DCEmu Featured News Articles

iPhone maker Apple has surpassed Microsoft to become the world's most valuable technology company, according to the latest Wall Street evaluations.

On Wednesday Apple was valued at $222.12 billion and Microsoft at $219.18 billion, with the only American company valued higher being Exxon Mobil at $278.64 billion.

Revenues for Apple stand at $42.9 billion, with Microsoft at $58.4 billion. There is a wider divide in net income though, with Microsoft making a profit of $14.6 billion in its last fiscal year - compared to $5.7 billion for Apple.

The upset not only marks an individual triumph for Apple but also sees the dominant technology company change from one focused on business users to the consumer market.

As noted by the New York Times 172 million smartphones were sold last year, as opposed to 306 million PCs. However, smartphone sales are growing at more than five times the pace.

Of the two companies Microsoft remains by far the most invested in the video games industry, with both the Xbox brand and continued support for Games for Windows.

Apple has traditionally been far less engaged, although the release of Steam for Macintosh computers and the launch of the App Store for the iPhone and iPad has allowed third parties to make Apple hardware increasingly viable games formats.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...t-tech-company ...

The PlayStation 3 increased its global market share to 31 per cent in the first quarter of the year, up significantly from 18 per cent during the same period the previous year.

That's according to a new report by Strategy Analytics, which notes that for the first quarter the Wii's global market share stood at 49 per cent, and the Xbox 360 a 20 per cent share.

PlayStation 3 sales reached 2.2 million during the quarter, said the report, while Xbox 360 sold 1.5 million and the Wii 3.5 million.

"The PS3 continues to benefit from the price cut last September," noted David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics. "This should help the PS3 maintain growth momentum throughout 2010."

The report predicts the PlayStation 3 will sell 14 million units throughout 2010, compared to 17.5 million Wii units and 10.5 million Xbox 360s.

In an interview on the official PlayStation site this week, Sony's European president Andrew House said that dropping the PS3 price last September had propelled sales of the console at retail.

"From a business point of view, I have to say that the stand out moment for me has to be the launch of PS3 slim at 299 euros in September 2009," he said. "We know that for a long time, PS3 was expensive and therefore holding people back. When we launched the slim PS3, sales exploded and haven’t really slowed down since."

Uncertainties for the year include the introduction of Move and Natal, said the report, as well as the extent and pace of declining Wii sales.

Strategy Analytics estimated total home console sales will drop by 9 per cent in 2010, although it suggested Microsoft's Project Natal could help the Xbox 360 pick up towards the end of the year.

"The introduction of the Natal technology should also help re-energise Microsoft’s Xbox 360 platform in the second half of the year," said Mercer.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-to-31-percent ...

LittleBigPlanet 2 has been tipped as Sony's next big title on the PlayStation by its European president Andrew House.

While answering questions on the UK PlayStation blog, House was asked, "Which game is going to be the "big one" after GT5?". He responded by talking up the "fantastic line-up" coming out this year with LBP2 exciting him in particular:

"We have just announced LittleBigPlanet 2, which is very exciting. The original game changed the way developers now look at developing games and the things Media Molecule has done with the sequel are truly incredible," he said.

"I can't wait for LBP2 to come out and can promise you that it will be great."

He also emphasised Sony's commitment to continuing work with first party studios like Media Molecule.

"Our acquisition of Media Molecule clearly shows our commitment to our first party studios, to ensure that we continue to offer by far the most compelling, innovative exclusive games," he said.

"Over the years we have done this with developers such as Guerilla Games and Evolution Studios and now with Media Molecule. I think it is clear that we are prepared to invest where there is long-term creative benefit to our platform and our consumers."

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

Following reports earlier this week that Microsoft has decided on the actual name that will adorn its Natal motion camera due out later this year, online rumours are claming to have ousted the final branding.
NowGamer reports that “a source close to Microsoft” has confirmed that ‘Wave’ is the name and will be revealed next month at E3.
Much like Sony’s Move, in many ways Wave hits upon the key factors needed in a brand of this sort – it infers motion, it’s friendly and it’s easy to remember.
However, remember that Google recently releasing its own social networking tool called Wave, perhaps reducing the believability of the report.
Nonetheless, MCV understands that a number of key partners in the industry have been informed of Natal’s final name, so while the name Wave cannot in any way be confirmed, there’s a very high chance of the real name leaking out before E3.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39189/Natals-new-name-Wave ...

