Kotaku
Let the microtransactions commence! IGN Entertainment's GameSpy has just launched their latest bit of gaming middleware, Direct2Game, an in-game commerce system that allows game publishers and developers to easily create and maintain in-game storefronts, giving them the ability to deliver add-on content without taking the player out of the game. Gamers will be able to purchase add-ons, mods, soundtracks, maps, and anything developers want to sell really, without having to go to a separate website to complete the transaction.
"With the launch of our Direct2Game commerce service, GameSpy is now bridging its dual heritage in digital distribution and in-game technology, opening up new revenue streams and business models for publishers and developers," said Jamie Berger, senior vice president of consumer products and technology for IGN Entertainment.In other words, more, better ways to get your money! Thanks GameSpy!
GAMESPY TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES NEW IN-GAME COMMERCE ENGINE, DIRECT2GAMENew Commerce Service Will Enable Publishers to Build In-Game Stores and Allow Gamers to Purchase Add-On Content From Within Games
BRISBANE, Calif. - February 19, 2008 - IGN Entertainment's GameSpy, a leader in multiplayer and online gaming technology, today announced the launch of Direct2Game, a new in-game commerce service that will allow publishers and developers to create and manage in-game storefronts, selling and delivering add-on content directly to gamers. Building on the successful foundation of IGN's Direct2Drive, a leader in the digital distribution of games, GameSpy now offers developers a one-stop service to create new revenue streams and expand the range of content available to consumers.
Direct2Game's service will enable gamers to purchase and download add-on content, such as maps, mods, expansions, sequels, and soundtracks. The service will also give developers access to a robust catalog of program interfaces, empowering them to create in-game "storefronts" to market their products. GameSpy will also provide full digital rights management (DRM), billing, and customer support to Direct2Game developers, backing innovations in videogame technology with a high level of client support.
"With the launch of our Direct2Game commerce service, GameSpy is now bridging its dual heritage in digital distribution and in-game technology, opening up new revenue streams and business models for publishers and developers," said Jamie Berger, senior vice president of consumer products and technology for IGN Entertainment. "This new service further demonstrates our commitment to publishers and developers who want to directly offer new content and experiences to their valuable core fans."
In addition to Direct2Game, GameSpy continues to be a leader in multiplayer and online gaming. The company's suite of high-end technology enhancements enables videogame developers to build community experiences that transcend the barrier between in-game and out-of-game environments. Core features like instant messaging, friend rosters, and advanced matchmaking capabilities offer developers a turnkey toolset for constructing dynamic communities around their games. In addition to these community elements, GameSpy also provides tools for developers to build extensive player profiles, ranking systems and in-game voice applications. GameSpy technology is featured in more than 500 titles and the company most recently partnered with Epic Games to integrate GameSpy multiplayer technology into Epic's Unreal 3 game engine. This partnership powers the recently-released Unreal Tournament 3 on both the PC and PLAYSTATION®3 platforms.
Comments
Sounds awfully like Direc2drive.
Either or, more of it is better. I have bought DD PC games since Splinter cell chaos theory and haven't looked back once.
Wait. Mods?, charging for mods?. Any developer that will charge for mods have inherently dug their own grave.
Just for PC and PS3, eh?
Sorry to DP, but...
@Fyren: Just like Valve with Counter-Strike?
Ugh, Gamespy, IGN, and micro transactions are all made of fail.
Yeah, that reminds me a lot of Direc2Drive. Good point too Fyren, paying for mods?
Gamespy is like infecting my computer with AIDS.
No thanks.
Wait, this sounds like Steam. Or www.direct2drive.com. Wait.. d3d is part of Gamespy..
Lets make a joke here:
[www.steampowered.com]
[www.poweredbygamespy.com]
*cough*
Hahaha... these Gamespy dudes are cool :D
[www.poweredbygamespy.com]
In 2000 we launched among the first subscription services in the gaming industry. In 2005 Direct2Drive revolutionized the digital distribution space for games.
In 2008 we'll be bringing our expertise in digital distribution, sales and subscription services in game.
Enable the sale of expansion packs and other add-ons directly from inside games. Or open new revenue streams through subscription tiers in addition to free game play. Or leverage our technology to enable points-based transactions.
I like:d direct2drive and gamespy. This sounds pretty interesting. GL Gamespy, and lol @ ppl saying PC gaming is dead.
@Fyren: Sadly I don't think we are that farm from this being the norm (charging for mods) than the exception.
I think Valve and Gamespy is fighting over a interesting market. I have no idea about the topic, but seems that Gamespy is part of a giant network (IGN), and Valve has already a beachhead, with Steam. But Gamespy has all these 500 AAA games with Gamespy builtin. People used to start Quakespy.exe to search Counter-Strike and QuakeWorld servers, back in the day. But the death of the old network .. WON, that was from Sierra Games.
[en.wikipedia.org]
He.. looks, I am Steam 0.1!
