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November 16, 2011

Save 45 per cent with an Edge subscription

Get 13 issues of Edge from £8.99 per quarter in Future Publishing's Christmas sale.

Future Publishing's current Christmas sale means you can save up to 45 per cent on the cover price of Edge when you subscribe.

From £8.99 per quarter, you can have all 13 annual issues of our print magazine delivered to your door ahead of the official street date.

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Meanwhile review

Jason Shiga’s elegant take on interactive fiction for iOS should not be missed.

Meanwhile is a beautiful glossy comic book from the endlessly intriguing mathematician, inventor, and cartoonist Jason Shiga. It owes its peculiar look – the tabbed pages and the colourful criss-crossing pipework plumbing its hundreds of panels together – to the fact that it’s not one story but many. It’s an exercise in interactive narrative that examines everything from causality and the power of accidents to time travel, thought transfer, and doomsday devices - and it all begins with that eternal conundrum: do you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream?

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Furry Legends review

Hand-drawn art aside, Gamelion’s fur-ball adventure turns out to be a little too woolly.

Furry Legends appears on the DSi’s download store after the series’ underwhelming debut on WiiWare - a switch in platforms that, in the current climate, makes all the business sense of an eleventh hour shift to Betamax or 8-track. Compounding the platformer’s problems, meanwhile, is a big-eyed, faintly anonymous art style suggesting that the cast of hand-animated fur-balls wouldn’t be out of place on the air freshener shelf of an all-night petrol station.

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The story of Hogrocket: Making pigs fly

Pete Collier on the unfortunate names, wasted time and Darwinian experiments that have gone into forming his Liverpool-based micro studio.

It feels strange writing about the past for Hogrocket when it’s still very much the beginning for us. Yet it feels like a good time to regroup and recap now that our first title, Tiny Invaders, has been released. Ben’s previous article ended with the three of us theatrically shaking hands in Steve’s apartment. Occasions such as these really stand out from that period in late February.

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Aquaria review

Bit Blot’s underwater Metroidvania is well worth exploring.

Aquaria doesn’t just submerge Metroid beneath thousands of gallons of seawater. It also subtly alters its tone, trading paranoid claustrophobia for dreamy new-age introspection as it replaces space-hulks and alien planets with underwater caves and sunken cathedrals. At times, it can be a little like spending a long weekend at a slightly annoying spa, but beyond the shimmering necklaces of kelp and the meandering fantasy soundtrack lurks a game of real depth and complexity.

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Game Group lowers full-year forecasts

UK retailer Game Group has lowered its forecasts for the year, admitting that revenue will fall by at least seven per cent. The company had previously projected that revenues would be at best the same as last year, and at worst would fall by three per cent. However it claims to be outperforming the videogame market as a whole, which fell by 12.3 per cent in the 41 weeks to November 12. During the same period, Game's like-for-like revenue was down 8.6 per cent.
http://www.gamegroup.plc.uk/gmg_plc/investors/rns/rnsitem?id=5139663&t=popup
Game Group

UK retailer Game Group has lowered its forecasts for the year, admitting that revenue will fall by at least seven per cent.

The company, comprised of high street chains Game and Gamestation, had previously projected that revenues would be at best the same as last year, and at worst would fall by three per cent. However it claims to be outperforming the videogame market as a whole, which fell by 12.3 per cent in the 41 weeks to November 12. During the same period, Game's like-for-like revenue was down 8.6 per cent.

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Double Fine laments "unfortunate" Iron Brigade delay

Double Fine has blamed the ongoing delay for the European release of Iron Brigade on Microsoft's famously arduous certification process, which has been further complicated by the change from its original name, Trenched, amid fears of a protracted trademark battle. Trenched - released in the US in June - was delayed in Europe due to a potential violation of a trademark held by a Portuguese designer for his board game Trench. The name was changed in August and was due for release the following month, but it is yet to appear on the Xbox Live Marketplace.
http://www.xblafans.com/xblafancast-iron-brigade-interview-31057.html
XBLA Fans

Double Fine has blamed the ongoing delay for the European release of Iron Brigade on Microsoft's famously arduous certification process, which has been further complicated by the change from its original name, Trenched, amid fears of a protracted trademark battle.

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South Korean online curfew extends to XBL and PSN

South Korean gamers under the age of 16 will no longer be able to play online on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 after the government extended its Shutdown Law to cover console services PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. According to Kotaku, the Shutdown Law, which originally covered PC games and forbids under-16s from playing online between midnight and 6am, will also apply to consoles from November 18.
http://kotaku.com/5859594/psn-shutting-down-at-night-for-young-korean-players
Kotaku

South Korean gamers under the age of 16 will no longer be able to play online on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 after the government extended its Shutdown Law to cover console services PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.

According to Kotaku, the Shutdown Law, which originally covered PC games and forbids under-16s from playing online between midnight and 6am, will also apply to consoles from November 18.

