DCEmu Homebrew Emulation & Theme Park News
wraggster
by Published on March 18th, 2012 18:10- Categories:
- PC News
Need something to sate that Windows 8-lust Microsoft stirred up with its Consumer Preview? Then take a gander at this in-development vehicle control app shown off at the company's Redmond campus as part of this year's Worldwide Public Safety Symposium. Developed by Modularis, an outfit known for their enterprise, federal and OEM automation solutions, the Metro-style application turns its host slate into a virtual controller, granting users remote access to door locks, sirens, lights, as well as the ability to pull cloud-based data -- courtesy of Windows Azure -- from multiple cars to determine GPS location. And, as you'll see in the video after the break, it also has the unintended and wholly amusing benefit of freaking out innocent passers-by.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/17/w...key-frightens/ ...by Published on March 18th, 2012 18:06- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Vita recognized by Germany's prestigious Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen
PlayStation Vita has been recognized amongst over 4,500 applicants as a winner in one of the most prestigious industrial design award ceremonies in the world. Germany's Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen has given the Red Dot Award to the Vita for Sony's exceptional design quality.
"To be recognized for our commitment to product design by leading industry experts is a fantastic achievement for SCE", said Andrew House, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "We are particularly thrilled with the reaction and expectation to the recently launched PS Vita in North America, and Europe, the ultimate portable entertainment system, especially the introduction of innovative new ways to play and interact. Winning a red dot award for product design further establishes PS Vita as the must-have portable entertainment system across the world."
Sony was also recognized for their design prowess in other devices within the PlayStation line of products, including the Wireless Stereo Headset for PS3, Wireless Keyboard for PS3 and 3D display, which were similarly awarded with Red Dot Awards.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...s-design-award
...by Published on March 18th, 2012 18:05- Categories:
- Apple iPad
As the new iPad launches fans everywhere are rushing to pick one up, or are they?
Today marks the launch of Apple's new Retina-enhanced iPad, with the industry watching to see if Apple can break records again with the new model of its best-selling tablet. Competitors continue to release other options for consumers with Google's Android OS and Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 giving manufacturers the ability to sell their own "iPad killer". Unfortunately for them, Canaccord Securities analyst Mike Walkley told investors that he believes Apple's domination will continue unchecked.
"We believe Apple has extended its leadership position in the fast growing tablet market, and we have increased our 2012 and 2013 iPad tablet share estimates," Walkley wrote, according to BGR. "We believe the new iPad has raised the bar relative to competing tablets with impressive hardware specs, competitive pricing, and the leading software ecosystem of over 200k iPad-specific applications. At MWC, our meetings with Android OEMs focused on smartphones as tablet OEMs indicated difficulty competing with the iPad 2, let alone the new iPad."
Canaccord believes Apple will sell 65.6 million iPads in 2012, up from 55.9 million in 2011. Walkley has estimated that Apple could sell 90.6 million iPads in 2013, up from his previous estimate of 79.7 million.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster concurs, estimating sales of 60 million iPads in 2011. Apple Insider reports that Munster expects Apple to sell over 1 million iPads within the first 24 hours of launch.
Early this morning, fans were lined up at Apple Stores and other big-box retailers, like Best Buy, to pick up the new model. 450 people lined up outside of Apple's Ginza store in Tokyo, according to the Associated Press. The Apple Store in Hong Kong used an online lottery with preset times for winners to keep crowds down. TheBoston Globe reported that 200 people waited outside of the Apple Store there. On the other hand, Business Insider noted that while crowds massed around the larger stores, many smaller retail outlets had no lines waiting for their iPads.
Can Apple continue to hold lightning in a bottle, or can Google and Microsoft catch up this year?
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-units-in-2012
...by Published on March 18th, 2012 18:02- Categories:
- Nintendo 3DS News
Director Koichi Hayashida has said that he wanted to make this entry easier than past titles
Super Mario 3D Land director Koichi Hayashida intended for the title to be an "entry point" into the series for consumers. The game includes a very easy first half before ramping up the difficulty greatly in the second half.
"We thought of setting the difficulty level about as low as we could go realistically for this game because we saw this as an entry point to the Mario games for a lot of people," director Koichi Hayashida told Joystiq. "So the way we see it is someone would pick up Super Mario 3D Land and play that, and then maybe they would move onto Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Sunshine or Super Mario 64 after that."
Hayashida admitted that even he had trouble with previous Mario games.
"Speaking as a Mario game fan personally, I should admit that I had trouble trying to clear the first two Super Mario Bros. games," Hayashida said. "So for me, I wanted to create a game that I could at the very least clear. Even if it meant using Assist Blocks, I was able to clear this one, of course."
The game has been a big success on Nintendo, having sold 5 million units by the end of January 2012. Super Mario 3D Land was still number 8 on the Media Create sales chart for Japan last week.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-for-consumers
...by Published on March 18th, 2012 18:00- Categories:
- PC News
On the heels of the Diablo III release date announcement, Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz has come out to predict the game will sell five million units in its first year of availability.
