US Black Friday shoppers help boost Microsoft’s worldwide hardware sales.
Microsoft has announced that sales of its Kinect sensor reached 2.5 million worldwide following the Black Friday weekend in the US, which is traditionally one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.
MMOG introduces microtransactions and free access for non-subscribers.
US-based developer Flying Lab Software has made its MMORPG Pirates Of The Burning Sea free-to-play.
John Riccitiello talks Rock Band, acquisitions and social game companies.
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello has addressed Viacom’s recent decision to sell Rock Band developer Harmonix.
Highlights from our community-written blogs, featuring Banshee horses and footballing automatons.
In the final part of his blog titled 'A Changed Gamer's Perspective', Nothough explains how Microsoft's entry into the console market finally reignited his passion for gaming. Describing his first few steps in Halo, Nothough draws comparisons with Zelda: Ocarina Of Time.
MIT’s Scratch program has become a firm favourite in Primary and Secondary schools all over Scotland. It is a great tool to create a variety of interactive media resources such as games, art, simulations and stories. You are only limited by your imagination!
However, as more and more pupils are experiencing Scratch in their Primary classes or through their own curiosity at home, many secondary subjects that currently use Scratch (usually Computing departments) may be wondering how to build on these skills gained pre-secondary school.
One opportunity for extending the learning opportunities with Scratch lies with the BYOB mod of Scratch. BYOB has all the features of the regular Scratch program, but has a couple of very exciting extras. Including:
For the purpose of this post, I would like to demonstrate points 4 and 5 – the ability to pass information between 2 or more computers. Lets look at an example:
The BYOB software, used in this way, provides us with a tool for learners that immediately promotes, and indeed requires, cooperative working and discussion. Charlie and myself have been demoing this implementation with Computing teachers at CPD events over Scotland in the last month or so. We have been delighted to see the discussion and cooperative working that needs to take place in order for learners to create what is,essentially, a multiplayer networked game.
Using the technique above of hosting a mesh and reading in variable data using the sensing option, user can quite quickly create a 2 player tennis style game as illustrated below.
These videos are a little rough around the edges, but I intend to re-do them as a set of tutorial videos to be hosted within our game design Glow group. This tutorial set will take users through the steps to make the tennis game.
Please get in touch if you have already been using BYOB with your classes and share your experience with us.
Reggie Fils-Aime estimates 9,000 consoles sold every hour last week.
Nintendo has revealed sales figures for the period from November 21 to 27 (Black Friday) in the US.
The company sold 900,000 DS handhelds (combined line) and 600,000 Wii consoles. USA Today says that for the same period last year the company sold over a million DS units and a similar number of Wii consoles at 550,000.
Up to 19 staff may be affected by reorganisation plans at the Newcastle-based developer of Driver: San Francisco.
An Ubisoft spokesperson has told Develop that a number of employees may be made redundant or have contracts expire without renewal.
New system revealed by Index Holding will assess titles “based on the culture, society and the special values of Islam”.
At the Dubai World Game Expo today, the Index Holding corporation and Iran National Foundation Of Computer Games announced the formation and launch of the Entertainment Software Rating Association (ESRA).
The ESRA is designed to evaluate games in respect to Islamic values and rate them accordingly.
Format: 360, PC (version tested)
Release: Out now
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Vitamin G Studios
Worldwide videogame retailer files €3million pre-tax loss in the region.
The Irish Times reports that GameStop’s Ireland base in Dublin has recorded losses for the 12-month period up to January 30 this year.
The US-based company, which has 55 outlets in Ireland, recorded an operating loss of €1.64 million in the latest report, compared to an operating profit of €4.5 million in 2008.
SCEA applications reveal “touch control” feature for a new handheld device.
Sony Computer Entertainment Of America has filed new patents with the US Patent And Trademark Office which back up rumours regarding a new PSP handheld device.
Ready At Dawn’s co-founder on the Olympian task of PSP development.
Sony’s racer ends Activision’s winning-streak in the latest chart.
Gran Turismo 5 has debuted at the top of the UK multiformat chart for the week ending November 27.
