Log on:
Powered by Elgg

Feed detail

January 06, 2012

The 2011 Edge Awards: mainstream

Skyrim, Skyward Sword and Dark Souls vie for our mainstream game of the year award.

See all our 2011 awards by visiting the Edge Awards topic page, or following the topic using My Edge. Look out, too, for the Alternative Edge Awards 2011 which we'll be posting on Monday.

read more


Opinion: Criminalising players makes them pirates

Developer Will Luton writes a rejoinder to Jas Purewal's defence of sending legal letters to people who pirate games.

When Jas Purewal, a fine lawyer who advises us on occasion, wrote his open letter to "people who defend game pirates", my agreement predisposition switch was firmly snapped to the on position.

Mobile Pie is a small, young mobile developer. We have suffered piracy. In fact some of our early titles have more pirate players than paid ones.

read more


Opinion: Criminalising players makes them pirates

Developer Will Luton writes a rejoinder to Jas Purewal's defence of sending legal letters to people who pirate games.

When Jas Purewal, a fine lawyer who advises us on occasion, wrote his open letter to "people who defend game pirates", my agreement predisposition switch was firmly snapped to the on position.

Mobile Pie is a small, young mobile developer. We have suffered piracy. In fact some of our early titles have more pirate players than paid ones.

read more


The Friday Game: Where is 2012?

Chris Donlan eases gently into a new year with Pastel Games’ seasonal charmer.

 

New Year’s Eve is filled with rituals, and one of the best I’ve discovered so far is Mateusz Skutnik’s habit of making a game. Since 2009, he’s commemorated the passage of time each December by turning out a clever little browser-based diversion, and Where Is 2012? is the latest.

read more


Xbox Live user traces account hacker

An Xbox Live user whose account was compromised and used to purchase thousands of Microsoft Points has identified the hacker involved, and discovered websites where accounts are up for sale. In a lengthy post on Tumblr, the user explains that her account was compromised not once, but twice, despite Microsoft having insisted the account had been locked. When she queried this with Microsoft she was told: "The fraud department was unable to block your account."
http://hackedonxbox.tumblr.com/post/15365217063/microsoft-a-company-with-no-brains-heart-or-soul
Tumblr

An Xbox Live user whose account was compromised and used to purchase thousands of Microsoft Points has identified the hacker involved, and discovered websites where accounts are up for sale.

read more


The 2011 Edge Awards: indie

Triple Town, Bastion and SpaceChem vie to become our indie game of the year.

See all our 2011 awards by visiting the Edge Awards topic page, or following the topic using My Edge.

Runner-up: Triple Town

Format Facebook Publisher Spry Fox Developer In-house

read more


FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction review

A pitiable assembly of mismatched parts.

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

Our February issue, which is on sale January 17, includes reviews of Soul Calibur V, Resident Evil Revelations, Infinity Blade II and Dear Esther, featuring in-depth Post Script articles on each.

read more


FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction review

A pitiable assembly of mismatched parts.

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

Our February issue, which is on sale January 17, includes reviews of Soul Calibur V, Resident Evil Revelations, Infinity Blade II and Dear Esther, featuring in-depth Post Script articles on each.

read more


Sources add more weight to next-gen 2012 claims

Microsoft and Sony will both unveil their next-generation consoles at E3 this year, according to reports. A source has told MCV that 2012 will mark the first time in E3's 17-year history that all platform holders will have a new console to show off. Sony has apparently told thirdparties that it has no intention of being late to market, as it was with PS3.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/next-xbox-and-ps4-set-for-biggest-ever-e3/089421
MCV

Microsoft and Sony will both unveil their next-generation consoles at E3 this year, according to reports.

A source has told MCV that 2012 will mark the first time in E3's 17-year history that all platform holders will have a new console to show off. Sony has apparently told thirdparties that it has no intention of being late to market, as it was with PS3.

read more


Capcom clarifies SOPA stance

Capcom has moved to clarify its stance on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), decrying claims it was supporting the bill as "bad journalism" and insisting: "We do not have an internal stance on this particular issue." Yesterday reports claimed the publisher had as good as given its support to the controversial proposed legislation, introduced in the US Senate in October, by saying that the Entertainment Software Association, which backs SOPA, "represents us on these matters". Yet in a post on the Capcom Unity forums, senior VP of strategic planning and business development Christian Svensson goes into a little more detail.
http://www.capcom-unity.com/ask_capcom/go/thread/view/7371/28807991/Why_Capcom_usa_support_Sopa_and_Ip_protection_&post_num=86#514635787
Capcom Unity

