Rockstar Games Develops Connection Between Flash Gaming, Nintendo DS

An anonymous reader writes "It's been a long-talked-about but never fully realized aim of developers, publishers and format holders to create a game that runs on multiple platforms, but connects and exchanges assets between them — e.g. you play a game as an FPS on a console/PC but control it as an RTS on mobile devices. Now, Rockstar Games seems to have cracked it, on a small scale, with news that a new Flash game will allow PC gamers to generate in-game cash — true to form for GTA-creator Rockstar, it's through 'money laundering' — that is then transferred to its new Nintendo DS title, Chinatown Wars. GameSpy's online technology seems to be responsible for this latest gimmick, but most interesting is the idea that this could allow an interface between platforms like the iPhone and consoles as well. How long until an indie developer creates an MMO that has different interfaces for PC and mobile?"

Comments

Sounds familiar

[Qzukk]

Reminds me of the Dreamcast's VMU, complete with the minigames that provided in-game bonuses.

Re:Sounds familiar

[slyn]

Or any of the Fable 2 minigames that came out before the games release.

Interplatform compatibility

[Literaryhero]

I am waiting for the day that I can play Call of Duty 5 online with my PS3 owning friends while I use my 360. Is that too much to ask?

Also, this kind of reminds me of that Fable 2 gimmick where you could get unlockables if you played minigames on the fable2 webpage.

Re:Interplatform compatibility

[Yeef]

That isn't a technical problem, but a bureaucratic one. Rock Band was originally planned to have cross-platform play, but neither Microsoft or Sony would allow it.

EA uses their own servers (rather than the Xbox Live servers) and I've heard that they actually have to add code to STOP players from different platforms from connecting with each other (I guess they use the same servers for all platforms).

Re:Interplatform compatibility

[RyoShin]

Likely, both companies believe that if they allow cross-platform gaming, it means that less people will buy their respective console just to play the game with friends. If so, they're missing the point that it means more people will buy the game for the console they already own, which is a huge thing for publishers.

It would gain software units on both systems, likely at a ratio comparable to console sales. Hardware units might also see a small jump; consider a person who wants to play Rock Band with a friend in another state, but has neither a PS3 nor 360. The friend has a PS3, but the person doesn't want any other game on the PS3, but does want a handful of games on the 360. With no cross-console gaming, it's highly likely that the person won't buy squat. But with cross-console gaming, the person is much more motivated to buy the 360 in order to play with his friend as well as play other games on the system.

New Tax

[Anonymous Coward]

As soon as this announcement was made, Secretary of State Clinton denounced virtual money laundering and the democratic Congress passed a bill taxing virtual earnings in games like GTA, Nintendo's Animal Crossing, and WoW. President Obama has vowed to sign the bill, which he says will help pay for health-care for underinsured children, and fix the nation's budget crisis. Nintendo could not be reached for comment.

Rockstar is like Vegas

[mcrbids]

This makes for an intersting twist, but it's a twist where a viedeo game comes closer to reality.

I work as a software engineer. How much of my work day deals with things that are 'real'? How much do I manipulate any physical things at all? Unless you include the copious amounts of fresh-ground coffe I swirl each day, the answer is: next to none. I write software that solves a puzzle presented by our clientelle.

If what I do is manipulate information used by other people, how is that functionally different than MMO video games, which are themselves a shared information experience? Usually, in a game you solve a puzzle presented by the game creators or by other players.

Sure, at work there's money attached, and the problems are 'real' in that the karma you earn (or burn) applies to your physical person and not an avatar, but the differences are blurring fast.

Re:Rockstar is like Vegas

[fbjon]

The difference is whether you create value or not, and how much.

I hate life

[Idiomatick]

I had plans to do this for an MMO ~4 years ago. Was well into coding, had mostly completed the engine when my main coding partner fell in love and got married totally ruining the project. Curse love! Happiness ruins all good coding projects.

Multiple platforms...

[Bert64]

Games that don't interoperate cross platform are actually a step backwards...
You used to be able to play Quake across different platforms, i played it on an SGI against a mix of linux mac and windows users...
It seems pretty stupid to me that i can't play the same games against someone who has a different type of console.

Re:Multiple platforms...

[Hurricane78]

If the interfaces are the same, this is indeed an artificial problem.
But playing a shooter on a PC against a console, or even a handheld game device, is a big no-no.
Because you can't possibly balance such a game, and still make it fair.
Final Fantasy XI could be played on a console and on a PC, because the differences in the interface did not matter for that game.
But Quake on a Nintendo DSi against a full PC user... There would always someone complaining on the autotargeting and how the weaker interface has some assistance that makes them win just as often. (Because if those would not have the same chance, there would be no reason to play it.)

Micromanagement on mobile devices

[ultrabot]

I've often thought that lots of gaming really is something that could be handled on low-powered devices. Take, for example, X3's trading - you really don't need to have access to the 3d engine to plot trade routes etc. Of course it would still be the same game, as opposed to "gimmicks" like merely sharing a number (amount of money available).

The same goes for item auction houses etc.