Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/119349
n n n n Gaming Game development for the PS4 is already under way for some, including Sucker Punch Productions' Infamous: Second Son title. game service and to an Ouya store for game purchases. Another big attraction, aside from its $99 price tag, is the ability to easily access the hardware for game development, without having to pay for developer kits. Is an inexpensive, independent system ready to take on the Big Three? Only time will tell, but many are betting on the Ouya, which was the brainchild of Julie Uhrman of Boxer8 and funded via Kickstarter. In fact, the fundraising goal of $8 million to spur development was achieved in less than eight hours. Another new and rather unique "console" expected this year is called GameStick, also an Android-based, crowd-funded project via Kickstarter from PlayJam, a casual games company. The new device will connect directly into a television via the HDMI slot and run Android games. It also ships with a Bluetooth controller. For gaming on the go, the GameStick slides sideways into the controller for portability to a new location, where the player just plugs the GameStick into a TV and the console is connected and ready to go. Again, the public supported this venture, as well, providing more than six times the requested $100,000 Kickstarter funding goal, and that original goal was obtained within 30 hours. To augment the GameStick, UK-based PlayJam will utilize its smart TV technology, allowing players to download content and network with GameStick users. A quote from the GameStick Kickstarter page sums up why this system has potential: "There are over 1,416,338,245 TVs in the world but less than 1 percent of them are used to play games! Crazy. We think that's because traditional games consoles and content are too expensive. So 12 months ago, we set out to challenge that by making the most affordable, 18 open, and portable TV games console ever created. At $79, GameStick offers the most affordable route to playing games on your TV." Basically, the company is following the successful model of its casual games business with its use of open platforms via Android. As a result, developers would be able to create games faster and cheaper, and this would open up game development opportunities for studios of all sizes. The GameStick has an Amlogic 8726-MX processor with 1gb DDR3 memory and 8gb flash memory, and contains a content download manager with cloud storage system for games. It also supports full 1080p HD video. ›› See a Q&A with PlayJam CMO Anthony Johnson about GameStick, accessible under "Extras" in the March-April 2013 issue box on CGW.com. Who knows more about gaming than a game developer? Nearly a decade ago, Valve Corporation (Half-Life, Team Fortress 2) un- veiled Steam, a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer, and communications platform. In essence, Steam is used to distribute games and related media online, and last year, it started including non-gaming software, as well. Steam was initially developed for use on Microsoft Windows, but has expanded to OS X and Linux (public beta), with limited functionality on the PlayStation 3 console and iOS and Android mobile devices. With such solid infrastructure in place (serving an estimated 50 million users), the next step seems almost obvious: building a game console. And that is exactly what Valve has planned. Dubbed "Steam Box" by the industry, the concept is a hybrid PC/game console. This unique hardware would be tuned to run Steam – and, in turn, the games and media already available through the robust service. All indication is that Valve will offer three tiers, or versions, of the box: good, better, best. These will be priced accordingly based on the components and geared for the casual gamer, the typical gamer, and the hard-core gamer, respectively. While the operating system is still anyone's guess at this point, there is speculation that it will run Linux and would be able to handle Windows. Portables on the Rise Meanwhile, the portables are experiencing an update, as well. More than a year ago, Sony released the PlayStation Vita, with front and rear cameras for augmented-reality experiences, and a touch screen. The device is also cross-platform compatible with the PlayStation 3, so games can be started on one system, saved, and continued on the other. However, sales of the Vita (originally priced at $249 and $299 for a Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G version, re- Nintendo rolled out its next-gen game system, the Wii U, in 2012. The Wii U GamePad controller sports an embedded touch screen, enabling users to play a game while the TV is turned off. March/April 2013 CGW0313-Game Devicespfin.indd 18 3/14/13 12:14 PM