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Activision clarifies COD: Elite PC report

Activision has insisted it "misspoke" in a tweet yesterday that gave the impression Call Of Duty: Elite may never launch on PC. The tweet, from the official Call Of Duty: Elite account, read: "We cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for PC." In a statement passed to VG247, the company said: "We misspoke. The goal has always been to provide a PC offering for Elite."
http://www.vg247.com/2011/11/15/activision-cannot-guarantee-if-or-when-a-pc-version-of-elite-will-be-released/
VG247

Activision has insisted it "misspoke" in a tweet yesterday that gave the impression Call Of Duty: Elite may never launch on PC.

The tweet, from the official Call Of Duty: Elite account, read: "We cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for PC." In a statement passed to VG247, the company said: "We misspoke. The goal has always been to provide a PC offering for Elite.

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November 15, 2011

Vivendi sells 35 million Activision shares

Vivendi has sold a stake in Activision Blizzard that reduces its holding in the game publisher to 60 per cent.

Vivendi has sold a stake in Activision Blizzard that reduces its holding in the game publisher to 60 per cent.

While the company didn’t provide a final price in a statement on its website announcing the move, Bloomberg sources indicate Vivendi raised $427 million (£265m) by offloading 35 million Activision shares at $12.20 apiece.

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PEGI implementation further delayed

UKIE has accused the government of dragging its heels over the introduction of PEGI (Pan European Game Information) as the standard age rating system for videogames in the UK following continued delays.

UKIE has accused the government of dragging its heels over the introduction of PEGI (Pan European Game Information) as the standard age rating system for videogames in the UK following continued delays.

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Final Fantasy XV could be an action-RPG

Yoshinori Kitase tells us the shift in RPG players' tastes is "a trend…you ignore at your peril."

Yoshinori Kitase, producer of Final Fantasy XIII-2, has hinted that the next iteration of Final Fantasy could see it drift away from its turn-based roots and be an action-RPG.

In an interview, Kitane told us that the increasing popularity of action-RPGs compared to their turn-based equivalents represented "a trend…you ignore at your peril."

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Opinion: All wardrobe and no Narnia

People buy experiences, not technology, says Thom Dinsdale, something from which 3DS and Kinect's marketing could still learn a lot.

Last week was big for 3DS. On Tuesday, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot suggested that, despite a recent emphasis on price, the fate of the handheld would ultimately depend on the quality of software they can bring to market. "I think it's a question of coming with enough games [more] than the price. For sure the price was too high and it was a big boost when they changed it, it really was a good idea...

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Call Of Duty: Elite may never launch on PC

The Call Of Duty: Elite development team has admitted that the stat-tracking service may never launch on PC. Activision delayed the launch of Elite for PC shortly before it was due to launch alongside Modern Warfare 3 last Tuesday, saying extra work was required because "the PC is an insecure platform." In a tweet, the Elite team has now revealed that PC users may never be able to access it.
https://twitter.com/#!/CallOfDutyElite/status/136402419574779904
Twitter

The Call Of Duty: Elite development team has admitted that the stat-tracking social service may never launch on PC.

Activision delayed the launch of Elite for PC shortly before it was due to launch alongside Modern Warfare 3 last Tuesday, saying extra work was required because "the PC is an insecure platform." In a tweet, the Elite team has now revealed that PC users may never be able to access it.

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Gareth Edmonson quits Ubisoft Reflections

Gareth Edmonson has quit his position as managing director of Driver San Francisco developer Ubisoft Reflections. Edmonson, brother of studio founder Martin, leaves after ten years with the Newcastle-based company. Studio manager Giselle Stewart and production director Darren Yeomans will head up operations until Edmonson's replacement has been appointed.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/39128/Edmondson-quits-Ubisoft-Reflections
Develop

Gareth Edmonson has quit his position as managing director of Driver San Francisco developer Ubisoft Reflections.

Edmonson, brother of studio founder Martin, leaves after ten years with the Newcastle-based company. Studio manager Giselle Stewart and production director Darren Yeomans will head up operations until Edmonson's replacement has been appointed.

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10 years of Xbox: Why Edge swears by Microsoft's new console

The article we published in our November 2001 issue, as Xbox hit US stores and Microsoft held its X01 press junket.

In our November 2001 issue we finally got our hands on Xbox, publishing reviews of its remarkable launch lineup (Halo: Combat Evolved, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Amped, Project Gotham Racing and more) and the following report on Microsoft's X01 press event in Cannes, our views on the console hardware itself ("Yes it's

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Bethesda calls for patience from unhappy Skyrim players

Pete Hines, Bethesda's VP of PR and marketing, has asked for players to give the publisher time as it works on patching out problems with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Yesterday we reported that Bethesda had acknowledged texture scaling issues on the Xbox 360 version of the game. Since then, PS3 players have reported texture streaming problems and stuttering framerates, while those with the PC version are complaining of freezes of several seconds in length in outdoors sections.
http://twitter.com/#!/dcdeacon
Twitter

Pete Hines, Bethesda's VP of PR and marketing, has asked for players to give the publisher time as it works on patching out problems with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

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Minecraft goes gold

Mojang's indie sandbox, Minecraft, has finally exited beta and gone gold ahead of its official release this week. Studio head Markus "Notch" Persson revealed the news on Twitter, writing: "So, yes. Minecraft has gone gold."
https://twitter.com/#!/notch/statuses/136078211284090881
Twitter

Mojang's indie sandbox, Minecraft, has finally exited beta and gone gold ahead of its official release later this week.

