The trend in the industry of online shooters often seems to be focused on expanding the number of players in a game at any given time. With the clamor for dozens of players to be pitted against dozens of other players, it may come as a shock that Respawn’s “Titanfall” is bucking the trend. The maximum player limit is six versus six. That’s right, no 64-player matches in this game. Responding to the angry tweeters, Vince Zampella explained “It is incredibly fun, we did a lot of testing. It is all about what we found most fun… We had it higher at points in testing, this felt best… A 6v6 game can be a crazy experience, very fun… It is what we find most fun. There are other games with higher player player counts if that’s your metric.” I’m seeing one vital word being repeated and I think that’s the crux of the message. If you want high player counts, look at something “Battlefield.” I’m not so arrogant as to tell a game creator that he doesn’t know how to make his game fun. If he says 12 players is the magic number for their property, I believe him.
China’s ban on video game consoles has been lifted. The Chinese government instituted the ban in 2000 citing the negative effect of game consoles on children’s mental health. PCs have been the primary source of gaming ever since, supplying a $13 billion market. The ban is only “temporarily” lifted, but we don’t know how long they plan to leave this open. Sale of the consoles is also limited to those made within Shanghai’s free trade zone, though they can be made by foreign companies. The consoles will also be inspected by their cultural departments. Responding to the BBC, Sony said “We recognise that China is a promising market. We will continuously study the possibility, but there is no concrete plan at this stage.” If you’ve got the cash to spare, I’d invest it in some console stock. Pretty sure it will pay off with this new market.
Slender Man, an internet superstar for the last few years, is making his official console debut in 2014 with “Slender: The Arrival” on PSN and XBLA. This is, essentially, the PC game with two new prequel levels. According to Blue Isle Studios’ press release they have “gone back to the brink of insanity to bring even more new content to Slender Man fans, all with a smooth layer of polish for console audiences. Featuring the hallmark terror, insanity and paranoia of the original, the latest iteration will delve deeper into the lives of those Slender Man has touched.” The console version is coming to PS3 and XBox 360 in the first quarter of 2014.
Wrestling fans are getting a new bonus on their consoles. The WWE Network will allow you to view live events like Raw and Smackdown, as well as archive footage through a streaming service. A subscription ($9.99/month) will be required. The service is expected to launch in the US for 360, PS3, and PS4 on February 24th. Services on the One, and in other territories, will be introduced periodically throughout 2014.
And that’s all for this week. Another disappointingly slow week in gaming news (except for the PlayStation Now announcements here and here), but that’s January for you.