RELAUNCH COMING SOON!

Hello all,

Content will be scarce for the next couple of weeks as we revamp the site and content as a whole. We're doing this in anticipation of a few great ideas we have for this year and we would like to start things off just right. We thank you for your patience and continued support. 

-Pencils & Vectors

2013: The Year of The Next Generation Console Systems

Apparently being optimistic does pay off, at least with respect to the future of video game consoles. If you recall in last week’s post, I brought up the possibility and hope that in 2013 the world could come to expect new gaming consoles from both Microsoft and Sony. While neither has made any official announcement, and probably will not until at least the second quarter of next year, there is however a ton of information out there stating that new console may indeed be on the horizon. Since Nintendo released their brand new Wii U system this past season, one can only expect that the rumor mill begin to churn about the other two giants’ activities.

Microsoft Xbox

            Whether their next console will bear the name Xbox 720, Durango, or what ever else the Internet conjures up, reports are being published left and right about Microsoft’s next system being a reality in 2013. Just a day after last week’s post on this blog, Yahoo! Games reported about the likelihood of Microsoft releasing their next system in time for the holiday season of 2013. What made this report, and the possibility of a new system next year, more believable was the fact that they, themselves were reporting on a posted Bloomberg.com article talking about the exact same thing.

New Xbox?

            What can we expect from a new Xbox? Honestly, your guess is as good as ours at this point. There have been dozens of reports and articles providing rumored tech specs for the system. The one thing they all have in common is that they certainly all at least “upgrade” the current model. The same Yahoo! Games article states that a Blu-ray player is definitely a must for the system since the 360 currently lacks those capabilities since Microsoft initially decided to bet on the now-doomed HDDVD drive. Or is it? Matt Hawkins of Gameranx thinks that Microsoft could indeed bring back the doomed HDDVD format for use in gaming purposes. Can it beat out Sony’s Blu-ray capabilities? I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out to see what is really underneath the hood of the next Xbox.

Sony PlayStation

            As for the next PlayStation, the name everyone expects it to be is simply PlayStation 4 or PS4 for short. The name Orbis has been floating around the web, serving as what many believe to be the code name for the PS4 within the Sony camp. And just like Microsoft’s next-gen system, Sony’s PS4 is also a hot topic amongst Internet chatter.  In an interesting article on Examiner.com, writer Steven Ruygrok brings up some news as to the future of Sony’s system. First, he brings up some rationale as to why the name PlayStation 4 is an unlikely candidate for Sony ‘s next console. It all focuses around the Japanese translation for the number 4, when translated, the word for “4” is similar to Japanese word for death. Any marketing novice could see why this association in Japan would not be easy to sell, nor much less seem appealing to the consumer. The second point Mr. Ruygrok brought up is something that PlayStation loyalists have harped on since the third or fourth generation PS3 came out on the market with no backwards compatibility. What that means is that from that generation model on a consumer could play any of their old PS2 or PSone games directly on their new PS3 system. Sony did this mostly to help drive up sales on their PlayStation Network (PSN) store and basically force people to download games they already own to play on that new system. Well the news Mr. Ruygrok brings to us may or may not surprise you, in which according to reports the PS4 will from the get-go lack backwards compatibility with all of the previous PlayStation catalog and library. Now as much as we, who are avid gamers ourselves, hope this is not true, when rationalizing the information given there are some things that we just cannot help to point out. The first is that as the company continues to move in a more digital direction, users have already grown accustomed to the PlayStation Network store. Many people have already begun to build digital libraries of games to cross-play between their PS3 system and their PS Vitas & PSPs. If the PS4 were to be released without the ability to play any of these already released games, we are more than sure that, that decision will certainly affect the bottom line of Sony’s initial PS4 initiative. For these reasons, and the fact that the PS4 games will also be released in Blu-ray format, backwards compatibility, at least with the PS3 catalog, should be something that is to be expected of the next-gen console system.

