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by Published on August 16th, 2012 21:46- Categories:
- DCEmu
“Full touch” devices will have a 768 x 1280-pixel screen, while Qwerty flavour is 720 x 720.
After yesterday's news that RIM will release two phones in early 2013 (one touch, one Qwerty), comes more details about those phones.
The first BlackBerry 10 “full touch” device will come with a 768 x 1280 resolution screen, while their Qwerty handset will be 720 x 720 pixels.
And that seems to be the way things are going to be from hereon in. There will be two types of BlackBerries:
- Full touch devices: 720 x 1280 (16:9)
- Keyboard devices: 720 x 720 (1:1)
This standardisation is useful news for developers, as it will allow them to plan well ahead of time, safe in the knowledge that products will display on future devices.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...andsets/019050 ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:54- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Microsoft has revealed the full contents of the Halo 4 Limited Edition, as well as a DLC Pass for multiplayer maps.
Available for £69.99, the Halo 4 Limited Edition includes:
- Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Special Edition - An extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series that will bring the "Halo" universe to life as you've never seen it, providing an enthralling backstory leading up to the events of Halo 4
- Bonus in-fiction content expanding the characters and stories of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
- Special Featurette: Bringing Gaming into Reality
- Making of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
- War Games Map Pack Access - Access to nine maps - three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations, otherwise available for download post-launch on Xbox Live
- Early access to six Specialisations, to achieve higher ranks in your Spartan career
- UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet - Includes an armour customisation schematic, a blueprint of the massive ship itself, and insight into what it means to be one of humanity's finest warriors: the Spartan-IVs.
- Spartan-IV Recruit In-Game Armour
- Spartan-IV Prime In-Game Armour Skin
- Assault Rifle Prime In-Game Weapon Skin
- Prime In-Game Emblem
- Xbox Live Avatar "Recruit" Armour
- Cryo-Tube Xbox Live Avatar Prop
A Halo 4 War Games Map Pass will also be available as a standalone option from November 6 priced at 2000 Microsoft Points (£17.13), representing a discount of more than 15 per cent versus purchasing the add-ons individually, according to Microsoft. It'll also include three in-game exclusives - the Spartan-IV Scanner and Strider helmets, and the Falcon in-game emblem.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...pass-revealed/ ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:53- Categories:
- PS3 News
It was fairly evident anyway, but Sony has issued a statement confirming that today's claims of a PSN breach are "completely false".
An anonymous culprit today claimed to have hacked the PlayStation Network, acquiring a 50GB database of user information for some 10 million accounts.A Sony rep has told CVG: "We've confirmed that the recent claim that PlayStation Network was illegally hacked and that customer passwords and email addresses were accessed is completely false."
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ly-false-sony/ ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:36- Categories:
- Windows Phone
We just received an invite from Nokia and Microsoft to attend a Windows Phone-centric event on September 5th. This is the same day as Nokia World's opener, and we have a feeling this isn't a coincidence. Rumors have been rampant that the Finnish company would choose this particular week to announce its lineup of Windows Phone 8 devices, and we're hoping this is indeed the case. Granted, the invite comes with a large reference to Nokia Maps, so it's certainly possible the navigation service could be a primary focus of the event, but we're hedging our bets on new handsets. Either way, we'll be there to share the excitement with you.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/15/n...windows-phone/ ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:34- Categories:
- PS3 News
If you've been marathoning a new favorite TV show on Netflix recently you may have noticed that on the PlayStation 3 (above) and browser-based (after the break, along with a quick demo video) players it's got a new tweak. At the end of each episode as the credits roll it pops up a quick (and very basic cable TV post movie-like) prompt with info about the the next episode and, unless you select a particular viewing option, search or go back to browsing, keeps right on playing. For movies, it pops up three similar recommendations instead. This "post-play" experience takes a couple of remote presses out of long viewing sessions, and on Netflix's end probably makes it easier for folks to choose to sit through "one more episode" and keep those viewing hours boosted.
On the other hand, not every one likes the automation, either here or on the Xbox 360 app. Whether that's because viewers need an emotional pause after a particularly gripping episode of Lost or they -- and by they, we mean this blogger in particular -- tend to doze off mid-episode, the good news is that every other episode it prompts the user if they want to keep playing before moving on. Like every other tweak or announcement even this move will probably be debated amongst viewers, feel free to dive into the lone season of Terriers in the name of research before letting us know if you're a fan.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/15/n...-play-ps3-web/ ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:32- Categories:
- DCEmu
Students today can catch high-quality video on a variety of screens -- computers, phones and tablets are probably always within reach -- but nothing can truly replace a TV's role as the center of entertainment. Whether it's a quick Madden or Call of Duty session, inviting a friend over to catch a flick or just zoning out after class, having the proper setup makes all the difference, and there are plenty of options at every price point. Of course, walking into any big-box electronics store to peer down aisles of seemingly identical flat screens could drive anyone mad before they ever step on campus, so we've narrowed down the list for you, and even suggested a few other items to plug into those HDTVs. Expanding feature sets and universal pricing have raised average prices a bit over last year, but we can find something to fit whether your budget ranges from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand dollars.
