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February 21st, 2014, 21:46 Posted By: wraggster
The Oculus Rift has carved out a sizable reputation for itself among gamers, but virtual reality has many applications beyond playing video games. Now one production studio is preparing to release the first movie shot specifically to be watched through the VR headset. The upcoming film, called Zero Point, will focus on the history and development of virtual reality technology, while allowing viewers the freedom to look around each scene as the movie progresses."
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/02...he-oculus-rift
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February 21st, 2014, 21:10 Posted By: wraggster
Oculus VR can't construct additional Oculus Rift dev kits because some components are no longer being manufactured, an Oculus community manager posted on Reddit. The company is now relying on on existing stock, but that's "quickly running out," the post reads. Oculus is investigating alternate sources for the required materials, but for now the team will simply suspend sales by region as its stock runs dry.
Oculus Rift dev kits are currently still on sale in the US, Canada, countries in the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland and Norway. There are more than 50,000 dev kits out in the wild, the spokesperson says. There's no word on the existence of a dev kit 2.0 (though it seems Reddit would love one).
"We never expected to sell so many development kits and VR only made this much progress with the community's support and enthusiasm," the community manager says. "Even though we never wanted to sell out, it's a good problem to have – thank you!"
If those missing components aren't electrical or lens-based, we may have a solution for Oculus: 3D printing. The future of gaming meets the future of manufacturing in one tidy hunk of layered plastic.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/21/oc...-cease-produc/
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February 21st, 2014, 00:57 Posted By: wraggster
Gary Marshall writes that.Microsoft's marvelous motion-sensing device is doing really good work for Sony, helping the PS4 outsell the Xbox One in the US and rocketing it to the top of the world's console sales charts. With the Xbox One $100 more expensive than the PlayStation 4, the Kinect is the explanation for the huge difference in price between the rival platforms says Marshall. "That kind of money makes a huge difference, and I wonder: if Microsoft had kept the Kinect as an optional add-on, which we all know it should be, would the Xbox One be much more attractive?" Ben Kuchera describes the peripheral as one of the most hated pieces of equipment in current use. "The system is still new, but every Xbox One owner now has a peripheral that has little reason to exist, aids their gaming in very few real ways and costs them a significant amount of money." The common defense of the Kinect is that developers wouldn't support it unless it was forced on consumers but according to Kuchera pushing a product on the public with the hope that it will be useful once we have it is a cruel inversion of how product adoption should be handled. "The forced pack-in proves something we already knew at the beginning of this generation: Almost no one would want to buy the Kinect separately if they were given the choice," writes Kuchera. "It's time to make the Kinect a peripheral, not a pack-in.
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...dget-is-kinect
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February 21st, 2014, 00:39 Posted By: wraggster
Digital distribution becoming more common, 16% of population has ditched physical media for games entirely
[h=3]The NPD Group[/h]
Digital distribution is increasingly becoming an accepted, and in some cases demanded, way for Americans to get their games, according to NPD Group data released today from its Exploring Digital Gaming report.
Based on a recent survey of more than 6,000 people in the US ages 13 and older, the group reported that 36 percent of the US population plays downloaded games on either a computer, console, or dedicated handheld gaming device like a 3DS or PlayStation Vita. A little less than half of that group has abandoned physical media entirely, as 16 percent said they only play digitally distributed games.
As for preferences, gamers were generally split. When both physical and digital versions of a game are available for the same price, 25 percent of respondents said they would take the digital version, compared to 30 percent who would opt for the physical copy. The remaining 45 percent were unsure of their preference.
The PC is far and away the most popular platform for digital distribution, with 90 percent of the NPD's "digital gamers" reporting that they downloaded games for the computer. On the other hand, only 28 percent of digital gamers download games for consoles. And while two-thirds of console gamers said they download titles multiple times a year, only 14 percent do so on a monthly basis.
NPD analyst Liam Callahan said the digital movement has also driven more impulse purchases.
"Most digital players, regardless of device, don't plan their purchases," said Callahan. "They purchase simply when they find something they like. But primary console players do have a greater tendency to purchase at or before the time of release relative to PC players. As more consumers purchase the new consoles (Xbox One, PlayStation 4), we expect to see greater digital spending from digital console gamers as consumers indicated that purchasing these consoles will most likely increase their digital spending."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...aded-games-npd
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February 20th, 2014, 23:57 Posted By: wraggster
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze debuted in second place in this week's Japanese chart.
Nintendo and Retro Studios' 2D platformer wasn't able to overthrow 3DS title Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru & Luca's Wonderful Mysterious Keys, which held the top spot for the second week running.
