SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Social games publisher Zynga Inc confirmed on Monday that it has carried out 11 of the planned shutdowns of 13 game titles, with 'Petville' being the latest game on which it pulled the plug.
Zynga in October said it would shut down 13 underperforming titles after warning that its revenues were slowing as gamers fled from its once-popular titles published on the Facebook platform in large numbers and sharply revised its full-year outlook.
The San Francisco-based company announced the 'Petville' shutdown two weeks ago on its Facebook page. All the 11 shutdowns occurred in December.
The 11 titles shut down or closed to new players include role-playing game 'Mafia Wars 2,' 'Vampire Wars,' 'ForestVille' and 'FishVille.'
'In place of 'PetVille,' we encourage you to play other Zynga games like 'Castleville,' 'Chefville,' 'Farmville 2,' 'Mafia Wars' and 'Yoville,'' the company told players on its 'PetVille' Facebook page. 'PetVille' players were offered a one-time, complimentary bonus package for virtual goods in those games.
'Petville,' which lets users adopt virtual pets, has 7.5 million likes on Facebook but only 60,000 daily active users, according to AppData. About 1,260 users commented on the game's Facebook page, some lamenting the game's shutdown.
Zynga has said it is shifting focus to capture growth in mobile games. It also applied this month for a preliminary application to run real-money gambling games in Nevada.
Zynga is hoping that a lucrative real-money market could make up for declining revenue from games like 'FarmVille' and other fading titles that still generate the bulk of its sales.
Zynga shares were up 1 percent at $2.36 in afternoon trade on Monday on the Nasdaq.
(Reporting By Malathi Nayak; Editing by Leslie Adler)
This news article is brought to you by MOVIE GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sony No Longer Shipping PlayStation 2 in Japan
You may have grown up with it. Your children may have, too.
Sony's PlayStation 2 home game console, released in 2000, was one of the most popular game consoles of all time, rivaled in sales only by the different kinds of Nintendo DS handheld console. It continued to be sold new on store shelves until just recently, even years after Sony launched its PlayStation 3 successor.
Now, however, Sony's sent out its last shipment of new 'PS2' consoles for the Japanese market, according to Japanese gaming news site Famitsu (as reported by Polygon's Emily Gera). Some other regions are continuing to receive shipments for now, but the heart of the PlayStation 2 phenomenon has finally stopped beating.
A gaming legend
Japanese PlayStation fans saw thousands more titles released in their language than English-speaking players. The PlayStation 2 was especially well-known for its role-playing games, such as the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, which was designed so closely around the PS2's capabilities that its Windows PC version uses almost entirely the same graphics and controller-based interface.
New PS2 games continue to ship; Final Fantasy XI is even getting a full-fledged, retail-boxed expansion pack this March. It'll only support the PS2 in Japan, however, where dedicated players continue to use the original 'fat' PS2 consoles with the hard drive expansion slot. Internationally, it will only support the PC and Xbox 360.
PS2 games in a post-PS2 world
The first PlayStation 3 consoles -- infamous for the silence which ensued at the Sony event where their price at launch was announced to be '599 U.S. dollars' -- were backwards-compatible with the vast majority of PlayStation 2 and original PSOne games. Sony achieved PS2 backwards compatibility, however, by including the PS2's actual 'Emotion Engine' and 'Graphics Synthesizer' chips inside each PS3, essentially making it two game consoles in one (and helping to drive up that launch price).
A redesign bumped down the price some, but at the cost of removing the Emotion Engine chip, which caused the redesigned PS3 consoles to sometimes have bugs or fail to play certain games. Today's PS3 consoles lack both chips, which means that while they play PSOne games just fine, they don't support PS2 game discs at all and can't be upgraded to do so.
The legend lives on?
Sony has made HD remakes of certain PS2 titles, and republished others for the PS3 under the 'PlayStation 2 Classics' brand. Dozens of such titles have been re-released as digital downloads in the PlayStation Network store.
This method of playing a PS2 game on the PS3, however, involves essentially buying the game again (assuming that it's even in the store), sort of like Sony's method of playing PlayStation Portable games on the Vita. Even rebuying the games for the PS3 doesn't ensure continued playability on modern Sony consoles; the upcoming 'PlayStation 4' (not its actual name) reportedly won't be able to play games made for the PS3.
Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.
This news article is brought to you by SEXUAL HEALTH NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Angry Birds, YouTube among top apps of 2012
TORONTO (Reuters) - Angry Birds, Instagram and Facebook continued to be among the most downloaded apps of the year but rising stars also earned coveted spots on smartphones and tablets.
This year consumers spent on average two hours each day using mobile applications, an increase of 35 percent over last year, according to analytics firm Flurry. The number is expected to continue growing in 2013.
'2012 was a transformative tipping point in the way consumers use apps,' said Craig Palli, a vice president at mobile marketing company Fiksu, adding that the biggest shift is in consumers' eagerness to turn to apps for a broad range of day-to-day tasks.
Categories such as social networking, media and entertainment, photo editing, and games, continued to captivate consumer interest, with YouTube and Angry Birds being the top free and paid apps respectively at Apple's App Store.
Meanwhile, several apps released this year quickly joined the ranks of the top downloaded and revenue grossing apps of the year.
The game Draw Something for iPhone and Android quickly gained widespread popularity when it was released in February, and despite dropping off, is still the second most downloaded paid app of the year Android and Apple devices.
'It had a big run and other multi-player puzzle-oriented games like newcomers LetterPress and ScrambleWithFriends proved popular, too,' Palli said. 'But in many respects these titles were inspired by the more revolutionary Words With Friends.'
Songza, a music-discovery app for iPhone, Android and Kindle Fire, saw significant growth in both the United States and Canada, where it is now one of the top free apps on the App Store.
Paper, a sketchbook app for the iPad, is estimated to be one of the top grossing apps released this year according to Distimo, an app analytics company. It was named by Apple as the iPad app of the year.
But the real revolution, according to Palli, is among consumers who are eager to turn to apps for their day-to-day tasks, such as finding a taxi or hotel, following current events or increasingly, making payments.
'It is really consumers who are turning to apps first and traditional methods second,' said Palli.
Uber and Hailo, which allow users to book limos and taxis, and AirBnB and HotelTonight, for finding accommodations, began to move mainstream in 2012, Palli said.
Payment apps such as Square, and Apple's introduction of the Passbook has further positioned the smartphone as a digital wallet.
This year, during major events such as the Olympics, Hurricane Sandy and the U.S. presidential election, the top apps on the App Store reflected those events, said Palli, showing the demand for keeping up with current events through apps.
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Bill Trott)
This news article is brought to you by GIRLS TEACH DATING - where latest news are our top priority.
This year consumers spent on average two hours each day using mobile applications, an increase of 35 percent over last year, according to analytics firm Flurry. The number is expected to continue growing in 2013.
'2012 was a transformative tipping point in the way consumers use apps,' said Craig Palli, a vice president at mobile marketing company Fiksu, adding that the biggest shift is in consumers' eagerness to turn to apps for a broad range of day-to-day tasks.
Categories such as social networking, media and entertainment, photo editing, and games, continued to captivate consumer interest, with YouTube and Angry Birds being the top free and paid apps respectively at Apple's App Store.
Meanwhile, several apps released this year quickly joined the ranks of the top downloaded and revenue grossing apps of the year.
The game Draw Something for iPhone and Android quickly gained widespread popularity when it was released in February, and despite dropping off, is still the second most downloaded paid app of the year Android and Apple devices.
'It had a big run and other multi-player puzzle-oriented games like newcomers LetterPress and ScrambleWithFriends proved popular, too,' Palli said. 'But in many respects these titles were inspired by the more revolutionary Words With Friends.'
Songza, a music-discovery app for iPhone, Android and Kindle Fire, saw significant growth in both the United States and Canada, where it is now one of the top free apps on the App Store.
Paper, a sketchbook app for the iPad, is estimated to be one of the top grossing apps released this year according to Distimo, an app analytics company. It was named by Apple as the iPad app of the year.
But the real revolution, according to Palli, is among consumers who are eager to turn to apps for their day-to-day tasks, such as finding a taxi or hotel, following current events or increasingly, making payments.
'It is really consumers who are turning to apps first and traditional methods second,' said Palli.
Uber and Hailo, which allow users to book limos and taxis, and AirBnB and HotelTonight, for finding accommodations, began to move mainstream in 2012, Palli said.
Payment apps such as Square, and Apple's introduction of the Passbook has further positioned the smartphone as a digital wallet.
This year, during major events such as the Olympics, Hurricane Sandy and the U.S. presidential election, the top apps on the App Store reflected those events, said Palli, showing the demand for keeping up with current events through apps.
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Bill Trott)
This news article is brought to you by GIRLS TEACH DATING - where latest news are our top priority.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
The Boy Genius Report: The Wii U is Nintendo's last console
I remember it still - people flipped out about the Nintendo (NTDOY) Wii. Yes, its name was mocked for a while, but there was genuine excitement around what Nintendo was doing with motion and the entire gameplay experience. While the original Nintendo Wii was almost an Apple (AAPL)-like product - Nintendo focused on the gameplay and not on specs; the company didn't even have HD graphics when every other console did - the Nintendo Wii U clearly demonstrates how far Nintendo has fallen and how out of touch the company is.
[More from BGR: Samsung could face $15 billion fine for trying to ban iPhone, other Apple devices]
I bought a Nintendo Wii U for one reason and one reason only, and that's to play and beat "Super Mario Bros. U." I'll probably end up returning the console after I'm done, because that's how horrible the Wii U actually is.
[More from BGR: Five-year-old finds porn on refurbished Nintendo 3DS from GameStop]
First of all, the fact that Nintendo actually decided to ship this joke of a controller called the GamePad with a 6.2-inch touchscreen in the middle says it all. It only lasted for around two hours per charge over the week I've used it, and it's big, clunky and made of glossy Nintendo plastic. The problem it, it has no charm. It feels thrown together to try to make a statement, one that says that Nintendo isn't afraid of the iPads or Android tablets or iPhones or iPod touches, and that it too can take on touch just as it took on motion.
It fails miserably. And that's just the controller.
The actual console is one that finally for the first time ever supports HDMI and HD graphics, yet Nintendo's flagship game doesn't look good in high-definition. The console's UI is a mess, and let's be honest, we are living in a time where we are so connected, where so much is shared across continents instantly, that real design transcends what country it was designed in.
When you see a beautiful iPhone app's interface, there's a good chance you couldn't tell if it was designed by a company in San Francisco or Paris or Hong Kong. But Nintendo's interface is blatantly Japanese, and it lacks any and all sophistication. It's like all of Nintendo's designers just gave up and are living in a time when Apple's iOS devices and Google's (GOOG) Android devices don't exist, blissfully ignoring the threat that their company is facing from all angles.
The Wii U experience is so terrible that it took over an hour to update the software on the console recently, and apparently that wasn't that bad. People have told me their updates took over 4 hours when performed closer to Christmas. Do you know what that 7-year-old is doing during those 4 hours you're making him wait? Playing Temple Run or Angry Birds on his iPad mini. Way to go Nintendo.
