The PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) has issued a few bullet point statistics from research into the status of the worldwide PC gaming market.

The group’s Horizon Report stated that the global sales of PC gaming software rose 3.0 percent from 2008 to 2009, totaling $13.1 billion last year. The industry has taken a remarkable turn towards digital distribution, which is reflected in the report—less than 20.0 percent of all revenues in the category were derived from the sale of retail boxed copies.

The report, authored by DFC Intelligence, claimed that the “high-end subscription” game market suffered from a lack of new releases and a declining number of users of older products. Additionally, free-to-play and social networking games caused PC game revenue to “decline in some markets.”

GP asked PCGA President Randy Stude, who is also a Director at Intel, if the drop in retail boxed sales worried the organization:

Not in the slightest. Piracy has forced the majority of new gaming markets to turn to new business models. The number of gamers playing non boxed games is roughly double the boxed game market. This is fueling massive growth and revenues for companies that are supporting these models. PC gaming grew 3% in a year where boxed games saw a reduction of over 10% worldwide.

In response to a chicken and the egg-type question over whether a lack of retail shelf space for PC games contributed to lower sales or if lower sales contributed to shrinking shelf space, Stude stated, “PC gaming doesn't need shelf space anymore. Digital distribution and online gaming were born on the PC and will continue growth for years to come.”

Lastly we wondered what it was like for someone like Stude—an Intel man—to work alongside competitors such as AMD (AMD Division Manager Ritche Corpus is the PCGA’s Treasurer). Stude offered:

In the PC industry we are all part of a bigger vision. With over a billion PC's worldwide we must cooperate with each other or our platform becomes stale. We sit alongside each other in a vast number of forums aligned to the common goal of growing the PC industry and continually innovating.

Educators in the United Arab Emirates are attempting to push fledgling game developers towards making more socially conscious games and now one school will be able to create such applications using one of the most powerful game engines available.

The Khaleej Times reports that American University in Dubai has inked a deal with Crytek in order to use the developer’s CryEnginge as a basis for developing Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC “edutainment” titles. UAE teachers are trying to get students away from creating violent action games in order to “create content that imparts values, culture and critical thinking skills to digital natives.”

Dr  Basel Dayyani, Associate Professor of IT at the American University in Dubai on the movement:

We are currently working on creating multiplayer games where people learn values like honesty, loyalty and helping others. Within two years we will also have developed games that will allow children to experience history, providing lessons in the Arab and Muslim culture.

In deference to games from the same genre as RapeLay, a title so controversial even the United Nations urged it be banned, a new Japanese erotic game sends up Japanese restrictions on games that contain content simulating forced sex.

Shinobiryuu, a Softhouse developed PC game of the eroge variety, revolves around several Japanese warrior clans that end up having consensual sex with members of the opposite sex, as described by the website Canned Dogs. The consensual part of the description is key, especially in light of a ban of games featuring rape by Japan’s Ethics Organization of Computer Software (EOCS).

Before even beginning Shinobiryuu, users are presented with the following declaration:

This is a declaration made with the consensus of all the characters that appear in this story.

All the characters appearing in this game have gone through special training and all actions carried out are done on the basis of mutual agreement.

Even if you’re a inhuman person who believes that fictional characters in creative works do not have human rights, please do not ignore this.

We also thank all the kind people who see a character in the story saying phrases such as “help me” and take it as a real call for help.

However, even though you are worrying for the characters in the story, these are all lines spoken from a script.

They are not saying all this from the bottom of their hearts. We are sorry that they have put in so much effort into their acting that some people will confuse it as something that is really happening.

This game is a fictional story.

Canned Dogs also has some sample character dialogue from Shinobiryuu that has a little fun with the topic. Head over to their website to read the translation.



|Via GameSetWatch|

Australia’s Classification Review Board has overturned a ban on Sega’s Aliens vs. Predator PC game, granting it an MA15+ classification.

The decision of the three-member Board (PDF) was unanimous and the game will carry the descriptor “Strong Science Fiction Violence.” The Board determined that the fantasy nature of the game reduced the impact of its violent content:

… violent scenes are not prolonged and are interspersed with longer non violent sequences. The violence is fantastical in nature and justified by the context of the game, set in a futuristic science-fiction world, inhabited by aliens and predators. This context serves to lessen its impact. The more contentious violence is randomly generated and is not dependent on player selection of specific moves.

Refused-Classification notes that this is the first successful appeal since F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin in 2008.

