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3D On Your Vita, iPhone and Mac Book?

Posted May 31, 2012 at 5:55PM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: iPhone, iPad, PS Vita Tags: 3D, iphone, nippon system project, picasso 3d film, ps vita 3d

Of all the goods Microsoft has at E3, they don't have a peice of magic film that makes your screen 3D. But I know someone who does...


EMAIL STORY! \| COMMENTS [11]	READ FULL STORY!

Sound Off: On Marrying a Game Character

Posted May 29, 2012 at 1:07PM EST by Todd B Listed in: PoV Tags: bayonetta, commander shepard, Lara Croft, Master Chief, Nathan Drake, samus aran

There are plenty of beautiful, strong women in games. Men too, in fact. So, given the choice, with whom do you tie the knot?


EMAIL STORY! \| COMMENTS [8]	READ FULL STORY!

Master Chief Set to Resolve Syrian Conflict?

Posted May 29, 2012 at 11:00AM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: Xbox 360 Tags: bbc halo fail, halo, Master Chief

Every once in a while, you can tell that the people you watch on TV are just using Google to try and look smart and to find things...just like the rest of us. Here, the BBC works Master Chief's United Nations Space Command logo into a news story. Doh!


EMAIL STORY! \| COMMENTS [3]	READ FULL STORY!

On Shelves this Week: May 27 – June 2, 2012

Posted May 24, 2012 at 12:25PM EST by Todd B Listed in: PS3 Tags: arkham city, Batman, burning skies, ds super heroes, end of nations, harley quinn, lego batman 2, max payne 3, prototype 2, resistance, retro city rampage, the binding of isaac

Put on your cheap sunglasses and skimpiest bathing suit, because the first week of summer is here. Also—games!


EMAIL STORY! \| COMMENTS [1]	READ FULL STORY!

All Your Base Are Belong to...You

Posted May 24, 2012 at 9:40AM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Gaming Tags: 2K Games, firaxis, xcom: enemy unknown

Let's take an in-depth look at your "ant farm" in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. It's a place for tormenting captured aliens and making resource management more fun.


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Holy Shit: Look at this Street Fighter Anniversary Set

Posted May 23, 2012 at 3:15PM EST by Todd B Listed in: PS3 Tags: street fighter, street fighter anniversary, street fighter ii, Street Fighter IV, street fighter x tekken

Yes, I’m against Collector’s Edition junk. But the 25th anniversary of a game is different, and Capcom is really bringing it with this ridiculous boxed set.


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More With EA Sport's Top Dog - He Knows Jiu-jitsu

Posted May 14, 2012 at 10:45AM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: Xbox 360, PS3 Tags: EA Sports, mma, NBA Live, Tiger Woods, UFC

Here's the second part of EA Sports head honcho Andrew Wilson's interview. This time 'round he talks about Tiger Woods' reputation affecting sales, MMA, and girls in skirts playing hockey.


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Watch: French Dudes Talking About Game of Thrones

Posted May 11, 2012 at 12:25PM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: Xbox 360, PS3 Tags: Atlus, cyanide studios, game of thrones

Bad translation aside, these guys from Cyanide prove that they've been way into Game of Thrones long before most of the rest of us. Thankfully, they aren't in costume.


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Apparently You Can Pre-Order DLC Now

Posted May 1, 2012 at 4:45PM EST by Todd B Listed in: PS3 Tags: day one dlc, dlc, max payne 3, Rockstar, rockstar pass

Rockstar shows off Max Payne 3’s DLC—and give you a chance to purchase it before the actual game is even released.


EMAIL STORY! \| COMMENTS [19]	READ FULL STORY!

Nintendo Gets All Digital on Us

Posted Apr 27, 2012 at 3:45PM EST by Todd B Listed in: Wii U Tags: nintendo digital distribution, origin, Steam

Move over, Steam , Origin and….okay just you guys. Nintendo has its eye on digital distribution.


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Gabe Newell Has Tried Origin; Guess What. He's Got Something To Say

Posted Apr 21, 2012 at 8:00PM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: PC Gaming Tags: EA, Gabe Newell, online gaming, origins, Steam, valve

We've had devs slammed for their efforts earlier, now we have...devs slammed for their efforts. Despite EA's recent announcement to bring all their games into the world of clouds, Gabe Newell has some open words on Origin.


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Videogames: Your New Anti-Depressant?

Posted Apr 21, 2012 at 7:00AM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: PC Gaming Tags: depression, mental health, videogame research, videogames help

Many people, even you, have good reasons beind making videogames, and this is one of my favourites.


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Me Grimlock Smash, Bite, and Burn Your Ass!

Posted Apr 20, 2012 at 9:15AM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: Activision, High Moon Studios, transformers: fall of cybertron

The latest trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is all about the giant space T-rex. Yep, a space T-rex.


