Welcome to another issue of The Weekend Recap. I’m your reporter, Matt, and this weekend we have some rather disturbing news popping it’s ugly head out the works. Anyway, let’s get to it!
EA: Online passes do expire for some games
Posted Saturday, December 3 2011 via Joystiq
EA has revealed a rather nasty detail pertaining to their online pass system, after a user from the NeoGAF forums stated his online pass included in a newly purchased copy of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit had expired.
When contacted for clarification, EA confirmed that online passes do expire, which effectively prevents users from accessing online content until they obtain a new pass from the publisher directly.
The online pass system was introduced to encourage gamers to purchase new titles instead of used, but it would seem that players from both sides of the fence are being penalized.
Question of the Day: How do you feel about online passes?
Insomniac going multi-platform isn’t the end of the world, says Sony
Posted Friday, December 2 2011 via The Official PlayStation Magazine UK
President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), Jim Ryan, has commented on the move by Insomniac Games to go multi-platform, saying that it isn’t the end of the world.
”In an ideal world would we prefer them still to be working exclusively on our platforms? Yes, probably,” said Ryan, in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine U.K.
Ryan went on to say that “We’re still friends” and that “The strength of our internal studios at the moment means it ain’t the end of the world by any means.”
You can watch the full video interview here.
Sony’s hopes are high for PS Vita Flash support
Posted Saturday, December 3 2011 via Andriasang
Despite development for the Flash platform being canned by Adobe last month, Sony hopes to include Flash support with the PlayStation Vita, and has entered into negotiations with Adobe to make that possible.
Flash, which powers a significant portion of the world wide web, has been ditched for the less battery and processor intensive alternative, HTML 5.
Sony’s head of software development, Muneki Shimada, has said that the end of Flash on mobile devices does not nececssarily mean the end for Flash support on the PS Vita.
Ubisoft: Digital platform releases are less risky for new IPs
Posted Saturday, December 3 2011 via MCV
Ubisoft’s Thomas Paincon has said that the firm feels there is less risk when launching a new intellectual property by digital platforms, than there is when launching through physical mediums.
“There is less risk releasing a new game digitally,” he said. “Look at From Dust, we sold half a million units on XBLA and PSN. Why? Because the prices were lower, but also because it was a new experience and people using digital platforms are more willing to test a new IP.”
Paincon said it is better to release titles digitally before the "boxed blockbusters" arrive later in the year.
“It’s harder to compete for gamers’ money when there are lots of new triple-A games out,” he said. “Microsoft’s Summer of Arcade Xbox Live promotion is a good new market that people are getting used to."
“And now digital is a great business for retailers as online games are part of the revenue stream for them.”
That’s it for this issue of The Weekend Recap. If you would like to tip some news to us for next week’s issue, send them over to editor@psu.com with The Weekend Recap in the subject line!