DCEmu Homebrew Emulation & Theme Park News
-
DCEmu Featured News Articles
by Published on March 13th, 2012 23:21- Categories:
- PS3 News
Another graphical upgrade isn't quite enough to get the God of War creator excited
David Jaffe, designer of the newest Twisted Metal game, is already over the next generation of consoles. Having worked in the video gaming business since the early '90s, he's seen the cycle for game consoles before.
"I couldn't care less about next-gen," said Jaffe toEdge. "I started at Sony Imagesoft doing Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games, and I went through that to PS1, then PS2, PS3, Vita… You go through the cycle enough and you realize today's 'Oh my f***ing God' is tomorrow's 'Ehh, whatever'. Ultimately, this is all going to be yesterday's news and it's about the experience, the game. Unless we're talking about holodecks, or AI that's so amazing it can actually write a compelling story around you procedurally based on your choices, I'm not interested."
Jaffe also believes that another set of consoles will hamper the ability to get more ambitious projects out the door. He hopes that instead of focusing on horsepower, console manufacturers instead will work on functionality and speed up the slow "ramp-up time" that most modern console games suffer from.
While Eat Sleep Play recently wrapped up the development of Twisted Metal, he's preparing to depart the developer he helped found with Scott Campbell in 2007. He will turn his focus on another studio in San Diego that will look to focus on mobile, browser and possibly console games as well.
Update: Jaffe has now further clarified his stance in a long-form Twitter post, which we've published below.
To clarify: I've been around the block long enough that while better, more realistic graphics are always impressive, a jump in visuals for games doesn't excite me near like it used to. The thrill wears off very quick and because it does, the increased budgets and time needed to create these next-next-gen games becomes a more frustrating pill to swallow. So when Edge asked if I was excited about new consoles, and when I said- in essence- I was not, I was referring to this. I was referring to the fact that UNLESS the next gen of consoles are unique and fresh and bring something substantially more to the table, I could not care less about next gen from a sense of WHAT the new boxes will let us- as game makers- create.
When I went on to say I was looking at doing a next-gen game, I was NOT contradicting myself. Just because I'm not excited about the new tech (from what little I know of it...hell, if it is really innovative and lets our games be better and not just look better, I WILL be excited for it)...but assuming that's not the case: just because I'm not excited for next-gen tech, doesn't mean I'm not very excited to make a next- gen game with our new studio. Big budget, character/story*, new IP games often times NEED to be on the latest consoles and while the next-gen tech of consoles so far has me very 'whatever', the desire to work with an amazing team to help create a big budget, character/story, new IP has me very jazzed!
David
* And before you show off your poor listening comprehension skills and claim I hate stories in games, please re-watch the DICE speech that some1 is SURE to reference when telling me I'm a contradictory douche
. Thanks!
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...on-of-consoles
...by Published on March 13th, 2012 23:18- Categories:
- DCEmu
Every part of the games business is transforming. That's both terrifying and exciting, argues Johnny Minkley
The death of specialist retail? The end of optical media in consoles? The last stand for dedicated gaming handhelds? Now more than ever the defining mood of the video games industry is uncertainty.
Take retail. GAME Group, which accounts for a third of the market in the UK, is on the brink of administration. Will GameStop step in, interest piqued by the lure of instant market leadership, to salvage specialist retail?
Or will games lose their presence on the high street, denying casual shoppers the chance to browse and try before they buy, and stripping variety from shelves, as the remaining supermarkets stock the key chart titles and little else?
Entire conferences are devoted to weighing the pros and cons of the business models available to content creators, but no-one is sure which way the wind will blow
The shift to digital is inevitable, but there is no "mp3 moment" for video games given the file sizes involved and current broadband speeds. Intuitively, everyone knows digital is growing rapidly, but by how much? How big is the market?
The official story, based on Chart-Track numbers, is one of decline - yet this analysis is fatally undermined by a lack of data, stubbornly tied as it is to physical sales.
Efforts, coming to fruition, to deliver a digital software chart in the UK are laudable and overdue, but will only ever paint part of the picture without giants like Apple and Valve in the mix - the latter's Steam service now so significant and powerful in PC gaming the man in charge of it is a billionaire.
Take the media. British magazine publishers weep at the might of Game Informer in the US as their circulations collapse and, having wrestled for years with the division of content between dead tree and online, now fret over how to handle the exploding tablet market.
Meanwhile, for professional publishing houses that have scarcely come to terms with the temerity of amateur bloggers to encroach all too successfully onto their hallowed turf, they now have the new broadcasting stars of YouTube to contend with, like Tom Syndicate, a lovely young chap who's amassed tens of millions of hits and hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers with his ultra-lo fi, hyper-enthusiastic videos - making a small fortune in the process.
