Author Archives: 1080Partners

Mexico and Brazil lead Video Games sales

Video Games total sales in Latin America were of US$1.86 billion in 2014 and are expected to reach, US$2.7 billion in 2019, with a 8.4% CAGR according to findings of the global study “Perspectivas del sector de Entretenimiento y Medios 2015-2019” conducted by PwC.

The research study analyzed the various segments and concluded that the “traditional games” had revenues of US $1.21 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach US$ 1.79 billion by 2019.

In addition, PC gaming total revenues will increase at a 10% CAGR and reach US $920 million in 2019. This will be backed by a decline in physical PC games sales, offset by an increase in sales of digital format games.

The region share is largely dominated by two markets, which together will account for 72% of total revenue in 2019, Brazil (39%) and Mexico (33%).

The report reveals that the video game market sales globally were of US$70.78 billion dollars in 2014.

The industry growth in Argentina, in the last four years, has been remarkable: in 2010, annual sales were of only US $66 million and last year the figure reached US $124 million. The increase represents a total growth of 87% in just four years.

The report forecasts that the market will continue growing at 10.3% CAGR to reach US $201 million in 2019. Thus, Argentina will be one of the few countries in the world with a double-digit growth during the 2015-2019 period.

Via Portada-online

Telltale Games teases new adaptation project

The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Minecraft: Story Mode developer Telltale Games has teased a new project surrounding hit TV show Mr. Robot.

The popular NBC series centres around the hacking skills of lead character Elliot, played by Until Dawn’s Rami Malek.

Mr. Robot also features a Microsoft-style company named E Corp, nicknamed Evil Corp by hackers – and it is this fictional organisation that Telltale has begun spoofing.

Telltale has an incredibly busy slate right now, so the addition of yet another series would be a little surprising. Still, the developer has been known to announce projects long in advance, and Mr. Robot would fit with the studio’s focus on narrative storytelling.

Other games currently in production at Telltale include its new Batman series, an untitled Marvel game, a third season of The Walking Dead and a second season for Game of Thrones.

Beyond these, the studio has also said it is developing “supershow” projects based on a game and TV hybrid model.

Via Eurogamer

Bethesda to venture into the VR realm

The wasteland is about to become a lot more immersive, as massive post-apocalyptic hit Fallout 4 is coming to VR, alongside the recent reboot of the fast-paced first-person shooter, Doom, both from game publisher Bethesda.

Despite massive hype over virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, there’s been a distinct lack of recognizable brand-name games for virtual reality to date. Most of the games currently available are indie projects, from adventurous small teams of programmers experimenting with this new form of interactive entertainment.

This makes Bethesda’s VR games some of the first “big-name” games to come to PC-based virtual reality. (Sony has a large catalog coming to PlayStation VR later in 2016.) But the choice of Fallout 4 and Doom is a potential litmus test for traditional gaming experiences in VR. That’s because both of these games are first-person experiences involving a lot of walking and running. That kind of locomotion is standard for PC and console games, but less common in VR, where the past several years of hardware and software development have been built around divining the types of VR games that won’t cause feelings of motion sickness in players.

That means just about any VR game you play today involves standing in one spot (or physically moving within the HTC Vive’s roomspace boundaries), and teleporting around a virtual environment with a point-and-click system, rather than using a gamepad or directional controller to move in real-time. How do you make a game like Fallout 4 (or Doom) work in VR? Would the open-world experience be too jarring to enjoy for more than a few minutes? These are important questions as bigger brand-name games take the first tentative steps towards virtual reality.

Wandering the wasteland in VR

For Fallout 4, the solution chosen by the game’s developers is the same as used by most VR games — a teleport system that can instantly blink you anywhere within a few yards. The left Vive controller represents the game’s Pip-Boy wearable computer (essentially a menu system) and the right Vive controller acts as a gun. At least in this demo, the game’s pause-and-attack tactical VATS system was not available.

Strapping into Fallout 4 in VR for the first time was like taking a new look at a very familiar world, and the basic look and feel of the game’s ruined landscapes gave us a well-known baseline to judge against.

