Raspberry Pi Hits 1GHz With Official 'Turbo Mode'

September 19th, 2012, 23:29 Posted By: wraggster

The Raspberry Pi, which was recently used to build a cluster, has officially been given a 'Turbo Mode' by The Raspberry Pi Foundation, thus enabling overclocking. It will bump the frequency of the on-board processor as high as 1GHz as long as the temperature stays below 85C. The patch would dynamically increase the voltage and frequency of the core until the thermals hold. According to the Foundation, users have the option of choosing one of five peak frequencies, the highest being 1GHz."

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...ial-turbo-mode

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Indie Developers to Showcase Dozens of New Titles at IndieCade

September 19th, 2012, 23:18 Posted By: wraggster

Want to see the creativity of the indie community? Dozens of new titles will be showcased Thursday – Sunday, Oct. 4 – 7, 2012 at the IndieCade Festival during Gameslam. The annual event draws thousands of game professionals and consumers. Any indie developers attending the conference will have 90 seconds to show images and video or talk about their title.
Industry luminaries, including John Romero, Richard Lemarchand, and Mary Flanagan will be speaking at the conference. Panel topics include crowd source funding and game design inspirations; workshops will cover diverse topics, ranging from legal issues and game PR to marketing a title.
Registration for the conference is open via Brown Paper Tickets or through theIndieCade website. The full conference (including the Red Carpet Awards) will be $350 in advance and $400 at the door. Group rates are available.
Previous games exhibited at IndieCade include Fez, Braid and Limbo, all of which went on to be top sellers.
For more information, visit <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.indiecade.com">www.indiecade.com</gp_link>.

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Xinput STANDARD BUILT INTO Thrustmaster's newest CONTROLLER

September 19th, 2012, 22:31 Posted By: wraggster

Thrustmaster is offering PC gamers a high-precision Plug & Play controller, directly preconfigured for Windows® and PC games.
Built-in XInput technology:

The XInput (XID) standard enables a game controller to be instantly recognized, and optimally configured, in Windows®, PC games, Games for Windows® releases and the Onlive® and Steam "Big Picture" services. Since this is becoming the standard for game developers, Thrustmaster's development teams have directly built it into the GP XID controller. This feature turns the GP XID into a fully optimized Plug & Play device that requires no prior setup, all buttons and triggers are preprogrammed to relevant features and actions in recent games, with no configuration needed.

A controller optimized for gameplay, offering a specific design and unrivalled precision:

The GP XID's design provides ergonomics honed for gamers, and features an optimized button, D-Pad and mini-stick layout. The result is a controller offering a natural grip, with quick and intuitive access to all features. The controller's ministicks provide optimized precision with twice as much as any other currently available controller and 16-bit resolution, with 65,000 values per axis, enough to satisfy the most demanding hardcore gamers.

Phenomenal features:

· The GP XID boasts a top-level feature set. The ministicks feature a rubber skin, while the controller's textured rear grip ensures optimum grip and comfort. The 2 long, curved progressive triggers offer precise control over all actions. The cross-shaped D-Pad delivers enhanced precision in all 8 directions. The GP XID features 12 digital action buttons and a Windows® Live shortcut button. It is PC compatible and Plug & Play(*) in Windows® XP, Vista, 7 and 8. The GP XID will be available in September at the suggested retail price of $24.99.Come and discover our complete product range onwww.thrustmaster.com.

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DCEmu News Update - September 2012

September 19th, 2012, 13:49 Posted By: wraggster

Hi all been a while since i did a news article about whats going on at DCEmu,

For those who visit often, youll have noticed the forums have got a new refreshing look. Also the mobile version of the forums is working great now

Martin our server admin has upgraded DCEmu to the latest vbulletin, so hopefully thatll keep us nice and safe.

Ill be the first one to admit that recently through lack of time but not interest, ive just been getting news of other sites and not posting our own download links.

But because so many sites now link to mediafire and other rubbish download sites its time to make sure that each and every future release can be downloaded here at DCEmu.

Also ill be getting the vast majority of my news from press releases from now on which should please google who have penalised us for using others news, (hence the drop in numbers on site), If you are a guest visiting the site youll notice google ads etc, but if you join us then they all disapear, well worth joining and if your up to it then strike up a conversation, there are some on here nearly 24 hours a day.

DCEmu has now been online over 8 years now and yes we have had some ups and downs, one of the worst was the hackings last year that nearly closed the site, the downside of the hacking is the loss of many downloads. Which added to the server loss which also hit us hard. But we have daily backups now so hopefully that should be a thing of the past.

If anyone can think of a file archive thats safe and secure and allows multiple people to upload then that would be great. Personally i know theres a lot who care about the site, but to go through every thread and reupload is too much a task, a file archive that supports all consoles homebrew and emulation scenes would be awesome and of course only legal stuff. I would gladly let members of the community run it in the DCEmu name but they would be in charge of that section. The file archive must be able to link to website of origin/source too.

All of the DCEmu sites are currently being updated, around 12 left now.

Thanks all for visiting

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BioWare, Valve, Bethesda & CD Projekt RED Sign Up for BAF Game 2012

September 19th, 2012, 13:32 Posted By: wraggster

BAF Game announces a winning programme of inspiring industry talks and informative workshops as it gears up for its eighth edition, which will take place this year at the National Media Museum on 13^th November and the University of Bradford on 14^th November, as part of the Bradford Animation Festival (BAF) 2012. For the first time this year, BAF Game, organised by theNational Media Museum in strong partnership with the University of Bradford and Game Republic, offers pass holders additional crossover events that feature as part of the main BAF programme, which runs from 13^th – 17^thNovember.

Full programme details and booking will be available online at <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.baf.org.uk">www.baf.org.uk</gp_link>from Wednesday 19 ^th September.

Headline speakers confirmed for BAF Game 2012 include Neil Thompson, Director of Art & Animation at Canadian studio BioWare, creators of the world conquering Dragon Age and Mass Effects series; Lucas Hardi concept artist and designer on Bethesda Games Studios’ groundbreaking The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; Christine Phelan, animator on Valve’s epic online battle arena game Dota 2 and animator Tomek Zawada from Polish developers CD Projekt RED, creators of the multi award winning The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

With a focus on the overlaps between the worlds of video games, animation and film, this year’s programme includes sessions from developers of the very latest cross media technologies. Tara Saunders & Joel Smith from Sony London will present their innovative PlayStation 3 project Wonderbook with a focus on launch title Book Of Spells, which brings the magical world of Harry Potter into reality. David Brown, Philip Gray & Bill Martin, the team behind the LEGO movie game franchises at TT Games, will uncover the art of the in-game cinematic and David Bennett will explore the approach of 3D facial animation pioneers Faceware Technologies and talk about his career working on some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters.

