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February 14, 2012

This week's opportunities on Edge Jobs

Find your future touring with Game On, working for Sony on a new PS3 game or coding MMOGs for Massive.

Sony has a number of positions open, including junior animator and junior artist. The roles are for a new PlayStation 3 project and are based at Sony's London Studio. Find all Sony's jobs here.

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The future of 3D engines

As more devices become capable of displaying 3D graphics, how are engine makers facing up to the challenge?

For those who grew up PC gaming in the ’90s and early ’00s, the launch of a new 3D engine from id or Epic was on a par with that of their latest firstperson shooters. Players grew almost as familiar with the idiosyncrasies and limitations of each engine as developers did, as companies like Raven Software, which used the Doom engine (now known as id Tech 1) to create Heretic and Hexen, and Ion Storm, which built Deus Ex with the Unreal Engine, twisted bespoke tech into new shapes.

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Zynga's Dream Heights launches to dismal reviews

Dream Heights, the game for which Zynga has been accused of cloning Tiny Tower, is now available on the App Store, and users are already making their feelings known with some dismal reviews. At the time of writing the app, which was released in Canada last month but is now available elsewhere, has a score of just one-and-a-half stars, with those leaving bad reviews all focusing on the game's similarity to Tiny Tower.

Dream Heights, the game which has seen Zynga accused of cloning Tiny Tower, is now available on the App Store, and users are already making their feelings known with some dismal reviews.

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Apple share price passes $500

Apple stock yesterday broke $500 per share for the first time. The Cupertino company is now worth $465 billion, making it by some distance the most valuable company in the world. According to Apple Insider, Apple shares ended the day's trading at $502.60. It now has a 17 per cent lead over its nearest rival, Exxon, which is worth a paltry $400 billion, and is worth more than Microsoft and Google combined.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/02/13/apple_stock_hits_500_milestone.html
Apple Insider

Apple stock yesterday broke $500 per share for the first time. The Cupertino company is now worth $465 billion, making it by some distance the most valuable company in the world.

According to Apple Insider, Apple shares ended the day's trading at $502.60. It now has a 17 per cent lead over its nearest rival, Exxon, which is worth a paltry $400 billion, and is worth more than Microsoft and Google combined.

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Rockstar open to LA Noire sequel

Rockstar has revealed it may make a sequel to LA Noire, saying it is "considering what the future may hold" for the Team Bondi-developed police adventure. The news comes from an open Q&A on the developer's website. While the primary focus is naturally Max Payne 3 - which was recently delayed to May - the studio touches on its future plans for LA Noire.
http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/20351/asked-answered-max-payne-3-and-more.html
Rockstar

Rockstar has revealed it may make a sequel to LA Noire, saying it is "considering what the future may hold" for the Team Bondi-developed police adventure.

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February 13, 2012

Schafer: console patches cost $40,000

Double Fine head Tim Schafer has said that independent developers are drifting away from the "closed" console download services because of prohibitive costs, claiming that patches alone cost $40,000. Speaking to Hookshot Inc, Schafer said that while Xbox Live Arcade and PSN were genuine options for indies when their host platforms launched, the likes of Steam and the App Store, as well as the Minecraft model, are now much better routes to market.
http://www.hookshotinc.com/interview-schafers-millions/
Hookshot Inc

Double Fine head Tim Schafer has said that independent developers are drifting away from the "closed" console download services because of prohibitive costs, claiming that patches alone cost $40,000.

Speaking to Hookshot Inc, Schafer said that while Xbox Live Arcade and PSN were genuine options for indies when their host platforms launched, the likes of Steam, and the Minecraft model, are now much better routes to market.

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Vita launch review round-up

Ahead of the handheld's European and US launch next week, we deliver our verdict on the first wave of games.

We'll update this round-up with more reviews in the run up to Vita's launch next week. You might also like to read our Vita playtest.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Can Uncharted survive the untheatrical confines of a handheld?

Wipeout 2048

A more sober entry in the series, but one that still soars.

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Reality Fighters review

A convincing demonstration of Vita's AR capabilities despite its ill-fitting genre.

Novarama, maker of Invizimals, continues to spearhead SCE’s augmented-reality charge, and to deliver games with stale personalities. It’s fortunate, then, that Reality Fighters encourages you to add your own flavour to this 2D fighter with 3D character models. Mapping your face and adding your voice to a model may be a simple gimmick, but doling out punishment to a recognisable friend has a quirky charm.

