‘Strife’ Coming For MOBA Players

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Editor’s note: We are pleased to introduce veteran entertainment journalist John Gaudiosi as a new regular contributor to [a]list daily.

By John Gaudiosi

Independent game developer S2 Games currently operates the third most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game in the world, Heroes of Newerth (HON). The Kalamazoo, Michigan-based studio has spent the past two years creating what it hopes will be the MOBA to change everything — Strife.

For those not familiar with the recently flooded crowd of MOBAs, big publishers like Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (which is launching Infinite Crisis this year and already has Guardians of Middle Earth), Deep Silver (Dead Island: Epidemic) and Zynga (Solstice Arena) are chasing Riot Games. There’s good reason. Riot’s League of Legends has more than 85 million players and is poised to make over $350 million this year, according to Newzoo video game analyst Peter Warman.

Strife screenshot (click to enlarge)

“When we launched Heroes of Newerth, there was really only one other commercial title in the space, League of Legends,”said Marc DeForest, CEO and co-founder of S2 Games. “Shortly thereafter we saw Valve throw their hat into the game with Dota 2. Looking at MOBAs popularity, seeing our play numbers rise, and seeing the massive success of League of Legends,  there are a lot of other people that looked at Defense of the Ancients (Dota) and wanted to get a piece of that pie. Right now, it appears to be a fairly crowded space because a lot of people are trying their hand at it.  I’m not exactly sure they know why they want to be in it, or understand why it is as successful as it is, except that they see the success of other people and they want to get a piece of that too.”

HON has over 15 million installs with 2.5 million active players around the world. One of the advantages S2 Games has with Strife is that they’ve already done this all before. Strife will be the first second generation MOBA to enter the market.

“We consider ourselves to be a pioneer of this genre as one of the first companies to work on a standalone commercial title in the genre,” said DeForest. “We’re going to be the first company that has already released a MOBA and has performed an analysis based upon the entire education process of making and operating Heroes of Newerth.”

Part of that education process was migrating from a pay-to-play business model, then adding a micro-transactions element to the mix, and finally switching to a free-to-play business model to stay competitive in the space.

“With Strife we’re taking a clean sheet design and taking all those lessons learned from HON and bringing a very seamless free-to-play experience to people that we feel we will be able to bring significant monetization for us,” said DeForest. “We make games to have people play them, but we also need to make money. We feel Strife will handle micro-transactions in a very unobtrusive manner and give the best experience to even those people who don’t want to spend a dime on the game.”

Strife screenshot (click to enlarge)

Unlike other MOBAs, Strife is built entirely around the idea of a collective, contributing community. Predicated on creating a more connected multiplayer experience that incentivizes cooperation, Strife streamlines communication between players with innovative, in-client social systems and rewards players for team collaboration, not simply placing highest on a leaderboard. It also employs design elements that instruct and inform, providing immediate feedback for genre newcomers and veterans alike.

S2 Games has also spent time developing a deep storyline for this game, as well as rich characters with backstories. But with all of this work on Strife, HON fans need not worry about that game being shut down. S2 Games will be supporting both MOBAs.

“We feel that both games are positioned in different places in the market,” said DeForest. “We consider HON to be a hardcore game. We’re okay with it having extremely high highs and at some points having extremely low lows. We understand that’s what that game is. When we set out to make Strife, we tried to achieve those same highs, but elevate the lows in a way in that doesn’t feel so punishing if you make a mistake. Through careful analysis and being students of the genre, students of making games, and having the experience of developing and operating HON, we feel that we found a really good middle ground to create a game that is extremely accessible, extremely approachable and yet has that replayability.”

Like it continues to do with HON, eSports, or electronic sports, will be part of the gameplan to introduce the global audience to Strife. Riot Games and Valve have both had success with using big cash prizes and a sports-like season schedule to grow the audiences of League of Legends and Dota 2. With HON Tour Season 2 expanding this year, Strife will also be part of the overall marketing push for the new MOBA.

Although there are a lot of MOBAs out there now, and many more coming into the fray, DeForest believes Strife has been designed to become the most popular game in the most popular genre in the world today. Those are high aspirations for a small studio competing against much bigger companies, but that confidence comes from experience. And the first hands-on with L received positive buzz from the hardcore PC gaming press at S2 Games first-ever press event in Sausalito last week.

