Publisher to assume full control over firm it has held a 54 per cent stake in since 2005 on 1 April.
Japanese publisher Konami has announced it is to take over Hudson at the start of the next financial year.
Andriasang reports that Konami, which with a 54 per cent stake has been Hudson’s parent company since 2005, will assume full control of the Bomberman developer on April 1.
Weighty dashboard update prevents Black Ops, Modern Warfare 2, Halo: Reach pirates playing online.
The Xbox 360 dashboard update issued yesterday by Microsoft appears to have contained anti-piracy measures.
“More than 30” games to be released between launch day and the start of E3 on June 7.
Nintendo has announced the list of 3DS games that will ship during the handheld's launch window.
At the system’s European launch event in Amsterdam it was announced that 25 games would be available between the system’s launch on March 25 and the beginning of the E3 expo on June 7.
But firm declines to set price at launch event in Amsterdam; $249.99 in North America on March 27.
Nintendo has confirmed a European release date for its upcoming 3DS handheld at its dedicated launch event in Amsterdam.
The glasses-free 3D handheld will be on European shelves on 25 March, but at the end of the much-hyped launch event Nintendo said it was not setting a price for the console. Instead it has given a purchase price to retailers, who have been given the freedom to set their own price.
_0_0.jpg "3DS Streamlines Friend Code System")
One code to rule them all. Streetpass, video partners detailed within.
Nintendo’s widely loathed friend code system appears to be largely a thing of the past, with the firm announcing that the upcoming 3DS will only use one friend code across all games.
The news comes from the 3DS launch event in Amsterdam, which is in progress as we type. The DS and Wii used a different code for every online-enabled game, forcing players to exchange and input lengthy strings of text in order to commune online.
Activision unable to find a buyer for Blur developer; up to 200 staff affected.
Publisher Activision has recommended that Liverpool studio Bizarre Creations be closed.
Develop reports that after a 90-day consultation period Activision has said it has been unable to find a buyer for the studio and as such has recommended it be wound up. A reported 200 staff are facing unemployment as a result.
Facebook gaming firm launches website offering virtual currency for in-game item purchases.
Social gaming giant Zynga has launched a reward programme, RewardVille, that gives players free in-game items.
While Zynga has yet to make an official announcement about the scheme, a website has now gone live inviting users to sign in with their Zynga login details.
UPDATE: App was pulled for violation of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement.
Android app Kongregate Arcade has been pulled from the Android Market by Google, just hours after it launched.
The reason for the removal of the free app, which offers Android users over 300 Flash games also available on the Kongregate website, is unknown.
Johnny Chung Lee leaves Microsoft after two and a half years; joins Google as “rapid evaluator”.
A core member of Microsoft’s Kinect development team has left the firm and taken up a position with search giant Google.
Nine of top ten all-time paid apps are games; Doodle Jump top, Tap Tap Revenge listed three times.
As the App Store approaches the ten billion download mark, Apple has released charts showing the most downloaded apps since the service began in 2008.
14 games that characterise the state of UK arcades today.
Q Entertainment partners with UserJoy Technology to turn its 360 hack-and-slasher into an MMOG.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Q Entertainment has announced that it is to turn Ninety-Nine Nights into an MMOG.
The original Ninety-Nine Nights, a collaboration between Q Entertainment and Korean developer Phantagram, was released for Xbox 360 in 2006, and Q released a sequel last year.
EA-owned social gaming firm continues rapid growth since its 2007 inception.
Social gaming developer Playfish has announced that 55 million people worldwide play its games every month.
In a raft of statistics posted on its website the firm also reveals over 340 million games have been installed and played around the world, and that its microtransactions business is now topping 90 million transactions each day.
Seven million shows requested by PS3 users in December, up 31 per cent on previous month.
PlayStation 3 users watched a record seven million BBC programmes on the iPlayer catchup service in December, an increase of 31 per cent on the previous month.
Square Enix announces sequel to multiplatform 2010 RPG; Roman numeral purists unimpressed.
Square Enix has officially announced it is developing a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 promises a brand-new story which follows on from that of its predecessor, as well as an enhanced battle system. The official announcement follows Square Enix’s registration last week of a domain name which suggested the game was in production.
3DS and Donkey Kong Country Returns talks also announced ahead of February development shindig.
Organisers of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2011 have announced that Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski will speak at next month’s event.
Developer says latest influx of cheaters is due to PS3 hacking and cannot fix it until Sony fixes system security.
Infinity Ward has conceded it is powerless to stop the recent spate of hacks that have plagued the PlayStation 3 version of its 2009 smash Modern Warfare 2.
The recent breach of PS3 security – which causes the PS3 to read unsigned code as legitimate PS3 software – has led to the game’s online component being overrun with cheaters.
Sixteen MPs meet industry representatives and play games at inaugural House of Commons event.
Game consumer lobby group Gamers’ Voice has hailed last week’s Parliamentary Games Day “a real success”.
Sixteen politicians from all three main UK political parties attended the event at the House of Commons, playing a selection of games in a bid to engender positive sentiment for the game industry in parliament.
When first playing my French Coach, the user takes a test which sets their initial comprehension of the French language. The player is then placed into a level reflective of their score. A player who scores highly will be able to skip many of the initial levels and more basic concepts.
When starting a lesson, the player is shown ten new words, which include nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, as well as their meanings and pronunciation.
The software also includes a dictionary and phrase book, complete with audio pronunciations and the facility to record your own pronunciation for comparison purposes.
Hélène Clark, Modern Languages teacher at Firrhill High School in Edinburgh, has used My French Coach with her S1 – S3 classes between September and December 2010. This is the first of 3 blog posts which will document some of her work with pupils using the software.