Additional spotlights will focus on virtual environment design and development for new platforms, with presentations and workshops lined up from representatives of Amanita Design, Nyamyam, Criterion Games, Complete Vision, Factory Fifteen, Red Kite Games, Unity Technologies and Atomic Antelope.

National Media Museum’s Curator of New Media & BAF Game Programmer Tom Woolley says: “BAF Game is now in its eighth year and 2012 looks set to be one of the best editions yet. I’m excited to welcome guests from some of the world’s biggest and most successful game studios to Bradford. If you’re interested in the art, animation and design behind videogames then BAF Game really is an essential event for your calendar.”

BAF Game is a strand of the Bradford Animation Festival (13^th - 17^thNovember) which takes place each November at the National Media Museum in Bradford. The UK's longest running animation festival features screentalks, retrospectives, workshops and a competition strand which recognises the very best in new animation from around the world. Filmmakers from US Studios Laika, (Coraline, ParaNorman) head the bill at the Bradford Animation Festival this year, alongside Bristol-based Aardman Animations (Wallace and Gromit, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists). Additional guests for BAF 2012 include the award winning filmmaker Robert Morgan, (The Cat With Hands, Bobby Yeah), Chuck Jones’ grandaughter Valerie Kausen and Vivien Halas, whose father John Halas, co-writer / director of the first British animated feature film Animal Farm (1954), will posthumously receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, 100 years after his birth.

Tickets for BAF and BAF Game 2012 are on sale now from the National Media Museum Box Office (call 0844 856 3797 or visit <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.baf.org.uk">www.baf.org.uk</gp_link>). Prices for full BAF Game passes start from £35 with BAF Animation passes from £50, and day passes for either event from £25. Tickets for individual screenings are priced from £3.

Confirmed Speakers & Sessions for BAF Game 2012

Neil Thompson, Director of Art & Animation :: BioWare
Neil visits BAF Game representing Canadian industry giants BioWare, home of the world conquering franchises Dragon Age and Mass Effect. With a background in traditional illustration, Neil began his career creating content for Spectrum and Commodore 64 games. He joined Psygnosis in 1991 and was instrumental in their adoption of high end 3D software at the dawn of the PlayStation era. After five years of independent development at Curly Monsters, Neil returned to Psygnosis (now Sony Liverpool) to take on the role of Art Director on the Formula 1, MotorStorm and Wipeout franchises. A move to Project Gotham creators, Bizarre Creations followed in 2009 and saw the release of the critically acclaimed racer, Blur. Neil will talk about his illustrious career within the games industry, the role of an Art Director and what skills he looks for when recruiting artists and animators.

The History of Art in Gaming - Lucas Hardi :: Bethesda Game Studios
An artist and programmer, Lucas Hardi has an eclectic wealth of experience working for games companies both big and small. After graduating with a degree in Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2000, Lucas worked as a 3D artist at interactive training specialists Dynamic Animation Systems. He then worked as an artist and designer at BioWare Mythic, creating characters and environments for titles such as Warhammer Online and Dark Age of Camelot. Lucas joined Bethesda Game Studios in 2011 where he designed characters and concept art for the ground breaking epic The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Lucas will talk about his career within the games industry and focus on the history of art style within games. The talk will explore how visuals have changed in tandem with technology, why games look the way they do and how to approach developing your own style.

Tomek Zawada, Lead Animator :: CD Projekt RED
CD Projekt RED is the Polish based games studio behind the prestigious The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, which recently swept the board at this year’s European Games Awards (EGA), winning multiple awards including ‘’Best European Game’’. Combined with the first part of The Witcher series, current worldwide sales top 4 million copies, a record breaking figure for the Polish games industry. The Witcher 2:Assassins of Kings, currently available for PC and Xbox 360, debuts on Apple this autumn.

Christine Phelan, Animator on Dota 2 :: Valve
Animator Christine Phelan joins BAF Game from US studios Valve , developers of award winning franchises such as the Half-Life®, Left 4 Dead®, Team Fortress®, Portal™ and number one online action game Counter-Strike®. Dota, which began as a user-made modification for Warcraft 3, has grown into one of the most played online games in the world. Following in the tradition ofCounter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, Portal, and Alien Swarm; Dota 2 is the result of Valve hiring the community developers who built the mod and giving them the chance to finally build a full product out of their idea with the help of a professional team of developers and artists at Valve.

Uncovering the art of the in-game cinematic::David Brown, Philip Gray & Bill Martin, TT Games
Voted the UK’s number one studio in the 2012 Develop 100, TT Games are the engineers behind the phenomenally successful LEGO movie tie-in titles. Starting with Lego Star Wars in 2005, TT Games have gone on to produce Lego games starring Hollywood icons Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and Batman. A charming concoction of puzzles, combat and knockabout co-op fun, TT’s Lego portfolio now also include Pirates of the Caribbean and most recently, Lord of the Rings. BAF welcomes TT Games Cinematic Animation Directors David Brown and Philip Gray to Bradford to talk about their work on the Lego series. David and Philip will be joined by Cinematic Production Manager, Bill Martin as they take the Lego cinematics apart brick by brick and explore what ingredients are required to create compelling sequences for young gamers.
David Bennett, Business Development Manager:: Faceware Technologies
Faceware Technologies has pioneered the field of 3D facial animation over the past ten years through its revolutionary approaches. Their animation software is used by leading studios such as Rockstar Games, Electronic Arts, Double Negative and Bethesda. David, previously based at Weta Digital, has 15 years of experience in the visual effects, 3D gaming and VR industries and has played a major role in the development of facial motion capture. His credits include Avatar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Tintin, as well as the facial supervision of many actors such as Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins inBeowulf. David will explore the approach of Faceware, talk about his career working on some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters and introduce Faceware’s recent education program that allows any schools or institution the ability to use their software for free.

Tara Saunders & Joel Smith :: Sony Entertainment
The Sony London team return to BAF to present their latest innovative PlayStation 3 project, Wonderbook. A unique concept that combines literature and augmented reality, Wonderbook brings stories to life using the PlayStation Eye. Studio Art Manager, Tara Saunders and Art Director, Joel Smith will uncover the art behind Wonderbook, with a focus on the launch title, Book of Spells in a session coinciding with the day of its release on 13^th November. Created in partnership with JK Rowling, Book of Spells brings the magical world of Harry Potter into reality.
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Bringing Botanicula To Life - Jaromír Plachý & Peter Stehlik :: Amanita Design
Amanita Design return to BAF Game to present their latest release Botanicula. Born from the creative brain of Czech artist Jaromír Plachý, Botanicula is a point-and-click experience set in a gorgeously rendered world of lush vegetation. Players must lead a band of forest creatures made from mushrooms, twigs and feathers to help save their home which has been infested by evil parasites. Jaromir will be joined by Amanita’s lead programmer Peter Stehlik who will talk about the creative process behind bringingBotanicula to life.