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10 years of Xbox: Chris Lewis interview

We speak to Microsoft's vice president of its interactive entertainment business in Europe about Xbox's birth, growth and future.

Ten years ago today, Xbox launched in the US, kickstarting Microsoft's entry into the console race. Today, its path to a more or less equal footing with Sony's PlayStation seems assured, but at the time, it was anything but. But with hindsight, bold hardware specification that saw it being equipped with a network port, aggressive marketing and asute game publishing are all part of the reasons why Xbox has succeeded in ways many would never have believed in 2001. 

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Epic announces finalists for Gadget Show game jam

Epic Games has revealed the three teams it has chosen to take part in a game jam at The Gadget Show Live in April. The company held a game jam at the University Of Bedford two weeks ago, and the three winning teams - plus a fourth made up of the brightest talent in teams that didn't make the cut - will now start work on iOS games using the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) with support from staff at Epic Games, Train2Game, Deep Red Studios and other industry veterans.

Epic Games has revealed the three teams it has chosen to take part in its game jam at The Gadget Show Live in April.

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Report: EA Origin to power Wii U online

Electronic Arts is helping Nintendo in its development of Wii U's online service, according to reports, and is bidding to make its Origin service a key part of the upcoming console's online offering. According to an EA intern speaking to WiiUGo, the console's online service will offer voice and video chat, leaderboards and friends lists. Nintendo has previously said its approach to Wii U online will be "much more flexible," which the source claims is a deliberate attempt to differentiate the service from Xbox Live.
http://wiiugo.com/exclusive-ea-origin-to-be-a-key-element-of-nintendos-online-strategy/
WiiUGo

Electronic Arts is helping Nintendo in development of the Wii U online service, according to reports, and is bidding to make its Origin service a key part of the upcoming console's online offering.

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Scribblenauts dethrones Angry Birds in iPhone charts

The iPhone release of innovative DS puzzler Scribblenauts was the top-selling game in the iPhone and iPod Touch charts last week, unseating Angry Birds in the App Store charts. Gamasutra reports that 5th Cell and Iron Galaxy's game, helped by its price reduction to ¢99/69p, knocked Angry Birds off the top of the charts and into second place, with Fruit Ninja at number three.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38571/Scribblenauts_Remix_Topples_Angry_Birds_On_iPhone_Game_Charts.php
Gamasutra

The iPhone release of innovative DS puzzler Scribblenauts was the top-selling game on iPhone and iPod Touch last week, unseating Angry Birds at the top of the App Store charts.

Gamasutra reports that 5th Cell and Iron Galaxy's game, helped by a reduction in price to ¢99/69p, knocked Angry Birds off the top of the charts and into second place, with Fruit Ninja at number three.

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Peta: Tanooku suit shows Mario is pro-fur

Animal rights activist group Peta has lined up videogames in its sights again, saying Super Mario 3D Land's Tanooki suit endorses the wearing of fur. "When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary - even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers," the group's website reads. "Tanooki may just be a suit in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's okay to wear fur."
http://features.peta.org/mario-kills-tanooki/
Peta

Animal rights activist group Peta has lined up videogames in its sights again, saying Super Mario 3D Land's Tanooki suit shows Mario thinks it's okay to wear fur.

"When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary - even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers," the group's website reads.

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Peta: Tanooku suit shows Mario is pro-fur

Animal rights activist group Peta has lined up videogames in its sights again, saying Super Mario 3D Land's Tanooki suit endorses the wearing of fur. "When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary - even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers," the group's website reads. "Tanooki may just be a suit in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's okay to wear fur."
http://features.peta.org/mario-kills-tanooki/
Peta

Animal rights activist group Peta has lined up videogames in its sights again, saying Super Mario 3D Land's Tanooki suit shows Mario thinks it's okay to wear fur.

"When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary - even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers," the group's website reads.

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November 14, 2011

Livingstone expecting "positive response" to skills review

Ian Livingstone has said he is expecting a "positive response" to the Next Gen skills review he co-authored with Double Negative founder Alex Hope. The report highlighted the shortcomings in the way the national curriculum prepares students for careers in the digital and creative industries, and called for computer science to replace ICT, which focuses on the use of software packages instead of how to make them. The government was expected to respond to the report this week, but speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Livingstone confirmed it would take a little longer.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-11-14-livingstone-govt-response-to-skills-review-delayed-for-good-reason
Gamesindustry.biz

Ian Livingstone has said he is expecting a "positive response" to the Next Gen skills review he co-authored with Double Negative founder Alex Hope.           

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