DCEmu Featured News Articles

The PlayStation 3 can still catch the Xbox 360 in terms of sales, EA has predicted.

The publisher's European senior vice president Uwe Intat told MCV, "We could certainly see Sony come back – in the UK it's still a head-to-head competition between PlayStation and Xbox, but on the continent Sony is traditionally stronger than Microsoft.

"But we're very happy to watch the competition, because as long as they're competing to get more consumers in, there are more people we can sell games to."

While PlayStation 3 had a slow start at retail, it's been picking up the pace of late. In Japan, it overtook the Wii's annual sales-to-date tally for the first time since launch.

As of 30th June this year, the PlayStation 3 had shifted 38.1 million units worldwide, whereas Microsoft had moved 41.7 million Xbox 360s.

Strangely, Intat didn't mention the Wii. In July, Nintendo announced that 73.97 million units had been sold across the globe.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...rtake-xbox-360 ...

The newest member of the PS3 jailbreaking tool crowd is the iPod family. More specifically, iPods running the open source media firmware Rockbox. Even better news, theoretically it should be possible to use this same method on any MP3 player running the Rockbox software. Right now the exploit package only works on select generations of the iPod Nano and iPod Classic line, but if the trend set by the PSX-scene forums continues, it would be worth checking back in the near future if your device is not already supported. Thanks to [shuffle2] for providing the hack, and [DanAdamKOF] for the heads up.

http://hackaday.com/2010/09/25/ps3-j...-apple-flavor/ ...

The newest member of the PS3 jailbreaking tool crowd is the iPod family. More specifically, iPods running the open source media firmware Rockbox. Even better news, theoretically it should be possible to use this same method on any MP3 player running the Rockbox software. Right now the exploit package only works on select generations of the iPod Nano and iPod Classic line, but if the trend set by the PSX-scene forums continues, it would be worth checking back in the near future if your device is not already supported. Thanks to [shuffle2] for providing the hack, and [DanAdamKOF] for the heads up.

http://hackaday.com/2010/09/25/ps3-j...-apple-flavor/ ...

THQ's president and chief executive Brian Farrell has said that development time and costs for Move and Kinect titles are a fraction of those for core games, making them an attractive prospect for publishers.

Speaking at an investor conference in New York earlier this week, Farrell was asked how the development process for Move and Kinect games differed to the company's core videogames.

"There are more mass market type games, so the costs of games for Kinect and Move are a fraction of the games we showed you on the screen," Farrell told investors.

"They're just simpler forms of game, based on your movement and the input device and not on fantastic art and complex animations and backgrounds, that's the other reason we like those two products, because the development costs are much lower than they are for the other core products."

Farrell's comments echo the thoughts of Sony boss Michael Denny, who toldGamesIndustry.biz earlier this month that Move can be an easier point of entry to the console market for cash-conscious developers.

"Depending on the type of game we're looking at, the budgets are lower," Denny said, although he was keen to point out that costs are a secondary consideration to quality.

"When we're talking to developers it's really about them installing in us the belief and passion that they have to make something that's creative and innovative. The budgetary exercise comes second to that, we have to look at it and believe it's a sensible proposition. But first and foremost it's about us being sold a vision of a creative, innovative game that can be delivered to a high quality."

Farrell's presentation to investors, which saw THQ's shares climb as a result of its positivity, also touched on some interesting points about pricing models.

Discussing the price point of THQ's successful MX series of off-road racing games, the CEO revealed that the next title in the series, due in fiscal year 2012, will experiment with a new form of pricing which he likened to a 'hybrid' of microtransaction and DLC models.

"Normally, we bring the thing out at $59.99, and it does reasonably well - one million to one and a half million units, then when we lower the price to a mass market price and the thing really jumps at the mass markets because, as you might expect, MX is a very mass market brand.

"So what we're doing this time is coming out initially with a smaller game at a lower price point, at the $29-$39 range, and then doing a download model for different modes, different tracks, different vehicles. We call it hybrid because it's a take on the microtransaction and DLC models.

"I'm a big believer in monetising everything under the curve so we capture that $29-$39 user no matter what," he added. "But if a person wants to spend a $100 on a game then they can do that as well. I think that's the future of gaming. Whether it's a take on this model or the free-to-play model, this is where our industry is going."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ve-development ...

A new Wii controller that appears to be a fusion of the Wii Motion Plus accessory and the standard Wii Remote has popped up on US shop Gamestop's website.

It's called Wii Remote Plus, and comes bundled with Nintendo's game FlingSmash (spotted by Kotaku).

The box art that reveals the new Wii Remote does not appear to be on UK website listings for FlingSmash, which is without a European release date.

What is FlingSmash anyway? Well, since you asked...

"FlingSmash combines the hands-on fun of tennis with the nonstop action and instant gratification of pinball. When the tropical Suthon Island is invaded by the evil Omminus, the ball-shaped hero, Zip, is summoned to save the day. Using the Wii Remote™ controller with the Wii MotionPlus accessory, you'll fling Zip at targets to smash your way across eight colorful worlds. Use the Wii Remote controller like a racket and watch Zip bounce around like a pinball to smash through oncoming barriers and enemies in this action sidescroller."

A Nintendo spokesperson confirmed to Eurogamer that Wii Remote Plus "is real" but added, "We have nothing to announce on this at the moment."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...e-plus-spotted ...

