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Sunday, September 30, 2012
New Xbox Live Rewards program encourages gamers to play more Xbox
At last, the Xbox 360 Gamerscore is no longer just for show. Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox Live Rewards program is now giving gamers special perks for having higher Gamerscores. Rewards are split into three tiers: Contender, Champion and Legend. Contender rewards gamers with a Gamerscore of 3,000 to 9,999 with a "special gift" during their birthday month (the prize is only worth $0.25 and is likely an Avatar item). Champion-level Gamerscores between 10,000 and 24,999 will be rewarded the special gift and 1% rebate on Xbox Live Marketplace purchases every month. And lastly, gamers with Gamerscores of 25,000 and higher qualify for Legend status, which includes everything Champion players get, but instead of a 1% rebate, they'll get a 2% rebate every month. The Xbox Live Rewards program is only available for Gold members, so Silver members are out of luck. Now get out there and start unlocking those game achievements and boosting that Gamerscore! Xbox 360 gamers can sign up for the Xbox Live Rewards program here.
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Thursday, September 27, 2012
3 charged with shooting at Tenn. teen, taking Xbox
JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - Police in Tennessee have charged three adults with shooting at a 13-year-old and taking an Xbox video game console from him.
A Jackson police news release said one of those charged, 22-year-old Rasheka Sampson, had reported her Xbox stolen during a burglary last week and then confronted a teenager she saw walking down the street with game equipment Wednesday.
Authorities said Sampson's boyfriend, 21-year-old Skylar Reeves, took the Xbox and then fired at but missed the youth, Isaiah Jones. Police said the Xbox serial code proved it wasn't Sampson's but they haven't yet determined who owns it.
Aggravated robbery and theft charges were filed against Sampson, 25-year-old Marilyn Horne and Reeves, who is also charged with aggravated assault. They remained in jail Thursday, and jail records didn't indicate if they had attorneys.
This news article is brought to you by MOVIE CRITIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
A Jackson police news release said one of those charged, 22-year-old Rasheka Sampson, had reported her Xbox stolen during a burglary last week and then confronted a teenager she saw walking down the street with game equipment Wednesday.
Authorities said Sampson's boyfriend, 21-year-old Skylar Reeves, took the Xbox and then fired at but missed the youth, Isaiah Jones. Police said the Xbox serial code proved it wasn't Sampson's but they haven't yet determined who owns it.
Aggravated robbery and theft charges were filed against Sampson, 25-year-old Marilyn Horne and Reeves, who is also charged with aggravated assault. They remained in jail Thursday, and jail records didn't indicate if they had attorneys.
This news article is brought to you by MOVIE CRITIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Bad Piggies, Rovio's new Angry Birds spin-off, now available for Android, iOS and OS X [updated]
Finnish game designer Rovio is going back to what it does best: Designing games with silly cartoon animals crashing into things. Rovio on Thursday officially released Bad Piggies, the latest spin-off in its mega-hit Angry Birds franchise, on both the Apple (AAPL) App Store and Google (GOOG) Play. Bad Piggies is a new action-puzzle game that lets users play as the villainous green pigs from the Angry Birds universe and involves building wacky vehicles to help the guide the pigs through a number of treacherous obstacle courses. BGR will have a mini-review of the game posted later on Thursday.
UPDATE: Bad Piggies has already hit the top spot in the iTunes App Store less than three hours after its official release.
Bad Piggies, Rovio's new Angry Birds spin-off, now available for Android, iOS and OS X
Finnish game designer Rovio is going back to what it does best: Designing games with silly cartoon animals crashing into things. Rovio on Thursday officially released Bad Piggies, the latest spin-off in its mega-hit Angry Birds franchise, on both the Apple (AAPL) App Store and Google (GOOG) Play. Bad Piggies is a new action-puzzle game that lets users play as the villainous green pigs from the Angry Birds universe and involves building wacky vehicles to help the guide the pigs through a number of treacherous obstacle courses. BGR will have a mini-review of the game posted later on Thursday.
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Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Xbox Music subscription pricing leaked, ad-supported version may be in the works
Announced at E3, Xbox Music is Microsoft's (MSFT) own subscription-based music service that will rival the likes of Spotify. A new online leak for an update to the Xbox 360's dashboard in the U.K. has prematurely revealed that Xbox Music will be priced at £8.99 for a monthly pass and £89.90 for an annual pass. It's speculated that Microsoft will launch Xbox Music in the U.S. with the same prices as its current Zune Music Pass service: $10 per month or $100 for a yearly pass. Another leak from NeoGAF also suggests that a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Music will also launch alongside the subscription service that will allow cross-platform playlist syncing between Xbox 360, Windows 8 PCs and Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Xbox Music is slated for a launch this fall and will replace Zune Music Pass. Microsoft says the service will have a library of 30 million tracks.
[Via VentureBeat]
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[Via VentureBeat]
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Nintendo Wii U to launch with 23 games on November 18th
What games will buyers be able to pick up for the Nintendo (NTDOY) Wii U when it launches on November 18th? As promised by Nintendo, the console will see a diversified lineup of 23 launch games that'll cater to both hardcore and casual gamers. In addition to the 23 games that will be available for purchase on launch day, Nintendo also revealed the 29 other "launch window" games that will trickle in between November 18th and March 2013. Nintendo will sell the Wii U in two bundles: a "Basic Set" that includes white console and controller with 8GB of internal storage for $299.99 and a "Deluxe Set" with a black console and 32GB of storage for $349.99. Wii U software will cost no more than $59.99. The full list of launch day and launch window games follows below.
Here's the list of the 23 Wii U video games that will be available on November 18th:
Here's the list of the 23 Wii U video games that will be available on November 18th:
Assassin's Creed IIIAnd here's the list of the 29 games that'll arrive between November and March 2013:
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Darksiders II
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
ESPN Sports Connection
FIFA Soccer 13
Game Party Champions
Just Dance 4
New Super Mario Bros. U
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
Nintendo Land
Rabbids Land
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Sing Party
Skylanders: Giants
Sonic & All-Starts Racing Transformed
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Transformers Prime
Warrior's Orochi 3 Hyper
Wipeout 3
Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU
007 LegendsRead
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Ben 10 Omniverse
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013
Chasing Aurora
Cloudberry Kingdom
Family Party: 30 Great Games: Obstacle Arcade
Funky Barn
Game & Wario
Jeopardy!
Lego City Undercover
Little Inferno
Madden NFL 13
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
Mass Effect 3
Mighty Switch Force HD
Nano Assault Neo
NBA 2K13
Pikmin 3
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
Rayman Legends
Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game
Runner 2: future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Tank! Tank! Tank!
The Wonderful 101
Toki Tori 2
Trine 2: Director's Cut
Wheel of Fortune
Wii Fit U
Angry Birds maker hopes Bad Piggies will help it fly again
HELSINKI (Reuters) - Angry Birds-maker Rovio Entertainment will be hoping to prove it's no one-hit wonder when it launches Bad Piggies on Thursday, just as players seem to be tiring of the game they've been addicted to for the past three years.
The new game will feature pigs which strike back at the birds who attacked them with slingshots in Angry Birds.
A hit on app stores would give the Finnish company a boost as it looks to a possible stock market flotation next year. Some analysts put its market value at between $6 billion and $9 billion, nearly on a par with another top Finnish tech name, phone maker Nokia Oyj.
Rovio was founded in 2003 and became a global phenomenon after it launched Angry Birds for Apple Inc's iPhone in late 2009.
The highly-addictive game helped Rovio's sales jump 10-fold to $100 million last year, a fraction of the 38.7 billion euros ($50.2 billion) which Nokia chalked up.
It has remained at the top of gaming charts, with more than a billion downloads, and had 200 million monthly users at the end of 2011. That compares for instance with the 240 million attracted by offerings from U.S-based Zynga Inc, such as the Facebook-based Farmville.
But there are signs Rovio is losing its momentum.
Amazing Alex, the first non-Angry Birds game in more than two years from Rovio, hit No. 1 on download charts in July but has since slumped to outside the top 50, while Angry Birds Space has dropped fast from the top-grossing lists.
'Rovio needs a big hit right now. Over the past two months, Rovio's revenue-generation ability has suddenly slipped badly,' said analyst Tero Kuittinen from Finnish mobile analytics firm Alekstra.
BRAND POWER
In Bad Piggies, instead of shooting with a slingshot, players build vehicles that help the characters get the birds' eggs.
The company said it was hoping the new game would breathe additional life into its brand.
'We see Bad Piggies as a long-term brand-building exercise. In three years from now we want to see Angry Birds and Bad Piggies as strong vibrant brands out there,' Petri Jarvilehto, head of gaming at Rovio, told Reuters in an interview.
Rovio is also expanding into merchandising, modelling its long-term strategy on Walt Disney Co by selling a range of stuffed animals and other toys, as well as branded playground equipment which then bolster branding for its games.
If successful, the company says it could go public as soon as next year, offering a possible payday to its backers. Last year, Rovio raised $42 million from venture capital firms including Accel Partners, which previously backed Facebook and Baidu, and Skype founder Niklas Zennstroem's venture capital firm, Atomico Ventures.
Last year some 30 percent of turnover came from items other than games, but it is the group's on-screen inventiveness which is the crucial factor in its prospects.
'Rovio needs to re-establish its reputation for creating hits with legs (staying power),' Kuittinen said.
'There is no doubt that the pig game will hit number 1 at launch. But it has to stay in top ten for half a year to erase the doubts that the fast fade of Amazing Alex has created.'
(Editing by David Holmes)
This news article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
The new game will feature pigs which strike back at the birds who attacked them with slingshots in Angry Birds.
A hit on app stores would give the Finnish company a boost as it looks to a possible stock market flotation next year. Some analysts put its market value at between $6 billion and $9 billion, nearly on a par with another top Finnish tech name, phone maker Nokia Oyj.
Rovio was founded in 2003 and became a global phenomenon after it launched Angry Birds for Apple Inc's iPhone in late 2009.
The highly-addictive game helped Rovio's sales jump 10-fold to $100 million last year, a fraction of the 38.7 billion euros ($50.2 billion) which Nokia chalked up.
It has remained at the top of gaming charts, with more than a billion downloads, and had 200 million monthly users at the end of 2011. That compares for instance with the 240 million attracted by offerings from U.S-based Zynga Inc, such as the Facebook-based Farmville.
But there are signs Rovio is losing its momentum.
Amazing Alex, the first non-Angry Birds game in more than two years from Rovio, hit No. 1 on download charts in July but has since slumped to outside the top 50, while Angry Birds Space has dropped fast from the top-grossing lists.
'Rovio needs a big hit right now. Over the past two months, Rovio's revenue-generation ability has suddenly slipped badly,' said analyst Tero Kuittinen from Finnish mobile analytics firm Alekstra.
BRAND POWER
In Bad Piggies, instead of shooting with a slingshot, players build vehicles that help the characters get the birds' eggs.
The company said it was hoping the new game would breathe additional life into its brand.
'We see Bad Piggies as a long-term brand-building exercise. In three years from now we want to see Angry Birds and Bad Piggies as strong vibrant brands out there,' Petri Jarvilehto, head of gaming at Rovio, told Reuters in an interview.
Rovio is also expanding into merchandising, modelling its long-term strategy on Walt Disney Co by selling a range of stuffed animals and other toys, as well as branded playground equipment which then bolster branding for its games.
If successful, the company says it could go public as soon as next year, offering a possible payday to its backers. Last year, Rovio raised $42 million from venture capital firms including Accel Partners, which previously backed Facebook and Baidu, and Skype founder Niklas Zennstroem's venture capital firm, Atomico Ventures.
Last year some 30 percent of turnover came from items other than games, but it is the group's on-screen inventiveness which is the crucial factor in its prospects.
'Rovio needs to re-establish its reputation for creating hits with legs (staying power),' Kuittinen said.
'There is no doubt that the pig game will hit number 1 at launch. But it has to stay in top ten for half a year to erase the doubts that the fast fade of Amazing Alex has created.'
(Editing by David Holmes)
This news article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Google search data can be used to predict how well new video games will sell
What do Google (GOOG) searches and video games sales have in common? More than we thought. According to a report called "Understanding the Modern Gamer," there is a lot of insight on game sales that can be gleaned from video game-related searches. For example, using tracked search data from 2010 and 2011, the white paper reveals that "if a game accrues 250,000 clicks in the 10 months around launch, it will likely sell between 2 and 4 million units in the first four months after release." The report claims it can predict 84% of game sale just from using Google searches.
