So, if any of you follow other blogs or like to look up info online about your favorite games...the stats were released by Major Nelson (www.majornelson.com) that show the Xbox Live stats from last week.
http://majornelson.com/archive/2010/09/30/live-activity-for-week-of-sept-20th.aspx
Reviewing the data you will see that Halo Reach hit the top spot, follow by MW2. However, what is also incredible is that activity for Halo 3 hit the #3 spot. This is a testament to the followers of Bungie and the Halo franchise that this many players can dominate the Xbox live online space. From my playing of Halo Reach recently I noted the avg user count around 450-550k at any time. I was wondering, however, if that count was only reflecting Halo Reach players or if it included all Halo players online.
From the data released about last week, I'm going to assume then that the users shown in game are only for that specific game. To add on to the incredible # of users for Reach and Halo 3, if you look down on the list you will find Halo 3: ODST in 17th place. This is nuts because there is no matchmaking in that game. Players are only able to coop with friends only play the campaign. People love their Halo.
On a personal side note. Battlefield Bad Company 2 is my preferred shooter ever since it came out. If you look up my gamertag stats, you will be sick at how many hours I've invested in that game online. I'm glad to see it holds up for the top 20 most active games, but it has fallen out of the top 10. I will be playing that game plenty though so count on it. With the announced expansion pack for Vietnam era battle, it will be interesting to see if/how the #'s shift when that comes out. I hope it comes out before the holiday season kicks into full swing.
Anyway, enjoy your Halo, or whatever you're gaming on!
Battlefield 4 Stats Graphic
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Gaming Industry Marketing and Adjustments
I've been a gamer since I first earned the money on my own to buy the original Nintendo Entertainment System back around 1987 or so. I don't recall the year I actually got the system but I remember that I was young and there was nothing as appealing and addicting as that video game console. This same thought and feelings can still be shared today with modern gaming consoles, and probably PCs, but one thing has really changed the experience.
Today, the sheer number of games and options available to gamers are outstanding. Back in the 80s when I played games there was no Internet or major marketing for games. I think back then it was just Nintendo Power (which I would salivate for each month), maybe some TV commercials here and there, but mainly word of mouth or visiting a friends house. Today, I'm a 31 year old gamer and there are so many forks in the road and ways to split my attention it is insane....it really is. Back in the day of Nintendo there were games coming out left and right but it was just a handful that people really looked forward to (ie. Super Mario Bros. BattleToads, etc).
We are closing in on the 2010 holiday season, and yesterday I went to visit my local Gamestop to see about cashing in my trade-in credits. The only really outstanding game in my mind that I want to purchase when it comes out is Dead Space 2. I walked into the store and asked about the typical pre-order bonus for the game, but found that nothing is currently offered. I then asked the customer rep what he suggests. The guy exploded w/ a list of games, but then back tracked to ask what games I like. Either way, he could name over 10 hot titles coming out within the next 2 months and even more in the next 6 months. Most of these games I will want to play, at some point, but the question really comes down to:
1) How many games can I afford to buy?
2) How much time do I have to dedicate to games?
I'm not a marketing specialist, but I have noticed in the past year or so that game publishers move out release dates for games just b/c the feel their game's release date may conflict with another hot title. Because of this they don't want to dilute their market by leaving the consumer w/ a choice on what to spend their money on. I understand the revenue forecast models for this, but I just wonder if game companies plan long term to understand how diverse the offerings are for gamers and how fast new titles appear on the shelves.
Time and Money, that is what it comes down to as a gamer. I just wonder at times if game devs or publishers consider how this market has matured, where it will go and how will the gamers change. Does it even matter?
I would love to play ever awesome looking title out there, but its demanding. Definitely a fun second job, if anything. Too bad I'm not paid for it, but that is another story.
Anyway, I'm not sure if this blog was really something interesting or my mind just spilling out on paper. I think I may have gone down a good path for a point, but in the end I lost it, and it wasn't really all that interesting anyway.
To you the readers, do you ever ponder which games you're going to purchase if your list is long and budget is limited? Even past that do you ever stress over when and how you will get to finish your games? Actually, that brings up a whole other point I'd like to get into, but that is a topic for another blog post. "Campaigns vs Multiplayer."
