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Console Games: An Overview

Explore High Moon Studios, their debut game "Darkwatch," future projects, industry trends, and next-gen consoles. Learn about the current console audience, industry challenges, and opportunities in the evolving gaming landscape.

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Console Games: An Overview

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  1. Console Games: An Overview Presented By Chris Ulm Chief Design Officer

  2. Overview • About High Moon Studios • About “Darkwatch” • Current Console Development • The Next Generation

  3. About High Moon Studios • Established in 2002 • Headquartered at state of the art studio in Carlsbad in San Diego County, California • Independent studio with staff of approximately 100 developers • Focus is on original I.P.: new worlds, stories and gameplay concepts created on franchise scale • Worlds Of High Moon trailer

  4. About “Darkwatch” • High Moon’s debut property is “Darkwatch” • Action horror first-person shooter video game • Original premise blends Vampire and Western genres • Platforms: Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox • Published by Capcom Entertainment • Premieres August 2005 • “Darkwatch” Gameplay trailer

  5. Future Projects • High Moon Studios • Turning focus completely to next-generation consoles • Currently working on two next generation projects (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) • Third project is another original I.P., currently in pre-production phase

  6. Some Facts And Figures • Top 17 companies in the industry reported fiscal 2004 revenue of 24.5 billion dollars. • Forecasts from DFC Intelligence predict worldwide combined sales of online, PC and console entertainment revenue to exceed $40 billion by 2009.

  7. The Current Generation • Three current generation hardware platforms, sold primarily in North America, Europe and Japan. • Sony PlayStation 2 • (90 million shipped worldwide– achieved this milestone two years before PS1 did) • Microsoft Xbox • (21 million shipped worldwide -Xbox’s primary market is North America, with some penetration in Europe and minimal in Asia) • Nintendo GameCube • (18 million shipped worldwide)

  8. The Current Console Audience • Still mostly male • Growing older • Average age of gamers is 29 yrs. old (Entertainment Software Association) • Console skews younger (20-25 yrs. old based on most estimates) • Demanding more mature content • “M” rated games accounted for 12% of all software in 2002, up from 10% in 2001

  9. Current Industry Trends • Games cost more and take longer to make (24 – 36 months, 5-10 million dollars) • The game industry is consolidating around larger publishers. • Product innovation is declining as financial risks mount.

  10. Product Innovation and New Concepts • Only 7 of the top PS2 titles in 2003 were new IP. • No more than 7 new IP titles have been in the top 50 in any year since 1999 • As a result, there is a heavy reliance on pre-sold franchises, licenses and sequels.

  11. Next Generation Consoles • All consoles are backwards compatible • Microsoft Xbox 360 (Fall, 2005) • $300 • 25-40 titles expected by YE • Sony Playstation 3 (Spring 2006) • $369 • Nintendo Revolution (mid-2006)

  12. Capabilities Compared • Sony PS1 (34-38 Mhz, 4 mb ram) • Simple worlds, characters and gameplay • “Spyro the Dragon” • CD player • Sony PS2 (295 Mhz, 32 mb ram) • Better graphics, Larger more expansive worlds with some physics and simple simulation • “Grand Theft Auto 3” • DVD player • Sony PS3 (3.2 GHz, 512 mb Ram) • Photo-real graphics and simulated worlds • “Blue-ray” High Definition DVD, Bluetooth

  13. The Next Generation Transition • All current generation trends will likely continue: • Higher costs • Longer development times • Higher expectations from audience

  14. As a medium, developers will be able to create more fully realized interactive and emotional experiences. In game characters will be ever more aware, lifelike, communicative and intelligent. Online gaming is now a standard aspect of the console gaming experience. Next Generation Opportunities

  15. Challenges • Innovation in a risk-adverse business climate • Building truly emotional experiences with the new horsepower rather than more of the same. • Broadening the videogame playing demographic.

  16. Contacts • Presentation contacts: • Chris Ulm, chief design officer, High Moon Studios, Inc. • culm@highmoonstudios.com • Rory McGuire, “Darkwatch” designer, High Moon Studios, Inc. • rmacguire@highmoonstudios.com • Press contact: • Meelad Sadat, director of P.R., High Moon Studios, Inc. • (760) 448-3061 • meelad@highmoonstudios.com • Don’t miss theDarkwatch demo this afternoon. Thanks for your time!

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