In fact, you’re actually transported to the familiar Red Rocket Truck Stop, located just a short walk from the town of Sanctuary. You’ve even got the game’s second best companion along with you: Dogmeat. As a VR experience, it was a little light on interactivity. You’re either looking at your Pip-Boy or firing your gun, which — rather conveniently — comes with unlimited ammo. Both of those were floating in mid-air, with no arms or hands rendered in. It meant while you could teleport yourself around the Red Rocket, you weren’t able to grab any of the stuff lying around, which is really almost the main point of Fallout 4 these days.

It’s also not clear how the hopping style of moving around will gel with a game world as massive as the Commonwealth, even with the existing fast travel system via Pip-Boy.

It was a quick, scripted experience, with a small group of raiders arriving in time to meet some of your bullets. The combat felt a little weak, to be honest. Limbs shot off in classic Fallout style. While the look was unmistakably Fallout, the feel was a little generic and it will be interesting to see how they address that before the final product. In all, I think the demo raised more questions than it answered.

Visiting hell in VR

Doom was a somewhat different experience. Fast paced and best played on a traditional desktop with a keyboard and mouse, the VR version feels very different. After a quick tour (via a similar teleport system) of a control room with holographic representations of the game’s guns and monsters, the actual gameplay was very simple: stand in one spot, while shooting and lobbing grenades at an oncoming horde. It’s a short-form game idea at best right now, so it will be interesting to see how this develops, or even if Bethesda takes it any further.

The choice of Doom is especially apt, as the very first games CNET’s Dan Ackerman ever tried in VR was Doom 3. This was back in 2012, on a very early Oculus Rift prototype, literally a pair of ski goggles covered with black tape, with a low-res 1,280×800 display shoved inside. Jumping into Doom 3 back then was shockingly immersive, even at that prototype’s very low resolutions and without the advanced motion tracking the current retail versions of VR headsets use. But that first-person experience was also like being on an out-of-control roller coaster, and since then much of the development work in VR has been around solving the motion problem, through position-sensing cameras and advanced motion tracking.

The VR version of Fallout 4 is coming to HTC Vive in early 2017. VR Doom may follow later, but Bethesda provided no further details on a release date.

Via CNET

Consumers want to purchase a VR set

This has been a big year for virtual reality, with two major devices having already launched and one more still to come. We’re months away from the first holiday shopping season with all of these devices on the market, and intent to purchase a VR device of some kind is high, according to a new survey shared with GameSpot.

The survey was conducted by marketing group B/HI and research supplier Listen Research. Among the 300 respondents, all of whom play console or PC games for at least five hours a week, 74 percent said they intend to purchase a VR device, while 60 percent hope to get one as a gift.

Console players are slightly more likely to purchase a VR device (75 percent) than those on PC (73 percent). Two out of three respondents plan to buy one in the next three months.

As for VR content, RPGs were the most-anticipated genre, with 40 percent showing interest in them, followed by sports games and shooters at 39 and 38 percent, respectively. Non-gaming uses were also of interest to a significant portion of respondents; 55 percent are intrigued by movie content, with 49 percent showing interest in VR sports.

Maybe most interestingly, 42 percent were “very or somewhat concerned” about motion sickness stemming from the use of a VR device. Despite this, 71 percent said that would have little or no impact on their decision to buy one.

41 percent said they were worried about spreading germs by sharing a VR device, but slightly more–42 percent–were worried about how they’d look while wearing a headset. Appearing cool is more important than contracting pink eye, in other words.

61 percent also expressed concern over the price of VR. On average, respondents said they anticipate paying $499 for a VR device, while only 42 percent expected to pay more. PlayStation VR is priced at $400, but it requires a PlayStation camera (a bundle with this and other accessories will be available for $500). The primary VR headsets for PC, Oculus Rift and Vive, cost $600 and $800, respectively.

Both Rift and Vive are already available, while PS VR launches in October. Meanwhile, Nintendo is researching the tech and Microsoft has confirmed next year’s iteration of the Xbox, Project Scorpio, will support VR, though it has not announced specifics plans for how that will work.

Source: Gamespot

Styx: Shards of Darkness – Interview by Gamingbolt

Styx: Shards of Darkness is the latest sequel from Cyanide Studio and it looks as though the team have set out to improve upon every aspect from the original. From better jumping mechanics to actual fights, Cyanide have really wanted to improve every inch of this sequel compared to the first.