On the cheap
http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/15/b...ol-guide-hdtv/ ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:22- Categories:
- Wii U News
Our staff weighs in on the fate of Nintendo's upcoming Wii U launch
Nintendo
nintendo-europe.com
Nintendo's launch of the Wii U this holiday season will be one of the most interesting hardware launches to watch in the venerable company's long history. Both the economy and the games industry landscape have changed tremendously since the Wii was launched back in 2006. Consumers have less money to spend (or just don't want to spend as much) and there are now more options than ever, with the rise of smartphones, tablets, social and free-to-play. On top of that, price cuts and/or bundles are almost certainly on the way for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Nintendo in some ways caught lightning in a bottle with the Wii, and as the saying goes, lightning never strikes twice in the same place. Even the top brass at the company would fully admit that repeating the success of the Wii is a daunting task, to say the least.
One of the keys for the Wii U will be to engender strong third-party support - a feat that has always been difficult for Nintendo platforms, where first-party dominates sales and consumers' interest. While there are plenty of Wii U announcements to come still, the third-party software shown thus far has mostly failed to impress. With Batman: Arkham City as the third-party highlight for Nintendo at E3, and more recently, EA Sports confirming that the Wii U version of Madden 13 will be missing key features that 360/PS3 versions have (including physics), it's hard to be encouraged.
Moreover, just last week, Warner Bros. announced Game Party Champions for Wii U, an assortment of sports or arcade-style games. Is this actually the Wii U's destiny... either 360/ PS3 ports or casual fare of the sort the Wii was flooded with? Is this how third parties truly see the Wii U? And if so, how can this be anything but terrible news for the Wii U's prospects in a challenging market?
GamesIndustry International's writers share their thoughts in the roundtable below.
Dan Pearson
I think it's probably far too early to make a judgement call on this. If there's one thing Nintendo does consistently, it's to surprise those who've spelled out its doom. Having said that, software is obviously key to success, but I'm not sure that third-party is going to be what attracts buyers.
"What matters now is whether all of those millions of households with a Wii festering in a cupboard under the stairs will fall for it again"
Dan Pearson
Until Nintendo started hitting the 3DS with its incredibly valuable first-party IP, it was going nowhere. Labelled as overpriced and based on a gimmick, the handheld was underselling enormously. One Zelda, a couple of Marios and the odd Yoshi later and it's hit its stride magnificently, powering ahead of competition across the globe.
So yes, we'll see more of the same from Nintendo - they'll likely never stop iterating their solid-gold franchises - but they will sell, and they will sell systems. Games like Assassin's Creed III and Madden might sell a few, but I doubt anyone who really wants to get them early will wait for the Wii U version. Even more so for Call of Duty or Battlefield.
Third-party minigame collections and dance or exercise titles may review poorly and be labelled as shovelware, but they populate the system with titles you can't get elsewhere, playable in ways they wouldn't be on other systems. What matters now is whether all of those millions of households with a Wii festering in a cupboard under the stairs will fall for it again.
Steve Peterson
Yes, it certainly looks like the third-party support for the Wii U is weak, consisting so far mostly of ports and casual/party games (the interesting ZombiU and gorgeous Pikmin 3 notwithstanding). We shouldn't really be surprised; Nintendo has traditionally not worked very hard at lining up third-party support for their consoles because publishers were eager to put titles out for Nintendo's industry-leading hardware. By the time the Wii launched, Nintendo was no longer the console leader, and publishers mostly gave it perfunctory support.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...pport-it-needs
...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:21- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
The president of Worldwide Studios talks about what's next for Vita
Shuhei Yoshida is the affable, approachable face of Sony. The president of worldwide studios is often seen sitting quietly in his own company's presentations, looking more like an interested fan than a whip cracker, earning a reputation as one of the good guys amongst journalists and fans alike.
He's also a happy interviewee, or always has been when the sun has shone for Sony. Catching up with him today at Gamescom, during a period when Sony is under heavy fire from a lot of angles, it was hard to know what to expect from the usually chatty executive. Would the generally positive response to last night's conference have him relaxed, or was it time to don the corporate armour and deflect a few of the more pointed questions? Read on to find out what sort of mood he was in.