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Sony prices Vita download games

Sony has revealed UK pricing for firstparty, downloadable PlayStation Vita games ahead of the handheld's launch next week. Cheapest of the bunch is Motorstorm RC, at £4.79. Super Stardust: Delta, Hustle Kings, and Top Darts will each cost £6.49, with Escape Plan the most expensive, at £9.99.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-13-sony-confirms-ps-vita-1st-party-digital-only-game-prices
Eurogamer

Sony has revealed UK pricing for firstparty, downloadable PlayStation Vita games ahead of the handheld's launch next week.

Cheapest of the bunch is Motorstorm RC, at £4.79. Super Stardust: Delta, Hustle Kings, and Top Darts will each cost £6.49, with Escape Plan the most expensive, at £9.99.

PlayStation Vita launches in the UK, as well as Europe, North America and Australia, on February 22.


Everybody's Golf review

Unadventurous, but wonderfully executed.

Those expecting a convincing display of Vita’s unique features from Everybody’s Golf will be disappointed. The rear touchpad can be used to pinpoint the distance of objects on the map, swipes on the screen rustle like wind through the trees, and you can take a firstperson wander around the course, panning the camera as you go. That’s your lot, and all are as pointless as they sound. Happily, the core mechanics are as digital as ever, the three-press control system being both precise and rewarding.

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Little Deviants review

An inconsistent showcase of Vita's numerous control methods.

Pity the little deviants, because they appear to have been focus-grouped into oblivion, all traces of character and charm smoothed off until what’s left is a maniacally grinning blob that looks eerily like the decapitated head of one of Rayman’s raving rabbids. Still, at least Bigbig’s creations make appropriate mascots for their parent collection of minigames, which lacks legs.

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Itagaki almost quit after DOA2

Tomonobu Itagaki has revealed that he almost quit the industry after an incomplete build of Dead Or Alive 2 was released for PlayStation 2 without his permission. Speaking at last week's Dice Summit in Las Vegas, reported by Joystiq, Itagaki explained that the PlayStation 2 port of Dead Or Alive 2 was behind schedule and unlikely to make its intended release date when a sales manager came to him and asked to borrow a copy of the incomplete build, on which the team had only spent two and a half months.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/itagakis-depression-fueled-armageddon-aerosmith-bender/
Joystiq

Tomonobu Itagaki has revealed that he almost quit the industry after an incomplete build of Dead Or Alive 2 was released for PlayStation 2 without his permission.

Speaking at last week's Dice Summit in Las Vegas, reported by Joystiq, Itagaki explained that the PS2 port of Dead Or Alive 2 was behind schedule and unlikely to make its intended release date when a sales manager came to him and asked to borrow a copy of the incomplete build, on which the team had only spent two and a half months.

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Gree to set up California studio

Japanese mobile gaming company Gree is opening an office in San Francisco. The move is designed to snap up Bay Area dev talent ahead of the global launch of a new, worldwide mobile gaming platform in the second quarter of the year. The 41,000 square foot studio will be headed up by Eiji Araki, Gree's senior vice-president of social games.
http://gree-corp.com/?g=jobs&s=working
Gree

Japanese mobile gaming company Gree is opening an office in San Francisco.

The move is designed to snap up Bay Area dev talent ahead of the global launch of a new, worldwide mobile gaming platform in the second quarter of the year. The 41,000 square foot studio will be headed up by Eiji Araki, Gree's senior vice-president of social games.

read more


Gree to set up California studio

Japanese mobile gaming company Gree is opening an office in San Francisco. The move is designed to snap up Bay Area dev talent ahead of the global launch of a new, worldwide mobile gaming platform in the second quarter of the year. The 41,000 square foot studio will be headed up by Eiji Araki, Gree's senior vice-president of social games.
http://gree-corp.com/?g=jobs&s=working
Gree

Japanese mobile gaming company Gree is opening an office in San Francisco.

The move is designed to snap up Bay Area dev talent ahead of the global launch of a new, worldwide mobile gaming platform in the second quarter of the year. The 41,000 square foot studio will be headed up by Eiji Araki, Gree's senior vice-president of social games.

read more


Honeyslug on Frobisher Says

Ricky Haggett and Richard Hogg talk Vita, working with Sony, and abusing players.

“Frobisher says… stir my soups,” decrees the faintly menacing Frobisher in Honeyslug’s Vita mini-game compilation. An innocuous request on paper, comedian Kevin Eldon’s precocious vocal performance gives the dialogue a distinctive edge - as well as providing a dash of GLaDOS-style ‘encouragement’ - setting up a curious relationship between the player and titular puppet-master.

