Gaming - Page 1198

SEGA have confirmed they have cut jobs and ceased work on in-development non-core titles, as the company is mourning with the loss of almost 50-percent of income for the financial year. SEGA also confirmed they will go through a restructuring exercise that will see a fair amount of job losses across Europe and the U.S., but they aren't saying just how many positions are at risk.

SEGA are now trying to stop bleeding money from multiple wounds, and have declared non-core IP a factor in this, and have cut it. From now on, instead of developing new games, SEGA will concentrate on pushing its established IP including Sonic the Hedgehog, Total War, Football Manager, and the Aliens franchise. SEGA are also looking to get out of the retail business, and push the creation of downloadable titles to sell on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Store, the Nintendo eStore, and Valve's Steam platform.

A SEGA spokesperson explained in a statement to the press:

I always love me a good rumor, but I'm not so sure I'm happy with all the parts of this one. Oh, also, before we begin, take the salt and do your thing. Also, knock on some wood for a part of this rumor to be changed. Ok, let's go. The Xbox 720 has been fully detailed to some third parties and we now know that it is slated for a Christmas 2013 release.

The next-generation Xbox will come with a Blu-ray player, contrary to some reports. This is a nice feature so that you don't have to buy a separate player. It will also allow the games to be bigger since a Blu-ray disc holds so much more data. Additionally, multiple sources have confirmed the same thing: it will have two GPUs. One said: "It's like two PCs taped together."

There's no final confirmation of the specs for the GPUs, but it's thought that they are equivalent to AMD's 7000 series GPUs. However, they are not SLI or Crossfire enabled. Instead of alternating, they will be able to work simultaneously to individually draw objects and items on screen. There will be four or six cores in the Xbox's CPU, one of which is reserved for the OS and one for the Kinect.

Gamasutra recently talked with EA's chief creative director Rich Hilleman on the history of the company, and how its approach to the game-making business has affected the industry. The topic of Minecraft popped up, with Hilleman suggesting that the independent developer could be doing better financially with someone like EA on their side.

We have seen indie developers recently see the dollar signs and quickly let themselves get scooped up, or invested in, but Notch is standing by his guns. First up, this is what Hilleman said:

The original two Max Payne games were amazingly awesome single-player games, but didn't feature any form of multiplayer. For years, fans like myself have wanted a multiplayer Max Payne game, and it seems like the team over at Rockstar are delivering the goods for Max Payne 3. The video below shows off a bunch of different multiplayer modes, as well as the famous bullet time, now in multiplayer games.

Everyone has always wondered and theorized how bullet time would work in a multiplayer game, would it slow down time for the entire server? How would it look on another persons screen? Well, in Max Payne 3, the bullet time only affects the players that are in the players field of vision who are using bullet time. Very nice.

We'll also see some cool game modes such as Gang Wars, where the storyline and objectives will change based on the outcome of each round. We also have Payne Killer mode, which throws a well-armed Max Payne and his sidekick against everyone else, in a sort of Max Payne plus Sidekick versus the world, in a game of next-gen Max Payne tag.

An experimentation through EVE Online will allow players to trade in-game currency for real-life gear, such as an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560. Players can use 20 PLEX (Pilot License Extension, an in-game item that gamers can earn and use to pay for monthly subscriptions for EVE Online) to purchase a GeForce GTX 560.

PLEX can be purchased using in-game currency called Interstellar Kredits, and can be traded amongst players. A single PLEX is equivalent to 500 million Interstellar Kredits, which can be purchased for roughly $10 in real-life money. This means 20 PLEX is roughly equal to $200, slightly less than what a decent GTX 560 retails for. But, for a game like EVE Online, how long would it take you to build up 500 million Kredits in order to purchase a single PLEX?