Q: The conference yesterday seemed to be well received. What was your agenda? What message did you want to communicate?
Shuhei Yoshida: Our focus was to feature PS Vita. One big criticism we got from E3 was where's the PS Vita, where are the PS Vita games? We spent too little time talking about it, so that was a big focus going into Gamescom.
We were very happy to announce five new titles from Worldwide Studios, as well as the new Ratchet & Clank game - so that's six new titles. PS Vita, PS3, Move, PSN, they all got new titles, so we were able to cover all of the initiatives that we have
Q: Sony has quite a range of products and initiatives now, so it must be difficult to make sure your messaging is strong across all of them.
Shuhei Yoshida: That's fair to say. But we have a lot of development employees at Worldwide Studios, so we should be able to support all of those platforms and initiatives. It's our job to makes sure that our resources are allocated well to give that support.
"We're getting really good feedback from the media and consumers...about the hardware features, as well as the games that try to take advantage of each new input method."
Q: Has the Vita suffered in that respect? It's very impressive hardware, but it can do so many things that making sure people understood it struck me as a key challenge.
Shuhei Yoshida: We're getting really good feedback from the media and consumers...about the hardware features, as well as the games that try to take advantage of each new input method. With that feedback, our developers can be smarter about how to use the new features the Vita offers.
Q: Is the Vita as popular as it should be?
Shuhei Yoshida: In terms of the reactions of the people who have already bought the Vita, we're very happy. They are happy with the hardware. In terms of the sales, we'd definitely like to see more. There are millions of people we're sure will enjoy playing PS Vita games. Our job now is to decipher what's preventing these people from making the jump. Our priority right now is definitely to bring more content.
Q: Is that why the Vita hasn't sold as well as you'd like? A lack of content and services?
Shuhei Yoshida: Yeah. The good thing is that the one thing we can't change is the hardware features, but they are very well regarded by people. But in terms of new content and new system and service features, we can add that, and we can work with third-parties to get more. We're getting a very good feeling when we talk with third-parties companies, and of course we're developing our own titles. And for the people who are hoping that the PS Vita becomes more affordable, we are creating new bundles and adding new value to the package. We're hoping that this Christmas more people will jump over to the Vita.
"For the people who are hoping that the PS Vita becomes more affordable, we are creating new bundles and adding new value to the package."
Q: It was good to see new IP being launched so late in the console cycle. A lot of publishers claim that's next to impossible.
Shuhei Yoshida: Well, it's true that when new hardware launches it's a really great time to launch a new IP, because people are more willing to try out something new. The library is also more limited, so the IP gets more attention from consumers. But that doesn't mean that there's no way to launch new IP later in the cycle: looking back on PS2, we launched God of War and Guitar Hero late in the cycle, and they had a very significant impact.
Q: With a game like The Last of Us, is Sony demonstrating just how much potential could still be mined from the PS3 hardware?
Shuhei Yoshida: That could be the difference with a company like us: our developers can totally focus on one platform and really go deep into what it can offer, but third-party publishers have to create for multiple platforms.
Q: Does the Vita play a part in that for Sony? The conference featured several announcements around ways the Vita and PS3 can work in tandem. That was suggested with the PSP, but it never really took off.
Shuhei Yoshida: The PSP wasn't really powerful enough to do much. We had the Remote Play function with the PS3 and PSP, and that was technically very advanced in terms of concept, but from ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:17- Categories:
- Android News,
- Apple iPhone
The handheld video games market is being killed off by the smartphone sector, metrics firm Flurry Analytics believes.
It claims that in 2009 the iOS and Android games software market accounted for 19 per cent of the total $2.7bn handheld and mobile games market in the US. In 2001 it claimed a 58 per cent share of the $3.3bn market.
"It's really sort the biggest content revolution that we've ever seen,” Flurry’s EMEA MD Richard Firminger told a GDC Europe audience, as reported by Gamasutra. “It's exciting and it shows that indies can kill a very, very established market."
The claims come after Sony wowed Gamescom last night with a presentation packed with original ideas that focused very heavily on the struggling Vita handheld.
However, all the creativity in the world may still fall short of what’s required to even begin challenging the iPhones and Androids of this world.
Crucially, both Vita and 3DS fall short of smartphone gaming in three key areas.
Firstly, portability: A smartphone user nearly always has their phone to hand. It’s in their pocket or unobtrusively sitting in their handbag. It’s there, it’s small, it’s always in use and its convenient. Carrying a second, larger dedicated gaming device is always a choice and not a default.
Secondly, accessibility: Smartphones are arguably the most user friendly devices on the market. Give a smartphone to a child and they can use it, as if by instinct. Give them a joypad and you get a very different reaction.
