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by Published on February 6th, 2013 14:07- Categories:
- Ouya Android Console
The Ouya game console will launch at numerous US retail chains in June, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Gamestop.
Backers of Ouya's Kickstarter campaign - more than 68,000 people - will receive their units in March, but the retail launch coming so soon afterwards will be warmly received by developers creating content for the platform.
Pre-orders for the console started yesterday, at a price-point of $99.99. Each console comes with a touch-pad controller, though additional controllers will be sold for about $49.99 each.
"We want to support Ouya as best we can, both online and in physical retail, making sure there's visibility for the product, to see content and demo the box," said CEO Julie Uhrman in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
"Those are all conversations we're having with retailers. Retail partners of this size don't just jump into business with every company that has something to sell. We're providing something that has responded so well to gamers and developers."
When asked about the number of developers creating content for Ouya, Uhrman was somewhat evasive. However, she insisted that the platform will deliver, "inventive and creative [content] that has never been on the television." The support of major retailers, she claimed, is proof of the product's viability.
"This announcement...is that we now have more than just dreamers behind us, we have established companies that do their due diligence that believe there's an opportunity for bringing great content back to the television."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...mestop-in-june ...by Published on February 6th, 2013 14:01- Categories:
- DCEmu
The total value of the US video games market declined nine per cent in 2012.
NPD estimates that the overall the sector was worth $14.8bn, down from $16.34bn in 2011.
The number includes sales of physical and digital games (the latter presumably with a bit of guesswork) as well as new and pre-owned software, rentals and DLC. Hardware and accessories is not included.
Boxed sales fell 22 per cent to $8.88bn – which a 16 per cent rise in digital sales to $5.92bn was not quite able to offset.
For comparison, the UK games market was worth £2.52bn ($3.9bn) in 2011 and just £1.598bn ($2.5bn) in 2012. At its height in 2008 the UK games market was worth £4.034bn ($6.3bn).
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/us-vi...n-2012/0110460 ...by Published on February 6th, 2013 13:59- Categories:
- Wii U News
A detailed look at the until now mysterious innards of the Wii U suggests that Nintendo’s machine will be eclipsed by the upcoming PS4 and Xbox 720.
The tech heads at Digital Foundry have examined the results of a detailed teardown of the Wii U hardware. The result is a machine that “is in a completely different league” to the upcoming hardware from Sony and Microsoft.
Indeed, the site goes as far as to say that the results “finally rule out any next-gen pretensions for the Wii U”.
It adds that while Wii U out-specs current machines like the Xbox 360 in some respects (it has 1.5x the “raw shader power”, apparently), it foresees few titles being able to squeeze out complex 3D processing in 1080p.
Also examined is the fact that multiplatform titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops II tend to run worse on Wii U than the likes of Xbox 360, despite the seeming power advantage enjoyed by Nintendo’s console.
DF reckons Wii U’s 1.2GHz CPU is the likely culprit, which itself is a re-working of a chip seen in the Wii – which itself was an overclocked version of a GameCube processor!
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/wii-u...ntions/0110468 ...by Published on February 6th, 2013 13:48- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Activation codes to prevent sale of second-hand games and new Kinect to ship alongside console, claim sources
Microsoft’s next Xbox will require a constant internet connection to work, according to a report.
Sources “with first-hand experience of Microsoft’s next-generation console" told Edgethat a new version of Xbox Live would play an “integral” role in the new console, suggesting digital distribution will play a bit part for the hardware.
It was also claimed that a new version of Kinect would ship alongside the console, and that games for the new hardware would be manufactured on 50gb Blu-Ray discs.
The sources said that each disc will come with its own activation code, meaning only the initial user can install and play the game. This effectively stops the ability for users to sell or buy second-hand games.
As also previously reported, the next Xbox’s specs are said to feature an AM eight-core x64 1.6ghz CPU, 8gb of DDR3 RAM and D3D11.x 800mhz graphics.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...net-connection
...by Published on February 6th, 2013 13:44- Categories:
- Apple iPad
As Apple continues to ready its newest iPad mini device, circulating rumours indicate it well feature the firm's Retina Display.
BrightWare reported the news, with its Taiwanese sources suggesting that the 7.9-inch screen to be used on the new device is already in production.
Taiwan-based Apple suppliers AU Optronics are said to be piloting the production of the iPad mini 2.
Much attention has been given to the device's rumoured display, which is said to offer a resolution of 2048x1536 and pixels density of 324ppi.
Whilst Apple is no doubt busily preparing a new addition to its traditional iPad range, which is likely to feature an improved display of its own, the rumoured resolution of the new iPad mini would give the device a higher quality screen than Apple's other products.
