Artificial Intelligence Has Mario Playing Himself

BY

It’s interesting to see what heights artificial intelligence has reached as of late, with programs designed to think for themselves and, in some way, provide an unusual entertainment, even if users aren’t necessarily “hands on” with it.

That’s exactly what a team at the University of Tubingen, Germany has done, creating an AI program for the Nintendo game Super Mario Advance that essentially has the heroic Mario character playing as . . . himself.

According to CNET, the program allows Mario to respond to certain vocal commands from folks as part of a play session, although it can generally experience emotions and act on its own behalf in response to certain commands and inquiries.

The program utilizes a speech recognition toolkit put together by Carnegie Mellon, which understands these commands, even though Mario can essentially make the decisions for himself.

Interacting with items in the environment can go a long way into helping with the learning process, even if it’s something as simple as jumping on the head of a Goomba.

“Mario will collect coins if he is hungry, whereas when he is curious he will explore his environment and autonomously gather knowledge about items he does not know much about yet,” the researchers stated on their website. “We have developed and implemented artificial adaptive systems that learn, develop and behave autonomously based on learning principles derived from cognitive psychology and neuroscience.”

“Meanwhile, we have investigated behavioral flexibilities and spatial representations and perceptions to verify or evaluate the developed computational models and to gain further insights on how space is perceived and behavior is controlled,” it explained.

The video below shows more of these actions in place. It’s quite unique, and it’s a curious thought to see if we’ll see this kind of behavior in future game releases.

Amazon Also Enters (Original) Movie Business

BY

By: Sahil Patel

Fresh off two Golden Globe wins for its original series “Transparent,” Amazon Studios will now start producing and acquiring original, feature-length films.

Though unlike the TV business, Amazon Studios is eyeing traditional distribution before considering its own digital video platform. According to the company, it will first distribute all projects from Amazon Studios in theaters, before bringing them to Amazon Prime Instant Video in early distribution windows.

Typically, it takes a film anywhere from 39 to 52 weeks to arrive on SVOD platforms following its initial theatrical premiere. “Amazon Original Movies” will premiere on Prime Instant Video in the US just four to eight weeks after the theatrical debut, said Amazon.

Read more…

This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.

Wii U Saw The Best Sales To Date In 2014

BY

Nintendo’s Wii U game console has been struggling for market share since its launch two years ago, and Nintendo has had to adjust to being the thiird-place seller after leading the industry with the Wii. The Wii U’s slow sales led notable third-party developers like Ubisoft and Activision to drop high-profile projects for the console in favor of the superiority of Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4; most of the major  game publishers  have  abandoned Wii U support entirely. After 2014, however, there’s a different story at hand – the Wii U has notched higher sales than ever on the heels of some key software  releases.

GamesIndustry International reported via a Nintendo press release that December 2014 has shown the best single month of sales for the Wii  U console to date, powered by a number of critically acclaimed game releases, such as Super Smash Bros., Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta 2. Specific sales figures weren’t provided with the report, but system sales were up 29 percent over the same period in 2013. Game sales also saw a big boost, a whopping 75 percent over the previous year.

The 3DS has also added to Nintendo’s success, with December 2014 showing as its biggest month to date for handheld software. Super Smash Bros. was noted as a big seller for the system, along with popular favorites like Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. As for individual game sales, Mario Kart 8, which released over the summer, sold 1.7 million units, while Super Smash Bros. was close behind with 1.3 million units.

The overall dynamics of the market remain unchanged, though, with the Wii U still trailing the Xbox One and the PS4 in sales, and the lifetime sales of the Wii U will still have to do better to avoid being Nintendo’s worst-selling console in history. Third-party support is unlikely to materialize at this point no matter how much sales pick up, so the long term success of the Wii U will be up to Nintendo.

However, one factor that simply can’t be ignored is Nintendo’s line-up of Amiibo toys, which interact with the Super Smash Bros. game, among other titles. The company has sold over 2.6 million units of Amiibos to date, and that’s just with the first two waves release. Two more waves are planned for the New Year, including one next month that includes popular faces like Mega Man and Sonic. The fourth wave is planned for later in the spring.

Nintendo isn’t wasting any time gaining steam for 2015 either. It’s planning on releasing its new Nintendo 3DS system in the U.S. on February 13th, backed by a number of high-profile game releases; it’s bringing several Wii U games out this year, including The Legend of Zelda, StarFox and Splatoon; and it’s also launched a new digital initiative that’s bringing back several popular Wii titles to the Wii U system as low-priced digital re-releases, including Super Mario Galaxy 2, which is available this week for $9.99.