Today, the sheer number of games and options available to gamers are outstanding. Back in the 80s when I played games there was no Internet or major marketing for games. I think back then it was just Nintendo Power (which I would salivate for each month), maybe some TV commercials here and there, but mainly word of mouth or visiting a friends house. Today, I'm a 31 year old gamer and there are so many forks in the road and ways to split my attention it is insane....it really is. Back in the day of Nintendo there were games coming out left and right but it was just a handful that people really looked forward to (ie. Super Mario Bros. BattleToads, etc).
We are closing in on the 2010 holiday season, and yesterday I went to visit my local Gamestop to see about cashing in my trade-in credits. The only really outstanding game in my mind that I want to purchase when it comes out is Dead Space 2. I walked into the store and asked about the typical pre-order bonus for the game, but found that nothing is currently offered. I then asked the customer rep what he suggests. The guy exploded w/ a list of games, but then back tracked to ask what games I like. Either way, he could name over 10 hot titles coming out within the next 2 months and even more in the next 6 months. Most of these games I will want to play, at some point, but the question really comes down to:
1) How many games can I afford to buy?
2) How much time do I have to dedicate to games?
I'm not a marketing specialist, but I have noticed in the past year or so that game publishers move out release dates for games just b/c the feel their game's release date may conflict with another hot title. Because of this they don't want to dilute their market by leaving the consumer w/ a choice on what to spend their money on. I understand the revenue forecast models for this, but I just wonder if game companies plan long term to understand how diverse the offerings are for gamers and how fast new titles appear on the shelves.
Time and Money, that is what it comes down to as a gamer. I just wonder at times if game devs or publishers consider how this market has matured, where it will go and how will the gamers change. Does it even matter?
I would love to play ever awesome looking title out there, but its demanding. Definitely a fun second job, if anything. Too bad I'm not paid for it, but that is another story.
Anyway, I'm not sure if this blog was really something interesting or my mind just spilling out on paper. I think I may have gone down a good path for a point, but in the end I lost it, and it wasn't really all that interesting anyway.
To you the readers, do you ever ponder which games you're going to purchase if your list is long and budget is limited? Even past that do you ever stress over when and how you will get to finish your games? Actually, that brings up a whole other point I'd like to get into, but that is a topic for another blog post. "Campaigns vs Multiplayer."
Monday, September 27, 2010
Onlive - A Gamer's View
Earlier this summer a new gaming service kicked off. This service is known as Onlive (www.onlive.com). This service is a new player in the gaming industry and with time and maturity may grow to be a big player. Onlive is a standout from the rest of the pack in the sense that this gaming service is truly a service. They do not offer a standard product or platform for you to play games on. Onlive is 100% subscription based where users pay a monthly fee to access the online services. No console or high end PC are needed to play. A basic PC (there are minimum performance recommendations though), a tv or monitor, and your standard mouse and keyboard or any Windows compatible game controller. You can even switch off if you want to try both. There are no discs for games, and in fact there are no downloads either. Onlive works through direct streaming to your PC.
So, enough of an intro, here's my thoughts on Onlive. I signed up prior to the service launch so I was offered a free years of service and one free game to play. Honestly, the library available is quite extensive and are all high selling, popular, games. I chose to redeem "Just Cause" and played it for a number of hours, really enjoying myself. These games play just like the standard console or PC would allow. The quality on screen for the game may change based on your changing internet connection and PC hardware performance.
So, in my opinion this service is a great value to any gamer who is interested in trying out games and doesn't want to invest in the cost of consoles or high end gaming PCs. If you're a parent and want a safe and easy way to allow your kids to play games, this is an ideal solution. A key portion of the service that I didn't mention yet, is that although you're online, the games available currently do not allow any cooperative or competitive playing yet. For parents, this means you children won't be interacting w/ any other users so no worry on that end. You can also look to set up parent controls if needed as well.