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Sound Off: Should Apple Get Into Gaming?

Posted Apr 17, 2012 at 1:45PM EST by Todd B Listed in: PSP, PoV Tags: apple, iTunes, Nintendo, Sony, tim cook, valve

Rumors from yesterday indicate Apple may be prepping a game console. Smart move?


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Watch: Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Multiplayer and get your ass in on the beta if you can

Posted Apr 13, 2012 at 5:30PM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: Xbox 360, PS3 Tags: ghost recon beta, ghost recon: future soldier, Ubisoft

The Ghost Recon: Future Soldier beta is coming next week, so it's time to start reading up on it now. Or you can just watch the video.


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Sleeping Dogs Will Kick the Shit Out of You Thanks to Input from a Real Fighter

Posted Apr 13, 2012 at 4:15PM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: sleeping dogs, Square Enix, UFC

The guys developing Sleeping Dogs have enlisted the help of a UFC fighter to make the fighting feel more realistic. Thankfully, he won't come to your house and punch you in the face when you're playing to complete the effect.


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Sony now in the cloud

Posted Mar 28, 2012 at 9:00AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PS Vita, PS3 Tags: cloud, psn, sen, Sony, sony memories online, sony tablet p

After people speculating and hoping for some time Sony finally joins the cloud. What does this mean for gamers?


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Game Group Shutting Down Stores

Posted Mar 19, 2012 at 2:15PM EST by Todd B Listed in: PS3 Tags: game, game group, Gamestation, GameStop

The GAME company has officially begun store closures for 35 unknown locations.


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ME3 player banned for spending money in multiplayer

Posted Mar 12, 2012 at 7:00AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PS3 Tags: BioWare, ea games, mass effect, me3 banning

But...if you gave them the option to do so...who's to blame?


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Gabe Newell tops billionaire list

Posted Mar 10, 2012 at 8:35AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PC Gaming Tags: Forbes, Gabe Newell, pc gaming, Steam, valve

Big in development, big in the money.


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New Sleeping Dogs Trailer - A Bit of the Old Ultra-violence

Posted Mar 3, 2012 at 1:50PM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: sleeping dogs, Square Enix, United Front Games

Infiltrate the Triads in Sleeping Dogs. Watch out for the fat ladies with cleavers.


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Blizzard Fires 600 Employees

Posted Mar 2, 2012 at 1:36PM EST by Listed in: MMORPG Tags: Blizzard, Game Masters, Mike Morhaime, World of Warcraft

Adios, World of Warcraft Game Masters!

World of Warcraft is still the industry’s leading paid MMO, but the title has been steadily losing subscribers for the better part of two years. Though the holiday season treated WoW well (the MMO lost only 100,000 players), it’s clear that Blizzard needs to do some serious re-shuffling in order to keep the game profitable for the long term.

And re-shuffling is exactly what the company plans to do. Blizzard has just announced that it is laying off 600 employees, most of which work in customer support. According to the company, 90 percent of the layoffs are occurring in non-development departments of the company. 600 is no small sum—it represents a pretty large chunk of Blizzard-Activision’s total employee number of around 7,300.

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime had this to say on the topic:

“In order to keep making epic game content while serving players effectively, we have to be smart about how we manage our resources. This means we sometimes have to make difficult decisions about how to best maintain the health of the company. We’re in the process of making some of those hard decisions now.”

In the face of these layoffs, there is still hope for aspiring developers. Blizzard is currently recruiting dev talent for some of its upcoming titles. And the layoffs don’t necessarily mean that Blizz is in financial trouble, just that World of Warcraft is no longer the money-printing machine it once was.

Do you still play WoW? Have you ever interacted with the game’s support staff?

[DMW]

Adios, World of Warcraft Game Masters!


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StarHawk Beta. 5 Things You Need To Know

Posted Feb 26, 2012 at 12:00PM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PS3 Tags: ps3 beta, sen, Sony, starhawk, starhawk beta, starhawk demo, top 5

You can download the Star Hawk Beta on SEN right now but here are 5 things you need to know before you start crashing into your friends.


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Iron Monkey and ME3 With A Little Cosplay

Posted Feb 23, 2012 at 3:28PM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PS3, iPhone, iPad, Xbox 360 Tags: iron monkey, mass effect 3, mass effect infiltrator, me3 android, me3 ios, me3 preview

Harrison E attended the Mass Effect 3 event and talked to the creators of Mass Effect Infiltrator, Iron Monkey


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Interview: World of BoneCraft

Posted Feb 23, 2012 at 11:40AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PC Gaming Tags: Bethesda, Blizzard, bonecraft, bonetown, d-dub entertainment, d-dub interview, sexuality in games, Starcraft, valve, warhammer 40k, World of Warcraft

Harrison E talks to one of the creators of the popular Bone series and talks about their latest title BoneCraft, sexuality in video games and what's on the horizons for D-Dub Studios.


