In a new interview with Maximum PC, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford claims that Valve's dominance in the PC digital distribution arena could come to hurt the industry, citing a "dangerous" conflict of interest and a lack of competition that has already lead to the exploitation of smaller developers.

"I'll tell you what, Steam helps. As a guy in this industry though, I don't trust Valve," said Pitchford, who later clarified that while he personally trusts the company, "a lot of the industry doesn't."

"Valve is taking a larger share than it should for the service it's providing," he said. "It's exploiting a lot of small guys. For us big guys, we're going to sell the units and it will be fine."

Pitchford explained that since Microsoft "is focused on the console... Read more

The non-profit Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) today announced the formation of the "Gamers for Digital Rights," a new group with the goal of providing "tools and resources that will help protect the rights of video game consumers today."

The group has opened a website which allows users to join the movement. Among other information, the site offers a pre-filled form to write the FTC concerning DRM and EULA issues.

"With Gamers for Digital Rights, our goal is to educate consumers about their rights, as well as the copyright and trademark laws associated with such technologies, and then work to open a dialogue between software publishers, developers and gamers," said ECA VP Jennifer Mercurio.

The ECA has also hired Robert L. Hunter, IV ("Beau"), to head up the DRM... Read more

Israeli cable network Hot has launched a large scale pilot of streaming gaming, delivering "PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 quality games" through existing set-top boxes.

The service by Playcast hosts games at the provider's end, then delivers the video and sound through the cable television network in a seamless low-latency manner.

Playcast bills the system as "the only live and deployed service of its kind currently in the world." Two similar Internet-based services are currently in development in the US--OnLive, due to launch this fall, streams PC games to TVs or PCs with only a small device needed, and the browser-based Gaikai offers both applications and games.

That Playcast describes the system as offering "PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 quality games" means it is most likely PC-based rather than running on the consoles itself. The company says it will work with "off-the-shelf games," though no titles are named.

Playcast boasts it "allows for seamless integration between TV and games, bringing new business opportunities for publishers, broadcasters and advertisers," opening possibilities for a variety of pricing models. The details of Hot's model are unknown.

The system is said to be in "advanced evaluation phases with the world's leading Cable and IPTV operators," with Playcast expecting to reach "major markets" across the US, Europe and Asia during 2009 and 2010.

Industry veteran Dave Perry has released a video demonstrating Gaikai, an upcoming cloud-based service that can be used to stream games and other software in near real-time from a remote server to an internet-connected computer.

Unlike OnLive, which requires a specialized application, Perry claims that Gaikai only requires a Flash-capable web browser. The below video sees him run through several pieces of software, including World of Warcraft, Spore, Mario Kart 64, and Photoshop.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

In a blog post, Perry says that the video shows a "home cable connection in a home" connecting to a server that's "not hosted by a Tier 1 provider, just... Read more

Research firm The NPD Group will no longer release its weekly charts of the ten best-selling PC games at United States retailers to the media, the company has confirmed with Shacknews. It will still issue monthly PC sales charts to the public, though, with the entirety of the sales data, as always, available to NPD's paying clients.

No reason was given for the switch, though we've asked for more details. Back in 2007, the company opted to stop publicly releasing its monthly sales figures and listings for consoles, though it quickly reversed that decision following public outcry.

However, PC digital distribution outlets Steam and Direct2Drive continue to release their weekly worldwide sales charts. And with NPD's week-long delay of its retail sales data no longer presenting an obstacle for per-week comparisons with Steam and Direct2Drive's data, the digital distribution charts will now be posted in a more timely manner.

As such, the past two week's worth of Direct2Drive and Steam charts follow:

Direct2Drive's Top Ten (6/7 - 6/13)

1. The Sims 3 - Electronic Arts
2. The Sims 3 (Mac) - Electronic Arts
3. Prototype - Radical... Read more

"It would be good if everybody switched to Windows 7 as quickly as possible," Brad Wardell, CEO of Demigod publisher and Impulse operator Stardock, has said.

Speaking with Gamasutra, he cited the WARP (Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform) feature of the new operating system as a major boon, as it allows the CPU to handle DirectX acceleration if a dedicated video card isn't up to snuff, or even present.

"We want the game to look incredible on high-end systems, but I want people to be able to play this on their three-year-old laptop on the airplane," he explained.

In addition to running the digital distribution platform Impulse and... Read more

During a quarterly earnings call, Electronic Arts executives expressed their optimism for the digital download market on reports of strong financial progress in the sector.

EA CEO John Riccitiello reported that the company had seen its digital direct revenue grow to $400 million in the last fiscal year, while CFO Eric Brown noted that digital game distribution alone nearly doubled in revenue year-over-year to $80 million.

"This is a big year for us," said Brown. "The online part of our business is growing as much as 60% year over year."

"In terms of distribution, the way we look at a lot what's happening in the future is, we've got probably a billion PCs out there in the world," he continued. "Very rapidly the PC is becoming the largest gaming platform in the world, just not in a packaged-good product."