A long time. Any hardcore EVE Online player might have built up a bunch of Kredits, but for newbies, it might take a while. But instead of grinding away for nothing - a GeForce GTX 560 as a light at the end of a tunnel is a goal many cash-strapped gamers would love. At the moment, the deal will be initially limited to just 100 GPUs, one card per account, to test the market. Just as this news was hitting the Internet, the value of a single PLEX went up, substantially.

Sure to be a big hit when it drops, Assassin's Creed III will have a few flavors to choose from, with all three bursting at the seams with content, and goodies. First up we have:

The Freedom Edition:

The Join or Die Edition:

Before we get into this news, I'd like to ask you to take a pinch of any salt you have near you. Thank you. Now, we have a poster over on the GameSpot forums, that has reportedly posted a bunch of unreleased information on Rockstar's upcoming Grand Theft Auto V. The details came from someone called "Gloggle", who was fired from Rockstar due to "misconduct". His quote, and info (along with spoilers for both GTA IV and V):

Hello!

I am a friend of someone who recently got sacked from RockStar North for general misconduct. Because one contract to RockStar covered everything, including secrecy, and his contractual obligaton was now removed, he was legally allowed to spill the beans on Rockstar's upcoming GTA V. And he is making damn sure everyone knows about it.

GameStop fully believes that the Xbox 720/NEXT and Playstation 4 will not implement a system to block used games. This belief could be based on hope simply because GameStop relies on the used game market for around half of its profits. GameStop controls somewhere around 60-70% of first-week sales. This means that the game manufacturers need GameStop to stay around in order to market their goods.

"We think it's unlikely that there would be that next-gen console because the model simply hasn't been proven to work. Remember that used video games have a residual value. Remember that GameStop generates $1.2 billion of trade credits around the world with our used games model," said Raines. "So consider taking used games out of that, you'd have to find new ways to sell the games, and our partners at the console companies have great relationships with us."

However, when used games are sold, publishers don't see a dime. Hence they have started using online passes in the past two years to try to make some money off of the used game sales. So, while you may have to pay for a new online pass for a used game, the game itself is not going anywhere for the time being.

I was a huge Angry Birds fan, I played it at the dinner table on the iPad, at my day job, in bed, on the lounge, on the beanbag, on the toilet (I admit it), I played it everywhere. I was obsessed. I had to give up, but now that Angry Birds Space is here... well, I'm so tempted to swing back into things again.

Angry Birds Space is now available for a bunch of platforms: iOS-based devices like the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Android devices, PC and Mac-based systems. The new version brings a bunch of changes, the biggest change of all: gravity. This allows players to use nearby planets to perform trick shots on those nasty pigs.

Angry Birds Space sports 60 brand new levels, with more content available through in-app purchases, which is limited to the iOS variants of the game for now. Space also includes hidden goodies and secret levels, with Rovio promising regular free updates in the future.

To me, the best part of mobile games is being able to play them on the run. But according to a new study, many people play mobile games when they are at home. The study surveyed around 15000 US consumers and found some pretty incredible numbers. 96 percent of respondents said they played mobile games at home at least once a day. The most common place to play them at home is in bed, where 53 percent of those at home play. 52 percent play for over an hour and a whopping 32 percent play for more than 3 hours a day.

But mobile games aren't just played at home. The study revealed some other locations that have similarly high uses. 83 percent said they played mobile games while waiting for an appointment and 72 percent while commuting. 64 percent said they play while at work or with friends and 46 percent in class. Social games were most popular, with over 62 percent of people preferring them to other types. What this study reveals is that games that have a more in-depth time requirement can be developed, because many people play at least an hour a day at a stationary location.

I'm going to tell you something that most people don't know about me, only my immediate family. When I was young, we had a magazine in Australia called "HYPER", I was obsessed about games then, and more particularly, PC gaming and it's coming of age. We just got the CD-ROM and here in Australia, they were something like $1000 at the time.