Jennifer Schneidereit & Philip Tossell on Tengami :: Nyamyam
Founded in late 2010 by Jennifer Schneidereit and Philip Tossell after their paths crossed whilst working on Kinect Sports at Rare, Nyamyam is an independent studio dedicated to creating beautifully crafted games. Jennifer and Philip will talk about their first game, Tengami, an adventure game with a unique style inspired by traditional Japanese arts. Designed to look like a pop-up book crafted entirely from paper, Tengami is an atmospheric quest set in ancient Japan for the iPad.

Unity 3D Workshop - Ben Pitt & Andy Brammall :: Unity Technologies
This workshop is aimed at Unity 3D developers and those new to Unity 3D who want to learn more about how they can use this user-friendly tool, which is increasingly being employed across other industries due to its flexibility and potential for creating highly immersive 3D environments. This workshop will be delivered by Ben Pitt, Consultant at Unity Technologies, an experienced trainer and developer with a range of credits across web based games and interactive content, including programming, 3D modelling & artwork, 2D graphics, animation, sound design and music. Ben will be joined by Andy Brammall, Regional Sales Director at Unity Technologies who has a detailed knowledge of games development, specialising in character animation, post production and motion capture.
Creating Virtual Urban Environments :: Factory Fifteen, Criterion Games & Complete Vision
The generation of buildings and cities that mimic the real world is an integral part in many films and videogames. This session will bring together industry experts from a range of different disciplines to help uncover what techniques are required to create photorealistic urban environments. Speakers for this session include: Ben Hall, Senior Modeller & Lead World Designer at Criterion Games, Jonathan Gales, Director at Factory Fifteen and Martin Walker, Lecturer in 3D Computer Graphics & Animation, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, and owner of 3D design company Complete Vision.

Animation & Games for New Platforms:: Red Kite Games, Atomic Antelope & Jaromír Plachý

The web and online outlets such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play have created a plethora of new opportunities for independent artists, animators and designers to share their work. Several leading creatives currently producing animation and games for the web and mobile devices will provide insight into their process and publication. Confirmed speakers include: Jaromír Plachý, animator & graphic artist, Simon Iwaniszak, Red Kite Games and Chris Stevens, Atomic Antelope.

The Department of Creative Technology at the University of Bradford, development partner for BAF Game 2012, organises the festival strand in conjunction with BAF and provides venues for a selection of events and talks. Creative Technology offers a high quality student learning experience on dynamic, dedicated and industry focussed Animation and Games courses. Blending their extensive teaching experience as one of the earliest Departments to offer courses in Animation and Games and working with an extended family of professional partners, Creative Technology are also members of the Yorkshire and Humberside Skillset Media Academy. Information on the Department and its courses can be found at<gp_link type="http" loc="//www.scim.brad.ac.uk">www.scim.brad.ac.uk</gp_link>.

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Wwe ’13 live - win the ultimate wwe experience

September 19th, 2012, 12:46 Posted By: wraggster

THQ Inc. offers WWE gaming fans a chance to be the first to “Live The Revolution” in the comfort of their own homes. In a first-of-its-kind consumer offer, THQ, partnering with Kerrang! Radio, IGN and Come Round, will offer 500 people in the UK the chance to own a copy of the latest WWE videogame, WWE’13, before anyone else in the world.

The consumer experience kicks off with WWE celebrations on Sony Radio Academy Award “Station of the Year” nominee Kerrang! Radio. Alex Baker, Commercial Programming Manager and Presenter states, “We at Kerrang! Radio are absolutely thrilled to be involved with the WWE ‘13 campaign, and will be leveraging our presenters’ genuine love of WWE through exciting on-air mechanics which puts our listeners’ love of gaming and WWE at the heart of the action – I cannot wait to get this campaign on air and feel the listeners’ reaction. OFF THE TOP ROPE!!!!!!”

Exclusive WWE13Live party information will be available through an IGN-created bespoke hub on <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.wwe13live.com">www.wwe13live.com</gp_link>. Dan Kilby, IGN UK’s Project Manager says of their involvement “WWE is massively popular among the IGN community, so we’re excited to be spreading the word about WWE ‘13 and the amazing Live parties to millions of UK gamers.”

The WWE13Live parties are being facilitated by Come Round. Giles Harris, Managing Director of Come Round, comments; “This is the first time ever that a video game will be launched in association with Come Round, and the bespoke house parties give gamers and WWE fans the opportunity to get closer to the action than ever before.”

Consumers are guided through registering to host a WWE13Live party. All the lucky 500 winners need is 9 friends to attend their party on Saturday October 27, use the party pack that is supplied, play their copy of WWE ‘13and use their own social media channels to showcase the event. Out of these 500 groups, one will be chosen to attend the WWE Raw Live event at Birmingham’s LG Arena on Monday 5 November, where they will not only watch the show, but also meet WWE ’13 cover star CM Punk.

Jon Rooke, Marketing Director, UK & Europe at THQ concludes “This really is the full package for the ultimate WWE Fan. We are really excited to watch the parties unfold on 27 October; and to see the exclusive content supplied by Kerrang! Radio and IGN UK”

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Meridian 59 classic game postmortem added to 2012 game developers conference

September 19th, 2012, 12:36 Posted By: wraggster

On Wednesday, October 10th Damion Schubert, lead designer of the first commercial 3D massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) Meridian 59, will take the stage during the 2012 Game Developers Conference® (GDC) Online to share insights with attendees on how he and his team created the benchmark title, with a special Classic Game Postmortem lecture.

A creator and designer of games for more than fifteen years, Schubert has worked on some of the biggest titles in the online space, including Meridian 59, Sims Online, Shadowbane and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Meridian 59 was released commercially in the fall of 1996, it was the first to charge a monthly fee, use 3D graphics, and began an era that set the stage for the MMORPG genre as we know it. His pioneering work as lead designer on Meridian 59 at Archetype Interactive laid the groundwork for titles like EverQuest, World of Warcraft and thousands of others.

As previously announced, GDC Online 2012 will also feature a Classic Game Postmortem given by members of the original creative and production team behind another seminal online game: Ultima Online. Industry veterans Rich Vogel, Raph Koster and Starr M. Long will give attendees a behind the scenes look at what it took to create the title during their session on Thursday, October 11th. Introduced in 2011 at the Game Developers Conference, a sister show to GDC Online, the Classic Game Postmortem series allows audiences to discover the lessons learned by the makers of landmark game titles and find inspiration in understanding what it took to bring these genre defining games to life.

GDC Online takes place in Austin, Texas from October 9-11, 2012. For more information about speakers, sessions and registration, please visit<gp_link type="http" loc="//www.GDCOnline.com">www.GDCOnline.com</gp_link>.