I'll go on record and say that I think this is the last video game console Nintendo will make for the home. I just don't see the future here with hardware. Not by a mile.
Nintendo needs to realize that hardware is hardware and that Nintendo's hardware isn't special, it isn't elegant and it isn't thoughtful. It's merely a delivery mechanism in a time where design has never been more important.
Nintendo is a great company, one that has invented so many great products, but sooner or later it will be forced to offer its titles on iOS devices and Android devices. It's going to get to that point. There's way too much revenue to be made - Nintendo isn't Sega, and Sega is crushing it as a software-only company.
I just hope Nintendo follows suit sooner or later, because I have $9.99 ready to go for the Super Mario app on iOS.
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by SAVING MONEY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
[More from BGR: Samsung could face $15 billion fine for trying to ban iPhone, other Apple devices]
I bought a Nintendo Wii U for one reason and one reason only, and that's to play and beat "Super Mario Bros. U." I'll probably end up returning the console after I'm done, because that's how horrible the Wii U actually is.
[More from BGR: Five-year-old finds porn on refurbished Nintendo 3DS from GameStop]
First of all, the fact that Nintendo actually decided to ship this joke of a controller called the GamePad with a 6.2-inch touchscreen in the middle says it all. It only lasted for around two hours per charge over the week I've used it, and it's big, clunky and made of glossy Nintendo plastic. The problem it, it has no charm. It feels thrown together to try to make a statement, one that says that Nintendo isn't afraid of the iPads or Android tablets or iPhones or iPod touches, and that it too can take on touch just as it took on motion.
It fails miserably. And that's just the controller.
The actual console is one that finally for the first time ever supports HDMI and HD graphics, yet Nintendo's flagship game doesn't look good in high-definition. The console's UI is a mess, and let's be honest, we are living in a time where we are so connected, where so much is shared across continents instantly, that real design transcends what country it was designed in.
When you see a beautiful iPhone app's interface, there's a good chance you couldn't tell if it was designed by a company in San Francisco or Paris or Hong Kong. But Nintendo's interface is blatantly Japanese, and it lacks any and all sophistication. It's like all of Nintendo's designers just gave up and are living in a time when Apple's iOS devices and Google's (GOOG) Android devices don't exist, blissfully ignoring the threat that their company is facing from all angles.
The Wii U experience is so terrible that it took over an hour to update the software on the console recently, and apparently that wasn't that bad. People have told me their updates took over 4 hours when performed closer to Christmas. Do you know what that 7-year-old is doing during those 4 hours you're making him wait? Playing Temple Run or Angry Birds on his iPad mini. Way to go Nintendo.
I'll go on record and say that I think this is the last video game console Nintendo will make for the home. I just don't see the future here with hardware. Not by a mile.
Nintendo needs to realize that hardware is hardware and that Nintendo's hardware isn't special, it isn't elegant and it isn't thoughtful. It's merely a delivery mechanism in a time where design has never been more important.
Nintendo is a great company, one that has invented so many great products, but sooner or later it will be forced to offer its titles on iOS devices and Android devices. It's going to get to that point. There's way too much revenue to be made - Nintendo isn't Sega, and Sega is crushing it as a software-only company.
I just hope Nintendo follows suit sooner or later, because I have $9.99 ready to go for the Super Mario app on iOS.
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by SAVING MONEY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, December 28, 2012
The Boy Genius Report: The Wii U is the Nintendo's last console
I remember it still - people flipped out about the Nintendo (NTDOY) Wii. Yes, its name was mocked for a while, but there was genuine excitement around what Nintendo was doing with motion and the entire gameplay experience. While the original Nintendo Wii was almost an Apple (AAPL)-like product - Nintendo focused on the gameplay and not on specs; the company didn't even have HD graphics when every other console did - the Nintendo Wii U clearly demonstrates how far Nintendo has fallen and how out of touch the company is.
[More from BGR: Samsung could face $15 billion fine for trying to ban iPhone, other Apple devices]
I bought a Nintendo Wii U for one reason and one reason only, and that's to play and beat "Super Mario Bros. U." I'll probably end up returning the console after I'm done, because that's how horrible the Wii U actually is.
[More from BGR: Five-year-old finds porn on refurbished Nintendo 3DS from GameStop]
First of all, the fact that Nintendo actually decided to ship this joke of a controller called the GamePad with a 6.2-inch touchscreen in the middle says it all. It only lasted for around two hours per charge over the week I've used it, and it's big, clunky and made of glossy Nintendo plastic. The problem it, it has no charm. It feels thrown together to try to make a statement, one that says that Nintendo isn't afraid of the iPads or Android tablets or iPhones or iPod touches, and that it too can take on touch just as it took on motion.
It fails miserably. And that's just the controller.
The actual console is one that finally for the first time ever supports HDMI and HD graphics, yet Nintendo's flagship game doesn't look good in high-definition. The console's UI is a mess, and let's be honest, we are living in a time where we are so connected, where so much is shared across continents instantly, that real design transcends what country it was designed in.
When you see a beautiful iPhone app's interface, there's a good chance you couldn't tell if it was designed by a company in San Francisco or Paris or Hong Kong. But Nintendo's interface is blatantly Japanese, and it lacks any and all sophistication. It's like all of Nintendo's designers just gave up and are living in a time when Apple's iOS devices and Google's (GOOG) Android devices don't exist, blissfully ignoring the threat that their company is facing from all angles.
The Wii U experience is so terrible that it took over an hour to update the software on the console recently, and apparently that wasn't that bad. People have told me their updates took over 4 hours when performed closer to Christmas. Do you know what that 7-year-old is doing during those 4 hours you're making him wait? Playing Temple Run or Angry Birds on his iPad mini. Way to go Nintendo.
I'll go on record and say that I think this is the last video game console Nintendo will make for the home. I just don't see the future here with hardware. Not by a mile.
Nintendo needs to realize that hardware is hardware and that Nintendo's hardware isn't special, it isn't elegant and it isn't thoughtful. It's merely a delivery mechanism in a time where design has never been more important.
Nintendo is a great company, one that has invented so many great products, but sooner or later it will be forced to offer its titles on iOS devices and Android devices. It's going to get to that point. There's way too much revenue to be made - Nintendo isn't Sega, and Sega is crushing it as a software-only company.
I just hope Nintendo follows suit sooner or later, because I have $9.99 ready to go for the Super Mario app on iOS.
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY MUSIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
[More from BGR: Samsung could face $15 billion fine for trying to ban iPhone, other Apple devices]
I bought a Nintendo Wii U for one reason and one reason only, and that's to play and beat "Super Mario Bros. U." I'll probably end up returning the console after I'm done, because that's how horrible the Wii U actually is.
[More from BGR: Five-year-old finds porn on refurbished Nintendo 3DS from GameStop]
First of all, the fact that Nintendo actually decided to ship this joke of a controller called the GamePad with a 6.2-inch touchscreen in the middle says it all. It only lasted for around two hours per charge over the week I've used it, and it's big, clunky and made of glossy Nintendo plastic. The problem it, it has no charm. It feels thrown together to try to make a statement, one that says that Nintendo isn't afraid of the iPads or Android tablets or iPhones or iPod touches, and that it too can take on touch just as it took on motion.
It fails miserably. And that's just the controller.
The actual console is one that finally for the first time ever supports HDMI and HD graphics, yet Nintendo's flagship game doesn't look good in high-definition. The console's UI is a mess, and let's be honest, we are living in a time where we are so connected, where so much is shared across continents instantly, that real design transcends what country it was designed in.
When you see a beautiful iPhone app's interface, there's a good chance you couldn't tell if it was designed by a company in San Francisco or Paris or Hong Kong. But Nintendo's interface is blatantly Japanese, and it lacks any and all sophistication. It's like all of Nintendo's designers just gave up and are living in a time when Apple's iOS devices and Google's (GOOG) Android devices don't exist, blissfully ignoring the threat that their company is facing from all angles.
The Wii U experience is so terrible that it took over an hour to update the software on the console recently, and apparently that wasn't that bad. People have told me their updates took over 4 hours when performed closer to Christmas. Do you know what that 7-year-old is doing during those 4 hours you're making him wait? Playing Temple Run or Angry Birds on his iPad mini. Way to go Nintendo.
I'll go on record and say that I think this is the last video game console Nintendo will make for the home. I just don't see the future here with hardware. Not by a mile.
Nintendo needs to realize that hardware is hardware and that Nintendo's hardware isn't special, it isn't elegant and it isn't thoughtful. It's merely a delivery mechanism in a time where design has never been more important.
Nintendo is a great company, one that has invented so many great products, but sooner or later it will be forced to offer its titles on iOS devices and Android devices. It's going to get to that point. There's way too much revenue to be made - Nintendo isn't Sega, and Sega is crushing it as a software-only company.
I just hope Nintendo follows suit sooner or later, because I have $9.99 ready to go for the Super Mario app on iOS.
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY MUSIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Instagram gains users in December despite recent uproar as Zynga gets pecked to death by rivals
Zynga (ZNGA), the Facebook (FB) app behemoth, still reigns supreme on its most important platform. But the erosion of its dominant position continues as smaller rivals keep chipping away at its market share. On December 26, Zynga-owned Facebook applications had 267 million Monthly Active Users, down 20 million in two weeks. Far behind it followed Microsoft (MSFT) with 70 million MAU, King.com with 65 million MAU and Instagram with 43 million MAU.
[More from BGR: Samsung looks to address its biggest weakness in 2013]
But whereas Zynga lost nearly 7% of its Monthly Active Users in the two-week run-up to Christmas, Microsoft managed to inch up by 700,000 users, King.com by 600,000 users and Instagram by 2.1 million users.
[More from BGR: New purported BlackBerry Z10 specs emerge: 1.5GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera]
Of course, the Facebook crackdown on aggressive customer acquisition techniques has limited the growth of all third-party app developers. But the most important of Zynga's smaller rivals have been able to avoid the kind of MAU erosion that is now plaguing the Facebook app champion.
What really pops out from Christmas Facebook app trends is the way Instagram has been able to ride a wave of negative publicity to perky 5% monthly user growth over the past two weeks.
The tsunami of wrath and sarcasm unleashed on Twitter has not reversed Instagram's momentum. It might even be possible that floating an outrageous-sounding privacy policy and then quickly reversing it could have simply increased Instagram's brand recognition and piqued consumer interest among those who are not deeply involved in app trends.
This certainly adds some piquancy to the breathless commentary about Instagram's "fatal blunder" and "possibly irreversible damage."
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by LINUXOS.PRO - where latest news are our top priority.
[More from BGR: Samsung looks to address its biggest weakness in 2013]
But whereas Zynga lost nearly 7% of its Monthly Active Users in the two-week run-up to Christmas, Microsoft managed to inch up by 700,000 users, King.com by 600,000 users and Instagram by 2.1 million users.