[www.won.net]
Sierra, sure, know how to run bussines.
@Fyren: Is "developer mods", not "users mods". And seems you will pay Points, not real money ;-D
I guess we are finally at the next big leap in gimping games to squeeze out additional profit. Now you won't even need to leave the game to buy your horse armor or maps that were released on day zero and should have been bundled with the game! Now you can get ripped off with added ease and convenience! Watch your step, the slope is getting mighty slippery.
Gamespys middleware is probably most responsible for the rather stale state of PC Multiplayer gaming now. Look back at Quakeworld, that was new and revolutionary. Now look at the current crop of online shooters, what has changed?
The original UT did stats with NGworldstats, so thats not a new thing. Hell, you didnt even need a login for it, just knowing the unique ID your cdkey was assigned was enough.
Gamespy have been releasing bloated, virus and adware filled external browsers for years now. Their middleware is utter rubbish (look at the browsers in BF2/2142 and UT3 for instance) and even their RTS stuff is pants compared to developer created things like gpg.net
I'm glad valve have released steamworks for free, hopefully it will remove the gamespy monopoly or at least force them to improve their software.
best thing about playing TF2 all the time? not having to deal with fucking gamespy anymore.
Way back when, I actually worked for Gamespy. This was shortly after they changed the name of their app from QuakeSpy to GameSpy. I never really liked the direction they started moving in, but then again it was a business and had to make money.
I don't think I really have a point here. I just wanted to say that I really don't respect them much anymore.
@PissedPS3Fan:
I can hear you there. They are a really terrible company, they treat their own fansite operators like pawns. The Serious sam and Unreal communities have plenty of experience of that, and they arent shy at using the DMCA to hide flaws in their software either.
Gamespy exist because John Carmack allowed 3rd party access to the Quakeworld master servers. Fast forward a bit, and gamespy actively block 3rd party browsers from querying master servers they run.
I don't see how they stand a chance against Steam or even Live for Windows.
"Gamespy have been releasing bloated, virus and adware filled external browsers for years now. Their middleware is utter rubbish (look at the browsers in BF2/2142 and UT3 for instance)"
That statement is incorrect and 100% false.
Whatever you are referring to (since GameSpy Arcade did not contain viruses or spyware)...is not what this press release is about.
GameSpy Middleware is not some desktop application like Arcade...it is a collection of SDKs that allow things like CDkeys authentication, P2P, server browsing, stats, etc.
All the in-game UI that you see for games that use the GameSpy middleware are designed by the DEVELOPER...not GameSpy. If you think that the design of is terrible then complain about the developers.
If you think that GPG.net is good then it means that they have better UI designers there then other developers.
What I also find hilarious is that all you people are complaining about "micro transactions" when I'm sure a TON of you have bought songs for Guitar Hero, Rock Band, booster packs for Halo, GRAW, GRAW 2, etc.
No one is pointing a gun to your head and making you buy this stuff...it is all YOUR CHOICE. The developer/publisher puts it out on the market and if you think it is not worth the money...then don't buy it.
A sad day for video games.
Too many games have the gamespy modules added in as a server search tool :/ , least Steam is making a change to that.
@jago.kot: The problem isn't with microtransactions themselves. There are many legitimate ways for this to be done. Personally, i think the added songs for games like Rock Band are a great idea (although i often balk at the price. 160 points = $2 per song. This means when you buy 5000 points for $62.50 you are effectively getting 31 songs for the price of a new game, when Rock Band shipped with over 50, plus the engine, etc. Unless they want to call it a "packaged deal" like when you buy the 3 song packs, this pricing schedule is not balanced properly, and it has been said that some songs might even cost more? meh).
The problem with microtransactions is the overwhelming temptation by those who stand to make money to gimp games in order to squeeze extra money out of you for stuff that should have shipped with the game in the first place. Now you can say that no one is forcing us to buy these things, and you are right. In most cases, i would not buy something like that. But it is hardly fair to the gaming community. We need to take a unified hard line when we see a company pull some obvious gimping, to hopefully nip it in the bud. Beyond that, microtransactions are perfectly fine.
@Tramz: Those are valid points and I do agree that the pricing on things for RB (and GH) are a bit "off." But then again people will ALWAYS find things to complain about when they have no knowledge or understanding about the issue.
The prices for the songs are a bit high HOWEVER the people who complain about the songs not being there in the first place need to realize that if that logic were to be followed...then the game would never come out b/c then people would still complain that ______ song isn't included.
As for the people complaining about this new SDK from GameSpy...these are the same mindless sheep that believe 100% everything they read on a blog headline (despite the fact that the info is a lot of the time...a speculation.) If people would actually do some *GASP* research they would find out that GameSpy Arcade is NOT the same thing as GameSpy Middleware.
Plus despite what some people like BD & Mnementh (both of who are ignorant of what they are complaining about)...the word "Spy" does not automatically mean spyware is installed nor are there EVER any viruses in GameSpy products.
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