Nintendo Sends Up Crowdfunding In Game & Wario Site

Nintendo launched an online ad campaign to support Game & Wario. In a send up of Kickstarter and other similar sites, the company has asked that fans show their support on Crowdfarter.com where visitors can “donate coins” to the game by either tweeting or ‘liking’ Wario’s daily updates.

Game & Wario is an entertaining collection of uproarious games that uses the Wii U GamePad controller in unique and hilarious ways,” said “Wario” in a release. “WAHAHAHAHA! THAT WAS MY IMPRESSION OF A SUPER-SERIOUS GUY IN A SUIT! GAME & WARIO IS THE BEST GAME IN THE HISTORY OF TIME! IT’S THE YEAR OF WARIO! WAHAHAHAHA!”

The more fans that participate in this campaign, those that participate will receive a video, wallpaper and even a ringtone with Wario’s distinctive voice.

Capcom Says Mobile Growth Slowing

Capcom released its recent quarterly financial results, saying that they expect a slowdown in mobile growth. The Japanese publisher explained that the market was to blame for the diminishing mobile revenues.

“The main reasons are the fact that the market has stalled somewhat as a result of the diversification of devices and waning popularity for certain genres of games, and a slowdown in the pace of hit products being launched in the fiscal year ended March 2013,” said Capcom. “That said, we are concentrating our efforts on business areas with sustained growth through the introduction of newly created social games and the promotion of diversification in platform games in the current fiscal year ending March 2014.”

Atari Selling Assets Separately In Auction

Atari will sell its assets separately after failing to find a bidder for the entire catalog. An auction will occur over four days and the company hopes to raise at least $22.2 million from all the bids.

Pending court approval, the auctions will be taking place in July. The company is staking out a minimum of $3.5 million for Rollercoaster Tycoon, $1.5 million for Test Drive and a mere $250,000 for the classic RTS franchise Total Annihilation.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Exclusive: Game News Junkies Have A Video Hub

By Meelad Sadat

The trajectories of G4TV and Machinima over the last decade are good indications of how gamers like to take in their video programming. The former is gone. Meanwhile Machinima’s YouTube channel is drawing audiences that eclipse cable networks, and it’s only one among a number of increasingly popular online video channels for games. It only makes sense that filmed news-style programming covering the game industry follows the same path. Enter online news video service GamerHub.tv, essentially filling the role where there was once satellite news releases, launched by veteran game industry journalist John Gaudiosi late last year.

John Gaudiosi

Right around when PS2 was setting game console install records and buzz was building for this last generation of systems, it seemed video games were headed for big-time TV. Cable giant Comcast launched G4 during that time, going on air in 2002. Other programs such as TechTV’s X-Play and syndicated shows Electric Playground and Gamer.tv began rising in popularity, and gaining muscle in the form of publisher PR-marketing support.

While Electric Playground is still around, and Spike TV has carved a niche with its GTTV show, online video nets YouTube and TwitchTV are where most people are looking for game related video today. TwitchTV has established itself as an open source video streamer’s paradise, whether it’s self-styled game experts web casting their play sessions or major game tournaments and special events drawing thousands of viewers. For more TV-style channels and programming, gamers are turning to YouTube. That’s where Machinima is thriving, and even game outlets IGN and GameSpot that previously walled their video content on their own sites have set up channels there.

YouTube is also where Gaudiosi has set up shop for GamerHub.tv.  Along with GamerHub’s video team headed by Greg Burke and Mike Wang, the channel has served more than 1,100 videos since launching in October 2012. Their content, while focused on games, branches outside of the industry. GamerHub has become a mainstay at not just major game trade shows but also big entertainment and sports events, and it frequently features interviews with celebrities and athletes talking about games and tech.

GamerHub is partnered on two fronts to syndicate its content. It works with DBG Video Syndication, which serves major TV networks and is rated by comScore as one of the top five video syndication services. Separately, its slate of content aimed at core gamers, such as reviews, previews and game developer interviews, are syndicated by Tribune McClatchy to over 300 newspapers across the country, including Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.

We talked with Gaudiosi, who both writes and films for GamerHub.tv, about his new venture in this exclusive interview.

Tell us about what GamerHub.tv and who should be using it.

While there are a lot of sites out there focusing on the core gaming audience, the biggest area of growth in video games today is in the mainstream. Because we have a lot of our editorial content syndicated to mass market newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, we target stories and interviews that will appeal to this broader audience. We also have a lot of exclusive video interviews with big name celebrities and sports athletes talking about video games, which offers another unique way into what has become a global pastime — gaming.

For games, what’s the demand out there for in-depth pieces and interviews, who’s asking for this content?  

As more newspapers are laying people off, issuing furloughs and even closing down, there’s more need for content than ever before. I started writing for The Washington Post back when I was still in undergraduate school at George Mason University. Gaming was new back then, and the paper would only devote small capsule reviews and an occasional feature. Thanks to the internet, there’s now a demand for longer-format features, reviews, interviews and gaming content, which we’ve been able to fill with a variety of veteran and aspiring game writers. We work with Tribune and McClatchy editors to keep a steady flow of gaming content to the mainstream readers of newspaper websites across the country.

What kind of stories play best, and when it comes picking interviewees, what are the right considerations to get maximum play from your syndication partners?

There are a lot of similarities between what the mass market audience is looking for around gaming content and more core gamers seek. Timely reviews of new games are very much in demand. Games cost a lot today and with the economic issues that still effect many consumers, people don’t want to get ripped off paying $60 for a terrible Star Trek video game. There’s also a lot of interest in game previews, as well as coverage of big events like CES, GDC and E3, where a lot of big news happens. With the upcoming launches this fall of the new Xbox and PlayStation 4, next gen consoles are also very popular today.

