By Adam Sanders on November 1, 2022
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/wow-will-soon-give-players-a-3000-mount-for-free-and-its-causing-a-bit-of-an-uproar/1100-6508805/
An interesting development on the in-game purchases front. Per the linked article, World of Warcraft is now offering a once rare “mount” (in this case a dragon named Feldrake) for free. Previously, players had paid thousands of real-world dollars to obtain Feldrake. There is a whole background about a defunct trading system that was used to get the dragon, but the long of the short of it is now only a few basic steps need to be completed to get Feldrake.
The news has caused some uproar and raises interesting questions about fairness and in-game purchase systems. Why spend money on items like Feldrake if their rarity and the associated prestige could be changed at the whim of the developer? Should people who spent thousands of dollars premised on the scarcity of the item have some recourse?
In game economies are perhaps more fragile than commonly perceived.
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By Xue Zhang on November 1, 2022
I came across news about the shutdown of Onoma (formerly Square Enix Montreal), and it was surprising to me how dynamic changes can happen in the video game industry.
Founded in 2011, Onoma was known for its work on the well-regarded Go series of mobile games, which included Hitman Go, Lara Croft Go, and Deus Ex Go.
Timeline:
May 2 – Embracer Group announced the purchase of Square Enix Montreal, as well as former Square Enix studios Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal;
August 26 – the acquisition was closed;
October 3 – Square Enix Montreal only just announced its rebranding to Onoma;
November 1 – Embracer Group shuts down Onoma
One would think if Embracer Group or Onoma had expected this shutdown, they would not have made an effort to rebrand “Square Enix Montreal” to “Onoma”. However, it took less than a month for this newly branded studio to be permanently closed.
I wonder if this may be related to Bill 96 discussed in a previous post or the labour shortage in the video game industry.
Articles: https://www.gematsu.com/2022/11/embracer-group-shuts-down-onoma-formerly-square-enix-montreal-one-month-after-rebranding
https://www.ign.com/articles/embracer-group-shutting-down-onoma-the-studio-it-acquired-just-months-ago
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By Lovneet Aujla on October 31, 2022
Last week we were discussing how developers tend to emphasize their game as The (capital “T”) e-sports title; exclusivity in this context is paramount. We’ve yet to see e-sports develop in the same way traditional sports leagues have (i.e. harmonization of rules, regulations, etc.). However, one thing we did not discuss is the advent of cross-play technology which enables greater collaboration across various systems (e.g. between Xbox, PC, and PlayStation). Years ago my friends and I would have to buy the same systems in order to play together, however, many games today support cross-play allowing myself on PC for example to play with my friends on PlayStation.
Moreover, it has been rumoured that discord, a popular chat/voice-chat service on PC, is coming to PlayStation. This would further cross-play technology as cross-play party chats seem to be a rarity at the moment. According to GameRant, Discord may be available on the PS4 and PS5 early next year (see: https://gamerant.com/playstation-discord-full-integration-2023/). I find this encouraging with respect to collaboration in the gaming sphere. I excitedly await higher-quality party chat with my friends on PlayStation 🙂
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By amit chandi on October 31, 2022
I saw this clip on the weekend and thought it would be a fun thing to share. This past weekend, NASCAR driver Ross Chastain decided to “ride the wall” (please visit the link for a video) on the final corner of the last lap to slingshot himself into 5th and secure one of four positions in the NASCAR cup final. In a post-race interview, Chastain thanked Gamecube as he explained his inspiration for the move came from NASCAR 05 on the GameCube. Unfortunately, unlike in-game, real life has no “damage off” setting so his car took a bit of a beating in the daring last-lap move.
Check out the clip here: https://kotaku.com/nascar-gamecube-ross-chastain-wall-ride-xfinity-500-1849725557
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By amit chandi on October 27, 2022
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/new-esports-program-at-vimy-ridge-coaches-kids-to-compete-online-1.6126581
An interesting read I recently came across was regarding the inception of an esports training program at a public school in Edmonton. This is one of the first programs of its kind in the country. Students lucky enough to nab a spot spend their time in class in pursuit of honing their gaming skills. It’s not all simply gaming. Students in the program spend half their time on field trips, health education, training their general wellness, improving their reflexes, and learning about injury prevention. The teachers that have conceived the program view it as a pathway to jobs in esports or even as a path forward to obtaining an esports scholarship which universities are increasingly starting to offer. Further, beyond the aforementioned skills training, students also receive training for technology-based skills like programming, audio/visual design, and computer engineering. I think it is interesting to see the conception of programs like this that bring esports more into the mainstream while presenting careers in the video game industry as viable options. I think programs like these only serve to grow the appetite and viability of esports in the future.