Under a Killing Moon had just come out, and was one of the first full-motion video games that was truly kick ass. I used to get the HYPER magazines, and cut out the stories and pictures I loved, and put them into another book - collating everything I loved best. It's funny how things come full circle, and now I do this as a job that I absolutely LOVE for TweakTown, and you, our readers. Today we have some news that is exciting for all of those old-school PC gamers out there, Big Finish Games are talking about bringing a FMV-based adventure game featuring Tex Murphy, with a new Kickstarter.

We've learnt from previous Kickstarter games, that it works, very, very well. Tex Murphy's Kickstarter won't start until May 15th, as they're trying to figure out what to offer in terms of reward tiers, so they're asking for help on those. They've said:

AMC's 'The Walking Dead' has been a smash hit thus far, and I personally enjoy it. The series was inspired by Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic series, and now Telltale Games have released their trailer for the upcoming game based on the same original series.

The Walking Dead's lead designer Sean Vanaman says that the game is more along the lines of the comic book than the television series. Where within the game universe of The Walking Dead, a new set of characters is introduced, led by Lee Everett, but the same zombie apocalypse timeline remains roughly the same. What makes this game stand out is that players will be given the the decision to make difficult moral decisions that will affect gameplay across the entier series.

Graphics-wise, we should expect a blend of 2D and 3D models, which are said to be presented in a way that it pays homage to the original comic book artwork. Kirkman has said:

We've reported on this a few times now, but we are edging closer and closer to 2013 with every day passing and the latest information available to us is that Microsoft are preparing to launch the successor to the Xbox 360, next year. The news comes from KitGuru, where they've talked to an 'insider in Taipei' over the weekend.

They spoke to one unnamed source close to Microsoft who felt it would launch in Q3 2013, with the plan to show the console off at next year's E3 in June. We've reported before that it would launch this year, but with the Xbox 360 still selling insane amounts of units, it would be a bit stupid to launch the successor to their still-popular console. Kinect has also helped boost console adoption and extending life to the dragging (hardware-wise) unit.

One path Microsoft could take is to release a high-end console, and have games shipped on it, with the current Xbox 360 staying as the mass user option. This could allow Microsoft to release insanely-detailed games, in true full HD 1080p @ 60fps, and then scale said games down to the sub-720p on the current-gen 360. This would give Microsoft two unique markets: one for their new consoles, new games and a new push for higher-fidelity graphics and features, as well as a thriving Xbox 360 market which won't just stop overnight.

Rumors flying wild around the internet have been saying that Microsoft would possibly be releasing the Xbox 720/Next at E3 2012. However, Microsoft spokesperson David Dennis has publicly stated that Microsoft won't discuss new Xbox hardware at this year's show. This led 2 people with knowledge of the subject to speculate an E3 2013 launch. Besides, why would Microsoft want to launch their next-gen console this year when they can continue to sell the 360?

As everyone knows, a console isn't profitable for the first few years. As it stands now, a best-guess estimate puts Microsoft banking around $115 from each and every $300 Xbox sold. Giving up profit such as that would not be in the software giant's best interest. The only pressure Microsoft is feeling for a release is from gamers. No other manufacturer is ready to release a new console. Additionally, the new Kinect motion sensor is breading a whole new line of games, and profit, for them.

Microsoft's entertainment division, which includes the Xbox, posted a 45 percent sales gain to $8.91 billion in the fiscal year that ended in June. The Xbox 360 outsold Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 in 2011, and also sold better than any other TV-connected devices, including DVD players and home-theater systems, Dennis said.

Blizzard has announced that Diablo III will be released on May 15th. This is the 3rd chapter in Blizzard's critically acclaimed game. Starting May 15th, Diablo III will be at retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. It will also be available as a digital download in the above mentioned regions, as well as Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil via Blizzard's Battle.net website.

