Some more coverage of the game industry and the terrorist attacks intertwining. Talking with publishers and developers about their plans to change game content in sensitivity to recent events.

The Day of Defeate website has been updated with some more stuff about the upcoming version release. Looks like they have been working pretty closely with Valve to get some features slapped in there. Should be fun.

Here's the interesting article of the day. ArsTechnica has a bit called "The History of Gaming" which attempts to encompass... the history of gaming. It's filled with wacky historic pictures starting back in the late 50's and moving towards today... It's all happy fun time looking at the history until they get in to the "grim" predictions of the future of gaming the way things are looking lately.

Despite the popularity coupled with games such as Final Fantasy and The Sims, computer gaming will pay a dastardly price for associating itself with this kind of melodrama and escape.  In the 1980s, both developers and gamers knew well what a farce most games were.  Today, developers and gamers are no longer equally acknowledging the fantasy entailed in their games.  The primary elements of games have remained the same all these years.  It used to be the technology that was changed.  Now it's the sales pitch.  With computers out of their limited demographic of the early 1980s, publishers are now pushing their products with a different angle to take advantage of the general public.  When most gamers were upper-class intelligentsia, developers had to use intelligence and wit to succeed.   Now that a wider range of people are playing, the fulcrum is different. 

Yeah... what he said!

The ECTS show started yesterday and continues today, and several sites are there to cover the games on display. PC.IGN has posted some impressions from World of Warcraft, the upcoming Warcraft MMORPG which was officially announced yesterday. Gamespot takes a look at the other Blizzard game, Warcraft 3.
Gamespot UK has posted some impressions of Global Operations, the squad-based multiplayer game they say is about 2 months away from completion. EuroGamer has some brief impressions of several games.

As most people are aware, Gathering of Developers folded up shop and the remains were merged up in to Take2. The former Gathering of Developers guys have moved on to form SubstanceTV. Here's the press release.

Some wacky licensing news for you guys today. Firstly because Tomb Raider the movie was such a hit (wha?) Angelina Jolie has signed on to make a sequel. Tomb Raider 2! (Thanks.. er.. damn it I lost your name, thanks though!) In addition, I just noticed that Activision has just secured the worldwide rights to Marvel's Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Blade.

``Activision is thrilled to extend our relationship with Marvel by adding these phenomenally rich characters to our slate of established brands,'' said Greg Goldstein, vice president of brand development and licensing for Activision, Inc. ``Both of these properties have entertained fans around the world in the form of comic books and other media for more than 35 years. We intend to take full advantage of current videogame hardware technology to bring these iconic super heroes to life as never before.''

Hum...

Well this isnt something you see every day. Ubi Soft has managed to license out their engine technology that was used for Rogue Spear to LB&B Associates (Thanks Eric) with the intent of creating a game to help train American soldiers.

The game engine will enable the Department of Defense to train military personnel in how to conduct military operations in urban terrain. The engine, which was developed in Red Storm Entertainment's North Carolina studio, will not be used for weapons training. Instead the government wants to use the high-tech system to help hone decision-making skills at the small-unit level. [snip]

The PR goes on to say how no game engine comes close to the realism Rogue Spear achieves.

Looks like the game violence advocates have something new to complain about, teenage mod makers. That's right, apparently some people are now concerned about minors making mods for games, saying it's the "moral equivalent of teenage pornographers". Thanks Blues. The article does look at both sides, talking to the concerned parties as well as developers and mod makers. Here's a snip

David Walsh, president of National Institute on Media and the Family, a nonpartisan organization that looks at the impact of entertainment on children, contends that underage mod makers are the moral equivalent of teenage pornographers. He thinks the game industry should apply the same rating system used on games to the mods themselves and restrict kids' access to Web sites where mods are posted.
The issue is starting to catch the attention of Congress. "This is a whole new problem," says Dan Gerstein, communications director for Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut. Lieberman is the author of a bill that would authorize the Federal Trade Commission to penalize companies that intentionally market adult-rated entertainment directly to children. But the legislation is finely tailored to address deceptive marketing rather than prohibit kids from making mods for mature-rated games, Gerstein says. [...]

Interplay Strikes Back is a news story on EuroGamer, following up on their story from yesterday about Interplay being shut down as a publisher by Titus and Vivendi publishing Interplay titles. It turns out that this publishing deal was actually signed by Interplay and not Titus. Titus owns 51% of Interplay, but is not in control of the company until they elect a new board of directors. So in the mean time, Interplay is trying to make Titus' welcome as unpleasant as possible. Which is why Titus already announced that Interplay marketing and distribution staff were being laid off.

Obviously not content with this spoiling move, our sources are now reporting that Interplay has filed to say that its shareholders want the company wound up! This could mean that when Titus gets hold of the reins in September the company will already be in Chapter 11 receivership. Somebody at Interplay obviously doesn't like the fox...

Eurogamer is reporting that Titus has announced their plans to close down Interplay's publishing duties, and instead make the company their American development house. Also in this announcement is the news that all of Interplay's future titles will be published through Vivendi Universal, the company formerly known as Havas Interactive. Although it's not named specifically, Sierra will most likely wind up as the publisher for Interplay's games, as they recently signed a similar deal with Fox Interactive. Nothing is stated as to what, if any effect this will have on titles Interplay was set to publish but did not develop internally (such as Neverwinter Nights), or Interplay subsidiary Shiny's ultra-expensive Matrix game that's being bankrolled by Microsoft.