"Our street-high FY12 EPS estimate of $1.05 assumes first year unit sell-through of 5MM for Diablo III, and assumes that over 1MM of the units incorporate the World of Warcraft 'annual pass' deal which allows WoW players who commit to a one-year subscription to receive Diablo III for free," Creutz said in a statement published by CVG.
Earlier today, Activision Blizzard announced a May 15th release date for the highly anticipated action RPG. The first two Diablo games in the series (along with their expansions) have sold over 20 million units to date.
Creutz went on to discuss some projections regarding a few other Activision Blizzard franchises.
"We also expect Call of Duty to maintain its dominating FPS leadership position, and we believe that the company has a great opportunity to build on its initial success of its Skylanders franchise. Finally, World of Warcraft Western subs continue to appear to be stable vs. year-end levels. We think ATVI shares can outperform the market by 20% over the next 12 months."
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/analy...ear-one/092900 ...by Published on March 18th, 2012 14:43- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Last week, MCVuk.com revealed that Microsoft has told its partners that the Next Xbox will not include a disc drive.
It’s a bold move – and one that sparked passionate debates and misconceptions about the birth of digital-only home consoles.
While the next Xbox will feature no disc drive, sources tell us it will offer some sort of interchangeable solid-state card storage.
Whether this will be a new proprietary form like that of Vita, or a standard format such as SD, this will keep an avenue open for retailers to participate in.
PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT
The Hut Group’s business development head Sarah Jasper says keeping retail involved is vital: “An iTunes-style buying revolution is probably quite some time away. If the new Xbox ends up using a smaller cartridge, I would see this as a positive. Products would take up less weight and space, making them cheaper and easier to dispatch to customers.”
Mastertronic’s Andy Payne adds: “Xbox must offer backwards compatibility for gamers, otherwise Microsoft risks losing millions of core Xbox gamers.”
Retail also plays a role that digital currently does not: catering to the mainstream, casual and impulse buyers.
“A large proportion of content sales are driven by impulse,” explains Tesco entertainment boss Rob Salter. “The challenge for publishers is securing the extremely valuable real estate required to serve that impulse – either space in-store or online. So a switch to other forms of packaged goods could be desirable for both retailer and publisher.”
But Game Guide editor Chris Ratcliff warns that retail will not be able to rely on boxed media alone: “A specialist retailer cannot exist in a fractured boxed and digital market unless they embark on some sort of diversification.
“Many former specialists now sell action figures, mobile phone accessories, LEGO – the new specialist indies are an Aladdin’s cave of boys’ toys – I even know of one where you can buy a full-scale working Dalek.
“Games will be just a product that will sell at next to no profit to keep the footfall to sell high margin gadgets and accessories.”
CHANNEL SURFERS
HMV has long since been expanding both its portfolio to sell more than just standard boxed products.
“There is plenty of scope for retailers to remain a vital part of the process so long as they ensure that their offer is a multi-channel one,” says PR boss Gennaro Castaldo.
“The key thing is to create content that excites consumers. Get that right and, as we have seen with Vita and Mass Effect 3, and there will be opportunities for retailers across physical, online, digital – or a combination of all three.
“The change will come whether we like it or not, so the key is to embrace it and see what new opportunities come out of it.”
Jasper adds: “You could argue that digital-centric home consoles already exist. The popularity of points cards demonstrates that there’s still a sizeable number of people who enjoy purchasing physical goods over digital ones, or who aren’t likely to become au fait with the digital marketplace just yet.”
Regardless of what types of physical media carry games going forward, some companies believe the day of the disc is over.
WHAT’S A DISC?
Instead, some claim the future lies in solid-state cards and online products that will be activated at the point of purchase.
“The disc business is inherently a high risk one, where content value is recognised on manufacture not demand,” says Salter.
“A shift to a world where nothing is valued until it is sold, whether physical or entirely digital, is a highly desirable one for retailers. The current model is wholly unsustainable.”
The Xbox 360’s successor could be the first home console to centre its sales around an online marketplace. And some publishers believe that a disc-less Xbox would still embrace retail.
Rather than aping Sony’s PSPgo – an ambitious but failed attempt at the model – it is more likely to follow the recently launched PlayStation Vita, striking a balance between physical and digital.
THQ marketing director Jon Rooke adds: “It is more likely that the disc-less Xbox would be one of two or three SKUs aimed at the high-end connected gamer – like Microsoft did with the Xbox 360 Arcade, Premium and Elite.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/featu...he-disc/092909 ...by Published on March 18th, 2012 14:39- Categories:
- DCEmu
The UK games retail market rallied last week thanks to the release of EA’s Mass Effect 3 and Capcom’s Street Fighter X Tekken.
The pair helped break a two-week decline, generating a 47.9 per cent increase in market value to £17.9m. Unit sales rose 27.2 per cent.
