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February 13, 2012

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.

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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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February 10, 2012

Yoshida admits "scrapping and rebuilding" The Last Guardian

Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida admits that Team Ico has been forced into "scrapping and rebuilding" long-awaited PS3 exclusive The Last Guardian to ensure it fits with director Fumito Ueda's vision. "The project has been making progress, but slow progress," Yoshida told 1UP at this week's DICE Summit in Las Vegas. "So that's tough, but we haven't changed any focus."
http://www.1up.com/news/shuhei-yoshida-last-guardian-update
1UP

Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida admits that Team Ico has been forced into "scrapping and rebuilding" long-awaited PS3 exclusive The Last Guardian to ensure it fits director Fumito Ueda's vision.

"The project has been making progress, but slow progress," Yoshida told 1UP at this week's DICE Summit in Las Vegas. "So that's tough, but we haven't changed any focus.

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"Shoot my truck," Jaffe pleads

Self-styled "game director and alleged psychopath" David Jaffe has kicked off Twisted Metal's marketing campaign in typical style, inviting players to fire an automatic weapon from the comfort of their desks. "I'm here to tell you about the epic return of gaming's most sick, depraved franchise," he says. "It's Twisted Fucking Metal on PlayStation 3, and it's back, bitch."
Self-styled "game director and alleged psychopath" David Jaffe has kicked off Twisted Metal's marketing campaign in typical style, inviting players to fire an automatic weapon from the comfort of their desks. "I'm here to tell you about the epic return of gaming's most sick, depraved franchise," he says. "It's Twisted Fucking Metal on PlayStation 3, and it's back, bitch.
Shoot My Truck

Self-styled "game director and alleged psychopath" David Jaffe has kicked off Twisted Metal's marketing campaign in typical style, inviting players to fire an automatic weapon from the comfort of their desks.

"I'm here to tell you about the epic return of gaming's most sick, depraved franchise," he says. "It's Twisted Fucking Metal on PlayStation 3, and it's back, bitch.

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Introducing Edge 238

Our February issue, featuring Far Cry 3, is out now.

Far Cry 3's antagonist Vaas peers out from the cover of issue 238 of Edge, on sale February 15, in which we take our first steps onto Ubisoft Montreal's corrupt island paradise.

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Opinion: Welcome to Amalur

From cellophane to opening cutscene, it's as if Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning doesn't seem to care about you playing it.

Starting to play a brand new game for which you've probably paid upwards of £30 should be a fantastic experience. Let's look at what it's like to start up Kingdoms Of Alamur: Reckoning for the first time. 

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Blizzard opposes Valve's Dota trademark

Blizzard Entertainment has requested that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) block Valve's application for the Defense Of The Ancients (Dota) trademark. In its filing, Blizzard opposes the entire scope of Valve's filing, arguing that Dota, a mod of Blizzard's Warcraft III, has been "used exclusively by Blizzard and its fan community" for seven years, and that Valve's attempt to secure the mark ahead of the release of Dota 2, which is due this year, should be refused.
http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91202572&pty=OPP&eno=1
USPTO

Blizzard Entertainment has requested that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) block Valve's application for the Defense Of The Ancients (Dota) trademark.

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Blizzard opposes Valve's Dota trademark

Blizzard Entertainment has requested that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) block Valve's application for the Defense Of The Ancients (Dota) trademark. In its filing, Blizzard opposes the entire scope of Valve's filing, arguing that Dota, a mod of Blizzard's Warcraft III, has been "used exclusively by Blizzard and its fan community" for seven years, and that Valve's attempt to secure the mark ahead of the release of Dota 2, which is due this year, should be refused.
http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91202572&pty=OPP&eno=1
USPTO

Blizzard Entertainment has requested that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) block Valve's application for the Defense Of The Ancients (Dota) trademark.

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The Friday Game: Dragon Quest

Chris Donlan picks over a dungeon-crawl that channels some unlikely influences.

As the name suggests, Dragon Quest’s developers aren’t afraid to borrow from gaming’s rich and storied history. Meetreen’s clever and compact Flash title contains so many switches, dungeons, skeletons and rolling barrels that playing it can be a little like walking through a museum of videogame clichés. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however: when the journey is so spry and quick-witted, the familiar environments and props make for an oddly comforting ten minutes of platforming and puzzling.

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Sales and profits up at Namco Bandai

Namco Bandai's earnings and profits rose during the final three months of 2011, despite the strong yen hurting other Japanese videogame companies' finances. While the likes of Sony and Nintendo have blamed losses on the appreciation of the yen, Namco has reaped the rewards of being far less dependent on exports. The company was named the most successful Japanese publisher of the middle six months of 2011, with a market share of over 18 per cent.

Namco Bandai's earnings and profits rose during the final three months of 2011, despite the strong yen hurting other Japanese videogame companies' finances.

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Devs celebrate Double Fine's Kickstarter success

Leading developers on what Double Fine Adventure means for the game industry's future.

Here we present leading developers' responses to the events of the past 24 hours through a combination of interviews and tweets.

Markus ‘Notch’ Persson

Mojang (Minecraft)

"Hopefully this will lead to a lowered need to use traditional publishers, meaning more of the power gets put back in the developers' hands. This will in turn lead to more creative games and less DRM nonsense.