In S1, pupils have a limited knowledge of French and my classes have enjoyed playing the game and progressing through levels for 15-20 minutes use about twice a week.
Pupils have been keeping a record of their progress at the back of their jotters, reflecting on their learning and noting new words they have learned. This coupled with the individuals user profile on the software allows the pupils to see how they are progressing with the language in a contemporary, familiar way that many of them are used to seeing with their social network profiles and console game profiles. In order to unlock different areas and types of game, pupils must master words. This has proven to be a highly motivating factor.
While the game itself is a useful and motivating tool, Helene used other parts of the software as learning tool. Below is a summary of one of the tasks.
Pupils were asked to work in groups in order to create sentences using prepositions which they had learnt in class: sur, sous, dans, devant, derrière
Previously, pupils were taught how to create sentences using words they had been taught in class eg: Le chat est sur la table.
Each group was then given a photo/drawing (similar to the one below) that had unfamiliar animals, objects and rooms in them.
In groups, pupils used the My French Coach dictionary to inspire them in completing the task,
Pupils were already familiar with the dictionary tool available in the software. They were asked to examine the pictures given to them and construct descriptive sentences, using DS dictionary to find and learn unfamiliar words, including learning the pronunciation of their new words. (using the “compare” tool)
NOTE – One drawback of using the dictionary on the “My French Coach” software is that it does not give the gender of nouns and doesn’t specify if the French word given is a noun, adverb or verb. Therefore, a broader understanding of the language is necessary and S1 pupils needed to use a “paper dictionary” in order to find the gender: masculine (le) / feminine (la)
When asked about the task, pupils felt assertive about expressing their opinions:
Pupil A: “the software is very useful but it should be changed so that we can see the gender”
Pupil B: “Looking up words on the DS is fast and easier than a paper dictionary”
Pupil C: “Some words aren’t on the DS dictionary”
Pupil D: “The DS tells you how to pronounce words and makes me happier to talk French”
I started using the Nintendo DS consoles in August 2010, at the beginning of the new school year. I didn’t know my S1 students. The first thing I noticed is that using the Nintendo DS has helped me establish a strong, positive relationship with my new classes very quickly. The mention of the project created motivation, excitement and engagement with technology relevant to pupils.
The initial test and progressing through levels lead naturally to peer evaluation, informal discussions, bonding of class members, meaningful reward in the context of the game and meeting each student’s needs – for example:
A lower attaining ADHD pupil, who can be quite restless, started at level 1 after his initial test. He felt frustrated, knew very little French but was engaged and motivated to learn with the DS. Progressing through levels was very meaningful to him. As a result, he has made incredible progress. He may spend 20 minutes to produce 3 French sentences but he thinks thoroughly about the structure of the language and always tries to achieve his full potential. He also learns his vocabulary after each lesson as he has understood the importance of building on his own knowledge. In class, he is always positive, calm and hardworking despite his condition.
A very able, slightly over confident pupil started at level 12 after his initial test. He started by showing off to the rest of the class which didn’t make him very popular in class discussions. However, he soon realised that it was very difficult for him to progress through the levels as the game gets more challenging. He also realised that he was often rushing his work and was missing on important information or making various mistakes from grammar, spelling or structure. His attitude has now changed as he is being more conscientious on his DS or class work. He also often offers to support other pupils, using his own ability and mistakes to helping others in the class. His relationship with the rest of the class is also more positive.
I believe using the game as one tool in my classroom, has helped create an engaging climate for learning for all pupils. I have observed my pupils demonstrating the 4 capacities of Curriculum for Excellence: successful learner, confident individual, responsible citizen and effective contributor.
You can contact Hélène at Helene.Clark@firrhill.edin.sch.uk
Read Part 2 here
Free trade and wilderness abandoned in 2007 to prevent cheating; 91 per cent vote for February return.
1.2 million RuneScape players voted in a referendum asking if they wanted free trade and the Wilderness area restored to the game.
Developer Jagex says that 91 per cent of respondents voted in favour of free trade and the Wilderness returning. It originally removed them from the browser-based MMOG in 2007 to combat bottling, gold farming and item scamming.
To be released in Russia and CIS territories under licence from Codemasters; Western release unconfirmed.
Little-known Russian developer GFI has announced it is to release Cannon Fodder 3, an unexpected sequel to the much-loved 90s war sim.
The developer says it is making the title for PC and Xbox 360 under licence from IP rights holder Codemasters. It promises “classic isometric environments in full 3D, weather effects, change of time, destructible environment, physical water and a lot more.”
Free download allows fast searching of Edge sister site’s extensive guides and FAQs database.
Our friends at GamesRadar have released an iPhone app. GamesRadar Cheats And Guides, a free download from the App Store, is available now.
Developed by the GamesRadar US team, the app contains more than 60,000 different cheats, guides and FAQs for more than 8,600 games, from PlayStation-era classics to recent smashes like Call Of Duty: Black Ops.
MMOG operator promises improved security, denies hacker’s claims of poor employee working conditions.
Frogster, the German operator of PC MMOG Runes Of Magic, has said it has increased security on its servers in the wake of the game’s databases being hacked by a disgruntled user.
From Somerset to Sunset Boulevard, from Cornettos to Castlevania, writer-director Edgar Wright may have made the leap to the big time, but he’s not forgotten the 8bit glory days. With his movie adaptation of the comic book series Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (which we reviewed last year) he lets videogame iconography, finally, off the leash, crash-zooming, fast-cutting and side-scrolling his way through gaming history without a break for afternoon tea and biscuits.
Valve man praises Sony’s attitude as he details Portal 2’s cross-platform chat and multiplayer, cloud-based saves, and more.
Valve has said that Sony’s progressive attitude led to it introducing Steam support to consoles for the first time with the PlayStation 3 release of Portal 2.