Digital Distribution in Gaming

Penny Arcade, a web comic centered around video games, announced yesterday that they are partnering with game developer Hothead Games to launch a digital distribution service for indie game developers called Greenhouse. Hothead are also developing the Penny Arcade game called "Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness." The game is going to be an RPG with theie brand of humor mixed in. It will launch on PC, Mac, and Windows simultaneously through their new service. What's interesting is that you will download one key and be able to play the game on any of the platforms. You do not need to re-buy or re-download the game if you want to have in on your Mac instead of your PC, just copy it over and you're all set. This interests me because I have a mac, not a PC, and am always seeing interesting games come out on the PC and not on the Mac, or if they are on the mac then they come out a year later. I like seeing when games get simultaneous releases across all platforms. The only other game I've seen do this is Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PS3, it will be released in every region on the same day, which is very uncommon. The Penny Arcade guys will serve as a sort of editorial board for the games they put on the site, kind of a way to show the community the games they're interested in or that they recommend.

In an interview with Wired they mentioned how the game will most likely not appear in a Gamestop. They tried to ink a deal with Gamestop but Gamestop wasn't happy that the game would appear online first, and if that was the case, they wanted a share of those profits as well. The guys said "No thanks" and are keeping it online only for the time being. This is good for gamers because the game is being presented as episodic content, and the first release will only be the first episode. As soon as new episodes are released you just log into Greenhouse and download it. There is a screen shot below taken from the Wired article, the style of the game looks just like the comic if you haven't seen one of them. I'm big into collecting and like to have the cases for the games I own displayed on my shelf, but if this is a franchise I'm going to be buying constantly then I think I'll enjoy the benefit of just downloading it and playing it. For a game like this, this model works, If Nintendo said they were only releasing Super Mario Galaxy online then I would be a little upset.


EA, one of the biggest 3rd party developers in gaming, is also playing an interesting part in the role of digital distribution in gaming by releasing there new multiplayer shooter, Battlefield Heroes, online only, playable in your web browser, and for free. This is a first for a major studio like EA. The game will play just like there other battlefield games, and like most multiplayer shooters such as Quake, Halo, and Medal of Honor. The games look is where things get different. It looks just like the recent release from Valve software, Team Fortress 2. It has a very cel-shaded and cartoony style too it. I personally love games with unique visuals like this, similar to Zelda: The Wind Waker, and I can't wait to play it. My only concern is that on the site right now they only say that it is for the PC, and iscoming out in the summer, but if it is going to be playable in your browser window then I can't see having a problem running it on my Mac. EA has been pretty good in porting over their Battlefield series to the Mac anyway, so I'm sure this will make it over in some form. The game is free, you can use all the maps and play just fine without paying anything, however there will be upgradable weapons and costumes that you could pay for, perhaps even new characters. This seems like a good system because you don't have to pay to get the general experience of the game, but if you're the kind of gamer that likes to level up and upgrade your character, then sure, why not. It's completely up to you. Battlefield Heroes will be released this summer, hopefully on all computer platforms.

Labels: Commentary