DCEmu Homebrew Emulation & Theme Park News
DCEmu Featured News Articles
by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:28- Categories:
- Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi received a RAM boost recently, but it certainly won't need it to run the latest officially supported operating system -- RISC OS. A far cry from Linux variants the naked board is used to, RISC OS was developed in the late eighties by the same hotshots who designed the first ARM processor. Fittingly, it's also related to the OS found on the BBC Micro, a computer that shared the Raspberry Pi's educational vision. Don't expect much from the simple OS, but it will run extremely fast given the Pi's hardware is practically futuristic compared with the computers it was intended for. The simplicity does mean, however, that it's much easier to get right into the system and start tinkering. It was formerly a closed-source OS, so luckily, there are a bunch of Programmers' Reference Manuals (PRMs) available to kick-start your next project. Whether you are totally new to RISC OS, or excited to dive in fornostalgia's sake, head to the source link for everything you'll need.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/06/r...ry-pi-RISC-OS/
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:24- Categories:
- PC News
Samsung's experiment with a Ghost Recon SSD bundle must have been a hit with gamers, since it's coming back for a second round the very same year. The upgrade-minded buying 128GB, 256GB or 512GB versions of the SSD 840 Pro can get a free downloadable copy of Assassin's Creed III for a "limited time" to take advantage of those 540MB/s peak read speeds while they skew the fate of the American Revolutionary War. The bundle comes not-so-coincidentally as Samsung has shipped and priced the wider SSD 840 line itself: while we knew the Pro line's impact on our wallets, the regular models are now ready to sell at prices between $140 for a 120GB drive to $700 for a 500GB model. That's a $50 to $190 savings over the Pro models, but we'll leave it to you to decide whether faster write speeds, slightly more capacity and Connor's secret fight with the Templars are worth the premium.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...Ck%3Assd%20840 ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:22- Categories:
- DCEmu
EA Sports has put its weight behind the Movember prostate cancer charity in the form of $500,000 worth of in-game advertising.
The ads will run throughout November, and gamers can expect to see them appearing in titles like FIFA, Madden, and NHL. Given the nature of the games and the target demographic of the Movember charity, it seems like a promising way to raise awareness and funding.
Movember aims to highlight prostate cancer and male mental health by asking "Mo Bros" to grow moustaches in the month of November. "Mo Sistas" are also encouraged to help raise funds and awareness.
"The moustache is our ribbon, the symbol by which we generate conversations, awareness and raise funds for men's health," the charity explains.
You can find more information on the charity and its facial hair at the official site.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...th-in-game-ads ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:20- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Proposed tech would let consoles control how many people could watch each movie, or enforce age restrictions
Microsoft
microsoft.com
The same technology that lets the Xbox 360 recognize users who step into the Kinect camera's field of view could also let Microsoft control who can play games or watch downloaded movies on everything from TVs to cell phones. As reported by Eurogamer, Microsoft has filed a patent application for "Content Distribution Regulation by Viewing User."
Originally filed in April 2011, the application describes a system where cameras on a TV, cell phone, or other display identify how many people are watching content on screen, and check to make sure that the user's license for that content covers that many viewers. If it doesn't, the game or movie in question could be halted and the user prompted to purchase more licenses before resuming. The system could also use recognition technology to identify specific users and permit or change access based on their profiles.
As the patent states, "Content is distributed to consuming devices, such as televisions, set-top boxes and digital displays, with an associated license option on the number of individual consumers or viewers allowed to consume the content. The limitation may comprise a number of user views, a number of user views over time, a number of simultaneous user views, views tied to user identities, views limited to user age or any variation or combination thereof, all tied to the number of actual content consumers allowed to view the content."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-viewer-patent
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:16- Categories:
- Wii U News
Ubisoft CEO says Nintendo appears to be sending more units of hardware to US than other countries
Nintendo
nintendo-europe.com
The first country to get the Wii U will also get the most units of the new Nintendo hardware, it seems. Speaking in a post-earnings investor conference call today, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot carefully fielded a question about how he believes Nintendo is allocating its launch hardware between countries.
