Why Sony left Vita at E3

A lot of the industry folk, especially Vita owners, where a bit miffed that Vita had such a large absence at E3. In my opinion there is a clear reason for this.

1. Sony followed MS lead by delaying the announcement of their new console. Therefore, their focus was to push that last bit of PS3 sales. This meant that they had to be seen to promote the PS3 as a console that still had life in it.

2. Gamescom proved this as much. The Vita was prominent in Sony's Gamescom presser. Gamescom creates much less public awareness compared to E3, so this was a perfect place to show it.

So to conclude, Sony did not react to the bad press about the Vita no show at E3. They had to go all out and promote the PS3 then. Gamescom was always going to be the place where Vita shone.

How to solve a problem like piracy?

An article I wrote in August 2010 looking at Video Game piracy. I hope to review this topic soon and thought it would be interesting to see my views back then.

Video game piracy is a beast that the industry just cannot tame. Many different techniques have been implemented to try and tackle this problem yet none seem to work. With pirated video games becoming more easily accessible by the day, it poses a massive hurdle for the industry and one that the industry is determined to crack. This article aims to examine the ways in which the video game industry tries to combat piracy and if those methods are effective.

Don't Punish Us!

The main thing that Video game publishers and developers must realise is that in their attempts to combat piracy they must punish the pirate without punishing the consumer. Many companies incorporated anti-piracy software onto the install disks. Consumers were getting the sense that they were being punished for what the pirates do. EA games tried to do this with the game 'Spore', they added DRM software onto the disk. It backfired and the game went on to be one of the most pirated games ever. It turned out that pirates could bypass this software protection while consumers were forced to live with it. Publishers therefore must reward the consumer for purchasing the game this can be done in many ways. They could offer money off the sequel of that game when it comes out, offer free downloadable content or offer free merchandise with every order. One of the main reasons for piracy is that people demand more for their money. More and more games are being released per year and the consumer only has a certain amount of money available to spend on video games. By offering a better value proposition the consumer is more likely to purchase the game rather than pirate the software. Punishing the pirates can be done through numerous ways but the traditional way of fining the odd pirate just does not work. Video games must play to their strengths; just recently EA games unveiled 'Online pass' which allows the consumer to enter a code to access the online play, a code is given to anybody who buys a new copy of the game. The importance of this is that people who pirate games will not be able to use one of the most important features in today's games, online play. Of course people could still pirate these games and use the online feature by only paying $10 to acquire a code; this will allow publishers to get extra income from pirates who would not consider paying for any part of the game. As another bonus Ea games will receive extra income from the used games market. Other publishers such as Activision must take note, Call of duty is famous for its online experience. If they can utilise this same method you will see people purchasing the game rather than pirating it so that they can play online.

Quality is key!

Another way to combat piracy is to simply make a good quality game with increased longevity. As stated earlier consumers will not see the value of paying full price for a game that might be great but only lasts 10-12 hours. By making a game of good quality and longevity the consumer is going to see better value and will be more likely to buy the game. If the individual were to evaluate a video game and realise it was not worth their money they are more likely to pirate the game instead of before when they would not buy it and consequently never play it, this is due to the convenience and easiness of pirating in modern times.

Platforms

Another point to consider for developers is which bit of hardware they should develop for. The Sony Playsation 3 is notoriously hard to crack and therefore pirated games can't be used on that system. On the other hand, the Xbox 360 and the Wii can be cracked by any individual who has access to the internet and a decent guide on how to crack the system. The PC needs no cracking at all and has become the pirate's choice when choosing to pirate a game. Developers should work with these hardware companies to make sure that they are hard to crack or they could look at just developing solely on the playstation 3 as long as this trade off is a viable one.

Use brand communities.

The final point that could help combat piracy is to become a publisher or developer that listens to the community. By having a community that respects the organisation the chances are they are more likely to buy the game and discourage piracy. Ways companies can do this is by regularly communicating with people on forums, listen to their key consumers and by offering incentives. These incentives can be access to Beta's or money off codes for being a member of the organisations forums or websites. More people will pirate a game if they feel the developer or publisher disregard the consumer's desires or neglect them altogether. The ability to keep connected with their key audience is a very powerful tool and should be considered by publishers who have a poor relationship with their consumers. The knock on effect could lead to greater sales and thus profit margins. If all else fails and piracy is still too high you could ask consumers what they want to pay for that game. 'World of goo' developer's 2D boy allowed consumers to name their price when purchasing 'World of goo. Although a lot of people chose to pay one penny for the game it was still a huge success. It could be said that would be pirates who had a chance to pay what they liked for the game would do so instead of pirating it.

