So, there's two ways to look at this. One would be to gawk at the fact that ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports broadcasting, is using iPads and Xbox 360 consoles -- common devices that are widely available to mere mortals -- to drive content to millions of consumers. Another would be to gawk at the fact that ESPN has somehow managed to keep its finger on the pulse of innovation, despite being swallowed by Disney and being a part of one of the planet's most monolithic corporations. Thankfully for you, we're going to cover both angles here. Our eyes were opened after stepping foot in the company's Bristol headquarters and really getting a feel for how the company views technology and its integration into programming, and it led us to a philosophical conclusion about how corporations should (but oftentimes aren't) be taking advantage of what's readily available.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/12/e...ad-and-xbox-3/ ...

Rumours are whizzing round the internet that a 3DS version of Animal Crossing will be on show at E3 next week.

Destructoid quotes "sources" as saying Nintendo has been showing a demo of the game to developers and publishers.

Apparently it's launch title for the platform holder's new handheld, and a big reveal is planned for next week - presumably during Nintendo's E3 conference on Tuesday.

Nintendo has declined to comment on the report, so there's no way of knowing whether it's the real deal or whether naughty old Internet Rumours has been up to his old tricks again.

Still, just a few days till we find out. E3 will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from 15th - 17th June, and Eurogamer is packing its toothbrush and panicking about whether it has met US immigration's stringent paperwork requirements as we type.

According to our sources, Nintendo has been quietly wooing developers and publishers with a handheld 3D demo of its popular franchise, Animal Crossing. Word has it that the game will be revealed next week as a launch title for Nintendo's handheld. When contacted with a request for comment, Nintendo's response was as expected: "Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation."

As a launch title for the 3D, Animal Crossing seems like a fair bet. The DS title, Animal Crossing: Wild World, was a massive success; as of March 2008, Nintendo said the title had sold 9.53 million copies worldwide. The publisher even bundled the game with the Nintendo DS in 2006.

Nintendo's E3 press conference takes place on Tuesday, June 15 at 9am Pacific. We'll be there, so keep your eyes peeled for next week's live coverage of the event.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/3d...ing-on-the-way ...

On Wednesday, at the Executives Club of Chicago, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha reportedly decided to chat about the relatively near future of the mobile landscape as he sees it — which, in part, includes the ultimate demise of mobile computers in favor of highly-capable smartphones. This being his vision, Jha discussed Motorola's plans for a smartphone with a 2GHz processor — by the end of this year. While Jha did not want to divulge any further information, Conceivably Tech cites another anonymous Motorola executive who was a little more chatty, talking up a device intended to 'incorporate everything that is technologically possible in a smartphone today.

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/...Year?art_pos=8 ...

Guild Software, makers of the multi-platform space MMO Vendetta Online, is apparently rolling a native Android port, intended for use on upcoming smartbooks and tablets powered by Nvidia's second-generation Tegra. More information on the port at the Android FAQ page on the Vendetta Online website

http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/0...endetta-Online ...

Mad Catz, the videogame accessories company, has announced its fiscal 2010 results posting a $4.4 million profit - a swing from last year's loss of $32.6 million.

The change has been brought about by a reduction in operating costs to the tune of about 10 per cent, while sales were up 5.7 per cent to $119 million.

"Our top priority in fiscal 2010 was positioning Mad Catz to emerge from the severe economic downturn as a far stronger company, while continuing to invest in areas and activities that position Mad Catz to drive top and bottom-line growth in the quarters to come," said CEO Darren Richardson.

"Despite the many challenges we faced during the year, we accomplished our primary goal and our focus for fiscal 2011 is on achieving further top-line growth and improved profitability even as our business continues to face the challenges of the global economy - in particular, the impact of the strength of the US Dollar."

Mad Catz, which also owns the Saitek brand, recently signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Harmonix to become the official peripherals partner for Rock Band, while also renewing a deal with Activision for continued Call of Duty accessories.

The majority of the company's business is done in North America - 56 per cent in total - a region which saw a fall in sales over the year. But this was more than offset by a stronger performance in Europe, where sales were up 18 per cent to $49 million.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...to-2010-profit ...

We’d begun to worry that this year’s E3 might not deliver the kind of big surprises we saw at the 2009 event – but Microsoft reckons it has something big up it sleeve.
In an email to registered members of Xbox.com, the platform holder states:
“E3 is the world’s largest gaming show and the place where we make the BIG announcements about what’s coming up on Xbox. With the massive Project Natal announcement at last year’s event, you’d think we’d find it hard to top that. Well, think again.
“This year at E3 we’ve got even BIGGER announcements to share with you.”
As to what that announcement could be? A redesigned Xbox 360 Slim remains a possibility, but beyond that it’s very hard to say. But that’s all part of the E3 fun, right?

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39438/MS-W...l-announcement ...

