Crysis Wars Unveiled

According to EA Store, Crysis: Warhead will also contain Crysis Wars. A new multiplayer component that comes with new vehicles/weapons and gameplay modes. Would Crysis Wars/Warhead suffer the same piss-poor after-sales support that Crysis did? Only time will tell.

Ride to Hell Announced

DeepSilver has announced Ride to Hell; A free roam biker racer that is based on what 60s were all about; Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll.

Press Release:

Global video game developer and publisher Deep Silver today released early details of its very first US bound title ‘Ride to Hell’ produced by their internal development studio.

The game is set in the last years of the roaring 1960’s, a time of Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘N Roll. The biker movement, rock music and the hippie counterculture all add to the fascinating atmosphere to be experienced in ‘Ride to Hell’. Read more

82% of Consumers React Positively to Receiving In-Game Ads

You may not like in-game advertising, but according to latest Nielson study, 82% people out of odd 1,300 do; The study was conducted by IGA-Nielson and revealed measurable lift in perception from seeing in-game advertisements.

Some findings from the study:

• There is an average 44 percent increase in post-game aided recall from pre-awareness;

• Positive brand attribute association increased 33 percent across all brands;

• Over 70 percent of consumers who were most opinionated about in-game ads, felt the ads made them feel better about the brand, feel more favorable toward the brand, make them more interested in the brand, and believe the ads are for innovative/cutting edge brands;

• Over 60 percent of the most opinionated consumers feel the ads catch their attention, make games more realistic, do not interrupt the game experience, and are promoting relevant products;

• In-game ad exposures with a duration over 2 seconds, as they are measured in IGA’s in-game ad methodology, generates on average an almost 30% increase in key ad metrics, including ad noticeability +100%, recall +42%, and fit +27%, vs. ad exposures with a duration of less than 1 second

Press Release:  

Integrating dynamic advertisements into videogame environments provides brands a measured lift in overall consumer awareness and opinion of the products they are exposed to during game play according to the Consumers’ Experience with In-Game Content & Brand Impact of In-Game Advertising Study, a landmark research study conducted by Nielsen BASES and Nielsen Games on behalf of IGA Worldwide, the leading in-game advertising network. Read more

72% of US Population Plays Video Games

According to NPDGroup, 72% of US’s population plays computer/console games. This number is up from 2006’s 64% study. Half of the total gamers play online on either XBOX LIVE!, PlayStation Network or PC.

Four out of 10 online gamers are ages 2-17, driven heavily by kids ages 6-12. Kids ages 2 to 12 are driving more than 25 percent of online gaming, while 18-24 year olds only represent 10 percent of online gaming. Among those who use a video game system for online gaming, Xbox 360 is the top system used, with 50 percent stating they play games online via that system. On average, Xbox 360 owners spend the most time per week using their 360s to play games online, followed by PC and PS3 owners using these respective systems for online game play. According to the report, 13 percent of online gamers spend 20 hours or more per week on online gaming. Per platform, 33 percent of portable online gamers, 29 percent of console online gamers and 13 percent of PC online gamers are in this heaviest online gaming group. At this point in the lifecycle of today’s video game consoles, multiple console ownership is low, with only 3 percent reporting that they own two of the three “next-gen” systems and only 2 percent claiming to own all three systems. “Despite the buzz in the industry regarding online gaming, it is still relatively small compared to offline gaming,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “There is still a large, untapped market for gaming in general and online gaming in particular.”

Remember, when you run into retards while playing, it’s not your fault.

NPD Press Release 

The Lord of the Rings Online Mines of Moria Unveiled At Connect 08

Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters Online today unveiled Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online™, the first retail expansion for the award-winning massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG). Announced in Birmingham, the childhood home of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™ will expand the online world of Middle-earth to let players explore the ancient underground cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin’s Bane and more! The Lord of the Rings Online expects to open Volume II of its epic story in the fall of 2008 with an increased level cap, two new classes and the introduction of a unique item advancement system. Read more

SAGA - Fantasy MMO-RTS now live

SAGA, the fantasy MMO-RTS has finally gone live after several months of open BETA testing. The MMO is free to play, but players must purchase booster packs to continue playing. In case you’re confused, here’s a snippet from the site regarding booster packs:

Being an online game, are their any subscription fees?

No. Saga has absolutely no sign-up or subscription fees. Instead, players are required to buy their troops in booster packs. These troops remain a player’s permanent property, but can be traded or upgraded, and gain experience and new weapons and armor over time. Additionally, they can be killed, making strategy and effective use of troops essential to game-play in Saga. Players are encouraged to customize their armies from over 100 different troop types to find the combination that works best for them.

Full release notes and client download links after the jump.
Read more