via Computer and Video Games


Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division is back in the red, after reporting it's first two profitable quarters ever last year.

The Xbox division (which is also comprised of Windows Mobile and Zune) fell from a profit of $106 million to a loss of $31 million, for the third quarter ended March 31, 2009.

Despite the drop Xbox 360 was the division's strong performer, with console sales up "almost 30 percent" to 1.7 million units, says MS.

Microsoft as a whole reported overall revenue of $13.65 billion, a six percent decline from the same period last year and the first year-on-year revenue fall in the firm's history.

Expectedly, the company put the hiccup down to the world recession, in an interview with The Guardian.

...

via Eurogamer


Eidos has confirmed that The Joker will be an exclusive playable character in the PS3 version of Batman: Arkham Asylum.

He'll be free to download from the PlayStation Store, but will only be playable on the Challenge Maps.

Eidos was unable to tell us what treat may or may not await Xbox 360 owners in response. But we'll let you know what we hear.

That's Batman Asylum, then: a superhero game that might finally live up to its licence. Our recent hands-on impressions can tell you why.

Batman Asylum launches in June on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. ...

Here's the latest sales data for consoles in Japan with some changes in ranks from last time:


Playstation 3: 62,527
Playstation Portable: 40,065
Nintendo DSi: 38,287
Nintendo Wii: 13,221
Xbox 360: 8,652
Nintendo DS Lite: 6,438
Playstation 2: 4,230


In rough figures: PS3 tops the list, up highly by 46,000. PSP is next, down 800. DSi is 3rd, down 2,000. Next up is the Wii, down 100. Xbox is 5th, down 2,000. The DS Lite comes in, down 200. Last up is the PS2, up 100. Figures from Media Create. ...

XCM has released a new video of the Rumble Joystick in action.

XCM Rumble Joystick

• Built in Rumble function.(world first Rumble joystick compatible with PS3™ console)
• 4 Memory Buttons - Program upto 20 button and joystick movement combos to a single button to pull off devastating moves at will!
• Independent Rapid Fire / Turbo Modes Built In - Just flip the switch of the button you want to enable rapid fire for and its done.
• LED buttons
• Plug and Play - Just plug the joystick into your PS3™ console via the USB port and you are all set.
• 2 at the Same Time - Just in case you are kind enough to allow someone else to use one at the same time, you can plug 2 of these into the same PS3™ console and use them both to battle each other!
• Compatible with all PS3™ consoles
  Can be used on xbox 360 console if using with Cross fire converter.

I predict the chrome casing will be a fingerprint magnet! ...

Apple has apologised for a "deeply offensive" iPhone application called Baby Shaker, which made a game of quieting crying babies by shaking them.

It removed the $0.99 (£0.59) game from its iTunes Store on Wednesday, two days after it went on sale.

It sparked outrage from children's groups and brain injury foundations.

The aim of the game was to quieten babies by shaking the iPhone until a pair of thick red Xs appeared over each eye of a baby drawn in black and white.

"This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store," Apple said in a statement.

"We sincerely apologise for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention."

But an Apple spokeswoman would not comment on why the program - developed by a company called Sikalosoft - was approved for sale in the first place, nor how many people had downloaded it.

The iTunes description included the line: "See how long you can endure his or her adorable cries before you just have to find a way to quiet the baby down!"

It also included a disclaimer: "Never shake a baby."

Officials from Sikalosoft were not available for comment.

US-based organisations which seek to prevent brain injuries from Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) - including the National Centre on Shaken Baby Syndrome and the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation - condemned Apple for approving the game's sale.

Jetta Bernier, executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Children, said: "I am disheartened that with this new application Apple is encouraging frustrated adults to shake infants, not only to end their crying, but to end their lives.

"There are many effective infant soothing strategies that adults can use to calm their fussy, crying babies. Shaking is not one of them," the Daily Telegraph reported her as saying.

The outrage over Baby Shaker came as Apple celebrated the one billionth download from its App Store, which launched nine months ago.

"The speed with which the App Store has ramped up is impressive and has really set the bar high for everyone else," analyst Van Baker of Gartner told the BBC.

"Everyone from Nokia to Palm and from RIM (BlackBerry) to Google with Android are trying to follow suit. The question remains as to how good a job they will do."

There are more than 35,000 applications in the store. Some are free and the most expensive are $9.99 (£6.82).

Apple has highlighted the most popular applications.

At time of writing a game called Catcha Mouse is top of the free download category with more than one million downloads. In the paid section, the top spot is taken by a game called StickWars.

Apple is rewarding the downloader of the one billionth app with a prize that will total over $13,000. The gift will include a 17" MacBook Pro, iPod Touch, a $10,000 iTunes gift certificate and an Apple Time Capsule. ...

Apple has apologised for a "deeply offensive" iPhone application called Baby Shaker, which made a game of quieting crying babies by shaking them.