The Classification Board had originally Refused Classification for Aliens vs. Predator, citing violence as a factor.

Inspired by anti-war posters, Reid Kimball created a side-scrolling game for the PC echoing the same message.

The posters sparked Kimball’s motivation were created by Big Ant International, under a campaign called What Goes Around Comes Around which backed the Global Coalition for Peace. The artwork is designed to wrap around objects in order to show, for example, a soldier’s gun muzzle pointing at himself.

The game itself, called What Goes Around, is rather simple, and has players fire a Predator missile from a drone (at a UFO adorned with a turban) and then, mimicking the posters, having to avoid the missile as it loops around and comes up behind the drone. The game (7MB) can be downloaded from Kimball’s SparkPlugCreations website here.

Kimball talked about the What Goes Around on his Gamaustra blog:

I have a passion for creating games that explore more serious topics like health, the environment, human rights and war. I don't get to make these kinds of games during my day job but I hope to one day because I believe games can provide very engaging and empowering experiences for people.

In light of Australia’s refusal to classify Sega’s PC game Aliens vs. Predator, the country’s ABC News outlet ran a short video piece on the controversy with comments from everyone’s favorite Attorney General, Michael Atkinson.

The report quickly covers the Aliens vs. Predator story, noting that the game’s developer, Rebellion, will not edit the game in order to appease censors.

Gary Farrow, cast as a typical gamer, was asked about the  lack of an R18+ rating in Australia. The 42-year old offered, “We’re talking about just labeling content, so we have a fairly educated idea as to what to expect [from a game].

Atkinson’s comments on calls for an adult videogame rating:

This is a question of a small number of very zealous gamers trying to impose their will on society. And I think harm society. It’s the public interest versus the small vested interest.

Atkinson on violence in games:

I accept that 98%, 99% of gamers will tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but the 1% to 2% could go on to be motivated by these games to commit horrible acts of violence.

You don’t need to be playing a game in which you impale, decapitate and dismember people.

Australia’s Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) CEO Ron Curry was also interviewed in order to counter some of Atkinson’s remarks. He stated:

It doesn’t seem democratic that a single attorney general should be able to dictate what the vast Australian population can interact with.

The government trusts us to be adults with films, but they only want us to be children with games.

Thanks Ryan!

Looks like 2009 will go down as a record year for games Refused Classification (RC) in Australia.

Sega’s PC game Aliens vs. Predator is the latest game to be deemed unfit for release by the country’s Office of Film Literature Classification (OFLC) board. Games.On.net got their hands on a copy of the Classification report, which labeled the game too violent to receive a classification:

The Predator collects "trophies" by explicitly ripping off human heads, their spinal columns dangling from severed necks. Heads can be twisted completely around in order to break a character's neck. Eyes can be stabbed through or gouged, leaving empty, bloodied eye sockets. It is noted that a player is able to combine manoeuvres together in quick succession, which further increases impact; for example, a Predator can stab a character through both eyes with its wrist blade, and then rip off their head, with spinal column still attached. Extensive post mortem damage, including decapitation and dismemberment, is also possible.

 

Depictions of violence such as the above are accompanied by copious amounts of blood and gore, include ample wound detail and visible skeleton.

As the Refused-Classification site notes, this brings the total to six games effectively banned this year by the Classification Board, a new, and dubious, record high for a single year. Aliens vs. Predator joins CrimeCraft, Necrovision, Sexy Poker, Left 4 Dead 2 and Risen as games tagged with an RC classification.

Sega told GameSpot that they may appeal the decision:

SEGA Australia can today confirm that the initial submission of Aliens vs. Predator has been refused classification by the Classification Operations Board of Australia. We will continue to investigate all options available to us, including the possibility of appeal," the company said in an e-mailed statement.

Thanks to Ryan, Steven and Michael for sending this in!

Vision Audio Inc. has developed a PC game designed to provide assistance for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by teaching them to cope with noise while improving sensory processing.

EASe Funhouse Treasure Hunt combines therapeutic music with several different types of interactive immersion “designed to stimulate, but not over-stimulate, a child who is challenged by sensory processing and organization.”

Bill Mueller, president of Vision Audio explained, “Our goal is to balance the child’s sensory experiences. Too much stimulation can result in fight-or-flight responses. Too little stimulation and we won't get past the child's existing sensory defense mechanisms."