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World of Tanks Championship 2012 Title Goes To The RED: Rush Unity from Russia

September 18th, 2012, 22:21 Posted By: wraggster

Wargaming today announced the results of the International Ural Steel Championship 2012 Grand Finals, held on the 16th of September at CSKA Sport Arena in Moscow, where three Russian teams became the champions of the World of Tanks final showdown. After a number of intense clashes, The RED: Rush Unity team took the Champion's title away from The RED-Z GRA with a 3 to 0 victory on the Lakeville map, while third place went to Virtus.Pro ACES.
"Wargaming is planning on putting more and more effort in establishing World of Tanks as a truly global cyber-sport discipline," said Andrei Yarantsau, VP of Global Operations at Wargaming. "The competition at the Ural Steel Championship 2012 only encourages us to continue to bring together professional gamers as well as work harder to expand our fan base among the eSports community."
The tournament took place in group stages and playoffs, with each team fielding seven tankmen in best-of-five matches played over six maps. The quarter-finals and semi-finals were played on the Himmelsdorf and Steppes maps, respectively, and resulted in two teams vying for the championship, complete with sizable cash prizes.
The 5,000-seat CSKA Sport Arena played host to the 15 top teams of tankers from Russia, the European Union, North America, China, and Japan, each competing for a $77,000 prize purse and a chance to win the coveted title of World of Tanks World Champions 2012.
The Ural Steel Championship is a large-scale international tournament held within World of Tanks and dedicated to providing gamers with the opportunity to come together, have fun and celebrate their passion for the game and professional eSports.

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New York Comic Con 2012

September 18th, 2012, 15:28 Posted By: wraggster

Award-winning composers Jason Graves(DEAD SPACE Series), Kevin Riepl (ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES, GEARS OF WAR), Sam Hulick (MASS EFFECT Trilogy), Cris Velasco (MASS EFFECT 3, Clive Barker's JERICHO), Sascha Dikiciyan (MASS EFFECT 3,TRON: Evolution), Tom Salta (HALO: Combat Evolved Anniversary) plus very special guest Grammy® award-winning artist/producer Nile Rodgers, founder of Sumthing Else Music Works-the premier label for video game soundtracks including HALO 2: Volume One, the best-selling video game soundtrack of all time-will discuss the art form of writing and producing music for video games, with specific focus on the horror and sci-fi genres.

The panel will be followed by a Meet & Greet / Signing Session with the composers at the Metal Machine/Sumthing Else Music Works booth (#1075) where copies of the artists' soundtrack albums will be available.

Click here to download the "New York Comic Con: Maestros of Horror and Sci-Fi Music" e-poster.

For New York Comic Con information: <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.newyorkcomiccon.com">http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com</gp_link>.

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Boston Festival of Indie Games announces final showcase games

September 18th, 2012, 15:02 Posted By: wraggster

Boston Festival of Indie Games, presented by MIT Game Lab and Boston Indies, announced today their final selection of thirty-six showcase games, carefully curated by a group of game industry professionals.

Scheduled for Saturday, September 22 at MIT, the Boston Festival of Indie Games is a celebration of independent game development in a variety of media and genres. The event is free, open to the public and held on the MIT campus, located at the EG&G Education Center, Building 34 and Compton Laboratories, Building 26, both on Vassar Street. Fest sponsors include Adobe, Tapjoy, Stomp Games, Unity, Dell-Alienware, Wacom, Yelp!, DIGboston, MassDigi, The Tap Lab and Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton.

Clara Fernández-Vara, festival curation chair and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab oversaw the curation process of nearly 100 game submissions. Guest curators for the Boston Festival of Indie Games includes Paul Neurath, creative Director for Zynga Boston, Tim Stellmach, senior designer for Harmonix, Eitan Glinert, creative director for Fire Hose Games and Philip Tan, U.S. Executive Director for the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab. For a complete listing of festival curators, visit <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.bostonfig.com">www.bostonfig.com</gp_link>. Here is the final list of thirty-six showcase games, most to be displayed on sponsored Alienware M14x and M18x gaming laptops:

Resonance
Wadjet Eye Games
When a brilliant particle physicist dies unexpectedly, the race is on to secure his terrible new technology before it falls into the wrong hands. The lives of four playable characters become entangled as they fight against the clock to find the dead scientist’s secret vault. The suspicions they harbor, the memories they guard, the connections they share – all will converge as these four ordinary people work together to prevent a potentially cataclysmic disaster.

Jack Lumber
Owlchemy Labs
Use the supernatural powers of Jack Lumber to massacre the forest and make Granny proud in this time-warping line-drawing log-slicing pun-filled lumberjacking mashup.

Dark Scavenger
Psydra Games
Point-and-click adventure with RPG elements.

Photons
Electric Coffee Games
A first person puzzle adventure set in a unique environment to explore. Focusing on the interactions between light, darkness, and an interactive immersive environment, Photons is designed from the ground up to provide the player with a memorable experience. The player explores a previously inhabited island in search of a means to establish a new colony for man to live in peace, else lose themselves to the insanity caused by the darkness. As light is the most essential thing in the world of Photons, it is only fitting that the player uses light to explore the world and uncover the mystery of the island. By using a special flashlight, the player will beat back the darkness and explore new regions of the island and the facilities that lay dormant. The goal of Photons is for the player to be immersed in the world. Theexperience is what is truly important. To that end, the visuals have been carefully chosen to give the sense of presence emphasizing the feel of the world and situation that the player finds themselves in. Photons is being developed using the Unity3D game engine, and has been invited to the international game design competition at the Fun and Games Conference in 2012. It is slated for release in 2013 and will be available for the PC.

Don’t Blow It!
Blue Dinosaurs
Don’t Blow It! is a cooperative physics puzzle platformer for up to 4 players, locally or over a network. Work together like never before by throwing your friends around, building human towers, and synchronizing your actions in order to reach the goal in a variety of themed levels. It’s not just about cooperation, though. Compete to collect stars and silly outfits, some of which confer bonuses, and some handicaps. When time ticks down and defeat is imminent, friends will turn on one another in a scramble to avoid being the guy who “Blew It”. Don’t Blow It! is designed to be enjoyed by friends of any age.

PWN
82 Apps
PWN is a head-to-head competitive hacking simulator that aims to recreate those exciting and hilariously fake action movie hacking scenes. You and a computer (or human opponent) compete to capture a 3-dimensional grid of network nodes and can outsmart each other with clever traps like viruses, backdoors, and network spikes.

Girls Like Robots
Popcannibal LLC
Girls Like Robots is a romance, adventure, puzzle game about seating arrangements! Every piece is a person to be made happy by seating them near friends. Balance a crowd of girls, robots, nerds, lady bugs, tennis thugs, baked goods and more.