"The US seems to be having more machines than the other countries, but that's the only thing I can say," Guillemot said.
Regional allocations could be a touchy topic for Nintendo in light of the original Wii launch. That system was an instant sell-out upon its launch in 2006, and remained in short supply for the next year, a situation Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime lamented as a "missed opportunity." Things may be different this time around. For one, Fils-Aime has stressed that the company learned a lot from previous shortages, and that its supply chain is solid.
The Wii U is scheduled to launch in the US November 18, with a UK release trailing on November 30 and the system making its Japanese debut December 8. Nintendo has forecast 10 million unit sales by the end of the year, and a number of retailers have run through their pre-order allocations.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...s-tilted-to-us
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:03- Categories:
- DCEmu
People don’t want to pay for games.
That’s what MCV was told repeatedly at E3. And indeed many of this year’s high-growth or most controversial games – World of Tanks, League of Legends, CSR Racing amongst others – were absolutely free.
Of course anyone that has followed this market as it has exploded over the past few years will know that these games aren’t exactly ‘free’. The publishers and developers make their money via premium subscriptions or micro-transactions where gamers can obtain extra items or in-game currency for a small fee.
The idea is simple and attractive. By removing the cost barrier, the potential market for a game is infinitely larger. And although the vast majority of those gamers will never spend a penny, the small percentage that do will often spend more than just £50.
Despite its recent popularity, free-to-play is not a new concept. It existed as early as the mid-90s, and could even be spiritually linked to the freeware scene. The breakthrough game was even developed in the UK – the MMO RuneScape arrived in 2001.
It then exploded in Asia and Korea, via games developed from major players such as Nexon, before slowing growing across the world. Although it took a combination of Facebook and iOS to finally make free-to-play a ‘thing’ in Europe.
“Five to six years back there wasn’t that many successful free-to-play games in Europe,” notes Scott Yoo, director of Game Service Division at Nexon Europe.
“But now the market is growing. What really changed the game was the expansion of social networking and mobile devices. I don’t think the Europeans were keen on discovering content online, particularly things offered for free. I think there may have been some bias towards free stuff. Lots of people were saying something free is very low quality. So there was some negativity towards it. But with the help of the social networks and mobile devices, people are more comfortable with playing online and that has benefitted the free-to-play market.”
FREE CONTROVERSY
In many ways companies such as Zynga – and before them Jagex and Bigpoint – pioneered free-to-play across Europe. But not everyone was in favour of the business model. Even today there are concerns that ‘freemium’ lacks transparency and tricks consumers into parting with cash.
“It’s not really free-to-play,” says Bohemia Interactive’s CEO Marek Spanel, the developer behind the smash hit Steam game Arma II.
The firm has also released a free version of the game.
“The cost of the play is not very transparent to users so while they may be tempted to think it’s a very good thing for them, I think it’s tricks people a bit. It’s difficult. Maybe if they put a note for parents about when kids play freemium games and then they are billed from their operator for some excessive amount.
“It’s more fair to do other business models. We are not even contemplating converting to freemium based. If you call a game free-to-play and then you start collecting money from the game, I don’t think it’s free-to-play. I think it’s a bit misleading.”
Yet slowly the games industry is coming around to accepting free-to-play. And, following the success of titles like World of Tanks and League of Legends, the major publishers are investing in big-budget, console-quality freemium titles. Ubisoft has just released Ghost Recon Online, Activision has teamed up with Tencent for Call of Duty: Online, while EA has invested in a multitude of free-to-play games, including the next game in the Command and Conquer series.
“We have great games and big brands,” says Sean Decker, VP of EA’s Play4Free division. “We are putting out games like Command and Conquer and making it free-to-play, and EA is behind this 100 per cent. We’re putting out a top-tier game from a top-tier franchise.