In addition to predictive sales data, the analysis also says that 27% of game-related searches - for pre-orders, trailers, DLC, strategies, cheats, etc. - are performed on mobile devices, which means engaging gamers with related mobile applications is growing in importance.
By studying search data, publishers and their marketing/public relations teams can devise a strategy to properly guide a game to success. As shown below, important searches differ during different periods, from pre-launch to during launch to post-launch. So if you've ever wondered why media are drip-fed only a handful of screenshots for a new game at certain times, this type of data is the reason.
[Via Destructoid]
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In addition to predictive sales data, the analysis also says that 27% of game-related searches - for pre-orders, trailers, DLC, strategies, cheats, etc. - are performed on mobile devices, which means engaging gamers with related mobile applications is growing in importance.
By studying search data, publishers and their marketing/public relations teams can devise a strategy to properly guide a game to success. As shown below, important searches differ during different periods, from pre-launch to during launch to post-launch. So if you've ever wondered why media are drip-fed only a handful of screenshots for a new game at certain times, this type of data is the reason.
[Via Destructoid]
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How to Sell Old Video Games for Cash
There are two basic ways to get cash for old video games. The first is to sell them yourself, on an auction web site or in person. This method takes time, however, and can be tricky. Your second option is to sell them using a service like RadioShack's Trade and Save Program.
Store trade-in programs have become extremely popular among gamers. You beat a game or grow tired of it and you want something new for your console; just take them to the store and get cash for your video games. This way, your older games won't languish unused in an entertainment center cabinet.
How It Works
Stores such as RadioShack often buy back games based on their current retail value. You can obtain an estimate either in the store or online. If you choose the latter, you'll be issued a shipping label to send the item to them; for the former, you'll just hand over the game and complete the transaction.
Once the store has received your video game, you'll get store credit in the form of a gift card, which can be used like cash to buy new games or anything else sold by the company. You might choose to put your money toward a new television, for example, or a digital camera.
Do Your Games Qualify?
Whether you're selling your old video games for cash on eBay or using a trade-in program, you'll first want to make sure your games are in good working order. If possible, they should be stored in the original packaging, and should be free of any defects.
Keep in mind that some video games have no current retail value. For these games, you can choose to recycle them through RadioShack or you can attempt to sell them to a private party.
Either way, the more you know about your video games, the better chance you have of getting proper reimbursement. Research the popularity of your games before obtaining a price quote.
When to Trade
It's a good idea to trade in video games for cash if they are relatively recent titles in good working order. You might want to sell several games at once so you'll get cash for all of them at one time.
The good news is that video games are not seasonable items. There is no better time of year to trade than others, which means you don't have to wait around with stacks of video games cluttering up your home. Whether you sell to a private party or go through a store trade-in program, just make sure to take care of your games while they are in your possession.
This article is brought to you by BUY A NEW COMPUTER.
Store trade-in programs have become extremely popular among gamers. You beat a game or grow tired of it and you want something new for your console; just take them to the store and get cash for your video games. This way, your older games won't languish unused in an entertainment center cabinet.
How It Works
Stores such as RadioShack often buy back games based on their current retail value. You can obtain an estimate either in the store or online. If you choose the latter, you'll be issued a shipping label to send the item to them; for the former, you'll just hand over the game and complete the transaction.
Once the store has received your video game, you'll get store credit in the form of a gift card, which can be used like cash to buy new games or anything else sold by the company. You might choose to put your money toward a new television, for example, or a digital camera.
Do Your Games Qualify?
Whether you're selling your old video games for cash on eBay or using a trade-in program, you'll first want to make sure your games are in good working order. If possible, they should be stored in the original packaging, and should be free of any defects.
Keep in mind that some video games have no current retail value. For these games, you can choose to recycle them through RadioShack or you can attempt to sell them to a private party.
Either way, the more you know about your video games, the better chance you have of getting proper reimbursement. Research the popularity of your games before obtaining a price quote.
When to Trade
It's a good idea to trade in video games for cash if they are relatively recent titles in good working order. You might want to sell several games at once so you'll get cash for all of them at one time.
The good news is that video games are not seasonable items. There is no better time of year to trade than others, which means you don't have to wait around with stacks of video games cluttering up your home. Whether you sell to a private party or go through a store trade-in program, just make sure to take care of your games while they are in your possession.
This article is brought to you by BUY A NEW COMPUTER.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Nintendo confirms Wii U is region-locked, won't play imported games
Bringing tears to the eyes of gamers everywhere, Nintendo (NTDOY) has confirmed to CVG that its upcoming Wii U console and its accompanying Wii U GamePad will be region-locked. To bring everybody up to code, Nintendo, along with Sony (SNE) and Microsoft (MSFT) have had a tradition of preventing video game consoles sold in one region from working with video game software from another region. Every home console Nintendo has released since the original Nintendo Entertainment System has been region-locked, as well as its 3DS handheld lineup. The exception to the rule was the DS, which has gone on to sell more than 152 million units worldwide as of July. The new Wii U console launches on November 18th starting at $299.99 for the Basic Set and $349.99 for the Deluxe Set, and many popular retailers are already reporting that preorders are sold out.
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With PlayStation 4 launch looming, Sony says it will support PS3 for at least three more years
Speaking on how long the PS3 would stick around, Koller told GameSpot: "We're going to continue supporting the PS3 for the next few years. Absolutely. And we're going to continue supporting it not only that long, but as long as there is a development spigot that's running hot. And I can tell you right now, the development spigot for PS3 is very hot. A lot of great games coming. Same thing with PS2.it's kind of stuck around as that old warrior, many years after its launch. But there's still games launching for it."
Unconfirmed early PlayStation 4 rumors suggest Sony's next console will still support optical discs, output 1080p 3D video and have an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU. BGR also exclusively reported in August that Sony's PS4 will support 4K resolution for both games and videos.
In the meantime, a new PlayStation 3 model that is 20% smaller and 25% lighter will hit stores on September 25th for $269.99.
[Via ArsTechnica]
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How Video Game Statistics Could Transform War
Much of the U.S. military's younger generation has grown up playing video games that constantly tell players how well they're doing on the virtual battlefield - whether it's the screen turning red to warn of low health or displays showing the world's top-scoring players based on reviving fallen friends and killing enemies with certain weapons. A U.S. Army weapons engineer thinks that, with the right technologies, such gaming-world awareness could become real for tomorrow's soldiers.
U.S. soldiers could go into battle wearing 'Google Glasses' that warn of exhaustion levels by changing their vision's tint from green ('optimal') to yellow or red ('danger'), said David Musgrave, a manager at the U.S. Army's Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. Tank commanders and helicopter pilots might see a kill ratio for how many enemy vehicles they've destroyed compared to the rest of their unit, or even to the entire Army.
'The same energy and pride that goes into climbing the rankings of 'Call of Duty' multiplayer could be turned towards higher soldier performance, whether that entails killing tanks, delivering fuel or saving lives,' Musgrave said.
That idea remains decades away from implementation, even if U.S. Army commanders decide to support it. But Musgrave hopes to achieve the more practical plan of tracking weapons performance and soldier behaviors - a first step toward providing the real-time awareness that could eventually motivate soldiers the way games motivate players.
From games to war
Weapon malfunctions on the battlefield can make a life-or-death difference to the U.S. military. Yet Musgrave and his colleagues must rely on written reports and anecdotes from soldiers who may struggle to recall all the important details of when, where and how a weapon system failed or performed incorrectly.
'Ideally, I'd be able to go to some central database and pull up all the recent failures of that [weapon's] part and relevant history,' Musgrave told TechNewsDaily. 'Unfortunately, right now, at best we can get someone who used the system to try to vaguely remember if he'd seen the error before.'
A frustrated Musgrave found inspiration in his video game hobby. He was watching a weekly Web series called ExtraCredits when the show discussed how game companies tracked the behavior of players inside virtual worlds. Intrigued, he began running Google searches and discovered a presentation from Bioware, the maker of popular games, such as the 'Mass Effect' trilogy, with statistics about how many players chose certain actions. [Virtual Behavior Labs Discover What Gamers Want]
Musgrave began imagining the possibility of automatically gathering such data in real life. He envisioned hundreds of self-propelled howitzers, huge cannons mounted on tank-like tracks, reporting back their status, history and performance from around the world. (Musgrave is project lead for fire-control software development on the M109 Paladin, the U.S. Army's latest 155 mm howitzer).
Numbers game
Self-reporting weapons could help engineers troubleshoot hardware or software problems, even if the malfunctions only happen half a dozen times over a weapon program's lifespan. That's because Army engineers could sort through the data pile, looking at factors like time or temperature, to find what factors might be related to the problem.
'Taken on a case-by-case basis, a root cause may be impossible to find,' Musgrave explained. 'But if we can pull a lot of data together, we may be able to find trends in the chaos.'
An even more futuristic system could give the U.S. Army statistics that gamers already expect from their online, multiplayer sessions, such as average hit rates or the time required to engage enemy targets with a certain weapon. If the tracking extends to soldier behavior, it could even identify what Army units might need more training on a specific weapon.
Such weapons-performance tracking might even inspire innovations in battlefield tactics or weapons design.
'For instance, let's say our shoulder-fired missile has a great thermal scope with high-power zoom,' Musgrave said. 'Then, let's say we notice that soldiers sometimes turn it on and use the optics as a spotting or recon device instead of just finding a target for a missile. This would be a great new way to use the system and something that the original designers might not have considered.'
Battlefield gamification
Still, tracking weapons performance and soldier behavior in the real world presents a much more difficult challenge than tracking virtual actions in a video game. Musgrave wants to avoid loading soldiers down with more hardware or the need to learn new procedures; so, his ideal starter system would piggyback on existing Army weapons software and focus on collecting just a few data points.
The Army may eventually have a 'tactical Internet' connecting all its soldiers and vehicles, a system that could report statistics in real-time and provide the foundation for the 'gamification' of the battlefield. Yet the technology already exists to make a primitive data-reporting system a reality within a decade, Musgrave said.
'Maybe we won't have the live feedback that BioWare gets on who's playing 'Mass Effect,' but the Army could have something very useful in a very short amount of time,' Musgrave said. 'If we can keep the idea simple, affordable and non-intrusive, I think this could actually happen.'
This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. You can follow TechNewsDaily Senior Writer Jeremy Hsu on Twitter @jeremyhsu. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily, or on Facebook.
This article is sponsored by build website.
U.S. soldiers could go into battle wearing 'Google Glasses' that warn of exhaustion levels by changing their vision's tint from green ('optimal') to yellow or red ('danger'), said David Musgrave, a manager at the U.S. Army's Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. Tank commanders and helicopter pilots might see a kill ratio for how many enemy vehicles they've destroyed compared to the rest of their unit, or even to the entire Army.
'The same energy and pride that goes into climbing the rankings of 'Call of Duty' multiplayer could be turned towards higher soldier performance, whether that entails killing tanks, delivering fuel or saving lives,' Musgrave said.
That idea remains decades away from implementation, even if U.S. Army commanders decide to support it. But Musgrave hopes to achieve the more practical plan of tracking weapons performance and soldier behaviors - a first step toward providing the real-time awareness that could eventually motivate soldiers the way games motivate players.
From games to war
Weapon malfunctions on the battlefield can make a life-or-death difference to the U.S. military. Yet Musgrave and his colleagues must rely on written reports and anecdotes from soldiers who may struggle to recall all the important details of when, where and how a weapon system failed or performed incorrectly.
'Ideally, I'd be able to go to some central database and pull up all the recent failures of that [weapon's] part and relevant history,' Musgrave told TechNewsDaily. 'Unfortunately, right now, at best we can get someone who used the system to try to vaguely remember if he'd seen the error before.'
A frustrated Musgrave found inspiration in his video game hobby. He was watching a weekly Web series called ExtraCredits when the show discussed how game companies tracked the behavior of players inside virtual worlds. Intrigued, he began running Google searches and discovered a presentation from Bioware, the maker of popular games, such as the 'Mass Effect' trilogy, with statistics about how many players chose certain actions. [Virtual Behavior Labs Discover What Gamers Want]
Musgrave began imagining the possibility of automatically gathering such data in real life. He envisioned hundreds of self-propelled howitzers, huge cannons mounted on tank-like tracks, reporting back their status, history and performance from around the world. (Musgrave is project lead for fire-control software development on the M109 Paladin, the U.S. Army's latest 155 mm howitzer).
Numbers game
Self-reporting weapons could help engineers troubleshoot hardware or software problems, even if the malfunctions only happen half a dozen times over a weapon program's lifespan. That's because Army engineers could sort through the data pile, looking at factors like time or temperature, to find what factors might be related to the problem.
