Video Gaming

Games, Persistence, The Cloud, The Future

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If you play MMOs, if you're using cloud storage for games (as we're moving towards), think for a moment how long a "game" will survive.  Your collection of memory sticks and outdated save cards is nothing compared to the way gaming is going.  I see it entirely possible that game data will survive for years, for more than a decade, in some situations.

This likely possibility is something those of us who play and make games and media should be seriously considering.

  • MMO's will have to decide what to do with old data – and also the fact that each inactive account may yet become income producing.
  • If anyone remembers the way some Metal Gear games used save files, those old save files could be used in so many ways in other games – or sequels.
  • What happens when a game gets re-released?  What do you do with save files floating around in the cloud?
  • When a game gets a sequel/spinoff years later after whatever legal/ethical/company fooaraw delays it save files that can be used for extras, bonuses, etc. may still be out there.
  • With all the ways to use old save and game information, what are the legal limits of what data you can use?
  • * What legal rights does a company have to use data saved under previous games?

If you're a programmer or producer in gaming, a lot of potential opportunities and challenges are coming just due to sheer persistence of data.  Some of these could be trouble – and many could be opportunities.

– Steven Savage

 

Career-relevant news in gaming!

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Career Alert: A new game site appears to be in the works. Start looking people – it seems the folks at Vox Media's been grabbing talent. You might find some oppose here.

Takeaways:

  • Vox has a past history of making things work – this may succeed.
  • A success may be especially bad for kotaku, in my opinion, which seems to have become "lamer" content wise (and they just lost some of their talent).
  • There may be job opportunities here.

Gaikai lines up more partnerships, showing the major rival to OnLive has major plans. Though I'm not sure that Best Buy partnership is going to last long-term.

Gaikai has a lot of ambition and one gutsy founder, and a deadline – new demos deployed on the web in 2012. Ambitious. Intriguing, and they're building some big partnerships.

Takeaways:

  • Have you sent them a resume? They are hiring.
  • This is not just an "OnLive" competitor – these people do streaming. Much like OnLive they can become a Netflix competitor.
  • The web-embed technology gives them a chance to reach people and provide more services. They may make some deals that may not have them being public – but their technology will be.

– Steven Savage

Must Read: An Examination of GameStop’s Present And Future

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We wonder how GameStop is going to survive in the digital economy. We wish someone would examine that.

Oh, wait, someone has.

The article's definitely worth reading as it goes into the value provided to companies, gamers, and more by the GameStop model. It also shows how GameStop is really "partnered" with big names.

There's also a few suprises (like hardware is the least profitable sector of the GameStop world), and some warnings (it looks like no matter what, GameStop is going to take some hit in the future).

Worth your time.

My takes? Well hey, don't these always come up?

  • As noted at some point, I think Game Stop has to take a hit – DLC is going to cut into their profit margins at some points. They might even be delaying the inevitable for now, but it's coming.
  • Frankly they're the only game in town that can manage to be a "game store" which gives them powerful mindshare and pull. I think they'll survive.
  • To survive they will, at some point, have to keep diversifying or scale back. This may provide you an opportunity career-wise (or a reason to leave).
  • I would consider it possible, if unlikely, some big name may just buy GameStop and incorporate it into a larger effort – that's a mighty big footprint to get.
  • A partnership of some kind could pay off for GameStop. It may sound crazy, but what could they do working with Steam, OnLive, etc.?

– Steven Savage