DCEmu Featured News Articles

Steve Jobs and co. showed off all kinds of cool new features during the debut of iOS 5 at WWDC earlier this month. We had the chance to take a few of them for a spin, when we tested the beta build of the mobile operating system, and now that more and more folks have tried their hand at iOS 5, more and more features are getting their turn to shine. Here's a list of some of the cooler ones we've seen in the last few weeks.
Apple has added the ability to make FaceTime calls over 3G -- though rumor has it that this may be a beta-only feature, which carriers can choose to disable, over obvious data usage concerns.
AirPlay Mirroring has been shown off. The feature lets users display video from an iPad 2 on an HDTV, by way of Apple TV, for those times when you just can't keep your tablet content to yourself. (Read)
The new software also offers up the ability to sync 1080p video to iOS 5 devices, opening the door to speculation that future iPads and iPhones may be able to play back content at full 1080p. (Read)
Like to play your iTunes over your car stereo? Good news, iOS 5 will transfer audio information like album, track, and artist names over Bluetooth. (Read)

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/13/m...a-testing-sun/ ...

Sony's seen fit to tell us many of the PlayStation Vita's specs, how much it'll cost ($249 for WiFi, $299 for 3G), and who gets it (everyone). Amidst all the hullabaloo at E3 2011, however, we missed seeing that Sony was showing off the new handheld's internal memory cards. Good thing an eagle-eyed member of the public snapped a pic of the 4, 8, 16, and 32GB cards on the show floor. They look awfully similar to garden variety SD cards, only there's a little notch in the side confirming they hew to Sony's unfortunate habit of using proprietary storage formats. The cost of the cards remains shrouded in secrecy, but life's more fun when a little mystery's involved, right?

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/14/s...ke-an-sd-card/ ...

After almost two years of litigation of Nokia and Apple suing and counter suing each other, the patent war between the two companies has come to an end. The winner out of this settlement is, however, Nokia. As a part of the settlement, Apple has agreed to become a licensee of Nokia's patents. As a part of the licensing agreement, Apple has agreed to give Nokia a one-time payment and ongoing royalties. The exact terms of the agreement has not been disclosed

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/0...-Fees-To-Nokia ...

Sony has responded to the most recent round of US industry sales figures from NPD by pointing out that its PS3 console is selling 14 per cent more, year on year, than it was last May - making last month the fourth consecutive month of double digit sales growth.

The NPD report paints a grim picture for the US market, showing the lowest physical games sales for five years, albeit partially due to a sparse release schedule. Nonetheless, hardware sales for the PS3 and 360 were both up.

"The PS3 platform is stronger than ever, and with the launch of Infamous 2, we continue to show our commitment to delivering the best and freshest content line-up available to our consumers," said SCEA senior director of corporate communications, Patrick Seybold.

"At E3 last week, we saw first-hand the consumer excitement for 3D, PlayStation Move and our first party franchise titles that will continue to drive the brand."

Sony has suffered considerable setbacks over the last year, after experiencing production issues for the forthcoming PS Vita during the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, and then enduring six weeks of PSN outage, at the cost of $170 million, thanks to a security breach.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...t-year-on-year ...

Microsoft may be planning a new system of Kinect-enabled advertising for the Xbox 360, following the discovery of a new trademark for "NUAds".

A trademark application discovered by website Techie Buzz refers to a new service called NUAds and although Kinect is not mentioned by name it appears to be instrumental to the new concept.

"Advertising services, namely, promoting and marketing the goods and services of others through online interactive video games by enabling consumers to interact with third-party advertising content through voice or body gestures via computer game console and sensor devices", reads the description.

The description appears to imply advertising via the Xbox 360 dashboard, rather than in-game. Static and video advertising is already streamed via the current dashboard and a new fully Kinect-controlled version of the interface was unveiled at the recently concluded E3 expo.

The website Techie Buzz speculates that the new service may be an attempt by Microsoft to introduce an equivalent to Apple's iAds - a touch-controlled advertising platform for iOS developers.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-dashboard-ads ...

US boxed video game sales in May 2011 totalled $743.1 million, a 14 per cent decline on the same period in 2010 and the lowest since October 2006.

That's according to data released by the NPD Group, which reported that software sales were down 19 per cent to $375.8 million and hardware down 5 per cent to $228.9 million. Accessories was also down 6 per cent to $114 million.

"Keeping in mind that these sales figures represent just the new physical portion of the market for video game hardware, software, and accessories and not the growing portion of the industry that is comprised of digital format content distribution, May 2011 was the lowest month of sales for the industry since October 2006," said the company. "A light slate of new releases is at the heart of this month's performance."

Sales of the PlayStation 3, PSP and Xbox 360 were all up over May 2010, with 360 seeing the highest increase.

NPD noted that "sales of the 3DS were light, but with next Sunday's release of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, we will begin to see a slate of strong content come to market for the 3DS, which should help to significantly boost sales of hardware during the remainder of 2011."

