Game Rentals are Killing Developer Sales

Blockbuster. RedBox. GameFly.  All these videogame rental venues have an unfortunate consequence for developers:  they don’t make them any money. 

Used games come at a fraction of the initial retail price.  Once a game is traded into a retailer, it profits no money toward the companies that produced and distributed the game.  All the money for used game sales goes to the retailer.  This is convenient and economically practical for avid gamers, as today’s games are more expensive than ever, and new titles are released multiple times a week.

At $60 plus tax for each new game release, gamers are more frequently trading in old games or renting in order to save some cash.

So, while gamers can save a few bucks by doing this, it’s also providing companies a reason to sell more new copies.

In the past couple of years, downloadable content has become ever-popular.  Games are more frequently being released with “online pass” codes that are only available for new copies. 

Although frustrating for those that can’t afford hundreds of dollars a week in new games, this method of “exclusive content” is a way for companies to generate more revenue while discouraging the sales of used copies.

If consumers can’t afford it, they won’t buy it.  Maybe if games weren’t so expensive, companies would see more new purchases and less trade-ins.

Killing Floor

Killing Floor is a cooperative, survival-horror shooter developed and published by Tripwire Interactive.  It runs on the heavily modified Unreal Engine 2.5, and is only playable on PC and Mac.

 It was released May 2009, and was one of the highest-selling games on Steam shortly after its release.  It is currently available on Steam's Summer Deal for $7.50.  This amazing deal comes complete with all the additional content (DLC) offered, including all the character costume packs for significantly reduced prices.

The basis of this game's appeal is in its simplicity.  You can't help but enjoy it, despite its miniscule redundancies and obvious imperfections.  Players find a server, team up, and commence through ten waves of increasingly difficult fights, culminating in a fight with the top specimen, the 'Patriarch'.

On the surface, Killing Floor appears to have much in common with Nazi-Zombies from the Call of Duty series.  The 'zombies' (specimens) can sniff you out - wherever you hide, and it's up to you and your teammates to formulate a survivable strategy.

Players earn money by defeating zombies and surviving waves.  Between each wave, a trader offers some assistance in the form of flamethrowers, shotguns, shields, grenades, and an assortment of automatic rifles.  Players are able to 'trade' their money for more advanced and practical weaponry, in order to even the odds.  Players can also trade equipment, in order to keep the teams' weaker links goal oriented and ready to assist.

Killing Floor has won several awards since its release.  Voodoo Extreme's Reader Choice Awards nominated the game 'Overall Best PC Game of 2009', 'Best PC Shooter of 2009', and 'Best PC Game Expansion of 2009'.

Steam's Summer Sale will not be going on much longer, so I urge game fanatics to take advantage of their exceptional deals.  With some games discounted as much as 80%, Steam is truly setting high standards for competition.  While consoles are breaking the bank and picking the pockets of their devoted customers, the Steam powerhouse is providing more fun at considerably less expense.

Team Fortress' Uber Update

Team Fortress 2 has become a supremely renowned first-person shooter.  Developed by Valve and released almost 4 years ago, it still has a tremendous following.   This is due, in part, to the plethora of updates and additional content that TF2 has seen since its release.

With an update agenda that is second to none, the cartoon-influenced, Steam-powered multiplayer action is persistently being overhauled with supplementary features like weapons, wardrobes and abilities.  The gameplay has truly changed dramatically, for better or worse, in the past 4 years.

Valve recently announced an Uber update that is described as "the most ambitious update in the history of Team Fortress 2".  Complete with new maps and class packs (including new weapons and attire), this is sure to rebound disenfranchised players and garner a whole new demographic!  Can the popularity of this game hold strong for another four years?

Heart of the Swarm

Heart of the Swarm is an upcoming expansion to be released for StarCraft 2.  It includes the 2nd of 3 campaigns, following the Wings of Liberty expansion, and will precede the Legacy of the Void.

It is set for an as of yet unannounced 2011 release.  It will feature new characters, skills, and a refreshingly unique campaign, with 20 new missions.

StarCraft II:  Wings of Liberty holds the record for the fastest-selling strategy game, totalling more than a million units in one day.  If the fans were pleased enough, then Blizzard should expect to break that record.

Hunted: The Demon's Forge

Hunted:  The Demon's Forge is a co-op action game developed by inXile Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks.  It is a multi-platform, third-person co-op action fantasy powered by the Unreal Engine 3.

Check out the E3 2010 Trailer!

The game is set to release May 31.  The game will feature tactical mechanics and two-man strategies, with the players abilities and skills designed to work together.

The gameplay will feature Baldur's Gate-style action; complete with dark magic, dungeons, skeleton warriors, and endless hordes of evil minions.  However, the perspective is similar to Resident Evil 5.  Overall, it looks like it would be fun if you had someone to play with, either on the same console or over a network.

Monday Night Combat: All Week Long!

Monday Night Combat (MNC) is an increasingly popular third-person shooter published by Microsoft. available on X-Box Live Arcade and PC's Steam Network.  It was developed by Uber Entertainment, and released August 11, 2010.

Monday Night Combat begs the question:  What is the future of competitive gaming?  Well..  it's lethal.  It's class-based.  And it's kill or be killed.  It fuses the fast-paced, class-based shooting of Team Fortress 2 with the strategic macromanagement of any Tower Defense game.  It offers "gameshow-like challenges and rewards to produce an action experience unlike any other".  The cartoon-style gameplay offers a stark contrast to the multitude of more realistic war-time shooters.

Be A Hero.... Battlefield Heroes

In 1982, Trip Hawkins founded Electronic Arts, an American video game developer, marketer, and publisher.  By 2000, they were one of the major third party video game publishers.
They run the gambit of video game genres;  from Adventure Pinball to Zany Golf,  Tiger Woods to Space Hulk, you'll be hard pressed to find a genre that doesn't involve EA.