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Here's the full chart, courtesy of 4Gamer.
[h=3]Software Sales (lifetime sales in brackets)[/h]1) Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru & Luca's Wonderful Mysterious Keys (3DS) - 118,427 (562,083)
2) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U) - 35,717 (New)
3) A-Ressha De Ikou 3D (3DS) - 27,009 (New)
4) Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS) - 23,017 (440,131)
5) Yokai Watch (3DS) - 22,230 (423,836)
6) Magi: Aratanaru Sekai (3DS) - 15,793 (New)
7) Puzzle & Dragons Z (3DS) - 15,462 (1,359,241)
8) Puyopuyo Tetris (3DS) - 13,717 (58,345)
9) Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS Full Boost (PS3) - 13,704 (313,291)
10) Pokemon X & Y (3DS) - 12,750 (3,950,322)
[h=3]Hardware Sales (last week's sales in brackets)[/h]1) 3DS LL - 27,650 (36,306)
2) PlayStation Vita - 17,081 (16,951)
3) 3DS - 12,066 (12,002)
4) PlayStation 3 - 10,226 (10,240)
5) Wii U - 8,782 (7,180)
6) PSP - 2,944 (2,948)
7) PlayStation Vita TV - 1,267 (1,331)
8) Xbox 360 - 256 (194)
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ebuts-at-no-2/
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February 19th, 2014, 22:58 Posted By: wraggster
With the NBA attracting a global audience, the league's reach is getting a boost from video games across varying platforms
[h=3]EA Sports[/h]ea.com
[h=3]Take-Two Interactive[/h]take2europe.com
The 63rd NBA All Star Game is in the record books, literally. In New Orleans, The Eastern Conference team etched a new record with 165 points scored in their win at Smoothie King Arena. The West chipped in 153 for a record 318 points scored in the game. NBA Live 14 cover athlete Kyrie Irving scored 31 points and had 14 assists, earning the MVP. In many ways, the annual affair is like a video game. And that's fine with the NBA, given the important role the two simulation games and the dozen other licensed NBA games play in helping the league connect with youths around the globe.
"The more we can expand the NBA to new consumers, the better," said Vicky Picca, NBA Senior Vice President, Global Merchandising Group. "In the video game space, we get approached regularly by partners who want to work with our brand. Sometimes we'll see something that's intriguing and we'll approach a developer or publisher. Oftentimes, things will take on a life of their own. Especially in the crowded mobile space, you need to figure out what will make the consumer download your game."
One very different NBA licensed game, which has already been downloaded over 1 million times, is NBA Rush. It's an endless runner game that has the NBA All Stars featured in the big game dribbling to save the world from aliens. Yes, aliens. It's a far cry from the sims that 2K Sports and EA Sports have been delivering to gamers for years.
"Having a game like NBA Rush may help us reach an additional consumer that isn't interested in the simulation games," said Picca. "We think there's plenty of room with video games to explore different genres and platforms and work with different developers. We can maximize our reach by working with as many of them as appropriate in the marketplace."
"NBA 2K14 has become...the fastest-selling NBA game in history this year. 2K has figured out how to crack the code with savvy marketing and putting finger on the pulse of pop culture"
Vicky Picca
The NBA has always provided an open field for game makers to create and compete with each other. Picca noted that even the NFL, which has had an exclusive deal with Electronic Arts for the Madden video game license, has been able to work with other partners.
"When you take a look at the NFL's business, the Madden game hasn't been as exclusive as it appeared," said Picca. "The NFL has figured out ways to deliver that property in the gaming space, while also honoring its agreement with EA."
In the NBA gaming arena, the ball's been in 2K's court. EA Sports stepped back onto the virtual hardwoods after several years of misfires. NBA Live 14 has been panned by critics and gamers, paving the way for another 5 million-selling year for NBA 2K14.
"In this decade, NBA 2K14 has become one of the five bestselling console games out there," said Picca. "It's the fastest-selling NBA game in history this year. 2K has figured out how to crack the code with savvy marketing and putting finger on the pulse of pop culture working with Michael Jordan in the past and LeBron James this year. From a technical standpoint, 2K spent a lot of time making the game look good. They did head scans for each player on each team for the next gen games, as an example."
Picca isn't ruling out a resurgence from EA Sports in the hoops game space.
"EA has been a long-standing and fantastic partner and there's no doubt they continue to believe basketball is a way to expand their own global reach," said Picca. "They are - notwithstanding setbacks with their NBA game-- an industry leader in sports gaming. We've always liked the concept of giving our fans a choice with NBA games. It drives competition and innovation."
