So now, we have the data to critically examine the question: Is PC gaming in crisis? On the surface, recent NPD figures would indicate an affirmative, with retail sales dropping nearly US$60 million from US$970 million in 2006 to US$910.7 million in 2007. This number fails to take into account the revenue earned from MMO subscriptions and from digital distributors such as the booming Steam network. Factor those into your figures, and you’ll see that PC gaming is alive and kicking without a doubt.
But if raw retail figures and rankings give you a real buzz, hit the jump for the top 10 selling PC games of ‘07.
Don’t expect us to hold back on any GTAIV news - since the official announcement of a release date, there’ll be videos, sneek peeks and screenshots galore.
The latest set of screenshots released today are nothing short of impressive, showcasing a stylized world that truly surpasses its predessesor.
In other GTA news, Digital Battle has reported, nay, speculated on the PC version’s release this October. The basis for their claim? Previous GTA games have made the transition to PC six to eight months after the console release date. But who’s to say these rules are set in stone, anyway?
Ubisoft have just released this video of Far Cry 2 running on their new Dunia game engine. A word of warning though, if you are expecting a action packed video don’t look here, its pretty much a video showing off the engine. If you didn’t know any better you’d think Far Cry 2 was an African safari sim. The fire at the end is rather interesting - is Far Cry 2 going to do for fire what the original Far Cry did for water?
With every platform except for the Wii getting Bionic Commando, one can understand the widespread frustration felt, especially from gamers respectful of its initial console incarnation on the NES. That, coupled with the huge potential the Wiimote could bring to the grappling system, has led to many puzzled feelings about the platform’s exclusion.
If you believe that Capcom has the ears to listen to its fans, you should check out and sign this online petition to let them know where you stand on the issue. As of today, they’ve got a total of 11,951 signatures which is growing steadily.
EA Games have revealed their plans for Battlefield Heroes, a cartoon shooter with Battlefield style gameplay, which will be completely free to download and play later this year. >
The Team Fortress-esque cartoon style of the game will lend itself toward quick and easy access for a mass audience. A built in matchmaking system will ensure the fairest experience possible when dealing with such large numbers.
It’s one of those rarer occassions where we can congratulate EA Games on giving gamers what they want, at a reasonable price. We’ll pay good money for a game with a bit of depth, but if we’re after some quick fun, its still pretty unreasonable to fork over a few bucks. By revenue earned through advertising and microtransactions, EA are able to distribute this game to everyone, which is a win-win situation for all.
Battlefield Heroes will be hitting the web for PC downloads in summer 2008.
Quarterly financial statements are not exactly the kind of place where you would drop big news like this, but that’s how Ubisoft chooses to roll. According to said statement, fiscal year 2008 - 2009 will see the arrival of a new Prince of Persia title.
But that’s pretty much the extent of the details. Ubisoft are unwilling to divulge any information as to which platforms will be getting it, or who they’ve got working on the project
The Brazilian government has banned the sale of Counter-Strike and EverQuest. Though originally banned in October as ordered by the Brazilian federal court, only now are the bans being enforced. Judge Carlos Alberto Simoes found the games to be “the subversion of public order” and “an attack against the democratic state and the law and against public security.” … Yeah, not really sure how he came to that conclusion either.
Currently we aren’t sure if the bans pertain to only the original titles or if CS: Source and EverQuest 2 are also affected. Being that the ban is only on the sale and not on possession of the games, there is still plenty of opportunity for sweaty nerds to pwn n00bs and create female elf characters.
We all know that guy who gets into MMOs a little too hard, but you would never think of him taking his online brunts into the real world. However this is exactly what has happened in Russia, when a Lineage II player from a rival clan beat another to death.
The altercation started on December 31st when an online battle between the victim and the killer’s clan resulted in the killer’s clan being wiped out. The situation escalated from there, with a real life confrontation forming and the 33 year old man being beaten to death. The killer has been identified as a 22 year old student who reportedly shows no remorse for the victim and lives by his clan rule:
“Beat everything that moves, and everything that doesn’t move - move and beat!”
Unfortunately the rival gang don’t not seem to be able to differentiate real life from online as pointed out when the victim’s sister talked to Russia Today:
“I think [the rival clan] have confused the game and reality. And after we buried him on December 31, they continued to threaten us.”
While this may seem a one-off freak incident, it is tragically Russia’s second Lineage II related murder in a year.
You may love or hate them, but news of a Penny Arcade game sure did stir up some hope – could gamers themselves help create a truly great game? Thankfully the quiet spell has been broken, and we have a couple of new in-game videos to show you. I have to say, the game is looking quite pretty with the straight-out-of-the-comic style. Check after the jump for a few more videos of the game in action.
News is in the NASA are considering making their own MMO. Unfortunately the title will allow players to “simulate real NASA engineering and science missions” and not fake lunar landings or keep the world safe from alien warlords.
Maybe I’m wrong on this one but does this seem like it could be the most boring game ever conceived. I’ve got visions of endless “you forgot to uncouple the fuel line, respawn in 30 seconds” screens. Okay, in reality the game will be used as an educational resource, but I still think NASA needs to learn that launching a rocket virtually is inversely boring as it is fun in real life. Your tax dollars at work people.