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Nintendo acquires video compression firm

Nintendo has acquired Mobiclip, a French company specialising in video compression technology. Gamasutra reports that the deal was actually completed last October, but has only just been announced. It gives Nintendo access to Mobiclip's technology, which handles playback of high-quality video with low battery consumption and which it has previously used in the Game Boy Advance and DS handhelds.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/40267/Nintendo_acquires_video_technology_company_Mobiclip.php
Gamasutra

Nintendo has acquired Mobiclip, a French company specialising in video compression technology.

Gamasutra reports that the deal was actually completed last October, but has only just been announced. It gives Nintendo access to Mobiclip's technology, which handles playback of high-quality video with low battery consumption and which it has previously used in the Game Boy Advance and DS handhelds.

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Yoshida thought Demon's Souls was "unbelievably bad"

Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida admits that he thought Demon's Souls - a game Sony had the opportunity to publish - was "crap … unbelievably bad." Speaking to Game Informer, Yoshida said that when he first saw Demon's Souls it was a mess, with framerate problems and no network features, and that as such Sony opted against picking up the publishing rights.
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/02/10/shuhei-yoshida-interview.aspx?PostPageIndex=2
Game Informer

Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida admits that he thought Demon's Souls - a game Sony had the opportunity to publish - was "crap … unbelievably bad."

Speaking to Game Informer, Yoshida said that when he first saw Demon's Souls it was a mess, with framerate problems and no network features, and that as such Sony opted against picking up the publishing rights.

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Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning tops UK chart

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning is the new UK all-formats number one, the EA-published RPG taking top spot from last week's number one, Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning is the new UK all-formats number one, the EA-published RPG taking top spot from last week's number one, Final Fantasy XIII-2.

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Opinion: A tale of two towns

Are all clones really equal? Graham McAllister examines the differences in player experience between Yeti Town and Triple Town.

What distinguishes one game from another? Even within the same genre, graphical style, mechanics, interaction design and audio will all contribute to form a unique player experience. And even though all designers would agree that most games borrow inspiration from others, most games are fundamentally unique. However, sometimes the dividing line is very fine.

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Dear Esther review

Difficult to define, but an experience that will stay with you for a long time.

You can read this review in full in our print edition.

Our February issue includes a Post Script interview with Dan Pinchbeck and Rob Briscoe, the designer and artist behind Dear Esther.

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Uncharted: Golden Abyss review

Can Uncharted survive the untheatrical confines of a handheld?

You can read this review in full in our print edition.

Our March issue, which is on sale February 15, features reviews of all the most important releases, together with in-depth Post Script articles, including Final Fantasy XIII-2, WipeOut 2048 and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

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Valve admits "probable" Steam data loss

Gabe Newell has admitted t is "probable" that the hackers who recently breached security on Valve's Steam platform made off with customer data. In an email sent to Steam users, reported by CVG, Newell reaffirms that there is no evidence that information held in the main Steam database was compromised. The company believes, however, that a backup file containing information several years old was taken.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/335531/steam-hackers-likely-obtained-backup-file-containing-user-details
CVG

Gabe Newell has admitted it is "probable" that the hackers who recently breached security on Valve's Steam platform made off with customer data.

In an email sent to Steam users, reported by CVG, Newell reaffirms that there is no evidence that information held in the main Steam database was compromised. The company believes, however, that a backup file containing information several years old was taken.

read more


Wipeout 2048 review

A more sober entry in the series, but one that still soars.

You can read this review in full in our print edition.

Our March issue, which goes on sale February 15, includes a Post Script interview with the Wipeout 2048 creative team on how it reimagined the hovercraft racer.

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Unreal Engine 4 coming this year

Unreal Engine 4 will be revealed later this year, Mark Rein has confirmed, with the Epic Games vice-president saying people will be "shocked" when they see what the company's next-gen tech has to offer. Speaking at last week's DICE Summit in Las Vegas as reported by Loud-Mouthed Gamers, Rein said that UE4 was already up and running on "systems I can't talk about by name."

Unreal Engine 4 will be revealed later this year, Mark Rein has confirmed, with the Epic Games vice-president saying people will be "shocked" when they see what the company's next-gen tech has to offer.

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Current TVs not good enough for Gaikai

Founder David Perry admits manufacturers need to reduce input latency before Smart TV cloud gaming works as intended.

David Perry, founder and CEO of Gaikai, has admitted that current TVs are not suitable for his company's cloud gaming platform because of in-built input latency.

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