The NBA has been driving innovation on its own front, embracing social media and providing access to complete statistics online for fans to further explore the game. Video games from EA and 2K are also connecting the on-court dunks, three-pointers and memorable moments with the virtual world through regular online game updates.
"The greatest thing about our sport, and all sports, is that unlike a scripted show, it's ever-evolving content that changes every night," said Picca. "That real-time excitement is now ported into the video games on a daily basis so fans can live it on consoles."
The NBA Game Time app is available on both Sony's PlayStation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live, delivering comprehensive free content such as videos, highlights, stats and scores.
"The interface with our partners at Xbox and Sony is really good and equivalent to a TV experience," said Steve Hellmuth, executive vice president, Operations and Technology for NBA Entertainment. "We encode and deliver the video right to the facility. It's terrific that fans now can jump into a live game and go to a video game."
The current tracking of real data into the game will continue to evolve as new technology is utilized.
"Video games have gotten better and the realism is getting better," said Hellmuth. "We're talking about the integration of player tracking data for all 30 teams. There's more differentiation with our games so you can see the on-court differences with the style of play between the Rockets and Spurs, for example, two teams that play offense and defense very differently."
The NBA Development League (D-League) already has a couple teams wearing discs on their bodies during games to collect new data that can be used to improve individual and team play. As many as 20 D-League teams will be incorporating this technology into practices this season.
"As the research and development arm of the NBA, the NBA D-League is the perfect place to unveil innovative performance analytic devices in-game," said NBA D-League President Dan Reed. "The revolutionary data captured gives teams a new opportunity to maximize on-court productivity while optimizing player health and peak player performance - key elements to player development and team success."
The performance analytic devices continue the NBA's use of the latest technology in advanced analytics. In February 2013, the NBA and SAP unveiled NBA.com/Stats, the official NBA statistical destination providing fans with access to the league's entire statistical history - more than 4.5 quadrillion combinations of statistics.
Additionally, this season the NBA expanded its partnership with STATS to use SportVU player tracking technology in every NBA arena, becoming the first U.S. professional sports league to quantify and analyze every movement of live game action throughout the entire season.
Just imagine the immediate future potential this type of technology and data opens up for connected video games as they further blur the line between real sports and virtual.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...of-video-games
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February 19th, 2014, 22:51 Posted By: wraggster
 Swedish indie Image & Form has released games through the App Store, DSiWare, eShop and Steam in the last few years. It makes its PSN debut next month with the release of Steamworld Dig on PS4 and Vita.
Next month, Swedish indie Image & Form will release Steamworld Dig on PS4 and Vita, making PSN the latest in a long line of platforms to host its work. The studio has found success through the App Store, DSiWare, eShop and Steam releases too in the past few years, having started out in web development before moving into edutainment software and then onto making its own titles. Its experience of releasing games across all these digital storefronts varies wildly, each presenting its own benefits, challenges and level of interaction with the platform holder.Image & Form scored its first mobile hit with Anthill, after several attempts – the first few releases “weren’t that great,” says studio CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson. The developer’s experience with Apple – or rather, the lack of it – suggests that the App Store’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. “So many games are coming out every day and the largely DIY submission procedures are so effective that it’s impossible for Apple to keep up personal relations,” says Sigurgeirsson. “A year and a half after having released a Game of the Week I met my first Apple representative in person, and many developers probably couldn’t tell you who ‘their’ person is. The ‘right’ Apple e-mail addresses used to be hard currency, real bargaining chips.”In throwing its doors open and welcoming all comers, Apple has made it easy for developers to release a game, certainly, but perhaps it’s too easy right now. Sigurgeirsson would like to see Apple raise the entry level to the App Store – “make it a tiny bit harder to become a licensed developer, so that the average quality of the games goes up,” he says.
http://www.edge-online.com/features/...ronts-compare/
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February 19th, 2014, 22:46 Posted By: wraggster
One of the biggest worries about the rise of wearable computing is the ease with which random strangers will be able to record your actions without your knowing. Right now, it's pretty easy to tell if somebody's holding up their cellphone to take some video. But when everybody's wearing Google Glass, or something similar, it will become harder to tell. This has led topreemptive bans on Glass in certain places. Now, Google has published a list of Do's and Don'ts to tell Glass users how they should behave politely in public. Do: ask for permission before recording people. Don't: ignore the world around you, expect that people won't notice, or wear it during a cage fight. Most importantly, don't 'be creepy or rude.' Google says, 'Standing alone in the corner of a room staring at people while recording them through Glass is not going to win you any friends.