Tekken 7 has supposedly been announced by series director Katsuhiro Harada at an event in Madrid.

Harada apparently revealed that the seventh in the series is in production, albeit in the early stages.

Tekken is obviously a well established and long running player in the beat 'em up world, so it's a surprise to noone that it'll continue.

Last year Harada told CVG that there was plenty of life in the genre yet. It looks like he wasn't bluffing.

We'll e-mail Namco Bandai for comment.

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

Ubisoft has announced the next Driver title will be unveiled at E3, along with a number of other key titles.
The publisher announced its E3 line-up will also include Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Shaun White Skateboarding, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and several unannounced titles.
These are all expected to be showcased as part of Ubisoft’s press conference at the Los Angeles Theatre on Monday, June 14th at 5pm. The conference will once again be hosted by actor Joel McHale.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39188/E3-r...for-new-Driver ...

UK broadcaster Sky has updated its iPhone mobile TV app to run on the iPad too, offering several channels for streaming over Wi-Fi.
The iPad version offers better quality streams of Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports News and Sky News, although users are advised to be using a Wi-Fi connection with at least 2Mb per second.
How much to watch Sky on your iPad? £35 a month for people who aren't already Sky subscribers, and £6 a month for people who are. There will be free trials.
The app is being released for UK and Irish residents only, and is live on the App Store now.
It's already attracted several one-star reviews on the App Store, with users complaining about the £35 monthly price point.

"£35 for iPad viewing each month? Someone is having a laugh here, but it's not me," is one comment. The main issue appears to be the fact that iPhone and iPod touch users pay just £6 a month.
Last night, Sky's general manager of mobile David Gibbs was distinctly lukewarm on iPad's importance, speaking at ME's Monetising Mobile conference.
"For a media or entertainment company it's very interesting. But at the moment it's an interesting niche," he said.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/37284...-mobile-TV-app ...

Treyarch's Josh Olin has said that Call of Duty: Black Ops is "ratcheting up the bar one step further" over previous CoD games, and that this year's effort will "exceed expectations".

Speaking with MCV, Olin said: "Modern Warfare 2 is an extremely successful entertainment launch, record selling, which is absolutely phenomenal.

"Every Call of Duty game has ratcheted the bar up for the next one, and we're just ratcheting up the bar one step further. I think Black Ops is going to exceed expectations. This game is going to be huge," he added, saying that Black Ops is "the best work we've ever done".

Treyarch head Mark Lamia recently told OXM the studio has "taken some creative risks" with Black Ops. We'll see if they pay off...

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

505 has unveiled the first details of Grease: The Official Video Game, with the emphasis, appropriately enough, on singing and dancing.
The title is due on Wii and DS this September, as one of the most popular and enduring entertainment franchises of the past 30 plus years finally makes its debut in the games arena.
The Wii version will be packed with challenges and competitions based around singing and dancing to the movie’s, let’s face it, quite brilliant soundtrack – as well as racing down Thunder Road and celebrating with the T-Birds and Pink Ladies at the Rydell High Graduation carnival. It will be compatible with up to two microphones and the Wii Balance Board.
There will be also be a Story Mode in which players can fix up Greased Lightnin’ (which is a real pussy wagon, incidentally) or try to win Sandy’s affections. But essentially it’s a party game, with up to eight players (split into two teams) able to compete at once.
On the DS and DSi, players again dance their way through some of the movie’s iconic scenes, following Sandy and Danny on their high school journey. They learn the officially licensed songs and choreographed moves.

They can also use the camera function on the DSi to upload their face to their favourite character.
Grease will be previewed on 505’s peachy keen booth at E3. Official hands on previews are available by appointment.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39187/Grea...unveiled-at-E3 ...