Agence France-Presse

SAN FRANCISCO–Californian technology firm OnLive is poised to launch a service that streams video games over the Internet, meaning players can avoid buying expensive consoles or packaged software.

OnLive ended seven years of “stealth” development late Tuesday by announcing the system should launch in the United States by the end of the year.

The firm is building a library of video game software on servers that players reach over broadband Internet by using mini-programs in home computers or OnLive MicroConsoles connected to television sets.

“We’ve cleared the last remaining hurdle for the video games industry: effective online distribution,” said OnLive founder and chief executive Steve Perlman.

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Agence France-Presse

SAN FRANCISCO–Online retail giant Amazon has yanked from its virtual shelves a Japanese computer game that lets players simulate raping girls.

A “Rapelay” videogame being hawked on Amazon by a third-party merchant was deemed inappropriate and the product’s page taken down after it was brought to the California Internet firm’s attention Wednesday night.

“We determined that we did not want to be selling this particular item,” Amazon spokeswoman Patty Smith said of the computer game.

The “Rapelay” game was created exclusively for the Japanese market but a couple of “like new” copies were being offered on Amazon by a US seller specializing in animated Japanese pornography.

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WITH only less than 15 months left before the 2010 presidential elections, some political candidates are now making headway with subtle campaigns on television and other mediums, including the Internet.

Filipino online gamers, however, can be assured that their virtual worlds will not have political advertisements even as online game publishers are ramping up their in-game advertising business.

“We’re not going to allow political ads because it might be construed negatively by our players who may or may not be interested in politics,” said IPVG CEO Enrique Gonzalez during a gaming forum.

He said IPVG has a policy against political advertisements in online games, which the company publishes through online gaming subsidiary IP e-Games.

“We don’t deny that there is money to be made in political ads but it might draw some players to think that we’re supporting candidates,” Gonzalez said.

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MAKATI CITY, Philippines–After acquiring a majority stake in an animation and digital studio and a mobile content developer, Internet services provider Intellectual Property Ventures Group (IPVG) is now looking at game development.

IPVG Chief Executive Officer Jaime Enrique Gonzalez said that the company is supporting the creation of more original intellectual property for the local gaming industry.

“We’ll be advocating original content to help our game developers and this will be our main focus for the next two years,” Gonzalez said during a presentation at the Ayala Foundation’s regular Innovation Forum.

While IPVG, which also owns online game publishing firm IP E-Games, has been offering licensed online games, the company is willing to invest in game development, the executive said.

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THERE’S a “weird” situation in the game development industry today. Sales of games and consoles have gone up in the last few months but new projects are being held back as the financial crunch is affecting game development firms.

Indirectly, the Philippine game development industry is experiencing the crisis as outsourcing projects are postponed due to banks squeezing credits to companies.

Game Development Association of the Philippines President Gabby Dizon said the entertainment sector, where the game development industry is under, is supposed to be more resistant during these times. More people tend to purchase entertainment-related items that could help them cope with the current economic crunch.

“There are more games being sold during these days but companies are not creating new titles. This would have negative effects on companies offering outsource services,” Dizon said.

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