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/02...creepy-or-rude
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February 19th, 2014, 21:48 Posted By: wraggster
Full-body tracking suit aims to allow players to interact naturally with game worlds
A wearable gaming suit capable of tracking movements for full-body interaction has hit its crowdfunding goal with 41 days still to go.
Created by Yei Technology, PrioVR is intended to bring the player’s movements into virtual environments where they can see their virtual body move in sync with their own movements. It also allows for virtual items to be manipulated “as if they were right in front of you”.
PrioVR has been demonstrated with a third-person and first-person action game, where the player can fell zombies using a sniper.
This is the second time that the manufacturer has taken to Kickstarter to fund its natural user interface project, after failing to meet a goal of $225,000 last year.
This time however, with interested behind it from a showing at CES and lower Kickstarter goal of $75,000, it has managed to hit its goal in a matter of days. At time of publishing, $143,696 has been pledged for the project.
The suit will be available in three configurations, with the Lite upper-body only version priced at $249, while the full-body kit with cost at least $350.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/p...g-goal/0189343
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February 19th, 2014, 21:46 Posted By: wraggster
But PC, mobile and tablet platforms are the most popular systems amongst game makers
More developers are looking to release games on the PS4 than any other home console, according to a GDC survey.
The survey of 2,600 North American developers revealed that 20 per cent of game makers intend to release their next game on PS4, compared to 17 per cent who aim to launch their next title on Xbox One.
Nintendo has continued its struggle in gaining third-party support, with just four per cent of developers intending to release a game on the console.
14 per cent of developers meanwhile said they own a PS4, with 12 per cent owning an Xbox One and just four per cent a Wii U.
PC, mobile and tablet platforms hold the most popularity amongst developers however, with 51 per cent planning to make their game for smartphones and tablets, and 52 per cent anticipating releasing their next game on both PC and Mac.
As well as platform preference, the survey asked developers about self-publishing and self-financing.
64 per cent of respondents said they were not currently working with a publisher, while just 19 per cent said they were. It should be noted that the other 17 per cent already worked for a publisher.
As a result of increased self-publishing, the number of developers self-funding projects has also grown during the last year, thanks in part to the rise of crowdfunding websites including Indiegogo, Kickstarter and other high profile efforts, such as Star Citizen.
Some 11 per cent of respondents said they had used crowdfunding to garner money for their project, nearly treble last year's total of four per cent.
But despite the popularity of crowdfunding, many developers are finding their own funds for projects.
52 per cent of developers said that at least part of their funding had come from their company's existing funds, while 46 per cent said they contributed their own personal money toward development.
This is up from last year's 37 per cent of respondents who said they used company funds, and 35 per cent who said they invested their own money.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/d...claims/0189344
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February 19th, 2014, 20:39 Posted By: wraggster
 Above: Mirror's Edge
Movies and video games complement one another, except when they bust out the classic insults: one's 'videogamey' and the other is so 'cinematic.'
'Just like a video game' has long been the pejorative comparison from the movie critic, shifting in his seat when nothing in the computer-generated scene is real, not even the point. Video games are shorthand for too big, too loud and too stupid.
Before you savage this critic and HOW DARE HE and so forth, we game critics are just as guilty of citing films among a game's successes and failures. Oh, this game is exquisitely cinematic – a groveling platitude that seems to put games one rung down as the medium that wishes it were a movie. And this game over here? Too movie-like, and a bad flick that doesn't even have the decency to let you jump around in it like an idiot.
The conversation becomes more interesting when you introduce an exciting technology like Oculus Rift, the virtual reality headset that's rocketed into visibility with every new user-turned-believer. Though a consumer model is on the way, most of the buzz has come from the increasingly-refined developer kits and the software created by talented individuals and companies who envision the Oculus Rift as the next step in 3D exploration, combat, disembodiment and unforeseen vomiting. Some people get sick from it, unfortunately.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/19/wh...-movies-in-vr/
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February 19th, 2014, 01:04 Posted By: wraggster
<center style='font: 14px/22.39px "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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;'> </center>In its first major move since acquiring the company in 2013, Sega has revealed plans to split Index Corporation into two separate divisions, according to aGematsu translation of a Sega press release.
Come April 1, Index Corporation will cease to exist and in its place will be two new divisions of the overarching Sega corporate umbrella. Atlus will continue to create the sort of quirky, Japanese games the company is most famous for, while Index Corporation - this new division borrows its name from the now-split subsidiary - will handle things like advertising and content distribution. Sega managing director Yukio Sugino will serve as representative for Atlus while Yasuhiko Hamada, Index executive vice president, will lead Index Corporation. Additionally, Index Digital Media, Inc. (Index Corporation's international arm) will be rebranded Atlus USA Inc.
