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Lifehacker
It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when most of your time is spent working on, writing about or reading about video games.
When Google launched Lively, its web-based Second Life-esque virtual chat space, we said we'd "check back in with it soon" and "dig deeper to see what Google has in store." That was a lie. We never had any intention of firing up Lively on our Windows XP box ever again after hitting Save on the post. Fortunately, we'll never be tempted to make right on that fib, as Lively will never make it past beta, nor will it survive into 2009. Google announced it was shutting down Lively at the end of the year today.
Yup, Google (who own YouTube) want some more money. They've today announced a new feature to be implemented on YouTube that will let you buy games. And proper, real games to boot. They'll be rolling out Amazon buttons underneath certain game videos. Like, you watch a Spore trailer on YouTube, and if you like the cut of its gib, you can buy it straight away. Ah, modern commerce. Gotta love it, no?
Apparently not John Welch, CEO of casual games company PlayFirst. He says that the console per se is a "niche platform" and that they're just too expensive to make. His argument:
I think the biggest proof point in the death of consoles in my thesis is the Wii. The most successful, most difficult to acquire console in this generation is at least a generation old in hardware. The advances are in software and peripherals. Why do you need a box for that? If the real expansion is occurring because of what Nintendo has done, why do we even need a console? The technology could be adapted to run on your average set top box, at least in the next generation of set top boxes.
Welch does concede that console are more streamlined and easier to use than, say, PCs. His crystal ball gazing is more along the lines of Google-type cloud that doesn't even use hardware at all. Agree? Disagree?
Q&A with PlayFirst's John Welch [VentureBeat via EDGE] [Pic]
Right now, Google Lively is a Second Life clone. And an unremarkable one at that. But that's now. In the future, they want it to be much, much more. Google's Kevin Hanna has told GI.biz that it's hoped that, somewhere down the line, Google Lively can become an "online games platform", in which people can just switch on a PC and enter a "creative space". And, once there, get away from what Hanna describes is a "corporate mentality" that's "sucking the life out of what should be the most creative and innovative medium out there". Basically, something like LittleBigPlanet or XNA. But courtesy of Google's corporate mentality. As opposed to Sony's or Microsoft's corporate mentality.
Oh, it's on now. The first phone loaded with Google's Android operating system launched yesterday with a decidedly underwhelming games line-up of, er, just Pac-Man.
Hang on, though - Gameloft has just announced that it will be launching 10 Android titles in the new year and Glu is rolling out a new Android-exclusive title - the Zuma Deluxe-like Bonsai Blast.
Gameloft have not revealed what their titles will be, but they have a load of decent licenses to choose from. Midnight Pool and Lumines, anyone?
Look, three home consoles to look after, that's OK. It's doable. Throw a PC in there, still doable. A couple of prominent handheld platforms, you're stretching it, but we can manage. The iPhone, though...well, that was almost a bridge too far. So we're less than thrilled to hear that there's now another major mobile device on the market that'll support games. Launched yesterday to quite a bit of fanfare, Google's Android phone may just give Apple a run for its money in the "do everything" phone market. May. Won't with its initial games lineup, though. Where the iPhone's app store launched with a range of big-budget titles from the likes of Sega and EA, the Android has...Pac-Man. Uh, great, thanks. On the bright side, the phone's meant to be an open source dream, so hopefully it's not too long before some more interesting titles come along. That or someone gets SCUMM working.
Earlier today The Inquirer quotes well placed sources as saying that Google was going to be buying Valve "any second now," setting all of our hearts a flutter.
While the idea seems crazy at first blush Valve's Doug Lombardi has said they're willing to be bought. So we checked in with Lombardi himself this morning and he put our minds at ease, telling us it is purely a rumour, a bit of fiction.
With Google out of the picture, I guess the real question is who exactly would Valve like to buy them.
So the folks at Forbes are thinking that Google could become a big name in the games industry, and now rumours are swirling about the internets that they are planning on doing just that in the way of all giant corporations with way too much money - buying someone else. In this case, the target is Valve, makers of Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress 2, and oh yeah, Steam. The enormously popular digital gaming distribution platform would indeed present a tasty takeover target for the company that loves making money off the internet.
The rumours originate with The Inquirer, which cites well placed sources saying that such a purchase is not only possible, but imminent, as in "any second now". Our take on the rumour? Very iffy. These sort of stories generally don't just pop up one day, though of course Valve's Doug Lombardi has stated that they're willing to be bought. We've contacted Valve for comment and will let you know as soon as we hear back.
Google to buy Valve [The Inquirer]
Forbes.com's Chris Morris asks the question and tries to connect the dots between Google's on-the-record interest in games as an advertising delivery medium, and things like "Google Lively," which has few users but may go after Second Life's lunch at some point.