Available for Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 and Macintosh, Diablo III will come with a suggested price of $59.99 USD for both the retail DVD-ROM version and the digital version. A special alabaster-white Collector's Edition, sold exclusively in retail stores at a suggested retail price of $99.99 USD, will include the full game on DVD-ROM, a behind-the-scenes Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set, the Diablo III soundtrack CD, a 208-page Art of Diablo III book, and a 4 GB USB soulstone (including full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction) and corresponding Diablo skull base, as well as exclusive in-game content for Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

So get your mouse, keyboard, souls and chairs ready, dump your girlfriends (or boyfriends), wives, and say goodbye to your children. You'll be gone for quite some time. As Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard states, "After many years of hard work by our development team and months of beta testing by hundreds of thousands of dedicated players around the world, we're now in the homestretch. We look forward to putting the final polish on Diablo III over the next two months and delivering the ultimate action-RPG experience to gamers worldwide starting on May 15."

VentureBeat has asked EA's game chief, Patrick Soderlund, whether they would consider switching to a subscription-based delivery system for future titles, with Soderlund replying:

Soderlund didn't give an indication as to what form a subscription-based model would take on, but considering Call of Duty introduced their Elite service that offers paid subscribers regular DLC drops months ahead of normal users, its not that far out of the question. Soderlund also added that EA sees Battlefield 3 as a full-time on-going service for its customers. He's quoted:

The team behind Crysis, Crytek, have just released a new video showing off some next-generation CryENGINE 3 graphics. If that's not enough "cry's" in one sentence, then sit back and relax with the nearly 4 minutes of the updated graphics engine below.

Impressed? I am. It looks gorgeous. But, we'll never see those graphics. Right now, I'm putting my foot down and declaring we will never see those graphics, in all that detail, smoothly, in any game from Crytek (or anyone who licenses that engine) for a very long time. Why? First up, we never see tech demo graphics make it to the final game, it's just too much. Secondly, how much detail can be inserted into a pillar, or water... look at that water for example. It looks absolutely beautiful.

That's the problem, there is so much wasted computational power used for something that will never see the light of day. Even if it did, all that water is, is scenery. It's not an actual useful item within the game, it's background graphics. Unless it plays some pivotal role within the next CryENGINE 3-based game, it means nothing to me.

Heavy Rain, to me, was great. It had its problems (frame rate, and the whole "Jaaasssooonnnn" bit) but it was a completely different game to the usual genres out there. The mastermind behind the game, David Cage, and his company, Quantic Dream are back again, and want your socks blown off, again.

Enter Kara. Kara was shown off during GDC, where it was again a PlayStation 3-exclusive, and just a technology demo that was showcasing the company's new game engine. Cage says:

An MCV-exclusive article has said that Microsoft have been telling their partners that the next-generation Xbox will ship without an optical drive. MCV's source has described the briefings and associated NDA's "the strictest NDA's" they've ever encountered. Obviously not strict enough if this news is leaking out.

The new Xbox would ship without an optical drive, but would sport some form of interchangeable solid-state card storage, where it's not known if this would be a proprietary format, or something more familiar and wide spread like SD.

More news was available apart from the no optical drive business, where it has been "confirmed" that the new Xbox will see a release in 2013, with an announcement of the console at this years E3.

Epic Games' Cliff "Cliffy B" Bleszinksi B has just grabbed a huge crowd of developers at 2012's GDC, and told them how it is. He has said that when starting up as a developer, forget Xbox Live, PSN, iOS, Android and Windows Phones, and instead, create games for PC.

Cliffy B talked down Microsoft and Sony's way of treating indie developers, dismissed mobile gaming, and said that the PC was the only place to start. He only had a five-minute microtalk, but he went through it quite quick, according to Rock, Paper, Shotgun. He heavily emphasised the need to focus on PC, and jokingly suggested that they should use the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) to do it.

He also stated that early games will definitely suck, but added that persistance and passion were necessary for eventual success. He cited Rovio had made 50 games before they hit the big time with Angry Birds. Cliffy B did state that developers should move onto different platforms over time, but primarily said to stick with PC, and consider iOS if you can get the touch controls to work properly. The Xbox and PlayStation he still qualified with warnings that Microsoft or Sony may not give you the promotion you deserve.