According to Sega, this corporate restructuring will allow both Atlus and Index Corporation to function more smoothly, yet remain independent to create the kind of content that made Atlus an attractive acquisition for Sega in the first place.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/18/se...lus-once-more/
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February 17th, 2014, 22:18 Posted By: wraggster
Studio boss Randy Pitchford also confirms new Homeworld title
Fans of wacky FPS/RPG hybrid Borderlands may be waiting a while for a fresh sequel, as Gearbox has stated that it is not currently working on a new entry in the series.
The studio's CEO and President Randy Pitchford told Polygon that his team is instead working on a number of other projects, including Brothers In Arms, new shooter brand Furious Four, remastered editions of the two Homeworld titles plus a brand new Homeworld game, and two unannounced new IPs.
"We are not working on Borderlands 3," he explained. "That is unqualified. We have more to do in the franchise, but no, there isn't a Borderlands 3.
"When you think of what Borderlands 3 should be, it should be massive. It should be bigger and better than Borderlands 2. It should carry forward the story. It's probably crazy multi-platform, depending on time. It would have to be a next-gen game and a current-gen game if it was coming at any time in the reasonably near future.
"I'm not going to **** around with you like Valve does with Half-Life 3. We know we want it and we know it should exist, but we don't know what it is yet. But we are doing things in Borderlands that we'll announce soon, that are good and that I think people will be really excited about if you love the franchise."
Gearbox is currently working on the last batch of DLC for Borderlands 2, while Telltale Games is developing episodic spin-off Tales From The Borderlands, a project that Pitchford revealed was Telltale's idea.
All Pitchford would say about the two new IPs are that they are coming to next-gen consoles.
Meanwhile, Gearbox is working on reviving its World War II shooter series Brothers In Arms. Back in 2011, a new game entitled Brothers In Arms: Furious Four was announced but this has since grown into something different.
"It'll be a brand new IP," Pitchford said. "It's become a whole new game, which we'll announce when we're ready.
"[We also decided] Brothers in Arms deserves a true Brothers In Arms game. We haven't announced anything, but we've been working in that regard for a while in soft of secret."
As for Homeworld, the studio is currently working on two HD remasters and a new entry, Homeworld: Shipbreakers, although Pitchford is not sure when the latter will come out.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/g...ands-3/0189310
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February 17th, 2014, 21:58 Posted By: wraggster
Multi-node RasPi clusters seem to be a rite of passage these days for hackers working with distributed computing. [Dave's] 40-node cluster is the latest of the super-Pi creations, and while it’s not the biggest we’ve featured here, it may be the sleekest.
The goal of this project—aside from the obvious desire to test distributed software—was to keep the entire package below the size of a full tower desktop. [Dave's] design packs the Pi’s in groups of 4 across ten individual cards that easily slide out for access. Each is wired (through beautiful cable management, we must say) to one of the 2 24-port switches at the bottom of the case. The build uses an ATX power supply up top that feeds into individual power for the Pi’s and everything else, including his HD array—5 1TB HD’s, expandable to 12—a wireless router, and a hefty fan assembly.
Perhaps the greatest achievement is the custom acrylic case, which [Dave] lasered out at the Dallas Makerspace (we featured it here last month). Each panel slides off with the press of a button, and the front/back panels provide convenient access to the internal network via some jacks. If you’ve ever been remotely curious about a build like this one, you should cruise over to [Dave's] page immediately: it’s one of the most meticulously well-documented projects we’ve seen in a long time. Videos after the break.
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/17/40-node-raspi-cluster/
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February 17th, 2014, 21:29 Posted By: wraggster
The Lego Movie Videogame has debuted at the number one spot in the UK charts.
This makes it only the second game in 2014 to take the top spot, finally ending FIFA 14's reign.
<figure style='font: 14px/23.79px "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; width: 460px; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; white-space: normal; position: relative; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;' class="responsive single-article__canvas single-article__canvas--full zoomhover" title="" data-media992="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3061/image_306175_460.jpg" data-media768="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3061/image_306175_700.jpg" data-media480="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3061/image_306175_480.jpg" data-media="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3061/image_306175_320.jpg"> </figure>The other big new entry this week is Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, which enters the chart in third place.
Last week's highest placed new entry, Fable Anniversary, drops down to tenth.