Even reviewing a game is no longer a straightforward task, when it's increasingly hard to determine when a title can be considered "finished"; where games can be transformed with a free content update, and where the day-one patch has flung timings into chaos. And it's probably for the best I don't have the space to go anywhere near the can of worms marked "embargoes".
No longer, too, can the media rely on the old PR blueprint that ensured the press were the gatekeepers of new product information. In the age of the app, with hundreds of games going on sale every day made by studios with zero PR or marketing budget, the roles have reversed, with professional publications now heavily reliant on their readers for word-of-mouth tips.
Those stranded in-between, still peddling resource-intensive console titles without the marketing or franchise clout of the big beasts, are feeling the squeeze. More will inevitably fail
Take hardware. In the limbo of transition from one generation of console hardware to the next (which, most seem to agree, will be the last cycle as we know it) the clamour grows for news on what's next, hence the frenzied reaction to whispers that the next Xbox will not feature a disc drive.
Yet, as David Cage demonstrated so powerfully at GDC with his Quantic Dream's Kara short running in realtime on PS3, and as the release this week of thatgamecompany's phenomenal Journey shows with equal force, there's plenty of life left in these ageing platforms.
As the medium has matured, many games have come to be defined by the limits of technique, not technology. After all, Nintendo only joins the "HD era", ushered in so noisily by Microsoft in 2005, later this year.
And anyway, what on earth is a third-party developer supposed to make of Wii U? What about cloud gaming? A TV made by Apple that could easily do games? A Steambox from Valve?
Speaking of which, take developers and publishers. The old distinction means little to digital micro-studios bursting into life. Gaming's audience has expanded wildly and the market has polarised, with success enjoyed by heavyweight franchise blockbusters at one end and cheap apps/freemium casual titles at the other.
At the same time, those stranded in-between, still peddling resource-intensive console titles without the marketing or franchise clout of the big beasts, are feeling the squeeze. More will inevitably fail.
Entire conferences and acres of analysis are devoted to weighing the pros and cons of the business models available to content creators today, all very thoughtful and worthy, but no-one is sure which way the wind will blow.
Mills, who heads up UK app developer ustwo, offers a fascinating real-time case ...by Published on March 13th, 2012 23:17- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Microsoft says on the official Xbox site that the issue was a temporary one which has since been resolved. Those who are yet to see their Gamerscore restored are advised to log out and back in.
ORIGINAL STORY: Microsoft is investigating a bug that is wipingXbox Live users' Gamerscores when they unlock an achievement.
Forums - including Microsoft's own - and the Xbox Support Twitter account are currently awash with complaints from users who have unlocked a new achievement to find their Gamerscore being reset to zero.
On Twitter, the Xbox support team has suggested users try logging out, clearing the console's cache and recovering their Live profiles, but it appears doing so does not correct the issue in every case.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/xbox...d-update-fixed ...by Published on March 13th, 2012 23:15- Categories:
- PC News
BioWare's Star Wars MMOG The Old Republic will be free to play this weekend.
Those interested can create an account at the source link below, and will be able to download the client from 5.01am GMT on Thursday and play for free until 7am on Monday.
While all server types will be available, there are in-game restrictions, the most severe of which caps player progress at level 15. Players are limited to certain areas, will not be able to participate in chat, trade or send messages; for more, see the FAQon the game's official site.
When the trial expires, accounts will be held on EA's system but flagged as inactive. Player's characters will not be deleted, and can be accessed in the event that users choose to pay for a monthly subscription.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/old-...e-play-weekend ...by Published on March 13th, 2012 23:08- Categories:
- PC News
snydeq writes with the opinion that Microsoft can afford Windows 8 failing on the desktop. From the article:"Windows 8 is an experiment that may well fail, but Microsoft will cull invaluable feedback for Windows 9 in the process, long before Windows 7 runs out of gas, writes InfoWorld's Serdar Yegulalp. 'Can Microsoft really afford to alienate one of its biggest market segments for a whole product cycle? In a word: Yes. In fact, doing something this risky might well be vital to Microsoft's survival,' Yegulalp writes. 'Microsoft needs to gamble, and right now might well be the best time for the company to do it. The company needs to learn from its mistakes as quickly and nimbly as they can — and then turn around and make Windows 9 exceed all of our expectations.'"Microsoft has managed to weather several OS flops (Windows Me anyone?) thanks to their domination of the market, but with Android gadgets and iPhones becoming pervasive can they pull it off again?