New Sony PlayStation?

            Some other news from the supposed PS4 comes to us in the form of a presumed patent application on behalf of Sony. Expert Reviews shows a drawing of what seem to be the next system’s new controller peripherals and how they interact with the console. The interesting thing to take away from this is how the classic PlayStation controller and the PlayStation Move become one joint peripheral. The idea is an interesting and realistic concept, but is this the controller we will have in our hands in the years to come? The last thing we all may see implemented into the next-gen console is Sony’s Gaikai service. Gaikai is a video game streaming service that Sony took over some time ago. With their recent revamp of the Gaikai company website, one can only assume Sony is working on a way to introduce this into the PlayStation community. As we have said before, only time will tell.

What Can We Expect?

            The truth may very well be that what we are witnessing here is the start of a very long marketing and placement campaign from both tech competitors. For all we know, both companies may still hold out a couple of years before bringing their consoles to market. We say this because, at least from the Sony camp, we have all known since the release of the PlayStation 3 that Sony fully intended to give that system a shelf life of up to 10 years, and its only been about six so far. Whether or not Sony will stick to its initial plan is for the future to show, but we can be certain that if either one of the tech giants announce any plans for a new console, the other is almost guaranteed to follow shortly after. As I said last week, I can only stay optimistic and hope that by this time next year I am expecting a next-generation console sitting underneath my Christmas tree.

As always, this topic is always one that gets people talking so we here at Pencils and Vectors encourage you to share your thoughts with us and let us know what you think. With that said, we wish you all a Happy Holidays!

The Fall Season, The Video Game Industry, & The Sequels

The fall season goes hand in hand with the video game industry, just as how important the summer season is to Hollywood and the film industry. Maybe it’s because the fall season happens to be the time of year right after a heavily packed summer expo and trade show season for the video game industry. Or maybe, it’s because releasing video games in the fall, the move strategically places them just in time for the holidays. Whatever the reason may be, what truly matters to gamers worldwide is the fact that for the most part, the best and most anticipated video games of the year see their release throughout the fall season. To see how this season stacked up, check out GameInformer.com’s list of video games that were released during these past few months.

Resident Evil 6

Dishonored

This year on any given Tuesday, the day video games usually get released; we saw many franchised favorites comeback with new installments to their respective stories. Heavy favorites like Resident Evil 6, Assassin’s Creed 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 made their way to the store shelves and continued on the success their predecessors left behind. Of course, new games also made debuts into the market, such as Dishonored and Tokyo Jungle. But it would also be fair to say that the sequel is king of the fall video game market, at least it is this year. If only judging from the list that is linked above, one can see an overwhelming amount of video games that are either sequels, sequels to sequels, or some sort of spin-off based off of a popular franchise with already some sort of fan following. The truth is, if we were to take a look back at all the expos and trade shows that took place this year, we would see that franchised video games took up a majority of the news being reported out of all the events. From a publisher’s perspective, a video game series that already has a following is always a safer bet in a tepid market than a fresh new idea. As a gamer myself I do and don’t mind, at the same time, about publishers’ reluctance to explore new ideas given the state this industry finds itself in today. I don’t, because I love the games that already have a history, because that means there is already a story present one can dive into and explore even further. But at the same time I do, because nothing is more enjoyable, in video gaming terms, than playing a freshly new and well-made idea and falling in love with a new video game franchise.

So why is it that we are seeing more sequels and more spin-offs this year? The economic state of the industry can possibly be responsible for some of the actions video game publishers have been and are taking. Back in October, BGR.com reported that video game sales, as a whole, had fallen for an eleventh straight month. The numbers did not just take a slight dip; instead they were a whole quarter below than the year-end numbers were in 2011. Alarming? Yes, but there are also some other factors we should all keep in mind. The biggest factor we need not forget is, the fact that both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 are consoles that are over six years old. And with the announcement of the now-released Nintendo Wii U earlier this year, everyone knows that Microsoft and Sony will eventually follow suit, but when? So the question bears asking: are the publishers holding back new content strictly to coincide with the release of new consoles in the near future? I would like to hope so, and I am also largely optimistic that we will see an influx in fresh new material sooner than we think. I hope.