Here's the full list:
- The Lego Movie Videogame (Warner Bros Interactive)
- Call Of Duty: Ghosts (Activision)
- Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix)
- FIFA 14 (EA Sports)
- Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar)
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes (Warner Bros Interactive)
- Battlefield 4 (EA)
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (Ubisoft)
- Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition (Microsoft)
- Fable Anniversary (Microsoft)
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-the-top-spot/
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February 16th, 2014, 21:48 Posted By: wraggster
Stack Overflow co-founder Jeff Atwood has posted about how much progress we've made toward commercially viable virtual reality gaming — and how far we have to go. The Oculus Rift headset is technologically brilliant compared to anything we'd have before, but Atwood says there are still a number of problems to solve. Quoting: 'It's a big commitment to strap a giant, heavy device on your face with 3+ cables to your PC. You don't just casually fire up a VR experience. ... Demos are great, but there aren't many games in the Steam Store that support VR today, and the ones that do support VR can feel like artificially tacked on novelty experiences. I did try Surgeon Simulator 2013 which was satisfyingly hilarious. ... VR is a surprisingly anti-social hobby, even by gamer standards, which are, uh low. Let me tell you, nothing is quite as boring as watching another person sit down, strap on a headset, and have an extended VR "experience". I'm stifling a yawn just thinking about it. ... Wearing a good VR headset makes you suddenly realize how many other systems you need to add to the mix to get a truly great VR experience: headphones and awesome positional audio, some way of tracking your hand positions, perhaps an omnidirectional treadmill, and as we see with the Crystal Cove prototype, an external Kinect style camera to track your head position at absolute minimum.' Atwood also links to Michael Abrash's VR blog, which is satisfyingly technical for those interested in the hardware and software problems of VR
http://games.slashdot.org/story/14/0...the-road-to-vr
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February 16th, 2014, 21:40 Posted By: wraggster
Activision's Call of Duty: Ghosts was the top-selling game at physical retail in US in January.
According to NPD figures, which only tracks physical game sales and not digital stores, the Activision shooter beat out NBA 2K14 to the top spot, both of which left Battlefield 4 settling in third.
<figure style='font: 14px/23.79px "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; width: 460px; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; white-space: normal; position: relative; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;' class="responsive single-article__canvas single-article__canvas--full zoomhover" title="" data-media992="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3137/image_313774_460.jpg" data-media768="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3137/image_313774_700.jpg" data-media480="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3137/image_313774_480.jpg" data-media="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3137/image_313774_320.jpg"> </figure>Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition was the only platform-exclusive game to place in the top-10 in seventh.
PS4 topped hardware sales in the US in January, according to the full NPD report.
Here's the full top-10 US software sales chart:1)Call Of Duty: Ghosts (360, PS3, XBO, PS4, NWU, PC)
2)NBA 2K14 (PS4, 360, XBO, PS3, PC)
3)Battlefield 4 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC)
4)Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (360, PS4, XBO, PS3, NWU, PC)
5)Grand Theft Auto V (360, PS3)
6)Madden NFL 25 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
7)Minecraft (360)
8)FIFA 14 (PS4, XBO, PS3, 360, PSV)
9)Lego Marvel Super Heroes (360, XBO, PS3, PS4, 3DS, NWU, PSV, PC)
10)Tomb Raider 2013 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...anuary-charts/
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February 16th, 2014, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft and Nintendo have the same problem - expensive peripherals that so far don't improve the experience of their consoles
[h=3]Microsoft[/h]microsoft.com
[h=3]Nintendo[/h]nintendo-europe.com
It's pretty hard to figure out exactly where the new generation of consoles stand in terms of sales right now, but the general picture is clear. PS4, still supply constrained in many markets, leads Xbox One by at least a million consoles sold, possibly as much as two million - so the oft-cited ratio of 1.5:1 seems to be holding. Assuming little else changes, that ratio will tip even further in Sony's favour in the coming weeks, with the PS4 finally launching in Japan, a market where it can expect to sell very strongly - although I wouldn't expect to see the dominant 3DS removed from the top of the hardware charts for too many weeks. Meanwhile, Nintendo's rather less successful console, the Wii U, continues to lose ground to both of the newcomers and will likely be surpassed in overall sales by Sony some time this month (if it has not been so already) and by Microsoft within the next quarter.
It's important to put this in some context - the Xbox One would look like a pretty successful console launch if it wasn't stacked up against the PS4, but eyebrows would still be raised over the slackness in demand for what would be expected to be a fully supply constrained launch. Meanwhile, Wii U's performance wouldn't look great in any reality, but certainly wouldn't be attracting the current degree of fainting and pearl-grasping were it not being compared to the extraordinary success of its own predecessor, the Wii.