In conclusion, there really is no sure fire way of stopping piracy. The old method of fining people randomly for downloading Illegal software is outdated and does not work. Publishers have to be creative and think outside the box, with people having less disposable income more and more will turn to piracy as a way of fulfilling their gaming desires. By using some of the methods stated in this article developers and publishers could start to see piracy for their game falling and their profits rising.

Bridging the gap between Video Games and Movies Part 2

This article aims to revisit how the gap is narrowing between video games and movies. A lot has happened since the last article on this subject. Recent releases and announcements further confirms the fact that video games can create the same emotional attachment and storytelling that movies have.

Storytelling

Storytelling in video games has a long way to go. As I said in the previous article, Video Games often don’t have a story that compels as say a Scorcese film does. There still is a focus on graphics and gameplay over storytelling. However, in recent months you can start to see how smaller games are starting to take the baton and run with it. To the moon is more an interactive story than a video game. In fact, I believe that the best stories in video games have occurred when gameplay is stripped down to the bare minimum. To the moon depicts two scientists who re-visit  an old mans memories in order to fulfil his dream, going to the moon. It has been critically praised for its emotional storytelling and how it  engages the user in the story. For a personal point of view, it was by far the most immersive story in a video game I have ever witnessed.

Think video games couldn't make your cry? To the moon might just change that.

The Walking Dead

Telltale have recently released the first two episodes of the walking dead video game. The game is a point and click adventure but with quick time events. Again, most traditional gamers would not classify this a typical video game and more of an interactive story. Telltale's execution of this series has so far been superb. As a fan of the TV series and also the games, the game tells a superior story simply because the gameplay supplements the story. For example, you may be in dialogue with a fellow survivor and a zombie might quickly disturb your dialogue and start attacking your friend. By acting quickly and using quicktime events, you can kill the zombie and save your friend. This is where I feel that video game storytelling can find its niche. I don’t think you will ever see a first person shooter that can have a fully immersive story in the same way a more slow paced adventure can. Don’t get me wrong, the traditional puzzle game and shooter might have a good story, but the adventure genre really takes storytelling to another level.

The walking dead combines storytelling and quicktime events to great effect.

Further celebrity involvement.

As a said in the previous article, expect to see more celebrities star in video games, especially as graphics and motion recording improves. At this years E3, Ellen Page was announced as the lead character in the video game ‘Beyond: Two Souls’. Having high calibre celebrities will again, help story telling and immersion as their likeness is put in the game. Furthermore, it will help bring video games in to a more mass market. Expect to see more A-list actors take part in video games when the next generation of consoles are released.

A-list actor Ellen Page will star in the new video game 'Beyond: two souls' 

So there you have it. Since my last article we have seen storytelling in video games improving to a significant extent. There still needs to be one breakthrough game to appeal for the general public to see that video games has the potential to tell stories to the same extent that movies do. That future in my opinion is not that far off. 

Coming Soon:

Why the gap between video games and movies is closing (part 2)

Why Nintendo may want to worry about the sales of the Wii U.

Stay tuned!

Why GAME has only got its self to blame

After a long absence I felt it necessary to share my views on the recent administration of GAME. Quite simply, they had it coming for a long while now. 5-10 years ago consumers were happy to shop in-store and pay a premium price. However, with internet stores such as Play.com and ShopTo.net offering fast delivery and cheaper games, it makes you wonder why GAME failed to properly catch up with their competitors.

Failure to Innovate

If companies do not innovate they will simply fail. Look at Blockbuster for example. They were the leading video game rental service until companies such as Netflix came and made the industry better for consumers. GAME were always playing catch-up. Whilst the high street was floundering, online stores flourished. Whilst GAME did have an online store, their prices were just not competitive enough. Consumers were not willing to pay for £10 extra for a game when they can simply purchase it online. This leads me on to the next point.

Digital Download

Another change in the industry GAME did not address was that consumers were more willing to digitally download their games. Previously, consumers wanted that hard copy in their hand due to trust issues and slow internet speeds. With companies such as as Steam offering a global service, consumers have quickly turning to digital downloads for their next game. Steam and other such providers offer significantly cheaper prices than GAME and more often than not, a wider selection. Consumers are starting to become more aware of the space video games take up on their shelfs so digital download seemed a perfect option.