Could this be the turn-around that Nintendo needs Perhaps. It’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Developer Count Doubles For New Consoles

BY

Those of you worried that there aren’t enough developers to go around for new games for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 can relax – there are plenty to go around.

The Game Developers Conference, which holds a number of game development-oriented events throughout the year, recently polled more than 2,000 North American game developers that attended last year’s show in San Francisco, in an effort to compose the third annual State of the Industry Survey. This gives the team an idea of what to expect from the forthcoming show, which is slated to take part March 2nd through the 5th at the Moscone Center.

From the poll, a few trends have been pointed out, including the rise in console game development, as well as digital and microtransaction sales.

While PC and mobile continue to be top choices for game development, both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are showing tremendous growth. 26 percent of developers stated they’re working on a PlayStation 4 game (up from last year’s 14 percent), while 22 percent indicated they’re working on something on Xbox One (up from 12 percent in the previous year). While most of these could be considered multi-platform releases, they’re still being made specifically for these systems.

PC and mobile continue to have a huge lead, though, as 56 percent stated they’re developing something for PC, while 50 percent indicated interest in a new mobile project.

29 percent of developers said that they expect their next title to be on PS4, while 24 percent swore their next project would be for Xbox One. Those are steady rises from 20 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

The report also shows that digital sales and microtransactions have managed to grow over retail, as 29 percent of those polls said they made most of their profits from direct sales to consumers through digital. 21 percent have said they make a huge deal of money through microtransactions as a main source of profit for their free-to-play games. Those are bigger numbers than the 13 percent showing sales from retail, while 19 percent didn’t see any profit at all, either working from non-profit or some other form.

The report also stated other facts, such as how 41 percent of companies stated their profits were higher for the year, a rise from the 9 percent the year before. 44 percent of those polled indicated an increase in staff as well, compared to the 15 percent that fired or let go staffers.

Finally, one in ten developers stated some interest in developing some form of eSports games, while 79 percent of those polled said they perceive eSports as a huge wave for the future of gaming. “Twitch is making broadcasting competitions very accessible, and high-profile events like EVO are getting more and more attention,” one developer noted.

Another said, “Creating a game as an eSport causes it to become a hobby and an interest outside the act of playing it. This increased engagement is one way of allowing a game to become part of a player’s life in ways that (don’t) require them to always be investing their time into playing it.”

‘Monument Valley’ Reports Massive $6 Million Revenue

BY

Mobile games are more often a success story than not, thanks to savvy game developers who know their way around promotion and engaging content that keeps players coming back for more. That’s certainly the case with Ustwo’s Monument Valley, which has triumphed in the mobile market since its release last year.

The company released a new infographic (posted below) that shows just how successful the game has become, with over 2.4 million officially sold units sold and generating nearly $6 million in revenue ($5.86 million, to be precise). This has allowed the company to make back the $1.4 million it cost to develop the game, according to GamesIndustry International.

So far, the game has been installed across 10 million devices, with iOS devices leading the way with the most installs. Ustwo reports that nearly 82 percent of all revenues for Valley were generated specifically on Apple platforms, while 38 percent of sales came from gamers in the U.S.

The game has run into its fair share of piracy and “free” issues, but it’s overcome those, with producer Dan Gray indicating that it’s not that big a problem. “The majority of those users probably wouldn’t have bought the game anyway,” he explained. “So it’s not like we’re losing revenue. And, of course, I’m sure some of those users have recommended the game to friends who maybe aren’t as tech-savvy as they are. It’s essentially free marketing.”

The company also showed massive growth with its Forgotten Shores expansion, with over 575,000 customers adding it on to their initial gaming experience.

Other stats in the infographic include the game’s financial growth over time (with sparks in sales between the release of the Forgotten Shores chapter and Christmas), as well as official sales by country, and other stats, like the numbers of totems drowned in the game (over 2.2 million) and the number of times a camera was used with iOS devices.

 

Xbox One Drops To $349 and $449 After Record-Setting Holiday Sales

BY

When Microsoft dropped the price of its Xbox One console by $50 during the holidays last year, it created a huge momentum shift that saw more business go its way, with sales tripling following the promotion. This allowed the company to go back into contention with its main rival, Sony’s PlayStation 4 console, and gear it up for a better year in 2015.

That said, it doesn’t look like Microsoft is done yet. The company recently reported that the system became the best selling console for the months of November and December 2014, even outselling the original Xbox 360 by 50 percent by this point in its life cycle.

To celebrate, Microsoft has lowered the price of its Xbox One console again, bringing it down to $349 or $449, depending on the bundle at hand. Better still, it didn’t give a date as to when the promotion would end, which could indicate that the drop is permanent.

