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What Apple can teach Nintendo and Sony
Editor’s Note: The following is reprinted from the Casual Friday blog at PCWorld.com.
Nintendo, Sony: Let’s talk for a sec—just you and me. Look, guys, over the past couple of years, you’ve had a great run. Nintendo, your DS has tons of games, a wide variety of unique stuff that’s a blast to play. Sony, your PSP is a gadget-lover’s gaming tool, with everything from Skype to Internet-radio support (oh, yeah, and you have some cool games, as well). But unless you both do something in 2009, the iPhone and iPod Touch will soon become the top dogs in handheld gaming.
Apple, the same folks who have pretty much ignored games since I played Marathon on a Mac, came on strong in 2008—and now Nintendo and Sony must consider the iPhone a legit competitor. The proof: Apple’s iPhone/iPod touch games start at a buck (going up as high as $10), and games have flooded Apple’s App Store since it opened its digital doors in July.
Nobody at either company has asked, but here’s my free advice.
Nintendo: Get that new DSi to the United States, on the double! The bigger screens and the 256MB of memory are a good start, but we need to see a Wiiware-style channel where people can easily download DS games directly onto their handheld no matter where they are, stat! Also, while I’m mentioning it, set it up so that we can run said downloaded games directly from SD Card. Another quick thought: Don’t try to out-iPhone the iPhone. If you’re going to build in MP3 functionality, maybe you should at least support the MP3 file format. (AAC only? Really?)
Sony: Admit that UMDs need to be thrown down a hole with all those Betamax machines. The UMD optical drive sucks power and doesn’t deliver high-capacity storage compared with what even cheap flash memory cards now offer. You’re better off bundling a streamlined system with a hard drive. Want to sell people games at a store? Sell them on Memory Sticks—as you probably should’ve done in the first place. Or take further advantage of the online store, which has already done a bang-up job offering PSP games as digital downloads.
The PSP has had a tough fight against the Nintendo DS since its launch. That said, as a gadget-head, I love all the connectivity features that sync up the PSP with the PlayStation 3. If Sony can create more games and applications that tether the two devices together, you might still make a case for PSP owners.
Both: The best advice I can give to both Nintendo and Sony is to remember your roots. I did a story a couple months back celebrating the indie community that has rallied around the R4 cartridge as a legitimate homebrew gaming tool. That same group is always looking for new ways to mod the PSP, as well. These dedicated coders do it simply for the love of games (or to build their resume for getting into the gaming biz). Open up the doors, and let people who want to make all sorts of apps release them into the wild. You want to vet them for quality control? Go right ahead.
Way I see it, Apple has the right idea. The code is out there for people to play with, and I’m seeing tons of cool, free, and cheap applications just waiting to be downloaded. Want a taste of what’s available? Read on to learn more about the best iPhone games of 2008.
Calling all massively multiplayer online game players
Are you a fan of Web-based massively multiplayer online (MMO) games? If so, Macworld wants to hear from you—please respond here or send us some e- mail and let us know.
Of course, MMOs are a popular pastime on the Mac—witness the huge success of World of Warcraft, for example, or burgeoning interest in EVE Online, Pirates of the Caribbean Online and City of Heroes—all playable on the Mac platform.
If you require no explanation for what’s going on here, chances are you’re a fan of massively multiplayer online games. And if you are, we want to hear from you.
And thanks to their basis in technology which runs natively on the Mac, Mac users can play alongside PC-using gamers unimpeded.
Which brings us to the point of this post: Mac users are spending free time playing Web-based MMOs. If you’re one of ‘em, please make yourself known. Tell us what you’re playing and how you like it.
Review: Geneforge 5: Overthrow
Geneforge 5: Overthrow is the final installment in Spiderweb Software’s Geneforge saga, a series of fantasy-themed role-playing games. The Geneforge saga features enriched story lines, open-ended gameplay, and multiple endings, but lacks graphical sophistication or a quality soundtrack. With Geneforge 5, the developers have crafted a strong ending note to the series, but the game’s main problem is also its main selling point: it looks and plays like a game released 15 years ago.
