The power of the IGN community strikes again! This time, news comes from NKilburne, who has informed us that both Walmart and Amazon have posted new information about the upcoming PlayStation Vita exclusive Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified.
First off, its price. Both Amazon and Walmart have Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified listed as costing $49.96, officially making it the most expensive game on the platform (along with Uncharted: Golden Abyss' original price). Unfortunately, its release date is marked as December 31, 2012, no doubt a placeholder.

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/06/1...-details-price ...

Not happy with enshrining the previously unknown concept of ‘three strikes’ in to French law, the French anti-piracy agency Hadopi has announced a scheme to indoctrinate children against file sharing.
According to Torrent Freak, the agency plans to open a stand at the Kidexpo in Paris where it will broadcast its anti-file sharing message directly to 150,000 children.
In an email leaked to French media, Hadopi stated that it “plans to propose a stand dedicated to raising awareness of copyright in the creative arts and cultural content platforms on the internet, in partnership with professionals.”

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...ucation/028532 ...

With Microsoft having a 94 per cent market share in business software, how will the sector embrace its hardware?
Last night Microsoft announced its first ever branded tablet aimed at pretty much everyone from the average gaming fan to IT professionals. But the buzz on the web is that the Surface Tablet could be an ideal solution for businesses already relying on Microsoft software.
Jon Milward, director of Managed and Support Services at IT consultancy Northdoor believes that Surface will be a convenient device for businesses.
“Microsoft has developed Windows 8 (the new PC operating system) to give the same user interaction whether it’s used on a PC, laptop, phone or tablet. Therefore, the new Microsoft Surface tablet equipped with Windows 8 will give business users all the convenience of a tablet and the same level of integration with their business systems as a PC.”

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...usiness/028535 ...

Nintendo has seemingly confirmed that the Wii U will not block pre-owned software.
“I don't know if we have a formal position on used game sales,” Nintendo of America marketing exec Scot Moffitt told GameSpot.
“It is a reality in the marketplace. We haven't incorporated any features that will discourage used game sales at this point. We're not trying to circumvent that.”
The platform holder joins Sony in ruling out the use of the tech, which has been rumoured for inclusion in both the PS4 and Xbox 720.
Moffitt also confirmed that he “thinks” first party Wii U titles will be rendered in 1080p. If true, that gives Nintendo an advantage over both Xbox 360 and PS3, both of whom see the vast majority of their software render at 720p or below.
The exec also went to highlight how the company intends to differentiate the Wii U from its predecessor in the eyes of the buying consumer.
“Well, it's confusing relative to the Wii,” he admitted. “With motion control gaming, when you saw Mr Iwata and Reggie stand up and swing a motion controller, it brought it to life immediately.
“With a second screen controller, you need to see what's on the second screen, so by nature it's a more complex system. It's less visually easy to understand.
“As for how we're planning to make it clear that it's a new system: well, we want to get it in people's hands. We want consumers to experience it for themselves, whether it's in a store, at a gaming event, or at a press event. Once they do that, I think people will really start to understand how the GamePad changes the way you can connect with games and other players.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/wii-u...d-games/098150 ...

