Activision Signs 10-Year Deal with Makers of Halo

In one of their smarter moves, Activision has signed a 10-year exclusive contract with Bungie, the developer of Halo (and other less noteworthy games). Having lost (both deliberately and then more as backlash) their main FPS talent at Infinity Ward, Activision was forced to scrabble for a new deal to keep their name in the adventure/FPS market. There are two interesting parts to this contract. First, in a blow to Microsoft, the deal is for cross-platform game development, so we can expect to see games on the PS3 and maybe also the Wii instead of just on XBox and Windows-based PCs. Second, the creation of an online community is part of the terms. Whether this just means continued support and updates for XBox Live play or a whole new paradigm of online FPS play (MMOFPS? World of Halo?), I am interested to see what a talented developer such as Bungie will come up with when partnered with Activision. Per Thomas Tippl, Activision's COO, "When it's ready and when we're talking about it, I think you will be blown away." I hope he's right for both gamers' and Activision's sakes.

Sony Sued for Removing Features in Latest Firmware Update

I didn't think Sony would get away scott-free with changing its PSN Terms of Service to include the ability to remove features at will, and they haven't (yet). Plaintiff Anthony Ventura is bringing a class-action lawsuit against the company claiming that "Sony's decision to force users to disable the Other OS function was based on its own interest and was made at the expense of its customers." This kind of bait and switch is clearly illegal and I think Sony has little hope of winning this one despite their claims that the feature was removed "due to security concerns." The suit seeks "damages for Plaintiff and each class member, including but not limited to compensatory damages; restitution; injuctive relief; attorneys' fees; and the cost of this suit." Court documents have noted that "the amount in controversy is in excess of $5 million." I expect them to settle outside of court.

26 Infinity Ward staffers leave; 2 join Respawn

Another update on the backlash from the West/Zampella sacking: since the lead Infinity Ward developers were fired by Activision, 26 other IW employees have voluntarily left, with 2 joining up with West and Zampella at Respawn (funded by EA). This is clearly terrible news for the Modern Warfare 2 dev team. I won't be surprised to see a steep decline in game quality for the next installment and/or a lack of continuity with the rest of the series.

MMORTS Announced: End of Nations

Trion has announced that End of Nations, an MMORTS game developed by Petroglyph, will be released next year. There is clearly demand for this genre of gaming as evidenced by the continued strong following of Shattered Galaxy, a successful MMORTS released back in 2001. There are few outstanding examples of MMORTS games, and as such, the market is clamoring for a new title worth the jump from Shattered Galaxy. I believe End of Nations could be just what consumers are looking for; Petroglyph was founded by former employees of Westwood, developer of the popular Command & Conquer RTS series. With a background including a Guinness world record for selling over 10 million copies of Command & Conquer worldwide, I have faith that Petroglyph could provide the reboot the MMORTS genre needs to thrive.

PS3 June Update to Add 3D Gaming Capability

Adding to the overpowering wave of 3D tech assailing consumers at every turn, Sony has announced that the June firmware update for the PS3 will enable gamers to play 3D games (assuming they have the pre-requisite 3D TVs). Four titles are being hyped so far in the 3D lineup: Wipeout HD, Pain, Motorstorm Pacific Rift, and Super Stardust HD, all to be made available both on a physical disc and on the PSN. The update will not, however, allow users to play 3D blu-rays.

Despite my general distaste for 3D movies and the inevitable detrimental side effects to my brain, I will admit to being excited at the prospect of 3D gaming, allowing the player to be drawn further into a game. I am hearing good things about the technology behind 3D stereoscopic gaming. For example, bit-tech.net has the following to say about Nvidia's new technology:

"The technology relies on 3D shutter glasses designed by Nvidia and what’s interesting is that, unlike any other attempt at 3D display technology, the glasses don’t use polarised lenses. Instead, they use mini LCD screens that sync with the PC via an infra red sensor that sits down by your keyboard – this ensures that the correct image is sent to each eye and there is no loss of resolution, claims Nvidia. Upon using the glasses, it was clear that the game looked appreciably sharper than what has come before and, more importantly, you can adjust the depth of the effect using a simple wheel on the back of the sensing device. This should go a long way to alleviating eyestrain caused by so many other attempts at delivering a truly 3D experience."

Tomshardware.com has a fantastic article up about 3D technology if you want to go into more detail. What it comes down to for most people, though, is that although 3D stereoscopic gaming is a cool idea, what we all really want is 3D autostereoscopic gaming like in Nintendo's 3DS, meaning: no goofy glasses.

Update: Sony Stands By Decision to Remove Features At Will

Sony has sent members of the Playstation Network an updated Terms of Service. It looks like the company is trying to retroactively make it allowable to have removed features from the PS3 (such as the ability to install an alternate operating system). The final statement issued is an aggressive one: "If you do not agree with the new Terms of Service and User Agreement or Privacy Policy, please contact Customer Service to terminate your PlayStation(R) Network account(s) and do not visit PlayStation(R) Network or our websites." So basically, if you don't like it, GTFO. This is not the kind of customer service I would expect from a company with such a good reputation. Sadly for Sony, it appears that they have violated consumer law prior to issuing the new ToS, so in my opinion they are still open to a lawsuit.

Fighting Words from Roger Ebert

The title of Roger Ebert's April 16th blog post is "Video games can never be art." Building on the arrogance of the title, Ebert goes on to describe many different kinds of art from their beginnings to generally accepted masterpieces (for example, from cave paintings to Michelangelo's works), and to dismiss out of hand many excellent examples of video games as art. The following quote tidily sums up his viewpoint: "No one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great poets, filmmakers, novelists and poets." Apparently he is unaware of the black mage's struggle to find meaning in his existence in Final Fantasy IX, of Chell's "test experience" that leads to questioning the veracity of what we are told in life in Portal, or even of the controversial "No Russian" level of Modern Warfare 2 in which the gamer is forced to either take part in or witness the slaughter of civilians, causing the gamer to think about free will and whether the ends justify the means. Ebert managed to criticize one of the most simple yet deepest games of 2008, Braid, saying that the idea of traveling back in time to correct your mistakes is akin to "taking back a move" in Chess and "negates the whole discipline of the game." Is it really so far-fetched to imagine a different type of game, one that isn't just a direct competition between two players, one that entails a different kind of winning? I am dismayed at Mr. Ebert's lack of imagination, especially coming from a man whose very job it seems is to look past the obvious to see the true meanings and purposes behind films, media highly related to games. It appears to me that Mr. Ebert and I disagree on the definition of art. A medium that makes me think, feel, and question; that comprises original scores of music and new technologies for creating visual aesthetics; that utilizes voice actors to emote the feelings and passions of the characters and their conflicts: this, to me, is art in an advanced form. So please, Mr. Ebert, go back to reviewing movies; when it comes to video games, either do the proper research or STFU.