Capcom has moved to clarify its stance on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), decrying claims it was supporting the bill as "bad journalism" and insisting: "We do not have an internal stance on this particular issue."

read more


EA closes Bright Light

EA has closed Bright Light, the Guildford-based developer of the Harry Potter games, according to reports. While the publisher has yet to confirm the closure, sources close to Develop have confirmed that the studio was closed late last year. It leaves EA with just two UK studios: Burnout series developer Criterion, and social game studio Playfish.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/39428/EA-switches-off-Bright-Light-studio
Develop

EA has closed Bright Light, the Guildford-based developer of the recent Harry Potter games, according to reports.

While the publisher has yet to confirm the closure, sources close to Develop have confirmed that the studio was closed late last year. It leaves EA with just two UK studios: Burnout series developer Criterion, and social game studio Playfish.

read more


January 05, 2012

Firaxis announces XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Sid Meier's Firaxis Games has announced XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a strategy game in the mould of the Julian Gollop classics to be released this autumn for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The announcement comes from Game Informer magazine, and is billed as a "full-on strategy game" in stark contrast to the FPS reboot in development at 2K Marin, whose president Christoph Hartmann memorably said last year: "Strategy games are just not contemporary … times are changing."
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/01/05/february-cover-revealed-xcom-enemy-unknown.aspx
Game Informer

Sid Meier's Firaxis Games has announced XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a strategy game in the mould of the Julian Gollop classics to be released this autumn for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

read more


Infinity Blade series grosses $30 million

Games in the Infinity Blade series have grossed over $30 million for publisher Epic Games. The Unreal-powered iOS original, developed by Chair Entertainment and released in December 2010, brought in $23 million of the total, while Infinity Blade II has already grossed $5 million since its release last month.

Games in the Infinity Blade series have grossed over $30 million for publisher Epic Games.

read more


Child's Play raised $3.5 million last year

Gaming charity Child's Play has confirmed that it raised more than $3.5 million during 2011. In a statement posted on its website, the charity, founded in 2003, confirms that 2011 fundraising came to $3,512,345. The total represents a 53 per cent improvement on the $2.29 million raised in 2010.
http://childsplaycharity.org/news/post/2011-an-incredible-year
Child's Play

Gaming charity Child's Play has announced that it raised more than $3.5 million during 2011.

In a statement posted on its website, the charity, founded in 2003, confirms that 2011 fundraising came to $3,512,345. The total represents a 53 per cent improvement on the $2.29 million raised in 2010.

read more


Capcom confirms support for SOPA

Capcom USA has as good as given its public backing to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). While stopping short of expressing vocal support of the controversial bill, the publisher said in a statement to Digital Trends: "The ESA represents us on these matters."
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/capcom-confirms-support-for-sopa/
Digital Trends

Capcom USA has as good as given its public backing to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

While stopping short of expressing formal support of the controversial bill, the publisher said in a statement to Digital Trends: "The ESA represents us on these matters."

read more


Mario Kart 7 holds Japan top spot as Vita slump continues

Mario Kart 7 is once again number one of the Japanese all-formats software chart, selling just under 110,000 units in the week ending January 1. Sales of PlayStation Vita, however, have fallen again. After launch-week sales of almost 325,000 units, sales of Sony's PSP successor fell by more than 77 per cent last week to 72,479. This week sales have fallen a further 41 per cent to 42,648.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=457828
NeoGaf

Mario Kart 7 is once again number one of the Japanese all-formats software chart, selling just under 110,000 units in the week ending January 1.

read more


The 2011 Edge Awards: portable

Jetpack Joyride, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 vie to be our portable game of the year.

We'll be publishing our 2011 awards throughout the week. See all of them by visiting the Edge Awards topic page, or following the topic using My Edge.

Runner-up: Jetpack Joyride

Format iOS Publisher Halfbrick Developer In-house

read more


House Of The Dead 3 and 4 headed to PSN

HD remakes of arcade shooters The House Of The Dead 3 and 4 are headed exclusively to PlayStation Network, Sega has announced. The House Of The Dead 3 will be released on February 7, to be followed by The House Of The Dead 4 in the spring. Both games have been updated with HD graphics, with Trophies and support for PS3 motion controller PlayStation Move.