Those afflicted with ASD have difficulty filtering information from their environment, which can result in overstimulation, “A touch may feel like a burn, lights may be blinding, sounds deafening, smells repugnant.”

The game, recommended for kids ages six and up, is on sale for $39.00 on the EaseCD website. A demo is also available for download.

Rockstar Games’ controversial Manhunt 2 is being released for the PC this week in an uncensored version that carries an Adults Only (AO) rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Originally released in 2007 for the Wii and PlayStation 2 platforms, the title drew fire over its content and a perception that using the Wii’s motion controls to enact virtual violence could carry over to real-world violence, despite evidence that eventually emerged to the contrary.

The BigDownload notes that Manhunt 2 will be offered via the digital delivery system of Direct2Drive for $29.95. Purchases are limited to those who live in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  While Valve offers a full Rockstar Games collection through its Steam service, no mention of the pending availability of an AO-rated Manhunt 2 game can be found anywhere on their site or within Steam.

The ESRB content descriptor for the game states: “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs.”

As part of a plan to bolster its digital distribution offerings, GameStop may look to acquire or invest in an established company or service already involved in the sector.

At a recent analyst meeting, the videogame retailer outlined three ways to accelerate its digital distribution plans reports IndustryGamers: Increase in-store sales of online point cards, expand GameStop’s current digital distribution platform and make a strategic investment in or acquire a current provider of online games.

In an opinion piece in its newsletter, GamesIndustry speculates which companies/services make sense for GameStop to acquire. Metaboli, which purchased GameTap last year, might be one logical answer, as the French-based company would provide double the pay off for GameStop, offering a way into the European market in addition to its digital catalog of games.

The other acquisition possibility? GamesIndustry writes:

Unconfirmed industry scuttlebutt suggests that Zenimax - the parent company of Bethesda, which made headlines back in June when it acquired legendary PC studio id Software - is still on the acquisition trail, and has been making eyes at Half-Life creators Valve across the bar. Whether Bethesda, a hybrid developer / publisher itself, would want to keep Steam on board, or spin it out to a third party, is unclear - as are many other aspects of a potential deal…

A study conducted by Singapore’s National Institute of Education reveals that its youth rack up an average of 27 hours a week playing videogames.

The group has polled over 3,000 students during the course of the three-year study, which The Straits Times reports is still ongoing. Lui Tuck Yew, acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts was reportedly “quite surprised and a little bit shocked” at the number of hours spent gaming.

Lawrence Lee, a 16-year old World of Warcraft player, called four hours of gaming a day “nothing,” and compared the game to fledgling love:

It is the novelty, like getting a new girlfriend. You want to spend every minute with her.

Singapore has formed an inter-ministry committee to address “cyber-wellness” issues.

Read the entire scanned article at the Education Soon blog.

Last December GamePolitics reported on Pamoja Mtaani, a PC game developed through a partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive, North Carolina-based Virtual Heroes (creators of America's Army) and The Partnership For an HIV-free Generation.

The game's title translates to "Together in the Hood," and Pamoja Mtaani aims to help players learn skills to negotiate difficult issues such as crime and HIV in some of East Africa's most impoverished areas.

GP reader Wai Yen Tang dropped us a line to say that a video report on the game and how it is being used is now available on YouTube.

Usually, it's the PC crowd that gets dissed by game publishers. But in the case at hand Valve is doing right by computer gamers while Microsoft seems intent upon squeezing the last nickel out of Xbox 360 owners.

At issue is Crash Course,  a bit of DLC for the popular zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. Valve, which doesn't charge for DLC, plans to give Crash Course away to PC players. Meanwhile MS will be nicking 360 gamers $7 for the download.

Not that he has any explaining to do (although MS does), but Valve's Chet Faliszek told Eurogamer why it's happening this way:

We own our platform, Steam. Microsoft owns their platform. They wanted to make sure there's an economy of value there...

Via: The Consumerist

Here's something you don't see very often.

An unusual, religious-themed mod to Rome: Total War adds themes from the Book of Mormon to the popular PC real-time strategy franchise, reports Mormon Game Design:

Darren, from the UK, is a video game "modder." And he did his thing on Total War a while ago. He added Book of Mormon names and places to the game, allowing players to enter the Promised Land and the battles that took place between the Nephites and Lamanites! ...

 

As it is a mod, you will need a copy of Total War with the Barbarian Invasion expansion, along with the mod file provided by Darren, via the Book of Mormon Battles website...