In my closing though, I wanted to highlight my favorite feature of Onlive. SPECTATING! Wait...you're probably thinking, "Ha, spectating already exists!" Yes, but not in the sense that you can boot up your game system, search all active games currently in session, then just join and sit back to watch. This is what you can do w/ Onlive. Its incredible. As a hardcore gamer, honestly there are days when tv offers me nothing, and yet I'm not in the mood to deal w/ any games or people online. If I could just boot up my Xbox 360, or PS3 and link up w/ a friend or random player online and just watch them play, that is all the joy I need for the evening. I hope I'm not alone in this thought. Current game spectating usually occurs for online play only, after you death or if you join a session late. Nice, but pure spectating w/o my involvement is something I'd love to see.
So, enough of an intro, here's my thoughts on Onlive. I signed up prior to the service launch so I was offered a free years of service and one free game to play. Honestly, the library available is quite extensive and are all high selling, popular, games. I chose to redeem "Just Cause" and played it for a number of hours, really enjoying myself. These games play just like the standard console or PC would allow. The quality on screen for the game may change based on your changing internet connection and PC hardware performance.
So, in my opinion this service is a great value to any gamer who is interested in trying out games and doesn't want to invest in the cost of consoles or high end gaming PCs. If you're a parent and want a safe and easy way to allow your kids to play games, this is an ideal solution. A key portion of the service that I didn't mention yet, is that although you're online, the games available currently do not allow any cooperative or competitive playing yet. For parents, this means you children won't be interacting w/ any other users so no worry on that end. You can also look to set up parent controls if needed as well.
In my closing though, I wanted to highlight my favorite feature of Onlive. SPECTATING! Wait...you're probably thinking, "Ha, spectating already exists!" Yes, but not in the sense that you can boot up your game system, search all active games currently in session, then just join and sit back to watch. This is what you can do w/ Onlive. Its incredible. As a hardcore gamer, honestly there are days when tv offers me nothing, and yet I'm not in the mood to deal w/ any games or people online. If I could just boot up my Xbox 360, or PS3 and link up w/ a friend or random player online and just watch them play, that is all the joy I need for the evening. I hope I'm not alone in this thought. Current game spectating usually occurs for online play only, after you death or if you join a session late. Nice, but pure spectating w/o my involvement is something I'd love to see.
Gaming Audio: Halo Reach Vs Battlefield Bad Company 2
So this topic is a key one for me. Sound design and video games. I guess I can consider myself an aspiring audiophile. I know what I like, but I'm not really versed enough to really explain it all especially down to the technical aspects. However....I will work my way there, and if any of you have opinions or thoughts, contribute and help me grow.
So...for this blog I wanted to write about gaming sounds between Halo Reach and Battlefield Bad Company 2 (BC2). I've owned a copy of BC2 since it came out in March and have logged massive hours playing it online. Halo Reach though, came out just over a week ago and has been the game dominating my time recently.
On Sunday last week I felt tired of the Halo online experience and noticed a friend online playing BC2. I swapped games and joined my friends game in session.
One thing I must stress before I continue on is that I play my games using a Onkyo 7.1 home theater system. If its a quiet night and I want to play I plug in my Turtlebeach HPA2 headphones for full surround right on my ears.
Back to the gaming. As soon as I spawn, we are on the Isle Innocentes map as defenders. I spawn to immediately hear 3 amazing in game sounds. First, there is a chopper overhead flying past the island to flank us. BC2 does an incredible job of what I consider accurate sound effects along w/ the doppler effect. Next I hear the crack and whiz of a sniper bullet go right past me. Finally, a teammate beside me fires off an RPG at a distant target. All these sound effects were such a boost compared to what I was hearing in games for Halo. Its partially my personal opinion, but also the amazing in game audio design that sets a game like BC2 apart from the rest. In this case I've compared it to Halo, but truthfully they aren't in the same class.
Halo's audio soundtrack is an amazing piece of work crafted by Martin O'Donnell and his audio team. Aside from the soundtrack the in game effects are a great fit. However, this game is based on sci-fi fantasy, so as much fun as it is to play the effects are made up and likely computer generated. The vehicles are completely fictional so their sounds are also augmented or synthesized. I love the Halo story, soundtrack and gameplay, but that is where it ends and games like BC2 steal the show.