[More from BGR: New purported BlackBerry Z10 specs emerge: 1.5GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera]
Of course, the Facebook crackdown on aggressive customer acquisition techniques has limited the growth of all third-party app developers. But the most important of Zynga's smaller rivals have been able to avoid the kind of MAU erosion that is now plaguing the Facebook app champion.
What really pops out from Christmas Facebook app trends is the way Instagram has been able to ride a wave of negative publicity to perky 5% monthly user growth over the past two weeks.
The tsunami of wrath and sarcasm unleashed on Twitter has not reversed Instagram's momentum. It might even be possible that floating an outrageous-sounding privacy policy and then quickly reversing it could have simply increased Instagram's brand recognition and piqued consumer interest among those who are not deeply involved in app trends.
This certainly adds some piquancy to the breathless commentary about Instagram's "fatal blunder" and "possibly irreversible damage."
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by LINUXOS.PRO - where latest news are our top priority.
The Violent Video Games the NRA Didn't Blame
In a news conference today (Dec. 21), National Rifle Association Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre blamed video-game studio and publishers for helping to create 'genuine monsters' like Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old who killed 20 first-graders with an assault rifle in Newtown, Conn., last week.
'There exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and stows violence against its own people,' LaPierre said.
LaPierre gave five examples of 'vicious, violent video games': 'Bulletstorm,' 'Grand Theft Auto,' 'Mortal Kombat' and 'Splatterhouse,' plus the obscure Flash-based online game 'Kindergarten Killer.'
But there's one kind of violent video game LaPierre didn't mention at all. Those would be military-themed shooters, such as the best-selling 'Call of Duty' and 'Medal of Honor' series, as well as the Pentagon-produced 'America's Army.'
Unlike the games LaPierre did name, the military shooters exalt American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, and the targets being shot at are Nazis, Russians, terrorists and zombies.
Retired service members serve as paid consultants to the game makers, who strive to make the weaponry depicted as true-to-life as possible. Active-duty members of Navy SEAL Team Six were punished last month for consulting on 'Medal of Honor: Warfighter.'
And, as mentioned, the U.S. Army produces and distributes 'America's Army' itself as a recruiting and training tool.
Yet such games are not without controversy. 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,' released in 2009, contains an optional level called 'No Russian' which realistically depicts a massacre of unarmed civilians in a Russian airport.
In the 'No Russian' level, the playable character is an undercover CIA agent who has infiltrated a terrorist group and must take part in the massacre. The player can shoot and kill non-playable civilian characters, although no points are awarded for doing so and no points are deducted for not firing a weapon.
Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian spree killer who shot 69 people, mostly teenagers, in July 2011, later testified at his own trial that he used 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' to train himself to use holographic weapon sights.
So why didn't LaPierre mention the single game that has been conclusively linked to an incident of mass killing, not to mention an entire category that trains players in the proper handling and use of military-grade weapons?
The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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'There exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and stows violence against its own people,' LaPierre said.
LaPierre gave five examples of 'vicious, violent video games': 'Bulletstorm,' 'Grand Theft Auto,' 'Mortal Kombat' and 'Splatterhouse,' plus the obscure Flash-based online game 'Kindergarten Killer.'
But there's one kind of violent video game LaPierre didn't mention at all. Those would be military-themed shooters, such as the best-selling 'Call of Duty' and 'Medal of Honor' series, as well as the Pentagon-produced 'America's Army.'
Unlike the games LaPierre did name, the military shooters exalt American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, and the targets being shot at are Nazis, Russians, terrorists and zombies.
Retired service members serve as paid consultants to the game makers, who strive to make the weaponry depicted as true-to-life as possible. Active-duty members of Navy SEAL Team Six were punished last month for consulting on 'Medal of Honor: Warfighter.'
And, as mentioned, the U.S. Army produces and distributes 'America's Army' itself as a recruiting and training tool.
Yet such games are not without controversy. 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,' released in 2009, contains an optional level called 'No Russian' which realistically depicts a massacre of unarmed civilians in a Russian airport.
In the 'No Russian' level, the playable character is an undercover CIA agent who has infiltrated a terrorist group and must take part in the massacre. The player can shoot and kill non-playable civilian characters, although no points are awarded for doing so and no points are deducted for not firing a weapon.
Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian spree killer who shot 69 people, mostly teenagers, in July 2011, later testified at his own trial that he used 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' to train himself to use holographic weapon sights.
So why didn't LaPierre mention the single game that has been conclusively linked to an incident of mass killing, not to mention an entire category that trains players in the proper handling and use of military-grade weapons?
The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Sunday, December 23, 2012
Atheist Kids and Bullying: Just an Xbox and a Football Game Away From Redemption
This news article is brought to you by GLOBAL WEATHER NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Video games and shooting: Is the NRA right?
After a week of silence following the Sandy Hook school shooting that killed 20 first graders and six staff in Newtown, Conn., the National Rifle Association blamed the entertainment industry - specifically the producers of violent video games for inciting what has become a pattern of gun violence in the United States.
In describing the industry, NRA Vice President Wayne LaPierre said, "There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people."
Mr. LaPierre faulted the news media for failing to report on "vicious, violent video games" such as "Grand Theft Auto," "Mortal Kombat," and "Splatterhouse" as egregious examples. He also singled out "Kindergarten Killer," a free, fairly obscure online game.
"How come my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn't or didn't want anyone to know you had found it?" he asked reporters.
Recommended: Second Amendment Quiz
Most academic research, as well as studies by the FBI and the US Secret Service, examining the link between violent video games and incident of violence does not support the gun lobby's charge.
For example, a 2008 report by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital funded by the US Department of Justice found that violent video games may increase bullying or physical fighting in schools, but not mass gun violence.
"It's clear that the 'big fears' bandied about in the press - that violent video games make children significantly more violent in the real world; that they will engage in the illegal, immoral, sexist and violent acts they see in some of these games - are not supported by the current research, at least in such a simplistic form," the report states.
Joan Saab, director of the visual and cultural studies program at the University of Rochester in New York, says the gaming industry should share in the blame for promoting military weaponry to young people, but adds that the popularity of such games reflect the "larger culture we live in, which is heavily militarized," in the midst of lengthy combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ms. Saab says that the NRA's call for armed guards in schools would make that kind of military culture more pervasive for children.
"If there are more armed guards in schools, kids are exposed to more guns. That's when fantasy and reality aren't blurred. When there are guns in schools, it becomes real life and the day-to-day environment becomes more dangerous than the game," she says. In Newtown, as in Aurora, Colo. and the sites of other mass shootings, the gunman was outfitted in military-style dress.
By blaming video games for gun violence, the NRA also puts itself in a vulnerable position because, as Mother Jones reports, the company partnered with gaming producer Cave Entertainment in 2006 for "NRA Gun Club," a PlayStation 2 game that allows users to fire over 100 different brand-name handguns.
LaPierre did not specify if Congress should move forward in regulating the gaming industry, perhaps because previous attempts were not successful.
A US Supreme Court ruling in 2011 struck down a California law that made it a crime to sell or rent what it classified as violent video games to minors. The ruling said the law, signed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in 2005, violates First Amendment protections.
In the wake of Sandy Hook, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill that calls for the National Academy of Sciences to examine the possible links between violent video games and violent incidents caused by children.
Overall, gun-based video games do not wholly represent total gaming industry sales, according to data from VGChartz, a UK-based research firm that tracks gaming sales. In 2011, for example, just seven of the top 20 best-selling games in the US involve warfare simulation. The other titles - "Just Dance 3," "Kinect Adventures!" "New Super Mario Bros. Wii," "Madden NFL 12," and "Pokemon Black/White" - are designed around sports, dance, and children's cartoon characters.
All of the games LaPierre mentions are more than 15 years old, with some dating back to the 1980s, with their popularity waning. For example, total unit sales in the US for the "Mortal Kombat" franchise dropped 70 percent in 2012, compared to the previous year total. The game debuted in 1992.
Gaming experts say that the majority of the games LaPierre cited do not portray gun violence - "Mortal Kombat" involves hand-to-hand combat, for example. They say they do not understand why he did not single out "first person shooter" games such as blockbuster franchises like the "Call of Duty" series, which is based on simulated gun action and is considered one of the most hyper-violent on the market. In fact, according to news reports, the game was also a favorite of Adam Lanza, the Newtown gunman who spent hours at home playing it.
"Some of those games [LaPierre mentions] are older than the [Newtown] shooter," who was 20, says Christopher Grant, editor-in-chief of Polygon.com, an online site based in New York City that covers gaming news and trends. "I have no idea why he chose them. My theory is he didn't want to pick anything too modern [such as 'Call of Duty' or 'Doom'] that might overlap unfavorably with something their own members might enjoy."
"Call of Duty" is known as a favorite of the military and is often credited for driving up recruitment. Activision Blizzard, the company behind "Call of Duty," has donated thousands of copies to the US Navy; the company also created a non-profit foundation to help returning US military veterans.
According to the NPD Group, a global market research firm, retail gaming sales in the US plummeted 20 percent in the first eight months of 2012 compared to the same time period the previous year, a trend that follows years of declining sales. Between 2008 and 2011, total sales of industry software and hardware dropped 20.5 percent. According to the gaming industry website Gamasutra, 2012 sales are expected to be the lowest since 2006.
The sales drop is representative of major shifts in the gaming industry, which is slowly moving away from console-based games to those that are played via smartphones, digital tablets, and online through social networks.
The change has produced a new type of gamer: They are generally older, more ethnically and economically diverse, and they feed their gaming appetite in smaller bites and on-the-go, as opposed to the traditional gamer profile of a few years ago, which tended to be young males playing for hours in one sitting.
The Entertainment Software Association, an industry trade group based in Washington, reports that the average gamer today is 30 years old, the most frequent game purchaser is 35 years old, and that almost half (47 percent) of all gamers are women.
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In describing the industry, NRA Vice President Wayne LaPierre said, "There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people."
Mr. LaPierre faulted the news media for failing to report on "vicious, violent video games" such as "Grand Theft Auto," "Mortal Kombat," and "Splatterhouse" as egregious examples. He also singled out "Kindergarten Killer," a free, fairly obscure online game.
"How come my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn't or didn't want anyone to know you had found it?" he asked reporters.
Recommended: Second Amendment Quiz
Most academic research, as well as studies by the FBI and the US Secret Service, examining the link between violent video games and incident of violence does not support the gun lobby's charge.
For example, a 2008 report by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital funded by the US Department of Justice found that violent video games may increase bullying or physical fighting in schools, but not mass gun violence.
"It's clear that the 'big fears' bandied about in the press - that violent video games make children significantly more violent in the real world; that they will engage in the illegal, immoral, sexist and violent acts they see in some of these games - are not supported by the current research, at least in such a simplistic form," the report states.
Joan Saab, director of the visual and cultural studies program at the University of Rochester in New York, says the gaming industry should share in the blame for promoting military weaponry to young people, but adds that the popularity of such games reflect the "larger culture we live in, which is heavily militarized," in the midst of lengthy combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ms. Saab says that the NRA's call for armed guards in schools would make that kind of military culture more pervasive for children.