Emergent Themes

GAME certainly stuck with their strategy but failed to realise the emergent themes in the video game market. Simply conducting market research would have made them aware that the more economically aware consumer was not willing to pay top dollar for video games when there are cheaper alternatives. GAME should have altered their strategy to scale down the number of high street stores and focus on an online store that offers digital downloads and physical copies. Many people saw GAME’s demise coming, unfortunately they did not.

Why is the 3DS struggling?

Let's face it, the 3ds is struggling. Nintendo slashed the price by nearly 40% in July amid poor sales. This has taken the industry by surprise due to Nintendo's usual dominance in the handheld market. In my opinion, there are various reasons behind its poor performance.


Market decline?
With mobile devices such as the Iphone becoming more and more powerful with every new version, developers are flocking to support the device. Combined with the hugely popular 'appstore', consumers have a huge choice in regards to what games to buy. Consumers do not need a separate gaming device now that their smartphone can do it all. The handheld gaming market is starting to become a smaller niche. The 'PSP vita' in my opinion will suffer the same fate. There is no doubt that it will have great games and appeal to the hardcore audience, however where is the value for the casual gamer? Why spend hundreds of pounds on a gaming device when your phone can satisfy the causal gamers desires? There are signs that Sony are becoming aware of this. Sony Ericssons 'Xperia play' combines  a gaming device with mobile phone functionality.

     ( Sony Erricson Xperia Play)


No Support

Another reason why the 3DS is faltering is because of the lack of 3rd party support. Unfortunately it is somewhat of a catch 22 for Nintendo. The poor launch sales means that developers will shy away from developing the 3DS until sales improve. The only way sales will improve is by producing great games. The simple fact is, the 3DS install base is just not large enough. Having said that, Nintendo getting 'Monster Hunter 4' onto the 3DS will prove to be a huge system seller in Japan.


Just another Gimmick?

There is no doubt that the entertainment industry is ramming 3D down out throat. The trouble is, the consumers aren't buying it. Box office takings for 3D films are declining along with disappointing 3Dtv sales, shows that consumers are not taking to 3D as once predicted. Although the option to turn of 3D is available on the new Nintendo handeld, does it really warrant spending money on a new handheld just for improved graphics and a 3D option?



Conclusion

It is clear to see that Nintendo rushed the 3DS. The lack of supporting titles after the launch has made 3DS sales stagnate. Nintendo should have waited until there was significant support from third parties, with games ready to be released in the months after the 3DS launch. There is still time to rectify the situation, however you have to wonder if the market is still as big as it once was. Apple are set to announce their new iPhone and it will be interesting to see if one Apple's main focus is promoting it as a gaming device.

Putting the customer first.

Many organisations realise the importance of building and maintaining a relationship with the customer however, for many organisations it’s generally superficial. They would love to maintain a relationship with the customer as long as you keep buying. Once that stops they aren’t interested. In some respects this is understandable. It costs organisations time and money to manage a relationship with the consumer so why should they do it? The answer is in the long run it still pays to do so.

We live in a networked society. Everyone is connected with each other. as such information gets spread very quickly. If a customer has had a good experience chances are they are likely to share it. If organisations can build an ethos around relationships then the holy grail of loyalty can be achieved. I am not talking about talking to a customer once in a while to make sure the product or service is okay or even setting up a forum so customers can chat about the brand or general topics. No, it has to be intertwined with how the company is run. This means treating employees like they are part of the family, and making sure you don’t squeeze suppliers so they can barely stay afloat.

So how do organisations put their customers at the forefront of everything? It’s certainly easier for some industries to implement. Industries which are heavily customer driven for example, a video game developer could engage with the consumer much more easily than a company selling wood varnish. Valve software who develop games such as Half life and Portal 2 are a company that I have studied and highly admire the way they are respected by all stakeholders. They always release a product that exceeds customer expectation (an important thing to remember) and they give of the sense that they are not in it for the money but they are in it to do something they love and therefore share their love for developing video games with customers. Public companies struggle to achieve this as they have shareholders who will always want the company to focus on short term profits.

When starting a business money should not be your main motivation. The main goal should always be how my product or service can bring joy to masses of people.

 Giving your customers a chance to feel part of the brand will create a brand community and will lead to the Holy Grail, brand loyalty.

Too many organisations either neglect their customer altogether or just make it seem like they care as it’s the status-quo. Organisations who really do put the customer first and I don’t mean by just saying you do on your website will be successful in the long run. Actions really do speak louder than words.

What are your thoughts about putting the customer first? Let me know in the comments below.