However, the market was down compared to when Mass Effect 2 hit shelves in January 2010. UK games retail generated £22.8m that week – almost £5m more than it could manage two years later.
That’s not to discredit Mass Effect 3. The space shooter RPG outsold its predecessors’ week-one sales combined and became the biggest No.1 of 2012 so far. It garnered more sales than the previous four No.1s – SSX, UFC 3, Uncharted and Reckoning – combined.
Other new entries Street Fighter X Tekken and The Sims 3: Showtime debuted at No.3 and No.6 respectively.
The week-on-week growth in the market came despite Mass Effect 3, Street Fighter X Tekken and The Sims 3: Showtime not being stocked in GAME and Gamestation.
Expect another strong performance for EA next week with continued sales of Mass Effect 3 and the arrival of FIFA Street today (Friday, March 16th).
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/softw...s-17-9m/092920 ...by Published on March 18th, 2012 14:33- Categories:
- PS3 News
BioWare insists it is listening to complaints about Mass Effect 3's ending, but has asked fans to wait for more people to finish the game before the studio makes any comment.
So dissatisfied are players with the trilogy's conclusion that a fan-organised campaign, dubbed Retake Mass Effect 3, has garnered support from thousands of users on Facebook, Twitter and the BioWare forums. The movement has even raised over $50,000 for gaming charity Child's Play.
In a post on the studio's official forums, community coordinator Chris Priestly writes: "We appreciate everyone's feedback aboutMass Effect 3 and want you to know that we are listening. Active discussions about the ending are more than welcome here, and the team will be reviewing it for feedback and responding when we can.
"Please note, we want to give people time to experience the game, so while we can't get into specifics right now, we will be able to address some of your questions once more people have had time to complete the game.
"We understand there is a lot of debate on the Mass Effect 3ending and we will be more than happy to engage in healthy discussions once more people get to experience the game. We are listening to all of your feedback."
In the meantime, Priestly requests that users limit plot discussion to the relevant area of BioWare's forums, and keep its social media channels free from spoilers.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/biow...ing-complaints
...by Published on March 18th, 2012 14:32- Categories:
- PC News
Microsoft's Xbox 360 motion sensor Kinect is being used in a US department store to help female customers find the perfect pair of jeans.
A post on the Kinect For Windows blog reveals that Bloomingdale's in Century City, Los Angeles, debuted the Bodymetrics Pod earlier this week. Developed by London-based Bodymetrics, it uses eight Kinect sensors to produce a 3D map of a customer's body shapes and chooses a pair of jeans that both fits and flatters. The process takes less than five seconds.
Bodymetrics CEO Suran Goonatilake said: "Body-mapping is in its infancy. We're just starting to explore what's possible in retail stores and at home. Stores are increasingly looking to provide experiences that entice shoppers into their stores, and then allow a seamless journey from stores to online. We all want shopping experiences that are personalised to us - our size, shape and style."
The technology is only being shown off at Bloomingdale's for three days. Those trying it out will be able to sign up for a Bodymetrics account, and the company eventually intends for its technology to be used in the home, with users able to virtually try on clothing and order it online - smart stuff given that an estimated 40 per cent of clothing purchased online is returned because it doesn't fit.
This is the first time Kinect's body-mapping capabilities have been used at US retail, and follows Microsoft's release of a commercial version of the Kinect SDK as it seeks to expand the device's reach far beyond videogames into the business world. Hundreds of brands have signed up to use Kinect in their commercial activities.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/kine...ect-pair-jeans ...by Published on March 18th, 2012 12:31- Categories:
- PC News
Crytek insists its Homefront sequel will succeed despite the damage caused to the brand by the lukewarm response to the first game in the series.
Speaking at GDC in San Francisco last week, reported by Gamesindustry.biz, Crytek CEO Avni Yerli said that the sequel - development duties of which were passed to the Crysis developerin September - was in good shape and had enough "mind share" to succeed.
"Everybody knows the IP," he said. "The first game has a low Metacritic, but due to really great positioning and great marketing it has reached a good mind share.
"I think, with Crytek quality attached to it and similar marketing attached to it, it can make a big splash at the time it comes out."
Nick Button-Brown, Crytek's general manager of games, added: "When you look at the world they created in the first game, and the world they were talking about for the second, the setting they were talking about... Obviously we can't talk about it yet, but it's really cool."
While the first Homefront, developed by New York-based Kaos Studios, enjoyed a successful launch - selling 375,000 on day one and a million within 10 days - the game was poorly received by critics and players alike. THQ's backed the game with an ambitious marketing campaign, but after posting a hefty loss it closed Kaos.
In a surprise move, THQ contracted the Crysis developer to produce the sequel, which is currently in development at Crytek UK, formerly Timesplitters developer Free Radical Design.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/cryt...mefront-sequel ...- Search DCEmu
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Catherine: Full Body’s English translation for the Vita