The rising cost of game production and its negative impact on the health of publishers has been a hot topic throughout the gaming industry for quite some time. To cope with this problem, many publishers and industry analysts have been speculating about new ways to extract money from the consumer. Third-parties have been toying with the idea of a subscription model for their online offerings, industry analysts continue to predict a rise in the price of retail products, new 'premium' services segment the market - the list goes on.
Microsoft's Activision subsidiary announced today that it is opening a new game development studio to take advantage of the huge talent pool growing in Poland. It'll be the second Activision studio based in the region, joining Infinity Ward Krakow, although this studio is, in fact, not working on Call of Duty.
The details for multiple future Call Of Duty games appear to have leaked, including a follow-up to Advanced Warfare.
Activision Blizzard ordered to pay $23.4M for patent infringement involving popular games.
I would read the article but the giant pop-ups from the top and bottom of the screen made me close it.
Without reading $23.4 million isn't a deterrent for a company that size.
Boss: Let's fire a few people to recoup on that loss.
Slave: Cortana has decided to get rid of Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks.
Boss: Let's get those Firing Letters "Copilot Approved" and send them through the power of the cloud.
Slave: Long Live Phil !!!
ALL in the room: LONG LIVE PHIL !!!!
Well another troll company with a patent trying to extort money out of companies. Seems like they’re going to try and sue everyone.
It'll only get worst once those subscriptions become realized. Imagine paying for who knows how many subs just to play online.
The mainstream is on the Wii. The hardcore will gladly pay half the price of a full retail game for a handful of maps, which is just sad...
have companies ever done some heavy lifting and inquired as to why exactly it costs so much to produce games? why, despite selling millions of games, is take-two almost bankrupt after every release?
they need to do some hardcore accounting and figure out why the eff they're losing money or find cheaper ways to produce games because i'll be goddamned if i'm paying even a penny more than $60 for games. i will never pay to subscribe to a game either. they dug their own holes, i refuse to bail them out.
gamers are also to blame too, it's not just the companies. every refusal to buy single player games or a title that has less than bleeding edge graphics is another money grab scheme thats hatched.
Subscription fees are not the right way to go, they will only make things much worse.
It's not alienating the mainstream, it's adjusting to inflation. The problem is wages don't adjust to inflation as fast. Minimum wage should be over $14/hr.