Agent Higgs
TestTubeGames
Recently, scientists discovered the Higgs particle. Why was it so tough? Turns out, he didn’t want to be found! In Agent Higgs, a puzzle game on iOS released in June, you take the side of Higgs, keeping him hidden from view. Your tools are the known particles: electrons, muons, neutrinos, and more. Sliding these particles around, you’ll solve challenging puzzles based on the rules of particle physics. Along the way, learn about the particles and their interactions. Agent Higgs is designed for all lovers of science and is approachable enough for a novice, but meaty enough for an expert to enjoy.

Conway’s Inferno
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A cellular automata gone wrong! Conway’s Inferno is a puzzling game in which the player is tasked with using deterministic disasters to eliminate a species. Based on a prototype built for the 2011 Global Game Jam, the iOS version of Conway’s Inferno features over 50 levels of sadistic fun.

Negative Nimbus
CloudKid
It’s another glorious day in Sunnyland, and everyone’s as gleeful as can be. At least they will be until poor Nimbus the rain cloud comes along. Guide Nimbus all the way through Sunnyland, letting him rain down on the Flowers (they love rain!) but keeping everyone else dry (they hate it!). Rack up points, earn wacky collectables, and maybe even make Nimbus smile‚ and if you do, you’ll be on cloud nine!

Lost Marbles
Binary Takeover
Lost Marbles is a puzzle platformer in which your goal is simply to get to the end of each level as fast as you can. To do this though you’ll need to control up to three marbles at once, using them in tandem to navigate hazards and solve puzzles. Each marble has unique attributes and ways they can help the other marbles. Ever wish Blizzard’s SNES classic The Lost Vikings were done in 3D? Well this is the basic idea they had when making the game!

Shade
Zarfhome
Shade is an experiment in surrealism and psychological fear. It begins as a classic “room escape” scenario; but that’s not how it ends. This iOS edition is updated with in-game feelies and Game Center achievements.

Amelia vs. The Marathon
Trouble Impact, LLC
Attempt to beat your best marathon time while your running rival’s henchmen try to slow you down! A linear, replayable 10-15 min adventure in which you must dodge obstacles and defeat a sequence of characters as fast as possible to get the best marathon time. Battles are short, turn-based fights with timing mini-games that determine the power of your attacks. Obstacle dodging sections appear between the battles and allow you to regain some of your lost speed. When you’ve completed a race‚ start over again to try to beat your best time using the skills and strategies you have learned.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller
Phoenix Online Studios
Episode 1: The Hangman Cognition is a thought-provoking mystery following Erica Reed, a Boston-based FBI agent, haunted by the unsolved case of a serial killer who took her brother’s life. Taking a turn for the strange, Erica investigates with the ability of post-cognition, sensing an objects past with a mere touch. What unravels is a much greater, much more complex and enigmatic mystery, as it becomes clear that someone knows her secret.

Conclave
10×10 Room
Conclave is a “web-top” game: a tabletop-inspired roleplaying game you can play with your friends either synchronously or asynchronously from any web browser.Set in an original fantasy world in which civilization has withdrawn to a last refuge called the Conclave, the game allows groups of up to four players to embark on quests together to uncover the cause of this centuries-long Age of Retreat. Quests feature turn-based tactical combats on top-down battlemaps as well as story-driven decision points in which your options are determined by the skills possessed by the characters in your group. The initial quests in the game are free to play, while the remaining quests are part of a campaign you can purchase. There are no in-game items to buy and no subscriptions to pay.Players can play together in real-time or seamlessly switch to taking turns whenever they have a free moment, Words With Friends-style. Since the game requires only HTML5 and JavaScript, you can play from just about desktop, laptop, iPad, or smartphone as long as it has an internet connection.

Gimbal Cop
Defective Studios
Gimbal Cop is an asynchronous multi-player racer/track creator. One player flies through space leaving a trail behind him, and the others follow along trying to catch him! Targeted at iOS/Android devices, the game maximizes the use of tilt controls and competitive gameplay to deliver an experience completely new to the mobile scene. Players can also join a game from their Windows or Mac with the option of hooking up their mobile device as a controller. As the Architect, explore a universe full of narwhals and potatoes while laying down track in the style of an Octopus Tentacle, Western Thoroughfare, CandyLand, LavaLand, and many more! As the runner, collect boost and try to stay on top of the track’s bends and turns in order to catch up with the architect at the head of his twisting tendril. Come up with a cool-looking track? Well, of course you did! Share the design with your friends online and race on it again, and again. On the PC, armed with the (free) Unity game editor, save your favorite tracks and edit their shape, adding extra doodads.

The Hold
RUST LTD
The Hold is a first-person 3D puzzle platformer that takes place inside of a massive MC Escher-like spacestation. Users must navigate the absurd space, solve puzzles, shift gravity, and maintain perspective as they try to escape.

Prime’s Quest
Prime’s Quest
Prime’s Quest introduces Prime, a young and charismatic teenager searching for his kidnapped grandfather in a post-apocalyptic Earth. This puzzle adventure game takes the beloved sokoban style and adds fresh and innovative mechanics coupled with handmade puzzles to add a new twist to the beloved genre.

Moonlight: Mistress of Mischief
Lantana Games
Moonlight: Mistress of Mischief follows the adventures of the titular character as she ransacks her way through multiple castles with ever increasing odds stacked against her. Though a classic puzzle game at first glance along the lines of Crusher or Pac-Man, Moonlight also has stealth mechanics to up the challenge. Keep clear of guards, turrets, traps, and more. Hide in crates and shank unsuspecting guards in the back with your trusty knife. Collect all the gems you can and find the way out of each room.

Jungle.com
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Part roguelike, part stealth game, part puzzler, Jungle.com is a game about robbing Silicon Forest’s hottest new “World Wide Web” startup while simultaneously being its best customer. Explore a vast procedurally generated rain-office as you use only your wits (and any loose cash) to climb the corporate vine, tamper with shareholder dollars, and avoid carnivorous middle-managers.

Snapshot
Retro Affect
What if a camera captured more than just an image? In Snapshot, that’s exactly what Pic’s camera does. It actually absorbs objects into photographs, removing them from existence! Paste one of your pictures back into the world and see all of your captured objects come tumbling out. Capture even the most unusual objects: doors, light, even copies of yourself! Travel through four unique worlds, collect beautiful and elusive objects, and overcome the most challenging puzzles.

Button Brigade
Axis Sivitz
In Button Brigade, the buttons that control the game are actually a part of the game world. Delivered through a top-down world with touch controls, players will help an audacious robotic worm escape from the very factory that created it. The factory is home to hundreds of buttons that can be used to solve puzzles created by the scheming factory foremen, as well as defeat hostile worms.

Track
WPI
Track is currently a multiplayer 2D shooter game. Players are bound to the Track, and must fight to the end in order to achieve victory. This is a game like no other.

Candlelight
IBM
2D puzzle platformer. A single-player game with two characters focused on perception and exploration.

