I think there’s a glitch in the Matrix. Just like three months ago, the scheduled release date for the WildTangent Orb virtual game console has come and gone. Just like three months ago, WildTangent CEO Alex St. John has made headlines with an inspirational, self-serving speech about the death of consoles without providing the nail to drive into their coffin. And, just like three months ago, a WildTangent representative on the hot seat has retracted that release date not by owning up to any error or slippage, but instead by telling me the date never existed.
I was about ready to pull out the vaporware card… but this afternoon, after receiving brand new info from Sean Sundwall, director of corporate communications for the casual game ad-network, I’ve decided not to.
What can I say? I want to believe.
According to Sundwall, the release of the Orb has indeed been delayed, but for a very welcome reason — WildTangent has reportedly received far more interest in the platform than they originally expected. And he wasn’t referring to journalists beating down the door, either; a variety of publishers, excited by the prospect of using the WildTangent service to sell their PC titles, have reportedly been offering far more titles than the 100-man studio was capable of processing. “We’ve just been overwhelmed trying to get all that content into the console,” said Sundwall. “It’s a headache we didn’t expect.”
Though Sundwall was cautious about dropping any names or concrete release dates, he divulged that “two or three big name publishers” might be signing on with WildTangent, and was adamant that the service would launch soon with titles aimed at “truly enthusiast, if not hardcore” gamers.
While he was not willing to even speculate on the existence of the WildTangent Orb’s rumored motion controller, he did say that if such a thing existed, it would not appear at launch.
In a PC gaming market where big-budget titles retail at $60 apiece, computer hardware is marketed using counterintuitive alphanumeric designations and piracy fears have made software impossible to return, WildTangent’s open business model seems like a relative nirvana. The Orb will analyze your hardware before you choose titles, and let you know which you can comfortably play.
Then, using one of your two free trials per game, you can test out every nuance free of charge. If it runs to your satisfaction, you can buy it outright… or purchase additional sessions arcade-style, trading real currency for WildCoin tokens… or, let one of WildTangent’s advertisers pay for you. Sundwall confirmed that just like in WildTangent’s casual games biz, users who watch a 30-second preroll advertisement while the game loads will have full unlimited access during their session, no matter the title.
How can WildTangent afford to let the same users who spend an hour a day playing Diner Dash engross themselves in THQ’s Company of Heroes for the same price? Well, to be honest, they can’t. But how many gamers do you know that enjoy managing both diners AND battalions of tanks in real time?
Sundwall explains that while users will likely drop more WildCoins for one of the Orb’s premium titles, the advertising route won’t be any longer because advertisers are happy to pick up the slack in order to reach that hardcore gamer demographic. “They’re willing to pay a premium,” he said.
Stunned by the sudden burst of logic, I speculated aloud that the Orb sounded too good to be true.
Sundwall replied: “I just installed the new version on my laptop, and it looks great.”
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Pop quiz: Which graphics card is faster, a NVIDIA GeForce 8500 or a 6800GT? How about an AMD Radeon 9800 and a 3650 HD? Would you spend $50 to upgrade from an 8800GT to a 9800GT?
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