Very few specifics are known about Nintendo's 3DS, the new handheld it will unveil next week.
We know it will boast a glasses-free 3D display, and be backwards compatible with the old DS software - but Nintendo is keeping back many details until its E3 press conference next week.
However new reports online today claim to shed light on the device, seemingly confirming prior reports that the top panel on the dual-screened handheld is a super-wide 3D display to better show off its new features.
These claims, which originally seem to stem from a sketch made by a Chinese developer (pictured), who claims to have a 3DS development kit and says the device has playback functions for MP3/AAC and other media, plus built-in 3D camera.
It's otherwise very similar to the other DS models, with a microphone, clamshell design and touch-screen (which is smaller than the 3D display)

A Kotaku translation of the claim says "the effect of the [3D] screen is amazing".
The components in the handheld are expected to be those manufactured by Sharp - and these latest details do at least match up to a circuitboard for a new DS model published by US authority the FCC which showed a design which had two different sized screens.
The 3DS was first announced back in March.
Nintendo will offer the first concrete details next week at its E3 press event on Tuesday.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39444/3DSs...ay-confirmedrn ...

I've been thinking about Andrew Bud a lot this week. It's not a romantic thing. And it's not to do with envy of his lustrous hair (although God knows what pain that causes me). No, this is all about something far more exciting: data charges.
Yeah, baby.
Now, anyone who's been to any kind of mobile content conference in the last few years will know that towards the end of the event, Andrew Bud (exec chair of mBlox and chair of the MEF) will ask this question:
"You guys have been banging on about the wonderful future for music streaming/liveTV/online gaming (delete as appropriate), but no one has mentioned the effect this will have on the network – and who's going to pay for all that bandwidth."
You can set your watch by it.

And he's bloody right!
Yet still the operators went on with their unlimited data plans, watching as their networks slowed to a crawl while data revenues became as squeezed and commoditised as voice and text were before them.
Well, this week they woke up.
First AT&T and then O2UK announced plans for a more transparent data pricing model tied to usage.
Of course, O2 could have said 'we're in a right pickle – never dreamed that this whole mobile web thing would actually take off'.
But it didn't. Instead, it dressed this up as a tremendous boon for customers claiming that, based on current usage patterns, 97 per cent of them would not need to buy additional data allowances, as the lowest bundle (500MB) provides at least 2.5 times the average current use.
I'm sure this is true. Needless to say, though, not everyone agreed. There's been some carping from experts on the blogs about inconsistencies in the pricing. Probably true too.
What's been less commented upon is whether this can make any difference to congestion, which is the core problem here.
O2 may succeed in reining in the heaviest users, but as telco analyst Dean Bubley pointed out to me today, the real issue is not the overall volume of data but where and when it's consumed.
There's a huge difference between thousands of people streaming live TV in various meadows across the country at 4am and thousands browsing simple web pages in central London at 4pm.
Although he acknowledged that the new pricing could bring in extra cash to make some short term improvements to the network, the serious changes will take much longer. In the meantime, this is a 'sledgehammer to crack a nut'.
Of course, another route through which operators can monetise data is to get suppliers to buy it 'wholesale'. This is the 'sender-pays' model so beloved of Mr Bud.
As I understand it, such conversations have taken place, but not everyone is on board. I'm told YouTube, for example, laughed at the idea of paying for the bandwidth its mobile users consumer, but proposed sharing some ad revenue back to the operators.
Now, that is fascinating.
On the one hand, there could be huge future revenues in it. Very tempting.
On the other? Well, there's two words for it.
Dumb and pipe.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/37456...flat-rate-data ...

Music sequel Rock Band 3 will get a range of new Mad Catz peripherals to accompany the game’s release this Q4 – with the option of using MIDI instruments to play. Rock Band 3 was previously confirmed in March and will be available on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS in time for Christmas. The new accessories will be compatible with home consoles and not the DS.
For the first time players will be able to buy a wireless keyboard controller which can be used on a flat surface or strapped over a shoulder. It will be available as a standalone product for $79.99 or bundled with the game for $129.99.
In addition a real Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar controller ($149.99) and three new drum cymbals ($39.99) have been added to the range. Adapters will also be available allowing gamers to use their MIDI keyboards or drum sets to play Rock Band 3 ($39.99).

The game itself features a new 83-song set list including Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Crazy Train’, Them Crooked Vultures’ ‘Dead End Friends’ and The Vines ‘Get Free’. The entire Rock Band DLC back catalogue is compatible as well as expansions such as Green Day: Rock Band and LEGO Rock Band, offering players access to 2,000 songs at launch.
Peripherals manufacturer Mad Catz has said it will produce revised guitar, drum and microphone accessories in the coming months.
Rock Band 3 will also go head-to-head with its Activision rival Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock – currently due for release this autumn.

http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/302...ories-revealed ...