Ninja Jim
Giant Evil Robot
Retro style, stealth, 2D platformer.

Nanoswarm
80HD Games
The swarm has gained sentience and must escape from captivity! Guide the cloud of nanobots through a puzzling science facility using the swarm’s abilities to condense, expand, and even split!

Shape Shatter
82 Apps
Shape Shatter is a sandbox puzzle game that appears extremely simple, but clever players will detect a hidden deeper layer of psychological experimentation. On the surface it’s a casual game about finding patterns and optimizing choices, but as players progress further and become more addicted to the game mechanics it begins to raise interesting and difficult questions about the nature of game design and player motivation.

Rite
Father Octopus
A puzzle-platformer which plays with multiple dimensions and death.

Downwards
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Downwards is a innovative puzzle-platform game that uses your iPhone/iPod as the controller in new ways. A dangerous virus has infiltrated your device! Guide Upbot, the cute and fearless antivirus robot, through the digital world of your device by leading him around with your finger and turning the phone to get him to his destination. With over 20 challenging levels and a charming digital aesthetic, Downwards is a fun and exciting game experience for iOS.

Fieldrunners 2
Subatomic Studios, LLC
Get ready to DEFEND THE WORLD! The biggest sequel in tower defense history is finally here: Fieldrunners 2 has arrived! From Subatomic Studios, creators of the award winning classic strategy game, comes an all new adventure that was years in the making. Build epic mazes out of powerful weapons to defend the world from the invading fieldrunners!

Worldwide Death Party
Super Ghosts, LLC
An action/adventure RPG with procedurally generated story and content. Art by Juan Carlos Andros and Sheldon Ketterer. Music by Eirik Suhrke (Spelunky XBLA) and Jasper Byrne (Lone Survivor).

Bandit Party
Super Ghosts, LLC
A simple 1-4 player party game about shooting bandits and collecting gold. Go Prospecting on the vicious desert frontier with your friends, or Duel against them. Made in C# with XNA for the Xbox 360.

Captain Bubbles
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
You are Captain Bubbles, sent to the hideously square planet Erf by your father to pave the way for invasion! Throw Erflings into the path of your spacecraft by sliding Erf’s surface back and forth. Smash as many Erflings as you can, whilst avoiding crashing into their powerful hats, and the mysterious force they call “love”.

Go Home Dinosaurs!
Fire Hose Games
T-Rex wants steak. T-Rex wants YOUR steak. Are you gonna let him take it? No way! Go Home Dinosaurs! Prevent hordes of marauding dinos from crashing your party in the world’s premier BBQ defense simulator, Go Home Dinosaurs! Lead your gopher army into BBQ-protecting-battle; build your battlefield using puzzle piece shaped weapons. Unlock and discover new weapons as you continue to keep those dinos at bay! Enjoy bite-sized levels with family-friendly graphics in Go Home Dinosaurs!

Neocolonialism
Subaltern Games
Neocolonialism is an online multiplayer game for 3-6 players about global financial ruin. Play as a capitalist and extract as much money from the world as possible‚ but ideally, more than your buddies are extracting. It is a game of world domination that does not have nukes, but does have austerity packages. It is not a serious game, but it is a sarcastic game. In a world full of ostensibly topical games, this one pretty darn topical. If you play it, you will buy and sell Bonds, vote in Parliament, divest into Swiss Bank Accounts, and screw over people.

The Boston Festival of Indie Games offers the opportunity for festival attendees to play video games, live action games and board games in a casual environment. Other fest features include a digital art exhibit, film screenings and special guest speakers. A special showcase will highlight games developed by the MIT Game Lab, plus sponsored demos will be available from participating studios such as Concord-based game studio Stomp Games, with their new title, Robot Rising. For complete details and pre-register to attend, please visit <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.bostonfig.com">www.bostonfig.com</gp_link>.

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EA Creates 300 Jobs in Galway, Ireland for Its European Customer Experience Centre

September 18th, 2012, 14:33 Posted By: wraggster

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced the creation of 300 new jobs for EA’s European Customer Experience Centre of Excellence in Galway, Ireland. Building on the foundation of its existing facility, EA will now provide multilingual international customer support and services for its major game titles.
This investment is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: “It is less than a year since I attended the opening of the EA facility in Galway, and I am delighted to announce today that EA has made the decision to invest further in Ireland by locating their strategically important Customer Experience Centre here. This decision is a real endorsement of Ireland’s ability to meet the needs of leading multinational companies in the digital media space. I wish EA every success with this new Centre and offer the continued support of the Irish Government as the company continues to develop here.”
Peter Moore, EA COO, said, “The EA European Customer Experience Centre is the focal point of our strategy to serve gamers on a global basis. In today’s fast-moving digital environment, we need to engage with our worldwide customer base on a 24/7 basis, across all of EA’s games and services and in multiple languages. Galway’s mix of technology infrastructure and talent availability, combined with a pro-business environment, will help us expand on our existing foundation here. We’re proud to be part of Ireland’s growth into cutting edge digital industries.”
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD said: “Digital games form a key part of the Government’s plan for jobs and growth, and recently I announced the establishment of a new industry-led group to drive the creation of 2,500 extra jobs in the sector by 2014. Today’s announcement that EA, a dynamic and world-leading company in this sector, is creating a further 300 jobs so soon after investing in Ireland for the first time is great news and shows very clearly the enormous potential of this high-growth industry. Through continued implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs, I am determined to ensure that we realise that potential and see further announcements like this over the coming years.”
Barry O’Leary, CEO of IDA Ireland said: “The EA facility in Galway will take on responsibility for delivering high quality multilingual customer experience for a broad range of EA titles. EA is a key player amongst the cluster of global games and entertainment companies with operations in Ireland, and today’s announcement clearly places Ireland at the centre of EA’s international customer support strategy. The news today is in keeping with one of the main targets of IDA’s strategy Horizon 2020; to increase further investment in the employment-intensive services sector. This follows on from a number of significant investments in this sector in recent months.’’
EA inaugurated its Galway operation in September 2011. Recruitment is ongoing for a broad range of jobs and skills. For EA job opportunities in Galway, please visit: www.jobs.ea.com.

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GDC Next, Successor to GDC Online, to Focus on Mobile, Social, Indie & Cloud Gaming

September 18th, 2012, 13:34 Posted By: wraggster

The organizers of Game Developers Conference (GDC) have unveiled a brand new event, featuring two market leading conferences and a shared expo floor, debuting in Los Angeles in November 2013.