“EA believes this will become one of the dominant business models.”
FREE AND EASY
Browser and social games are only one part of the free-to-play boom. Smartphone gaming has played a significant role, too. In 2009 Apple introduced in-app payments for games sold via iTunes and freemium titles on iOS has since become the norm. They’re huge cash generators, too. iPhone game CSR Racing from Natural Motion is reportedly generating around £7.5m a month. And the free-to-play smartphone market is likely to grow further, with Japanese mobile giants such as Gree and DeNA making significant moves into the Western markets.
“There are multiple models in the market. But the item-based model is very strong, and it has been for us in Japan, just as it has been for Zynga,” says Gree’s senior VP of Gree’s EML business, Ryotaro Shima.
Gonzague de Vallois, SVP of publishing at mobile specialist Gameloft, adds: “Smartphones have become ubiquitous, mass-market devices. Today the vast majority of smartphone and tablet users are casual gamers. They’re searching for new high-quality risk-free experiences. Our focus on free-to-play games, like Ice Age Village, is simply a response to that demand. The free-to-play model makes our ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 14:01- Categories:
- DCEmu
Free UK magazine ShortList is celebrating a gaming first this morning.
Today’s issue features what editor Martin Robinson describes as “the world’s first playable gaming cover”.
Using augmented reality app Blippar, the cover can be turned – or ‘blipped’ – into a playable version of ‘80s title Chuckie Egg.
There’s other interactive gaming coverage inside, too, including access to Grand Theft Auto V and Tomb Raider trailers as well as an interactive Assassin’s Creed III photography game.
ShortList editor Martin Robinson stated: “We’d been planning a gaming special for ShortList which celebrated retro games as well as new releases, and thought it would make for an exciting magazine first if people could somehow ‘play’ our cover.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/today...-cover/0105930
...
by Published on November 7th, 2012 13:58- Categories:
- Wii U News
This is something you don’t see every day.
Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has taken to YouTube to host his very own unboxing video. In which he refers to it as a “Wii U unboxing ceremony”, dons a pair of white gloves and says he feels like he’s “a host on a shopping channel”.
There’s also a video about Wii U user accounts (of which ten are permitted per console) and Wii U Chat.
But really, just skip all of that and check out the unboxing. This is why we need Japan to remain at the very heart of the global games industry.
...by Published on November 7th, 2012 01:08- Categories:
- Android News,
- Apple iPad
"... but retails for $130 more. Teardowns of the Apple iPad Mini and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD have revealed that the two devices cost almost the same amount to manufacture, despite the retail prices being significantly different. Andrew Rassweiler, senior principal analyst of teardown services for IHS iSuppli, explains that Apple is sticking to the premium brand strategy it has always used for its media tablet and smartphone products, whereas Amazon is banking on content."
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...kindle-fire-hd ...by Published on November 7th, 2012 00:35- Categories:
- Wii U News
Publishers do not lack understanding on next-gen console's capabilities, says dev icon
Third-party development for the Wii U is being affected by the console’s unique capabilities and difficulties with making its games multi-platform releases, Shigeru Miyamoto has claimed.
Speaking to IGN, the development icon said that the need for some businesses to develop multi-platform titles to maximise their earnings was not always compatible with Nintendo’s own ambitions to create unique hardware.
He added however that the console giant had been meeting with developers to convince them that they would be able to create new experiences and build successful titles.
"The fact of the matter is that most third-party licensees from a business point of view, had to create multi-platform titles – and because Nintendo has been trying to create very unique hardware, oftentimes it was not considered the first choice for them to work on multi-platform software," said Miyamoto.
"So it’s the entire company decision-making process that is hindering developer’s ability from making unique titles on Wii U hardware. Once again, my job as one of the developers is to meet with the individual people and convince them that they’ll be able to create brand new entertainment that they really wish to realise. My job is to try to assist them in that fashion.”
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...-to-join-Wii-U
...- 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