'Taken on a case-by-case basis, a root cause may be impossible to find,' Musgrave explained. 'But if we can pull a lot of data together, we may be able to find trends in the chaos.'
An even more futuristic system could give the U.S. Army statistics that gamers already expect from their online, multiplayer sessions, such as average hit rates or the time required to engage enemy targets with a certain weapon. If the tracking extends to soldier behavior, it could even identify what Army units might need more training on a specific weapon.
Such weapons-performance tracking might even inspire innovations in battlefield tactics or weapons design.
'For instance, let's say our shoulder-fired missile has a great thermal scope with high-power zoom,' Musgrave said. 'Then, let's say we notice that soldiers sometimes turn it on and use the optics as a spotting or recon device instead of just finding a target for a missile. This would be a great new way to use the system and something that the original designers might not have considered.'
Battlefield gamification
Still, tracking weapons performance and soldier behavior in the real world presents a much more difficult challenge than tracking virtual actions in a video game. Musgrave wants to avoid loading soldiers down with more hardware or the need to learn new procedures; so, his ideal starter system would piggyback on existing Army weapons software and focus on collecting just a few data points.
The Army may eventually have a 'tactical Internet' connecting all its soldiers and vehicles, a system that could report statistics in real-time and provide the foundation for the 'gamification' of the battlefield. Yet the technology already exists to make a primitive data-reporting system a reality within a decade, Musgrave said.
'Maybe we won't have the live feedback that BioWare gets on who's playing 'Mass Effect,' but the Army could have something very useful in a very short amount of time,' Musgrave said. 'If we can keep the idea simple, affordable and non-intrusive, I think this could actually happen.'
This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. You can follow TechNewsDaily Senior Writer Jeremy Hsu on Twitter @jeremyhsu. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily, or on Facebook.
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sony says no to PlayStation 3 price cut, shoppers already have plenty of retail deals
Gamers were left scratching their heads when Sony (SNE) announced its new slimmer PlayStation 3 would actually cost more than the model it was replacing. With these types of products shrinking, it's usually the case that the reduction in build materials means savings pass on to the consumer. Not so - the new $269.99 PlayStation 3 will replace the old and out of production $249.99 PS3. Granted, consumers will get a copy of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and a 250GB hard drive instead of a 160GB one, but why hasn't the six-year-old console hit the $199 price point yet? After all, the 4GB Xbox 360 is already sold for $199.99.
Sony Computer Entertainment America vice president of marketing, handhelds and home consoles John Koller told Engadget that the company has no plans to drop the six-year-old console's price any time in the foreseeable future.
"There's no price drop formally, but the thing that's been happening in the market over the last year or so is that there's been so many retail price promotions, and so many different gift card offers and all those things, being done by all of us (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony), that we've heard from our consumer, 'Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value,' " Koller told Engadget.
That's a bummer. It looks like shoppers looking for a PS3 this holiday will have to settle for whatever deals retailers dish out instead of relying on hard price cut.
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Sony Computer Entertainment America vice president of marketing, handhelds and home consoles John Koller told Engadget that the company has no plans to drop the six-year-old console's price any time in the foreseeable future.
"There's no price drop formally, but the thing that's been happening in the market over the last year or so is that there's been so many retail price promotions, and so many different gift card offers and all those things, being done by all of us (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony), that we've heard from our consumer, 'Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value,' " Koller told Engadget.
That's a bummer. It looks like shoppers looking for a PS3 this holiday will have to settle for whatever deals retailers dish out instead of relying on hard price cut.
Read
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How Video Game Assists the Visually Impaired
There are two things that make optometrist and neuroscientist Lotfi Merabet's new computer game unusual: The various rooms and corridors in the game exactly mirror a real place, and players aren't able to navigate by looking at graphics on-screen. Instead, players must rely entirely on different sounds that tell them where doors, walls, jewels and monsters lay in wait.
Merabet and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School and the University of Chile designed the game for - and tested the game with - visually impaired people. And they found something interesting about their players when they later took the gamers to the real building on which the game was based. Although the researchers hadn't told the study participants to remember the game's layout, they found that those who played the game excelled at independently navigating the real building.
The researchers' study shows the promise of audio maps helping to solve a real problem for the blind, said Gordon Legge, who directs the Laboratory for Low-Vision Research at the University of Minnesota, is visually impaired, and was not involved in Merabet's study. 'People who are visually impaired are often anxious about going to new places. That's a big issue,' Legge said. 'If there were software methods to explore and learn a place before they go, it could be quite advantageous.' [10 Profound Innovations Ahead]
The study also hints at the possibilities of using audio games to teach visually impaired people in a way that sticks better than other methods, including a guided tour of the computer game's layout, which Merabet also studied. 'Gaming sort of gives you a problem-solving sense that you don't have through directed navigation,' said Merabet, who runs studies and sees patients at Harvard's Massachusetts Ear and Eye Infirmary.
Although there are still important software problems to resolve, in the future, major buildings might be able to offer audio maps or games to help visually impaired visitors prepare before they get there.
From game to real life
Starting last year, Merabet began testing his game on people aged 15 to 45 who had been blind since birth. Players wore headphones while they played the game and navigated by pressing keys on a keyboard. Whenever their avatars touched walls or doors, they heard characteristic sounds. A knock in the left ear meant a door to the left; a knock on the right, a door to the right. Knocking in both ears indicated a door in front. 'The best way for you to get a sense of that room is by feeling around,' Merabet said. [Video Game Improves Vision for Adults Born with Cataracts]
He told his study participants they were supposed to collect jewels hidden in the game's rooms, while avoiding monsters that would steal the jewels. Both the gems and monsters emitted sounds that increased in volume as the game players approached them - or as they approached the players. He didn't say anything about remembering the map, nor did he mention that the rooms' layout was exactly the same as the two-story, 23-room Carroll Center for the Blind, a school in Newton, Mass.
Yet when he took the game-players to the Carroll Center afterward, he found they could apply what they'd learned from the game to navigating the real building. When researchers told gamers to go from one specific room to another, the gamers could finish navigating the real-life building in about a minute and 15 seconds. When taken to a random room and told to find the nearest exit, the gamers could do so in a minute and one second.
In fact, the players performed better at the exit-finding task than visually impaired study volunteers who had taken a strict guided audio tour of the computer game's layout, sans monsters and jewels. (The gamers and the guided tour-takers performed equally well at walking from room to room.) Tour-takers generally chose longer routes than gamers did, the researchers found.
'Both groups can learn the layout of the building whether you teach them explicitly or whether they learn it implicitly through the game,' Merabet told TechNewsDaily. But gamers, he said, 'have a better sense of how the rooms are connected with each other.'
Does it have to be a game?
Merabet's game wrapped up many characteristics that help with learning in one package: It forced people to explore independently and learn the hard way, by bumping into things. People enjoyed playing it and felt motivated to collect lots of jewels. ('I can tell you, at least anecdotally, it's remarkable how much people liked the game,' Merabet said.) And the game may have forced people to walk certain paths that are important to learning a building's layout.
More experiments are needed if researchers want to pinpoint which characteristics are important to better learning from audio games and other audio maps, Legge said. It would be especially helpful to know if independent exploration by itself is enough, so that people could use software to wander through buildings virtually without having to contend with monsters every time, Legge thinks. 'From a practical point of view, I'm not sure people would want to play a game every time they wanted to learn a new building,' he said.
Merabet is now working to expand on his computer game research in several ways. One way is improving his software so that any building's blueprint can get automatically rendered into an audio map. Another is a brain-scan study that examines what parts of blind people's brains are activated when they play the game. He has finished the study, he said, but didn't want to reveal the results until they're published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Getting the software to work for all buildings is technologically challenging, Merabet said. Right now, his software works well for one-story buildings with straight corridors. For more complicated buildings, however, it's difficult for the computer program to remember to play sounds in the right place while users continually walk and change their position.
If Merabet is able to make an audio map generator, it could become exactly the tool Legge said would be so advantageous to those with vision impairments. Merabet compared the potential maps he could make to flight simulation software for pilots. Both would mentally prepare people for challenging tasks. 'The idea of mental rehearsal is a very, very powerful one,' he said.
Merabet published the results of his game navigation study yesterday (Sept. 19) in the journal PLOS ONE.
This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. You can follow TechNewsDaily staff writer Francie Diep on Twitter @franciediep.
This news article is brought to you by GOING GREEN NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Merabet and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School and the University of Chile designed the game for - and tested the game with - visually impaired people. And they found something interesting about their players when they later took the gamers to the real building on which the game was based. Although the researchers hadn't told the study participants to remember the game's layout, they found that those who played the game excelled at independently navigating the real building.
The researchers' study shows the promise of audio maps helping to solve a real problem for the blind, said Gordon Legge, who directs the Laboratory for Low-Vision Research at the University of Minnesota, is visually impaired, and was not involved in Merabet's study. 'People who are visually impaired are often anxious about going to new places. That's a big issue,' Legge said. 'If there were software methods to explore and learn a place before they go, it could be quite advantageous.' [10 Profound Innovations Ahead]
The study also hints at the possibilities of using audio games to teach visually impaired people in a way that sticks better than other methods, including a guided tour of the computer game's layout, which Merabet also studied. 'Gaming sort of gives you a problem-solving sense that you don't have through directed navigation,' said Merabet, who runs studies and sees patients at Harvard's Massachusetts Ear and Eye Infirmary.
Although there are still important software problems to resolve, in the future, major buildings might be able to offer audio maps or games to help visually impaired visitors prepare before they get there.
From game to real life
Starting last year, Merabet began testing his game on people aged 15 to 45 who had been blind since birth. Players wore headphones while they played the game and navigated by pressing keys on a keyboard. Whenever their avatars touched walls or doors, they heard characteristic sounds. A knock in the left ear meant a door to the left; a knock on the right, a door to the right. Knocking in both ears indicated a door in front. 'The best way for you to get a sense of that room is by feeling around,' Merabet said. [Video Game Improves Vision for Adults Born with Cataracts]
He told his study participants they were supposed to collect jewels hidden in the game's rooms, while avoiding monsters that would steal the jewels. Both the gems and monsters emitted sounds that increased in volume as the game players approached them - or as they approached the players. He didn't say anything about remembering the map, nor did he mention that the rooms' layout was exactly the same as the two-story, 23-room Carroll Center for the Blind, a school in Newton, Mass.
Yet when he took the game-players to the Carroll Center afterward, he found they could apply what they'd learned from the game to navigating the real building. When researchers told gamers to go from one specific room to another, the gamers could finish navigating the real-life building in about a minute and 15 seconds. When taken to a random room and told to find the nearest exit, the gamers could do so in a minute and one second.
In fact, the players performed better at the exit-finding task than visually impaired study volunteers who had taken a strict guided audio tour of the computer game's layout, sans monsters and jewels. (The gamers and the guided tour-takers performed equally well at walking from room to room.) Tour-takers generally chose longer routes than gamers did, the researchers found.
'Both groups can learn the layout of the building whether you teach them explicitly or whether they learn it implicitly through the game,' Merabet told TechNewsDaily. But gamers, he said, 'have a better sense of how the rooms are connected with each other.'
Does it have to be a game?
Merabet's game wrapped up many characteristics that help with learning in one package: It forced people to explore independently and learn the hard way, by bumping into things. People enjoyed playing it and felt motivated to collect lots of jewels. ('I can tell you, at least anecdotally, it's remarkable how much people liked the game,' Merabet said.) And the game may have forced people to walk certain paths that are important to learning a building's layout.
More experiments are needed if researchers want to pinpoint which characteristics are important to better learning from audio games and other audio maps, Legge said. It would be especially helpful to know if independent exploration by itself is enough, so that people could use software to wander through buildings virtually without having to contend with monsters every time, Legge thinks. 'From a practical point of view, I'm not sure people would want to play a game every time they wanted to learn a new building,' he said.
Merabet is now working to expand on his computer game research in several ways. One way is improving his software so that any building's blueprint can get automatically rendered into an audio map. Another is a brain-scan study that examines what parts of blind people's brains are activated when they play the game. He has finished the study, he said, but didn't want to reveal the results until they're published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Getting the software to work for all buildings is technologically challenging, Merabet said. Right now, his software works well for one-story buildings with straight corridors. For more complicated buildings, however, it's difficult for the computer program to remember to play sounds in the right place while users continually walk and change their position.