GamingBolt recently had a sit down with Julien Desourteaux, Cyanide Studio Game Director and Lead Level Designer to answer some important questions we’ve been hoping to clear up.

“We have multiplayer – it’s all about improving the mechanics that we had in the first one. For example the movements are much more smoother and we added some ropes and pipes to get more ways to interact with the environment, and showcase more versatility and the feel of more danger.”

What is Styx’s story this time around? Is it a simple matter of retrieving a scepter or does he set in motion events that he’ll probably regret?

No. It’s funny because we have the trailer about the scepter – the scepter is just the call of adventure. When the heroes join the circle it’s just the call of adventure. The player will be caught by the adventurers of the special contract. You will encounter new characters; you will see a lot of different places like in Master of Shadows. In Shadows of Darkness there is more diversity within the environment; for example we have some aircraft, and then you would go to a dark elves city. It’s just a call of adventure.

What new features and mechanics does the sequel bring, especially with the larger production values to do more?

We have multiplayer – it’s all about improving the mechanics that we had in the first one. For example the movements are much more smoother and we added some ropes and pipes to get more ways to interact with the environment, and showcase more versatility and the feel of more danger. We have some boss fights – you can see one of the huge monsters which is 100 times the size of the goblin; and it’s all about playing with the gameplay mechanics we have and pushing them to the limit.

How does Styx: Shards of Darkness improve on the original game, especially in terms of the sequences that players will engage in?

In the level of the signed the major improvements are diversity in the missions. There you have some investigation to do, listen to some dialogue to learn something; sometimes we have missions where you have to be undetected. It’s all about diversity to have a better player experiences during the game.

What can you tell us about the RPG elements in this iteration?

With the RPG mechanics, we still have the skill tree. We have cloning, crafting, assassination, detection, and five or six branches. It’s up to the player to choose what play style you want to have. So by choosing a branch you set up the character. And as well we have some new powers you will have later in the game, because you will have a new material that can give you special abilities.

Is combat still heavily quick time oriented? What changes have been made to its since the base game?

We have a introduced big improvement in the combat system. In the first game when you enter combat mode, it wasn’t the players that chose to do that it was automatic. Right now it’s up to the player to choose, “I want to fight this guy – I will wait for him to try and hit me, and then I will have a small move to do to parry him. But I will not kill him, I just will stay on him a little bit so I can finish him or I can dodge him.” But you can do that with only one character. “We are not like the others because you are not a badass guy who shoots everybody when he’s detected. ”

Level design is one of the most praised aspects of Master of Shadows. Will we see the same huge levels in Shards of Darkness and how does Unreal Engine 4 help bring them to life?

Totally. I have the same team for the level design. I have the same team as the one on Master of Shadows. We know what is good in our game. We saw a few [things] that were not very good in the first one, we improved them. For example it’s much more smoother now to jump from ledge to ledge, it’s quite easy to achieve. We still kept the verticality and multiple passes.

Just everything is so much better?

Yes. It’s because of Unreal Engine 4: The shaders, technically it’s much more beautiful, and it’s better as well. We have some cut scenes in the game. It’s good for the story because we can have realization. Because in the first one the story was told through a 2-D drawing. Now it’s 3-D cut scenes because of the engine.

What is being done to fix the edge detection issues that plagued the launch of the original game?

It’s much more better right now. It will be very technical, more things that say, “can I do that? Ccan I grab that?” Now you can turn on a corner, you can jump from a ledge, it’s easier to grab an anchor. It’s much more better. It’s much more fluid. But you still need to be a little bit skilled to travel the distance. It’s not like in real life but it’s much more comfortable for the player to have this.

Medieval fantasy stealth is still pretty unrepresented despite some very good games in the genre. What are your thoughts on the same and how will Styx stand out among other stealth games?

First, you are a goblin. I haven’t seen any goblins in this area except ours. Second, we are not like the others because you are not a badass guy who shoots everybody when he’s detected. You have to flee, you are small, you have to use your special abilities. He’s fragile. So direct confrontation is not a good option in our game. It’s all about skills, it’s about not being detected to achieve that special trick. To know the mechanics, exploit them, and be creative with that.

When can we expect Styx: Shards of Darkness to release? Is it still on track for this year?

It will be released in the third quarter of this year.

Via Gamingbolt

Prison Architect sells 2 million copies

Introversion’s Prison Architect has now sold over two million copies and generated $25 million, according to the developers.