Nintendo’s Art Academy on DS jumped from number 27 to number eight, while Fallout: New Vegas managed to re-enter the top ten.
EA's Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit fell three places in its second week of release while Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood maintains a strong presence in the top three.
Jade Raymond discusses production in a new video promoting the company’s Canada studio.
In a video published by the government of Ontario yesterday, Jade Raymond, managing director of Ubisoft’s Toronto studio, says: “We’re working on Splinter Cell 6, the next iteration of the blockbuster franchise and we’re doing it entirely here in Toronto.”
Call Of Duty: Black Ops remains king of the hill.
In the UK Top Sellers Buzz chart, Call Of Duty: Black Ops spends its second week at the top with its 54,289 mentions placing the game well ahead of closest rival, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, which debuted at number two with 14,978. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is living up to its name at number three while FIFA 11 and Kinect Sports round out the top five.
The videogame industry is dependent on sequels. They’re a more or less guaranteed source of income, a way to re-use expensive engines and assets, and they’re welcomed by fans and (most) critics alike. But one thing always presents a problem. Atmosphere. The thrill of the first time is almost impossible to replicate, and most sequels simply dilute what was there, turning well-remembered but isolated moments into series trademarks and nudge-nudge references. But for every rule there are exceptions. And then there’s Resident Evil 2.
PSP software lays the groundwork for Sony’s Qriocity cloud-based music network.
The latest firmware update for Sony’s PSP handheld (version 6.35) was released today and adds an icon for the company’s Qriocity (pronounced "curiosity") music service that will be launched soon.
Co-founder of id Software says the days of packaged goods are numbered.
John Carmack, technical director at US-based developer id Software, says the Apple App Store model of distribution is “the wave of the future for everything.”
Chief of marketing and sales at Ubisoft confirms a new game in the series and details Brotherhood’s sales success.
Geoffroy Sardin, chief of marketing and sales in Europe for Ubisoft, has told MCV that the company will release a new title in the Assassin’s Creed series next year.
No details were revealed about the project but Sardin says “more details will be forthcoming”.
New category for Sony’s PS3 download service dedicated to localised western titles.
Sony Computer Entertainment Japan launched a “Western Game Buyer Selection” category on PSN yesterday.
The new section hosts PS3 and PSP titles developed and previously released overseas, and currently offers Castle Crashers, Comet Crash and Young Thor for download at prices of ¥1,500, ¥1,000 and ¥500 respectively.
Activision and Ubisoft lead the charge in the latest software chart with EA in hot pursuit.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood hold the top two places in the Nordic software chart, which covers Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden in sales of combined SKUs.
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit has made a strong debut in third place, as Microsoft’s Kinect launch games move out of the top ten for the week ending November 21.
Microsoft’s device sells 26,000 units at launch, games struggle to make an impression on the software chart.
In a breakdown of Media Create’s latest Japan hardware and software charts, Andriasang confirms recent reports that Microsoft’s Kinect is off to a slow start in the territory.
Phileas Fog may have circumnavigated the world in 80 days, but London-based creative agency Poke tasked players with travelling across the World Wide Web in only 11. Balloonacy, Poke's promotional game for UK mobile phone provider Orange, first appeared in 2008 and allowed website owners to host stages of a balloon race on their pages. The simple game, which was laid over these websites, was a success that Orange wanted Poke to repeat this year.
Free-to-play shooter built with CryEngine 3 “dedicated to the Korean and other Asian markets”.
Eurogamer has received details of a new online shooter co-developed by Crytek Seoul. The game will feature a “constantly updated extensive” player-versus-environment setting, with support for co-op missions. Class-based PVP modes will also be included.
Warface will be PC-exclusive and aims to appeal to the eastern market.
Wii sales take a week-on-week dive as sales of Sony's handheld more than double.
Japan hardware sales for the week ending November 21 reveal rapid growth for a number of systems.
Sony’s PSP sales jumped from 40,328 units in the previous week to 96,601 while 360 sales were up from 2,686 to 7,083. PS3 sales increased by 7,944.