If Merabet is able to make an audio map generator, it could become exactly the tool Legge said would be so advantageous to those with vision impairments. Merabet compared the potential maps he could make to flight simulation software for pilots. Both would mentally prepare people for challenging tasks. 'The idea of mental rehearsal is a very, very powerful one,' he said.
Merabet published the results of his game navigation study yesterday (Sept. 19) in the journal PLOS ONE.
This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. You can follow TechNewsDaily staff writer Francie Diep on Twitter @franciediep.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Sony announces new smaller and lighter PlayStation 3, arrives September 25th
While we're still waiting word on the PlayStation 4, Sony (SNE) is hoping we'll make do with another revision of its PlayStation 3 console. The company on Wednesday announced that its new CECH-4000 model, slated for release this fall, will be 20% smaller and 25% lighter than the previous model and will also ditch the slot-loading optical drive in favor of a disc-tray that slides open sideways.
The new PS3 will be available in two models: a 250GB that will sell for $269.99 and a 500GB model that will sell for $299.99. The 250GB model, which launches on September 25th, will be sold in a bundle with the game Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and come with a $30 voucher for digital content for the game DUST 514. Shoppers looking for the 500GB PS3 will have to wait until October 30th when it's available as a bundle with Assassin's Creed III.
Of course, users will still be able to replace the default hard drive with their own 2.5-inch drive. Sony's new PS3 fits comfortably with its 10-year console strategy and follows the company's tradition of reducing the volume of its consoles as the years go on (a move we've seen Sony pull off with the PlayStation 2 a number of times).
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The new PS3 will be available in two models: a 250GB that will sell for $269.99 and a 500GB model that will sell for $299.99. The 250GB model, which launches on September 25th, will be sold in a bundle with the game Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and come with a $30 voucher for digital content for the game DUST 514. Shoppers looking for the 500GB PS3 will have to wait until October 30th when it's available as a bundle with Assassin's Creed III.
Of course, users will still be able to replace the default hard drive with their own 2.5-inch drive. Sony's new PS3 fits comfortably with its 10-year console strategy and follows the company's tradition of reducing the volume of its consoles as the years go on (a move we've seen Sony pull off with the PlayStation 2 a number of times).
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News Summary: Sony plans slimmer PlayStation 3
CONSOLE UPDATE: Sony Corp. is introducing a smaller, slimmer and lighter version of the PlayStation 3 in time for the holiday shopping season. The global rollout starts Sept. 25 in North America.
CONTEXT: The Japanese electronics giant is struggling as its other businesses suffer from competition with Apple Inc.'s iPhone and cheaper Asian rivals. The company is banking on games to help steer a turnaround.
DETAILS: The new PlayStation 3 is half the size of the original model, introduced in 2006. It also offers more hard-drive memory. Prices start at $269 in North America.
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CONTEXT: The Japanese electronics giant is struggling as its other businesses suffer from competition with Apple Inc.'s iPhone and cheaper Asian rivals. The company is banking on games to help steer a turnaround.
DETAILS: The new PlayStation 3 is half the size of the original model, introduced in 2006. It also offers more hard-drive memory. Prices start at $269 in North America.
This article is brought to you by BUY A NEW COMPUTER.
Sony plans slimmer PlayStation 3 before year end
TOKYO (AP) - Sony Corp. is introducing a smaller, slimmer and lighter version of its PlayStation 3 home console ahead of the year-end holidays as it gears up for growing competition in games from smartphones.
The announcement Wednesday from the Japanese electronics and entertainment company comes a day ahead of the annual Tokyo Game Show, where game makers show their wares. But the timing also coincides with Friday's launch of the iPhone 5 smartphone, which is already drawing long lines at some retailers.
The new PlayStation 3, closer to the size of a laptop, is half the size of the original model, introduced in 2006. It also offers more hard-drive memory at 500 gigabytes and 250 gigabytes, up from the current 320 and 160 options.
The global rollout starts Sept. 25 in North America, where the 250 gigabyte version will sell for $269. The other version sells for $299 from Oct. 30. In Japan, the models go on sale Oct. 4 for 29,980 yen ($380) and 24,980 yen ($316).
Tokyo-based Sony is struggling as its other electronics businesses get battered by competition from Apple Inc.'s iPhone models as well as by cheaper Asian rivals.
The maker of Bravia TVs and Walkman portable players posted its worst loss in its 66-year history for the fiscal year ended in March - its fourth straight year of red ink.
The company is banking on games to help steer a turnaround. President Kazuo Hirai has shaped much of his career by leading the game division.
To woo consumers, Sony is slashing the price on its PlayStation Portable, or PSP, mobile device as it increasingly moves on to focus on its upgraded PlayStation Vita, which went on sale last year, for on-the-go games.
The PSP, which first went on sale in 2004, comes down Thursday to 13,800 yen ($175) in Japan from 16,800 yen ($213). There is no change to the U.S. price now at about $130.
Sony plans to expand entertainment based on cloud computing, which offers storage and other computer services over the network, after recently acquiring Gaikai Inc., a U.S. game company.
The PlayStation Vita won't be getting any upgrades just yet. But it will be available in new colors, blue and red, in addition to white and black, but only in Japan.
Some speculation is buzzing about a PlayStation 4, possibly before the end of next year, but officials were mum on that topic.
The PS Vita, which has a touch-panel, allows users to live-stream video and works as an electronic book function for colorful comics, according to Sony.
But Sony has already slashed its PS Vita sales target for this fiscal year through March 2013, to 12 million units, down from 16 million that was given three months earlier.
In lowering the target, Sony pointed to the economic slowdown, especially in Europe. But it also noted the intense competition from smartphones and social-networking entertainment.
Hiroshi Kawano, who heads Sony's game business in Japan, said the networking feature of PlayStation 3 allows users to enjoy millions of tunes, karaoke at home and a growing library of movies.
'Even after six years, the PlayStation 3 has not lost momentum and continues to deliver powerful home entertainment,' he said at a Tokyo hall.
___
Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yurikageyama
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
The announcement Wednesday from the Japanese electronics and entertainment company comes a day ahead of the annual Tokyo Game Show, where game makers show their wares. But the timing also coincides with Friday's launch of the iPhone 5 smartphone, which is already drawing long lines at some retailers.
The new PlayStation 3, closer to the size of a laptop, is half the size of the original model, introduced in 2006. It also offers more hard-drive memory at 500 gigabytes and 250 gigabytes, up from the current 320 and 160 options.
The global rollout starts Sept. 25 in North America, where the 250 gigabyte version will sell for $269. The other version sells for $299 from Oct. 30. In Japan, the models go on sale Oct. 4 for 29,980 yen ($380) and 24,980 yen ($316).
Tokyo-based Sony is struggling as its other electronics businesses get battered by competition from Apple Inc.'s iPhone models as well as by cheaper Asian rivals.
The maker of Bravia TVs and Walkman portable players posted its worst loss in its 66-year history for the fiscal year ended in March - its fourth straight year of red ink.
The company is banking on games to help steer a turnaround. President Kazuo Hirai has shaped much of his career by leading the game division.
To woo consumers, Sony is slashing the price on its PlayStation Portable, or PSP, mobile device as it increasingly moves on to focus on its upgraded PlayStation Vita, which went on sale last year, for on-the-go games.
The PSP, which first went on sale in 2004, comes down Thursday to 13,800 yen ($175) in Japan from 16,800 yen ($213). There is no change to the U.S. price now at about $130.
Sony plans to expand entertainment based on cloud computing, which offers storage and other computer services over the network, after recently acquiring Gaikai Inc., a U.S. game company.
The PlayStation Vita won't be getting any upgrades just yet. But it will be available in new colors, blue and red, in addition to white and black, but only in Japan.
Some speculation is buzzing about a PlayStation 4, possibly before the end of next year, but officials were mum on that topic.
The PS Vita, which has a touch-panel, allows users to live-stream video and works as an electronic book function for colorful comics, according to Sony.
But Sony has already slashed its PS Vita sales target for this fiscal year through March 2013, to 12 million units, down from 16 million that was given three months earlier.
In lowering the target, Sony pointed to the economic slowdown, especially in Europe. But it also noted the intense competition from smartphones and social-networking entertainment.
Hiroshi Kawano, who heads Sony's game business in Japan, said the networking feature of PlayStation 3 allows users to enjoy millions of tunes, karaoke at home and a growing library of movies.
'Even after six years, the PlayStation 3 has not lost momentum and continues to deliver powerful home entertainment,' he said at a Tokyo hall.
___
Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yurikageyama
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Microsoft names ex-CBS exec to launch Xbox studio
REDMOND, Wash. (AP) - Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday named former CBS Corp. executive Nancy Tellem to oversee the launch of a studio that will develop new entertainment content for the Xbox console.
Tellem joined Microsoft as president of entertainment and digital media, a new position. She reports to Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios.
Tellem will oversee the launch of a production studio in Los Angeles that will develop content for Xbox and other devices. She will lead Microsoft's efforts to expand Xbox's non-gaming applications, including its use as a console for watching television and movies and listening to music.
Tellem, 58, said she looks forward to 'building a studio team that embraces the challenges of creating true interactive content that the Xbox platform supports.'
The Xbox is essentially a PC designed to connect to a TV and play video games.
Tellem has been a CBS executive since 1997, most recently as senior adviser to CEO Leslie Moonves on business and strategic opportunities involving content partnerships, new production models, and emerging media and technologies.
As president of the CBS Network Television Entertainment Group, Tellem supervised programming, development, production, business affairs and operations. She oversaw the network's prime-time, daytime, late-night and Saturday morning television lineups.
Before joining CBS, Tellem was executive vice president of business and financial affairs for Warner Bros. Television.
Shares of Microsoft slipped 3 cents to close at $31.18.
This news article is brought to you by WOMEN'S BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Tellem joined Microsoft as president of entertainment and digital media, a new position. She reports to Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios.
Tellem will oversee the launch of a production studio in Los Angeles that will develop content for Xbox and other devices. She will lead Microsoft's efforts to expand Xbox's non-gaming applications, including its use as a console for watching television and movies and listening to music.
Tellem, 58, said she looks forward to 'building a studio team that embraces the challenges of creating true interactive content that the Xbox platform supports.'
The Xbox is essentially a PC designed to connect to a TV and play video games.
Tellem has been a CBS executive since 1997, most recently as senior adviser to CEO Leslie Moonves on business and strategic opportunities involving content partnerships, new production models, and emerging media and technologies.
As president of the CBS Network Television Entertainment Group, Tellem supervised programming, development, production, business affairs and operations. She oversaw the network's prime-time, daytime, late-night and Saturday morning television lineups.
Before joining CBS, Tellem was executive vice president of business and financial affairs for Warner Bros. Television.
Shares of Microsoft slipped 3 cents to close at $31.18.
This news article is brought to you by WOMEN'S BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Zynga to acquire A Bit Lucky to roll out more complex games
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Zynga Inc will acquire A Bit Lucky, a digital gaming studio known for Facebook-based titles like 'Lucky Train.'
Terms of the deal, announced on Monday, were not disclosed.
Zynga said more than 20 A Bit Lucky employees, currently based in San Mateo, California, will join Zynga's San Francisco division.
The acquisition reflects Zynga's shift toward so-called mid-core offerings - titles that sit between highly produced, packaged games and relatively basic 'casual games' like Words with Friends and FarmVille that for years have been the bread and butter of Zynga's business.
The deal comes shortly after Zynga hired John Tobias, a co-creator of the 'Mortal Kombat' series, to work on a new mid-core title, Zynga executive Bill Jackson noted in a blog post on Monday.
The game publisher is diversifying its product line at a time when usage numbers for even its most popular online games like 'FarmVille' and 'CityVille' are trending downward, prompting questions about whether casual gaming will remain popular in the months and years to come.
The company is also locked in litigation with competitor Electronic Arts, which sued Zynga last month saying it unfairly copied elements of EA's 'Sims' game.
Zynga then accused EA on Friday of breaching a settlement in which Zynga agreed to restrictions on how it could try to hire EA employees. Those details were supposed to be kept out of public view, but Zynga inadvertently disclosed them.
Zynga's shares closed on Monday at $3.08, down 3.1 percent for the day and off almost 70 percent from its $10 December IPO price.
(Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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Terms of the deal, announced on Monday, were not disclosed.
Zynga said more than 20 A Bit Lucky employees, currently based in San Mateo, California, will join Zynga's San Francisco division.
The acquisition reflects Zynga's shift toward so-called mid-core offerings - titles that sit between highly produced, packaged games and relatively basic 'casual games' like Words with Friends and FarmVille that for years have been the bread and butter of Zynga's business.