About the Author

John Gaudiosi has spent the past 20+ years covering the $70 billion videogame industry for top international print, online and television outlets like The Washington Post, Wired, Playboy, AOL, IGN, Yahoo!, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today Weekend, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Maxim, CBS and NBC. John currently contributes to outlets like American Way Magazine, Geek Magazine, CNN, Reuters and Fortune, focusing on the convergence of Hollywood and games as well as the intersections of technology and the games business. He is a co-founder and Editor in Chief of GamerHub.tv video and editorial syndication, which syndicates editorial content through Tribune/McClatchy and video through Alloy Digital’s Digital Broadcasting Group (DBG).

Each Wii U Sold Is Losing Money

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Many in the games industry (and the gaming community) really want Nintendo to lower the price on the Wii U console to boost sales – but that may be easier said than done, considering the company is losing money on each one already.

The latest earnings report from the company indicates that Wii U hardware sales are a major factor in its most recent ¥36.4 billion yen ($387 million) operating loss. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated that the company will “strive to regain Nintendo-like profits” in the months ahead, with a slew of new software for both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime noted back in November that “as soon as we get the consumer to buy one piece of software, then that entire transaction becomes profit positive.”

This follows reports of major retailers dropping the more basic 8 GB model of the Wii U in favor of the deluxe 32 GB edition, which sells for $349.99 in the United States. A price drop isn’t looking likely, but Nintendo may be looking at a repackaging of sorts, one that could include bundled games to help entice would-be system owners.

Source: GamesIndustry International

Carmack Joins Oculus VR

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John Carmack, the brilliant co-founder behind the iconic Doom-creating team at id Software, just added another job to his resume.

Carmack has signed on as the chief technology officer for Oculus VR. He expressed interest in the virtual headset company last year when it first began its KickStarter for funding, fueled most of his decision.

“The dream of VR has been simmering in the background for decades, but now, the people and technologies are finally aligning to allow it to reach the potential we imagined,” Carmack said in a statement. “I’m extremely excited to make a mark in what I truly believe will be a transformative technology.”

However, don’t worry about his position at id Software. He’s staying with that company as well, serving double duty. A Bethesda representative stated, “John has long been interested in the work at Oculus VR and wishes to spend time on that project. The technical leadership he provides for games in development at id Software is unaffected.”

We certainly wish Carmack the best of luck with his new position.

Source: GamesIndustry International

 

Luigi On Chicago’s L Train

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Mario seems to take the limelight with most of his games, but Nintendo wouldn’t dare forget about his brother, Luigi. He’s starred in a number of releases this year, including the upcoming Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Luigi’s Mansion on the 3DS. To promote his latest appearance in the challenging platforming game New Super Luigi U, Nintendo has reached an agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority to feature the plumber on its L train.

On August 12, part of the Brown Line will be renamed the “Luigi Line,” and a special train with images of him appear on both the inside and outside of the train. It will run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and will also have Luigi appear in person on board. In addition, the upper platform of the lobby at the Clark/Lake station is set to have stations available, where people can try out New Super Luigi U.

The extra levels are available for download now on the Wii U eShop for $19.99, though you’ll need New Super Mario Bros. U to access them. A disc-based version is also coming on August 25 for $29.99.

Source: Polygon

‘Animal Crossing’ Gets Miiverse Hub

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Animal Crossing: New Leaf is easily one of Nintendo’s most popular games to date, with thousands of 3DS system owners taking part in festivities and building their own little towns. Today, Nintendo expanded that community by introducing a new hub for the Wii U. In Animal Crossing Plaza, users will be able to post messages with screenshots across the Miiverse, the virtual world that ties Wii U users together. On top of that, QR codes from the 3DS game can be transferred to the community using an SD card, and users can interact with characters from the game.

“The second-half of 2013 is packed with great games and great experiences for Nintendo fans, from new entries in longstanding franchises to software that highlights the many benefits of connecting our hardware to the Internet,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. “We’re always on the lookout for new ways that our fans can interact with their favorite game series, and Animal Crossing Plaza extends the fun of the infectious series to Wii U.”