THQ has claimed that the price of video games will drop in future - and could even go free-to-play - as publishers release less content on-disc.

According to THQ boss Brian Farrell, the future of console gaming is most likely see stripped-down titles bought at retail for $29 - $39.


Gamers will then have the option to download extra content to the tune of around $100 if they so wish.

THQ is experimenting with the hybrid model with its MX Vs ATV off-road racing title, due for release next year.

However, Farrell told investors this week that a free-to-play model - where gamers only pay for in-game items and extra content after a gratis initial sale - could end up dominating the industry.

"You might know we are the industry leader in off-road racing in gaming with our MXVs ATV brand," Farrell told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference in New York. "In the past, we've seen that we bring the game out at $59.99 and it does reasonably well - around one million, or one million-and-a-half units.

"When we lower the price to a mass market price the thing really jumps... So what we're doing this time is we're coming out initially with a smaller game at a lower price point - the $29 to $39 range.

"We're then doing a download model for different modes, different tracks, different vehicles. It's what we call a hybrid - it's a bit of the microtransaction and DLC model.

"It does a couple of things: I'm a big believer in monetising under the curve, so we capture that $29 to $39 user no matter what, and a person that wants to spend $100 on the product can do so as well.

He added: "I think that's the future of gaming - whether it's this model or a take on the free-to-play model. It's where our industry is going and this is a very, very interesting experiment with one of our key brands."

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

Sonic The Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka will present a session at the Eurogamer Expo, showing off new creation Ivy the Kiwi to a 500-strong audience.

Naka is the latest developer to join the event, which will also showcase upcoming titles such as Fable III, Motorstorm: Apocalypse, LittleBigPlanet 2 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

The Eurogamer Expo allows 20,000 consumers hands-on time with forthcoming hit titles including Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, Microsoft's Gears of War 3, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood from Ubisoft and Bethesda's Fallout: New Vegas, amongst others.

There will also be the best indie titles at the Expo as part of the Indie Games Arcade, and GamesIndustry.biz will also be hosting its annual Career Fair, as well as co-hosting Game Invest 2010 with partner Screen Yorkshire.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...eurogamer-expo ...

Pokemon Black and White has completely dominated the Japanese software chart this week, going straight in at number one with 2,557,779 units sold, according to Japanese chart experts Media Create.

The figure makes it the fastest-selling Pokemon title in Japan ever, beating previous number one, Diamond and Pearl, by a million units.

Earlier this week, rival sales tracking company Enterbrain claimed that Black and White had sold in excess of 2.6 million copies on its first two days on sale alone, alongside over one million pre orders.

Elsewhere in the chart, translated by Andriasang, Microsoft's Halo: Reach debuted at number four, selling just over 44,000 copies.

This impacted the hardware chart somewhat buy doubling weekly sales of the 360 console, although only 5,800 units of the system were sold. Nintendo sold 47,379 DSi units and 31,254 DSiLL units, which were first and second in the hardware chart respectively.

Other new entries to the software chart included Square Enix's PS3 title Front Mission Evolved at two, and Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds Tag Force at three. Full charts are below, previous week's sales figures, where applicable, are shown in brackets.

01. DSi: 47,379 (16,345)
02. DSi LL: 31,254 (19,076)
03. PSP: 29,866 (30,761)
04. PS3: 21,096 (19,907)
05. Wii: 14,833 (15,031)
06. DS Lite: 7,137 (4,328)
07. X360: 5,804 (2,915)
08. PS2: 1,390 (1,363)
09. PSP go: 863 (809)
01. Pokemon Black & White (Pokemon, DS): 2,557,779
02. Front Mission Evolved (Square Enix, PS3): 51,084
03. Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds Tag Force 5 (Konami, PSP): 45,879
04. Halo: Reach (Microsoft, X360): 44,413
05. Wii Party (Nintendo, Wii): 36,547 (997,025)
06. Monhan Diary Poka Poka Felyne Village (Capcom, PSP): 28,627 (428,677)
07. One Piece Gigant Battle! (Namco Bandai, NDS): 28,123 (159,977)
08. Blue Roses (Nippon Ichi, PSP): 9,846
09. Taiko Drum Master DS (Namco Bandai, DS): 8,729 (215,513)
10. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo, Wii): 8,178 (825,541)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...d-opening-week

IF DS Piracy is so rife then why would a DS Title sell more than 2.5 million in a few days ? ...

Upcoming Xbox Live Arcade platform game Super Meat Boy will be capable of downloading additional content which sidesteps Microsoft's standard approval processes.

By using the Title Managed Storage system, developers Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes (aka Team Meat) will be able to push new levels to the game, which players can download for free.

Because all new content is made using a standardised level creation tool, Microsoft will allow additional levels to be made available without going through the certification it otherwise forces onto all DLC.

"In a world where it costs $2 to unlock content in a game that you've already purchased," explained Refenes, "it is nice to have the power to totally say 'f--- you' to that system and go our own way."

Microsoft has not been resistant to Team Meat's unorthodox methods, Refenes claimed. "In the end they actually welcomed it because they want developers to do anything and everything with their service that makes them stand out.

"No one has ever done anything like this in the history of XBLA as far as we and our people at MS know." Team Meat have released a schedule of planned approval-free DLC running early next year.

Following the later release of a PC version with a level editor, the pair also intend to publish the best user-made content to the XBLA edition of Super Meat Boy.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-certification ...