"If there are more armed guards in schools, kids are exposed to more guns. That's when fantasy and reality aren't blurred. When there are guns in schools, it becomes real life and the day-to-day environment becomes more dangerous than the game," she says. In Newtown, as in Aurora, Colo. and the sites of other mass shootings, the gunman was outfitted in military-style dress.
By blaming video games for gun violence, the NRA also puts itself in a vulnerable position because, as Mother Jones reports, the company partnered with gaming producer Cave Entertainment in 2006 for "NRA Gun Club," a PlayStation 2 game that allows users to fire over 100 different brand-name handguns.
LaPierre did not specify if Congress should move forward in regulating the gaming industry, perhaps because previous attempts were not successful.
A US Supreme Court ruling in 2011 struck down a California law that made it a crime to sell or rent what it classified as violent video games to minors. The ruling said the law, signed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in 2005, violates First Amendment protections.
In the wake of Sandy Hook, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill that calls for the National Academy of Sciences to examine the possible links between violent video games and violent incidents caused by children.
Overall, gun-based video games do not wholly represent total gaming industry sales, according to data from VGChartz, a UK-based research firm that tracks gaming sales. In 2011, for example, just seven of the top 20 best-selling games in the US involve warfare simulation. The other titles - "Just Dance 3," "Kinect Adventures!" "New Super Mario Bros. Wii," "Madden NFL 12," and "Pokemon Black/White" - are designed around sports, dance, and children's cartoon characters.
All of the games LaPierre mentions are more than 15 years old, with some dating back to the 1980s, with their popularity waning. For example, total unit sales in the US for the "Mortal Kombat" franchise dropped 70 percent in 2012, compared to the previous year total. The game debuted in 1992.
Gaming experts say that the majority of the games LaPierre cited do not portray gun violence - "Mortal Kombat" involves hand-to-hand combat, for example. They say they do not understand why he did not single out "first person shooter" games such as blockbuster franchises like the "Call of Duty" series, which is based on simulated gun action and is considered one of the most hyper-violent on the market. In fact, according to news reports, the game was also a favorite of Adam Lanza, the Newtown gunman who spent hours at home playing it.
"Some of those games [LaPierre mentions] are older than the [Newtown] shooter," who was 20, says Christopher Grant, editor-in-chief of Polygon.com, an online site based in New York City that covers gaming news and trends. "I have no idea why he chose them. My theory is he didn't want to pick anything too modern [such as 'Call of Duty' or 'Doom'] that might overlap unfavorably with something their own members might enjoy."
"Call of Duty" is known as a favorite of the military and is often credited for driving up recruitment. Activision Blizzard, the company behind "Call of Duty," has donated thousands of copies to the US Navy; the company also created a non-profit foundation to help returning US military veterans.
According to the NPD Group, a global market research firm, retail gaming sales in the US plummeted 20 percent in the first eight months of 2012 compared to the same time period the previous year, a trend that follows years of declining sales. Between 2008 and 2011, total sales of industry software and hardware dropped 20.5 percent. According to the gaming industry website Gamasutra, 2012 sales are expected to be the lowest since 2006.
The sales drop is representative of major shifts in the gaming industry, which is slowly moving away from console-based games to those that are played via smartphones, digital tablets, and online through social networks.
The change has produced a new type of gamer: They are generally older, more ethnically and economically diverse, and they feed their gaming appetite in smaller bites and on-the-go, as opposed to the traditional gamer profile of a few years ago, which tended to be young males playing for hours in one sitting.
The Entertainment Software Association, an industry trade group based in Washington, reports that the average gamer today is 30 years old, the most frequent game purchaser is 35 years old, and that almost half (47 percent) of all gamers are women.
Recommended: Second Amendment Quiz
Related stories
- In Pictures: American Gun Culture
- States do a delicate dance with gamers
- Is the NRA push for guns in schools crazy? It depends on where you live.
- Second Amendment Quiz
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Friday, December 21, 2012
Brain Benefits for the Holidays? Stuff the Stocking with Video Games
Click here to view the video
Happy holidays! As the year draws to a close, one thing I'm celebrating is the fun I've had helping put together the magazine I edit, Scientific American Mind. I am looking forward to working on new articles and projects in 2013. (We have some surprises in store.) I'm pleased about my growing and attentive audience for Streams of Consciousness, too. Thank you for reading, thinking and, when you have to, taking me to task!
This post introduces the January/February 2013 Scientific American Mind, which debuted online Wednesday. If I sound a little giddy with optimism, it's because I truly am excited about the magazine, this blog, and what I get to do at my job everyday--and because that mood suits this post. It doesn't seem to hurt. In fact, I may have just managed to cheer myself up.
Wow, This Is An Amazing Story!
Optimism. Not everyone is upbeat about it, and the whole idea may be unproven. It could even have serious drawbacks, which we've detailed in previous stories (see 'Can Positive Thinking Be Negative?' by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz). Still, I am often trying to fight my way over to the sunny side--and I think I'm going to keep at it. Why? For one thing, I like it over there. Plus, there is at least some data suggesting that my struggle to smile is worth it.
The health benefits of positive thinking may be tenuous, and some realistic pessimism is often warranted. But from a psychological standpoint, thinking everything is (or will be) fine is what resilience is all about. And on the flip side, wearing a dark lens puts us at risk for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. In my experience, it's also more fun to believe in the positive, or at least emotionally neutral, aspects of a situation than to presume that the world is out to get you.
As Elaine Fox reports in 'Tune Your Subliminal Biases Toward Optimism,' a nervous person giving a speech has a choice: she can glob on to the person in the front row who is dozing in his seat or focus on the majority who are mesmerized. If your boss rushes by you impatiently one morning, you could assume she is mad at you--or simply running late. My latest favorite example from my own life comes from a colleague who told me that she loved going to the dentist, a dull and unpleasant task if there is one. 'What exactly do you like about the dentist?' I asked, thinly disguising my incredulity. Her answer: 'It's like a spa for your mouth.' The feeling of clean teeth delighted her.
Some people, like my coworker, are predisposed toward positivity, others not so much. If you are in the not-so-much group, you can train yourself to adopt a more positive outlook using a simple computerized method called Cognitive Bias Modification. It uses a subliminal process to repeatedly direct attention either away from unpleasantness or toward appealing or happy stimuli or thoughts. A CBM app is not yet available for your smart phone, but you can still try some lower-tech tricks for worming out of your gloomy mood. Find out more by reading the story.
Value to Video Games?
If you are looking for other ways to spruce up your mind, check out an electronics store. Head straight for the first-person shooter video games, pick out a few and plan on spending your downtime practicing. Your arduous efforts ducking behind shipping containers and blasting enemy soldiers and aliens will pay off in mental currency. You will see with sharper eyes. You will reason in three dimensions with greater speed and clarity. And you will make better on-the-fly decisions in response to visual input. Training to be a laparoscopic surgeon or a pilot? Playing these games is perfect preparation.
Should we all run out and buy these electronic atrocities? I haven't--yet. I do worry about the violence, which can make people more aggressive, although the strongest effects wear off within half an hour, experts say. Some 8 percent of kids seem to get addicted to gaming, too, although I think if my kid had a problem with too much gaming, I'd have seen it already.
Allowing moderate use of these types of games might be reasonable in some cases, because the research on their benefits is strong and compelling (see 'How Video Games Change the Brain,' by Lydia Denworth). That said, as with anything you put in a child's (or adult's) hands, the person needs to be prepared to use it responsibly. People with emotional issues or who tend to be aggressive anyway may not be good candidates. And a child should be old enough to clearly understand the difference between fantasy and reality. Nobody wants to take chances with something as troublesome as violence, especially in light of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Scientists and game designers are now trying to figure out how to create electronic entertainment that benefits the brain in a more peaceful fashion. When that happens, I'm on-board for sure.
Courtroom Justice
In another feature in the issue, a psychologist and a lawyer team up to show how psychological science can improve the accuracy of courtroom decisions, preventing miscarriages of justice in which the wrong person is put behind bars. They present evidence-based solutions for incorrect eyewitness accounts, false confessions, racial bias, prejudicial courtroom procedure and picking innocent individuals in subject line-ups. It's an important story with widespread implications and clear prescriptions for change (see 'Your Brain on Trial,' by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Robert Byron).
The issue also features a book excerpt describing a psychologist's tour of a high security prison. The goal of this terrifying trip: to extract advice from psychopaths. These conscienceless criminals, it turns out, have a lot to teach us. Their tendency toward ruthlessness, charm, focus and fearlessness can be astoundingly useful--although these traits must be tempered to avoid troublesome side effects (see 'Wisdom from Psychopaths,' by Kevin Dutton).
Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs.
Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
© 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.
This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Happy holidays! As the year draws to a close, one thing I'm celebrating is the fun I've had helping put together the magazine I edit, Scientific American Mind. I am looking forward to working on new articles and projects in 2013. (We have some surprises in store.) I'm pleased about my growing and attentive audience for Streams of Consciousness, too. Thank you for reading, thinking and, when you have to, taking me to task!
This post introduces the January/February 2013 Scientific American Mind, which debuted online Wednesday. If I sound a little giddy with optimism, it's because I truly am excited about the magazine, this blog, and what I get to do at my job everyday--and because that mood suits this post. It doesn't seem to hurt. In fact, I may have just managed to cheer myself up.
Wow, This Is An Amazing Story!
Optimism. Not everyone is upbeat about it, and the whole idea may be unproven. It could even have serious drawbacks, which we've detailed in previous stories (see 'Can Positive Thinking Be Negative?' by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz). Still, I am often trying to fight my way over to the sunny side--and I think I'm going to keep at it. Why? For one thing, I like it over there. Plus, there is at least some data suggesting that my struggle to smile is worth it.
The health benefits of positive thinking may be tenuous, and some realistic pessimism is often warranted. But from a psychological standpoint, thinking everything is (or will be) fine is what resilience is all about. And on the flip side, wearing a dark lens puts us at risk for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. In my experience, it's also more fun to believe in the positive, or at least emotionally neutral, aspects of a situation than to presume that the world is out to get you.
As Elaine Fox reports in 'Tune Your Subliminal Biases Toward Optimism,' a nervous person giving a speech has a choice: she can glob on to the person in the front row who is dozing in his seat or focus on the majority who are mesmerized. If your boss rushes by you impatiently one morning, you could assume she is mad at you--or simply running late. My latest favorite example from my own life comes from a colleague who told me that she loved going to the dentist, a dull and unpleasant task if there is one. 'What exactly do you like about the dentist?' I asked, thinly disguising my incredulity. Her answer: 'It's like a spa for your mouth.' The feeling of clean teeth delighted her.
