DCEmu Featured News Articles

Nintendo's later than expected launch of the Nintendo 3DS could cause supply constraints in the West, says industry analyst Colin Sebastian.


Speaking after Nintendo's big press conference this morning, the Lazard Capital Markets man seemed less than impressed that Nintendo's chosen to miss this Christmas with 3DS.

"Given the later launch of the 3DS in Japan, we note that shipment quantities to the U.S. next spring might be more constrained than originally anticipated," he said.

Nintendo says it expects four million 3DS units sold by the end of March, so we know they'll probably be that many on the streets worldwide around launch.

In the same period, the company predicts 15 million software units will be sold for 3DS.

That'd all come as fantastic news for Nintendo, as retailers such as GAME are reporting that sales of Nintendo consoles are down 40% year-on-year.

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

The PlayStation 3 is more complicated to develop on than the Xbox 360 - and it's harder to get games "running fast" as a result.

That's according to Enslaved dev Ninja Theory, which has created its new action adventure for both systems - and made PS3 exclusive Heavenly Sword.

"We have found that it's usually harder for us to get things working fast on the PS3," A Ninja Theory dev going by the name of Lusty posted on the studio's forums.

"It's a really powerful piece of kit but it's a little more complex to work with than the 360."

"So maybe there is slightly more work being done on the PS3 as we can be pretty sure that if we get it working at a decent FPS on PS3 then it's going to work on 360 too."

The rest of what Lusty had to say is much more neutral and mitigating.


"We're actively developing day to day on both PS3 & 360; we have the same number of PS3 and 360 kits in the studio. A lot of work is also done on a PC build as we don't have enough kits for everyone..."

"We've also got a load of automated tests which we run on all platforms. These are not just to find bugs but also to check on performance issues. We know that it's really important to maintain a high FPS with absolutely no slow-down or spiking and this helps us to do that."

"... all platforms get equal love."

We're sure they do Lusty, we're sure they do.

Microsoft is sure that the 360 is going to get a boost from Kinect, claiming that Kinect's launch can be bigger than that of every console in history - including Xbox 360 itself.

Enslaved is due for release in the UK next Friday (October 8).

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

Kinect’s launch line-up provides no foretoken to the wild ideas that the peripheral will provide in the future, a tech executive at Rare believes.
Nick Burton admitted that Kinect’s software launch line-up has an understandable air of predictability – with its sports and family titles – but insisted the tech had too much potential for it not to summon bold ideas from developers.
“With the launch of Kinect it was obvious to make the sort of heart-on-sleeve titles. Sports, family games, and so on,” he told Develop.
“But six months after the obvious games are done, that’s when the crazy ideas will come through.
“I think now we’re just waiting to see what people are hooked by, what they’re amazed by. We’re waiting for people to have that ‘holy shit’ moment. Even people that are tech savvy, we’re waiting for them to go ‘how the hell does that work?’”

Turning the subject to Rare itself, Burton suggested the studio was raring to get the green light on some of its own Kinect ideas.
“Just because we’re working on a sports title doesn’t mean that we don’t already have really bonkers ideas waiting to be worked on,” he said.
Burton insisted that the motion-tracking feature of Kinect was “the tip of the iceberg”.
“It can track twenty-odd points of a person’s body, but then you’ve got the depth information, the colour information, the audio stream – you put all these together and there are so many possibilities,” he said.
“The example I always use is working out who’s speaking in a room. Kinect has an array microphone – which works out where noises are coming from quite easily. But also, using the depth, colour and tracking information, Kinect can work out the size and appearance of who’s speaking, and suddenly it can mark a certain voice to a single person.
“That’s a few lines of code.
“It’s pretty exciting to think about the possibilities in joining all this tech together; figuring out what you can do.
“And I suppose what’s key is that these ideas, these techniques, will over time become easier for developers to implement.”

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...s-family-games ...

Apple will launch a second-generation iPad in early 2011, featuring upgraded specs and a slightly smaller screen size, reports suggest.
According to Bloomberg, sources told analysts at Goldman Sachs that the new device will be launched in spring.
It will feature a 9.7-inch display, a built-in camera and mini USB port, and will probably be thinner and lighter, analysts Henry King and Kevin Lu said. They added that Hon Hai Precision Industry Co will likely be the supplier.
Despite rumours in the Taiwanese press, a smaller, seven-inch version of the iPad has not been finalised, King and Lu claimed.
Apple has declined to comment on the reports.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/34743...a-and-mini-USB ...

A whitepaper published by UK research group Juniper has claimed that the North American app market will be worth around $10 billion by 2015, an increase of $4 billion from its 2009 valuation.

Chief among the reasons for the increase is the market shift toward the use of smartphones, although improving coverage and uptake of 4G networks is also seen to be an important factor.

"Carriers are at last recognising what developers want: the ability to publish their application across a wide variety of platforms while making those applications far more accessible to the end users," said report author Daniel Ashdown.