Thirdly, and most crucially, content: Whether you’re accessing the internet, reading your emails or browsing the App Store, smartphones are easy and they’re fast. Furthermore, the content is either free or comparatively very cheap. Sony and Nintendo can focus on “snack sized” game development all they like – this will never be replicated on systems designed around physical storage cards and triple-A software catalogues.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/smart...r-seen/0101304 ...by Published on August 15th, 2012 23:14- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Resident Evil is going through an identity crisis.
Resident Evil 4 remains the series’ critical high point. Atmospheric and creepy, it was Capcom at its finest and was worshiped by critics (Metacritic score: 96) and fans alike. Resident Evil 5, on the other hand, played down the horror in favour of action set-pieces and co-op gameplay. Still very good, but not exactly what fans had come to expect (its Metacritic was 84).
So what exactly is Resident Evil 6? A survival horror? An action shooter? Or something new entirely?
Well, actually, it is all three.
RESIDENT CARE
“When we looked at Resident Evil 5, we reached a great number of sales but there were comments from fans that said it was too action based, they wanted a return to the old Resident Evil,” says Michael Pattison, Capcom’s SVP marketing North America and Europe.
“I think the developer took a lot of that to heart. When we went into the RE6 planning, we did a very deep post-mortem on RE5. We obviously want Resident Evil to reach the maximum number of consumers, but we’re never going to take out the heart of Resident Evil.
“It’s important that we retain that fan base because they are the core of the sales. They define what that product is. We look to just tick as many boxes as possible and I sat down with a checklist from a marketing perspective on where we should go and the developers came back with exact same list. They’ve almost over-delivered in that respect where you’ve got the three different storylines each offering something unique to different types of fans and newcomers to the franchise.”
Resident Evil 6 launches on October 2nd and features three separate (although interlinking) stories. The first, featuring Leon S Kennedy of Resident Evil 2 and 4, is the traditional survival horror that fans have been calling out for. Chris Redfield’s story (of Resident Evil, RE:?Code Veronica and RE5) is more action packed, with lots of hiding behind cover and shooting. Meanwhile a third storyline, starring new hero Jake Muller, is something entirely different, with intense chases, dramatic set-pieces (akin to Uncharted) and melee-based combat.
And then there’s various multiplayer options, a Mercenaries mode, the chance to play as the monsters and a fourth story – starring femme fatale Ada Wong – that can be unlocked when the game is finished. It is probably the biggest and most ambitious shooter out this Christmas.
“It’s a way to try to satisfy everyone,” adds Pattison. “You can be concerned sometimes when you go out to try and satisfy everyone that you end up satisfying no one. But I truly believe that we’re going to satisfy the largest audience than we ever have with this franchise.”
Retail clearly agrees. Last week MCV asked our Retail Advisory Board to pick their top games for Q4, and aside from the obvious Call of Duty and FIFA, Resident Evil 6 was the only game to be picked by every respondent – High Street specialists, online retailers and supermarkets. And these are the companies that will play a crucial role in how big Resident Evil 6 becomes.
Pattison adds: “The environment is tough, particularly at retail. I think we’re in an interesting phase between retail and digital. I don’t think the world is ready for complete download takeover. We absolutely still need retail. And looking at the line-ups, not just from Capcom, there’s some bloody good games coming. You can’t all be doom and gloom.”
HORROR SHOW
The reveal of Resident Evil 6 was notable for being unlike anything that Capcom has done before. Rather than revealed on stage at E3 or Gamescom, the game was first teased with a viral campaign before a trailer – depicting an almost finished game – was shown to the public in January. Capcom even announced a released date. This was more akin to an Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty announcement.
“Historically we’ve been wedded to physical events,” says Pattison. “We’ve got a lot of good marketers at Capcom who understand social media and can use those tools to reach a large audience. It took a while to convince our Japanese colleagues that we didn’t need somebody on stage, standing up in front of all the press making an announcement, that we could actually do this via YouTube and via the social networks and spend some money around it.
“Recently, we’ve seen that people are trending more towards fewer, bigger hits rather than long campaigns. That’s something we really took on board with RE6, to have something engaging to say and we want to do that every time we say something about the product.”
In fact, Pattison feels that long-running campaigns can be off-putting. “If you’re just on repeat, showing the same things all the time, people get weary, particularly if it’s a long protracted campaign. People have shorter attention spans these days so you’ve got to go in hard and have something exciting to say.”
MOVIE MAGIC
It is a big year for Resident Evil. RE6 is the third new Resident Evil game out this year ...- Search DCEmu
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Catherine: Full Body’s English translation for the Vita