“Building off a record-setting holiday, we are excited to announce a new promotion in which fans in the U.S. can buy an Xbox One at a special price of $349, starting tomorrow, January 16, from their preferred retailer,” said Mike Nichols, Corporate Vice President of Marketing for Xbox. “We are thankful for all the excitement for Xbox One this holiday and proud to offer more fans the amazing games lineup, Xbox Live gaming community, and continual innovation that Xbox One fans have come to enjoy.”

Along with the price drop, Microsoft released a new video featuring the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, who talks about many of the highlights that players can expect for the system this year, including its partnership with Sling TV and forthcoming game releases like Fable Legends, the recently announced Forza MotorSport 6 and the highly-hyped Halo 5: Guardians, which will no doubt be a best seller for the holidays. The video is below.

Here’s to another wild year in gaming!

Mobile Game Revenue Zooms For 2015

BY

There’s no question that the mobile game scene has exploded in popularity in the last few years, with both premium and free-to-play games making millions of dollars across the board. According to Newzoo, this could be the year that global sales from mobile games finally overtake those from console video games.

An article over at Fortune indicates that Newzoo recently raised its 2014 global revenue forecast from $21.7 billion to $25 billion, with the new total equating to a 43 percent increase over mobile game revenues recorded for the previous year.

With mobile gaming growing past a particular market, Peter Warman, chief executive for Newzoo, believes there’s plenty of room for revenue to grow. For 2014, the North American mobile market has boomed to a whopping 51 percent year over year, while Western Europe was close behind with a 47 percent increase. Perhaps the largest growing market, however, was in Southeast Asia and China, where numbers have grown a significant 86 percent.

“Despite a widely reported slump in new tablet unit sales, game revenues on tablets are growing faster than smartphones, cementing the position of tablets as a key gaming device,” said Warman. “Smartphones and tablets have given gamers two new screens to play games on in addition to their TV and PC screen.

“Because U.S. consumers use all four screens, mobile gaming does not replace console or PC gaming. Moreover, it gives gamers the possibility to play games anywhere at any time, pushing overall time spent on games in the U.S. up 40 percent in only two years.”

With that, mobile gaming will easily overtake console gaming growth, where despite strong console sales by Microsoft and Sony, the sales of console game software is still showing mild growth at best.

“Initially, online casual and social network games suffered revenue losses because of mobile games growth,” said Warman. “This year, for the first time, we see signs that it is taking its toll on the global growth of PC and console gaming.

Newzoo predicts that mobile games will generate $30.3 billion worldwide, compared to console games making $26.4 billion. That means both markets are still quite a big deal, but there appears to be a new leader in town if these estimates hold up.

North America will still see dominance on the console front, with $24.05 billion in overall game revenue, with mobile holding $7.2 billion and consoles performing with $11.1 billion. In other markets, however, things will certainly change – especially in Asia and China.

“Playing games on the TV or PC will not disappear,” said Vincent van Deesen, market analyst for Newzoo. “They are different screens, each with their own right of existence. What we see happening now is that money spent on games is gradually being spent more equally across all four screens.

“Ultimately, this could be 25 percent for TV, 25 percent for PC, 25 percent for tablets and handhelds, and 25 percent for phones. In the U.S., the percentages are 44 percent, 26 percent, 15 percent and 15 percent respectively. On a global scale, the split is closer to the theoretical situation: 28 percent, 39 percent, 13 percent and 20 percent. Time spent on games have already shown a close-to-equal split across screens for years,” he explained.

More details on the report can be found here.

Nintendo Tries Free-To-Play Pokémon

BY

Nintendo has already proven that the Pokémon franchise can be a true best seller for the 3DS handheld, as its numerous releases, like Pokémon X and Y, have sold millions of copies without breaking a sweat. Next month, it’ll introduce the popular brand to the handheld once again, but this time in a new format for the franchise – free-to-play.

Pokémon Shuffle is a new game that was announced during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct online presentation, a match-three style puzzle game that has some traits in common with King’s wildly popular Candy Crush Saga games. Players will match up Pokémon style characters as they do damage to enemies and move on, only having a certain number of lives before they’ll need to wait to refill – or pay a small fee to do it automatically.

The game’s arrival on the portable front is a push for not only the Pokémon franchise, but also for the company’s New Nintendo 3DS system, which will be making its debut on U.S. shores next month. Granted, the game will still work with older 3DS systems, so audiences that paid for previous Pokémon adventures won’t be unfairly shut out.

Nintendo has dabbled with free-to-play games before, but this is one of the first efforts from the company that revolves around such a popular franchise – and a match-three concept that directly butts heads with the likes of King’s mobile library.