The Geneforge saga revolves around the rise and fall of an extremely powerful race of magicians known as Shapers who have the power to create sentient beings to do their bidding. The earlier games in the series deal with the subsequent rebellion as some of the sentient beings were pissed off about the whole being-controlled-by-the-Shapers thing. Geneforge 5 allows you to play as part of the rebellion or an ally of the Shapers. Through your journey, you’ll work with different sects, go on quests, choose sides, as well as learn close-combat, magic, and creature-creating abilities.
Geneforge 5 reminds me of Blizzard’s Diablo series, which divides characters into different class types, features a distant third person isometric perspective, and also tasks the character with hoarding lots of dropped loot in their pursuit of some goal. Of course, holding certain items will encumber you in combat, so you also have to choose what loot you grab carefully.
Mac games in 2009: What to watch for
Circumstances can change very quickly in the world of gaming. This time last year, for example, you didn’t hear from too many game developers when it came to their iPhone plans—there wasn’t even an SDK to plan for 12 months ago. And yet, mobile gaming turned out to be all the rage in 2008.
Some would say that just proves attempting to predict where a market is headed is a foolhardy proposition. We say we’re just the fools to undertake the job. Here are six trends in Mac gaming to keep an eye on throughout 2009.
More iPhone games
Look for games to continue to go mobile in 2009.
Online becomes more massive
When gamers put down their iPhones, they’ll likely head online. Massive Multiplayer Online games (MMOs), like World of Warcraft, will continue to make up a strong percentage of the gaming market, as 2009 sees the release of many previously PC-only MMOs onto Mac. (Earlier this month, the Mac version of City of Heroes moved into its open beta phase.)
Fusion Fall leads the charge for a new breed of Massively Multiplayer Online games.
Delayed launches of blockbuster Mac titles
Good things come to those who wait. That’s good news, because Mac gamers can probably look forward to a lot of waiting in the coming year. We foresee Mac users having to keep a patient vigil potential announcements of Mac launches of major sellers like Call of Duty 5, Prince of Persia, and Red Alert 3. We list these three only because history has shown us that these are likely (but not guaranteed) to be eventually ported to the Mac platform. “Eventually” is the key word here. Keep your fingers crossed.
Less support for PowerPC Macs
Your iMac G5 is unlikely to be much of a gaming powerhouse in the coming year.
More bitterness about Bungie
It’s been nearly a decade since Bungie announced Halo at the July 1999 Macworld Expo. That game, which promised to revitalize the Mac gaming industry, instead salvaged Microsoft’s Xbox console launch, after the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant snapped up Bungie in 2000. Bungie and Microsoft have since parted ways, but Halo lives on. In 2009, Halo Wars, a real-time strategy game, is coming out for the Xbox 360. Root for it to stink.
More layoffs and consolidations
This past year is ending on a rough note for gaming companies, as EA, THQ, Midway, and others have all announced layoffs. A week ago, Mac game maker Aspyr announced layoffs as well. With the economy suffering globally, consumers have less discretionary income, and the entertainment industry suffers as a result. Don’t be surprised to see more companies announcing cutbacks and staff reductions in 2009.
2008 in Review: The year in Mac gaming
In some ways, the most exciting developments in Mac gaming in 2008 didn’t involve the Mac at all. The iPhone, with its Software Development Kit enabling game-makers to bring their wares to Apple’s hot-selling mobile devices, stole most of the Mac’s thunder during the past year. But a hardware development toward the end of 2008 could mean a Mac gaming revival in the year to come.
Still, mobile gaming ruled the roost this year. Even before the iPhone’s 2007 launch, game developers increasingly turned their attention to mobile games. Despite the low-graphics capabilities and small screen sizes, mobile gaming was a growing market.
Going mobile
With the unveiling of the iPhone SDK in March and the subsequent opening of the App Store in July, the iPhone emerged as an attractive option in the mobile game market, offering developers an adaptable platform, a bigger screen, and better graphic capabilities.
Ngmoco made a splash in 2008 with iPhone-exclusive games like Rolando.
Macworld’s 2008 Game Hall of Fame
The iPhone’s potential as a game system was apparent from the moment Apple VP Scott Forstall stepped on stage during Apple’s iPhone press event this past March and demonstrated a game running on the device to herald Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone Software Developer Kit (SDK). But even those who were at that event have been amazed at the skyrocketing number of games available for the iPhone and iPod touch since the the App Store opened its doors this past summer.