"I'd argue that the real problem with these innovative pieces of kit isn't that they're inflating the price - the real problem is that they are, so far, utterly pointless"
The only console among them which resists any attempt at contextual negativity is the PS4, which is performing incredibly well. Hardly anyone has a bad word to say about the PS4, other than "I can't find one to buy" - the hardware has turned out to be very solid; the online services (PS Plus in particular) are well-liked; and Sony's approach of wooing key indie developers to the console for launch period has helped to stock the console with early adopter friendly titles which generate plenty of goodwill as the wider market waits for big AAA hits to filter through. Giving several of these games away on PS Plus, especially while new owners are in their freebie period, has also been a great move.
It's hard to argue against a surface reading of this situation which says that Sony has executed superbly on its product while Microsoft and Nintendo have stumbled. Nintendo dropped the ball on Wii U software for its first year, arguably at least, and made a mess of marketing its new console - just as it initially did with the 3DS, which makes me wonder exactly what compromising pictures of Iwata the firm's amazingly still-not-fired marketing bosses are keeping in a concrete bunker somewhere. Microsoft lost the trust and goodwill of a huge swathe of the early adopter audience, especially outside the USA, when it announced the Xbox One as a TV-watching box, compounded its error with a horribly anti-consumer policy on used software, then changed its mind on the latter (a good thing, but much damage was already done) and botched the execution of the former. Now it's got a mountain to climb to restore goodwill, a console that's $100 more expensive than its well-liked rival and a fresh salvo of unflattering technical comparisons between the systems emerging each week - a tough position, to say the least.
I think that beyond that surface reading, there's something more fundamental at work - a level on which both Nintendo and Microsoft made the same mistake. Sony's PS4 isn't just superbly executed, it's also conservative. It's a powerful console with great engineering behind it, a great OS and network services, and a superb messaging strategy in which Mark Cerny and Shuhei Yoshida, who are actually at the coalface of developing the system and its software, have been allowed to take very public roles and to speak openly and honestly. That's all fantastic, but PS4 is also very clearly an evolution of what came before. In architectural terms it's vastly different from PS3, of course, but from a consumer standpoint - here's a black box that you stick discs into and then play them with a Dual Shock pad. You can play with your friends online, and even buy games online, but arguably the only real departures from the traditional console model lie with the online services - PS Plus (which existed on PS3 as well, of course) and video streaming.
"It feels like both companies want to bottle some of the magic which fuelled the Wii to such great heights in the last generation, but they've forgotten that the real magic of the Wii wasn't actually the Wiimote - it was Wii Sports"
Xbox One and Wii U are less conservative, because both of them make some effort to change the interface and context of videogames. Xbox One includes a vastly updated and improved Kinect motion sensor, which shoulders the brunt of the blame for the console's inflated price tag. The sensor, like its predecessor, is designed to map and understand the movement of human bodies around the room in front of it - unlike its predecessor, it actually appears to be capable of doing so very well. The Wii U, meanwhile, includes the GamePad, a touchscreen controller that lets you play games even while others are watching something else on TV, but more interestingly, also creates a second screen for gameplay and has potential uses in asymmetric multiplayer, wherein one player uses the screen to set up a game while others use Wii Remotes to tackle the challenges being created.
Both of these things are interesting. Both of these things, inevitably, inflate the price of the console to which they're attached. Both Wii U and Xbox One could seriously do with being $100 cheaper than they are right now - such a price cut wouldn't be the end of their woes, especially in the case of Wii U, but it would level the playing field and make everything much more interesting. Yet I'd argue that the real problem with these innovative pieces of kit isn't that they're inflating the price - the real problem is that they are, so far, utterly pointless. Not only have both Microsoft and Nintendo failed to create software that effectively capitalises on the potential of Kinect or the GamePad, both firms have also completely failed to explain the devices to consumers in a way that stands any hope of making them excited about such potential. The very fact that the first reaction of many consumers and commentators to weak sales from these consoles is "get rid of Kinect / the GamePad!" is a demonstration of just how badly communication, explanation and demonstration of these features has failed.
It could be, of course, that the features themselves just aren't much good. I think the potential of the GamePad remains to be tapped, but have some sympathy with the argument that Kinect, even in its vastly upgraded Xbox One incarnation, is a solution for which no readily apparent problem can be found. Certainly its present function, as an utterly sub-par way of controlling the console's menu functions and an occasional shoehorned annoyance in games, does little to explain why this expensive piece of hardware is a mandatory part of Xbox One - yet I know that there are plenty of enthusiastic and intelligent games people at Microsoft, and there must be a genuine belief that Kinect 2 can deliver unique and worthwhile experiences that won't be possible on other consoles. The problem is that, just as with the thus-far largely meaningless GamePad, Microsoft has failed to demonstrate or articulate just what those experiences will be.