Whilst the change in phone capabilities has lead to a sharp decline in the mobile ringtone market, other areas have improved to increase the sector's overall revenue. Mobile gambling and adult applications were seen as the two biggest new areas, although established content genres such as games and entertainment had increased also.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...D10-bn-by-2015 ...

A report by US market research group NPD has revealed that 25 per cent of US consumers aged 13 and above have downloaded content to their home computer, console, smartphone, Blu-ray player or other device over the last 3 months, with six per cent doing via a games console.

The six per cent figure is only slightly above that which the report claims for smartphone content downloading, which stands at four per cent. Fifteen per cent of content downloading was done via Mac or PC.

"What we learned in our research is that while some people already experience the world in a connected way, most do not," said senior NPD analyst Russ Crupnick.

"For many who are connecting it is not about the flashiest apps, but more about the fundamentals like web browsing and email. The promise of the connected experience is coming, as prospective Blu-ray owners want their players to come with connectivity, and half of game consoles are already connected. The doors are also opening wider for music, video, gaming and other forms of entertainment."

The report acknowledges that the variety of connectible devices has increased considerably in recent years, allowing a wider range of consumers access to downloaded content and services, especially broadening the games market.

"Today's gamer might be a hardcore teenager playing games online with his friends, a 40-something female playing Farmville on Facebook, or everything on either side of that spectrum," analyst Anita Frazier said.

"We would not have seen this type of audience diversification and expansion if it weren't for connected internet, smartphone, and online gaming options."

The report also highlights Blu-ray players as a 'prime avenue to deliver broadband content to the consumer's living room', as well as indicating a rise in the number of households owning an internet connected television.

The fragment of the study released to press doesn't give an indication of sample size, but states that the data was gathered over a period of two years of research by the group.

Earlier this year, US analysts Nielsen reported that seventh generation consoles had a 41 per cent penetration in US homes.

In the UK, data from GfK Chart-Track - revealed in a management report by retailer GAME yesterday - suggested that digital PC game sales accounted for only 4 per cent of the UK market.

Chart Track has clarified to GamesIndustry.biz the figure was from 2009, and an estimate of PC sales only.

"This is simply an estimate of PC games units (digital downloads) compared to the entire physical boxed product model of PC/console software for 2009," said Chart-Track group director Dorian Bloch.

"It does not include digital sales via console or other online services."

GfK Chart-Track does not currently shares digital sales of content in the UK, although it is in the early stages of monitoring the market in conjunction with UKIE.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...et-is-untapped ...

Nintendo's 3DS hardware will launch in Japan on February 26, 2011, with the portable hitting the US and Europe a month later in March.

The new system, which features a 3D display and does not require separate glasses, will retail in Japan for ¥25,000 ($298 / £188).

During a press conference in Tokyo this morning, president Satoru Iwata demonstrated functions of the 3DS, including the passive tag feature that allows the handheld to communicate with other systems, able to exchange game data stored on the hardware. The system will be able to download content and data via WiFi when in sleep mode.

The Mii Studio software allows the user to create Mii avatars from pictures taken with the 3DS, which can then be stored on the bundled 2GB memory card.

It was also confirmed that the Virtual Console store will sell Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles for the system.

First-party software for the machine include re-imagings and brand new titles in the Kid Icarus, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario, Star Fox, Mario Kart, PilotWings and Nintendogs franchises.

A spokesperson for Nintendo UK said it had "no more further information to share at this time," regarding a launch or specific date for European release of the 3DS.

The 3DS was first revealed in March this year before being officially unveiled at E3 in July.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz during the event, European marketing MD Laurent Fischer said that publishers were clamouring to work with the company after getting hands-on with the tech.

"One of the major objectives of our E3 was to stress that it's important for Nintendo that we get this level of support from partners," said Fisher. "Of course we're happy about it, but it's more than we would have dreamed of with such support from our partners at this new time for consoles."

All major publishers are onboard and creating new titles for the system, including Activision, Capcom, EA, Konami, Namco, Sega and Ubisoft. Franchises lined up for the system including DJ Hero, Resident Evil, The Sims, Metal Gear Solid, Ridge Racer, Super Monkey Ball and Assassin's Creed.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ry-26-in-japan ...

Newly released today



features•Navigate through a dark fantasy world where the intense battleground surprises you with new and challenging obstacles by changing its form in real-time
•Syd and Filena perform actions as a pair—in some instances, that is the only way to overcome hurdles. Strategically perform combos for a more powerful, fierce attack against colossal enemies
•Continue your adventure with your friends in Team Battle and Battle Royale modes
•Radiant colors and the mixture of organic elements complements both action and technology
descriptionExperience Syd and Filena’s adventurous ascent through a treacherous tower in this actionshooter game, presented in an art nouveau style world that is on the verge of becoming postapocalyptic, which merges the beauty of organic motifs with technology and action-packed gameplay.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3ojp.html ...

Newly released today



In the year 2171, the lines between nations have been redrawn. The newest installment of the FRONT MISSION series takes you down to ground level, letting you control both wanzers and pilots from a visceral third-person view. Experience intense battles around the globe as you unravel an intricate and insidious conspiracy.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3whi.html ...