The deal comes shortly after Zynga hired John Tobias, a co-creator of the 'Mortal Kombat' series, to work on a new mid-core title, Zynga executive Bill Jackson noted in a blog post on Monday.
The game publisher is diversifying its product line at a time when usage numbers for even its most popular online games like 'FarmVille' and 'CityVille' are trending downward, prompting questions about whether casual gaming will remain popular in the months and years to come.
The company is also locked in litigation with competitor Electronic Arts, which sued Zynga last month saying it unfairly copied elements of EA's 'Sims' game.
Zynga then accused EA on Friday of breaching a settlement in which Zynga agreed to restrictions on how it could try to hire EA employees. Those details were supposed to be kept out of public view, but Zynga inadvertently disclosed them.
Zynga's shares closed on Monday at $3.08, down 3.1 percent for the day and off almost 70 percent from its $10 December IPO price.
(Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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Nintendo Wii U preorders are selling out at major U.S. retailers
With no new competing hardware this year from Microsoft (MSFT) or Sony (SNE), Nintendo's (NTDOY) Wii U appears poised to be a holiday hit. IGN noted that the $349.99 Wii U Deluxe Set, which includes a 32GB black console and GamePad, GamePad cradle, GamePad stand, console stand, sensor bar, controller adapter, console adapter, HDMI cable and NintendoLand is already sold out at several major U.S. retails. Gamers who didn't get their preorders in when stores started accepting them last Thursday might want to avoid GameStop (GME) , Best Buy (BBY), Sears (SHLD), Toys R Us and Walmart (WMT) as supplies have been depleted. There is still the off chance that those retailers might get more stock (some of the stores listed still have Basic Sets available), but early indications suggest there could be a Wii U shortage come November 18th.
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Friday, September 14, 2012
Zynga hits EA in court over employee hiring deal
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Zynga Inc fired back against rival gaming company Electronic Arts Inc , saying an EA lawsuit breached a deal between the two that restricted how Zynga can try to hire the other company's employees.
Zynga's allegations on Friday came as a counterclaim to a lawsuit filed by EA last month in a San Francisco federal court. EA had accused Zynga of copying key elements of its popular 'The Sims Social' game for Zynga's own title, 'The Ville'.
In its lawsuit last month, EA accused Zynga of obtaining 'private' information about the Sims game after hiring three of EA's top employees shortly before its launch. Zynga is the dominant publisher of games on Facebook.
Silicon Valley companies often compete hard to attract talented employees. Sometimes, though, companies have agreed to refrain from poaching each other's workers in controversial agreements. In 2010, several companies promised U.S. antitrust authorities that they would no longer enter into such deals.
In a court filing on Friday, Zynga said it reached a deal with EA in 2011 with lawful restrictions on how Zynga solicits EA employees. In exchange, EA released Zynga from legal claims surrounding its hiring practices, the document said.
Zynga had intended for that information to be blacked out from public view, but for the judge to be able to consider it as part of Zynga's legal argument. However, Zynga inadvertently made those details public in its Friday court filing.
By initiating its lawsuit last month, EA breached the promises it made in the 2011 deal, Zynga said in the filing. Zynga declined to comment on the material that was intended to be redacted.
EA spokesman John Reseberg on Friday called Zynga's claims 'a predictable subterfuge,' aimed at diverting attention from its copying of other artists.
'Zynga would be better served trying to hold onto the shrinking number of employees they've got, rather than suing to acquire more,' Reseberg said.
According to Zynga's filing, an EA lawyer told Zynga that EA Chief Executive John Riccitiello was 'adamant' about obtaining a no-hire agreement that would shut down Zynga's ability to hire EA's employees.
Zynga acknowledged signing a non-monetary settlement agreement with EA in September 2011 in an effort to head off litigation, Zynga's filing said.
That deal included 'lawful, appropriate and extremely narrow non-solicit restrictions' in the context of a non-monetary settlement agreement, according to the filing.
In the filing, Zynga said EA 'undertook an anti-competitive and unlawful scheme to stop Zynga from hiring its employees.' Its general counsel, Reggie Davis, also said in a statement that EA's copying claims have no merit.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Electronic Arts Inc. vs. Zynga Inc., 12-4099.
(Editing by Martha Graybow and Richard Chang)
This news article is brought to you by SPACE AND ASTRONOMY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Zynga's allegations on Friday came as a counterclaim to a lawsuit filed by EA last month in a San Francisco federal court. EA had accused Zynga of copying key elements of its popular 'The Sims Social' game for Zynga's own title, 'The Ville'.
In its lawsuit last month, EA accused Zynga of obtaining 'private' information about the Sims game after hiring three of EA's top employees shortly before its launch. Zynga is the dominant publisher of games on Facebook
Silicon Valley companies often compete hard to attract talented employees. Sometimes, though, companies have agreed to refrain from poaching each other's workers in controversial agreements. In 2010, several companies promised U.S. antitrust authorities that they would no longer enter into such deals.
In a court filing on Friday, Zynga said it reached a deal with EA in 2011 with lawful restrictions on how Zynga solicits EA employees. In exchange, EA released Zynga from legal claims surrounding its hiring practices, the document said.
Zynga had intended for that information to be blacked out from public view, but for the judge to be able to consider it as part of Zynga's legal argument. However, Zynga inadvertently made those details public in its Friday court filing.
By initiating its lawsuit last month, EA breached the promises it made in the 2011 deal, Zynga said in the filing. Zynga declined to comment on the material that was intended to be redacted.
EA spokesman John Reseberg on Friday called Zynga's claims 'a predictable subterfuge,' aimed at diverting attention from its copying of other artists.
'Zynga would be better served trying to hold onto the shrinking number of employees they've got, rather than suing to acquire more,' Reseberg said.
According to Zynga's filing, an EA lawyer told Zynga that EA Chief Executive John Riccitiello was 'adamant' about obtaining a no-hire agreement that would shut down Zynga's ability to hire EA's employees.
Zynga acknowledged signing a non-monetary settlement agreement with EA in September 2011 in an effort to head off litigation, Zynga's filing said.
That deal included 'lawful, appropriate and extremely narrow non-solicit restrictions' in the context of a non-monetary settlement agreement, according to the filing.
In the filing, Zynga said EA 'undertook an anti-competitive and unlawful scheme to stop Zynga from hiring its employees.' Its general counsel, Reggie Davis, also said in a statement that EA's copying claims have no merit.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Electronic Arts Inc. vs. Zynga Inc., 12-4099.
(Editing by Martha Graybow and Richard Chang)
This news article is brought to you by SPACE AND ASTRONOMY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Nintendo won't sell Wii U GamePad in America until 2013
When Nintendo (NTDOY) launches the Wii U on November 18th in North America, please try not to fling your GamePad controller across the room or break it. Nintendo of America president and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed to GameInformer that the company will not be selling standalone Wii U GamePads until 2013. There are two reasons for this: first, there are no launch window titles that will support multiple Wii U GamePads, only ones built for use with one Wii U GamePad, up to three Wii Remotes and the Wii U pro controller (Example: New Super Mario Bros. Wii U). Second, it's not a cheap accessory by any means. Although Nintendo of America didn't explicitly say how much a standalone Wii U GamePad will cost, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed on Thursday during a Nintendo Direct webcast that it will sell the Wii U GamePad for 13,440 yen (about $172) in Japan, which is over half the cost of the Wii U Basic Set that will sell for $299.99. It's believed that the large touchscreen, NFC, universal TV remote and camera are driving the Wii U GamePad cost up.
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Zynga fires back with countersuit against EA
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Zynga is firing back at rival game maker Electronic Arts in a legal tussle it says goes beyond who copied whose game.
While saying EA's copyright infringement lawsuit filed last month had 'no merit,' Zynga, on Friday, filed a countersuit against EA for allegedly violating antitrust laws by trying to prevent its employees from defecting to Zynga.
Last month, EA sued Zynga, saying that its new game 'The Ville' infringes EA's game, 'The Sims Social.'
Zynga's legal response and counterclaim were filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
This article is brought to you by CHEAP COMPUTERS.
While saying EA's copyright infringement lawsuit filed last month had 'no merit,' Zynga, on Friday, filed a countersuit against EA for allegedly violating antitrust laws by trying to prevent its employees from defecting to Zynga.
Last month, EA sued Zynga, saying that its new game 'The Ville' infringes EA's game, 'The Sims Social.'
Zynga's legal response and counterclaim were filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
This article is brought to you by CHEAP COMPUTERS.
Facebook, Zynga stocks end week on high note
NEW YORK (AP) - Facebook's beleaguered stock is set to end the week on a high note, pulling Zynga with it.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg jump-started Facebook's stock earlier this week when he talked up the company's mobile ambitions and acknowledged it has made mistakes.
His comments came in his first interview since Facebook's botched Wall Street debut in May.
Facebook also launched its advertising exchange on Thursday. Facebook Exchange lets advertisers target users in real-time, based on outside websites they visit. So if you visit a store's website, you might see ads from them on Facebook.
Facebook's stock is up more than 5 percent at midday. It's up 15 percent for the week.
Shares in Zynga, the struggling online company behind 'FarmVille' and other games, are up 4 percent. Week-to-date they're up 7 percent.
This article is brought to you by CHEAP COMPUTERS.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg jump-started Facebook's stock earlier this week when he talked up the company's mobile ambitions and acknowledged it has made mistakes.
His comments came in his first interview since Facebook's botched Wall Street debut in May.
Facebook also launched its advertising exchange on Thursday. Facebook Exchange lets advertisers target users in real-time, based on outside websites they visit. So if you visit a store's website, you might see ads from them on Facebook.
Facebook's stock is up more than 5 percent at midday. It's up 15 percent for the week.
Shares in Zynga, the struggling online company behind 'FarmVille' and other games, are up 4 percent. Week-to-date they're up 7 percent.
This article is brought to you by CHEAP COMPUTERS.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Nintendo Wii U adds TV, video for November launch
NEW YORK/TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co's 'Wii U', packed with innovative TV and video features, will hit U.S. store shelves on November 18 as it plays catch-up with Microsoft and Sony and aims to lure gamers back from the Internet and mobile devices.
The first Nintendo home console in six years will allow users to make personal TV and video programming lists and record shows through TiVo and other digital recording services.
'It should be the entertainment hub in the center of the house,' said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing.
The machine, starting at just under $300, will also come with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
For Nintendo, known for its game-centric approach, adding an entertainment component is a positive step, said Billy Pidgeon, an analyst at M2 Research. 'It's a must-have right now and with this, they can catch up somewhat to Microsoft's Xbox offerings.'
The Wii U is the first console machine to be sold by a major gaming industry company in more than six years. With a new Microsoft Corp Xbox and updated Sony Corp Playstation expected in 2013, sales will offer clues as to whether more advanced, next-generation game hardware can boost the ailing video game console and packaged games market.
Gamers have migrated steadily online or to mobile devices such as Apple Inc's iPad and this shift has weakened video game hardware and software sales.
The Wii has been a bonanza for Nintendo, with 100 million sold, but demand is waning. In the three months to June 30, Wii sales more than halved to 710,000 from 1.56 million a year earlier.
Nintendo, which is struggling to reverse years of losses, badly needs a hit. But the console is launching into a holiday season of tooth-and-nail competition.
Consumers are 'going to make choices this holiday whether they want to buy a Fire, an iPhone 5, an iPad, a Wii U, and it's the broadest group of products and services we've ever seen,' said P.J McNealy, CEO of Digital World Research.
The original Wii became the world's biggest selling home console shortly after its 2006 launch, with motion-controlled gaming and a slew of software titles that appealed to users beyond traditional gamers.
Nintendo hopes that its 'TVii' feature will help spruce up demand. It will stream video from Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Google Inc's YouTube, and Hulu, taking a page from the Xbox.
A 'GamePad' touch-screen controller can function as a remote control, and that second screen can be used to create personalized program lists. The controller, which enhances the video streaming and gaming experience, helped push its price tag above rival consoles. Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 start at $250 and $200, respectively.
The Wii U will go on sale in Japan on December 8 for about $340 (26,250 yen).
'Just looking at the price, it does seem a little high,' Richard George, Nintendo executive editor at video game website IGN.com. 'The catch is that the initial five to six months of the console, most of the people buying will be hardcore Nintendo fans.'
NEXT-LEVEL HARDWARE BATTLE
Repeating the Wii's success, however, will be tough as Nintendo battles not just Microsoft and Sony but also tablet and smartphone makers led by Apple that are eating into the $78 billion gaming market.