"As you look at what that means in terms of distribution of product, we think that's incredibly exciting because it's going to open the market to new demographics, new countries and new types of gameplay," he added.

I was somewhere over northern California. While a live feed of Anderson Cooper's calm voice streamed into my ears from the plane's satellite TV, I took a sip of my Coke and turned my attention to the laptop in front me. After calling up a weather map of the Bay Area, I told my girlfriend I'd be landing in about 20 minutes.

As I considered whether to add a simple "Whoo," or capitulate to the less masculine smiley face, it hit me: I was in the future.

Some readers may have already beaten me here, but most will be arriving shortly. Aircell, a wireless internet provider for airlines, began rolling out its air-to-ground WiFi service last year. Customers may know the service as "Gogo Inflight Internet," its cutesy moniker.

When the posh Virgin America flight attendant announced that our flight would feature wireless internet, my first reaction was disbelief--and then skepticism. This would surely be a one-way trip to $5-a-minute charges, with speeds slightly above that of 9600 baud. In other words, a pricey service utterly useless to a gamer... Read more

Bowing to public pressure, internet provider Time Warner has canceled its plans to expand trials of metered internet usage, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The program, which establishes a hard limit for bandwidth usage and charges users if they go over that limit, was set to hit Rochester, N.Y., and Greensboro, N.C. in August, and will expand to San Antonio and Austin, TX in October.

Many were concerned about impact this could have with the growing popularity of digital distribution and internet streaming technology in games and game-related services.

However, a trial in Beaumont, TX, underway since last year, will continue, with the company claiming that only 16% of users in Beaumont were affected by the caps.

Furthermore, the company will still pursue the concept, which it argues is vital because "Internet demand is rising at a rate that could outpace capacity within a few years."

"While we continue to believe that consumption-based billing may be the best pricing plan for consumers, we want to do everything we can to inform our customers of our plans and have the benefit of their views," said Time Warner executive Glenn Britt.

As it continues to field test metered bandwidth usage in the U.S., internet provider Time Warner has revised, detailed and defended its current and upcoming trials.

The revisions include a lower-priced entry plan and higher data caps. The company argues that tiered plans--in which customers have a set bandwidth limit and are charged if they go over--are necessary because "Internet demand is rising at a rate that could outpace capacity within a few years" and "could result in Internet brownouts."

Overage charges will be limited to $75 per month. "That means that for $150 per month customers could have virtually unlimited usage at Turbo speeds," said the company.

Time Warner is not alone in its hopes to bring the model, which is already used overseas, to the United States. Many worry about the impact this could have on gaming, especially as digital downloads and streaming services like OnLive gain popularity.

The company stressed that these are trials, adding "our plans will evolve as well and aren't set in stone" and that it looks "forward to more dialogue as we... Read more

OnLive has undeniably made a big splash here at GDC. The company announced its new technology on Tuesday, claiming that it would change the face of PC gaming. But what is it, exactly? And does it really work?

With its new service, OnLive is attempting to literally render the PC hardware upgrade a moot point. Users will run a small, lightweight application that interfaces with a vast "cloud" of servers. The servers render PC games in high quality--delivering SD quality on a 1.5 megabits per second line, and 720p on a 5 megabit connection--then output the video to your display of choice: either a PC, or a television with an HDMI dongle.

The goal was to free up users from the bane of hardware requirements, providing a hassle-free option for PC gamers. The service will carry a subscription cost, and members will have the option of renting or purchasing the available games. Nearly every major publisher has signed on, with one notable exception being Activison Blizzard.

It sounds like one giant leap forward for PC gaming on paper, but many were skeptical of the technology following the announcement, thinking that the inevitable lag would result in an inferior gaming experience. After getting my hands on the thing, I can report that OnLive mostly works as advertised--but a few flaws may hold... Read more

Microsoft today announced new features coming soon to the Games for Windows Live service, including an anti-piracy solution and in-game marketplace.

Few details were revealed of the server-side, "zero-day" anti-piracy solution. However, Microsoft did note that Games for Windows Live will now require authentication for online play.

In-game marketplace capability has also been added, allowing developers to sell content through their own store fronts through customized APIs. Games for Windows Live will now save users' settings in the cloud, allowing access to the settings regardless of the PC used.

"This update and other features currently in development represent a tipping point in the evolution of Games for Windows Live as a leading online PC gaming network," said general manager of Games for Windows Live Ron Pessner. "In the coming months, we will continue to deliver on our promise to provide gamers and publishers with the industry's best connected gaming experiences through the Live service."

We'll have more details on the updates following a briefing with Microsoft later today.

OnLive today announced plans to launch a new service that will stream PC games with negligible lag to televisions and PCs, eliminating the need for hardware upgrades.

Developed in secret for the past seven years, OnLive makes use of cloud computing, streaming video to your monitor at 720p resolution and 60 frames per second.

Because the video is rendered in a "cloud" of servers, games such as Crysis are delivered at full graphics settings, the only bottleneck being the user's internet connection. 1.5 megabits per second will get you to standard definition, while a 5 megabit connection bumps the resolution to 720p.

