Gaming

Gaming
April 2, 2012
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Apple reportedly working on a video game controller for iOS devices

By on April 2, 2012 at 2:40 PM.

Apple reportedly working on a video game controller for iOS devices

The mobile gaming space is shifting from the dominant casual titles such as Angry Birds to hardcore games such as Shadowgun and Grand Theft Auto III. As smartphones and tablets become more powerful, games are becoming more complex as well. Unfortunately, both device categories have a major flaw where gaming is concerned: touch controls. Using a touchscreen and accelerometer is extremely limited, and in many cases frustrating as well. A number of third-party accessories look to solve the problem, but now it looks like Apple may be working on an OEM option. During its iPad review, AnandTech briefly mentioned that Apple is working on a physical gaming controller for iOS devices. “I know of an internal Apple project to bring a physical controller to market, but whether or not it will ever see the light of day remains to be seen,” the site said. “As smartphones and tablets come close to equalling the performance of current game consoles, I feel like the controller problem must be addressed.” While no other details are given, previous Apple patents have suggested the Cupertino-based company is taking gaming very seriously. More →

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Gaming
March 28, 2012
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Next PlayStation code-named Orbis, reportedly won’t play PS3 or used games

By on March 28, 2012 at 5:25 PM.

Next PlayStation code-named Orbis, reportedly won’t play PS3 or used games

The next generation PlayStation has reportedly been code-named “Orbis,” and it will feature an anti-used game system and offer no backward compatibility with PlayStation 3 games, Kotaku reported on Wednesday. According to multiple unnamed sources, Orbis will have some kind of measure built into the console that will prevent it from playing used games. Users will be able to buy new games for the system on Blu-ray disc or as a PlayStation Network download, and if a user chooses to buy a disc, it will supposedly be locked to a single PSN account. Users will reportedly be required to log into Sony’s network to play games, with no offline mode available. Read on for more. More →

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Entertainment
March 27, 2012
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Xbox Live update delivers Comcast’s VOD service, HBO Go and MLB.TV

By on March 27, 2012 at 12:55 PM.

Xbox Live update delivers Comcast’s VOD service, HBO Go and MLB.TV

Microsoft has begun to roll out an update for its Xbox Live service that includes new on-demand content from Comcast, along with apps from HBO and MLB, GigaOM reported on Monday. The launch these services will give users the ability to search through a wide range of content directly from their game console. In October, Microsoft announced a number of new content partners that would deliver movies, television shows and other content to its popular Xbox 360 game console. The system had already received updates that included apps from Verizon, Epix, Vevo, Vudu and YouTube. The launch of HBO Go comes as little surprise. In February, the company’s co-president Eric Kessler told reporters that the Xbox HBO Go app would go live on April 1st, in time for the season premiere of “Game of Thrones.” Microsoft fans noted that the company always releases updates on Tuesdays, however, and it was unlikely for HBO to roll out an update the day of the premiere to avoid download complications. More →

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Gaming
March 22, 2012
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ARM-based Xbox ‘lite’ coming in 2013, Xbox 360 successor later, insider claims

By on March 22, 2012 at 11:15 AM.

ARM-based Xbox ‘lite’ coming in 2013, Xbox 360 successor later, insider claims

Microsoft had intended to unveil its next-generation Xbox console during the annual E3 conference this year according to a BGR source, but it now looks as though that won’t happen — the company has gone on record in stating, “we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon.” According to “MS Nerd,” an insider with a good track record of leaking unannounced information regarding Microsoft’s plans, the Redmond-based company is currently working on not one but two Xbox consoles that will launch in the coming years. Read on for more. More →

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Gaming
March 22, 2012
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Angry Birds Space now available for $0.99 [video]

By on March 22, 2012 at 8:40 AM.