So it’s only fitting that this year, we expand our annual Game Hall of Fame with a new wing that recognizes the best in iPhone gaming. Sure, my fellow Macworld have already picked their favorite iPhone games of 2008, and the nine apps they selected are a diverse, worthy lot. But when it comes to securing a place within the mythical walls of the Game Hall of Fame in Pittsfield, Mass., there’s only one vote that counts. And below, you’ll mind my selections for the iPhone and iPod touch titles that helped define the past year in gaming.
But if you’re a grizzled Mac gaming veteran who still views that new-fangled iPhone with suspicion, fear not—we’ve still found four traditional Mac games worthy of inclusion in the Game Hall of Fame. Why just four? Because that reflects where the Mac gaming market is at right now—if you want to see where the action is and where developers are pouring their time and resources, you need to check out the iPhone side of things.
Before we meet the 2008 class of inductees, please remember that like our Editors’ Choice Awards, the eligibility period for these games is that they must have been released by the start of November. So if you don’t see your favorite game on here, it’s possible that it might have come later in the onslaught of releases.
Review: Pirates of the Caribbean Online
I’ve looked forward to Pirates of the Caribbean MMORPG, though with trepid enthusiasm. Games with movie tie-ins (this game is part of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise) have a reputation of being bad, and as far as MMORPGs go, you have to provide stunning graphics, a compelling story, and streamlined and innovative combat to compete with World of Warcraft (
) and other games. Unfortunately, I’m unable to lay many accolades upon the abysmal Pirates of the Caribbean—but it’s rare you get a game that is as deep as it is poorly realized.
Pirates of the Caribbean is a MMORPG that puts you in the bootstraps of a male or female pirate tasked with helping the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow take on the evil undead pirate Jolly Roger. To drive home the fact that the game is tied to the movies, the opening minutes of the game introduce you to pixilated versions of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan, characters from the Pirates films. OK, you hooked? Great, now you won’t see any recognizable characters (save, perhaps, Tia Dalma) for the next ten or so hours.
The loose overarching plot deals with assembling the crew for Jack Sparrow and his ship, the Black Pearl. Each crewmember has hours of chore-like missions for you to do before you can get him/her to join and progress in the story. Side characters and side quests also exist to upgrade your weapons, get you money, or to explore new areas. Essentially, though, the quests have you sink some navy ships or kill some giant scorpions.
These tasks lose their appeal after the first couple of hours. If you were looking for fighting techniques that involve subtle parries, quick stabs and the allure of swashbucking fencing, you won’t find it here. Instead, the combat is a combination of button-mashing and timed attacks, and gets old quick. You can slash with your sword, lob a grenade, shoot your pistol, or summon voodoo spells with your voodoo doll. The latter sounds cool at first but the spells are awkward to execute and provide a clumsy way for the designers to include magic into the game.
EVE Online, the world’s first virtual democracy?
Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from the Game On blog at PCWorld.com.
I’m overdue for a second visit to CCP’s EVE Online, a massively multiplayer space simulation that’s undergone epic changes since its troubled inception back in 2003. What started as a riff on David Braben’s sandbox space-trading game Elite has morphed into a universe of grandly clashing fleets and postmortem piracy, of elliptical economics and fascinatingly factionalized corporations. Agents hawk missions and proffer manufacturing or research services for a price, while players scan security indices before leaping into lawless space where freedom is fluid and region-specific rules are enforced by player-run alliances.
And occasionally—twice, so far—players actually gather to cast votes to elect nine representatives to the game’s Council of Stellar Management.
Of the latter, the BBC writes:
Spore tops piracy charts, but don’t blame DRM
Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from the Game On blog at PCWorld.com.
Like a splash of cold water, the latest word electrifying entertainment feeds is that EA’s evolutionary toy-game Spore is the most pirated PC game of 2008. According to Torrent Freak, a weblog that professes to cover the BitTorrent biz, Spore is the most downloaded game on BitTorrent, something Torrent Freak dubiously attributes “in part…to the DRM [digital rights management] that came with the game.” I say dubiously because attributing heavy downloading of one of the most anticipated games of 2008 to some sort of anti-DRM protest in any capacity is as wild a guess as assuming Barack Obama is “kind of in bed” with Rod Blagojevich just because some in the media think it’s cute to display photographs of the two Illinois politicians smiling at one another.