Some people, like my coworker, are predisposed toward positivity, others not so much. If you are in the not-so-much group, you can train yourself to adopt a more positive outlook using a simple computerized method called Cognitive Bias Modification. It uses a subliminal process to repeatedly direct attention either away from unpleasantness or toward appealing or happy stimuli or thoughts. A CBM app is not yet available for your smart phone, but you can still try some lower-tech tricks for worming out of your gloomy mood. Find out more by reading the story.
Value to Video Games?
If you are looking for other ways to spruce up your mind, check out an electronics store. Head straight for the first-person shooter video games, pick out a few and plan on spending your downtime practicing. Your arduous efforts ducking behind shipping containers and blasting enemy soldiers and aliens will pay off in mental currency. You will see with sharper eyes. You will reason in three dimensions with greater speed and clarity. And you will make better on-the-fly decisions in response to visual input. Training to be a laparoscopic surgeon or a pilot? Playing these games is perfect preparation.
Should we all run out and buy these electronic atrocities? I haven't--yet. I do worry about the violence, which can make people more aggressive, although the strongest effects wear off within half an hour, experts say. Some 8 percent of kids seem to get addicted to gaming, too, although I think if my kid had a problem with too much gaming, I'd have seen it already.
Allowing moderate use of these types of games might be reasonable in some cases, because the research on their benefits is strong and compelling (see 'How Video Games Change the Brain,' by Lydia Denworth). That said, as with anything you put in a child's (or adult's) hands, the person needs to be prepared to use it responsibly. People with emotional issues or who tend to be aggressive anyway may not be good candidates. And a child should be old enough to clearly understand the difference between fantasy and reality. Nobody wants to take chances with something as troublesome as violence, especially in light of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Scientists and game designers are now trying to figure out how to create electronic entertainment that benefits the brain in a more peaceful fashion. When that happens, I'm on-board for sure.
Courtroom Justice
In another feature in the issue, a psychologist and a lawyer team up to show how psychological science can improve the accuracy of courtroom decisions, preventing miscarriages of justice in which the wrong person is put behind bars. They present evidence-based solutions for incorrect eyewitness accounts, false confessions, racial bias, prejudicial courtroom procedure and picking innocent individuals in subject line-ups. It's an important story with widespread implications and clear prescriptions for change (see 'Your Brain on Trial,' by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Robert Byron).
The issue also features a book excerpt describing a psychologist's tour of a high security prison. The goal of this terrifying trip: to extract advice from psychopaths. These conscienceless criminals, it turns out, have a lot to teach us. Their tendency toward ruthlessness, charm, focus and fearlessness can be astoundingly useful--although these traits must be tempered to avoid troublesome side effects (see 'Wisdom from Psychopaths,' by Kevin Dutton).
Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs.
Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
© 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.
This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
North Korea's first video game: A boring version of 'Crazy Taxi' that nitpicks your bad driving
In theory, a driving game set in North Korea could be fun - it could revolve around delivering kidnapped movie stars from the airport to Dear Leader's headquarters, for instance. In reality, though, it looks as though playing a driving game set in North Korea is about as much fun as actually living in North Korea. Business Insider's Gus Lubin has posted his first impressions of "Welcome to Pyongyang," an online game that's "produced by Nosotek, a western IT company based in North Korea," and he's found that it's pretty lame.
[More from BGR: Years after cashing out, MySpace cofounder mocks people who work for a living]
The goal of the game is to drive around the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and become familiar with all the great tourist attractions it has to offer. But unlike action-driving classics such as Crazy Taxi and the Grand Theft Auto series, Welcome to Pyongyang is annoyingly authoritarian and won't put up with you crashing into cars or mowing down civilians. To make matters worse, the game doesn't even give you the satisfaction dying at the hands of bloody-minded authorities if you break the rules too often - rather, it sends out a fascistic meter maid to simply tell you that you have been "stopped for bad driving." We're not sure what the actual penalty is for reckless is in North Korea, but we get the feeling it's more severe than getting nitpicked by an annoying digital character.
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
[More from BGR: Years after cashing out, MySpace cofounder mocks people who work for a living]
The goal of the game is to drive around the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and become familiar with all the great tourist attractions it has to offer. But unlike action-driving classics such as Crazy Taxi and the Grand Theft Auto series, Welcome to Pyongyang is annoyingly authoritarian and won't put up with you crashing into cars or mowing down civilians. To make matters worse, the game doesn't even give you the satisfaction dying at the hands of bloody-minded authorities if you break the rules too often - rather, it sends out a fascistic meter maid to simply tell you that you have been "stopped for bad driving." We're not sure what the actual penalty is for reckless is in North Korea, but we get the feeling it's more severe than getting nitpicked by an annoying digital character.
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Video game shares down in wake of shooting
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shares of video game makers and sellers fell Thursday in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, which has renewed debate about violent games and their potential influence on crime.
Shares of GameStop Corp., whose stores sell video games as well as systems like the Xbox and Wii, fell 5 percent in afternoon trading.
Investors are seen as being increasingly concerned that the government may impose tougher rules on the sales of games rated for 'mature' and older audiences.
Investors may be worried that parents will also avoid buying first-person shooter games like 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' after the tragedy Friday morning at Sandy Hook Elementary, in which 20 children and six adults were shot and killed by 20-year-old Adam Lanza.
'Maybe there will be more stringent efforts to make sure youth are not playing games that they're not old enough to play,' said Mike Hickey, an analyst with National Alliance Securities. 'Maybe there will be a greater effort by parents in managing the content their kids are playing.'
Shares of companies involved in the video game industry, many of which had been dropping since the shooting, declined further Thursday.
- GameStop stock lost $1.37, or 5 percent, to $26.18. Shares have barely changed since last Thursday's close, the day before the shooting, to Wednesday's close.
- Shares of Activision Blizzard Inc., the publisher of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2,' fell 9 cents to $10.70. The stock had already dropped 5.6 percent.
- Electronic Arts Inc. shares fell 41 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $13.99. Shares had dropped 5.6 percent.
- Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. shares slipped 29 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $11.69. The stock had dropped 8 percent.
The declines came as broader markets rose. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.3 percent at 13,295.
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North Korean Video Game Has Western Ties
Video games represent a true luxury for most North Koreans living in a country where even the elite have only hours of electricity each day. That has not stopped a Western company in the capital city of Pyonyang from creating what may be the first North Korean game widely available online.
The game, called 'Pyongyang Racer,' is a simple Web browser game that allows players to drive a car around North Korea's capitol city of Pyongyang, according to Beijing Cream. Players must avoid hitting cars and collect gasoline in the form of petrol barrels to keep their run going as long as possible - all while getting warnings from one of Pyongyang's famously picturesque traffic girls.
'Pyongyang Racer' has an unusual development history as a video game. The North Korean programmers who made the game work for Nosotek, a Western company that describes itself as the 'first western IT venture' in North Korea.
Nosotek's North Korean programmers previously made mobile-phone games based on the Hollywood films 'The Big Lebowski' and 'Men in Black.' Those games ended up getting published through a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (owner of Fox News), according to Bloomberg News.
Nosotek claims to have 'attracted the cream of local talent as the only company in Pyongyang offering Western working conditions and Internet access.' That would likely be true in North Korea, given the nuclear-armed country's pariah status among Western countries and businesses.
The Nosotek website also praises the advantages of working in North Korea because 'IP secrecy and minimum employee churn rate are structurally guaranteed.' Translation: North Korean programmers would likely never leave Nosotek with the company's intellectual property secrets because they have practically no other employment options.
Nosotek built the game for Koryo Tours, a company based in Beijing, China, to distribute 'Pyongyang Racer' through the Koryo Tours website. Koryo Tours is currently the leading company that runs tours of secretive North Korea for Westerners and other foreigners.
'This game was developed in 2012 and is not intended to be a high-end technological wonder hit game of the 21st century, but more a fun race game (arcade style) where you drive around in Pyongyang and learn more about the sites and get a glimpse of Pyongyang,' Koryo Tours said on the game's website.
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 news article is brought to you by MUSIC UNITED 1 - where latest news are our top priority.
The game, called 'Pyongyang Racer,' is a simple Web browser game that allows players to drive a car around North Korea's capitol city of Pyongyang, according to Beijing Cream. Players must avoid hitting cars and collect gasoline in the form of petrol barrels to keep their run going as long as possible - all while getting warnings from one of Pyongyang's famously picturesque traffic girls.
'Pyongyang Racer' has an unusual development history as a video game. The North Korean programmers who made the game work for Nosotek, a Western company that describes itself as the 'first western IT venture' in North Korea.
Nosotek's North Korean programmers previously made mobile-phone games based on the Hollywood films 'The Big Lebowski' and 'Men in Black.' Those games ended up getting published through a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (owner of Fox News), according to Bloomberg News.
Nosotek claims to have 'attracted the cream of local talent as the only company in Pyongyang offering Western working conditions and Internet access.' That would likely be true in North Korea, given the nuclear-armed country's pariah status among Western countries and businesses.
The Nosotek website also praises the advantages of working in North Korea because 'IP secrecy and minimum employee churn rate are structurally guaranteed.' Translation: North Korean programmers would likely never leave Nosotek with the company's intellectual property secrets because they have practically no other employment options.
Nosotek built the game for Koryo Tours, a company based in Beijing, China, to distribute 'Pyongyang Racer' through the Koryo Tours website. Koryo Tours is currently the leading company that runs tours of secretive North Korea for Westerners and other foreigners.
'This game was developed in 2012 and is not intended to be a high-end technological wonder hit game of the 21st century, but more a fun race game (arcade style) where you drive around in Pyongyang and learn more about the sites and get a glimpse of Pyongyang,' Koryo Tours said on the game's website.
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.
- 12 Biggest Game Fails of 2012
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This news article is brought to you by MUSIC UNITED 1 - where latest news are our top priority.
Nintendo's amazing triumph in Japan may doom the company internationally
According to Japanese gaming bible Famitsu, Nintendo (NTDOY) 3DS sold 333,000 units in the week ending December 16, while Sony's (SNE) PS Vita limped along at 13,000 units, the new Wii U did an okay 130,000 units and the PlayStation 3 managed to sell 46,000 units. The utter hardware domination of the 3DS is reshaping the Japanese software market. Franchises that were thought to be fading have been revitalized in their portable versions. The 3DS version of the ancient Animal Crossing series, famed for being the game where nothing happens, hit a staggering 1.7 million units last week in Japan. Inazuma Eleven sold 170,000 units in its launch week, up from 140,000 units its DS version managed in 2011.
[More from BGR: RIM, HTC and Nokia could all be headed the way of Palm]
Nintendo's portable console 3DS had a muted start in its home market in the spring of 2011. Many thought that Sony would have a fair shot at competing with Nintendo once Playstation Vita launched at the end of 2011. But once Nintendo executed an aggressive price cut for 3DS in the summer of 2011 and then launched a large-screen version of the console in mid-2012, the gadget has grown into a Godzilla in Japan, demolishing both Sony Vita and aging tabletop console competition.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry 10 browser smokes iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8 in comparison test [video]]
3DS is doing well also in America, where its lifetime sales are moving close to the 6 million unit mark this holiday season. According to NPD, the 3DS sales in the United States topped 500,000 units in November. That's a decent number, though far from the torrid volume the portable is racking up in its home market. The U.S. November video game software chart was dominated by massive home console juggernauts: new installments of Call of Duty, Halo and Assassin's Creed franchises shifted more than 13 million units in retail. At the same time, the Japanese software chart remains in a '90s time warp, dominated by Nintendo's musty masterpieces: Super Mario Brothers, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, etc.