Via: Mormon Times

The popular, World War II-themed RTS Company of Heroes is shortly to enter the Chinese game market as Company of Heroes Online, reports Kotaku.

When it does, all references to Nazi Germany will have been purged. The German side will be renamed "The Federation," while iron cross symbols on German vehicles and buildings will also be changed.

As noted by Joystiq, the ESRB is currently listing the upcoming PC version of Manhunt 2 with an Adults Only (AO) rating.

GamePolitics readers will likely recall that the console versions of Manhunt 2 generated a major controversy in the summer of 2007 when the game was banned in Britain and tagged with an AO here in the States. Rockstar subsequently released a toned-down version that earned an M (17+) rating for the U.S. market.

That was a critical milestone, because the Big Three console makers won't license AO-rated games for their systems, which makes it tough for a publisher to earn a return on its investment. That's why you don't see any AO-rated console games. While the open architecture of the PC negates licensing concerns, an AO-rated Manhunt 2 would still get thumbs-down from major retailers like GameStop and Wal-Mart.

That means that Rockstar is either planning a digital distribution campaign for Manhunt 2 or that it will edit the PC version - as it did with the console editions - to earn an M from the ESRB. Of course, there is a third scenario: Rockstar could ship an M-rated version to retailers while distributing an AO-rated version online.

We wonder how Valve might react to handling an AO game if its Steam service, which currently distributes Rockstar's GTA IV online, is under consideration as a potential digital distribution source for Manhunt 2.

The ranks of the PC Gaming Alliance have expanded with the addition of eight new member companies, reports gamesindustry.biz.

Leading retailer GameStop and famed designer Chris Taylor's Gas Powered Games studio are the biggest names among those joining the PCGA, which aims to foster PC gaming as a viable business. Others include GameTap, Howie's Game Shack and Bigfoot Networks.

GPG's Taylor (left) explained his decision to join:

I've spent most of my career fully immersed in the world of PC gaming. It's where many of the world's biggest gaming franchises were born and where much of the industry's innovation continues to this day.

 

By joining the PCGA, Gas Powered Games hopes to make contributions that keep PC gaming at the forefront of the industry, help it to overcome its challenges, and continue to fulfil its amazing potential.

GP: Gotta put this out there - Chris Taylor's late-90's RTS Total Annihilation is on my all-time Top 10 list of games...

The upcoming role-playing game Risen has become the latest victim of Australia's flawed game content rating system.

Refused Classification reports that Australia's classification board has declined to assign a rating to the game, which is being developed by Piranha Bytes. The board's action makes Risen the third game of 2009 to be RC'd Down Under; the others are 1C's first-person shooter Necrovision and something called Sexy Poker.

In the U.S. market, Risen has been rated M (17+) by the ESRB. Australia, however, has no rating higher than MA15+, which means that any title judged not suitable for a 15-year-old is effectively banned. Australian gamers have been lobbying their government unsuccessfully for an R18+ rating for several years.

The classification refusal might not be the final word, however. Risen could be edited by its creators enough to slip by Australian censors. This approach has worked for other games, most recently Necrovision.

Risen is scheduled for October release on Xbox 360 and PC. The website R18+ is a useful source for information about the ongoing Australian content rating debate.

Given the recent history of consumer-unfriendly DRM fiascos surrounding Spore and other high-profile PC titles, it's refreshing to hear from a vendor of copy protection software who is actively seeking gamer input.

While we will confess to knowing very little about a DRM product called Byteshield, we note that CEO Jan Samzelius posted in the GamePolitics/ECA forums last night:

We pride ourselves on listening to gamers and try to configure our solution accordingly... We are trying to convince game publishers and developers to put gamers first and organize everything else around it. I want to hear from everybody about what you do not like and then see if you like what our solution does.

Byteshield appears to have received positive reviews from the anti-DRM crowd at The Prism.

GP: This is certainly not an endorsement of Byteshield as I haven't tested it myself. But as a game consumer, I'm always pleased when company execs keep gamers in mind.

For today's geography lesson, we defer to Unterbahn, where Jeffrey Warren found a way to map London in Warcraft II style:

Take a look at this map of London with a Warcraft II theme; I used GSS/Geographic Stylesheets and Cartagen to create a custom map style that displays the entire world as if it were a Warcraft II level. This was done to showcase the abilities of the dynamic mapping framework Cartagen, which is open-source and runs in HTML5's Canvas element. No Java or Flash!

Via: boingboing