I burn no candles for digital rights management. It’s a creatively stillborn attempt to starve a hydra that doesn’t need to eat. Every time a game’s released to jeers about its implementation of SecuROM or StarForce, it’s almost instantly cracked and spread around the torrent scene. I’ve long wondered what sort of stats and presentation slides industry types must use in high-level meetings to justify their inconveniencing of legitimate paying customers when cracked versions of their products are consistently available to even the most casual freebooters. Let’s face it, the only truly effective solution to game piracy would involve policies so draconian I’d rather see the industry crash and burn than live with the unacceptably invasive alternatives.
But let’s play devil’s advocate, because the fact that Forbes lazily picked up and uncritically echoed the TorrentFreak story seems to have legitimized the mythical claim that Spore’s high piracy numbers are “in part” due to DRM protesters. I’m not saying such claims are flatly wrong, I’m just reminding everyone that no one’s released evidence to support such claims. Either way, such claims are mere speculation.
Even assuming DRM is a feckless workaround and borderline customer abusive, it’s all too easy to hop on the I’m-indignant-bandwagon and trundle off in a tizzy past a crucial point. Being foolish in terms of how you treat your customers isn’t necessarily illegal, but piracy is. When TorrentFreak says Spore was downloaded 1.7 million times since early September and attributes part of that “record breaking figure for a game” to DRM protesters, they may, whether by educated guess or sheer luck, be correct. They may also be dead wrong. Either way, they justifying nothing. Even if every pirated download of Spore could be indisputably represented as an anti-DRM vote, it wouldn’t legally exonerate or ethically justify a single one.
Lots of people sell things in ways that bug me. That doesn’t give me the right to stomp into a store and haul something off the shelf without paying for it. Where does this weird entitlement complex come from? Is it just because there’s that sense of invisibility when you’re stealing where prying eyes probably won’t see? If so, it’s a rather cowardly and convenient way to wave that piece of cake around on the end of stick before pulling it down and digging in.
If you don’t like a publisher’s copy protection scheme, piracy isn’t how you protest, not having anything to do with the game is.
I realize that may not be a popular argument. The entertainment industry’s embracing of increasingly paranoid anti-piracy methods and prosecutorial scare tactics isn’t winning friends and influencing customers. Count me as one of the offended. But I draw the line at voting not to have anything to do with the product, not gleefully stealing and playing it, then wagging my finger sanctimoniously at the publisher and claiming it’s their fault, they made me do it, and shame on them for “making” me debase myself.
It’s incidentally possible that the record number of Spore downloads is attributable to the game’s unprecedented pre-release popularity, the year-over-year upturn in industry sales, the huge overall upticks in numbers of people video gaming, the increase in numbers of broadband users, the overall increase in torrent usage, and so on. When no one wants to consider that instead of a bunch of righteous DRM protesters, there may in fact be 1.7 million conveniently finger-pointing freeloaders (as opposed to high-minded and principled DRM protestors who’d of course never, ever pirate a game like Spore if it came DRM-free!), it’s a bona fide sign that something’s amiss.
Review: World of Goo
World of Goo is a trippy puzzle game that pushes your knowledge of physics to its gooey limits in a post-modernistic setting. Fun, quirky, and highly-addictive, World of Goo is one of the most entertaining puzzle games to come to the Mac in years.
Divided into five chapters and a loose story about a World Goo Corporation that transforms the self-aware Goo into things like beauty cream, World of Goo has hours of amusing, challenging, and just plain weird missions to play through.
The namesake Goo is used as building blocks for harrowing physics puzzles. Initially, you’re directed to construct various bridges and structures in order to reach a pipe that serves as a goal for each mission. Each color of Goo has its own special ability, from explosive red balls to re-deployable green ones. You construct a structure that will eventually ferry your Goo ball towards the goal, and the more Goo balls that remain unused, the better.
World of Goo are a physics simulator at heart, so expect to build plenty of triangles. The difficulty curve gets steep quickly as you’re introduced to new types of Goo. Eventually, you’ll have to float your structures around obstacles, spring booby-traps, ignite explosives, and construct “drool” to progress.
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