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February 11th, 2012, 18:11 Posted By: wraggster
Activision has admitted that the launch of social service Call of Duty Elite was bungled, and despite the high uptake amongst players, the company isn't yet celebrating success of the 7 million strong network.
Speaking at the 2012 D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas, CEO Eric Hirshberg said even before the service was announced, internally there were doubts at Activision about how to launch such a technically ambitious service.
"I hesitate to talk about Elite, because even though we've had some early success with the numbers, it's far from time for us to be doing any victory laps on Elite," he said.
When Elite launched last year it struggled to cope with demand, with users experiencing lag and even being unable to log in. Activision's communication at the time was poor, only keeping players up to date with minimal community interaction.
If we only talk about the things that go as planned then we miss some of the most valuable dialogue that can come out of this.
Eric Hirshberg, Activision
"We had some technological stumbles at launch and that frustrated some of our fans. We're still making that right. But if we only talk about the things that go as planned then we miss some of the most valuable dialogue that can come out of this," he added.
The thinking behind the service was simple, said Hirshberg: "There's this massive community of people, all passionate about the same thing, with remarkably few ways to communicate and interact with one another. Overlay that with social network and connecting over digital spaces with the things we're passionate about is the zeitgeist trend in our culture. We wanted to create a way of unlocking Call of Duty's community as a real network."
The biggest problem Elite faced was convincing the community that it would be a service worth paying for, when Call of Duty players had already been playing the series online for free for so long.
"There was only one problem, we wanted to do a beta. None of the features were going to demonstrable in the beta because they were all tied into the code of Modern Warfare 3 and the beta was going to be Black Ops multiplayer.
"With the launching of Elite we had a marketing Sophie's Choice," he said. "Do we do the beta, which is the right thing to do from a development standpoint, or do we make the best possible first impression, which was probably the right thing to do from the marketing standpoint."
"We chose to tell people right out of the gate that while the vast majority of features would be free, there would be a premium membership. A lot people thought we should have waited and show people what they get for the premium membership before talking about its existence. But we knew this question about whether it would be free would immediately be asked. We'd be put on the spot. We chose to be transparent and tell people our intentions from the beginning. The words 'Call of Duty' plus the word 'subscription' equals 'unleash blogger hell'," he recalled.
Backlash was strong and inevitable, and for Hirshberg "that was the most painful summer of Google Alerts I've ever lived through."
As the company planned community event Call of Duty XP at which it would detail clear pricing strategies for Elite, it was nervous of more negative feedback, but knew, "if we could get the worlds attention we would have one shot to show of the full features set of Call of Duty Elite and everything you get as part of membership."
Response was positive, and Call of Duty Elite now boasts over 7 million subscribers, with 1.5 million paying a monthly fee.
"Both Elite and XP were both experiments in how willing people are to enter a relationship, to treat it more like a brand or a lifestyle. Like I said, we're a long way from doing victory laps but we're in it for the long haul. We made it for the right reasons and believe its' right for a players and if we get it right we can change the relationship, make the game better and more fun for players."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...y-elite-launch
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February 11th, 2012, 18:05 Posted By: wraggster
Blizzard Entertainment has requested that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) block Valve's application for theDefense Of The Ancients (Dota) trademark.
In its filing, Blizzard opposes the entire scope of Valve's filing, arguing that Dota, a mod of Blizzard's Warcraft III, has been "used exclusively by Blizzard and its fan community" for seven years, and that Valve's attempt to secure the mark ahead of the release ofDota 2, which is due this year, should be refused.
"In contrast to Blizzard, Valve has never used the mark in connection with any product or service that currently is available to the public … Valve seeks to appropriate the more than seven years of goodwill that Blizzard has developed, and take for itself a name that has come to signify the product of years of time and energy expended by Blizzard and by fans of Warcraft III."