HD remakes of arcade shooters The House Of The Dead 3 and 4 are headed exclusively to PlayStation Network, Sega has announced.

The House Of The Dead 3 will be released on February 7, to be followed by The House Of The Dead 4 in the spring. Both games have been updated with HD graphics, with Trophies and support for PS3 motion controller PlayStation Move.

read more


Microsoft Flight to be free-to-play

The free download will allow armchair pilots to soar above Hawaii's Big Island, and along with a free flight mode will also include missions, flying challenges and a number of hidden "aerocaches" to find. Region-specific weather patterns and customisable control realism complete the package.

Microsoft Flight, the latest in Microsoft's stalled Flight Sim series, will be released in spring this year and will be free-to-play, according to a press release.

The free download will allow armchair pilots to soar above Hawaii's Big Island, and along with a free flight mode will also include missions, flying challenges and a number of hidden "aerocaches" to find. Region-specific weather patterns and customisable control realism complete the package.

read more


Star Trek Online adopts free-to-play model

Cryptic Studios' MMOG Star Trek Online will offer a free-to-play option, alongside its existing subscription model, from January 17. The new system, explained at the source link below, will see those paying a monthly subscription fee renamed Gold members, with those playing for free given Silver accounts with fewer features.
http://www.startrekonline.com/f2p
Star Trek Online

Cryptic Studios' MMOG Star Trek Online will offer a free-to-play option, while retaining its existing subscription model, from January 17.

The new system, explained at the source link below, will see those paying a monthly subscription fee renamed Gold members, with those playing for free given Silver accounts with fewer features.

read more


Apple cracks down on app piracy

Apple is cracking down on piracy of App Store software by issuing takedown notices to a popular source of cracked iOS apps under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). Cult Of Mac reports that Apple has issued DMCA takedown notices to Apptrackr. As a result, Apptrackr has moved its servers to different countries where the DMCA does not apply.
http://www.cultofmac.com/137775/apple-now-taking-legal-action-against-app-store-piracy/
Cult Of Mac

Apple is cracking down on piracy of App Store software by issuing takedown notices to a popular source of cracked iOS apps under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Cult Of Mac reports that Apple has issued DMCA takedown notices to Apptrackr. As a result, Apptrackr has moved its servers to different countries where the DMCA does not apply.

read more


Corpse Party review

A macabre ghost story that will stay with you despite the occasional wrong turn.

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

Our February issue, which is on sale January 17, includes reviews of Soul Calibur V, Resident Evil Revelations, Infinity Blade II and Dear Esther, featuring in-depth Post Script articles on each.

read more


The 2011 Edge Awards: online

Modern Warfare 3, Portal 2 and Dark Souls vie for our best online experience award.

We'll be publishing our 2011 awards throughout the week. See all of them by visiting the Edge Awards topic page, or following the topic using My Edge.

read more


Japan: industry revenue down 8 per cent in 2011

Japan's game industry made 8 per cent less revenue in 2011 than the year before, according to Famitsu publisher Enterbrain.
http://andriasang.com/comzke/game_industry_2011/
Andriasang

Japan's game industry made 8 per cent less revenue in 2011 than the year before, according to Famitsu publisher Enterbrain.

Andriasang reports that, between December 27, 2010 and December 25, 2011, total game industry revenue was ¥454.3 billion (£3.8 billion). Hardware sales actually rose by 2.4 per cent to ¥179.7 billion (£1.5 billion), but that increase was wiped out by a 13.7 per cent slump in software. Revenue from game sales fell to ¥274.6 billion (£2.3 billion).

read more


Microsoft increases Indie Game size limits

Microsoft has announced several changes to file size limits on the Xbox Live Indie Games service. The maximum size of games on the service is now 500MB, up from the previous 150MB. Developers can now charge 80 Microsoft Points for games of up to 150MB in size; previously, games over 50MB had to be priced at 240 or 400 MSP.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2012/01/04/happy-new-year-xbox-live-indie-games.aspx
Microsoft

Microsoft has announced several changes to file size limits on the Xbox Live Indie Games service.

The maximum size of games on the service is now 500MB, up from the previous 150MB. Developers can now charge 80 Microsoft Points for games of up to 150MB in size; previously, games over 50MB had to be priced at 240 or 400 MSP.

read more


<< Back Next >>