The app is free to download on the Wii U eShop. and Animal Crossing: New Leaf is available now for digital download or retail purchase on the Nintendo 3DS.

Wi-Fi’s Eerie Beauty Visualized

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It’s all around us, passing through us and among us — and it binds us together. No, it’s not “The Force.” It’s the ubiquitous Wi-Fi signals that form the basis for modern Internet-based cultures. These illustrations, produced with the help of astrobiologist M. Browning Vogel, show the different wavelengths of Wi-Fi as different colors overlaid on landscapes. It’s a very different way of looking at our modern world.

Source: MyDeals

Growth Continues For Tablets

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The global reach of tablet devices, like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line-up and Apple’s iPads, has expanded rapidly from 15 million in 2010 to a projected 327 million by the end of this year. Tablets have significant momentum behind them, and according to one research firm, we haven’t seen anything yet.

Analyst Forrester has provided a new report for the global tablet market, indicating that the market will grow even more significantly over the next few years. How significantly We’re talking greater than a 25 percent compound annual market increase between 2012 and 2017. Forrester states that tablets will reach – and surpass – a worldwide installed base of 905 million in that five year span, with annual projected sales of 381.23 million units by the time 2017 rolls around.

The report states that tablets are “the most successful branch” of today’s computing market, through both penetration rates and diversity of competition, with so many units being sold.

Source: TechCrunch

 

CityVille Comes To Life

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There are tons of fans of CityVille out there who have been wishing, in some form or another, that their city could come to life for real. Thanks to the good people at Kre-O Blocks, this might just be a possibility.

With help from a partnership between Hasbro and Zynga, the CityVille blocks allow you to build the city of your dreams with real-world buildings based on ones in the game. In addition, you’ll also have access to other goodies like a scientist’s laboratory and a gorilla trying to climb the side of a skyscraper.

The blocks also utilize Sonic Motion Technology, which allows certain pieces to move around in the area. They’re being offered in conjunction with the CityVille Invasion app, which is now available on Apple’s App Store.

Source: Mashable

‘Saints Row’ Developer Disliked Porn Star Tie-Ins

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When Saints Row: The Third came out a couple of years ago for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, THQ took an interesting approach with its advertising, hiring porn star Tera Patrick and various Penthouse Pets to advertise the game. It was a success at the time, though not everyone was crazy about the campaign.

Associate producer Kate Nelson at developer Volition voiced her displeasure over the advertising angle. “I did not always love how much THQ put an emphasis on porn stars,” she explained while speaking to Edge. “In Saints Row 2 and Saints Row 3, there was an emphasis on the Penthouse girls, and earlier Tera Patrick. I think it’s important in marketing games to make sure that the essence of the game is what’s being marketed, and I think that the porn star angle didn’t really fit with what Saints Row is at heart, which is a parody. We like to poke fun.”

The development team also wasn’t crazy over Patrick being labeled a “special producer” on the game.

“I think our game actually does represent women in a positive way, but the press will focus on, oh hey, there are strippers, or there’s a dildo bat – it’s unfortunate from my perspective that that doesn’t come through,” said Nelson.

Saints Row IV arrives on August 20 for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Source: Edge Online

LEGO Simpsons Play Sets Coming

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We’ve seen a lot of LEGO sets make their way to store shelves over the past few years, including countless Star Wars and Batman offerings, as well as recent pieces of coolness like LEGO Back To the Future and Lego Ghostbusters.

Now, the company may have just made its biggest announcement yet with a move into Springfield. LEGO Simpsons playsets have officially been confirmed for release in 2014, though specific play areas and characters haven’t been revealed just yet. You can bet the Simpsons clan will show up, joined by countless Springfield citizens made famous by one of television’s most popular programs of all time.

A few folks in the LEGO community aren’t too pleased with the announcement, starting an online thread in the Lego community to voice their displeasure with concerns over The Simpsons‘ somewhat mature content. However, that’s a small group compared to the large amount of people excited for the toys, waiting to get their hands on characters like Mr. Burns and Dr. Hibbert.

We’ll see what announcements are made in the months ahead. We’ve got our fingers crossed that Itchy and Scratchy will make the cut.

Source: Leg Godt