Apple on Wednesday revealed its latest iPhone with features that allow users to view their smartphone images and games on TVs equipped with an Apple TV receiver.
For now, Nintendo, which began in 1889 making playing cards in the back streets of Kyoto, has a big enough cash pile built up during the Wii boom -- about $14 billion -- to stick with its hardware strategy.
But if the Wii U fails to win over gamers, it may have to consider leveraging its software assets by letting Super Mario roam across devices built by other companies, analysts say.
The Wii U, unveiled in June, is available in black and white and has a 6.2-inch touch screen that includes a stylus.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the first new console from Nintendo in six years will come with a gamer's social network called 'Miiverse', though executives did not provide much more detail.
In addition to the basic 8 gigabyte model costing $299.99, Nintendo will sell a 'deluxe' 32 GB version for $349.99 in the United States and 31,500 yen in Japan. The 'deluxe' package will include its new Nintendo land game.
Nintendo will offer 23 original Wii U games. Third-party titles include Mass Effect 3 from Electronic Arts, Darksiders II from THQ, Ubisoft's exclusive Wii U title Zombie U and Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
(The story corrects to say Wii U is first home console in 6 years, not 16 years.)
(Reporting by Tim Kelly in Tokyo and Nayak Malathi in New York; Editing by Michael Watson, Maureen Bavdek, David Gregorio and Richard Chang)
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
The first Nintendo home console in six years will allow users to make personal TV and video programming lists and record shows through TiVo and other digital recording services.
'It should be the entertainment hub in the center of the house,' said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing.
The machine, starting at just under $300, will also come with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
For Nintendo, known for its game-centric approach, adding an entertainment component is a positive step, said Billy Pidgeon, an analyst at M2 Research. 'It's a must-have right now and with this, they can catch up somewhat to Microsoft's Xbox offerings.'
The Wii U is the first console machine to be sold by a major gaming industry company in more than six years. With a new Microsoft Corp Xbox and updated Sony Corp Playstation expected in 2013, sales will offer clues as to whether more advanced, next-generation game hardware can boost the ailing video game console and packaged games market.
Gamers have migrated steadily online or to mobile devices such as Apple Inc's iPad and this shift has weakened video game hardware and software sales.
The Wii has been a bonanza for Nintendo, with 100 million sold, but demand is waning. In the three months to June 30, Wii sales more than halved to 710,000 from 1.56 million a year earlier.
Nintendo, which is struggling to reverse years of losses, badly needs a hit. But the console is launching into a holiday season of tooth-and-nail competition.
Consumers are 'going to make choices this holiday whether they want to buy a Fire, an iPhone 5, an iPad, a Wii U, and it's the broadest group of products and services we've ever seen,' said P.J McNealy, CEO of Digital World Research.
The original Wii became the world's biggest selling home console shortly after its 2006 launch, with motion-controlled gaming and a slew of software titles that appealed to users beyond traditional gamers.
Nintendo hopes that its 'TVii' feature will help spruce up demand. It will stream video from Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Google Inc's YouTube, and Hulu, taking a page from the Xbox.
A 'GamePad' touch-screen controller can function as a remote control, and that second screen can be used to create personalized program lists. The controller, which enhances the video streaming and gaming experience, helped push its price tag above rival consoles. Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 start at $250 and $200, respectively.
The Wii U will go on sale in Japan on December 8 for about $340 (26,250 yen).
'Just looking at the price, it does seem a little high,' Richard George, Nintendo executive editor at video game website IGN.com. 'The catch is that the initial five to six months of the console, most of the people buying will be hardcore Nintendo fans.'
NEXT-LEVEL HARDWARE BATTLE
Repeating the Wii's success, however, will be tough as Nintendo battles not just Microsoft and Sony but also tablet and smartphone makers led by Apple that are eating into the $78 billion gaming market.
Apple on Wednesday revealed its latest iPhone with features that allow users to view their smartphone images and games on TVs equipped with an Apple TV receiver.
For now, Nintendo, which began in 1889 making playing cards in the back streets of Kyoto, has a big enough cash pile built up during the Wii boom -- about $14 billion -- to stick with its hardware strategy.
But if the Wii U fails to win over gamers, it may have to consider leveraging its software assets by letting Super Mario roam across devices built by other companies, analysts say.
The Wii U, unveiled in June, is available in black and white and has a 6.2-inch touch screen that includes a stylus.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the first new console from Nintendo in six years will come with a gamer's social network called 'Miiverse', though executives did not provide much more detail.
In addition to the basic 8 gigabyte model costing $299.99, Nintendo will sell a 'deluxe' 32 GB version for $349.99 in the United States and 31,500 yen in Japan. The 'deluxe' package will include its new Nintendo land game.
Nintendo will offer 23 original Wii U games. Third-party titles include Mass Effect 3 from Electronic Arts, Darksiders II from THQ, Ubisoft's exclusive Wii U title Zombie U and Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
(The story corrects to say Wii U is first home console in 6 years, not 16 years.)
(Reporting by Tim Kelly in Tokyo and Nayak Malathi in New York; Editing by Michael Watson, Maureen Bavdek, David Gregorio and Richard Chang)
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
Nintendo's Wii U to launch Nov. 18, start at $300
NEW YORK (AP) - Nintendo has a knack for changing the course of video games, appealing to the masses from kids to grandparents even if its technology isn't the most advanced.
The creator of 'Mario Bros.' and 'Donkey Kong' said Thursday that it will launch its first high-definition gaming console on Nov. 18 in the U.S., later that month in Europe and on Dec. 8 in Japan.
It's the first major game console to launch in years. But Nintendo is merely catching up on HD with Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp., which began selling their own HD consoles six and seven years ago, respectively. The question is whether a touch-screen tablet controller, coupled with TV-watching features, will be enough to surpass them.
The original Wii console revolutionized gaming and surpassed its rivals not because it had more power or better graphics, but because it gave people a new way to play. Its motion-sensing controller wasn't the most advanced, but it got people off the couch, swinging virtual tennis rackets, bowling and flailing around in living rooms around the world.
But over the years the novelty faded even as the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have managed to keep loyal, hardcore gamers enthused with massive shooters and multiplayer features.
Whether the Wii U can bring people back will depend on Nintendo's ability to lure people in with classic games from 'Mario' to 'Call of Duty,' entertainment features that go beyond gaming and a price that doesn't break the bank.
Nintendo first announced plans for the Wii U last year, but it hadn't disclosed the price or availability date until Thursday.
The Wii U will start at $300 for a basic model, which is just $50 more than what the Wii initially sold for. For $350, gamers can buy a deluxe version that is black instead of white. The deluxe model will also have a charging stand for its controller, 32 gigabytes of memory instead of 8 and 'Nintendo Land,' a smorgasbord of 12 popular Nintendo games.
Nintendo Co. has been trying to drum up excitement for the Wii U. What sets it apart from other consoles is the tablet-like Wii U GamePad. This controller allows for asymmetrical gameplay, so two or more people can play the same game but have different experiences. Players can also turn off the TV entirely and play on the GamePad, watching the game on the tablet's screen and using the controllers on the sides.
In the 'New Super Mario Bros. U,' for example, players holding the old Wii controllers guide Mario, Luigi and other characters. The person with the GamePad can help them along by using a stylus on the tablet's touch screen to stun enemies or create stepping stones for the characters.
The new Mario game, which will be available when the Wii U launches, will also offer new challenges for advanced Mario players, such as trying to complete a level without touching the ground.
The Wii U GamePad will be included with each console. But the packages won't include the old-school Wii controllers, though they can be used to play the games. That's because Nintendo says there are enough of them out there, considering that nearly 97 million Wiis have been sold worldwide - compared with nearly 70 million Xbox 360s and about 64 million PlayStation 3s.
Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said that the Wii U's technology doesn't make it a real, true 'next generation' gaming console. He said it really matches the Xbox 360.
'But what has always helped Nintendo is the games they can put on it that nobody can,' he added. 'They don't necessarily need everything to be cutting-edge.'
'Mario,' ''Pikmin' and other classic games have long been Nintendo's main draw.
Bhatia said sales expectations for the Wii U are fairly low, and Nintendo will be considered successful if the number of Wii Us it sell amounts to half the Wiis it sold.
That said, GameStop President Tony Bartel expects it to be a 'really strong seller' this holiday season. Although a lot of gaming these days takes place on mobile devices, Bartel said 'true immersive gaming is still owned by consoles.'
Nintendo also announced new entertainment features for the console.
Called Nintendo TVii, the service collects all the ways users have to watch movies, TV shows and sports. So if you like the TV show 'Modern Family,' for example, it will pull in the show's episodes from every available source, whether that's on Hulu, Netflix or traditional cable TV.
The GamePad works as a fancy remote controller and will let viewers browse shows they can watch. Users will be able to select favorites and send them to other Wii users in their network as suggestions. In addition, families will be able to set up separate profiles, so that kids don't end up watching the drug-dealing drama 'Breaking Bad,' for example.
The service also captures scenes from live TV and displays them on the controller. Viewers can then comment on the scenes and share that on Twitter or Facebook if they want. With this feature, Nintendo is playing into what many people already do while they watch TV - comment and share things with friends using a second screen such as a smartphone.
'Our goal is to disrupt the video space the way that Nintendo has historically disrupted the gaming space,' said Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America.
He added that the service 'continues our mission of creating compelling entertainment experiences and doing it in surprising ways.'
Pronounced 'tee-veeee,' TVii will be available Nov. 18 as well in the U.S. and Canada, at no extra cost. Nintendo didn't give plans for TVii in other countries.
Nintendo said more than 50 games will be available for Wii U by the end of March.
Among them will be Activision Blizzard Inc.'s 'Call of Duty Black Ops II.' The 'Call of Duty' games have been holiday best-sellers for the past several years. But it's unlikely that hardcore gamers will flock to the Wii U just to play 'Call of Duty,' given the vast multiplayer gaming network that the Xbox 360 offers.
But Eric Hirshberg, CEO Activision Publishing, called it a big improvement for 'Call of Duty' on Nintendo. Not a lot of people played it on the original Wii because it lacks realistic, high-definition graphics that has been one of the game's main draws on other machines.
As for Wii U, he added, it 'makes games we tend to make much more legit.'
This news article is brought to you by MUSIC UNITED 1 - where latest news are our top priority.
The creator of 'Mario Bros.' and 'Donkey Kong' said Thursday that it will launch its first high-definition gaming console on Nov. 18 in the U.S., later that month in Europe and on Dec. 8 in Japan.
It's the first major game console to launch in years. But Nintendo is merely catching up on HD with Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp., which began selling their own HD consoles six and seven years ago, respectively. The question is whether a touch-screen tablet controller, coupled with TV-watching features, will be enough to surpass them.
The original Wii console revolutionized gaming and surpassed its rivals not because it had more power or better graphics, but because it gave people a new way to play. Its motion-sensing controller wasn't the most advanced, but it got people off the couch, swinging virtual tennis rackets, bowling and flailing around in living rooms around the world.
But over the years the novelty faded even as the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have managed to keep loyal, hardcore gamers enthused with massive shooters and multiplayer features.
Whether the Wii U can bring people back will depend on Nintendo's ability to lure people in with classic games from 'Mario' to 'Call of Duty,' entertainment features that go beyond gaming and a price that doesn't break the bank.
Nintendo first announced plans for the Wii U last year, but it hadn't disclosed the price or availability date until Thursday.
The Wii U will start at $300 for a basic model, which is just $50 more than what the Wii initially sold for. For $350, gamers can buy a deluxe version that is black instead of white. The deluxe model will also have a charging stand for its controller, 32 gigabytes of memory instead of 8 and 'Nintendo Land,' a smorgasbord of 12 popular Nintendo games.
Nintendo Co. has been trying to drum up excitement for the Wii U. What sets it apart from other consoles is the tablet-like Wii U GamePad. This controller allows for asymmetrical gameplay, so two or more people can play the same game but have different experiences. Players can also turn off the TV entirely and play on the GamePad, watching the game on the tablet's screen and using the controllers on the sides.
In the 'New Super Mario Bros. U,' for example, players holding the old Wii controllers guide Mario, Luigi and other characters. The person with the GamePad can help them along by using a stylus on the tablet's touch screen to stun enemies or create stepping stones for the characters.
The new Mario game, which will be available when the Wii U launches, will also offer new challenges for advanced Mario players, such as trying to complete a level without touching the ground.
The Wii U GamePad will be included with each console. But the packages won't include the old-school Wii controllers, though they can be used to play the games. That's because Nintendo says there are enough of them out there, considering that nearly 97 million Wiis have been sold worldwide - compared with nearly 70 million Xbox 360s and about 64 million PlayStation 3s.
Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said that the Wii U's technology doesn't make it a real, true 'next generation' gaming console. He said it really matches the Xbox 360.
'But what has always helped Nintendo is the games they can put on it that nobody can,' he added. 'They don't necessarily need everything to be cutting-edge.'
'Mario,' ''Pikmin' and other classic games have long been Nintendo's main draw.
Bhatia said sales expectations for the Wii U are fairly low, and Nintendo will be considered successful if the number of Wii Us it sell amounts to half the Wiis it sold.
That said, GameStop President Tony Bartel expects it to be a 'really strong seller' this holiday season. Although a lot of gaming these days takes place on mobile devices, Bartel said 'true immersive gaming is still owned by consoles.'
Nintendo also announced new entertainment features for the console.
Called Nintendo TVii, the service collects all the ways users have to watch movies, TV shows and sports. So if you like the TV show 'Modern Family,' for example, it will pull in the show's episodes from every available source, whether that's on Hulu, Netflix or traditional cable TV.
The GamePad works as a fancy remote controller and will let viewers browse shows they can watch. Users will be able to select favorites and send them to other Wii users in their network as suggestions. In addition, families will be able to set up separate profiles, so that kids don't end up watching the drug-dealing drama 'Breaking Bad,' for example.
The service also captures scenes from live TV and displays them on the controller. Viewers can then comment on the scenes and share that on Twitter or Facebook if they want. With this feature, Nintendo is playing into what many people already do while they watch TV - comment and share things with friends using a second screen such as a smartphone.
'Our goal is to disrupt the video space the way that Nintendo has historically disrupted the gaming space,' said Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America.
He added that the service 'continues our mission of creating compelling entertainment experiences and doing it in surprising ways.'
Pronounced 'tee-veeee,' TVii will be available Nov. 18 as well in the U.S. and Canada, at no extra cost. Nintendo didn't give plans for TVii in other countries.
Nintendo said more than 50 games will be available for Wii U by the end of March.
Among them will be Activision Blizzard Inc.'s 'Call of Duty Black Ops II.' The 'Call of Duty' games have been holiday best-sellers for the past several years. But it's unlikely that hardcore gamers will flock to the Wii U just to play 'Call of Duty,' given the vast multiplayer gaming network that the Xbox 360 offers.
But Eric Hirshberg, CEO Activision Publishing, called it a big improvement for 'Call of Duty' on Nintendo. Not a lot of people played it on the original Wii because it lacks realistic, high-definition graphics that has been one of the game's main draws on other machines.
As for Wii U, he added, it 'makes games we tend to make much more legit.'
This news article is brought to you by MUSIC UNITED 1 - where latest news are our top priority.
Nintendo Wii U specs reveal large capacity discs and lots of RAM
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Nintendo's $300 Wii U goes on sale November 18 in U.S
NEW YORK/TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co's Wii U will hit U.S. store shelves November 18 starting at just under $300, as the creator of Super Mario looks to regain the lead in gaming from Sony and Microsoft, and fend off tablet and smartphone makers led by Apple Inc.
The new version of the console that took the industry by storm six years ago comes with a built-in DVR that will allow users to watch and record live television like a cable set-top box.
It will go on sale in Japan on December 8 for about $340 (26,250 yen).
Executives have said it will stream video from Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Google Inc's YouTube, and Hulu. It will also come with touch-screen controllers - helping to push its price tag above rival consoles.
Nintendo is fielding the successor to the Wii in the busy year-end holiday shopping season, going up against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. They start at $250 and $200, respectively.
The original Wii became the world's biggest selling home console shortly after its 2006 launch, with motion-controlled gaming and a slew of software titles that appealed to users beyond traditional gamers.
What became a 100 million-machine bonanza for Nintendo is waning. In the three months to June 30, sales of its Wii more than halved to 710,000 from 1.56 million a year earlier.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the first new console from Nintendo in six years will come with a gamer's social network function called 'Miiverse.' It will be its first machine in 16 years to launch with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
In addition to the basic 8 gigabyte model costing $299.99, Nintendo will sell a 'deluxe' 32 GB version for $349.99 in the United States and 31,500 yen in Japan.
APPLE CHALLENGE
Repeating the Wii's success, however, will be tough as Nintendo battles not only with Microsoft and Sony, but tackles tablet and smartphone makers led by Apple that are eating into the $78 billion gaming market.
Apple on Wednesday revealed its latest iPhone with a bigger screen, better definition and a wireless function that allows users to view their smartphone images and games on TVs equipped with an Apple TV receiver.
For now, Nintendo, which began in 1889 making playing cards in the back streets of Kyoto, has a big enough cash pile built up during the Wii boom -- about $14 billion -- to stick with its hardware strategy.
However, if the Wii U fails to win over gamers amid a flood of tablets and smartphones, it may, analysts say, have to consider leveraging its software assets by letting Super Mario roam across devices built by other companies.
The console, unveiled in June, is available in black and white and has a 6.2-inch touch screen that includes a stylus. The GamePad controller has traditional buttons with left and right analog sticks.
Nintendo has said 23 new Wii U titles, including Nintendo Land, are in development. Third-party titles include Mass Effect 3 from Electronic Arts, Darksiders II from THQ and Ubisoft's exclusive Wii U title Zombi.
($1 = 77.8700 Japanese yen)
(Reporting by Tim Kelly in Tokyo and Nayak Malathi in New York; Editing by Michael Watson and Maureen Bavdek)
This article is brought to you by BUY CHEAP COMPUTERS.
The new version of the console that took the industry by storm six years ago comes with a built-in DVR that will allow users to watch and record live television like a cable set-top box.
It will go on sale in Japan on December 8 for about $340 (26,250 yen).
Executives have said it will stream video from Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Google Inc's YouTube, and Hulu. It will also come with touch-screen controllers - helping to push its price tag above rival consoles.
Nintendo is fielding the successor to the Wii in the busy year-end holiday shopping season, going up against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. They start at $250 and $200, respectively.
The original Wii became the world's biggest selling home console shortly after its 2006 launch, with motion-controlled gaming and a slew of software titles that appealed to users beyond traditional gamers.
What became a 100 million-machine bonanza for Nintendo is waning. In the three months to June 30, sales of its Wii more than halved to 710,000 from 1.56 million a year earlier.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the first new console from Nintendo in six years will come with a gamer's social network function called 'Miiverse.' It will be its first machine in 16 years to launch with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
In addition to the basic 8 gigabyte model costing $299.99, Nintendo will sell a 'deluxe' 32 GB version for $349.99 in the United States and 31,500 yen in Japan.
APPLE CHALLENGE
Repeating the Wii's success, however, will be tough as Nintendo battles not only with Microsoft and Sony, but tackles tablet and smartphone makers led by Apple that are eating into the $78 billion gaming market.
Apple on Wednesday revealed its latest iPhone with a bigger screen, better definition and a wireless function that allows users to view their smartphone images and games on TVs equipped with an Apple TV receiver.
For now, Nintendo, which began in 1889 making playing cards in the back streets of Kyoto, has a big enough cash pile built up during the Wii boom -- about $14 billion -- to stick with its hardware strategy.
However, if the Wii U fails to win over gamers amid a flood of tablets and smartphones, it may, analysts say, have to consider leveraging its software assets by letting Super Mario roam across devices built by other companies.
The console, unveiled in June, is available in black and white and has a 6.2-inch touch screen that includes a stylus. The GamePad controller has traditional buttons with left and right analog sticks.
Nintendo has said 23 new Wii U titles, including Nintendo Land, are in development. Third-party titles include Mass Effect 3 from Electronic Arts, Darksiders II from THQ and Ubisoft's exclusive Wii U title Zombi.
($1 = 77.8700 Japanese yen)
(Reporting by Tim Kelly in Tokyo and Nayak Malathi in New York; Editing by Michael Watson and Maureen Bavdek)
This article is brought to you by BUY CHEAP COMPUTERS.
Review: Wii goes out quietly with 'Last Story'
The Wii created a bona fide frenzy when it was launched six years ago. Now, most Wiis are gathering dust on back shelves, if they haven't been unplugged and thrown away. As Nintendo gears up for the holiday release of the Wii's successor, the Wii U, new games for the old system have been nearly nonexistent.
'The Last Story' (Xseed, $49.99) couldn't have a more appropriate title because it does indeed appear to be the Wii's last gasp. It's an ambitious adventure that struggles constantly against the limitations of the underpowered console. And it's quite a letdown, considering the track record of its creator.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, the director of 'The Last Story,' is best known as the creator of the landmark 'Final Fantasy' series. He's also the author of one of the finest role-playing games of the current generation, the Xbox 360 epic 'Lost Odyssey.' I'm a huge fan, but I found his latest journey more exhausting than exciting.
The protagonist is a young mercenary named Zael who dreams of becoming a knight. While visiting his empire capital, Lazulis City, he shares a romantic evening with a melancholy beauty named Lisa. If you've ever played a Japanese RPG, you won't be surprised by the revelation that Lisa is really Calista, heiress to the throne. She's betrothed to a creepy popinjay, and her brilliant uncle Count Arganan seems less than trustworthy, so it's up to the kid to prove he's a worthy suitor.
Zael gets his chance when he and his merc buddies find themselves on a mission to infiltrate the command base of the Gurak, a monstrous race bent on the destruction of Lazulis. But who's the real monster: enemy Gen. Zangurak or the calculating Arganan?
I haven't spoiled anything here, because anyone familiar with the genre will see the plot twists coming hours before they actually emerge. Zael himself is a hoary RPG trope: the chosen one, granted supernatural powers by 'the Outsider' and destined to become the savior of the planet. And with the exception of a few uninspired side-quests, the tale is relentlessly linear, eschewing the free-roaming exploration of Western RPGs like 'Skyrim.'
As hackneyed as the plot is, though, Sakaguchi and the team at his Mistwalker studio do make a noble effort to freshen up the gameplay. The frequent, random battles of the 'Final Fantasy' franchise are replaced by defined scenarios at prescribed locations. As your party approaches, you get an overhead view so you can scope out the competition and plot out a strategy.
Unfortunately, your companions usually don't listen to a word you say, so the fights devolve into free-for-alls. Near the end of 'The Last Story' you gain the power to pause the action and issue commands (as in 'Mass Effect'), but your choices are limited. Despite the lack of control, most of the skirmishes are easy to win - although I often found myself triumphant without knowing why.
Graphically, 'The Last Story' barely matches the quality of Sakaguchi's late-1990s PlayStation games. There are occasional glimpses of beauty in the non-interactive cut scenes, but much of the game is marred by muddy environments, blurry textures and clunky character animation.
Sakaguchi fans fought to get 'The Last Story' released in the U.S., but it's a lackluster effort from the master. Let's hope it isn't really his last story. Two stars out of four.
___
Online:
http://thelaststorywii.com/
___
Follow Lou Kesten on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lkesten
This article is brought to you by COMPUTERS.
'The Last Story' (Xseed, $49.99) couldn't have a more appropriate title because it does indeed appear to be the Wii's last gasp. It's an ambitious adventure that struggles constantly against the limitations of the underpowered console. And it's quite a letdown, considering the track record of its creator.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, the director of 'The Last Story,' is best known as the creator of the landmark 'Final Fantasy' series. He's also the author of one of the finest role-playing games of the current generation, the Xbox 360 epic 'Lost Odyssey.' I'm a huge fan, but I found his latest journey more exhausting than exciting.
The protagonist is a young mercenary named Zael who dreams of becoming a knight. While visiting his empire capital, Lazulis City, he shares a romantic evening with a melancholy beauty named Lisa. If you've ever played a Japanese RPG, you won't be surprised by the revelation that Lisa is really Calista, heiress to the throne. She's betrothed to a creepy popinjay, and her brilliant uncle Count Arganan seems less than trustworthy, so it's up to the kid to prove he's a worthy suitor.
Zael gets his chance when he and his merc buddies find themselves on a mission to infiltrate the command base of the Gurak, a monstrous race bent on the destruction of Lazulis. But who's the real monster: enemy Gen. Zangurak or the calculating Arganan?
I haven't spoiled anything here, because anyone familiar with the genre will see the plot twists coming hours before they actually emerge. Zael himself is a hoary RPG trope: the chosen one, granted supernatural powers by 'the Outsider' and destined to become the savior of the planet. And with the exception of a few uninspired side-quests, the tale is relentlessly linear, eschewing the free-roaming exploration of Western RPGs like 'Skyrim.'
