In honor of the game's Steam release, here is a quick video review of Mark Of The Ninja. Enjoy.

Like it or not, Square Enix's "Core Online" is very possibly how we will be seeing our games offered in the future. It makes a lot of sense to deliver games in this fashion from the developer, publisher and consumer standpoint. The biggest problem is that gamers are cynical and quick to reject any idea that comes from a giant publisher. People are quick to dismiss new ideas as an attempt to snatch some of their hard earned money away. Coming from a company that charges copious amounts of cash for iOS offerings of decade old games, who would blame gamers for their pessimism? Join us in our quest to decipher what Core Online actually has to offer, and take away, from us gamers.



How it’s good for Publishers:
Publishers have long lived and died by the “launch window”. If a game doesn’t sell well out of the gate, it’s largely considered a failure. With a service like Core Online however, they are able to receive revenue from these games in the form of advertisement s. What this means is that they are able to generate revenue where there was no revenue before. They’ve helped solve the issue of used game sales with this system as well, but we will get to that when we talk about how this is good for the consumer. A gamer could be mildly interested in a game, but never interested enough to spend their money on it. As the industry is now, that is simply lost potential. The gamer never pays to play the game, and the publisher never makes any money from that gamer. With Core Online though, they are able to satisfy the curiosity of that gamer, and potentially make a little money at the same time.


currently only Hitman: Bloodmoney and Mini Ninjas as the only titles available

How it’s good for Developers:
Imagine you’ve got a new game in a series coming out, and you are afraid it’s been too long since the last entry. You’re afraid that gamers have lost interest in your intellectual property and it’s really going to hurt the sales of your new game. Now, imagine being able to push out the preceding games in the series to the public for free! Of course the publisher would never allow you to do such a thing if they couldn’t fiscally benefit from it, and that’s where a system like Core Online comes in. You’re able to drum up interest in the series, the user gets the play the games for free, and the publisher gets some revenue from the service. That’s what we call a “win-win”.


Would you try the original X-Com for free?

How it’s good for Gamers:
The phase, “There’s no such thing as a free meal” is the first thing most people think of when offered something as generous as a free game. Core Online however is making that a reality. If you’re interested in a game, but have never really been willing to spend money to satisfy your curiosity, this is a perfect solution. Sure, you’ll have to watch a few ads, but that’s a very small price to pay when it comes to playing a triple-A game... for free. What’s even better is that it’s a digital offering. This system combines the massive appeal of free games, with the convenience of downloading a game direct to your PC. Sure you could get in your car, drive to the store, pick up the game for $20, drive home and play it…but isn’t it so much easier to just go to the site and download the game? What’s even better is that you have a choice. If you don’t like the ads, you can always just buy the game. While used games are a very important part of the game industry, a system like Core Online is a major threat to their business model.


Less more of this...

What needs to happen:
It’s easy to see the potential in a system like this, but there are also obvious short comings. One of the first things that needs to happen is how/when the ads are presented. A simple time based system can be very frustrating when in the middle of a tense situation. You’re in the middle of an intense cutscene, then the game suddenly pauses and requires you to watch an ad. It’s a very jarring effect and can completely ruin the tone of the game. These ad breaks need to be incorporated into the loading screens, between chapters, between multiplayer matches. ETC. Not in the middle of gameplay.
The next “must change” about the service is its limited library. While this is likely this is just a test to see if a system like this will even work, the true test is when the selection of games is large enough to support an actual community. If done correctly, this kind of service could be the video game equivalent of Hulu or Netflix.

The most important thing Core needs to do is bring the service to a console base. There are plenty who feel PC gaming is largely superior but the numbers don’t lie. Console game sales still greatly outnumber PC game sales and there is something to be said for the simplicity and ease that comes with playing games on a console.


Other titles are currently being prepped for the service

Only time will tell if the Core Online system will bear fruit. Honestly, gamers everywhere should hope it does. Given the odds, it can only be a good thing is this type of model catches on. While some would argue that Square Enix has lost their way in innovative storytelling (those people obviously haven’t played Neir), they certainly seem to have a staggering amount of potential with their Core Online.

