When the iPad finally dropped in April it was greeted with the expected fanfare, but opinions were rather divided about whether the thing would be a long-term success -- even amongst we humble writers. Six months on there can be no doubt, with the tablet selling 4.5 million units in its first quarter of availability according to CNBC. The truly magical iPhone? That managed a (relatively) paltry one million units in the same timeframe after launch, while the now ubiquitous DVD player pushed just 350,000 in its three four months of availability. You know what that means: it's time for analysts to start breaking out the hyperboles -- again. Colin McGranahan from Bernstein Research says "the iPad is a runaway success of unprecedented proportion," meanwhile Pete Najarian from TradeMonster.com calls it a "total media device" and concludes "there's not much a PC can do that you can't do on an iPad." That last bit is certainly debatable, and you know exactly where you can debate it. Just keep it respectful, yeah?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/i...ronic-product/ ...

BlackBerry OS? Dead! iOS? Dead! Symbian? Never stood a chance. Android's exponential growth has today been illustrated by Nielsen's statisticians who present us with the above chart of recent US smartphone purchases. It shows that over the six months leading up to August 2010, 32 percent of American new phone buyers had grabbed themselves a device with Google's OS on board, which is comfortably ahead of RIM at 26 percent and Apple at 25 percent. These results corroborate NPD's figures on the matter -- which peg Android at 33 percent of new US purchases -- and reiterate the idea that Android is headed to a place whose name starts with D and ends with omination. One more chart showing total market share can be found after the break (hint: BlackBerry still reigns supreme overall).

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/a...e-last-six-mo/ ...

Netflix already added video out support to its iPad app a few months ago, and it's now finally brought the same functionality to iPhone and iPod touch users as well. Unfortunately, it's not quite bringing all iPhone and iPod touch users up to speed, as the app will only support video out on the iPhone 4 and fourth generation iPod touch. If that doesn't pose a problem for you, however, you can grab the updated app for free right now from your favorite source of iPhone apps.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/n...h-gen-ipod-to/ ...

Metacritic's games editor has said he thinks it's "too simplistic" to claim that high ratings on the review aggregation site are linked directly to increased sales.

"I'm not sure that it is possible, in any scientific way, to isolate the influence of Metascores (or game reviews in general) from the many other influences impacting a potential customer's behavior (marketing/PR, the customer's experience with a particular franchise or license, his/her age/gender, the game's genre) and generalize about their impact on purchasing decisions," Marc Doyle said in an interesting chat with Industry Gamers.

He admits that publishers' studies have shown a strong correlation between high Metascores increased sales "within certain specific genres", and cites examples of high-scoring, big-selling games: Red Dead Redemption, Halo 3 and Half-Life 2.

"But again, attempting to prove, in the most general way, that a high metascore leads to higher sales is too simplistic. It requires more variables to be introduced into the equation."

That said, Doyle thinks publishers' focus on their games' Metacritic ratings can only be a good thing for the games industry.

"If Metacritic has contributed in some small way to encouraging game publishers to strive for better game quality, I feel that's a positive thing. Sales will always be the ultimate barometer of success in the industry to publishers, but putting out a quality product that might not sell extremely well can often lay the groundwork for a well-received and high-selling sequel.

"But it's important for me to point out that our target audience is the consumer."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...t-impact-sales ...

Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops will support stereoscopic 3D on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
To take advantage of the tech uses must own a 3D-ready HD TV or a PC supporting 3D active shutter glasses.
“Development of stereoscopic 3D began as an R&D project, but once we saw what the technology brought to the Call of Duty experience, what a great fit and how immersive it was, we knew that we had to develop it for Black Ops,” Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia stated.
“We made sure the experience is seamless for gamers to use with a simple menu option to enable stereoscopic 3D or disable it at any time whether playing in the single player campaign, multiplayer or Zombies.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/41196/COD-Black-Ops-goes-3D ...

HMV UK & Ireland CEO and MD, Simon Fox, has told GamesIndustry.biz he believes the "vast majority" of software traded in stores through the pre-owned system contribute to the sales of new games.

Talking in the final part of an exclusive interview, Fox explained that consumers believe they should be able to re-sell items the purchase, as they can with anything else.

"I understand where the publishers are coming from - on the other hand it's hard to find a market where I think the original owner/publisher/manufacturer benefits from the future trade of products - whether it's the second-hand book market, the second-hand furniture market or the ticket resale markt," he said.

"The fact is, in every case, the manufacturer of whatever it might be makes their profit from the original sale, transfers the IP or ownership to the buyer - and if the buyer then chooses to sell that item, it's up to them. You don't hear book publishers asking for a share of the second-hand book market. I've never heard that.

He likened the process to the Amazon Marketplace or eBay, where people trade among themselves.

"I think it's slightly odd that publishers should somehow think that they have a claim to profit that a customer might make on a second sale.