Japanese and American tastes have always been different. But what we are witnessing now is a particularly fascinating divergence. American consumers are spending more of their time and money on smartphone and tablet games, while console game spending is increasingly focusing on massive, graphically stunning blockbuster titles on Xbox360 and PS3. The casual gamers are shifting to mobile games, while hardcore gamers remain attracted to sprawling epics on home consoles. The overall video game spending in America keeps declining month after month, as casual titles and mid-list games slide. But the Triple A whales like the Call of Duty series are doing better than ever.
In Japan, Nintendo has been able to battle back iPhone and Android game invasion with a nostalgic series of portable games that basically recycle the biggest hits of '80s and early '90s. Mario, Pokemons and other portable heroes are slowly losing their grip on U.S. and European consumers. But in Japan, some form of national nostalgia is keeping Nintendo on track.
The problem here is that the Japanese success of the 3DS may now be convincing Nintendo that it does not have to reconsider its business strategy. The smartphone and tablet game spending continues growing explosively across the world. Unlike console games, mobile game sales in China are legal. The global gaming spending is shifting towards new hardware platforms even as console mammoths like Halo still reign in America. At this critical juncture, Nintendo has managed to cocoon its home market in a web of nostalgia, turning the 3DS console and its Eighties left-over franchises into epic bestsellers yet again.
This means that there is no sense of urgency to push Nintendo into rethinking its long-term plans. The company may continue simply ignoring the smartphone and tablet challenge, designing new portable consoles and the 28th Mario game to support it. Twenty years ago, Japan's insularity doomed its chances to succeed in the mobile phone business. And now the idiosyncratic nature of Japan may be leading its biggest entertainment industry success astray.
This article was originally published by BGR
This article is brought to you by COMPUTERS FOR SALE.
[More from BGR: RIM, HTC and Nokia could all be headed the way of Palm]
Nintendo's portable console 3DS had a muted start in its home market in the spring of 2011. Many thought that Sony would have a fair shot at competing with Nintendo once Playstation Vita launched at the end of 2011. But once Nintendo executed an aggressive price cut for 3DS in the summer of 2011 and then launched a large-screen version of the console in mid-2012, the gadget has grown into a Godzilla in Japan, demolishing both Sony Vita and aging tabletop console competition.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry 10 browser smokes iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8 in comparison test [video]]
3DS is doing well also in America, where its lifetime sales are moving close to the 6 million unit mark this holiday season. According to NPD, the 3DS sales in the United States topped 500,000 units in November. That's a decent number, though far from the torrid volume the portable is racking up in its home market. The U.S. November video game software chart was dominated by massive home console juggernauts: new installments of Call of Duty, Halo and Assassin's Creed franchises shifted more than 13 million units in retail. At the same time, the Japanese software chart remains in a '90s time warp, dominated by Nintendo's musty masterpieces: Super Mario Brothers, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, etc.
Japanese and American tastes have always been different. But what we are witnessing now is a particularly fascinating divergence. American consumers are spending more of their time and money on smartphone and tablet games, while console game spending is increasingly focusing on massive, graphically stunning blockbuster titles on Xbox360 and PS3. The casual gamers are shifting to mobile games, while hardcore gamers remain attracted to sprawling epics on home consoles. The overall video game spending in America keeps declining month after month, as casual titles and mid-list games slide. But the Triple A whales like the Call of Duty series are doing better than ever.
In Japan, Nintendo has been able to battle back iPhone and Android game invasion with a nostalgic series of portable games that basically recycle the biggest hits of '80s and early '90s. Mario, Pokemons and other portable heroes are slowly losing their grip on U.S. and European consumers. But in Japan, some form of national nostalgia is keeping Nintendo on track.
The problem here is that the Japanese success of the 3DS may now be convincing Nintendo that it does not have to reconsider its business strategy. The smartphone and tablet game spending continues growing explosively across the world. Unlike console games, mobile game sales in China are legal. The global gaming spending is shifting towards new hardware platforms even as console mammoths like Halo still reign in America. At this critical juncture, Nintendo has managed to cocoon its home market in a web of nostalgia, turning the 3DS console and its Eighties left-over franchises into epic bestsellers yet again.
This means that there is no sense of urgency to push Nintendo into rethinking its long-term plans. The company may continue simply ignoring the smartphone and tablet challenge, designing new portable consoles and the 28th Mario game to support it. Twenty years ago, Japan's insularity doomed its chances to succeed in the mobile phone business. And now the idiosyncratic nature of Japan may be leading its biggest entertainment industry success astray.
This article was originally published by BGR
This article is brought to you by COMPUTERS FOR SALE.
Nintendo's amazing triumph in Japan may doom the company
According to Japanese gaming bible Famitsu, Nintendo 3DS sold 333,000 units in the week ending December 16. Sony's PS Vita limped along at 13'000 units. The new Wii U did an OK 130,000 units and PS3 managed 46,000 units. The utter hardware domination of the 3DS is reshaping the Japanese software market. Franchises that were thought to be fading have been revitalized in their portable versions. The 3DS version of the ancient "Animal Crossing" series, famed for being the game where nothing happens, hit a staggering 1.7 million units last week in Japan. "Inazuma Eleven" sold 170,000 units in its launch week, up from 140'000 units its DS version managed in 2011.
[More from BGR: RIM, HTC and Nokia could all be headed the way of Palm]
Nintendo's portable console 3DS had a muted start in its home market in the spring of 2011. Many thought that Sony would have a fair shot at competing with Nintendo once Playstation Vita launched at the end of 2011. But once Nintendo executed an aggressive price cut for 3DS in the summer of 2011 and then launched a large-screen version of the console in mid-2012, the gadget has grown into a godzilla in Japan, demolishing both Sony Vita and aging tabletop console competition.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry 10 browser smokes iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8 in comparison test [video]]
3DS is doing well also in America, where its lifetime sales are moving close to the 6 million unit mark this holiday season. According to NPD, the 3DS sales in the US market topped 500,000 units in November. That's a decent number, though far from the torrid volume the portable is racking up in its home market. The US November video game software chart was dominated by massive home console juggernauts: new installments of Call of Duty, Halo and Assassin's Creed franchises shifted more than 13 million units in retail. At the same time, the Japanese software chart remains in a Nineties time warp, dominated by Nintendo's musty masterpieces: Super Mario Brothers, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, etc.
Japanese and American tastes have always been different. But what we are witnessing now is a particularly fascinating divergence. American consumers are spending more of their time and money on smartphone and tablet games, while console game spending is increasingly focusing on massive, graphically stunning blockbuster titles on Xbox360 and PS3. The casual gamers are shifting to mobile games, while hardcore gamers remain attracted to sprawling epics on home consoles. The overall video game spending in America keeps declining month after month, as casual titles and mid-list games slide. But the Triple A whales like Call of Duty series are doing better than ever.
In Japan, Nintendo has been able to battle back iPhone and Android game invasion with a nostalgic series of portable games that basically recycle the biggest hits of Eighties and early Nineties. Mario, Pokemons and other portable heroes are slowly losing their grip on US and European consumers. But in Japan, some form of national nostalgia is keeping Nintendo on track.
The problem here is that the Japanese success of the 3DS may now be convincing Nintendo that it does not have to rethink its business strategy. The smartphone and tablet game spending continues growing explosively across the world. Unlike console games, mobile game sales in China are legal. The global gaming spending is shifting towards new hardware platforms even as console mammoths like Halo still reign in America. At this critical juncture, Nintendo has managed to cocoon its home market in a web of nostalgia, turning the 3DS console and its Eighties left-over franchises into epic bestsellers yet again.
This means that there is no sense of urgency to push Nintendo into rethinking its long-term plans. The company may continue simply ignoring the smartphone and tablet challenge, designing new portable consoles and the 28th Mario game to support it. 20 years ago, Japan's insularity doomed its chances to succeed in the mobile phone business. Ithe idiosyncratic nature of Japan may now be leading its biggest entertainment industry success astray.
This article was originally published by BGR
This article is brought to you by BUY A COMPUTER.
[More from BGR: RIM, HTC and Nokia could all be headed the way of Palm]
Nintendo's portable console 3DS had a muted start in its home market in the spring of 2011. Many thought that Sony would have a fair shot at competing with Nintendo once Playstation Vita launched at the end of 2011. But once Nintendo executed an aggressive price cut for 3DS in the summer of 2011 and then launched a large-screen version of the console in mid-2012, the gadget has grown into a godzilla in Japan, demolishing both Sony Vita and aging tabletop console competition.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry 10 browser smokes iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8 in comparison test [video]]
3DS is doing well also in America, where its lifetime sales are moving close to the 6 million unit mark this holiday season. According to NPD, the 3DS sales in the US market topped 500,000 units in November. That's a decent number, though far from the torrid volume the portable is racking up in its home market. The US November video game software chart was dominated by massive home console juggernauts: new installments of Call of Duty, Halo and Assassin's Creed franchises shifted more than 13 million units in retail. At the same time, the Japanese software chart remains in a Nineties time warp, dominated by Nintendo's musty masterpieces: Super Mario Brothers, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, etc.
Japanese and American tastes have always been different. But what we are witnessing now is a particularly fascinating divergence. American consumers are spending more of their time and money on smartphone and tablet games, while console game spending is increasingly focusing on massive, graphically stunning blockbuster titles on Xbox360 and PS3. The casual gamers are shifting to mobile games, while hardcore gamers remain attracted to sprawling epics on home consoles. The overall video game spending in America keeps declining month after month, as casual titles and mid-list games slide. But the Triple A whales like Call of Duty series are doing better than ever.
In Japan, Nintendo has been able to battle back iPhone and Android game invasion with a nostalgic series of portable games that basically recycle the biggest hits of Eighties and early Nineties. Mario, Pokemons and other portable heroes are slowly losing their grip on US and European consumers. But in Japan, some form of national nostalgia is keeping Nintendo on track.
The problem here is that the Japanese success of the 3DS may now be convincing Nintendo that it does not have to rethink its business strategy. The smartphone and tablet game spending continues growing explosively across the world. Unlike console games, mobile game sales in China are legal. The global gaming spending is shifting towards new hardware platforms even as console mammoths like Halo still reign in America. At this critical juncture, Nintendo has managed to cocoon its home market in a web of nostalgia, turning the 3DS console and its Eighties left-over franchises into epic bestsellers yet again.
This means that there is no sense of urgency to push Nintendo into rethinking its long-term plans. The company may continue simply ignoring the smartphone and tablet challenge, designing new portable consoles and the 28th Mario game to support it. 20 years ago, Japan's insularity doomed its chances to succeed in the mobile phone business. Ithe idiosyncratic nature of Japan may now be leading its biggest entertainment industry success astray.
