News Blips: Activision supports gaming services, Final Fantasy’s reputation, Dead Island movie, and more

Have you yearned for a future where your gaming experience involves endless network logins and service agreements? No? Well, Activision says, "Too bad."

News Blips:

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Activision endorses an industry-wide adoption of connected game services such as Call of Duty Elite. "We believe that a 24/7, year-round services strategy that broadens the game experience beyond just playing is going to be a necessity," Activision Digital Vice President Jamie Berger told MCV in an interview. "Right now, it's an option, but in three to five years, it won't be. To support a diverse player base, you will have to have a services and ongoing content strategy." I, for one, welcome our impending data-tracking, SkyNet overlords….

Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada acknowledges that "the Final Fantasy brand has been greatly damaged." Wada pledged further improvements to the ill-received PC version of Final Fantasy 14 Online before releasing a planned PS3 version. I'm surprised FF14's servers still operate. All eight players must really be enjoying themselves. [Sponichi via Andriasang]

Dead Island's heart-tugging CGI trailer inspired Lionsgate to option developer Deep Silver for a film adaptation. No further details on the agreement, but Lionsgate mentioned the film focusing on "human emotion, family ties, and nonlinear storytelling." Because nothing gets the dollar signs dancing like a stricken child with zombie teeth marks in her neck.

Co-op dungeon crawler Crimson Alliance gets its first expansion pack. The Vengeance Map Pack throws more fiendishly designed campaign levels at you and your buddies to gloriously die in. A new Challenge Map, "Fistful of Coins," sends waves of enemies against your hero, with a big gold payoff as the reward. The pack hits the Xbox Live Marketplace on October 12 for 240 Microsoft Points ($3).

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