It removed the $0.99 (£0.59) game from its iTunes Store on Wednesday, two days after it went on sale.

It sparked outrage from children's groups and brain injury foundations.

The aim of the game was to quieten babies by shaking the iPhone until a pair of thick red Xs appeared over each eye of a baby drawn in black and white.

"This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store," Apple said in a statement.

"We sincerely apologise for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention."

But an Apple spokeswoman would not comment on why the program - developed by a company called Sikalosoft - was approved for sale in the first place, nor how many people had downloaded it.

The iTunes description included the line: "See how long you can endure his or her adorable cries before you just have to find a way to quiet the baby down!"

It also included a disclaimer: "Never shake a baby."

Officials from Sikalosoft were not available for comment.

US-based organisations which seek to prevent brain injuries from Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) - including the National Centre on Shaken Baby Syndrome and the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation - condemned Apple for approving the game's sale.

Jetta Bernier, executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Children, said: "I am disheartened that with this new application Apple is encouraging frustrated adults to shake infants, not only to end their crying, but to end their lives.

"There are many effective infant soothing strategies that adults can use to calm their fussy, crying babies. Shaking is not one of them," the Daily Telegraph reported her as saying.

The outrage over Baby Shaker came as Apple celebrated the one billionth download from its App Store, which launched nine months ago.

"The speed with which the App Store has ramped up is impressive and has really set the bar high for everyone else," analyst Van Baker of Gartner told the BBC.

"Everyone from Nokia to Palm and from RIM (BlackBerry) to Google with Android are trying to follow suit. The question remains as to how good a job they will do."

There are more than 35,000 applications in the store. Some are free and the most expensive are $9.99 (£6.82).

Apple has highlighted the most popular applications.

At time of writing a game called Catcha Mouse is top of the free download category with more than one million downloads. In the paid section, the top spot is taken by a game called StickWars.

Apple is rewarding the downloader of the one billionth app with a prize that will total over $13,000. The gift will include a 17" MacBook Pro, iPod Touch, a $10,000 iTunes gift certificate and an Apple Time Capsule. ...

via Engadget


We don't know why T-Mobile isn't trumpeting this, but Deutsche Telekom's Q1 results are out, and the multinational carrier says that over one million G1s have been sold in the US, making up a majority of the 1.5 million 3G devices currently active on T-Mo's network. That's quite an accomplishment in just six months, considering the Android handset launched without nationwide 3G coverage -- it's better now, but we're talking just 21 cities back in October.

Of course, a million's just a drop in the bucked compared to the number of Blackberrys, iPhones, and Windows Mobile devices out there, but we've got enough of a soft spot for Android to overlook it -- now let's get some more devices out the door and really boost that marketshare number, shall we? ...

via IGN


A single-player demo for Volition's Red Faction: Guerrilla went out today on Xbox Live, giving players the opportunity to blow stuff up on Mars. As protagonist Alec Mason, you fight alongside the Red Faction contingent against the oppressive Earth Defense Force for control of the planet. Using a variety of weaponry and vehicles, you can blast apart nearly every man-made structure in the game world.

The download is 770.50 MB in size. As for its availability on the PlayStation Network, PS3 users will have to wait for an update later this afternoon, as Volition's site lists it for both XBL and PSN.

If you're interested in reading more on how to dismantle the world Volition created for this third-person action game, we recently posted a feature detailing how a number of the weapons available in the game work and how they're upgraded. ...

via Eurogamer


Square Enix has explained what will be different in the retail version of Final Fantasy XIII compared with the recently-released Japanese demo.

Crucially, levels and summons will be added to FFXIII, according to a list on 1UP that is compiled from various internet destinations.

Battle difficulty will be greatly increased, too, making this "the most difficult Final Fantasy ever", if director Motomu Toriyama is to be believed. And while the demo only focuses on one player, the retail version of the JRPG lets party members be controlled and commanded during battle. We'll be able to see combat from more angles, too.

Chain attacks will be vital in the full game, and no longer will characters continue to attack thin-air if they accidentally kill an enemy at the beginning of a chain. Snow will be tooled up at launch and no longer rely on his bare fists, too.

There's to be an "item" command added for battles, and more segments will be able to be added to the Time Gauge via a new character growth system.

Incidentally, the classic Final Fantasy victory fanfare will be there at launch and Square Enix is considering adding victory poses.

There will also be command shortcuts to speed proceedings, plus we're promised dialogue subtitles and a solid frame rate.

We went hands-on with the Final Fantasy XIII demo recently and conclude that "things are looking overwhelmingly positive".

The prospect of a European demo, however, isn't. A solid release date for Final Fantasy XIII here is also unknown, with a broad 2010 estimation our only signpost so far.

Japan, on the other hand, receives Final Fantasy XIII this winter exclusively on PlayStation 3.

The game will spread to Xbox 360 as it heads West. ...