House was kind enough to give up his lunch break at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last week to chat to Screen Play.
The new President and CEO of SCEE is responsible for the PlayStation business in nearly 100 PAL countries, including Australia, following the retirement of David Reeves.
Andy House has been with Sony since 1990, and believes there is still potential for Sony to enjoy huge growth in the interactive entertainment industry.
Click below to hear his thoughts on topics like the PlayStation Motion Controller, how to lift PS3 sales, whether the PS3 needs a price cut, content on the PlayStation Network, how to deliver online movies, and the new PSP Go.
more- Posted by Jason Hill at 5:09 AM
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Xboss pleased as punch
At last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Screen Play quickly grabbed David McLean, head of the Xbox business in Australia, to hear his thoughts on Project Natal and get confirmation that Microsoft's new video service would soon be launched down under.
Mr McLean, Regional Director for Microsoft Australia's Entertainment and Devices division, began our chat by declaring Microsoft's E3 2009 press conference as the company's best ever.
Click below for the full interview, which also covers subjects like Australia's bandwidth and data quota limitations and their impact on the video service, confirmation of a possible digital TV service for Australia via Xbox Live, and the Xbox 360 console's lifespan.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 6:47 AM
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Your Turn: Project Natal
Microsoft's Project Natal, and motion-based control systems in general, were the biggest talking point of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Over 50 million Wii consoles have already been sold, with countless gamers attracted to the machine because of its novel controller. But many gamers are now salivating at the potential that Natal offers to create an even more immersive and flexible control system.
Yet not all gamers are convinced that Natal is worth getting excited about. In her first Your Turn piece today, Ali Frazer, a 23-year-old studying health and social work, argues that Natal should not be considered the Holy Grail of interactive entertainment.
Click below for Ali's welcome Your Turn debut.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 6:32 AM
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The show must go on
Over 40,000 attendees at last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles viewed hundreds of new products and technology advancements from over 200 exhibitors.
This year's bigger event seemed to much better cater to its diverse audience, which includes media from around the world, industry analysts, game publishers, developers, distributors and retail buyers.
While there was widespread criticism of last year's significantly smaller event, companies like Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Disney have already branded E3 2009 a success, while show organisers the Entertainment Software Association have already announced dates for next year's event - June 15 to 17, 2010.
"We are pleased that this year's E3 Expo was so successful for our members and exhibitors in terms of sales, business development and profile-building," says ESA President and CEO Michael Gallagher. "E3 Expo is truly the world stage and spotlight that the interactive entertainment industry has earned as a leader in entertainment. We are looking forward to building on this great momentum for 2010."
Screen Play is pleased to be home, but click below for some more impressions, highlights and random thoughts from E3 2009.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 8:34 AM
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My head hurts
Before I run to the next presentation at this year's jam-packed Electronic Entertainment Expo, here's some random thoughts and highlights from E3 2009 so far.
The topic that everyone wants to talk about as you make your way around the show is motion control. Specifically, who has the most promising technology?
I feel that Sony's technology demonstrations were the most impressive at the show, largely because they were all real live demonstrations.
Microsoft's Project Natal was hugely impressive, and it was fantastic to see that voice control is being considered to be as potentially game changing as motion, but restricting most demonstrations to video format left a nagging suspicion that the technology is still a long way from prime time or that it might not be as precise as Microsoft claim.
- Posted by Jason Hill at 1:34 AM
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Missing Link
At a more relaxed and intimate presentation than Nintendo's E3 press conference, revered games designer Shigeru Miyamoto last night revealed that a new Zelda game for Wii could be released as early as next year.
Miyamoto wanted to show the game at this year's event, but it was not ready. "We are quite far into development for the next Zelda title and I hope that we can bring it to you next year, although it may take a little longer..." Miyamoto said.
He tried to placate journalists by showing an illustration which "represents the game". The image showed an adult Link with his back turned and a waif-like character in foreground with jewels on her.
Miyamoto said he had been thinking a lot recently about "the essence" of the Zelda franchise and "what is the best way to keep Zelda moving forward".
- Posted by Jason Hill at 2:25 AM
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