OnLive's proprietary compression technology boasts a lag time of less than one millisecond in testing, and early reports indicate that the service delivers on this front. Gamasutra notes that OnLive has worked directly with cable and internet providers to eliminate packet loss.

Users will require only a small device (pictured above, left) to... Read more

Utilizing digital rights management as a means to prevent piracy is "a waste of time," according to 2D Boy co-founder and World of Goo co-creator Ron Caramel.

"Don't bother with DRM," he said during a GDC 09 talk attended by GameSpot. "You just end up giving the DRM provider money. Anything that is of interest gets cracked, and the cracked version ends up having a better user experience than the legit version because you don't have to input in some 32-character serial number."

The topic of digital rights management has become increasingly controversial, as publishers feel they must make some effort to prevent piracy while protesters complain that DRM punishes legitimate buyers with install limits and online activations.

"We don't see the point in having DRM," he added. "Anybody who wants the game is likely to find it on BitTorrent sites. It's going to get cracked even with DRM, it's going to be available very quickly."

The Xbox 360 is "the console online gaming leader" in the United States, according to a study conducted by marketing research group NPD between January 6-26, 2009. However, the PC remains "the most widely used platform for online gaming activities."

An online survey of "just over 20,000" U.S. residents found that the Xbox 360 accounted for 50% of consoles played online. The Wii made up 29%, a jump from 2008's 18%.

As for PC, NPD told Shacknews that 87% of those surveyed used a PC to play games online. That's down from 90% in 2008, described as a statistically significant decrease. This number presumably includes Flash-based casual games.

Specific figures for other platforms were not provided, but the company said that "PS2 fell dramatically and PS3 moved up from fifth place to third place."

The study further noted that micro-transaction downloads have slowed... Read more

Having sold over 1.2 million copies since its October 2007 debut, The Witcher is now among the 100 best-selling PC games of all time, claims developer CD Projekt RED.

"Because of those numbers, The Witcher has jumped onto the list of the 100 bestselling PC games in history," CD Projekt RED marketing coordinator Karol Zajaczkowski wrote in a forum post announcing the 1.2 million unit milestone.

The 1.2 million figure includes both retail and digital distribution sales, a CD Projekt representative confirmed with Shacknews.

Based off the works of Andrzej Sapkowski, the morally ambiguous fantasy role-playing game saw an enhanced re-release arrive last year with new content. A rebuilt console version, The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf, will hit PS3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

Computer hardware maker Intel has filed a lawsuit against graphics technology manufacturer Nvidia, claiming that Nvidia does not have the license to produce chipsets that are compatible with Intel processors packing integrated memory controllers.

The lawsuit stems from a 2004 license agreement between the two companies. Nvidia believes the agreement allows it to produce nForce motherboards that support the latest Intel hardware, such as Nehalem processors. Intel, quite obviously, disagrees.

"At the heart of this issue is that the CPU has run its course and the soul of the PC is shifting quickly to the GPU," stated Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. "This is clearly an attempt to stifle innovation to protect a decaying CPU business... Read more

Update: While European PlayStation 3 owners will gain access to the Tom Clancy's HAWX demo on February 12, those in North America will have to wait a bit longer.

Presumably due to the "exclusive" status of the Xbox 360 demo in North America, Ubisoft has confirmed that the North American PS3 demo will arrive alongside the PC demo on February 26, with the Xbox 360 demo debuting tomorrow, February 11.

Furthermore, Ubisoft is currently stating that all versions of the game will hit North American retailers by March 5, despite Europe receiving a delayed PC release.

Original: Ubisoft has revealed that a PlayStation 3 demo for Ubisoft Romania's Tom Clancy's HAWX will arrive in the European PlayStation Store February 12... Read more

Following the departure of Games for Windows Live manager Chris Early in the latest round of Microsoft cuts, the company has stressed its commitment to the service.

In a statement to Kotaku, Microsoft said:

Moving ahead, Microsoft will continue to invest in Windows as a first-class gaming platform through great Windows out of box experiences, our online gaming services including Games for Windows - LIVE, MSN Games, and Messenger games, and through new games for Windows developed by Microsoft Games Studios.

Ron Pessner, formerly of the Entertainment & Devices division, will now lead Microsoft's "Windows gaming service efforts" in the Interactive Entertainment Business branch. The Games for Windows Live Marketplace premiered its first paid downloadable content today, with its its first public beta download, Relic's Dawn of War II, due later today.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Game Studios manager Dave Luehmann will now oversee Microsoft's internal development and publishing for all Windows-based games, with the company saying it will not comment on any other personnel changes at this time.

Games for Windows Live general manager Chris Early was among the 1,400 Microsoft eliminated last week, reputable journalist Dean Takahashi reports via VentureBeat.

The effect that Early's departure will have on the service is not known. In addition to free online multiplayer, Games for Windows Live offers video and demo downloads, and will debut its first premium-priced downloadble content tomorrow via Fallout 3.

Early previously told Shacknews that the service would eventually sell full games.

In all, Microsoft plans to axe 5,000 positions across the next year and a half.