Angry Birds Space now available for $0.99 [video]

Rovio on Thursday released Angry Birds Space for iOS and Android devices, as well as OS X and Windows PCs. In the fourth major Birds release, users will get to fling birds on zero-gravity planets while utilizing new gameplay features such as slow-motion and lightspeed destruction. “This is Rovio at its finest, and we are more than excited to bring Angry Birds Space to all our fans worldwide,” said Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio. “This launch marks a huge step for us as a company, and our whole team and partners have really pulled together to bring out a fantastic array of exciting products and experiences. We hope that our fans will find all things Angry Birds Space as delightful as the Rovio family does.” Angry Birds Space is available for $0.99 in the App Store on the iPhone and iPod touch, and Angry Birds Space HD is available for $2.99 on the iPad. The Mac version is available for $4.99 in the Mac App Store. The game is available for Android devices for free with advertisements in the Google Play marketplace, with an ad-free versions available for $0.99 and an HD version for Android tablets available for $2.99 in the Amazon Appstore. Read on for a video and Rovio’s press release. More →

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Gaming
March 21, 2012
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Rockstar Games and OnLive release ‘L.A. Noire’ for Android tablets

By on March 21, 2012 at 5:50 PM.

Rockstar Games and OnLive release ‘L.A. Noire’ for Android tablets

OnLive on Monday announced that it has added a redesigned version of Rockstar Games’s award-winning “L.A. Noire” to its cloud-based video game streaming service. The two companies teamed up to optimize the game for touch and gesture interfaces on Android tablets, making L.A. Noire the first AAA console-class title to be designed specifically for touch controls. The OnLive gaming app can be found in the Google Play app catalog for compatible smartphones and tablets, and L.A. Noire is priced at $5.99. Read on for OnLive’s press release. More →

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Business
March 21, 2012
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Zynga buys ‘Draw Something’ creator OMGPOP

By on March 21, 2012 at 3:05 PM.

Zynga buys ‘Draw Something’ creator OMGPOP

Zynga on Wednesday announced that it has acquired app developer OMGPOP for $180 million, plus another $30 million in employee-retention payments, AllThingsD reported. The company confirmed the acquisition during a conference call on Wednesday afternoon, however it did not disclose the terms of the deal. Even though the OMGPOP’s app is only six weeks old, the turn based Pictionary-style game “Draw Something” has already become the most popular Facebook Connect game, beating out Zynga’s own Words With Friends. OMGPOP’s app is also the No.1 free app and No.1 paid app on both the iOS App Store and the Google Play marketplace for Android. The addictive drawing game boasts 35 million registered users, 10 million active daily users and almost 1 billion ad impressions per day. More →

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Gaming
March 20, 2012
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Blizzard ‘looking into’ bringing World of Warcraft to iOS

By on March 20, 2012 at 9:00 PM.

Blizzard ‘looking into’ bringing World of Warcraft to iOS

The world’s most subscribed-to MMORPG may be coming soon to a mobile device near you. World of Warcraft’s senior producer John Lagrave sat down with Eurogamer to discuss the future of the ever-changing gaming industry. “Maybe we’ll stumble on the great way to put WOW on the phone – maybe we won’t, but we’re certainly looking into it,” Lagrave said. “We won’t do it until we think it’s decent. But it’s interesting and the world is evolving towards [the iPhone]. It would be foolish for any game developer to not be looking at that.” Having a large game such as WoW ported to a touch-based mobile device wouldn’t come without its fair share of problems. As Gameloft’s Order & Chaos has shown, however, MMORPGs are definitely doable on portable devices. Blizzard’s only WoW app for the time being is called Mobile Armory, and it only allows users to view a character’s armor and manage auctions. “What we’ve done with WOW on mobile devices is very simplistic: view the armory, you check your auctions,” Lagrave said. “When we have an epiphany, everyone will know. But for now, no epiphany!” More →

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Gaming
March 19, 2012
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Microsoft patent suggests eyewear integration for Xbox, Windows Phone

By on March 19, 2012 at 10:45 PM.