If Apple is indeed working on a 7.9-inch iPad mini, which features the high-quality Retina Display of its other devices, it will certainly garner much attention from consumers on its release.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...display/030191 ...by Published on February 5th, 2013 22:00- Categories:
- Wii U News
A senior hardware development director at Nintendo has defended the company's choice of CPU for the Wii U.
In November, a well-known hardware hacker published what is believed to be the Wii U processor and graphics card specs, revealing that the CPU carries a clock speed of 1.24 GHz.At half the speed of six year-old systems such as the PS3 and Xbox 360, the Wii U's clock speed immediately became the subject of criticisms.
However, speaking at a Kyoto investor meeting last week, Nintendo's R&D director Genyo Takeda insisted the hardware did not deserve the negative feedback.
According to Takeda the Wii U combines "low power consumption and a fairly high performance".
Takeda comments were in response to a question from an audience member who said the processor was weaker than other parts of the device.
"Regarding your comment that we focus on the GPU and that the CPU is a little poor, we have a different view," Takeda said.
"It depends on how to evaluate a processing unit. In terms of die size [area a chip occupies], the GPU certainly occupies a much larger space than the CPU.
"As you can see CPUs used for the latest PCs and servers, however, it is usual for current CPUs that the logic part for actual calculations is really small and that the cache memory called SRAM around it covers a large area. From this angle, we don't think that the performance of the Wii U's CPU is worse than that of the GPU."
Nintendo's choice of CPU was already being scrutinised. Oles Shishkovtsov, the chief technical officer at Metro: Last Light developer 4A, described the Wii U's CPU as "horrible and slow".
However, Takeda is claiming that raw CPU speeds are no longer so central to the overall hardware performance.
"We have taken a so-called 'memory-intensified' design approach for the Wii U hardware. It is no use saying much about hardware which should remain in the background in our entertainment offerings, but at least we think that Wii U performs pretty well."
Nintendo design guru Shigeru Miyamoto recently said it wanted "to immediately communicate the Wii U's value, but could not". According to the father of Mario, the company's development teams are resisting the distraction of the Wii U's disappointing sales performance.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...a-little-poor/ ...by Published on February 5th, 2013 21:57- Categories:
- Apple iPad
If you like the very best, you'll be happy to hear that thebiggest capacity, most expensive iPad yet has now landed at the Apple Store online. US customers can pick from AT&T, Sprint or Verizon to power their 128GB LTE model ($929), although AT&T has a reduced waiting time of 1-3 days, compared to 3-5 business days for the other two carriers. Expect the WiFi iteration ($799) to arrive within three days -- that is, if you place your order at the source today.
http://store.apple.com/us/buy/home/s...ad/family/ipad
...by Published on February 5th, 2013 21:33- Categories:
- Nintendo 3DS News
Saturo Iwata accepted responsibility for lower than expected international sales of the 3DS.
Having already pointed a finger at its international teams for the disappointing performance of Wii U to date, the Nintendo boss also believes that the company has only itself to blame for the handheld’s current performance.
“It is obvious that if we are able to sell only about the same number of units of Nintendo 3DS next fiscal year as this fiscal year, the sales growth of software will be limited,” he said.
“In such a case, we will probably not be able to reach the level of operating profit we are aiming for. Therefore, the current sales levels of Nintendo 3DS in the overseas markets are not at all satisfactory in regard to the hardware’s potential.
“This is not happening due to external factors.
“In our understanding, this is because we could not fully convey the appeal of the Nintendo 3DS platform and as a result, fewer consumers purchased it than we had expected. So, obviously, our aim is to increase our hardware sales more than in this fiscal year.”
The comments are in direct contrast to Iwata’s insistence that low software sales are not of Nintendo’s own making. In the same investor conference, Iwata blamed retail for the failure of a number of potential software hits.
However, many onlookers would agree with the notion that Nintendo is at least partly responsible for the plight that it currently faces.
The age-old lack of first party software support for its machines, the high retail price of Wii U, high download prices, limited hardware memory and an almost belligerent resistance to step fully into the digital frame are of Nintendo’s making, not the market’s.
And what Iwata fails to note, of course, is that Nintendo’s UK team cannot be blamed for the drastically reduced marketing budget it had to play with in 2012. Who knows how the Wii U might have worked out had Japan coughed up.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/3ds-s...a-says/0110380 ...by Published on February 5th, 2013 21:28- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
The PlayStation Vita is one year old in the UK. Hoorah!
And to celebrate, Sony has announced a two-week price promotion that will see significant discounts of Vita software on the PlayStation Network.
