PALGN took part in the Sumea celebrations interview that I conducted recently, and they've been a website that I've admired for a long time, particularly since they do a mammoth task of running a general gaming website without the resources their bigger competitors have. And now they're going one step further by covering Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network games. I don't know how they do it all, but I bet it has something to do with an army of intelligent robots and a teleporter.
(press release)
PALGN Launches Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network Reviews
Melbourne, July 25 PALGN (PAL Gaming Network) has announced that it has commenced reviewing Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network titles. With more than 1000 Australian written reviews, one of the key demands from PALGN's readers has been reviews for Sony and Microsoft's digital distribution services.
"Our readers have a lot of trust in PALGN's reviews and for many of them our recommendations determine whether they purchase a game or not," said Luke Van Leuveren, the Acting General Manager of PALGN. "With significantly fewer publications reviewing PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade titles, we're confident many readers will rely on PALGN's downloadable content reviews to determine if a game is worth purchasing".
This announcement follows a record breaking week of traffic for PALGN as it covered the 2007 E3 Business and Media Summit. Between Monday the 9th of July through to Saturday the 14th of July PALGN received over 70,000 unique visitors with over 280,000 page views (source: statcounter.net) ? the highest number for PALGN on record. During this period PALGN published over 100 unique articles relating to E3 with along with a podcast and a highly popular staff roundtable. PALGN was the only Australian site to live blog all three of Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony's E3 press conferences.
"PALGN's continued growth is evidence of our reader's commitment to the site," said Mr Van Leuveren. "With a community recently passing 8000 members, we are excited about PALGN's future as a hub for Australian gaming community and media."
About PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is one of Australia's leading independent gaming media websites coving all major consoles (including handhelds) and PC. Founded in late 2001 as a community project designed to fill the void of non-American gaming press, it grew through many forms to establish itself in 2007 as one of the most comprehensible and comprehensive gaming resources for both hardcore and casual gamers living in Australia and other PAL Regions. PALGN is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony Computer Entertainment or Microsoft.
Why do anything in this world if someone can take your idea/work away from you and they get all the rewards?
It's a screwed up world1
eg. In the music industry if you write the song, you own the song and royalties go to you. If you sing a song that you didnt write, you wont be making much or as much. Same thing with a game idea. You should own the rights in anything you create to protect yourself and if you are lucky benefit financially.
After reading the Q&A from Craig middlewank - im absolutly disgusted in your lack of respect for people and your arrogance. I hope your game sells 50 copies worldwide
they are relying on budding new game designers to not read the fine print
so they can face the absolutely crushing dissapointment that they get no
royalties or even credit for the game, and just for another kick in the butt
they claim ownership of the material submitted buy people who made it into the
to ten finalists
shame on you telstra :(
I wonder what you're all expecting really... after handing a company the loose premise for a game, you'll all of a sudden be flying on private jets... snorting premium e off the stomachs of supermodels... having won the equivalent of one of those "set for life" scratchies.
Sorry, it doesn't work like that.
If you're working in a company and they offer you the promise of higher royalties rather than a salary increase, it's usually time to dig your heels in and insist on the salary. Maybe I'm just jaded, having heard the old chestnuts like"operating costs went up", or "the publisher printed another run, spending what would have been royalties". Stock options are tangible (though often conditional)... royalties have never worked for me. I'm quite possibly wrong, and I'd be keen to hear from people who have struck gold with royalties.
The artist who came up with the premise for Lara Croft is still working at Eidos for a base salary.
My beautiful face appears in a 2006 PC game, but I don't demand a (percent) of sales.
If there are to be royalties, I imagine those poor developer souls that have to work 80 hour weeks to compensate for an underbudget project would probably want a taste. They are the ones that MAKE the game.
*feels much better after getting that off his chest*
:)
On another note, Craig Middleton can't be much of a PR man if he's patronising the game media. Talk about biting the hand that feeds. He could be alaying some of the fears floating around here, but instead he opts to be condescending.
Scott.
As with any competition, if you don't like the Terms and conditions, don't enter. True comment about the guys who put in the real effort to actually 'make' the game too...they've got some long nights ahead of them.