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Bethesda notes the lack of understanding core gamers get

Posted Feb 22, 2012 at 11:00AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: Xbox 360, PS3 Tags: Bethesda, core gamers, skyrim, todd howard

Bethesda is one smart cookie, but what do they have to say about core gamers?


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Happy 25th Anniversary Street Fighter

Posted Feb 22, 2012 at 8:45AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PS Vita Tags: 25th anniversary, Capcom, sfxt, street fighter, street fighter x tekken

25 Years of Bouncy girls, kicking cars and fat guys who have a million hands. Goddamn I love video games...oh and something about a tournament worth half a million.


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Gabe Newell is Smart; Everyone Else is Dumb

Posted Feb 20, 2012 at 12:55PM EST by Listed in: PC Gaming Tags: dmr, Gabe Newell, Steam, valve

The head of Valve speaks on the dangers of treating customers like enemies.

It’s hard to find a company with a better reputation than Valve. Thanks to the company’s transparency, ownership and ease of communication with players, most gamers would consider Valve and its Steam service a strong model for how a gaming company should operate.

One of the big reasons that Valve is so well regarded is its accessible and honest leader, Gabe Newell. When Newell spots a problem, he owns up to it, as he did last week over the Steam hacking debacle. And when he’s not apologizing for mistakes, he’s busy being the one sane voice in a crowd of crazies.

Speaking with Penny Arcade, Newell had a few interesting things to say on the subject of DRM. For starters, he believes that if customers aren’t happy with a service, the company that owns it is doing something wrong. He also dismisses the idea of DRM, stating, “It’s a really bad idea to start off on the assumption that your customers are on the other side of some sort of battle with you.”

Newell claimed that many developers are actually losing sales by bundling restrictive DRM packages with their products, and that the sales lost to piracy would be far lower than the sales lost due to annoying DRM. It all comes down to value for the player—Newell notes that creating value is more important that stopping players from moving their games from device to device.

Now, if only the rest of the industry would follow along. Ubisoft, I’m looking at you.

[PC Gamer]

The head of Valve speaks on the dangers of treating customers like enemies.


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PS4 would be "too distracting" to announce

Posted Feb 19, 2012 at 9:15AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PS3 Tags: e3, Jack Tretton, ps3 rumors, ps4 rumors, sony rumors

So apparently the PS4 is a hot girl when it comes to reveals...I like your thinking Sony.


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EA Feels Your Origin Hate Subsiding

Posted Feb 16, 2012 at 5:27PM EST by Listed in: PC Gaming Tags: EA, origin, Peter Moore, Steam

EA notes that vitriol from players regarding its unnecessary Origin software is on the decline, and asks for a two-year window to make the service useful.

Origin is a piece of shit. What’s worse, it’s an unnecessary piece of shit. What Origin stumbles through, Steam already had mastered. And the only reason Origin even exists at this point is EA stripping its games from a far superior digital distribution platform and forcing a proprietary service down everyone’s throats. It’s nothing less than a digital coup, and an ugly one at that.

Origin has, naturally, seen its fair share of hate. Most of this hate stems from feelings like those mentioned above, with a bit left over for the terrible customer service offered by the platform. However, EA sees a few rays of light poking through the hate clouds. Chief operating officer Peter Moore, who is largely responsible for the existence of Origin, believes that the software is just a couple of years away from being truly wonderful.

Moore stated that EA is looking for ways to make Origin more social and more interactive, as opposed to just a pipeline for the company to shovel games at players (at exorbitant prices). He also noted that criticism of the platform has mostly died down, and that gamers are learning to embrace Origin’s special brand of online functionality. Hey, when you make something mandatory, how can people not learn to use it?

His comments are actually sort of hilarious—Moore claims that the healthiest decision for the industry is providing players with a way to “shop around” on various services, while his company simultaneously pulls all of its games off competitor’s platforms. Nice one, EA. Regardless of the hypocrisy, Moore does make a smart point when he says the service needs a couple of years; there’s no telling whether Origin will be better or worse in 2014.

What do you think of Origin? Do you see it as one more gaming tool on your PC, or an unwanted and forced intrusion by a greedy company?

[Kotaku]

EA notes that vitriol from players regarding its unnecessary Origin software is on the decline, and asks for a two-year window to make the service useful.


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Religion Returns to Civilization V

Posted Feb 16, 2012 at 4:58PM EST by Listed in: PC Gaming Tags: 2K Games, civilization v, gods and kings

2K Games is sick of your people being godless heathens.

