NCsoft To Bring Free to Play Games to PS3
From this post on NCsoft's Dev Corner, Richard Garriot discusses NCsoft's plan to build free to play console games.
PS3 NCsoft games would incorporate "traditional subscription models, micropayment systems and free-to-play games with membership options," according to the CEO.
Elsewhere in the post, Garriot indicates we might see the first NCsoft PlayStation 3 game by Christmas of next year (2008) - a product that sounds likely to be a re-use of one of their existing IPs, i.e. City of Heroes, Guild Wars or Dungeon Runners. He notes that original IP console games will take 2-3 years (i.e. 2009/2010).
Garriot also suggests that NCsoft intends to start a new studio to handle console development, but more likely is that the work will be farmed out to existing studios, not a new one.
"...We are also looking at specific projects that we may house in other studios. This includes our Austin offices or our other currently existing studios. Console game development won’t just be at one single location," he added.
Garriot hints that Xbox 360/XBLA is not NCsoft's first choice for their F2P products due to the restrictive nature of Microsoft's Live infrastructure. Aspects of my earlier post, The Economics of a Free To Play Console Game, may be relevant here as I examined the feasibility of doing a F2P XBLA game.
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PlayTeeVee Launches Free Tivo Gaming Service
An old friend of mine from my EA days today launched an innovative service called PlayTeeVee.com that allows Tivo users to play games for free on their sets. Right now it's primarily family / casual games, but I know he has plans for deeper games in the near future. I can't reveal exactly what, but it's cool stuff.
If you have Tivo Series 2, definitely check it out. It's free to play, after all.
Full PlayTeeVee press release after the jump.
EA’s First Original Free to Play Game: EA Sports Game Show
Just announced today, "Game Show" seems to be a free to play, ad-supported sports trivia game with daily streaming video content updates. But it's more than just a game as the game features a live host and prizes for the winners. Game Show launches this fall.
EA SPORTS GameShow allows participants from around the country to compete head to head, answering a series of multiple choice questions related to the world of sports. The live game show host will facilitate each session, streamed over the Internet in real-time. Questions will be presented through a variety of media, including text, audio and video. Players will also be able to track their performance instantly, with prize incentives. The online sports trivia game will also feature customizable avatars and leader boards, with call outs to regional and national winners.
For more, check out the full press release or the last paragraph of this Peter Moore interview for more details.
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