Game Developers Conference Next will be the reimagined successor to GDC Online, whose final iteration is set to take place in Austin this year from October 9th-11th. App Developers Conference (ADC) is a brand new event dedicated to key takeaways in app technology, creation, business and marketing outside of gaming. GDC Next and the App Developers Conference will debut as a co-located event November 5th-7th, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

GDC Next (the successor to GDC Online) focuses on what's next in smartphone & tablet, social, independent, cloud and other major forms of games. Whether a designer, programmer, architect, producer, artist, marketer, businessperson or all of the above, the new show will prove vital to making great games and making money in the most vibrant new areas of the game industry.
From the creators of GDC, the App Developers Conference (ADC) is a brand new event focusing on the very best development, UI, marketing and business of apps. Organizers will be recruiting the very best app creators, whether they be on mobile devices, on the web, or beyond, and getting them to present their best practices to attendees.

“We’re delighted to announce our next generation of events dedicated to both games and apps”, said Simon Carless, EVP, UBM Tech. “As the boundaries blur between games and other content across both hardware and software, we’re delighted to be expanding our Fall GDC event onto the West Coast, and adding a whole new event showcasing learnings from the entire app ecosystem.”

Attendees will be able to sign up individually for the GDC Next 2013 and ADC 2013 conferences (Nov 5-7, 2013) or attend both at a special price. The shared expo floor for the two shows will be open to all attendees on Nov. 5th and 6th. For further information please visit <gp_link type="http" loc="//www.gdcnext.com/">http://www.gdcnext.com/</gp_link>

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London’s City Hall to host spectacular videogame exhibition

September 18th, 2012, 13:30 Posted By: wraggster

A free public exhibition showcasing games art will close the final week of this year’s London Games Festival, organiser Ukie has today revealed.

Running at City Hall, home of the London Mayor, this five-day exhibition will celebrate the home grown creative talent within the interactive entertainment industry comprising rare pieces donated by developers, publishers and artists. It will include original one-off concept designs, storyboards, digitally created images, wire framed drawings, sculptures, rendered images and all artistic designs that have been created for use within games and interactive entertainment.

At the end of the exhibition, these pieces will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going to games charity Special Effect, which is dedicated to making gaming, music and art accessible to all young people with disabilities.

Pieces from Guerrilla Games, Sports Interactive, Team 17, Warner Bros, Pop Cap, Aldorlea, Marby, Jagex, Jess Bradley, Kate Brown, Konami, Lady Shotgun, Lauren Mann, Jacob McAlister, Marcus Freeman, Media Molecule, Mikaël Aguirre, Omni Labs, Ronzo, Selena Thomas, and Zepto Lab have already been confirmed – with many more promised before the exhibition opens on 22^ndOctober.

“This is a real coup for this year’s London Games Festival,” says event director Kirsty Payne. “The generosity of the games industry continues to astonish – we’ve already been donated some incredible pieces which have never been seen in public before. So not only will it make a fascinating exhibition of very rare art, it’ll raise a significant amount for Special Effect.

“The exhibition is a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the seeds of creativity which blossom into the games enjoyed by so many of us. It will be a stunning fusion of art and interactive entertainment, offering a very different view of an industry pioneered by this country.”

London Games Festival, in association with Ukie and The Guardian takes placed from September 27^th 2012 to October 28^th, at various locations throughout the capital.

The City Hall art exhibition will run between October 22^nd and 26^th, and will be free to attend. Please check the LGF website for further details and full calendar.

A full calendar of events can be found at the London Game Festival websitewww.londongamesfestival.com

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World's first open source controller hits Kickstarter

September 18th, 2012, 02:16 Posted By: wraggster

The makers of the Pandora open source handheld and the original iControlPad have taken to Kickstarter to reveal their brand new product - an open source controller that should work with virtually any device supporting USB or Bluetooth.Around the same size as an iPhone 4, iControlPad 2 integrates digital d-pad, dual analogue controllers, four face buttons, start, select and two shoulder buttons along with a full QWERTY keyboard. Its bundled software allows users to map the functions onto touch-screen virtual d-pads, and even includes mouse emulation too.Designed primarily to overcome the problematic lack of physical controls on mobile hardware (the device itself comes with a bracket to latch onto most smartphones and tablets), iControlPad 2 actually goes significantly beyond this - being completely open source, the community can rewrite its core software to support virtually any device that comes to market.Applications go beyond gaming too: the integrated keyboard and mouse emulation suggest it could be a useful addition to the Raspberry Pi, and the same functions make it ideal for getting the most from productivity software on mobile devices, or for accessing desktop PCs remotely on tablets and smartphones. The device itself runs from its own rechargeable battery, which has a 12-14-hour battery life.At the time of writing, the iControlPad 2 Kickstarter has managed to attract $40,000 of support with 26 days to go, the project having a $150,000 goal. A Christmas release date is being suggested, should the project reach its funding target.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df...rce-controller

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Street Fighter masters to battle in Europe

September 18th, 2012, 02:10 Posted By: wraggster

<center style='font: 14px/22px "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;'></center>Do you live in Europe? Are you a confident and skilled Street Fighter player? If not, can you meet both of those conditions in short order? Then you can startqualifying for the official Masters Series Europe, a championship tournament that will find the continent's best Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition ver. 2012, Street Fighter X Tekken, Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike Online Edition, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix players.

The finals of the MSE will take place from October 31 through November 4. Winners will then face the world's best in the World Finals in December. These people probably know how to do all the special moves, so watch out.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/17/st...tle-in-europe/

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Sleeping Dogs maintains its UK chart top-dog status

September 17th, 2012, 22:38 Posted By: wraggster

Square Enix’s Sleeping Dogs has claimed its fourth UK number one.
The open-world action title has surpassed all expectations, having held the top spot for four of the last five weeks, with NCsoft’s Guild Wars 2 briefly interrupting in its week of release.
To win this week it had to hold off a challenge from Namco Bandai’s Tekken Tag Tournament 2, which settles for No.2 in its debut week twelve years on from the release of the first Tag Tournament game.
EA’s NHL 13 enters the Top Ten in a credible ninth spot, with Rockstar’s Max Payne 3 re-entering the charts in tenth. Battlefield Premium debuts in 26^th.
1. Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix)
2. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Namco Bandai)
3. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Warner Bros)
4. New Super Mario Bros 2 (Nintendo)
5. London 2012: The Official Video Game (Sega)
6. The Sims 3: Supernatural (EA)
7. Guild Wars 2 (NCsoft)
8. Dead Island GOTY Edition (Koch)
9. NHL 13 (EA)
10. Max Payne 3 (Rockstar)
11. Madden NFL 13 (EA)
12. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (Warner Bros)
13. Mario & Sonic and the London 2012 Olympic Games (Sega)
14. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)
15. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (Ubisoft)
16. Spec Ops: The Line (2K Games)
17. Darksiders II (THQ)
18. The Amazing Spider-Man (Activision)
19. FIFA 12 (EA)
20. Sniper Elite v2 (505 Games)

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sleep...status/0102991

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UK games retail at another all-time low as momentum falters