"As a retailer all we're doing is providing an intermediary service, just as eBay is, or Amazon is. We genuinely think that actually what it does is enable people to buy new product - and it allows them to trade-in previously-played product to get a credit and put that back into the games market. The way we've certainly geared our offer is that it's far more advantageous for the customer not to take cash, but to take a credit that's then used in buying another game.

"The vast majority of our pre-owned sales are to support new releases," he added.

He admitted that publisher's reactions had been mixed on the matter, but denied that relationships had been damaged as a result.

"No, I don't believe it has," he said. "I've met both types - publishers that genuinely think what we're doing is wrong, or if it's not wrong that they should be benefiting from what we're doing. And others feel much more relaxed.

"As a retailer we feel it is something that our customers want - we weren't first into this market, we were a late-comer. It's not a big part of our mix, but it is an important part of our mix - and what we do is, in some degree, part of way of competing with supermarkets on pricing.

"By providing a trade-in offer on a new release you can make that new release affordable, perhaps even cheaper than the supermarket price - but it's part of a deal. They bring something back, and in exchange they can have the latest product at a very competitive price."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...w-releases-hmv ...

HMV UK & Ireland CEO and MD, Simon Fox, has told GamesIndustry.biz that the retailer is "very excited" about the launch of the Nintendo DS handheld next year.

Speaking in the final part of a wide-ranging interview, to be published tomorrow, Fox explained the importance of a "fight back" in the handheld sector.

"I think the 3DS is the first really new handheld that we've seen for a long time - and I think it's vitally important that there's a fight back on the handhelds," he said. "The market is going to the iPhone and digital, so to have a really exciting new handheld gaming machine - with the software that goes with it - we're very excited about that.

"I think there'll be huge consumer interest. I think Nintendo always does a fantastic job of launching new products, so bring it on."

Fox also noted that he was currently happy with the price points of current generation consoles, following "important" price cuts last year.

"It made a big difference, and particularly in a tougher economic environment the price point of a console is massively price sensitive," he said, adding his satisfaction with the landscape "at the moment."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...out-3ds-launch ...

US blockbusters get restocked regularly, this week, we have a some of really hot games for various platforms.

Get off the couch and do some exercises with Wii Fit Plus and stretch your muscles a bit. When you feel completely fit, pick up your guns and blades and join Dante on a devil hunt in Devil May Cry 3.

Halloween is coming up, so you might want to visit haunted regions, Silent Hill Origins is here at a lowered price. And if you prefer the colorful JRPGs, we have the (relatively) new Ys Seven in the Bargain Section.

Xbox360™ (14)

Dark Sector US US$ 9.90
Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis US US$ 12.90
Clive Barker's Jericho [Special Edition] US US$ 15.90
Planet 51 US US$ 15.90
Bionic Commando US US$ 19.90
Samurai Warriors 2 Empires US US$ 19.90
Brutal Legend US US$ 64.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles Complete Edition (Platinum Hits) US US$ 24.90
Resident Evil 5 (Platinum Hits) US US$ 24.90
Rock Band US US$ 24.90
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. US US$ 24.90
Guitar Hero Smash Hits US US$ 34.90
Magna Carta 2 US US$ 34.90
Mass Effect 2 US US$ 34.90

Nintendo Wii™ (6)

Rygar: The Battle of Argus US US$ 14.29
MadWorld US US$ 19.90
Wii Fit Plus US US$ 21.90
Red Steel US US$ 23.89
Red Steel 2 US US$ 24.90
Shiren the Wanderer US US$ 34.90

PlayStation2™ (2)

Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (Greatest Hits) US US$ 12.90
Manhunt 2 US US$ 14.90

Sony PSP™ (7)

The Con US US$ 9.49
Alien Syndrome US US$ 12.90
The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun US US$ 12.90
Scarface: Money. Power. Respect (Greatest Hits) US US$ 14.90
Silent Hill: Origins (Greatest Hits) US US$ 17.90
Twisted Metal: Head On (Greatest Hits) US US$ 20.90
Ys Seven US US$ 33.49

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...-2lk-84-n.html ...

A purported leak from the parent company of an electronics chain in Great Britain is giving the first hint of what the new Samsung Galaxy Tab might cost. The entry level model of the so-called 'iPad killer' will retail for £599.99 - the equivalent of $950 US - without a contract, according to Paul Lamkin at Pocket-Lint, who cites anonymous sources at the DSG Group. This compares to £529 for an unlocked iPad with similar specs (though the iPad has a screen almost three inches larger than the 7-inch Galaxy Tab).

DSG Group is the owner of UK retailers Currys, Dixons and PC World, which have said they'd be selling the Galaxy Tab through both unlocked and carrier-subsidized arrangements. The cost of the Galaxy Tab with a contract is unknown as yet, but it's instructive to compare the £599.99 ($948 US) recommended retail price for an unlocked 7-inch, 16GB Galaxy Tab to the 9.7-inch..

http://modmyi.com/forums/ipad-news/7...uk-report.html ...