A little while ago a story came out about how video games are the spawn of the devil and cause people to be stupid etc. Although not quite that extreme you would think that considering the responses around here. We've had a few responses come out, (Story on ZDNet) and just because I think I saw the horse squirm a little bit lets kick him one more time. The Edmonton Journal has a response from the join CEO guys at BioWare, (Thanks Blues) who have the added bonus of both being medical doctors in their lifes before gaming. In addition, here's a response in PDF, DOC, or TXT format from Heavy Entertainment.

As you are no doubt aware, the peer review process is one of the key principles in judging the value of medical and scientific research. Assuming that a study is fact until it has been analysed and reviewed by other knowledgeable scientists is not appropriate. [...] All these different types of games will engage people differently. Any sweeping generalization would be inappropriate. [...] Furthermore, at BioWare we believe that a balanced lifestyle is good for everyone. A balance between mental and physical activity is fundamental to a healthy lifestyle.

Here's the generalization of the day. If you do almost anything for 18hrs a day for years on end, it's probably not exactly good for you.

Here's some id Software stalking for you guys this afternoon. As I was checking the winery pages I do every day (ok not really) I came across this story! Yay for Tim and Todd. Then you can have a look at this article talking about Graeme being the Mac god.

Here's some more proof that "you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true." This story at ZDNet reports that people around the world are refuting the Tohoku University study that alleged that video games actually damaged brain development. In countering the argument, one researcher even compared playing games to playing sports, while the European Leisure Software Publishers Association emphasized gaming's social aspects:

Academics at the University of Central Lancashire and at Manchester University recently found that gamers experience the same high levels of concentration and involvement as athletes do.

"Through the study, gaming emerges as an increasingly social activity, and gamers spend comparable amounts of time socializing with friends and family," the software association said. "The researchers concluded that 'the stereotype of the computer gamer as someone who spends a large amount of leisure time interacting with technology rather than other people is questionable.'"

Terminal Reality is Reality is the name of a news item at FGN Online that talks about the "new" Terminal Reality. According to their story, the company now considers itself to be a, "multi-publisher aligned developer seeking to produce high-end console titles." The only specific title named is 4x4 Evolution 2, which they are currently working on for the Xbox, but business consultant Frederick Jones is quoted as saying that they have recently completed work on a 3D engine for the Playstation 2, and that they hope to make an announcement soon about its associated product. Terminal Reality of course, is the developer of 4x4 Evolution, the Fly! series of flight simulators and Nocturne. It is unknown whether or not work is still continuing on the unnamed sequel to Nocturne.

You guys remember seeing all those stories about DSL companies and their troubles? Then you probably remember all those guys on cablemodems laughing and taunting... well then this just might interest you. (Thanks Roofus) Excite @Home has announced that they "may not be able to continue operations" due to market conditions and the possibility of Nasdaq delisting them.

The company said in the amendment that it may not continue as a "going concern," which in financial lingo means that the cable Internet access company is running out of cash. The company also warned it could get booted off the Nasdaq, a move that would accelerate Excite@Home's financial woes. Companies can be delisted if they trade under $1 for 30 consecutive days.

update: I'm not 100% certain but everything I can find points to Excite@Home looks to be the parent company for all @Home services. If this is indeed the case it will most likely impact all @Home customers in some form. Such as Rogers@Home and AT&T@Home etc.

This article at the observer describes the findings of a Japanese study that shows that (brace yourself...) "... computer games are damaging brain development and could lead to children being unable to control violent behavior". Riiiight!

Computer games are creating a dumbed-down generation of children far more disposed to violence than their parents, according to a controversial new study. The tendency to lose control is not due to children absorbing the aggression involved in the computer game itself, as previous researchers have suggested, but rather to the damage done by stunting the developing mind.

Voodoo Extreme has posted a press release (also posted in Jason Hall's .plan) announcing that LithTech, Inc. has hired Jeffery Hutt, a former Nintendo of America and Looking Glass Studios executive, as their new CEO. Strongman Jason Hall will remain the CEO of Monolith, and according to the press release this move is the first stage of "an aggressive strategic plan" to create "premium, cutting-edge games." The first product to benefit from this new strategy will be the unnamed sequel to No One Lives Forever.

The recent closing of Dynamix was the first sign of this, but Stomped has posted a press release announcing a major reorganization of Sierra On-Line. The announcement says that the company will be continuing development of their "key franchises" including Tribes, SWAT, and the ever-popular Hoyle's card game series. At this time the only known Tribes product in the works is the Playstation 2 title, with the status of a Tribes 2 add-on and sequel completely up in the air. Also included is word that 97 people were laid off with the closing of Dynamix, and a whopping 148 more will be let go from Sierra's Bellvue office.

update: My apologies for using such a dorky word as whopping.

AVault has an article looking back at what happened with Gathering of Developers that recently got assimiliated by Take2 and all that stuff.

What seems to be a disturbing trend lately around these parts has happened again... LinuxGames sends word that Loki Software has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (PDF). Since a few people seem to be confused with what this means, here is word from the president of the company.

People should not confuse this with a Chapter 7 liquidation, where you close the doors and sell off the assets. That is not what we have done. We filed a Chapter 11 reorganization. This will allows us to deal with our creditors fairly and equitably and at the same time continue to operate the company. We are still shipping products and porting new games and expect to be doing so for a long, long time.

LinuxGames also has a retrospective written about the company.