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/03...with-windows-8 ...by Published on March 13th, 2012 23:03- Categories:
- PS3 News
'From Ashes' bonus content built alongside main game, but sold separately
Publishing giant Electronic Arts has responded to mounting accusations that its studio BioWare had pre-packaged DLC within Mass Effect 3’s retail discs.
The accusations are unfounded but originate from some customers’ complaints that DLC for Mass Effect 3 was available on the first day of the game’s release – making it certain that the digital content was developed in parallel the main game.
The publisher said its ‘From Ashes’ DLC is bigger than 600 MB, and the content “was completed while the main game was in certification and are not available on the disc”.
In a statement sent to GameInformer, EA said it was necessary to include certain “framework elements and character models” on disc.
Mass Effect 3 sold more than 900,000 copies on its first day of sale, following rave reviews from critics.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...s-Effect-3-DLC
...by Published on March 13th, 2012 23:01- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Former Sony studios boss 'excited to be with Microsoft at such a pivotal time'
Former PlayStation development boss Phil Harrison is to head up the Microsoft Studios European organisation, Microsoft has confirmed.
The experienced industry executive, with a history steeped in PlayStation development, has been appointed corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB).
“I am excited to be joining the senior team at Microsoft at a pivotal time for our industry,” said Harrison.
“I am really impressed with the company’s long-term vision for growing the market for interactive entertainment globally, and also with the incredible wealth of talent, technology and resources the company has available to succeed.”
Microsoft said Harrison will also have a hand in “influencing the broader performance of IEB’s European business through strategic partnerships and by bringing culturally relevant entertainment experiences to Microsoft platforms”.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...Microsoft-role
...by Published on March 13th, 2012 22:50- Categories:
- Android News
But Apple fights back as the iPhone 4 receives the highest device share.
Mobile advertising network InMobi's latest report shows that Android is still leading the European mobile ad market, securing 34 per cent of impressions, which is a one per cent dip from November 2011.
Meanwhile, iOS secured 28 per cent, rising by five per cent, leaving RIM static in third place with 17 per cent.
Although Android leads by OS share, the popularity of Apple products is clear as the iPhone 4 took the highest number of impressions with nine per cent, also securing third spot with the original iPad.
Additionally, InMobi boosted its European footprint by 63 per cent in the 90 day period, equivalent to 15.2 billion monthly impressions.
Rob Jonas, VP and MD, EME, InMobi, says: "We expect to see continued growth in iOS, driven by last week’s unveiling of the new iPad, as well as the reduced pricing of the iPad 2.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...essions/017383 ...by Published on March 13th, 2012 22:48- Categories:
- DCEmu
The smartphone space is growing at phenomenal speeds, with all manufacturers rivalling in the hope of becoming one of the big three market vendors.
Now, new research from analyst iGR expects smartphones to account for 96 per cent of mobile phone sales in American by the close of 2016, which is up from 76 per cent in 2011 and just 33 per cent in 2009.
The report claims the swift rise of US smartphone adoption is down to feature phone users converting during upgrades and replacements, mass enterprise use, and tech improvements such as 4G and NFC enticing data-hungry consumers.
Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR, says: "The growth in the US smartphone market has been very strong in the last few years. But as the market becomes saturated, smartphone sales growth will slow.
"For OEMs who are hoping to gain, or regain, market share in the US, the time to act is now. By 2014, we believe the majority of the smartphone sales growth will be over."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...by-2017/017385 ...by Published on March 13th, 2012 22:46- Categories:
- Apple iPad
Samsung is a distant second choice with just eight per cent.
An increasing number of employees within the corporate sector are being plied with tablets to complete their work on, adding to the daily use of smartphones, laptops and desktops.
This is supported by a new ChangeWave Research survey, which says more than one-fifth of firms will buy tablets for their staff members.
Results show 84 per cent of businesses now plan on buying iPads in Q2, following the release of the new iPad, which is a seven per cent rise on the November 2011 survey.
Additionally, Samsung was a distant second choice with eight per cent, falling by two per cent, in fact, all rival tablets suffered a decline in interest as a result of the iPad's introduction.
Yesterday, we reported that Nokia may reveal a new Windows 8 tablet at the end of 2012, and while it will join a crowded market, its office functions may prove to be a high commodity with the enterprise crowd.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...s-in-q2/017388 ...
- Search DCEmu
- Advert 3
News Categories
- Links of Interest
Sony Consoles News
- Nintendo Consoles News
- Sega Consoles News
- Apple & Android News
- Xbox Consoles News
- Open Source Consoles News
DCEmu News Archive
- Advert
- Retro Consoles News
- PC News
- Latest DCEmu News
- DCEmu Network Sites
-
Menu 
Forum Stats
- What is the DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network
Catherine: Full Body’s English translation for the Vita