As hackneyed as the plot is, though, Sakaguchi and the team at his Mistwalker studio do make a noble effort to freshen up the gameplay. The frequent, random battles of the 'Final Fantasy' franchise are replaced by defined scenarios at prescribed locations. As your party approaches, you get an overhead view so you can scope out the competition and plot out a strategy.
Unfortunately, your companions usually don't listen to a word you say, so the fights devolve into free-for-alls. Near the end of 'The Last Story' you gain the power to pause the action and issue commands (as in 'Mass Effect'), but your choices are limited. Despite the lack of control, most of the skirmishes are easy to win - although I often found myself triumphant without knowing why.
Graphically, 'The Last Story' barely matches the quality of Sakaguchi's late-1990s PlayStation games. There are occasional glimpses of beauty in the non-interactive cut scenes, but much of the game is marred by muddy environments, blurry textures and clunky character animation.
Sakaguchi fans fought to get 'The Last Story' released in the U.S., but it's a lackluster effort from the master. Let's hope it isn't really his last story. Two stars out of four.
___
Online:
http://thelaststorywii.com/
___
Follow Lou Kesten on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lkesten
This article is brought to you by COMPUTERS.
Nintendo prices Wii U above PlayStation3 and Xbox in Japan
TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co will sell its latest game console, the Wii U, in Japan starting at 26,250 yen ($340) as the creator of Super Mario looks to regain the lead in gaming from Sony and Microsoft and fend of tablet and smartphone makers led by Apple Inc.
In addition to the basic 8 gigabyte model Nintendo will sell a 32 GB version at 31,500 yen, both from December 8, Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata said in a webcast on Thursday. The Japanese company will reveal prices and the launch date for the U.S. market at an event in New York starting at 1400 GMT.
Nintendo is fielding the successor to its hit Wii console in the busy year-end shopping season, going up against Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360. Current prices on entry-level consoles from those two makers in Japan are 24,980 yen and 19,800 yen.
The original Wii took the gaming world by storm in 2006 to become the world's biggest selling home console, with motion-controlled gaming and a slew of software titles that appealed beyond a core of traditional gamers.
What became a 100 million machine bonanza for Nintendo is waning. In the three months to June 30, sales of its Wii game machines more than halved to 710,000 from 1.56 million a year earlier.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the Wii successor, the first new console from Nintendo in six years, will come with a social-gaming network function dubbed 'Miiverse' installed and will be its first machine in 16 years to launch with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
APPLE CHALLENGE
Repeating the Wii's success, however, will be tough as Nintendo contends not only with Microsoft and Sony, but tackles tablet and smartphone makers lead by Apple that are eating into the $78 billion gaming market.
Apple on Wednesday revealed its latest iPhone with bigger screen, better definition and a wireless function that allows users to view their smartphone images and games on TVs equipped with an Apple TV receiver.
For now, Nintendo, which began in 1889 making playing cards in the back streets of Kyoto, has a big enough cash pile built up during the Wii boom -- about $14 billion -- to stick with its hardware strategy.
However, if the Wii U fails to win over gamers amid a flood of tablets and smartphones, it may, say analysts, have to consider leveraging its software assets by letting Super Mario roam across devices built by other companies.
The console, unveiled in June, is available in black and white and has a 6.2-inch touch screen that includes a stylus. The GamePad controller has traditional buttons with left and right analog sticks. It will carry video content from Netflix Inc , Amazon.com Inc , Google Inc's YouTube and Hulu.
Nintendo has said 23 new Wii U titles, including Nintendo Land, are in development. Third-party titles include Mass Effect 3 from Electronic Arts, Darksiders II from THQ and Ubisoft's exclusive Wii U title Zombi.
($1 = 77.8700 Japanese yen)
(Reporting by Tim Kelly in TOKYO and Nayak Malathi in NEW YORK; Editing by Michael Watson and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
This news article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
In addition to the basic 8 gigabyte model Nintendo will sell a 32 GB version at 31,500 yen, both from December 8, Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata said in a webcast on Thursday. The Japanese company will reveal prices and the launch date for the U.S. market at an event in New York starting at 1400 GMT.
Nintendo is fielding the successor to its hit Wii console in the busy year-end shopping season, going up against Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360. Current prices on entry-level consoles from those two makers in Japan are 24,980 yen and 19,800 yen.
The original Wii took the gaming world by storm in 2006 to become the world's biggest selling home console, with motion-controlled gaming and a slew of software titles that appealed beyond a core of traditional gamers.
What became a 100 million machine bonanza for Nintendo is waning. In the three months to June 30, sales of its Wii game machines more than halved to 710,000 from 1.56 million a year earlier.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the Wii successor, the first new console from Nintendo in six years, will come with a social-gaming network function dubbed 'Miiverse' installed and will be its first machine in 16 years to launch with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
APPLE CHALLENGE
Repeating the Wii's success, however, will be tough as Nintendo contends not only with Microsoft and Sony, but tackles tablet and smartphone makers lead by Apple that are eating into the $78 billion gaming market.
Apple on Wednesday revealed its latest iPhone with bigger screen, better definition and a wireless function that allows users to view their smartphone images and games on TVs equipped with an Apple TV receiver.
For now, Nintendo, which began in 1889 making playing cards in the back streets of Kyoto, has a big enough cash pile built up during the Wii boom -- about $14 billion -- to stick with its hardware strategy.
However, if the Wii U fails to win over gamers amid a flood of tablets and smartphones, it may, say analysts, have to consider leveraging its software assets by letting Super Mario roam across devices built by other companies.
The console, unveiled in June, is available in black and white and has a 6.2-inch touch screen that includes a stylus. The GamePad controller has traditional buttons with left and right analog sticks. It will carry video content from Netflix Inc , Amazon.com Inc , Google Inc's YouTube and Hulu.
Nintendo has said 23 new Wii U titles, including Nintendo Land, are in development. Third-party titles include Mass Effect 3 from Electronic Arts, Darksiders II from THQ and Ubisoft's exclusive Wii U title Zombi.
($1 = 77.8700 Japanese yen)
(Reporting by Tim Kelly in TOKYO and Nayak Malathi in NEW YORK; Editing by Michael Watson and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
This news article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Nintendo to announce Wii U console price
TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co said it will announce the price and other details of its new game console the Wii U at 3.00 a.m. EDT.
The creator of Super Mario is fielding the successor to the hit Wii console in the run up to the busy year-end shopping season and is battling Microsoft Corp, Sony Corp and more recently tablet and smartphone makers including Apple Inc to woo gamers.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the first console from Nintendo in six years will come with a social-gaming network dubbed 'Miiverse' and will be its first machine in 16 years to launch with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly and Reiji Murai; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
This news article is brought to you by ADVANCED DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
The creator of Super Mario is fielding the successor to the hit Wii console in the run up to the busy year-end shopping season and is battling Microsoft Corp, Sony Corp and more recently tablet and smartphone makers including Apple Inc to woo gamers.
Supporting two 'GamePad' controllers designed to look and function like tablets, the first console from Nintendo in six years will come with a social-gaming network dubbed 'Miiverse' and will be its first machine in 16 years to launch with a dedicated 'Super Mario' game title.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly and Reiji Murai; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
This news article is brought to you by ADVANCED DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Nintendo Wii U price and release date will likely be announced tomorrow
The week's biggest tech story is no doubt going to be Apple's (AAPL) iPhone 5, but Nintendo (NTDOY) is preparing to make a big announcement of its own. It's believed that Nintendo will finally announce a firm price and release date for its hotly anticipated Wii U console. The latest rumors suggest the Wii U will be priced between $249 and $349 and launch in mid-November. Nintendo will be streaming the event live from New York City on its website. Always the odd ball, Nintendo is once again betting on its ability to provide new and innovative ways to control games. With the Wii, Nintendo popularized motion controls; the DS, dual screens and touchscreens; and the 3DS added glasses-free 3D. It remains to be seen if the Wii U's unique controller and its built-in 6.2-inch touchscreen, NFC and TV remote controls will be enough to distract from the console's graphics, which are only on par with current-generation consoles. Nintendo's Wii U event begins on Thursday, September 13th at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
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This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Zynga loses another executive in top-level exodus
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Zynga Inc's chief marketing officer resigned on Monday, becoming the latest senior executive to depart the struggling social games company behind popular Facebook Inc games such as Farmville.
Jeff Karp joins chief operating officer John Schappert and chief creative officer Mike Verdu among the top executives who have quit since August.
The world's largest social games maker, which has shed almost three-quarters its market value since a much-heralded debut in December, did not cite a reason for Karp's departure in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.
'Executive departures are spreading like wildfire at Zynga,' said Mike Hickey, an analyst at National Alliance Securities, who has covered the gaming business for about eight years. 'I don't think I've ever seen anything like this.'
In August, when Zynga shares had already slumped a lot, the company said in a regulatory filing that it was setting aside more stock for employee compensation. The move was likely designed to encourage staff to stick around by replacing under-water stock options with new, lower-priced equity awards. However, departures have continued in recent weeks.
'When you have turnover with the stock already down that suggests a sense of hopelessness within a portion of the employee base,' Hickey said. 'I don't think business is great. If people were optimistic about future growth, and their compensation is tied to new, lower priced equity, generally they don't leave.'
Zynga, which is struggling to staunch growing losses of users, was one of several consumer Internet companies that listed on stock markets to much fanfare in late 2011.
Daily deals purveyor Groupon Inc has lost almost four-fifths its value since its own IPO, which was marred by questions about its accounting practices. On Monday, it named Brian Stevens as its new chief accounting officer.
Zynga reported in July a net loss for its second quarter and cut its full-year earnings per share forecast, news that resulted in shareholder lawsuits against the company.
The company blamed its poor quarter on sudden changes to Facebook's algorithm and delays in its pipeline of new titles.
'Facebook gaming is likely contracting and Zynga is trying to offset that by growing in mobile,' Hickey said. 'But that inflexion point could be quarters or even years away.'
Zynga shares closed 2.1 percent lower at $2.82 on Monday.
Zynga director Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of professional network LinkedIn Corp, was asked about Zynga's problems during a TechCrunch conference on Monday.
'They didn't diversify their platform fast enough,' Hoffman said. 'So when they hit some bumps, the bumps hit them, as opposed to evening it out, whether it's mobile or other kinds of things. The company knows they need to do that.'
(Reporting By Alistair Barr and Edwin Chan; Editing by Andre Grenon and Tim Dobbyn)
This news article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
Jeff Karp joins chief operating officer John Schappert and chief creative officer Mike Verdu among the top executives who have quit since August.
The world's largest social games maker, which has shed almost three-quarters its market value since a much-heralded debut in December, did not cite a reason for Karp's departure in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.
'Executive departures are spreading like wildfire at Zynga,' said Mike Hickey, an analyst at National Alliance Securities, who has covered the gaming business for about eight years. 'I don't think I've ever seen anything like this.'
In August, when Zynga shares had already slumped a lot, the company said in a regulatory filing that it was setting aside more stock for employee compensation. The move was likely designed to encourage staff to stick around by replacing under-water stock options with new, lower-priced equity awards. However, departures have continued in recent weeks.
'When you have turnover with the stock already down that suggests a sense of hopelessness within a portion of the employee base,' Hickey said. 'I don't think business is great. If people were optimistic about future growth, and their compensation is tied to new, lower priced equity, generally they don't leave.'
Zynga, which is struggling to staunch growing losses of users, was one of several consumer Internet companies that listed on stock markets to much fanfare in late 2011.
Daily deals purveyor Groupon Inc has lost almost four-fifths its value since its own IPO, which was marred by questions about its accounting practices. On Monday, it named Brian Stevens as its new chief accounting officer.
Zynga reported in July a net loss for its second quarter and cut its full-year earnings per share forecast, news that resulted in shareholder lawsuits against the company.
The company blamed its poor quarter on sudden changes to Facebook's algorithm and delays in its pipeline of new titles.
'Facebook gaming is likely contracting and Zynga is trying to offset that by growing in mobile,' Hickey said. 'But that inflexion point could be quarters or even years away.'
Zynga shares closed 2.1 percent lower at $2.82 on Monday.
Zynga director Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of professional network LinkedIn Corp, was asked about Zynga's problems during a TechCrunch conference on Monday.
'They didn't diversify their platform fast enough,' Hoffman said. 'So when they hit some bumps, the bumps hit them, as opposed to evening it out, whether it's mobile or other kinds of things. The company knows they need to do that.'
(Reporting By Alistair Barr and Edwin Chan; Editing by Andre Grenon and Tim Dobbyn)
This news article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
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