Saturday, October 13, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Microsoft won't sell Mature-rated video games in the Windows 8 Store
Critics of Microsoft's (MSFT) upcoming Windows 8 operating system have another alarming decision to protest: It's been revealed that the software giant will not sell or support any game with a Mature rating in the United States and a 16+ PEGI rating in Europe, Rock Paper Shotgun reported. The company's latest controversy, which was discovered in its Windows 8 app certification requirements, is puzzling due to the fact that Microsoft not only allows M-rated games on its Xbox 360 video game console, but it also publishes many of them. The Redmond, Washington-based company has previously come under fire from a number of influential members of the gaming industry for its rules and regulation of the Windows 8 store. Microsoft is scheduled to release Windows 8 on October 26th.
[Via Forbes]
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[Via Forbes]
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US video game sales fall 24 percent in September
LOS ANGELES (AP) - U.S. retail sales of new video-game hardware, software and accessories fell 24 percent in September.
The falloff marked the 10th-consecutive month of declining sales as the gaming world holds off buying ahead of the release of Nintendo's Wii U console next month
Research firm NPD Group said Thursday that sales fell to $848 million from $1.11 billion a year earlier.
Sales of video games themselves, excluding PC titles, fell 18 percent to $497.4 million.
The September decline was less severe, however, than the 28 percent drop forecast by Cowen & Co. analyst Doug Creutz.
Including PC games, software sales fell 14 percent to $547.3 million. That was also better than the 23 percent decline Creutz forecast. The analyst said he expected the sales declines to moderate somewhat in the final quarter of the year due to new releases and Nintendo's Wii U, which is due out Nov. 18.
September sales of hardware such as the Xbox 360 fell 39 percent to $210.9 million, and accessories sales fell 11 percent to $139.9 million.
The best-selling title of the month was Electronic Arts Inc.'s 'Madden NFL 13,' followed by Take 2 Interactive Software Inc.'s, 'Borderlands 2' and EA's 'FIFA Soccer 13.'
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The falloff marked the 10th-consecutive month of declining sales as the gaming world holds off buying ahead of the release of Nintendo's Wii U console next month
Research firm NPD Group said Thursday that sales fell to $848 million from $1.11 billion a year earlier.
Sales of video games themselves, excluding PC titles, fell 18 percent to $497.4 million.
The September decline was less severe, however, than the 28 percent drop forecast by Cowen & Co. analyst Doug Creutz.
Including PC games, software sales fell 14 percent to $547.3 million. That was also better than the 23 percent decline Creutz forecast. The analyst said he expected the sales declines to moderate somewhat in the final quarter of the year due to new releases and Nintendo's Wii U, which is due out Nov. 18.
September sales of hardware such as the Xbox 360 fell 39 percent to $210.9 million, and accessories sales fell 11 percent to $139.9 million.
The best-selling title of the month was Electronic Arts Inc.'s 'Madden NFL 13,' followed by Take 2 Interactive Software Inc.'s, 'Borderlands 2' and EA's 'FIFA Soccer 13.'
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Sony's digital PlayStation Store is getting a massive makeover on October 17th
Sony's (SNE) PlayStation Store is getting a complete redesign on October 17th. Sony is replacing the old casual blue interface with a darker, more hardcore-looking design that resonates better with the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita demographic. Gone are all of the tiny little generic icons and in its place are nice big and clear tiles that prominently display how much a game, app, video or song costs. According to Eurogamer, Sony tweaked the search to make it faster and easier to use with smarter recommendations and results.
The entire UI appears to have gotten a facelift with menus that are much more navigable than before. In fact, Eurogamer went as far as to say the new PlayStation Store revamp feels very much inspired by the Metro dashboard on Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox 360 - only much darker. For the time being, the PlayStation Store makeover lands next week in Europe first. Sony's mum on when the new digital store will hit other regions. Official Sony screenshots of the new PlayStation Store follow below.
[Via Eurogamer]
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The entire UI appears to have gotten a facelift with menus that are much more navigable than before. In fact, Eurogamer went as far as to say the new PlayStation Store revamp feels very much inspired by the Metro dashboard on Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox 360 - only much darker. For the time being, the PlayStation Store makeover lands next week in Europe first. Sony's mum on when the new digital store will hit other regions. Official Sony screenshots of the new PlayStation Store follow below.
[Via Eurogamer]
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News Summary: Pirates plundering video game
EXPANSION: The popular 'Borderlands 2' video game is getting a pirate-themed add-on.
STORY LINE: The downloadable content focuses on the one-eyed pirate queen Captain Scarlett and is set amid an expansive desert that features a bandit-filled shanty town called Oasis.
BIGGER PICTURE: The add-on campaign is the first of four that Gearbox Software plans to release over the coming months. Each campaign will cost $9.99 each or $29.99 for a season pass that includes all four levels.
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STORY LINE: The downloadable content focuses on the one-eyed pirate queen Captain Scarlett and is set amid an expansive desert that features a bandit-filled shanty town called Oasis.
BIGGER PICTURE: The add-on campaign is the first of four that Gearbox Software plans to release over the coming months. Each campaign will cost $9.99 each or $29.99 for a season pass that includes all four levels.
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Pirates plundering 'Borderlands 2' video game
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The popular 'Borderlands 2' video game is walking the plank.
A pirate-themed add-on campaign titled 'Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty' is setting sail Oct. 16 for the Gearbox Software shoot-and-loot sequel released by 2K Games last month. The downloadable content focuses on the one-eyed pirate queen Captain Scarlett and is set amid an expansive desert that features a bandit-filled shanty town called Oasis.