Since violence in games is frequently in the spotlight, have you run into issues with what kind of content you can syndicate? Do you have any guidelines to share on violent content?

Thanks to a solid ESRB ratings system, which just recently was awarded the most accurate and successful by the FTC of all entertainment, we haven’t run into any issues with violence in video games with our content. The ratings of every game we review are clearly stated, and we review content based on the fact that gamers who are playing these titles have to be the appropriate age to rent or purchase them.

The one thing we won’t do, which I hate to see in the mainstream media, is jump on an erroneous bandwagon that “violent video games are to blame” whenever there’s a tragedy in the U.S. or anywhere in the world. Blaming video games on the actions of a sick individual who has easy access to a semi-automatic weapon is ludicrous and it takes the attention away from the real problems in our country and others. I also think it’s strange when a “news” organization will report that some killer played Call of Duty or some other shooter. These days, with the majority of gamers playing some type of game, the fact that someone plays games isn’t a differentiator. It’s like saying someone watches movies or TV or listens to music. It’s not the cause of any tragedy.

What about the team who started up GamerHub.tv, how did you come together and where were you before?

I’ve been working with Greg Burke on the video side of the business since 2010. GamerHub.tv came about after I chose the wrong partner for my last venture, and I wanted to make sure I had people I could trust and with solid gaming backgrounds for this video and editorial syndication venture. We’ve got a great team of people and we’re churning out solid exclusive video content that I believe is on par with any of the big companies out there — and doing it in a streamlined and affordable fashion.

You have notable experience interviewing celebrities with your previous beats for Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Entertainment Weekly. Give us one horror story for a celebrity interview, with or without naming names.

I’ve been pretty lucky with interviews. Honestly, the way Hollywood works, which is the complete opposite of the gaming industry, is that the barrier through to Hollywood talent is wall after wall of publicists. While there are plenty of great Hollywood PR reps, some of them can be very “difficult.” And often most horror stories involved getting through these gatekeepers. By the time all that work has been done, the actual talent is great.

My one exception in all the years of working this beat is Dennis Miller. Back when I was new to the biz I did an on-camera interview with him for The Net. I had already interviewed Sandra Bullock, who was a sweetheart. They gave me Miller before his lunch break, and he didn’t want to do the interview. He wanted to eat. His people made him do the interview, which was on-camera. So he took out a banana and ate it during the interview, while giving me one-word answers to questions. It was very rude. And all of it was captured on camera.

Xbox One Doesn’t Require ‘Always Online’

Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox One will not require an Internet connection for basic functions like watching downloaded videos, using Blu-ray movies and playing games offline. However, much of the console’s functionality is designed specifically for the Internet and the cloud.

“Xbox One is designed to always be connected to the internet,” said Xbox U.K. marketing director Harvey Eagle.

In the realm of used games, Microsoft confirmed that it will be able to play second-hand software. However, the caveat was added that policies over how that occurs and whether that will require an additional fee for users to activate are still being formulated.

On backwards compatibility, Microsoft said that the architecture of the Xbox One will preclude either disc or downloadable Xbox 360 games from being played on the system. All music and movies will be available to download through Xbox Live, but Xbox 360 game software is not compatible with the Xbox One.

Source: GamesIndustry International

Hasbro Moves To Prevent Dungeons & Dragons Movie

While it was recently announced that a Dungeons & Dragons movie project called Chainmail was being set up by producer Courtney Solomon at Warner Bros. it may not be in motion for very long. Hasbro is asserting that they own the rights to any new Dungeons & Dragons movie and they are filing copyright and trademark infringement complaint against Solomon’s Sweetpea Entertainment to stop the announced project.

According to Hasbro, it did grant Sweetpea the right back in the 1990s to make one D&D movie, but they say that the feature rights went back to them once the titular film came out in 2000. The complaint goes on to say that two TV movies that played on the Sci-Fi Channel/Syfy in 2005 and 2012 were not connected at all to an exercise of feature sequel rights.

Source: Deadline.com

Halo TV Series Coming From Microsoft

Microsoft announced during their Xbox One unveiling that there will be a new Halo TV series. This live action adaptation will be produced with the help of Steven Spielberg.

The Halo franchise recently saw a live action adaptation in the critically acclaimed YouTube series Forward Unto Dawn after a failed attempt to launch a big-screen adaption with Peter Jackson. Spielberg has famously collaborated on game projects for years, mostly with Electronic Arts for franchises like Medal of Honor and Boom Blox.

GameFounders Looking For Gaming Start Ups

GameFounders has announced that they are recruiting new teams for the next 3-months cycle starting in September. The company is looking to be an accelerator for developers in Europe.

“The second batch is almost finished and we are ready for the applications to continue with the third one! says Kati Vuks, GameFounders co-ordinator. “The deadline is in June, but we have more time for the early applications, so they will get more attention and better chances!

Source: Facebook.com

Dark Souls 2: Namco Treating Game ‘As A Massive, Massive Triple-A Title’

The Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls releases saw somewhat muted advertising and PR campaigns in the West. By contrast, Namco PR director Lee Kirton says they are going all in for promotional efforts of Dark Souls 2.

“The good thing this time around is we’re investing more in it from a marketing perspective,” he said at a media preview event. “With Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls it was very focused, small-scale. We’re treating this as a massive, massive triple-A title.”

Source: OXM.co.uk