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AIAS crowns Skyrim game of 2011

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim won in five categories at last night's AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards in Las Vegas. Bethesda's sprawling fantasy epic was named RPG and game of the year, and also won awards for outstanding achievement in story, gameplay engineering, and game direction.
http://www.interactive.org/images/press_release/IAA-2012-Winners-FINAL.pdf
AIAS

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim won in five categories at last night's AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards in Las Vegas.

Bethesda's sprawling fantasy epic was named RPG and game of the year, and also won awards for outstanding achievement in story, gameplay engineering, and game direction.

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Hasbro to make Zynga-licensed toys

Hasbro has announced a partnership that gives the company rights to make toys and games based on Zynga's social games. The deal, announced in a press release, will also result in dual-branded merchandise based on both companies' properties

Hasbro has announced a partnership that gives the company rights to make toys and games based on Zynga's social games.

The deal, announced in a press release, will also result in dual-branded merchandise based on both companies' properties.

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Activision: "Meaningful innovation" for this year's Call Of Duty

This year's Call Of Duty game will bring "meaningful innovation" to the series, according to publisher Activision. The claim comes from Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, who was speaking during an investor call following the release of the publisher's fiscal results.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-09-activision-promises-meaningful-innovation-in-next-call-of-duty
Eurogamer

This year's Call Of Duty game will bring "meaningful innovation" to the series, according to publisher Activision.

The claim comes from Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, who was speaking during an investor call following the release of the company's fiscal results.

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Skyrim console patches released

Bethesda's long-awaited patches for the console releases of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have been released. The updates fix a host of quest-specific issues, and address the PS3 version's crippling framerate problems.
http://www.bethblog.com/2012/02/09/skyrim-1-4-patch-live-on-xbox-360/
Bethesda

Bethesda's long-awaited patches for the console releases of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have been released.

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Double Fine raises $1.2m on Kickstarter

Double Fine's Kickstarter project has raised $1.2 million, three times the amount the studio originally sought from fans to fund development of a PC graphic adventure. The project raised a million dollars within 24 hours of launch, and has more than trebled its funding target with 32 days to spare.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/66710809/double-fine-adventure
Kickstarter

Double Fine's Kickstarter project has raised $1.2 million, three times the amount the studio originally sought from fans to fund development of a PC graphic adventure.

The project raised a million dollars within 24 hours of launch, and has more than trebled its funding target with 32 days to spare.

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February 09, 2012

Activision reports strong Q4, annual results

California-based Activision Blizzard has posted better-than-expected results for its fourth fiscal quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011.

Activision Blizzard has posted better-than-expected results for its fourth fiscal quarter and full year ending December 31, 2011.

Fourth-quarter net income totalled $99 million (£62.5m), compared with a loss of $233 million (£147.1m) a year earlier, despite revenue dropping 1.4 per cent to $1.41 billion (£890.3m). 

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Big Fish Games heads to the cloud

Casual gaming company Big Fish Games has announced an expansion of its Cork office as it seeks to make its catalogue of over 2500 games available on multiple platforms via the cloud and become the Netflix of games.

Casual gaming company Big Fish Games has announced an expansion of its Cork office as it seeks to make its catalogue of over 2500 games available on multiple platforms via the cloud and become the Netflix of games.

Big Fish is seeking to recruit 30 skilled software engineers to develop and improve its technology, and the move is being backed by IDA Ireland, the department of industry and commerce agency which focuses on attracting high-quality, export-led investment to the country.

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Opinion: Did Double Fine just kill the publisher?

Tim Schafer's studio has raised $400,000 to fund development of a game most publishers would have dismissed out of hand. Where do we go from here, asks Nathan Brown.

Tim Schafer's studio Double Fine launched its new project on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter last night. The developer sought $400,000 for a PC point-and-click adventure, a genre in which Schafer and Ron Gilbert cut their teeth and won the hearts of a generation of fans.

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Opinion: Bad lines

Clint Hocking explains why we should stop judging game dialogue by the standards of film.

Dialogue in games is terrible. I can say this because I have personally written tens of thousands of words of game dialogue. I have, in the past, both championed and condemned game dialogue writing. I have played games with terrible dialogue and games with less terrible dialogue, and have seen games of both sorts win awards for their terrible writing. I, myself, have won awards for writing games accused of having terrible dialogue. If I am not qualified to make the assertion that game dialogue is terrible, then no one is.

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Resident Evil: Revelations tops Japanese chart

Resident Evil Revelations is the new number one on the Japanese chart, rising one place as last week's number one, Armored Core V, drops to fifth. In between are three new entries: Soul Calibur V at number two, followed by PhotoKano for PSP and Vita title Ragnarok Odyssey. Just sneaking into the chart is Dragon Age II, published in Japan by Spike, at number ten.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=462383
NeoGaf

Resident Evil Revelations is the new number one on the Japanese chart, rising one place as last week's number one, Armored Core V, drops to fifth.

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Converse Japan debuts Mario-themed trainers

The Super Mario Bros. X Converse One Star Ox shoe (we're not entirely sure why Mario All Star didn't make the cut) comes in white or black and red with a pixelated Mario sprite and inset yellow star.
http://sneakernews.com/2012/02/02/super-mario-bros-x-converse-one-star-ox/
Sneaker News

Shoe company Converse, famous for its iconic All Star High Top trainer, has collaborated with Nintendo on a Mario-themed sneaker.

Converse Japan's Super Mario Bros. X Converse One Star Ox shoe (we're not entirely sure why Mario All Star didn't make the cut) comes in white, or black, and red with a pixelated Mario sprite and inset yellow star.

They'll be available to buy in March.

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