Andrew House felt he was heading into the lion’s den ahead of his first major press conference since becoming CEO of PlayStation.
SCEA president Jack Tretton had lapped up the whopping and adulation as he introduced violent action games to the bloodthirsty crowd. House’s job was to show the same audience an interactive book service. For kids.
“I think I had Jack behind me going: ‘Ok mate, you can go on stage for this one,’” laughs House.
“We were joking backstage and I said: ‘You do realise that we have forged a division of responsibility at E3. You are in charge of blood and mayhem, and I am family-friendly.’”
Not that House minds this role. He is a family man, after all. When MCV asks about his first nine months in the job, he tells us how great it’s been for his kids. “My son has loved the adjustment to Japan,” he says.
But House is not just about the family in the home, the Welshman is all about cultivating relationships at work, too.
On the surface PlayStation’s E3 press conference was what you’d expect. A new Move game, a few Vita projects, some ambitious new IP coupled with established brands. The only thing missing was 3D ­– another sign perhaps that the technology is on the wane.
Yet beneath the surface, and this year’s press conference was all about partnerships. House has built a strong reputation for forging relationships. In his career at Sony he helped bring GTA to PlayStation, he asked Mubi to bring its catalogue of indie films to European PS3s, and he was even instrumental in Sony’s lucrative deal with J.K Rowling for Harry Potter website Pottermore.
And building better relations with third parties is exactly what House has been doing in the nine months since we last spoke. Wonderbook is yet another partnership with Rowling, Ubisoft is developing exclusive PS3 and Vita content, HTC has teamed-up with PlayStation Mobile, and 2K has even let Sony use its ‘Big Daddy’ character in PlayStation All-Stars.
“When I took on the role one of the things that I wanted to do was leverage my experience of running third-party relations and to build a global framework about the way we work with publishers,” he explains.
“I put together a global meeting to hammer out issues and define them. It was different because we were putting people together to deal with issues in a really active way. But it was also married with the fact that most of us have great longevity with the company and know each other well. There was a great sense of team spirit with no real hierarchy in the room. That was a great moment for me. I thought: ‘Yeah, this is going to be fun and interesting.’”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/inter...w-house/098147 ...

One of the world’s leading developers sees Microsoft’s new Surface tablet as a viable games platform for the years ahead.
Epic co-founder Mark Rein has expressed his desire to get his company’s Unreal Engine – one of the cornerstones of modern games development – up and running on the device.
“Microsoft NAILS IT!” Rein wrote on Twitter. “Way to go Microsoft! Surface looks AWESOME! Can't wait to get some Unreal Engine games on those babies!”
Furthermore, Rein speculates that Surface’s gaming aspiration may run even deeper, with possible support for console hardware.
“Microsoft: I suppose, being a proper Windows 8 device, that Surface will fully support the Xbox game controller. If so: bravo!” he added.
“Future looks even better for gamers on all sorts of awesome platforms and I'm super happy that we'll power all sorts of great experiences...”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/epic-...entials/098145 ...

Not content with the unveiling of its Chimera 4 and Erebus GT desktops, iBuyPower is turning its attention to gamers of a more mobile persuasion with the launch of its new Valkyrie line of gaming laptops. For $1,299, the base Valkyrie CZ-17 features a third-generation Intel Core i7-3610QM CPU, 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M GPU, 500GB 5,400 RPM hard drive, LAN E2200 module, backlit keyboard and a 17.3-inch, 1080p display. Folks who want to channel their inner Rich Uncle Pennybags can also configure the Valkyrie with more options such as an i7-3820QM processor, up to 32GB of RAM, dual HDD/SSD storage and a Blu-Ray drive. iBuyPower says the Valkyrie line is part of efforts to beef up its laptop offerings in order to compete with the likes of Dell/Alienware and ASUS. In the meantime, folks who've got Elmer Fudd's rendition of "Kill the Wabbit" stuck in their heads after reading the word "Valkyrie" can clear their minds by perusing the PR after the break.

http://www.ibuypower.com/Info/valkyr...ng-laptop.aspx ...

As Microsoft announces a new tablet, technology experts offer their first impressions of the device, as well as insights into what the product could mean for Microsoft and its rivals.
The BBC has compiled a round-up of what some of them are saying.

Dan Farber, CNET

Microsoft has more than 90% market share of desktops, compared with 6% for Apple.
But in the mobile world, the roles are reversed. Microsoft is barely a blip on the mobile scene, while Apple and Google are running away with the fast-growing market. The number of mobile internet users is expected to exceed desktop internet users beginning in 2014, according to ComScore.
Microsoft got the message in introducing the Surface line of mobile devices, taking a page from Apple's total-control product strategy and its own Apple-like approach to the Xbox over the last decade.