"Combined sales of the PS3 and Xbox 360 (HD hardware) are up 28 per cent for the month and 21 per cent year to date. Although the declines in console hardware sales in 2011 are attributable to the Wii, the platform remains the best-selling of this generation at nearly 36 million installed in the US."

NPD suggested that at the current rate of growth and decline, the Wii will still maintain the lead in the console space, although the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will have closed the gap. "Of course, new details on hardware introduction could certainly change the picture," added the company.

During May there were 42 new software SKUs released compared to 58 last year and 72 for May 2009.

"Keep in mind that purchases of content are increasingly occurring in digital format, and May saw a notable digital release in the second map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops which was titled Escalation. Undoubtedly, this shifted some dollars that might have been spent on new physical content at retail," noted NPD.

The biggest release of the month was Team Bondi's L.A. Noire, followed by Brink, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat.

The top ten best sellers for May follow:

01 L.A. Noire (360, PS3)
02 Brink (360, PS3, PC)
03 LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Wii, 360, DS, 3DS, PS3, PSP, PC)
04 Portal 2 (360, PS3, PC)
05 Mortal Kombat (PS3, 360)
06 Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC)
07 Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, 360, PS3)
08 NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC)
09 Just Dance 2 (Wii)
10 LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii, DS, 360, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC)

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...e-october-2006 ...

Microsoft has refuted the idea that core gamers were ever disapproving about Kinect - suggesting instead that they merely wanted the motion device to feature in their favourite games.

The platform holder used its E3 conference last Monday to show off a host of games that it believes will be 'Better With Kinect' - including BioWare's Mass Effect 3 and Ubisoft's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

Speaking to an audience after the firm's E3 showcase, Microsoft's Kinect maestro Kudo Tsunoda said: "I mean, I never really thought that core gamers were in any way hostile to Kinect. People saying: 'Wow, we'd really love to have Kinect in the games that we love to play and the genres and types of games we like to enjoy,'... to me that's saying like: 'We really love Kinect, and we'd like Kinect to be in the experiences that we play regularly.' I never really looked on it as something that we needed to address.


He added: "The number of Kinect experiences we're going to have are going to triple by the end of the year, so there's going to be more different types of experiences in more different types of genres.

"Let's face it, I've been playing games since I was like five-years-old. If there's anybody who is a core gamer, it is me and I'm just happy that Kinect and developers are excited enough about Kinect - and that core gamers are excited enough about Kinect - to have the technology showing up in all different types of games.

"I think that's one of the real strengths of Xbox: It doesn't matter what kind of person you are, a core gamer or a non-core gamer, if you like controllers or you want to play controller-free, we really make it so people can play games the way they want on our console, and developers can build experiences on the way that they want on our console.

"Again, I never really looked on it as core gamers being hostile. A bunch of people saying: 'Hey we'd really like to have this stuff in our games,' - to me that's much more something that makes me feel good about the technology."'

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS ...

Microsoft Games Studios VP Phil Spencer has described the PlayStation Network hack that dominated gaming headlines in late April and May as a "crappy" situation that was bad for the industry as a whole, the Xbox maker included.

"It's crappy," he told IGN of the lengthy PSN outage. "What [the hackers] did is against the law, hurts consumers, and doesn't help any of us in the industry.

"I think Sony would say they're out there to create entertainment products and games for everybody. People want to trust that their information online is safe.

"I've had questions about whether or not this helps Xbox Live," he added, "and no, it doesn't help anybody. Having people question the safety of their online information is not good for our industry."

Sony said at E3 last week that activity on the PlayStation Network is back up to 90 percent of what it had been before the security breach.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS ...

Console posts 17 consecutive months of year-and-year growth in the US; Sector falls to four and a half year low; 3DS struggles
Xbox 360 has posted its 17th successive month of year-on-year unit sales growth in the US.
In total Xbox 360 has accounted for 34 per cent of the region's total video games revenue so far in 2011 – a seven per cent year-on-year increase.
However, the overall picture is less rosy. The May US video games market was worth $743.1m. That's a fall of 14 per cent and the lowest value since October 2008.
"Keeping in mind that these sales figures represent just the new physical portion of the market for video game hardware, software, and accessories and not the growing portion of the industry that is comprised of digital format content distribution, May 2011 was the lowest month of sales for the industry since October 2006," NPD analyst Anita Frazier stated.
"A light slate of new releases is at the heart of this month's performance."

Overall hardware sales were down five per cent though this is mostly attributable to declines suffered by Nintendo's machines. The 3DS has yet to take off, either.
"Sales of the 3DS were light," Frazier admitted. "But with next Sunday's release of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, we will begin to see a slate of strong content come to market for the 3DS, which should help to significantly boost sales of hardware during the remainder of 2011.
"Combined sales of the PS3 and Xbox 360 are up 28 per cent for the month and 21 per cent year to date. Although the declines in console hardware sales in 2011 are attributable to the Wii, the platform remains the best-selling of this generation at nearly 36 million installed in the US."
At the current rates of growth and decline Wii looks set to remain as the nation's best selling console this generation through 2011.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/44872/NPD-...ses-May-market ...