"[Kinect's] mandatory inclusion may go down as one of the worst self-inflicted wounds of any console battle in history"
In short, I think consumers are confused about what exactly Nintendo and Microsoft want to sell them. Sony's proposition is clear - it's a much-upgraded and improved successor to the PS3, which was a much-upgraded and improved successor to the PS2, and so on. Nintendo and Microsoft make claim to be something more than that, then mumble incoherently when asked what exactly they mean, or what precisely they're proposing to achieve.
It feels like both companies want to bottle some of the magic which fuelled the Wii to such great heights in the last generation, but they've forgotten that the real magic of the Wii wasn't actually the Wiimote - it was Wii Sports. In one superbly crafted game, bundled free with the console in many territories, Nintendo explained exactly what the Wii was for. A few minutes with Wii Sports showed anyone and everyone what the Wiimote was designed to do and how it would change the game experience. Moreover, it set out a clear agenda for the console as a whole - a social machine, a family machine, an accessible machine. Wii Sports wasn't just a game, it was a powerful demonstration, a mission statement and perhaps the greatest piece of marketing anyone in the games industry has ever crafted.
The Xbox One and the Wii U both have their Wiimote, but neither has their Wii Sports. One of Satoru Iwata's big pledges in his mea culpa speech after Nintendo's projections were downgraded was that the firm would double down on the GamePad, creating software and marketing that would explain the controller better to the public. If that means finding the Wii U's Wii Sports, it will absolutely be a worthwhile effort - it doesn't have to mean establishing the Wii U in the same market as the Wii, but making a clear mission statement for the console would definitely help. Microsoft, too, needs some of that focus. Right now, Kinect 2 is not differentiating Xbox One in the marketplace - it's just hanging around the console's neck like a deadweight. Unless Microsoft can find the software and the messaging required to make Kinect into a real system-seller, its mandatory inclusion may go down as one of the worst self-inflicted wounds of any console battle in history.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...th-deadweights
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February 15th, 2014, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster
The NPD Group's numbers for January are in and survey says: PS4 is on top in overall hardware sales, with the Xbox One right behind.
Microsoft's take on the numbers focuses on games, saying the Xbox led "US game sales" in January. Combining all Xbox platforms, Microsoft states it made up for 47 percent of the month's software market share, based on data provided by the NPD Group. Xbox Corporate VP of Marketing, Strategy and Business, Yusuf Mehdi, also revealed that over 685 million speech commands have been used to navigate Xbox One, "including 20 million commands of 'Xbox, Record That' alone." Yup, they're counting.
In a statement obtained by VentureBeat, demand for the PS4 remains high as it retained the number one spot, "nearly doubling the nearest next-gen competitor," said Sony spokesperson Guy Longworth.
Nintendo software saw a slight bump, with 3DS up 6 percent and Wii U up 26 percent (both numbers normalized). Call of Duty: Ghosts led the month in sales with NBA 2K14 and Battlefield 4 behind them. Top ten new, physical retail sales can be found after the break.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/13/ja...ll-most-games/
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February 14th, 2014, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster
First there was the Christmas Tinner. Now GAME is selling pants.
The retailer is once again offering a limited edition item in one of its stores – pheromone fuelled his ‘n’ hers underwear for Valentine’s.
There’s some token research, too. “According to new research by GAME, this Valentine’s Day one in four gamers (23%) admit they will be tempted to slip away for a ‘console quickie’ – unable to resist the urge of a few snatched moments of Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto V behind their partner’s back,” the retailer said.
“And the girls are getting in on the action too - the guilty secret applies just as much to women (19%) as it does to men (26%). Similarly a quarter of gamers (24%) admit that their partner has accused them of paying more attention to their console than to them.”
The underwear is available at GAME’s Stratford store this week.
“We understand and share our customers’ passion and commitment for gaming but we want to do our bit for harmony on February 14th,” GAME Retail’s marketing director Ailsa McKnight added. “Many of us can get easily distracted by our consoles – even on Valentine’s Day.
“It can be tempting to dip into a game for a few minutes, lose track of time while the dinner is on the table and then get caught in the act. Hopefully the GAME On range of undies can be a more welcome distraction to help bring couples together.”
Last year the retailer launched the Christmas Tinner in a limited edition run at its Basingstoke store
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-...tine-s/0128095
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