VGChartz.com

Of course, that doesn’t mean the gaming industry is going to sit around and wait for the new supposed hardware to finally come out. They are going to continue to make what's working for them, and in this case it's sequels. I think that a testament to the amount of sequels and spin-offs that are out are due to the success those franchises have had with the current systems out on the market. This happens all too often; there are franchises that are hits with certain systems just as there are franchises and characters that grow to legendary and timeless statuses. If you ever want to see how much more successful one sequel was than the previous installment, simply go to VGChatrz and check out each games’ sales figures for yourselves.

Ubisoft

So what’s next? Now that this fall season is technically over (there are only a two releases left for the rest of the year), the race begins a new to see what is in store for the 2013 fall season. If all the publishers out there are doing the same thing Ubisoft is doing in researching and surveying their followers and customers, then it would not be a surprise if next year’s list of games is as equally as big if not bigger. And yes, that includes the number of sequels we have seen this year as well. Until then, all we can do is wait, but rest assured that we here at Pencils and Vectors will be dedicated to bringing you the latest and most interesting news the video game world has to offer.

Business Plans and the Role they Play Within the Video Game Industry, Pt. 2

In our last post we discussed some advice business plan experts had to give when it came to putting together a business plan. The two experts spotlighted were Steve Blank and Andrea Cockerton. Both had rather interesting views on what things were important to consider when developing a plan. The question now is, how applicable is their advice when looking to build an entertainment business? Like with most advice one may get, good advice is only as valuable as a person chooses to act on it. From personal experience and research, there truly is no one “right way” to make a business plan. Every business is unique, which in it of itself is key to success, and the plans those businesses were built on differ as well. This is said for the sole reason that, as you read this, if you feel the advice showcased here is not applicable to your business, do not get discouraged. The best advice that can be given, should you find your self in that position, is to try a new perspective. Meaning, how does that advice benefit another company per sé and what would be a comparable benefit in your field.

Steve Blank

Now if you all recall from the last post, Steve Blank basically believes business plans are put to better use when applied to companies that already have “history”. While no one is arguing that statement, the truth is that business plans are great and just as important for start-ups as well, if not more important. Mr. Blank said that business plans for start-ups served their purpose in giving its entrepreneurs “practice”. Although his statement may be true, the benefits of writing a business plan for start-up do not stop there. Aside from having a scenario of what your business would like when its all up and functioning, having a business plan also shows potential investors that you know what you are doing. In reality every business has to start somewhere, and even though they do not all start with a business plan in hand, it is this blog’s opinion that having one can only make your case and idea stronger. For those out there looking to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true, we recommend that you do your research well from the beginning. There are plenty of sites and resources out there one can learn from. Sites like Entrepreneur.com post articles and other information continuously, like Adam Toren’s “5 Ways to Set A New Company Up For Success”. Again, every business is different, so take any and all advice with a grain of salt; some resources may prove to be better suited for your venture than others.