Highlights include Lumines, Rayman Origins and Dungeon Hunter: Alliance for £13.99 as well as MLB 12 The Show for £11.99.
The vast majority of the games also offer an additional ten per cent discount on top of the sale price for PS Plus members.
Here’s the list:
A-men – £7.99 -> £5.99
Army Corps of Hell – £34.99 -> £15.99
Asphalt Injection – £19.99 -> £9.99
Blazblue Continuum Shift Extend – £19.99 -> £14.99
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance – £29.99 -> £13.99
Escape Plan – £9.99 -> £5.19
Everybody's Golf – £11.99 -> £6.99
F1 2011 – £31.99 -> £15.99
Hustle Kings – £6.49 -> £3.19
Little Deviants – £11.99 -> £6.99
Lumines: Electronic Symphony – £29.99 -> £13.99,
Michael Jackson The Experience HD - £19.99 -> £9.99
MLB 12 The Show – £23.99 -> £11.99
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – £11.99 -> £6.99
MotorStorm RC – £4.79 -> £2.39
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale – £29.99 -> £14.99
Reality Fighters – £11.99 -> £6.99
Rayman Origins – £29.99 -> £13.99
Ridge Racer - Ultimate Edition – £19.99 -> £9.99,
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen – £34.99 -> £15.99
Street Fighter x Tekken Vita – £39.99 -> £24.99,
Super Stardust Delta + Advanced Star Fighter Pack Bundle – £7.99 -> £3.99
Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack – £5.49 -> £2.79
Top Darts – £6.49 -> £3.19
Touch My Katamari – £24.99 -> £15.99
Unit 13 – £29.99 -> £14.99
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sony-...e-sale/0110388 ...by Published on February 4th, 2013 22:59- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
The last week, we published a poll and you chose to know more about the GPU of Durango. Wishes come true. We have splitted the articled in three pages, don’t forget to read the whole work. [Note: There are two more pages with lots of details at the link.]
A better view of Durango’s GPU capabilities and performance.
Durango brings the enhanced capabilities of a modern Direct3D 11 GPU to the console space. The Durango GPU is a departure from previous console generations both in raw performance and in structure.
Quote:
The following table describes expected performance of the Durango GPU. Bear in mind that the table is based only on hardware specifications, not on actual hardware running actual code. For many reasons, theoretical peak performance can be difficult or impossible to achieve with real-world processing loads.
Quote:
...Virtual Addressing
All GPU memory accesses on Durango use virtual addresses, and therefore pass through a translation table before being resolved to physical addresses. This layer of indirection solves the problem of resource memory fragmentation in hardware—a single resource can now occupy several noncontiguous pages of physical memory without penalty.
Virtual addresses can target pages in main RAM or ESRAM, or can be unmapped. Shader reads and writes to unmapped pages return well-defined results, including optional error codes, rather than crashing the GPU. This facility is important for support of tiled resources, which are only partially resident in physical memory
ESRAM
Durango has no video memory (VRAM) in the traditional sense, but the GPU does contain 32 MB of fast embedded SRAM (ESRAM). ESRAM on Durango is free from many of the restrictions that affect EDRAM on Xbox 360. Durango supports the following scenarios:
- Texturing from ESRAM
- Rendering to surfaces in main RAM
- Read back from render targets without performing a resolve (in certain cases)
The difference in throughput between ESRAM and main RAM is moderate: 102.4 GB/sec versus 68 GB/sec. The advantages of ESRAM are lower latency and lack of contention from other memory clients—for instance the CPU, I/O, and display output. Low latency is particularly important for sustaining peak performance of the color blocks (CBs) and depth blocks (DBs).
Local Shared Memory and Global Shared Memory
Each shader core of the Durango GPU contains a 64-KB buffer of local shared memory (LSM). The LSM supplies scratch space for compute shader threadgroups. The LSM is also used implicitly for various purposes. The shader compiler can choose to allocate temporary arrays there, spill data from registers, or cache data that arrives from external memory. The LSM facilitates passing data from one pipeline stage to another (interpolants, patch control points, tessellation factors, stream out, etc.). In some cases, this usage implies that successive pipeline stages are restricted to run on the same SC.
The GPU also contains a single 64-KB buffer of global shared memory (GSM). The GSM contains temporary data referenced by an entire draw call. It is also used implicitly to enforce synchronization barriers, and to properly order accesses to Direct3D 11 append and consume buffers. The GSM is capable of acting as a destination for shader export, so the driver can choose to locate small render targets there for efficiency.
Cache
Durango has a two stage caching system, depicted below.
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Catherine: Full Body’s English translation for the Vita