Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot, has revealed his belief that new technology will enable set-top boxes to become games platforms in the future, alongside new interface technology and new iterations of existing games consoles.

Speaking in an investor call following the full disclosure of the company's financial results, he first hinted at the possible changes to the platform landscape in one of the parts of the company's four-part plan: "Get ready for the future generation of consoles that are coming from many places."

When pushed on that statement he went on to explain further.

"Why I'm saying it's coming from many places is just because accessibility [is] something that a lot of people are working on," he said. "We will see more customers coming to the videogame industry, and they will not only come to the basic consoles like we have today, but they will start also to come on all the boxes that you see under the TVs.

"TV boxes will be more powerful, and with accessibility, will help to take more people. So we will see more consoles on which we will be able to put product.

"For the next generation of consoles, we can't give you approximate dates, but what we see is that there is lots of energy to improve the consoles that will be available in the next few years, and we are already working on some of the elements that will appear in the next few years."

And when asked to clarify his thoughts again, he added:

"What I wanted to say is that because you saw new interfaces with the Wii, with the Wiimote, and also with the DS, with the stylus, what we see for the future is that there will be also big announcements in interfaces. And it will not only happen on consoles, but it will also happen on those TV boxes as well. So this will help in fact games to be played on those boxes on top of the consoles that are available."

He also stated his belief that Apple will become a bigger player in the games business, over and above the iPhone platform.

"And on top we consider that there is a new entrant in the business, which is Apple with the iPhone, and we don't think they will stop there."

Ubisoft's headline financial information included profits that were down for the 2008 fiscal year by 37 per cent, on sales that were up by 14 per cent. The company's stock opened down just over 5 per cent this morning at EUR 13.93.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...orms-guillemot ...

Representatives from both Electronic Arts and Activision have revealed their respective company's software showings for next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show.

Electronic Arts has a massive showing this year, with 29 titles across 10 platforms. Highlights include Madden 10, Dante's Inferno, Mass Effect 2, and Brutal Legend.

"This year at E3, we have an incredible slate of games for the Nintendo Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac and mobile devices," said CEO John Riccitiello. "Our creative teams are developing some of the most innovative experiences on any platform. We couldn’t be more proud of the games we’re presenting this year."

Activision's showing, while comparatively smaller, is much more concentrated on major releases, which include Modern Warfare 2, Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero, Blur, Prototype and Tony Hawk 5, among others.

"At this year's E3, we will debut the largest and strongest lineup in our company's history," said Activision Publishing president and CEO Mike Griffith. "Our innovative slate features games based on some of the industry's largest franchises, as well as exciting new offerings in the music, racing and action-sports genres that are poised to redefine the interactive entertainment experience."

Electronic Arts' E3 line-up follows:

Army of Two: The 40th Day (PSP, PS3, Xbox 360)
Battlefield 1943 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Brutal Legend (PS3, Xbox 360)
Command & Conquer Red Alert (iPhone, iPod Touch)
Dante’s Inferno (PSP, PS3, Xbox 360)
Dead Space Extraction (Wii)
Dragon Age: Origins (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
EA SPORTS Active (Wii)
Grand Slam Tennis (Wii, additional platforms TBD)
FIFA 10 (DS, Mobiles, PC, PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
Fight Night Round 4 (PS3, Xbox 360)
G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra (DS, Mobile, PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (All platforms)
Littlest Pet Shop Online (Online)
Madden NFL 10 (PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
Mass Effect 2 (PC, Xbox 360)
Mass Effect Galaxy (iPhone, iPod Touch)
MySims Agents (DS, Wii)
NCAA Football 10 (PSP, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360)
NHL 10 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Need for Speed: NITRO (DS, Wii)
Need for Speed: SHIFT (PSP, PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Spore Hero (Wii)
Spore Hero: Arena (DS)
The Saboteur (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
The Sims 3 (iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac, Mobile, PC)
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 (PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
Activision Blizzard's E3 line-up follows:

Blur (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
DJ Hero (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii)
Guitar Hero 5 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS)
Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Prototype (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Singularity (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Tony Hawk: Ride (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PC)
Wolfenstein (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...al-e3-line-ups ...

The common theory is that games like World of Warcraft are addictive. But what are the exact qualities that make it so? Are there specific elements of the design that can be pulled out, distilled, and used at will to give a game drug-like properties? Is it wrong to do so? A new article at IGN RPG Vault attempts to isolates the exact qualities that go into making an addiction-based design. From the article: 'If a game uses rewards of any sort to entice you to experience highly repetitive content, you should see what it's trying to do and which of your buttons it's trying to press. If you don't mind, that's cool, but you should understand it.

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl...9/05/28/029216 ...

We're still trying to get used to the overwhelming joy of having Cupcake installed on our G1s, but it's full steam ahead over at Google where engineers are already slaving away on the Donut branch that'll eventually come to be known as Android 2.0. Demoed today at the first I/O keynote were Donut's universal search (known simply as "Android Search"), which will let you search both online and locally on the phone through contacts, calendars, music, and any app with the proper code, and a text-to-speech API, which should allow developers to integrate Google Voice Search-style awesomeness into the apps of their choice. We also got a brief glimpse of handwriting gestures used for searching through list -- the live example was drawing the letter 'e' and going to that specific point in a list of songs. Nothing wildly different interface-wise -- yet -- but we know from the initial 1.0 release that the UI's very much subject to change, not to mention the fact that HTC and others look poised to do some serious customization of their own. Check out the gallery for shots live from the I/O keynote!