Civilization V stripped a number of elements from previous Civilization titles, resulting in an experience that was more streamlined and a little less intimidating for new players. While the result was no doubt a more accessible Civilization V, some hardcore players felt that Civ V offered less in the way of depth than its predecessors. 2K Games is looking to change that perception with the just-announced Gods and Kings expansion.

The days of orgies and vomitoriums are coming to a close, as religion is about to bounce its way back into the lives of your people. The Gods and Kings expansion brings promises of the afterlife and a few other familiar mechanics to your digital settlements.

Here’s a quick look at what you can expect to see when the expansion launches in spring:

13 new buildings

9 new wonders

27 new units

New tech

9 new civilizations

3 new scenarios

Religion returns

Smarter AI

Enhanced diplomacy

Espionage returns

New city-state types, Mercantile and Religious

Overall, it’s a pretty massive expansion (as is the norm for Civilization). The addition of religion and espionage will dramatically change the way in which conflicts and friendships unfold.

Now, to get started on my army of godless chariot archers. And godless trebuchets. Actually, just assume everything in my army is godless.

[Game Informer]

2K Games is sick of your people being godless heathens.


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Minecraft On Vita? No.

Posted Feb 14, 2012 at 11:00AM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: PS Vita, PC Gaming Tags: cobalt vita, minecraft ps vita, mojang interview

Want Minecraft, Scrolls or Cobalt on your Vita? Answers inside...


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Another Vita Video, This Time Revealing All

Posted Feb 11, 2012 at 6:47PM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: PS Vita Tags: 3g ps vita, official vita video, ps vita web browser, sony blog, vita reveal video

This video shall leave you with no questions left!


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Jesus Strangles Wife With Wired Controller

Posted Feb 11, 2012 at 6:15PM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: Xbox 360 Tags: attempted murder, man strangles wife, videogame cable

Or a power cable.


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New Game of Thrones Trailer and Release Date

Posted Feb 6, 2012 at 8:45AM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: PS3, PC Gaming, Xbox 360 Tags: Atlus, cyanide studio, game of thrones

Winter is coming in May.


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Twisted Metal gets delayed and censored in Europe

Posted Feb 5, 2012 at 9:45AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: PS3 Tags: David Jaffe, SCEE, Sony, twisted metal, twisted metal release date

Looks like Valentine's Day is no longer a special day for some...


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PSN Accounts Renamed

Posted Feb 4, 2012 at 7:30PM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: PS3 Tags: nintendo network, psn, sony entertainment network

An odd move, but a move nonetheless.


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NPD to Start Analyzing Walmart Sales

Posted Feb 3, 2012 at 5:04PM EST by Listed in: PS3 Tags: game sales, NPD Group, target, Wal-Mart

The retail analysis company adds Wal-Mart’s data to its information coffers, which will help it to provide more accurate sales reports.

Have you ever heard of the NPD Group? If not, here’s a quick primer: The NPD Group is an analysis company that interprets data from over 900 different retailers and uses that information to create reports outlining the sales of games. With over 150,000 locations reporting in, the NPD Group usually has a pretty good idea of what people are buying.

With one huge exception – until now, the NPD Group did not analyze sales information from the megastore, Wal-Mart. And as much as hardcore gamers would like to say otherwise, Wal-Mart makes up a huge portion of the retail games market – 25-30 percent, in fact. With Wal-Mart’s data on tap, the NPD Group can now capture an estimated 80 percent of all domestic game sales, and thus provide much more accurate sale information.

Here’s why I think this is so interesting – Wal-Mart game sales are notorious for leaning towards the casual side of gaming. People that aren’t “gamers” don’t go to game stores; they go to Wal-Mart or another huge megastore. And the information provided by Wal-Mart could just show some unexpected trends in the industry.

We’ll have to wait for the next NPD report to see if Wal-Mart’s numbers present any surprises, but at the very minimum, the analyses can be relied upon to be more accurate than ever.

Where do you buy your games? I’m fond of Target myself; no one tries to get me to subscribe to magazines there.

[Gamasutra]

The retail analysis company adds Wal-Mart’s data to its information coffers, which will help it to provide more accurate sales reports.


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Zynga Responds to Copy and Paste Criticism

Posted Feb 1, 2012 at 4:28PM EST by Listed in: iPhone Tags: buffalo studios, dream heights, mark pincus, nimblebit, tiny tower, zynga

CEO Mark Pincus disagrees with allegations of concept copying, instead preferring the term “evolution.”

Last week, we talked a bit about Zynga’s latest game, Dream Heights. More specifically, we talked about the fact that Dream Heights is a pretty blatant copy of 2011’s official iPhone Game of the Year, Tiny Tower. At least, that’s how Tiny Tower’s developer, NimbleBit, feels.