“This year’s Steam sale was the biggest ever for us and we’re astonished to be able to announce that we’ve sold over 2M units of Prison Architect on PC/Mac/Linux and generated a little over $25M,” Introversion wrote in an update.

“This amazing milestone comes hot on the heels of our PS4 and Xbox One launches last week and we can’t wait to find out how many console gamers are going to be bitten by the PA bug. Not bad for four mates from uni who made a little game about hacking…..”

The game was originally released as a crowdfunded, tiered alpha pre-order in September 2012 with the basic tier starting at $30. It was officially released on October 6, 2015. Last September Introversion revealed the game had earned more than $19 million from over 1.25 million sales.

Via gamesindustry.biz

The Technomancer sci-fi RPG unleashes its Launch Trailer

The Technomancer, the sci-fi RPG developed by Spiders Studio unleashes its Launch Trailer! The Technomancer will release today – June 28 – on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC and will be available for download and at your favorite retail store.

You are a Technomancer, a warrior with the innate power to harness destructive electrical powers amplified by cybernetic implants. Both respected and feared by all, Technomancers are trained for combat from a young age. As Zachariah, you are about to pass your initiation rite to become a fully-fledged Technomancer.

Combine three different fighting styles with your Technomancy to fight your way across the Martian deserts. But, as illustrated in our “Survive on Mars” trailer, not all problems can be solved with strength alone. Choose between combat, diplomacy and trickery to resolve quests. Gain experience to level up your character, and learn new skills or upgrade perks across 4 unique skill trees. Loot, buy and craft more powerful equipment and weaponry for yourself and for the companions you will recruit along your adventure, and with whom you will nurturing alliances, romance, or rivalries.

On the run from the Secret Police and confronted by the harsh realities of the Red Planet, you must undertake a quest that takes you through forgotten paradises, cities lost under the ice, and dystopian shanties sprawled across Mars’ dusty embrace. Faced with the cruelty of Mars’ iron-fist enforcers and alien wildlife, can you survive long enough to forge the destiny of Mars?

The Technomancer releases June 28 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

MAXIMUM GAMES REVEALS FULL LINEUP FOR THE 2016 E3

June 14, 2016 – Walnut Creek, CA & Los Angeles, CA – Video game publisher Maximum Games is excited to announce their complete lineup of titles to be showcased during this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), at the LA Convention Center in Los Angeles, California from June 14^th – June 16^th. Maximum has revealed two brand new additional titles that will be featured at the show, expanding their already diverse lineup of games: the third-person action adventure game, Troll & I, and the highly anticipated sequel to the beloved The Golf Club, The Golf Club 2.

Previously announced titles that will round out Maximum’s presence at E3 include the extreme action snowboarding game, Mark McMorris Infinite Air, the motorcycle-based combat racing game, Road Rage, and the futuristic, sci-fi adventure game designed specifically for virtual reality, Loading Human.

Maximum Games will be on the show floor at Booth #2605 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center from Tuesday, June 14, 2016 through Thursday, June 16, 2016. In addition to their full run of titles, there will also be plenty of exciting surprises and special giveaways in store at the booth. Don’t miss it as freebies will include beanies, t-shirts and much more. For attendees that stop by on Wednesday, June 15^th, a special grand prize to one lucky winner will be given out by top pro-snowboarder, Mark McMorris – a Burton Process snowboard, Mark’s official board and the one used in Infinite Air!

The following list of games is scheduled to be on display from Maximum Games:

Troll & I

[PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC – Early 2017]

Troll & I is a game about adventure, survival and unlikely friendship. Troll & I features a compelling and progressive storyline as players will control Otto, a young boy forced to escape his destroyed village, and his companion, a mighty Troll. Together, they embark on a journey through the dense, harsh and unforgiving forest in a quest to defeat the hunters threatening their homeland.

For more information about Troll & I, please visit: http://www.trollandi.com/.

The Golf Club 2

[PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC – Early 2017]

The highly anticipated sequel to the successful original title, The Golf Club 2 will continue to expand upon all of the highly acclaimed qualities the original is well-known for. Aiming to build the strongest, most accessible golf game so far, The Golf Club 2 offers multiplayer features, a new Career mode, and limitless customization, allowing players to rise to fame in a vibrant, virtual golfing community.

