Downloadable Content and Piracy in Games

You like Steam. Admit it. The Valve game-downloading platform elates you and cuts out the middle-man in game purchasing. You can't get enough of it.

While nothing new (BUT WHAT IS NOWADAYS IN THE VIDEO GAME WORLD?), an examiner article cites that analysts predict that downloadable content will be the next wave in gaming.

Downloadable content has added value to many games, such as map packs for first person shooters, additional sections and areas of sandbox games and new hats for your custom fighter. Downloadable content as a stand-alone has also generated revenue for console makers, allowing them to rerelease old games for play on new systems, bringing updated versions of Street Fighter 2 or even entirely new games, like Megaman 9, to current-gen consoles.

However, one thing downloadable content adds is for publishers - protection from piracy. While many game manufacturers and console makers have continued in an escalating digital rights management (DRM) arms race with pirates who then work to crack whatever codes and encryption is put on discs and other games, companies like Valve have used the downloadable content model to protect or minimize damage from piracy.

An argument that frequently comes up in /v/ "piracy" threads is what would make it so that a pirate would stop "stealing" games. The answer to this is make the process neutral, enjoyable and simple. Going to a game store, like GameStop, involves a middle-man who frequently resells games from a business model that shortchanges both creator and buyer. Modding a system or cracking a CD allows a user to play a game for free. By forcing users to download content from the company, manufacturers create a loophole in the way games are purchased and consumed, one that forces a user to connect with the creators for validate and obtain new content as well as play games such as TF2 without the aid of "standalone" servers (as is popular... or rather, the only option for the pirating community).

DRM has been routinely considered a blow to the gaming community; it punishes only those who legally obtain copies of games by bogging down the title with extraneous software bordering on malware. However, if Steam is any indication, DRM can be more than just another speedbump for pirates to roll over.

Vidya Industry Shrinks in US

Yeah, you thought the entertainment industry was unassailable, even in recession, didn't you? You were wrong, friend.

According to a recent CNet article, the video games industry has dropped in sales by 23% over the past year, dropping below the $1 billion mark for the first time since 2007.

The article says that the fault is felt across the board from all aspects of gaming, hardware and software alike.

NPD, the group tracking most vidya-related statistics, pointed out that it was more likely lack of blockbuster games (man, I'm on fire) rather than a weak economy that was bringing the industry low, citing that the top 10 games from last year sold almost one and a third times as many units as the current top-10 list.

NPDs May analysis continues to show a trend in declining sales, which continues from April.

NYT Newsflash and Michael Jackson VIDEO GAMES

This just in: the New York Times has just discovered the iPhone plays video games.

I know it comes as a shocker, what with the iPhone video game billboards and bus stop adverts ALL OVER THE CITY and whatnot, video game app ads popping up in nearly every other form of print media and that whole "New iPhone releases being kind of Media Big Deals" (not that the story isn't sooooo last two weeks). Thanks for the breaking and relevant news, though. The best part, though? Comments from actual gaming companies:

"At the end of the day, you buy the iPhone to make calls and you buy the PSP to play games," a quote from Sony rep Al de Leon. COOL THANKS FOR THE HELP, AL.

In other news, Michael Jackson video games Wiimote PS360. Since Jackson is a popular topic, what with him dying suddenly and all, video gaming talking heads on the internet have started exploring Jackson's inclusions in the world of video gaming. Unfortunately, the above article neglects one of Jackson's easily most memorable and well-received inductions into video gaming: the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 soundtrack. Did you know the man who brought us the Moonwalk ALSO created the music for Ice Cap Zone? Samples of Jackson's voice can be heard in Launch Base Zone!

So, my tribute to Michael Jackson, Prince of Pop, the man responsible for Obama's presidency, a youtube video:

I'm an awful human and should be better at blogging

I've been doing that whole "Going to Anime Cons like a really cool guy" thing and not being a very good BLOGGER. Sorry, gents.

Things I was right about #1: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

So you know how I predicted what turned out to be Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker to be the interim tale of Big Boss between Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Metal Gear? Well, check this crazy stuff out!
Click the image to view it larger. Stolen from the Kojima Productions E3 page, which now has video of the game trailer as well as screenshots of the "Metal Gear Solid Arcade" game, which I have no relevant information about!

More E3 updates to come, though I guess most of the important stuff is already around the net. Sorry. :[

Metal Gear Solid: Rising

Metal Gear Solid prequel? Sequel? FILL IN THE BLANK SEQUENCE BETWEEN GAMES!?! Metal Gear Solid: Rising has been announced at the e3 conference. Tru faq time: it's for the 360.

What does this mean, though?

Well, for some time, series creator Hideo Kojima has been seen around 360 events, talking with people and generally having an air of rumor about him over the Tubes about the future of the Metal Gear series and possible future interaction with the XBox. Does this mean anything for MGS4 and the 360? Who knows.

What it does say is that MGS is going multi-platform in its current iteration and that Raiden is the current face of the franchise over at Microsoft. Additionally, MGS5 and Konami's PSP title are still up in the air (see previous update for more clarity on this).

Knowing Raiden is a cyborg ninja in the promo images, I would imagine the game is set between MGS2 and 4, during the time Raiden goes about searching for Sunny and transforming from blank-slate protagonist to ultra-cool future robot fighter guy. This would leave lots of room for exploration of details between games not addressed or all that important in MGS4, but still something of note from MGS2 absent in 4 (and would tie the last MGS title for the XBox to its most recent game).

But that's just speculation on my part.

MGS5: Countdown!

Ok, so I'm finally on the E3 2009 KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS SPECIAL SITE. It's just "english" or "japanese" and the field scene from the loading screen. Cool story so far, right? Yeah, cool story, Psycho Mantis.

Next, asked to enter my birthdate. You know, because MGS games are rated M for Mature gamers, such as myself. No strange occurrences so far, the site is working after about an hour of "KOJIMA'S NEXT TITLE IS PAGE LOAD ERROR."

The main page is similar to the MGS4 preview page from waaaaay back when (and is probably an awful point of comparison as no one likely remembers it at all); access to content is limited based mostly on what's been shown at e3. "Mask" and "Metal Gear Solid: Rising" are the only previews available on the main page.

Clicking the Rising image just loads a larger "poster" of the image. There is room to its right for more images to pop up as, I'm assuming, the convention goes on. Clicking the "Mask" button loads a new tab, which quickly showed further development plans for "Page Load Error" from Kojima Productions! So, I guess I'll have more when the page updates (works)!

Update: The mask page is just an image of a mask with some orchestral music playing. I'm guessing more updates will come to/about the page when more is shown at e3 or at some point afterward!