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus disagrees with NimbleBit’s assertions, and instead believes that Dream Heights is just the next evolutionary step in a long line of tower games. His response, issued in an internal memo, referenced games like SimTower and Yoot Tower as other games that laid the framework for Tiny Tower, which in turn served as the basis for Dream Heights.

For the sake of fairness, here’s a direct quote:

“With regard to Dream Heights and the tower genre, it’s important to note that this category has existed since 1994 with games like Sim Tower and was more recently popularized in China with Tower of Babel in 2009 which achieved 15 million DAUs. On iOS there has been Yoot Tower, Tower Up, Tower Town, Tower Blocks and Tiny Tower. Just as our games, mechanics and social innovations have inspired and accelerated the game industry, its 30 year body of work has inspired us too.”

Of course, SimTower and Tiny Tower are very different games, a point made by NimbleBit’s Ian Marsh in the company’s rebuttal:

“It is a smart idea for Mark Pincus and Zynga to try and lump all games with the name Tower together as an actual genre whose games borrow from each other. Unfortunately sharing a name or setting does not a genre make. The games Pincus mentions couldn't be more different.”

He continued:

“If you take a quick look before "pulling the lens back" as Pincus suggests, you'll find an innumerable number of details in the game that were painstakingly crafted to be identical to Tiny Tower. These are core gameplay mechanics and rules, not similar settings or themes that games in the same genre might share.”

Pincus also took time to address allegations by yet another developer, Buffalo Studios, that the company had ripped off their design for Bingo Blitz to make the upcoming Zynga Bingo. Pincus wrote a missive similar to the original NimbleBit post, complete with picture-by-picture comparisons of how Buffalo actually ripped off Poker Blitz, an earlier Zynga title.

The whole thing is devolving into a running joke where one company says the other copied, and the accused company goes farther back in the books to claim the same about the accuser. One thing’s for sure, Zynga obviously doesn’t feel like what it is doing is wrong.

What do you think? Where is the line between being inspired by someone’s work, and copying it?

Also, you should absolutely read the full interview at GamesBeat.

[Game Informer]

CEO Mark Pincus disagrees with allegations of concept copying, instead preferring the term “evolution.”


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Rift Lite Goes Live, First 20 Levels Free

Posted Feb 1, 2012 at 3:16PM EST by Listed in: MMORPG Tags: carnival of the ascended, Free Trial, rift, rift lite

Trion Worlds hopes to land new players by making the early part of Rift free to play.

Rift patch 1.7, also known as Carnival of the Ascended, has officially gone live. And in addition to the numerous game improvements and new features awaiting current Rift players, Trion Worlds has bundled an all-new way for new players to experience the game.

Called Rift Lite, this new mode allows anyone with a Trion account to play Rift until their character reaches level 20. There are no restrictions on play, no fees for registration, and no time limits for enjoying the trial. This means that new players could potentially get a few dozen hours of play completely free, which will help them decide whether Rift is a game they enjoy.

Rift isn’t the only game offering its early levels up for free – World of Warcraft recently adopted a similar scheme. It’s a smart bet when you look at it; most players are going to be more likely to pay for a game once they’ve invested some time in a character.

Scott Hartsman, executive producer for Rift, commented that the free version of the game was the best way for new players to get a quick taste of the Rift experience.

If you haven’t checked out Rift, now seems like a good time.

Do you think offering unlimited free trials like this is a good way to land new subscribers?

[Game Informer]

Trion Worlds hopes to land new players by making the early part of Rift free to play.


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Sony Confirms Hirai as New CEO

Posted Feb 1, 2012 at 9:45AM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: PSP, PS Vita, PS3 Tags: Kaz Hirai, sony ceo

The rumors were true.


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Mass Effect 3 Cast Line Up Video

Posted Jan 31, 2012 at 9:25PM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: Xbox 360, PC Gaming, PS3 Tags: jessica chobot, keith dave, martin sheen, mass effect 3, seth greene

Martin Sheen? Watch, listen and enjoy.


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Wii U controller: More secrets revealed

Posted Jan 29, 2012 at 9:35AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: Wii U Tags: NFC, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, skylanders, wii u

Wii U controller: More secrets revealed

The next-gen console is more than meets the eye.

With the recent announcment of the Nintendo Network.

Via [Gamasutra] http://gamasutra.com/view/news/39877/Wii_U_controllers_latest_secret_revealed.php

Just when you think you know everything about Nintendo's innovative -- and risky -- new Wii U tablet controller, the company throws another factor into the mix.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed this week that the touch-enabled controller will also implement near-field communication (NFC) tech. As an NFC device, the controller will be able to interact with objects equipped with NFC tags.

It's the same set of standards used in some smartphones and smart cards. By touching an NFC-tagged item -- or bringing it in very close range -- with an NFC device, the objects interact via radio communication.

"By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world," Iwata said during an earnings briefing.

"Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments," he said, a hint at Nintendo's expanding digital distribution plans.

NFC technology has been around for years. But for game development, one interesting implementation of NFC only recently saw commercial release: Activision's console game Skylanders, in which players can buy NFC-tagged figurines, place them on an NFC-equipped pod, and bring those figurines to life in-game.

Iwata described the tech in terms of the Wii U, but did not give specifics on implementation. "The NFC I'm referring to here is the noncontact NFC standard that is compatible with FeliCa and MIFARE, and is expected to be widely used around the world in the near future," he said.

The next-gen console is more than meets the eye...and the hand apparently.


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Steam releasing official iPhone and Android apps

Posted Jan 28, 2012 at 7:42AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: iPhone Tags: android market, appstore, Steam, steam for android, steam for iphone, valve

Steam releasing official iPhone and Android apps

Whilst it is in beta right now, Valve hope to roll it out properly before the end of 2012

I finally got my first smartphone this year and whilst I thought I was incredibly behind in my reaches for the most technically advanced thing since swearing robot's, it appears that big comapanies are only catching up to the big, bad mobile phone platform.

Steam released the app in it's current beta format yesterday and is only accessible to those who signed up for the beta on Steam can participate in the App which is for Android and iOS devices.

The app itself is not dissimilar to apps on both marketplaces which pertain to keeping up to date with your friends, browsing your community groups, profiles, check screenshots, user-generated content, sales and everything else Steam related. This is just an official app and it's free so it's good to see Steam not trying to compete with the other apps just for the dollar, dollar bill, y'all.

Gabe Newell spoke abou the service saying that it came "from many requests" from their user base. "Mobile is changing the way people interact, play games and consumer media, and the Steam app is part of our commitment to meet customer demands and expand the service functionality of Steam to make it richer and more accessible for everyone."

Anyone can currently download the app, put in their details and can browse till their hearts content. Hopefully it will all be optimised. I currently am not apart of the beta but will give my two cents when I can get a taste test of the cool little app.

http://store.steampowered.com/news/7231/

While it is in beta right now, Valve hope to roll it out properly before the end of 2012


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Letter from Alleged THQ Staffer Calls Out Management, CEO

Posted Jan 25, 2012 at 3:30PM EST by Listed in: PS3 Tags: saints row the third, THQ

THQ hasn’t been doing great over the last few months, and this nasty letter from a former employee doesn’t make things look any better.

THQ, the company behind Saints Row: The Third, had a tough 2011. The company was in such dire straits that rumors floated around about it canceling its entire 2014 lineup, rumors the company vehemently denied. This morning we received word that THQ was shifting its strategies yet again, this time focusing more on its core franchises over third party licensing.

It’s hard to get a bead on exactly what’s happening with THQ. Rumors and sales indicate the company is in serious trouble despite the success of Saints Row, but the company refuses to admit that they have any sort of problem. Only one person seems to be willing to comment on the state of the company – an alleged former employee with an obvious bone to pick.

In a letter written to THQ’s Board of Directors, CEO Brian Farrell as well as the general public and a collection of gaming news sites, this “Formerly Mismanaged” employee rattles off a laundry lists of complaints about the company.

The letter essentially claims that THQ’s problems stem from mismanagement and a Board of Directors that has no clue how to strategically run a gaming company. It gives examples like acquiring game studios with no plan on how to utilize their talents (then later shutting them down), investing money into shrinking niche markets, the company’s refusal to dump a CEO that has tanked its stock price and high-paid executives making enormous mistakes that call their competency into question. The disastrous uDraw tablet also makes an appearance.

These allegations of management incompetency surface just a few days before THQ announces its current financial standing on February 2, and things certainly don’t look good. One analyst has gone on the record by stating that THQ, without some sort of financial windfall, with run out of cash near the middle of this year.

You can read the letter in its (extremely long) entirety below:

[JoyStiq]

"To:

THQ Board of Directors

Lawrence Burstein

James Whims, Gigex, Inc.

Henry DeNero, Arcturus Capital

Brian Dougherty, AirSet, Inc.

Jeffrey Griffiths , Lumber Liquidators

From:

Current and Ex-Employees, Shareholders, and The Public

Dear THQ Board,

I am an ex-employee at THQ. I saw the tweet-started headlines over the past week from an "industry expert." This expert is one who I and my friends and co-workers in the industry have never heard of after a long time in the field. I had been reading the various following articles and accounts and it generated sympathy for friends both recently laid off and currently still there. I thought it would be a good idea to send a note with their input. This note has honest facts and thoughts about THQ and the current problems there. Most of these facts are public knowledge and they have been confirmed by public records or can be confirmed by current and former THQ staff there both before and after my and their time.