Andrea Cockerton

Andrea’s advice on writing a business plan can be applied to almost every individual out there doing so. She gave us three must-haves a business plan should have before even considering to ever pitch the idea to potential investors. Again, from personal experience, her three must-haves make perfect sense. She said one thing everyone had to look for was that his or her intended market was still growing. If you find yourself creating a new market, then the growth ability has yet to be seen, but that also makes another must-have you should have easier to push. That must-have is that what you are intending on selling is unique in some way. Most people may get turned away at this point for various reasons, maybe they get overwhelmed or something. Having a unique idea does not mean having a game-changing invention or innovation. For all you know the unique idea may not even be on the product side of your plan but on the execution side of it. Meaning, you may be selling a product that is already out there, but you have found a way to do it faster and cheaper, or safer and more reliable, or whatever else the case may be. It is a lot like that saying that goes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder; well substitute uniqueness for beauty and the same thing can be said. Andrea finally said that the third must-have had to be the talent one had executing the business as a whole. If you are a budding animation company, you would do better having top-notch animators. If you were a video game company, your programmers and engineers should come with their fair share of experience. Investors like to see that a company is in good hands with people who know their craft as best as possible. This not only reduces the learning curve but also the risk a company might have within investors’ eyes. Visiting again Entrepreneur.com, writer Kara Ohngren gives everyone examples of where one can go to find that right talent to make up that core of individuals your business may need. The key thing is to think out side the box and strive to make your business idea as best thought out as possible. If you do that, then investors will not only see that you are serious, but also that you are worth making that investment on.

Like it was said above and in the last post, no two businesses are ever identical, and what may work for one does not necessarily mean it will work for the other. If you stay grounded and keep within realistic means, what you then pitch towards investors would yield a much better result as opposed to doing otherwise. We here at Pencils and Vectors cannot stress enough the importance of doing your research. Knowledge is power, and thoroughly investigating your field and industry will only make you a much stronger and more able player within the business field in general. We wish you the best of luck in all of your endeavors and look forward to hearing your thoughts on all of this.

Business Plans and the Role they Play Within the Video Game Industry, Pt. 1

It is very easy for many people outside of an industry to really conceptualize the amount of work that goes into any given product or business as a whole for that matter. When designing a new video game, many companies develop game design documents (GDDs). The purpose of such documents is essentially so that everyone within a given company is on the same page and it also lessens any liabilities they may face. A business plan in general is not much different when thinking of starting up something new for yourself. Where the business plan differs is in its purpose usually lies in acquiring funding. Funding for most business can virtually come from anywhere, your family members, venture capitalist, angel investors, and even bank loans. With the exception of family members, most require for you to show them some sort of business plan or vision of where you would like your company to go and, more importantly, what can they expect to gain in return for their investments. I would like to share with you the views of a couple of professionals who are more than used to seeing business plans within their daily lives.

Steve Blank

Mr. Blank was chosen for this post, strictly because of his past involvement with Pixar, where he acted as a consultant; and his creation of a video game company called ESL. Steve Blank is of the opinion that business plans serve with better purpose companies who already have some sort of active history. History where numbers and “knowns” as he calls it can be quantified and evaluated. The true value in business plans for start-ups is in the practice. Blank says that by taking time for someone to write out a business plan without any of his “knowns” one at least has the benefit of looking at their potential business through other angles. Another piece of advice Blank gives his readers through his personal website is that the best thing many start-ups can do when planning is to take into account your consumer and end user. Take their thoughts and opinions into account when planning your products and overall business.

Andrea Cockerton

As for the next expert we will focus on, Andrea Cockerton is not only a successful entrepreneur but also has worked in the past with tech giant Microsoft. The best piece of advice we can take from Andrea is that she recommends for businesses not to wait to run out of money before they start to look for outside investment. She then furthermore goes into saying that there are three things everyone should have checked off their list before going into a pitch. Those things that must be included in a business plan are: 1) that the market you are going into is growing, 2) that you have level of expertise and talent working for you, 3) and finally, that your idea is unique in some way. She says by having these three factors in a plan it will only make it that much harder for any investor to turn you away.

All in all, no two businesses are ever identical, and what may work for one does not necessarily mean it will work for the other. As an entrepreneur you need to take into account your personal surroundings, situations, and assets. Before you know what your business will be capable of, you need to know what you, as a business owner will be capable of. Understanding your limits, especially financially, will make you that much better at strategizing and strengthening your business plan. You never know where opportunities may pop up, especially if you are in the game development business. As always, we love to hear from you, so share your thoughts with us below.