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By Adam Sanders on October 26, 2022
https://gamerant.com/hideo-kojima-new-project-movies-video-games/
Potentially exciting news for the technophiles in the class – according to the linked article, Hideo Kojima (the creator of Death Stranding and Metal Gear) announced that his new video game will be like a “new medium”. Following the theme of convergence of mediums, he apparently stated that the new technology will change both video games and films forever.
Kojima did not provide much detail but “was clear that this project is an entirely new concept, relying on novel technology”.
He shared the news at an Xbox specific event, so reporters have theorized that the new project will be released on Xbox.
Hopefully it isn’t just hype and something exciting is on its way!
(Image sourced from https://www.ign.com/articles/hideo-kojima-new-game-almost-like-a-new-medium)
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By NY Bae on October 26, 2022
One of today’s New York Times articles discussed the decline of some of the top social media apps.
What particularly stood out was the quote: “Meta’s cash-cow social media apps — Facebook and Instagram — are in decline, with younger users abandoning them for apps like TikTok.”
So what is so great about TikTok? The article continues: “TikTok has what every social media company wants — a big, engaged user base, a format that keeps people scrolling for hours and an iron grip on youth culture and the entertainment industry.”
I’m sure many of us have noticed a social trend toward “shorter, sweeter videos.” I for one love watching “summaries” of films on YouTube; I just don’t have time to watch full-length movies anymore. Yet watching TikTok clips, I can go on for hours — almost the same amount of time as a good old movie!
Are we simply losing attention span? Or is this a psychological thing, where we think we made a more efficient use of our time (to relax, ironically) when we’ve watched multiple, short clips vs. a long feature film? Or is it just an addiction to quick and fast shorts?
Regardless, what does this suggest for video games? What are the implications for long, story-based games that take hours, days, perhaps even weeks to complete? Games that come to mind are Limbo, Little Nightmares, or Rusty Lake games. Would they die off like Facebook and Instagram and become replaced by shorter, bursts-of-stimuli games?
Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/briefing/social-media-twitter.html
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By Lovneet Aujla on October 25, 2022
Happy Tuesday Video Game Law Class!
I thought I would share this picture from the Modern Warfare 2 Beta as the full game is set to release this Thursday at 9PM. In one of the first classes we were discussing how multiplayer games can be an arena for abusive language and bullying. Call of Duty has a notorious reputation for being plagued with such issues in its multiplayer. I find it interesting that this Code of Conduct was introduced by Activision/Blizzard, perhaps as a way to combat, or at least discuss the issue.
Before gaining access to the game this code would have to be agreed to by players. As per the code, the player agrees to: (a) treat everyone with respect; (b) compete with integrity; and (c) stay vigilant. I’m curious how this Code will mesh with the reporting system in the game. Personally, I don’t see it doing much, but at the least, it signals that the company is live to these issues.
Thoughts?
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By amit chandi on October 24, 2022
Hi everyone,
I can across a few articles that are related to something we talked about last week:
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34717938/nhl-debut-digitally-enhanced-dasherboards-virtual-ads-replace-traditional-signage-arena-rink-boards
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/video-games-are-the-new-battleground-for-big-brands
We touched on how AR and VR present a new way to think about advertising. I certainly have noticed that to be the case when watching NHL games. This year the NHL has introduced virtual advertising on the rink boards. During NHL games this season advertisements on the boards rotate every minute or so. This allows the advertisements to display prominently as they often take up all of the board space and it also enables the NHL to cycle through multiple advertisers a period without the need for physical space/signage. The NHL has reimagined its in-game advertising.
Other brands are also thinking about what opportunities there are in the VR/AR and video game space more generally to advertise their goods or services. The second article discusses how fashion mega-brand Gucci has sought to advertise in the hugely popular video game title, Roblox. They set up a virtual Gucci store in the game and sell handbags to users. An interesting tidbit from the article was that there is a perception that 15-year-olds think of in-game items the same way they do tangible stuff in the real world. They see the video game space as a huge area of potential growth for marketing purposes. I wonder just how much video games will change in the future as game designers and brands look for ways to incorporate advertising in video games.
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