Microsoft patent suggests eyewear integration for Xbox, Windows Phone

A new Microsoft patent published recently by the United States Patent and Trademark Office revealed that the company is working on two types of headsets for its Xbox and Windows Phone platforms, PatentBolt reported on Monday. The first unit resembles an aviation-type helmet and is aimed at Xbox gamers, while the second looks like a pair of sunglasses for use with smartphones and other future devices. The software giant states that a compact display system can be integrated into goggles, a helmet or other eyewear, enabling the wearer to view images from a computer, media player or other electronic device. Since the human eye can’t focus on images less than a few centimeters away, however, Microsoft’s headsets will have the ability to virtually project an image.

More →

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Gaming
March 16, 2012
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Microsoft: No new Xbox hardware this year

By on March 16, 2012 at 9:05 PM.

Microsoft: No new Xbox hardware this year

Microsoft has confirmed that the successor to the Xbox 360 will not be announced at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo. “While we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon,” the company said in a statement to Kotaku on Thursday. “For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360-and it’s the best year ever for Xbox 360. The console is coming off its biggest year ever-a year in which Xbox outsold all other consoles worldwide.” The next-generation Xbox is rumored to be six times more powerful than the current Xbox 360. It has been reported that the console will be equipped with a GPU based on ATI’s Radeon HD 6670 and should offer support for 3D technology, 1080p HD output, multiple displays and DirectX 11. It is also possible that Microsoft’s next-generation system may use online downloads and swappable solid state cards rather than a traditional disc drive. More →

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Gaming
March 16, 2012
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New Sonic game showcases Xbox, Windows Phone integration [video]

By on March 16, 2012 at 7:35 PM.

New Sonic game showcases Xbox, Windows Phone integration [video]

Microsoft first discussed its “three screens and a cloud” gaming strategy in 2009, describing a scenario that could carry a single video game across a TV screen, a PC and a smartphone. Now, nearly three years later, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II counts itself among the first games to showcase this exciting integration. Owners of an Xbox 360 and a Windows Phone will be able to start a game on one device, pause, and pick up on the other device exactly where they left off. “One of the cool things about it is that the Windows Mobile 7 [sic] and the Xbox are going to be able to work in tandem in ways that are completely new,” Digital Grand Manager for Sonic 4: Episode II Ken Balough told Official Xbox Magazine in an interview. “So when you pick up the Windows Mobile 7 and you’ll be able to play Sonic Episode II, save it, stop, boot up your Xbox 360 and pick up right where you left off. And that’s a really cool thing Microsoft has going between the devices and I’m a huge fan of it.” The video interview with Balough follows below, and the conversation pertaining to the Xbox and Windows Phone can be heard shortly after the 4-minute mark. More →

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Business
March 15, 2012
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Video game publishers need to embrace different pricing models to survive, Nexon CEO says

By on March 15, 2012 at 6:40 PM.

Video game publishers need to embrace different pricing models to survive, Nexon CEO says

Nexon, the free-to-play gaming developer behind the hit game MapleStory, sees the traditional publishing model fading away. As game consoles become more advanced, video game budgets continue to increase and publishers are forced to charge consumers more for each game. But the $60 price tag associated with today’s games will simply not survive, Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim told GamesIndustry International. “I think at some point the console makers have to make a decision about how closed or open they’re going to be to the different models that are going to be emerging,” Kim said. “Today it’s free-to-play, and I’m convinced that one is going to continue to flourish and expand into other genres and other categories, but there may be something else completely and entirely different that comes out that again changes the industry.” Read on for more. More →

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Gaming
March 15, 2012
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Diablo III announced for May 15th, pre-orders now available

By on March 15, 2012 at 10:30 AM.

Diablo III announced for May 15th, pre-orders now available

Blizzard on Thursday announced that its highly anticipated follow-up to the hit game Diablo II will be available on May 15th. Digital copies of Diablo III can be pre-ordered starting Thursday for $59.99. The game’s story picks up twenty years after its predecessor, and a new generation of heroes must now face the forces of evil. Players will be able to choose from a barbarian, a monk, a demon hunter, a witch doctor and a wizard. Blizzard’s fast-paced hack and slash action role-playing game will be available at retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The digital version will be available in Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Brazil as well, but gamers in Latin American countries and Russia will have to wait until June 7th. Read on for Blizzard’s press release. More →

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