I challenge those reading this blog to try a test and see if you ears can tell the difference, and then see if you even care. This challenge is likely best experienced through some form of surround sound for you to get the best experience, but standard stereo speakers may do justice for you as well.
Try each game out. If you can, play campaign or some mode that is not fully action packed and listen for the ambient sounds in game of the local environment. Rotate your character and listen to how the game adjusts sounds based on your location and view point. Next try shooting or blowing up items in different spaces. One amazing attribute to sound design in BC2 is when firing a gun in the open there is one sound. If you get near a rock or enclosure, notice the echo effect. I've also noted the vast difference in weapon sounds in BC2, so that you may learn to identify not just the 3D location of players but what weapons they may be using in game. 3D audio positioning is key to any First Person Shooter. One of the most important factors you may never have thought about is footsteps. If you're in full combat, or in sneak attack, hearing an adversary walking by can make the difference in your saving your own life or taking someone from behind!
So...for this blog I wanted to write about gaming sounds between Halo Reach and Battlefield Bad Company 2 (BC2). I've owned a copy of BC2 since it came out in March and have logged massive hours playing it online. Halo Reach though, came out just over a week ago and has been the game dominating my time recently.
On Sunday last week I felt tired of the Halo online experience and noticed a friend online playing BC2. I swapped games and joined my friends game in session.
One thing I must stress before I continue on is that I play my games using a Onkyo 7.1 home theater system. If its a quiet night and I want to play I plug in my Turtlebeach HPA2 headphones for full surround right on my ears.
Back to the gaming. As soon as I spawn, we are on the Isle Innocentes map as defenders. I spawn to immediately hear 3 amazing in game sounds. First, there is a chopper overhead flying past the island to flank us. BC2 does an incredible job of what I consider accurate sound effects along w/ the doppler effect. Next I hear the crack and whiz of a sniper bullet go right past me. Finally, a teammate beside me fires off an RPG at a distant target. All these sound effects were such a boost compared to what I was hearing in games for Halo. Its partially my personal opinion, but also the amazing in game audio design that sets a game like BC2 apart from the rest. In this case I've compared it to Halo, but truthfully they aren't in the same class.
Halo's audio soundtrack is an amazing piece of work crafted by Martin O'Donnell and his audio team. Aside from the soundtrack the in game effects are a great fit. However, this game is based on sci-fi fantasy, so as much fun as it is to play the effects are made up and likely computer generated. The vehicles are completely fictional so their sounds are also augmented or synthesized. I love the Halo story, soundtrack and gameplay, but that is where it ends and games like BC2 steal the show.
I challenge those reading this blog to try a test and see if you ears can tell the difference, and then see if you even care. This challenge is likely best experienced through some form of surround sound for you to get the best experience, but standard stereo speakers may do justice for you as well.
Try each game out. If you can, play campaign or some mode that is not fully action packed and listen for the ambient sounds in game of the local environment. Rotate your character and listen to how the game adjusts sounds based on your location and view point. Next try shooting or blowing up items in different spaces. One amazing attribute to sound design in BC2 is when firing a gun in the open there is one sound. If you get near a rock or enclosure, notice the echo effect. I've also noted the vast difference in weapon sounds in BC2, so that you may learn to identify not just the 3D location of players but what weapons they may be using in game. 3D audio positioning is key to any First Person Shooter. One of the most important factors you may never have thought about is footsteps. If you're in full combat, or in sneak attack, hearing an adversary walking by can make the difference in your saving your own life or taking someone from behind!
Gaming Blog Day 1
So, its been a few weeks, but after my visit to the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Seattle, I realized I not only love to play video games, but I like to see how they work behind the scenes, meet the people involved, and gather up as much intel on all the hot topics and companies I can.
This blog will be my storylike adventure of playing games on a daily basis, reading up on the industry and getting involved locally when and where I can. We'll see where this takes me along w/ my friends and other possible co-writers.
This blog will be my storylike adventure of playing games on a daily basis, reading up on the industry and getting involved locally when and where I can. We'll see where this takes me along w/ my friends and other possible co-writers.
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