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/27/a...at-google-i-o/ ...

Despite a statement back in April from prez Satoru Iwata that the company would make a phone if it could avoid monthly subscription costs, it looks like Nintendo will not be getting into the cell biz any time soon. Reggie Fils-Aime, president and CFO of Nintendo of America just put the kibosh on all that with a statement to the New York Times, saying, "Telephony is not in our wheelhouse. It's not something I anticipate us getting into." So, you're telling us that telephony is not in your wheelhouse? Hmm... okay. Thanks for clearing that up! The company is however, considering offering devices with always-on wireless connectivity -- which would be way cooler the DSi's current, WiFi hotspot capabilities.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/27/n...hone-we-swear/ ...

While still one-half away from a good "show and tell" game, Splitfish has announced (with no pics, unfortunately) the Dual SFX Evolution and Dual SFX Frag Pro controllers, part of the Frevolution X series and coming this Fall for the PlayStation 3. For the first person shooter crowd, the Frag Pro is slated to be the successor to the mouse-and-nunchuk combo originally released in 2007 (pictured), with a new dual wireless system to clear up some cord clutter. As for the Evolution, according to the presser it'll swap out the mouse for a right-handed motion / analog joystick. We're a bit lacking in the imagery department right, but we'll be getting some eyes (and hopefully hands) on the peripherals when E3 rolls around early next month.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/27/s...ollers-announ/ ...

While still one-half away from a good "show and tell" game, Splitfish has announced (with no pics, unfortunately) the Dual SFX Evolution and Dual SFX Frag Pro controllers, part of the Frevolution X series and coming this Fall for the PlayStation 3. For the first person shooter crowd, the Frag Pro is slated to be the successor to the mouse-and-nunchuk combo originally released in 2007 (pictured), with a new dual wireless system to clear up some cord clutter. As for the Evolution, according to the presser it'll swap out the mouse for a right-handed motion / analog joystick. We're a bit lacking in the imagery department right, but we'll be getting some eyes (and hopefully hands) on the peripherals when E3 rolls around early next month.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/27/s...ollers-announ/ ...

Heard any good iPhone 3.0 rumors lately? No? That's because they're all here in this tidy little roundup. The latest (pictured above) is a purported top-facing bezel frame for the "Apple iPhone 3Gen 2009." Besides being black unlike the chrome edge of the iPhone 3G, iLounge and others have noticed a repositioned ear speaker, tucked high against the top-edge that could be making way for a front-facing camera or additional sensor(s). iLounge also created a render (pictured after the break) of a 5th gen iPod nano based on information provided by a source who "has a perfect track record for accuracy." In addition to a slightly larger screen with 1.5:1 aspect, there's now a camera on the back; a redesign that dovetails nicely with rumors about Apple to getting serious with integrated video and digital cameras. iLounge also claims that there will be three new models (3G, enhanced 3G, and mainland China version lacking WiFi we suspect) of iPhones with matte plastic bodies less prone to scratching. Importantly, countries will get the phone appropriate to their telco's capabilities -- iLounge says users won't have to choose between a fast and slow iPhone, they'll get what their carriers can support. Each will ship in a choice of two capacity options with 32GB being the top-end rumored. Oh, and iPhone 3.0 will also get into the Nike+ game without requiring an adapter (like the iPod touch). These rumors ride a wave of reports that inventories of the iPhone 3G are running low and component makers are now shipping parts for the next generation iPhone. So Steve Jobs or not, we're still expecting the hardware to be announced at WWDC with possible July 17 launch.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/a...rumor-roundup/ ...

18 Android phones, possibly 20 on the market this year according to Andy Rubin, speaking at Google I/O. Even higher if you count all the rogue, Google App-free Android deployments that Google's not aware of. Seeing as how we're already nearly half-way through the year with just a pair of Android handsets on the market (the T-Mobile G1, HTC Magic) and just another -- the Samsung i7500 Galaxy -- officially in the chute, we're going to see a flood of product before year's end. In fact, Rubin claims the releases will come from 8 or 9 manufacturers with faster adoption seen in Europe as US carriers try to "create highly distinctive versions of the Android phone to give themselves an edge." Sure, edge, if that's what you want to call the US cartel of hoops and handcuffs then go right ahead. Interestingly, Rubin also further clarified the three flavors of Android which break down as follows:
Google-free: Free to download version of Android without Google applications like Gmail or Google Calendar. Access to Android applications is at the whimsical fancy of the manufacturer.
Strings attached: Same as above but manufacturers sign a distribution agreement with Google and pre-install the Google applications. Of Rubin's possible 20 phones, 12 to 14 fall into this category
The Google Experience: Phones featuring the Google logo with all Google apps installed and includes unrestricted access (neither the carrier nor handset maker can block applications they find objectionable) to the Android market. 5 or 6 of the 20, Android phone mentioned by Rubin will deliver the full Google Experience as god and Sergey designed it.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/g...ing-this-year/ ...