What's next-gen for you? Is it over-the-top, photorealistic graphics? An art direction that blurs the line between videogame and masterpiece? Perhaps online play? This is what five of this industry's luminaries tried to figure out at this year's Game Developer Conference. Check out what they had to say in the full article.

There's big news in upcoming games for 2008, and this one comes in the form of one of Gas Powered Games' latest, secret projects known only as Demigod. Initial details and the game's actual title was recently spilled, though more will come in the latest issue of Games for Windows Magazine, prompting a definite release for the PC action/RTS/RPG player. But some clues point that Demigod may come to consoles, too. More at the full story.

It looks like Chris Taylor and his army at Gas Powered Games were keeping another secret, and if it weren't for a recently conducted interview, the mind behind THQ's Supreme Commander wouldn't have revealed the ultimate real-time strategy title as another surprise. Though it was revealed that Supreme Commander would probably arrive on Microsoft's Xbox 360 first, there is also hope that Gas Powered Games could deliver it to the Sony PlayStation 3.

"You've almost made me confess that we're working on it... No, actually you have. That's good. I like that. This is a secret I want to share," said Taylor, after expounding on Gas Powered Games' efforts to create a friendly interface for console strategists. What's more is that the previously unveiled Space Siege, a sci-fi rehash of Dungeon Siege (think Rebelmind Games' Space Hack or Silverback Entertainment's Harbinger), will also come with console-friendly versions next year.

Currently, Taylor views the Microsoft Xbox 360 as the current "platform of choice" for pushing PC games out to consoles, because of the least amount of finances involved in development. He still remains hopeful that Sony PlayStation 3 versions will soon follow, due to added developer feedback and a larger install base in the near future.

News on whether the stand-alone expansion Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance will also hit consoles or not, or if a Space Siege Nintendo Wii version will be considered has yet to surface. There are speculations, however, that this move may be the result of THQ trying to cash in on its current published intellectual properties after witnessing a lackluster Q2 financial performance.

In a recent report we covered, Electronic Arts' Gerhard Florin mentioned that the industry is now focusing on better storytelling and emotion in gaming. This was due to the fact that the processing power and graphics capabilities of consoles and PCs have advanced so far and so quickly that developers no longer have to worry about the appearance of their games and just focus on delivering "entertainment value." He added:

Everybody gets carried away with the technology. When the technology gets more usable ... then the story tellers get more to the forefront. My hope is, but I can't tell you when it will be, that we reach the peak in perfection so that the consumer doesn't see the difference in technology anymore -- then it is a pure race for entertainment.

 

But is the industry really gearing up to duel in the creativity side? We know that Electronic Arts had mentioned a long while back about stepping off the "franchise spam" business model and delivering new ideas and concepts, but forgive us if we cannot buy into that. Aside from a few games, hardly any other titles have pushed the creativity envelope recently - or is that already their best?

Click on Full Article to learn more about the industry's strides into reviving the "Great Game."

Chris Taylor has a console title up his sleeve, and it's 'non-genre specific'. We try to cut to the chase and sink our teeth into the juicy bits, as Andy Robinson of CVG reports.

If you remember a previous interview, the Supreme Commander was notoriously tight-lipped about the handful of titles Gas Powered Games is now currently developing; he's just as snippy with the info as ever. But CVG did manage to slip a few tantalizing hints by him, specifically one of the titles in development being, and I quote, "very different." He elaborates: "Although it shares and has genetic routes in a lot of different areas it's not one specific thing."

Chris Taylor hopes that the game would appeal not only to the typical gaming crowd, but to other, largely-ignored audiences as well - namely the older and female gamer demographic.

When asked about the inspiration behind the rather sudden departure, Chris Taylor had this to say:

"I really want to see how broadly we can take the concept by applying the theory that games should be fun and it shouldn't exhaust you, tap you out until you go to bed and the images of the game are still in your head. I want games to be like listening to music, or watching a good television show or reading a book. It's getting a little more complex as time goes on but I think it's really starting to become a real concept."

Finally, someone who's not afraid of trying something new. We writers here at QJ are expecting a lot of good things from this man, and you should be too - for all we know, he may just be cooking up something  that would change the meaning of the word 'game' as we know it.

Want the full interview? Click on the read link we've provided below.

Everyone knows that Sony is in a bit of a pickle with the PlayStation 3. Now, this is not our opinion but the common consensus by most of the market analysts. In fact, the Father of Playstation Ken Kutaragi has already given word that he would be stepping down from his position as the CEO of the company's games division. Given that Sony is one of the most powerful brands in the market, what is happening to them? Where did Sony go wrong? Chris Taylor, a senior writer for Business 2.0 magazine discussed this in a recent article on CNNMoney.com

One of the main points in the article is the fact that Kutaragi built the PS3 with the goal to push Sony's other technologies. Nintendo on the other hand, built their console with one goal in mind: To play games. This may not seem like much, but from this came the main problem which has kept the PS3 out of the mass market's hands: the price. Because of all the features they placed in the PS3, the price of the console had to go up.

Sony has been doing a lot to improve its market standing in the past few months, and analysts have been saying that they are expected to be moving up once again. If you want to read more about this topic, you can find Taylor's article via our read link.