Melissa J Perenson, PC World

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

End Quote Peter Bright Arstechnica
Microsoft's introduction of its Surface tablet engendered buzz like no other we've seen from Microsoft. The big question is, does it stand up to the hype? The answer, succinctly, is yes.
After the event, attendees got a brief audience with the Surface (the second Microsoft product to get that name; prior to today, "Surface" referred to Microsoft's table-top touchscreen computer experience). I saw it up-close, and in limited action, and was very impressed with what I saw.
For starters, Microsoft truly has paid close attention to the details. This tablet is one of the few with a full-sized USB port - and thank goodness for that. The Windows RT version of Surface has USB 2.0, with USB 3.0 on the Windows 8 Professional version.

Erik Sherman CBS News

The pressure is on Microsoft to deliver, for the first time, a computer under its own brand, rather than software running on another company's hardware. To that end, the software giant is promising a device that could potentially win favour among some users, although full specs aren't yet available, let alone hands-on reviews. A 10.6-inch-wide display will support widescreen HD video, although probably not at the ultra-high resolution of the iPad's Retina display.

Dina Bass, Andy Fixmer and Cliff Edwards, Bloomberg

Microsoft's entry into the tablet market also comes as challengers such as Hewlett-Packard and RIM have failed to derail Apple's dominance with their own tablets. The worldwide tablet market is estimated to reach $79bn this year, according to research firm DisplaySearch.
Microsoft is also teaming up with PC makers like Acer, Toshiba and Asustek to build tablets with Windows 8, which will be called Windows RT for versions running on ARM-based chips.
Working with partners is Microsoft's more traditional way of operating. Apple's success with the iPad may be pushing the company to seek greater control over the hardware design so it works seamlessly with the software, like Apple does.

Peter Bright, Arstechnica

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

End Quote Brad McCarty The Next Web
Microsoft's intent with the Surface tablets is to create hardware that puts the software front and centre, to provide the hardware necessary to allow Windows 8's strengths to really come to the foreground. At the launch event, however, the software took the back seat. This was all about the hardware, and with good reason.
The Surface tablets are smart, good-looking, carefully considered, well-built, slick pieces of kit and there's nothing even close on the market today. Of course, they're not on the market today either, but unless the PC OEMs inject a serious dose of quality in their build and design processes, the Surface units will stand alone when they eventually go on sale.
What makes Surface special is the attention to detail. The standard of the fit and finish of the prototypes on display was extremely high. The shell of the Surface is made of cast magnesium, with a vapor-deposited finish called VaporMg. The result is an attractive, scratch-resistant finish that's easy to grip and comfortable to hold.

Brad McCarty, The Next Web

You could say that it's a direct competitor to the iPad, and you'd be right. But you'd also be right to say that it's a competitor to the MacBook Air. This is a laptop, every bit as much as it's a tablet. The detachable keyboard cover is slick, and if it works as good as it looks, it's a no-brainer to take it with you everywhere.
So if the device is nice, and has huge potential in the market, where did Microsoft go wrong? Let's talk about it, starting with the fact that there's no availability.
If there's one thing that Microsoft could learn from Apple, it is "announce and ship". Today we saw the Surface. When can we buy it? The only thing we know is that it will be available in conjunction with the release of Windows 8: That is to say, ...

Touting the "world's fastest mobile memory card" moniker,SanDisk has unveiled the Extreme Pro microSDHC line of storage add-ons for your smartphone or tablet. The outfit is advertising 95MB/s read and 90MB/s write speeds for the UHS Class 1memory cards -- clocking in a bit faster than Samsung's Ultra High Speed offerings for LTE devices. The cards are now available in either 8GB or 16GB capacities and will hit your wallet for $59.99 or $99.99, depending on your preference. Naturally, you'll want to make sure that your device is compatible with the duo before pulling the trigger, which can be done via the source link below.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/19/s...microsd-cards/ ...