I have long felt the need to explain to outsiders how this beaten-down company has wound up in this position. It is to the point where having it on your resume is not a point in your favor. And that shouldn't be the case. I'm/We're sending this note anonymously because some of us are still awaiting final checks and others know how little corporations like employees who air their dirty laundry. We feel the need to say something to combat the partial misinformation being written.

THQ had been known through the years for having a formula. They find a hot license, make a cheap game, barely advertise it, and make money. This formula worked during the Playstation and Xbox and Gameboy days and made the company a lot of cash. Unfortunately, THQ's old guard executives seem to be stuck trying to manage the company the same way they did back then and haven't realized the industry has changed.

The beginning of the end came years ago as Brian Farrell lead an executive team to acquire a large number of studios. A large amount of cash was used in the acquisition or setup of game developers with different degrees of talent. The problem was they were bought without strategic reasoning or specific plan on to use them. So after awhile another large amount of money was spent as those studios failed and were sold off and shut down. The executive team at the time were an entirely different group of people with one key exception in the CEO. The CEO/the then executive team wasted the cash that the company had built up with these massive investments and selloffs.

The studio purchase errors were not helped by the mistakes in the licensing deals that were signed by the same CEO. Millions and millions of dollars were wasted on acquiring licenses at the same time the kids, family, casual business was declining at a rapid rate. Instead of slowing those acquisitions he overpaid for more of them until again cash was wasted in paying for brands that didn't sell well anymore.

The mistakes in decisions and cash losses triggered wave after wave of layoffs. In the most recent wave, about 40 people lost their jobs this past December through no fault of their own. The reason why is the chronic and constant mismanagement of their company. The fact is that the CEO and executive committee were so focused on trying to hit an unrealistic financial goal that they bet everything on an extremely risky proposition in the uDraw tablet. When they lost, they further displayed their lack of management skills by not having a contingency plan. Three weeks after the game launched, an entire business unit was wiped out when it didn't meet its goal due to relying on that one product to hit an unrealistic target.

After the layoffs many ex-employees walked around shell-shocked and trying to figure out who was responsible. They came to the understanding that most of us do after leaving the company. The issue with THQ has never been one of lack of staff creativity, intellect or business intelligence. It all rests of the failure of its management team and you the Board of Directors.

This Board has allowed the Brian Farrell, the CEO, the ongoing ability to take a cash-rich profitable company and drive it from a $30 share price down to around $.70 without acting despite numerous mistakes that even for those lacking business training, could see were errors. Even without glaring mistakes how can the same CEO stay in charge after a 99% share price loss? Aside from the board, who is responsible for the current situation and who is accountable for the current and future job losses at the company? When you ask the recently departed who are a good source of information, you get the same answers. This uDraw failure is the largest and most recent one in a string of them that were hushed over and hidden. The answer aside from the Board is the current executive team that allowed this uDraw implosion to happen.

Brian Farrell, CEO with a 2011 salary of $1,289,558, for a lack of business intelligence or fiscal accountability. A vocal inside group pointed out the mistake of trying to launch a year-old product that received almost no software support in the last 12 months. Instead of listening and having a back-up plan, he went ahead and invested a ridiculous amount of money in the manufacturing and advertising of the product and failed miserably. It is passed time for him to go. We are wondering what is taking so long for you to act. We have been wondering this same question for a long time.

Martin Good, EVP and head of Kids, Family, Casual with a 2011 salary of $1,198,023, for bringing no strategic thought or business sense to the role. He was brought out from Australia sales to replace an outgoing head of the business unit and rapidly displayed a complete lack of leadership skills, vision, and any sort of analytical sense. Looking at his compensation package, he is an excellent negotiator as his salary is higher than anyone's except for the CEO. On the plus side he lost his job with the rest of those laid off. On the minus side, he will be floating down on a golden parachute while the rest of the former employees scramble to look for jobs in this challenging environment. Most of those jobs will be at studios in other parts of the country, so they will be forced to relocate their families in the middle of their childrens school years. It is incredible that he made this level of income while doing such a poor job, but it serves as a reflection of the lack of Brian Farrell's ability to staff well and manage.

Paul Pucino, CFO with a 2011 salary of $674,855, for not planning for this possibility and having a safety net or a plan to cover THQ just in case of failure. We have a line of credit that we likely used to buy the plastic that is not selling to customers. It is like taking a cash advance to buy THQ stock and just as worthless of an investment. Paul is known as an absentee executive who is missing when business situations gets complicated. While he was in the loop at the point of the risk, with the following failure he has been clearly unavailable. It is another example of Brian Farrell's inability to staff.

Ian Curran, EVP and head of global publishing with a 2011 salary of $1,037,047, for not flagging an unrealistic sales goal to the CEO or the Board when a big part of the corporation felt the numbers were unrealistic. He blindly held up an unachievable target and didn't act when multiple people told him he was aiming to high and out of step with the marketplace. If a sales executive's job is to anticipate the market, he has done a poor job of it. Another example of Brian Farrell not being able to find the right people for the right job.