'You can sense the pirate theme across the landscape, even though there's no water,' said Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford. 'It's all dried up. It feels more like Tatooine than an ocean. These bandits have really embraced the pirate lifestyle, and there's the legend of a treasure. That kicks off this whole adventure that the players can go on.'
The new campaign tasks players with battling new enemies like sand worms, hovering across the terrain in the new sand skiff vehicle and collecting a new currency called seraph crystals. Pitchford said the new campaign was designed with all players in mind - from those who haven't finished the game to the elite who are replaying it again to discover more swag.
The add-on campaign is the first of four that Gearbox Software plans to release over the coming months. Each campaign will cost $9.99 each or $29.99 for a season pass that includes all four levels. Pitchford said other 'Borderlands 2' downloadable content, such as the recently released Mechromancer class character Gaige, would be separately available.
Sterne Agee game analyst Arvind Bhatia expects 'Borderlands 2' will be the fourth biggest game of the year behind the upcoming titles 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II,' ''Halo 4' and 'Assassin's Creed III,' which have planned similar continuing installments. Such downloadable content can breathe new life into an existing game and more money into gamemakers' coffers.
'It is not even one month after launch and sales for 'Borderlands 2' have been very strong, and we expect this to translate to a higher install base for the first add-on campaign,' said 2K Games marketing director Matt Gorman, who noted the first game's add-on attachment rate was 11 percent higher than the industry average, according to research firm EEDAR.
___
Online:
http://www.borderlands2.com
___
Follow AP entertainment writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang .
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A pirate-themed add-on campaign titled 'Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty' is setting sail Oct. 16 for the Gearbox Software shoot-and-loot sequel released by 2K Games last month. The downloadable content focuses on the one-eyed pirate queen Captain Scarlett and is set amid an expansive desert that features a bandit-filled shanty town called Oasis.
'You can sense the pirate theme across the landscape, even though there's no water,' said Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford. 'It's all dried up. It feels more like Tatooine than an ocean. These bandits have really embraced the pirate lifestyle, and there's the legend of a treasure. That kicks off this whole adventure that the players can go on.'
The new campaign tasks players with battling new enemies like sand worms, hovering across the terrain in the new sand skiff vehicle and collecting a new currency called seraph crystals. Pitchford said the new campaign was designed with all players in mind - from those who haven't finished the game to the elite who are replaying it again to discover more swag.
The add-on campaign is the first of four that Gearbox Software plans to release over the coming months. Each campaign will cost $9.99 each or $29.99 for a season pass that includes all four levels. Pitchford said other 'Borderlands 2' downloadable content, such as the recently released Mechromancer class character Gaige, would be separately available.
Sterne Agee game analyst Arvind Bhatia expects 'Borderlands 2' will be the fourth biggest game of the year behind the upcoming titles 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II,' ''Halo 4' and 'Assassin's Creed III,' which have planned similar continuing installments. Such downloadable content can breathe new life into an existing game and more money into gamemakers' coffers.
'It is not even one month after launch and sales for 'Borderlands 2' have been very strong, and we expect this to translate to a higher install base for the first add-on campaign,' said 2K Games marketing director Matt Gorman, who noted the first game's add-on attachment rate was 11 percent higher than the industry average, according to research firm EEDAR.
___
Online:
http://www.borderlands2.com
___
Follow AP entertainment writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang .
This news article is brought to you by STOCK MARKET BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Zynga down on Piper Jaffray downgrade
NEW YORK (AP) - Shares of Zynga tumbled nearly 5 percent Wednesday after Piper Jaffray predicted that a decline in revenue for social gaming companies would accelerate next year, with fewer teens showing interest.
THE SPARK: Analyst Michael Olson downgraded the stock from 'Overweight' to 'Neutral. Pipper Jaffray surveyed more than 7,700 teens, and found that their view of social gaming is more negative than before. Two years ago, 56 percent of teens said they would reduce their social game time on sites like Facebook, a figure that has risen to 90 percent since, Olson wrote.
Olson noted that 60 percent of Zynga's revenue comes from mature, declining games like FarmVille, Zynga Poker and CityVille, and he is now forecasting an 8 percent decline in revenue next year, compared with the 2 percent decline expected by most analysts.
THE ANALYSIS: The online gaming company is trying to transition from relying on Facebook games to cellphone games, but investors are pessimistic. On Friday, the shares hit an all-time low of $2.21, after Zynga forecast a third-quarter loss. It's also taking a charge related to its March acquisition of mobile game company OMGPop.
SHARE ACTION: Stock in Zynga Inc. fell 12 cents to $2.32 in midday trading. The San Francisco company went public last December at $10 per share.
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THE SPARK: Analyst Michael Olson downgraded the stock from 'Overweight' to 'Neutral. Pipper Jaffray surveyed more than 7,700 teens, and found that their view of social gaming is more negative than before. Two years ago, 56 percent of teens said they would reduce their social game time on sites like Facebook, a figure that has risen to 90 percent since, Olson wrote.
Olson noted that 60 percent of Zynga's revenue comes from mature, declining games like FarmVille, Zynga Poker and CityVille, and he is now forecasting an 8 percent decline in revenue next year, compared with the 2 percent decline expected by most analysts.
THE ANALYSIS: The online gaming company is trying to transition from relying on Facebook games to cellphone games, but investors are pessimistic. On Friday, the shares hit an all-time low of $2.21, after Zynga forecast a third-quarter loss. It's also taking a charge related to its March acquisition of mobile game company OMGPop.
SHARE ACTION: Stock in Zynga Inc. fell 12 cents to $2.32 in midday trading. The San Francisco company went public last December at $10 per share.
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