This game isn’t the only one that Nintendo hopes will compete with the mobile market as far as the 3DS is concerned. Puzzle & Dragons Z has been confirmed for a U.S. release sometime this spring, combined with the previous announced Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition.

Pokémon Shuffle doesn’t have a release date yet, but Nintendo is expected to release it sometime this spring, in the midst of the new Nintendo 3DS’ arrival at retail. The game’s debut trailer is below.

Brands Hesitate Over Snapchat Ad Fee

BY

Snapchat is no doubt a popular app these days, with thousands of users engaging in a variety of conversations and sharing million of pictures on a daily basis. That has the company believing that it has a strong advertising model in place, one that could bring a number of partners into the fold. However, the process isn’t quite going over as smoothly as planned…

Adweek is reporting that the company is asking brands for $750,000 on a daily basis for its new ads. This is a little steep, especially considering that the ads won’t be on the screen permanently, instead just flashing between pictures being posted on users’ feeds. As a result, some companies are questioning the worth of such a program.

The company just started running ads late last year, starting with Universal Pictures’ Ouija horror film. It’s met with some success, but it’s left the company feeling overconfident, feeling as if it’s on the same level as a TV-style commercial space with access to millions of users.

The program has drawn in McDonald’s, Samsung, Electronic Arts and other companies, with quick videos and photos being shown in-between messages. However, with the new asking rate, some are wondering if it’s worth sticking around.

“They (Snapchat) have minimums, and they are very firm on them,” one agency executive explained when it came to the company’s approach. “From a monetization perspective, they are looking for fewer, bigger, better.”

While there’s no doubt that the ads would have huge outreach with the 100 million monthly users on the app, it’s still quite a risk, due to the lack of sophistication and limited outreach capabilities. There’s also no way to really see the effectiveness of an ad based on numbers, with a lack of age breakouts, according to the executive. “It’s very hard for marketers to get their hands around advertising that is so ephemeral,” they explained.

Universal has stated that Snapchat was a very effective part of its advertising, but the question of price still comes into play. A top executive for another major brand stated, “I’m a big fan of Snapchat, but they are going to market with rates that are significantly higher than what’s competitive out there. It is difficult to go forward with a deal with Snapchat at the prices they are quoting.”

The rate is also quite higher than what YouTube charges for its daily ads, going at around $500,000 a pop – and that’s a more effective means of advertising, with room for video aplenty compared to static ads that disappear.

“I don’t think Snapchat can get what it’s asking,” said the exec. “They’re going to have to negotiate down.”

Snapchat had no comment on the new ad rates.

Twitch Adds Music Marketing to Streaming

BY

Millions of users turn to Twitch when it comes to broadcasting their gameplay sessions and other events to a wide audience, but some were a little bitter last year when the company introduced copyright protection software that would block out audio from certain songs on their streams. However, today, Twitch came up with a viable solution that should certainly ease the tension in this area – a curated music library.

According to TechCrunch, Twitch has launched a new Music Library service, which users can use to play in the background of their gaming sessions without fear of having their audio blocked out. The 500-song collection is consistently curated, and can be used in any broadcast for no charge to broadcasters. It’s not only helping make streams more interesting, it’s helping music makers market their tunes.

The service is a win-win for the company, as it also opens up a venue for artists that are looking to expand their exposure to a wider audience. “Music labels came to us saying, “We’d love to work with you to get our music into the hands of broadcasters to help promote albums launching,” said Twitch Chief Strategy Officer Colin Carrier, speaking with TechCrunch. “There’s already a growing backlog of things we want to add to this. This is something we want to add to monthly, weekly even.”

Some strong labels have already signed on with the service. Monstercat provides a heaping dose of powerful electronic music that will help energize various gameplay sessions (whether they’re Call of Duty or League of Legends), and others are expected to be on board soon with their various offerings.

In addition, the deal could open up exposure to more artists taking part in gameplay sessions. Last month, popular DJ DeadMau5 took part in a Diablo III session on his devoted Twitch channel, attracting a large audience of viewers.

Electronic music isn’t the only focus of the music service, as Carrier is also looking into bringing various bands that focus on hip-hop, alternative rock and metal as well.

Twitch is also pushing artists to produce their tracks live and also check each others’ work over through promotional streams, as suggested on its page. This could help broaden a new music-based community for the channel, and, on top of that, expand the tunes that users can utilize on a regular basis. Interested artists with a large YouTube following are being directed to an online application to take part in the program.

While this won’t quite give users the freedom to blare whatever tunes they see fit (sorry, most of the big boys are still copyrighted), this at the very least provides a new venue for users to take advantage of, whether they’re an avid game player or an up-and-coming musician.