You hear a lot of great success stories from the indie game development scene. It's fun to listen to these stories because they make you feel really good about this industry you've chosen to pour your interests into. The more common story is however are of heartbreak and failure. It’s easy to look at the developers like Team Meat, Zeboyd Games and Polytron and think, “I could do that. I love games and have lots of great ideas.” It’s easy to say that, but the reality of game development is that most teams will never ship their product, or their product will fail. This isn't, and shouldn't be, the end of the story. This is an article all about the hardships of game development, and why it’s one of the best things you could choose to do with your free time.


One of the Cinderella stories of the indie scene

The first thing to keep in mind is passion. To success in game development you have to be willing to put in long, thankless hours to honing your craft. Don’t think of game development as a way to make money and support your lifestyle. You need a job for that. Instead look at it as a way of bettering yourself and the industry. If you happen to make money while developing games, consider it a bonus. That may be a bitter pill to swallow for some of you, but if you’re unable to accept this fact, then maybe indie game development isn't the right thing for you. Shawn Achor says it best in his talk on "The Happiness Advantage" when he says to put your target for happiness before your goal for success. That way you'll be happy, no matter the outcome of your project.


Be happy, no matter how your project goes

Now that's out of the way, it’s time to examine some of your peers in the industry. When someone asks you, “What are some of the most successful game companies and developers in the game industry?” ultimately you think of names like Peter Molyneux, Cliff Bleszinski, Shigeru Miyamoto or the folks at Blizzard Entertainment. These are people/studios that have shaped the way we see and play games. Now, think about this; these developers didn't start off making the amazing games we know today. Molyneux didn't create “Black &White;” as his first project. His first game was “The Entrepreneur” and it sold a grand total of 2 copies. TWO COPIES! That’s a far cry from the millions he ships today. So the next time you get a little down on yourself because your game sold 20 units, realize that you shipped ten times the amount Peter Molyneux's first game did.


Despite how you feel about his work, the industry wouldn't be the same without him.

Something else to ease your pain, is knowing you’re not alone. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other indie developers out there to interface with. Just because you have a cool idea that you don’t want “stolen” doesn't mean you should shut yourself off from the rest of the indie community. Now, don’t go shouting your idea from the rooftops because someone can and WILL take that idea if it tickles their fancy. That being said, being part of an indie developer community can be of great help. Not only can fellow developers help teach and troubleshoot, but you’re also establishing friendships and business partnerships that can carry you to some great things and possibly a career.


Cliff's first game: "The Palace of Deceit: The Dragon's Plight"


Something you should keep in mind is that reviews are not what qualifies your game. Well, maybe they are... but not it's not what should define the game's quality for you personally. You need to qualify a game on more than just its review scores. You should look at how much you learned while making your game, contacts you made while promoting your game and skills you sharpened during development. If you submit a game to a site like this, and they give it a poor review score, don't let it get you down. Simply look at what they deducted points for, take note and move on. Reviewers never want to stymie creativity or passion of developers. They only want to offer constructive criticism while informing potential customers about your game. So, while review scores are nice, don't let bad ones keep you from continuing what you love.




"Raptor Resort" was a pretty bad game, but we certainly hope the developers keep trying!

Game development can be a dream come true. It's a lot of fun, you'll learn a plethora of useful skills and hopefully can make a few friends in the process. It's not for everyone. You'll need to have a lot of resolve, passion and drive to survive this industry. But if you stick it out and have your priorities in the right order, the experience is like none other. Get out there, start making games, be prepared to fail, and love every second of it.


Blizzard Entertainment's first game: RPM Racing

A quick video review for the Xbox 360 version of Tropico 3. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think! All constructive criticism is much appreciated.

Hey all you sexy readers! Looking for a good PSP Mini game to slake your platforming lust? How about “Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess”? Is it fun enough to earn that $5 that has been burning a hole in your pocket? I guess you will just have to watch the video below and find out! COMMENT!

Enjoy! Please comment if you can! Thanks!