Mark McMorris Infinite Air

[PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC – Fall 2016]

Infinite Air is the first open-world, physics-based snowboarding video game built in partnership and close collaboration with top pro-snowboarder Mark McMorris. Infinite Air infuses the hyper-realistic experience of snowboarding with the thrill of achieving massive air in real-world competitions such as Slopestyle and Halfpipe. Players will explore a vast backcountry and compete against friends, building and riding their own terrain parks and carving first tracks in pristine powder. Featuring procedural mountain generation and a full feature editor, creationists can dive into the near infinite options to create and share their ultimate runs!

For more information about Infinite Air, please visit: http://www.infiniteairgame.com.

Road Rage

[PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC – Fall 2016]

Road Rage boasts heavy melee-based combat racing that promises a pure adrenaline motorcycle ride for all. Featuring 42 story-based missions, players must take the helm as Ace, the newest member of the outlaw motorcycle club controlling underground crime in the city of Ashen. There are absolutely no limits in Road Rage: ride through a vastly open-world environment, play 11 distinct characters, customize your bikes and weapons, and rise to the top of the motorcycle clan!

For more information about Road Rage, please visit www.road-rage-the-game.com.

Loading Human: Chapter One

[PlayStation®4, Oculus Rift – October 2016]

Specifically designed for virtual reality, Loading Human is a futuristic, sci-fi adventure that blends a deep story, interactivity and immersive physical gameplay. Loading Human is an episodic VR adventure game set in the 22^nd century. Chapter One lays the foundation for the story as players take control of Prometheus, a scientist summoned by his dying father to embark on a mission to retrieve the Quintessence, the most powerful energy source in the universe. His father’s life is at stake and it’s up to players to save him.

For more information about Loading Human, please visit www.loading-human.com.

Please visit the Maximum Games booth which will be located at Booth #2605 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more information on Maximum Games, please visit: http://www.maximumgames.com. For more information about E3, please visit http://www.e3expo.com.

About Maximum Games

Maximum Games ranks as a top 15 global video game publisher of interactive digital entertainment spanning all genres and supporting multi-platforms. The company’s mission is to provide a proven and strong hands-on approach to marketing, publishing and distributing. Established in 2009, the company was founded by female entrepreneur Christina Seelye, a seasoned executive of digital consumer products and channel marketing. Under Seelye’s leadership, the company has been recognized with numerous awards such as “Fastest Growing Tech Company” by American Business Awards, and has made the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies for the past two years. Maximum Games has offices in both the US and UK, and continues to expand its scope of global publishing and distribution via direct reach and strategic partnerships. For more information on Maximum Games, visit the company’s website at http://www.maximumgames.com.

Heart of Thorns, free expansion for Guild Wars 2

Heart of Thorns is the first expansion pack for the MMO Guild Wars 2 by developer ArenaNet.

The expansion leta players explore the Heart of Maguuma, a brand new jungle area. The Heart of Maguuma is made up of three distinct biomes, and ArenaNet says it’s one of the largest areas it ever built.

The expansion adds the Mastery system, an endgame, account-based PvP progression system. Players will earn mastery points as they explore the map, complete missions, and other activities, which they’ll be able to spend them on abilities available across characters for your PVP account. For example, players will be able to buy the hand gliding ability, and improve it to reach hard to reach locations.

It also introduces Specializations, which give existing classes access to new skills and weapons, the new Revenant profession, a new World vs. World Borderland map, and the competitive PvP Stronghold mode, where players fight for control of supplies, recruit troops, and attack the enemy stronghold.

Dishonored 2 coming next November!

This holiday, you’ll take back what’s rightfully yours. Dishonored 2, the sequel to Arkane Studios’ critically acclaimed first-person action game, will release worldwide on November 11 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Reprise your role as a supernatural assassin in Dishonored 2. Play your way in a world where mysticism and industry collide. Will you choose to play as Empress Emily Kaldwin or the royal protector, Corvo Attano?

Will you make your way through the game unseen, make full use of its brutal combat system or use a blend of both? How will you combine your character’s unique set of powers, weapons and gadgets to eliminate your enemies? The story responds to your choices, leading to intriguing outcomes as you play through each of the game’s hand-crafted missions.