As a second part of the Games Industry interview with the industry's comedian-slash-developer Chris Taylor, we're going to particularly highlight the conversation Games Industry had with Taylor regarding the next-gen and new-gen consoles.

Since Gas Powered Games is expanding their development expertise to the console platforms, wouldn't it be interesting to hear what the CEO has to say about them?

Now the biggest topic on-hand in the games industry, aside from censorship and "sex and violence" issues, is the console wars. Like some developers before him, he believes Nintendo is definitely picking up the pace. Even if it was only second to launch, it already looks like it's on the home stretch.

Taylor agreed, saying, "A month ago, I would have said second to the [Xbox 360], but in the past four weeks I think the tide is really shifting in Wii's favour. It's mind-boggling." But he stressed that the Wii currently only overtakes the Xbox 360 by "mind share." Even though this came from the same guy who also eyes bleeding edge tech (which the Wii doesn't cater), we're not surprised.

Click on Full Article to find out why we aren't surprised.

Now THQ's rock star of the game industry, Chris Taylor, did reveal that Gas Powered Games was already at work on console titles for the next-gen and new-gen consoles. They weren't named, nor were there any target platforms identified either, but in another interview with Games Industry, at least they gave us a number.

"Five." Taylor and his army of devs have five titles brewing in their pots and their projects are spread "across platforms." Four of those titles are being completed in-house, plus an extra project that they have in the works. "We have everything from 360 to Wii to PC, we have all kinds of stuff going on," said the DICE 07 preacher.

Okay that's five projects for three platforms, but what about the PlayStation 3? Taylor said, "We haven't actually been working on the PS3." Or they probably haven't started yet. He also said that "he heard" the PlayStation 3 was a bit more complex to develop games for just to "squeeze out the perf."

But latching on to what he said earlier about easier game development in consoles, he also mentioned that the tech issue isn't a problem with smart engineers. And since he claims Gas Powered Games has got "some incredibly smart people" in the ranks, the challenge for developing on the PS3 won't be as difficult as what he heard from other people.

Now if only he could get around to revealing what the titles are...

It's nothing close to a Supreme Commander port for the next-gen console, but at least Gas Powered Games and "games industry rock star" Chris Taylor is looking to release future titles for next-gen consoles. In an interview with Games Industry, Chris Taylor revealed that GPG was "gassing" up for more title releases aimed at the PC and next-gen consoles.

In fact, a Gas Powered Games ad said, "Projects include PC titles within the Supreme Commander franchise, PC titles with original IP and something new – an original IP that is the company's first next-generation console project."

The problem is, there wasn't any mention of what the title was or which among the next-gen console the title will be shipping to. Taylor said, "Yeah, I just can't announce it. I'll tell you it's a console game, but I can't tell you anything else right now."

But upon review of the advertisement, you can be sure that the console title will not be a Supreme Commander or Dungeon Siege port. For PC gamers, looks like we're going to have to visit Newegg for some much-needed upgrades, because Taylor has his eyes on the high-end platforms for the newer titles...again.

He particularly hinted, "The PC - I think later this year we're going to see incredible systems that just take off. The multi-cores, the 64bit OS... Imagine a gaming rig with eight gigs of RAM and a one or two gig video card. It's just super exciting."

But because it took him about three years to develop the spiritual successor to Total Annihilation (released 1997), you can bet there's a lot of time for price drops, tech changes, and penny-pinching before the next titles do come out.

 

Becoming a big name publisher itself, THQ has long been swinging alongside other big name publishers Electronic Arts, Midway and Euro-based Eidos and Activision. Having aimed to move into introducing new intellectual property to bank on, THQ saw it was high time to just let the creativity flow for the developers their working with.

In an interview with Games Industry, THQ CEO Brian Farrell explained their plans to branch off into newer game concept ideas instead of just staying with the sequel race. Even if they do keep sequels coming for their most popular franchises, THQ wanted to always introduce something new each time. Farrell defended their stand, saying:

With intellectual properties, you can either reinvent something that the gamers already know or we can bring something completely new and then keep developing the franchise. As you probably know, you probably even write some of these things, sequelling games can be a profitable strategy for publishers but you have to do it in a way that allows you to keep the brand fresh and you're giving the gamer a reason to buy your game.

THQ is wary of constant franchise "flogging" and hopes not to kill any gaming franchise in their possession. They've noticed Electronic Arts has also become aware of that revelation and is coming to par with THQ in their plans for new ideas for games.

Farrell stated that the THQ is "a creative hub" and it allows them to enter opportunities for them to compete with other publishers when the time for new IP hunting comes. With titles such as Company of Heroes and Supreme Commander under their belt, THQ was able to enter and compete in the real-time strategy market up against EA's Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars. Farrell also commented:

Look at Chris Taylor - he's one of the rock stars of the industry, and he's working with THQ now. If you ask him why, it's because we believe in his products - 'You build what your vision of Supreme Commander is. You do what you do well, we'll do what we do well. Let's co-operate, let's not do the developer-publisher head butt.'

The bottom line, Farrell said, is that "THQ gets it." Giving creative freedom to developers, understanding their needs and providing some leeway to fulfill those needs are what THQ already accomplished. Chris Taylor seconded that during his melodramatic, martyr speech at the DICE 07, and it's clear that THQ will continue to do so in the near future.