This article was originally published by BGR
This article is brought to you by BUY A COMPUTER.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Shooting renews argument over video-game violence
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the days since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., a shell-shocked nation has looked for reasons. The list of culprits cited include easy access to guns, a strained mental-health system and the 'culture of violence' - the entertainment industry's embrace of violence in movies, TV shows and, especially, video games.
'The violence in the entertainment culture - particularly, with the extraordinary realism to video games, movies now, et cetera - does cause vulnerable young men to be more violent,' Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said.
'There might well be some direct connection between people who have some mental instability and when they go over the edge - they transport themselves, they become part of one of those video games,' said Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, where 12 people were killed in a movie theater shooting in July.
White House adviser David Axelrod tweeted, 'But shouldn't we also quit marketing murder as a game?'
And Donald Trump weighed in, tweeting, 'Video game violence & glorification must be stopped - it is creating monsters!'
There have been unconfirmed media reports that 20-year-old Newtown shooter Adam Lanza enjoyed a range of video games, from the bloody 'Call of Duty' series to the innocuous 'Dance Dance Revolution.' But the same could be said for about 80 percent of Americans in Lanza's age group, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Law enforcement officials haven't made any connection between Lanza's possible motives and his interest in games.
The video game industry has been mostly silent since Friday's attack, in which 20 children and six adults were killed. The Entertainment Software Association, which represents game publishers in Washington, has yet to respond to politicians' criticisms. Hal Halpin, president of the nonprofit Entertainment Consumers Association, said, 'I'd simply and respectfully point to the lack of evidence to support any causal link.'
It's unlikely that lawmakers will pursue legislation to regulate the sales of video games; such efforts were rejected again and again in a series of court cases over the last decade. Indeed, the industry seemed to have moved beyond the entire issue last year, when the Supreme Court revoked a California law criminalizing the sale of violent games to minors.
The Supreme Court decision focused on First Amendment concerns; in the majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that games 'are as much entitled to the protection of free speech as the best of literature.' Scalia also agreed with the ESA's argument that researchers haven't established a link between media violence and real-life violence. 'Psychological studies purporting to show a connection between exposure to violent video games and harmful effects on children do not prove that such exposure causes minors to act aggressively,' Scalia wrote.
Still, that doesn't make games impervious to criticism, or even some soul-searching within the gaming community. At this year's E3 - the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the industry's largest U.S. gathering - some attendees were stunned by the intensity of violence on display. A demo for Sony's 'The Last of Us' ended with a villain taking a shotgun blast to the face. A scene from Ubisoft's 'Splinter Cell: Blacklist' showed the hero torturing an enemy. A trailer for Square Enix's 'Hitman: Absolution' showed the protagonist slaughtering a team of lingerie-clad assassins disguised as nuns.
'The ultraviolence has to stop,' designer Warren Spector told the GamesIndustry website after E3. 'I do believe that we are fetishizing violence, and now in some cases actually combining it with an adolescent approach to sexuality. I just think it's in bad taste. Ultimately I think it will cause us trouble.'
'The violence of these games can be off-putting,' Brian Crecente, news editor for the gaming website Polygon, said Monday. 'The video-game industry is wrestling with the same issues as movies and TV. There's this tension between violent games that sell really well and games like 'Journey,' a beautiful, artistic creation that was well received by critics but didn't sell as much.'
During November, typically the peak month for pre-holiday game releases, the two best sellers were the military shooters 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II,' from Activision, and 'Halo 4,' from Microsoft. But even with the dominance of the genre, Crecente said, 'There has been a feeling that some of the sameness of war games is grating on people.'
Critic John Peter Grant said, 'I've also sensed a growing degree of fatigue with ultra-violent games, but not necessarily because of the violence per se.'
The problem, Grant said, 'is that violence as a mechanic gets old really fast. Games are amazing possibility spaces! And if the chief way I can interact with them is by destroying and killing? That seems like such a waste of potential.'
There are some hints of a growing self-awareness creeping into the gaming community. One gamer - Antwand Pearman, editor of the website GamerFitNation - has called for other players to join in a 'Day of Cease-Fire for Online Shooters' this Friday, one week after the massacre.
'We are simply making a statement,' Pearman said, 'that we as gamers are not going to sit back and ignore the lives that were lost.'
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Wii U finally gets Nintendo's TVii service on December 20th
After a month-long delay, Nintendo (NTDOY) will launch its Nintendo TVii service for the Wii U on December 20th in the U.S. and Canada. Nintendo TVii is the company's take on organizing all of the various video streaming and DVR services a user might subscribe to and then displaying them in an easy-to-navigate touchscreen-based interface on the Wii U GamePad. With Nintendo TVii, Nintendo hopes to make content discovery an easier task, rather than a chore. At the same time, Nintendo TVii will offer new "second-screen" experiences (similar to Xbox SmartGlass) with built-in social sharing options to Facebook (FB), Twitter and the Wii U console's Miiverse.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry 10 browser smokes iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8 in comparison test [video]]
[More from BGR: LG's woeful comeback attempt]
Nintendo TVii will support Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video, Hulu Plus and cable and satellite providers on Thursday, but Netflix (NFLX) and TiVo (TIVO) support won't hit the U.S. until "early 2013." Nintendo didn't state when TVii support for the latter two will hit Canada.
For the consumer's sake, we hope the download for Nintendo TVii doesn't take as long as past system updates.
Nintendo's press release follows below.
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by SHOCKING DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry 10 browser smokes iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8 in comparison test [video]]
[More from BGR: LG's woeful comeback attempt]
Nintendo TVii will support Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video, Hulu Plus and cable and satellite providers on Thursday, but Netflix (NFLX) and TiVo (TIVO) support won't hit the U.S. until "early 2013." Nintendo didn't state when TVii support for the latter two will hit Canada.
For the consumer's sake, we hope the download for Nintendo TVii doesn't take as long as past system updates.
Nintendo's press release follows below.
Nintendo Makes TV Smart and Social - Nintendo TVii Launches Dec. 20
New Wii U Service Gives Every Member of the Family His or Her Own Personalized, Easy-to-Use Second-Screen Viewing Experience
REDMOND, Wash.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-The company that changed how we play is about to change how we watch. On Dec. 20, Nintendo will introduce Nintendo TVii, a free, integrated service for the recently launched Wii U console that combines what you watch and how you watch into one seamless, second-screen experience on the revolutionary new Wii U GamePad controller.
The rapid increase in both the quality and availability of video entertainment content - hundreds of satellite and cable channels, a seemingly endless amount of video-on-demand options - has made finding something to watch a complex and occasionally frustrating process. The solution to this problem is coming from perhaps an unexpected place: a video game console.
"After Dec. 20, you'll never look at your TV the same way again," said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. "Wii U owners have already experienced the transformative effect that the GamePad has on game play and social interaction. Nintendo TVii shows how the integrated second screen of the GamePad can also transform and enhance the TV viewing experience. Welcome to the new world of TVii."
Nintendo TVii maximizes Wii U owners' current cable, satellite and video-on-demand services by pulling all of their available content sources - such as a Comcast cable package or Hulu Plus subscription - into one place. This empowers Wii U owners to focus on whatthey want to watch and not how they want to watch. And once users find the show, sporting event or movie they want, they press an icon and Nintendo TVii does the rest.
In addition to greatly simplifying finding and watching video content, Nintendo TVii also includes a series of social features that enable Wii U owners to share experiences and exciting moments with friends as they are happening on live TV. People can engage with others by commenting and sharing on Miiverse, Facebook and Twitter. Or they can comment, post or tweet about an incredible touchdown, a remarkable performance or a shocking plot twist, all using the personal screen of the Wii U GamePad.
Nintendo TVii requires no additional equipment and can be enjoyed with very little setup, demonstrating what's possible when the second screen is truly integrated with the TV. Wii U owners can also discover more information about what they're watching by easily accessing information on the GamePad via an Internet connection, including cast details, movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes and sports data such as live stats and scores.
Nintendo TVii launches in the United States and Canada on Dec. 20. At launch, the service will support cable and satellite providers in both regions, as well as direct integration with Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus subscriptions in the United States. Further integration with Netflix subscriptions and TiVo are expected in early 2013 in the United States. Wii U owners with a Netflix subscription can still access the Netflix application from the Wii U system's main menu and enjoy their favorite content accordingly.
All elements of the Nintendo TVii service are included in the purchase price of the Wii U system. Users will define which services they currently subscribe to - including the channel lineup in their cable package and video-on-demand service subscriptions - as part of the setup process.
Nintendo TVii observes the Wii U system parental controls, and additional options specific to the Nintendo TVii features can be chosen in the Nintendo TVii settings. Every member of the family can create a different viewing profile. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.
This article was originally published by BGR
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Nintendo's TVii a replacement for the remote
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Nintendo is switching on a television service that transforms the tablet-like controller for its new Wii U game console into a remote that changes the channel on your TV and puts programs from the Internet just a few finger taps away.
The TVii service will debut in the U.S. and Canada on Thursday, the company said. That's a delay from previous plans to have the service available when the game console went on sale in North America on Nov. 18. The TVii service launched in Japan on Dec. 8.
The aim of TVii is to bring order to the hundreds of channels on regular TV and the thousands of shows and movies available through apps from Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Hulu Plus and Google Inc.'s YouTube.
It's the first time a video game console maker has integrated live TV controls in a device and could be the extra incentive needed for on-the-fence shoppers ahead of the Christmas holiday.
Nintendo Co.'s Wii U console has a unique controller - the GamePad - which is covered with joysticks and buttons and boasts a front-facing camera and 6.2-inch touch screen. The GamePad also houses an infrared emitter that talks directly to your TV or set-top box.
TVii scans what's available and offers you the option of watching a show, sports event or movie on live TV or through apps that connect to the Internet. By the end of March, Nintendo says that it will integrate TVii with TiVo so that it will be possible to program a TiVo digital video recorder through the game console as well.
'This is a way to get every member of the household to pick up the GamePad hopefully every day,' said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America. 'Hopefully this leads to a significant change in how consumers view and interact with their TV.'
For years, home entertainment enthusiasts have had to grapple with a bunch of different controllers to work their televisions, set-top boxes, DVRs, disc players and game consoles. TVii has the potential to dispense with some of that hassle.
If you search for 'The Walking Dead,' for example, TVii will show you the next time it's on AMC and give you the option of buying previous episodes from Amazon or watching them on Netflix. If it's on now, you can change the channel from the GamePad. Users will be able to watch only channels they already get via antenna or through their TV provider, but search results will include all the options available, which could entice some people to upgrade their channel packages. Netlfix and Hulu Plus require separate subscriptions that cost $8 a month each. TVii itself is free.
TVii also has a traditional channel guide and will recommend shows you might like based on favorite shows, networks and movies that you enter. Different users can have different profiles, and parental controls are included.