Ed Kauffman, EVP of Legal and Business Affairs who clearly was signing bad deals on licensed products, not factoring in the changes in the business and being more critical with financial terms with partners. uDraw by itself cannot possibly explain the companies poor financial health. It is a combination of that product and a string of bad licensed deals that the company took on against better judgement. While Brain Farrell would logically be the final decisionmaker for deals, Kauffman is either unpersuasive in his arguments to not do them or supported them. Either situation equates to another example of poor staffing choices by the CEO.

uDraw was failure and the only people to blame are the people listed above. THQ and its current financial situation is also their responsibility. And they were paid around $4.5 million dollars for their poor decisions. If there is any doubt we would recommend talking to current and former staff to get the straight story. Don't read this note as bitterness on their part, but more as long overdue truth.

So, Board, it is time. Passed time for you to act and passed time for you to do something about the mismanagement that has gone on for too many years. We've watched the stock from the outside and read the comments and the reason why the company is valued so low despite its sales is because of this underqualified management team.

Board it is time for you to act before your names are added to the list above of things that must change.

Sincerely,

The Formerly Mismanaged"

THQ hasn’t been doing great over the last few months, and this nasty letter from a former employee doesn’t make things look any better.


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ESA Drops SOPA Support

Posted Jan 23, 2012 at 1:00PM EST by Listed in: PS3 Tags: entertainment software association, ESA, pipa, sopa

Despite claiming the contrary just a couple of weeks ago, the Entertainment Software Association has officially backed off both SOPA and PIPA.

SOPA/PIPA fallout continues to roll across the web, with every day seemingly bringing a new renouncement from a former supporter. Today’s news, however, is the biggest yet – the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which represents industry bigwigs like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, has officially reversed its position on the controversial legislation.

In a statement issued early this morning, the ESA noted that while it is still important to find ways to protect the intellectual property of its members, it was swayed by concerns over the “unintended consequences” presented by the current drafts of SOPA and PIPA. The ESA was, by far, one of the most powerful lobbying organizations that stood in favor of the bills; their retreat, though late, marks a big win for both the gaming community and SOPA/PIPA opponents in general.

As we mentioned last week, SOPA and PIPA have both been postponed – for now. Congress and organizations like the ESA are still looking for ways to control piracy, though now they adamant about finding a solution that addresses both the concerns of the entertainment industry and the worries of web users.

There is still time to make your voice heard on the issue, if you’re so inclined. You can do so here:

Electronic Frontier Foundation

What do you think about the ESA’s reversal? Better late than never?

[Edge]

Despite claiming the contrary just a couple of weeks ago, the Entertainment Software Association has officially backed off both SOPA and PIPA.


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Freddie Prinze Jr. joining Mass Effect 3

Posted Jan 22, 2012 at 8:50AM EST by Harrison E Listed in: Xbox 360, PC Gaming, PS3 Tags: BioWare, ea games, freddie prinze jr., mass effect 3, origin, voice acting

What is this 1997?


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Counter Strike On Android Devices

Posted Jan 21, 2012 at 6:15PM EST by Mr Ham Listed in: iPhone Tags: counter-strike android, counter-strike mobile, counter-strike tablet

And it’s looking pretty neat.


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Zynga Purchases Four Mobile Developers

Posted Jan 19, 2012 at 4:49PM EST by Listed in: iPhone Tags: gamedoctors, hiplogic, mobile ape, page44 studios, zynga

The social gaming giant continues its push into the mobile market.

Zynga hasn’t been doing so great as of late, with attendance on their social games a pale shadow of what they used to be. But the company is on the prowl for ways to expand its business model, and has the mobile market at the center of its crosshairs. Early today, Zynga confirmed that it has acquired no fewer than four mobile developers with the intent of extending its mobile grasp.

Gamedoctors, HipLogic, Page44 Studios and Mobile Ape were all confirmed to have been picked up, giving Zynga a deep portfolio from which to choose and a few established franchises on which to build. All things considered, it’s a smart move for the company, especially when you consider their stock has been steadily declining in value since the company went public back in December.

There’s no information on what games Zynga plans to make or how the company will be using its new development studios, but we’ll keep you posted as information becomes available.

In the meantime, what do you think of Zynga snapping up smaller studios?

[Reuters]

The social gaming giant continues its push into the mobile market.


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Pre-Order SSX in the UK and Get Fuji

Posted Jan 18, 2012 at 9:26AM EST by Brett Huffman Listed in: PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: EA Sports, ssx, ssx pre-orders

...and a guy with a ginger afro. Seriously.


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