September 17th, 2012, 22:38 Posted By: wraggster

The UK games retail market suffered its worst week on record last week. Again.
Software sales plunged 30 per cent in the week ending September 8th to just 370,443 games sold. All together this generated an all-time low revenue figure of just £7.76m.
The sudden drop comes after weeks of steady growth for UK?games retailers as the market began to recover following one of the most difficult summers on record.
The High Street benefitted from a number of solid new releases including Square Enix’s Sleeping Dogs and NCsoft’s Guild Wars 2.
However, last week the only new game to reach the Chart-Track Top 40 was the Supernatural expansion pack for EA’s The Sims 3. A week of warm weather may also have impacted consumer spending.
It comes at a disappointing time for the sector, which was hoping to build some momentum ahead of the anticipated launches of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, F1 2012 and Borderlands 2 on Friday, September 21st. This is shortly followed by World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria on Tuesday, September 25th with the big one – FIFA 13 – which is due on Friday, September 28th.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/uk-ga...alters/0102992

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Free games now account for half of the European games market

September 17th, 2012, 22:36 Posted By: wraggster

New data from Ipsos Media CT and ISFE suggests that free-to-play games accounted for half of the European games market in the last 12 months.
By half of the market, that means that F2P accounted for around 50 per cent of titles acquired in the period.
It also claims that the value and size of the Q2 1012 games market has tumbled in all major European territories compared to Q1 2012. It estimates a UK market value of €291m in the period, putting it behind Germany (€351m) but ahead of France (€256m).
It also suggests that just 37 per cent of the UK population has played a game of any type in the last 12 months compared to 51 per cent in France. Germany tracked at 35 per cent and Spain at 31 per cent.
“Traditionally, Q4 is the strongest [quarter] of every year,” ISFE MD Simon Little stated. “It will be interesting to see the extent to which the shifting dynamics impact on the Christmas shopping period later this year.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/free-...market/0102998

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The limits of videogame interaction

September 17th, 2012, 22:30 Posted By: wraggster

A few years ago, Patrick Redding, then Far Cry 2’s narrative designer, and I discussed how to evaluate and interpret the meaning of a player’s input into the system we were designing. We had engineered a system wherein character relationships would evolve over time based on player actions, but the player’s input into the system amounted to either doing missions for people or killing them. Pat came up with a name that described this scenario: the fat pipe-thin pipe (FPTP) problem.Stated simply, the FPTP problem is an issue of discrepancy between the bandwidth a game uses to communicate to the player and the bandwidth the player has to communicate back. A game’s capacity to output rich, nuanced information exceeds that of film or television, yet a player’s capacity to reply with equivalently rich and nuanced statements is massively constrained by our input devices and our game designs. In a sense, from the perspective of a game, players would appear to suffer from some extreme form of autism; our inputs suggest that we take the game’s output at such a literal surface level that we appear to either not understand or not receive all the cues the game gives us.Games are fundamentally about dynamics, and dynamics are about dialogue. In singleplayer games, the dialogue is between you and the game system. So in these games, game and player haggle over the value of positions in the state space. If the capacity for one side to make sophisticated arguments about what the game means is massively constrained, then almost by definition the resultant meaning is of low fidelity.A modern game, in theory at least, could dynamically simulate the subtlety of body language, the nuance of pupil dilation and blush response, and the subtle variation of tone and metre of voice exhibited by a couple having a quiet romantic dinner. A player in this theoretical game might deduce from this rich information that now might be a good time to finally propose marriage. That deduction would be meaningless, however, if all the player could do was press X to activate the ‘get married’ mission, or shoot their partner in the face. The coarseness of the possible inputs delimits the fidelity of the meaning and makes all the subtlety and nuance in the output irrelevant. So what can we do to enable more sophisticated negotiation of meaning in our singleplayer games? There are two approaches, but both are extraordinarily difficult.The first approach is to widen the thin pipe. This means increasing the bandwidth of our possible inputs. To a certain extent, this is the promise of new hardware, such as motion, voice, or potentially facial recognition controllers. These new input devices theoretically give players more ways to communicate with the game. Unfortunately, for the most part, the current technology in these devices seems capable of detecting only the crudest of player expressions. They give us the ability to generate more low-fidelity input, not the ability to generate higher fidelity input. Enabling a player to communicate with their digital dinner date by beating their chest, screaming and making faces into a camera does not add subtlety and nuance. As a consequence, games where you play an angry gorilla work well using these new input devices. Games about dinner dates? Not so much.The other approach lies in designing different sorts of games. A standard dual-analogue controller is capable of enabling half a dozen degrees of full analogue input (so analogue input into at least a six-dimensional space). That theoretically enables us to design a game where we control our body language, pupil dilation and blush response while constructing dialogue and modulating the tone and metre of our character’s voice. The difficulty here is that we don’t have a good sense of how to imagine such an interaction model. Even if we could control those things, what is the goal in such a game? What’s classed as a success? What’s a near miss? What’s a failure? How do we design the subtle responses from the AI so they are clear and readable when their ambiguity in reality is so important?One thing is certain; until we start tackling these sorts of problems – and failing an awful lot – we will always be constrained by the FPTP predicament, and the dynamic meanings of our games will always seem to be of lower fidelity than meanings that can be achieved through more traditional authorship.
All that said, there remains the interesting idea that this inequality isn’t a plumbing problem that needs to be fixed. Perhaps the very thing that makes modern singleplayer games entertaining at all is the absurdity of having to perform every surgery with a chainsaw, of having to whisper every sweet nothing through a bullhorn, of having to vault every hurdle while wearing a giant foam sumo-suit. The idea that it is not only OK for games to be insane, absurd and playful, but that the irreconcilable mismatch between boorish action and suave reaction is the very point of the singleplayer game is worth considering – if not openly embracing.

http://www.edge-online.com/features/...e-interaction/

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Turning a Kindle into a weather display

September 17th, 2012, 20:08 Posted By: wraggster


Since the first time [Matt] saw an e-paper display, the idea of using it as a regularly updated, non real-time display consumed him. It really is the perfect platform for very readable calendars, agendas or, as [Matt] found out, a weather display.
[Matt]‘s build uses a server to fetch and parse weather data and forecasts from NOAA. This data is then inserted into an SVG file, rendered, converted into a PNG, and finally converted into a grayscale, no transparency image required by the Kindle.
After the image is crafted by [Matt]‘s server, a small script running on the Kindle fetches the image, clears the screen, and displays the image. This entire process happens twice a day, often enough for [Matt] to get a good idea of the weather outside without having to look out a window.
The really striking feature of [Matt]‘s build is how good his weather display looks. The wonderful iconography of this weather display comes partly from graphics found onThe Noun Project, with a few weather conditions drawn by [Matt] himself. It looks great, and is an awesome example of an excellent use of e-paper.

http://hackaday.com/2012/09/17/turni...ather-display/

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