Nintendo hopes the service boosts sales of its console. About 425,000 Wii U units were sold in the first seven days on sale. That's faster than the rollout of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 when they debuted in November 2005 and November 2006 respectively, although initial sales are often constrained by supply, not demand.
Analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities said the TVii service puts Nintendo a step ahead of its competitors, but he expects Microsoft to close the gap next year with a next-generation Xbox that includes a TV tuner. Microsoft hasn't announced such a device.
'It gives them a head start. I think they should be congratulated on making this a truly multimedia device,' Pachter said. 'I don't think that advantage is going to last very long.'
Nintendo has also added social networking features to its service. A team of curators will watch the top 100 shows on live TV and post details and a screenshot of important events, such as 'a great shot in a basketball game or an unexpected twist in 'Mad Men,'' according to Zach Fountain, director of network business for Nintendo of America.
Users can then comment on these moments and have those posts show up on Nintendo's Miiverse network, as well as Facebook and Twitter if they choose. Users that express emotions could wind up with a sad or happy-looking Mii avatar.
Live sporting events such as pro or college football will also be accompanied by scores and play-by-play summaries on the GamePad's screen.
One problem with the service could be the GamePad's battery life. Nintendo says the controller can be used three to five hours depending on activity and screen brightness before it needs to be charged. But TV ratings agency The Nielsen Co. says the average American watches nearly five hours of TV per day. Heavy users may need to keep the controller plugged in to a wall socket, or buy a $25 battery pack that its maker, Nyko, promises will double the battery life.
___
Online:
Nintendo's Wii U site: http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Xbox SmartGlass updated with second-screen ESPN and NBA Game Time app experiences
Little by little, Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox SmartGlass app is becoming more useful. Microsoft Director of Programming for Xbox LIVE Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb announced on Monday the release of the Sports Picks app, which allows users to "make picks, compete with your Xbox LIVE friends and fight for domination of the leaderboard." Xbox SmartGlass also has new ESPN and NBA Game Time experiences that provide second-screen information and navigation to "thousands of live events, highlights and replays" during a game. Xbox SmartGlass is compatible with dozens of existing Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8 smartphones and tablets as well as Windows 8-compatible mobile devices. The new update to Xbox SmartGlass is the latest in Microsoft's attempts to position the Xbox 360 as the ultimate living room device.
[More from BGR: New BlackBerry 10 images show off home screen UI, notifications and key apps]
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by PERSONAL FINANCE BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
[More from BGR: New BlackBerry 10 images show off home screen UI, notifications and key apps]
This article was originally published by BGR
This news article is brought to you by PERSONAL FINANCE BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Monday, December 17, 2012
What If Nothing or Nobody is to Blame for Adam Lanza? Guns, Video Games, Autism or Authorities
What if there is nobody or nothing to blame for Adam Lanza's heinous acts? Other than Lanza, of course.
What if school security and the school psychiatrist kept an eye on Lanza since his freshman year? The Wall Street Journal has a compelling narrative about the red flags addressed.
What if he had a form of autism that has little or no link to violent behavior? Lanza may have had Asperger's syndrome but, even so, that is not a cause.
What if it's too simple to lay the massacre at the feet of the gun lobby? Reader Larry Kelly tweets that shaming Aspies 'makes about as much sense at stigmatizing the NRA. Pick an enemy ... any enemy. Let outrage and fear rule.'
What if Lanza wasn't provoked by video games? David Axelrod, a close friend an adviser of President Obama, tweeted last night: 'In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot 'em up video game. All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn't we also quit marketing murder as a game.'
When I asked whether he was laying groundwork for a White House initiative, Axelrod said no: 'Just one man's observation.' A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said today that Axelrod was not a stalking horse for Obama on this issue.
What if Lanza's mother did everything she could, short of keeping her guns out her adult son's reach? What if he wasn't bullied?
What if there is nobody or nothing to blame? Would that make this inexplicable horror unbearable?
What if we didn't rush to judgement? What if we didn't waste our thoughts, prayers and actions on assigning blame for the sake of mere recrimination? What if we calmly and ruthlessly learned whatever lessons we can from the massacre -- and prevented the next one?
A parting thought: What if it wasn't one thing, but everything, that set off Lanza?
This article is brought to you by CHEAP COMPUTERS.
What if school security and the school psychiatrist kept an eye on Lanza since his freshman year? The Wall Street Journal has a compelling narrative about the red flags addressed.
What if he had a form of autism that has little or no link to violent behavior? Lanza may have had Asperger's syndrome but, even so, that is not a cause.
What if it's too simple to lay the massacre at the feet of the gun lobby? Reader Larry Kelly tweets that shaming Aspies 'makes about as much sense at stigmatizing the NRA. Pick an enemy ... any enemy. Let outrage and fear rule.'
What if Lanza wasn't provoked by video games? David Axelrod, a close friend an adviser of President Obama, tweeted last night: 'In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot 'em up video game. All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn't we also quit marketing murder as a game.'
When I asked whether he was laying groundwork for a White House initiative, Axelrod said no: 'Just one man's observation.' A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said today that Axelrod was not a stalking horse for Obama on this issue.
What if Lanza's mother did everything she could, short of keeping her guns out her adult son's reach? What if he wasn't bullied?
What if there is nobody or nothing to blame? Would that make this inexplicable horror unbearable?
What if we didn't rush to judgement? What if we didn't waste our thoughts, prayers and actions on assigning blame for the sake of mere recrimination? What if we calmly and ruthlessly learned whatever lessons we can from the massacre -- and prevented the next one?
A parting thought: What if it wasn't one thing, but everything, that set off Lanza?
This article is brought to you by CHEAP COMPUTERS.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Sony's PlayStation 4 could lose to the next Xbox before it's even released
I love all game consoles equally. My Xbox 360 is used equally as much as my PlayStation 3. The Wii â?" oh, I'll just leave it at that. The current generation of consoles is all but over â?" 10-year life cycle be damned â?" and new consoles are rumored to be coming next fall. If not next fall, then in 2014. Whatever is the case, Sony (SNE) can't afford to lag in third place again. Sure, the Xbox 360 and PS3 are neck-in-neck in global lifetime sales, and the Xbox 360 did have a one year head start, but coming off the disappointing PS Vita, "confidence is less high" that Sony will deliver a console next year in time to compete with Microsoft (MSFT), according to Kotaku.
[More from BGR: Has the iPhone peaked? Apple's iPhone 4S seen outselling iPhone 5]
I want a new console just as much as any other gamer. There's a reason people are still pouncing on those Wii U consoles and flipping them on eBay. Six years is unusually long for a console to still be kicking around.
[More from BGR: Apple execs said to be 'seething' over Google Maps praise]
According to the well-informed Stephen Totilo, Editor-in-Chief of Kotaku, the game blog that first broke news on the next-gen Xbox, Microsoft's "Durango" is "on the mark" and "Sony appears to inspire less confidence.due to the on-and-off troubles of the PlayStation 3 and the struggles of the Vita vs. how much lost confidence is due to any problems looming for PS4."
Totilo says "confidence is high that the next Xbox will be out in time for next Christmas" and confidence is low that the PS4 will be right there on store shelves next to it.
The "on-and-off troubles of the PlayStation 3? Totilo is referring to is the anchor that's weighed the console down since launch: tougher development due to the Cell processor and less available RAM â?" 256MB vs. 512MB in the Xbox 360.
In the months before the PS3's launch in 2006, Sony said the console would be the most powerful console ever created, and here we are six years later and multi-platform games on the console consistently end up being buggier and uglier than on the Xbox 360 in many cases. Cases in point: Skyrim, Mass Effect 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Sony's in a rut right now. It has the chops to build beautiful and powerful hardware that's a developer's dream (ex: PS Vita), but at the same time, it's always launching after the competition nowadays.
If Sony's learned any lessons in the last half a decade, it better apply them to the PS4. The console needs to offer next-level processing and graphics. It needs to be backward-compatible with PS3 games and play Blu-ray discs. It should be small and quiet. It should have a strong online platform, support a greater array of apps and most importantly be easy for developers to program for.
Game exclusives will always be important, but now that games are million-dollar productions, multi-platform will be where developers hope to reap back their costs.
With Microsoft said to be preparing an "Xbox 720? and an "Xbox Lite," Sony can't make the mistake of launching late or pricing the console too high. A launch in spring of 2014 would mean Sony will miss Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the two biggest shopping days of the year that bring in massive sales.  Ceding sales and market share to Microsoft and Nintendo by launching late would be disastrous.
The PS3 screwed up too many times. At this point, the PS4 needs to be perfect out of the door.
This article was originally published by BGR
Get more from BGR.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook
This news article is brought to you by SHOCKING DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
[More from BGR: Has the iPhone peaked? Apple's iPhone 4S seen outselling iPhone 5]
I want a new console just as much as any other gamer. There's a reason people are still pouncing on those Wii U consoles and flipping them on eBay. Six years is unusually long for a console to still be kicking around.
[More from BGR: Apple execs said to be 'seething' over Google Maps praise]
According to the well-informed Stephen Totilo, Editor-in-Chief of Kotaku, the game blog that first broke news on the next-gen Xbox, Microsoft's "Durango" is "on the mark" and "Sony appears to inspire less confidence.due to the on-and-off troubles of the PlayStation 3 and the struggles of the Vita vs. how much lost confidence is due to any problems looming for PS4."
Totilo says "confidence is high that the next Xbox will be out in time for next Christmas" and confidence is low that the PS4 will be right there on store shelves next to it.
The "on-and-off troubles of the PlayStation 3? Totilo is referring to is the anchor that's weighed the console down since launch: tougher development due to the Cell processor and less available RAM â?" 256MB vs. 512MB in the Xbox 360.
In the months before the PS3's launch in 2006, Sony said the console would be the most powerful console ever created, and here we are six years later and multi-platform games on the console consistently end up being buggier and uglier than on the Xbox 360 in many cases. Cases in point: Skyrim, Mass Effect 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Sony's in a rut right now. It has the chops to build beautiful and powerful hardware that's a developer's dream (ex: PS Vita), but at the same time, it's always launching after the competition nowadays.
If Sony's learned any lessons in the last half a decade, it better apply them to the PS4. The console needs to offer next-level processing and graphics. It needs to be backward-compatible with PS3 games and play Blu-ray discs. It should be small and quiet. It should have a strong online platform, support a greater array of apps and most importantly be easy for developers to program for.
Game exclusives will always be important, but now that games are million-dollar productions, multi-platform will be where developers hope to reap back their costs.
With Microsoft said to be preparing an "Xbox 720? and an "Xbox Lite," Sony can't make the mistake of launching late or pricing the console too high. A launch in spring of 2014 would mean Sony will miss Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the two biggest shopping days of the year that bring in massive sales.  Ceding sales and market share to Microsoft and Nintendo by launching late would be disastrous.
The PS3 screwed up too many times. At this point, the PS4 needs to be perfect out of the door.
This article was originally published by BGR
Get more from BGR.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook
This news article is brought to you by SHOCKING DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
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