It's an odd case - neither company can claim definitive rights to the name given that it was a community mod in the first place and, over the space of several years, splintered into several other mods. BValve's Dota 2 is based on Dota-Allstars, and is being designed by IceFrog, a key figure in the evolution of Dota who was hired by Valve in 2009.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/bliz...dota-trademark
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February 11th, 2012, 17:42 Posted By: wraggster
Mark Rein claims the new tech will have a 'profound effect' on game development
Epic Games will demonstrate its long-awaited next-generation engine technology later this year, an executive at the company has said.
“People are going to be shocked later this year when they see Unreal Engine 4 and how much more profound an effect it will have,” said Mark Rein, vice president of sales at the North Carolina company, as quoted by G4TV
The new game engine, masterminded by Epic founder Tim Sweeney, has been in development since 2003. It will very likely support next generation consoles such as Wii U, PlayStation 4 and the successor to the Xbox 360.
Epic recently revealed to Develop that it would support mobile games studios much sooner with Unreal Engine 4 than it had with the engine’s predecessor.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...veal-this-year
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February 11th, 2012, 17:41 Posted By: wraggster
Search engine giant wants to avoid games spam on its social network
Google has seen the damage social gaming can do to a community, and is wary of opening up Google+ to more games development.
Facebook, the primary competitor to Google+ has embraced social gaming wholeheartedly, but many complain the game related spam has gone too far.
“How do we find that balance between people who are interested in games… without having the problem of more spam?” said Google+ engineering director David Glazer at the inside social apps conference in San Francisco.
Google+ has so far limited itself to a few dozen games, which are currently segregated from the rest of its content.
“What we’re trying to mostly do is put control in the hands of users,” said Glazier. “First and foremost, you choose your audience.”
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...roach-to-games
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February 11th, 2012, 17:39 Posted By: wraggster
No evidence data has been compromised, Gabe Newell advises caution
Valve's Gabe Newell sent out a notification today warning patrons of the company's digital digtribution service Steam that hackers may have obtained a copy of a file containing payment transaction details dated 2004-2008.
"This backup file contained user names, email addresses, encrypted billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. It did not include Steam passwords," said Newell.
"We do not have any evidence that the encrypted credit card numbers or billing addresses have been compromised. However as I said in November it's a good idea to watch your credit card activity and statements. And of course keeping Steam Guard on is a good idea as well."
Newell said Valve are still investigating and working with local law enforcement. Some users may also recieve more formal notifications in accordance with state law.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...edit-card-data
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February 11th, 2012, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster
Mark Rein claims the new tech will have a 'profound effect' on game development
Epic Games will demonstrate its long-awaited next-generation engine technology later this year, an executive at the company has said.
“People are going to be shocked later this year when they see Unreal Engine 4 and how much more profound an effect it will have,” said Mark Rein, vice president of sales at the North Carolina company, as quoted by G4TV
The new game engine, masterminded by Epic founder Tim Sweeney, has been in development since 2003. It will very likely support next generation consoles such as Wii U, PlayStation 4 and the successor to the Xbox 360.
Epic recently revealed to Develop that it would support mobile games studios much sooner with Unreal Engine 4 than it had with the engine’s predecessor.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...veal-this-year
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February 11th, 2012, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's Windows chief Steven Sinofsky set out the firm's plans for Windows 8 on ARM processors, dubbed WOA, revealing an ARM version of Microsoft's ubiquitous Office suite.
Sinofsky rather diplomatically pointed out that the firm was devoting an "equally strong commitment" to x86-based processors and also called Windows on Arm a 'new member of the Windows family" rather than simply an ARM-version of Windows 8.
'WOA' will not, Sinofsky, stated unequivocally, run existing x86 desktop applications, neither can they be directly ported nor x86 code run under emulation. Instead, WOA will only run new Windows 8 'Metro style' apps which will be effectively processor agnostic.
Another revelation is that the ARM-based Windows will bundle versions of Microsoft's popular productivity software, to be called Office 15, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Microsoft's strategy, it seems, is to divert attention away from the drawback of not being able to run existing software by bundling what seems likely to be the most fully featured productivity software on ARM.
Sinofsky confirmed that the 'consumer preview' of Windows 8 would be released by the end of February but this will be x86-only.
"We changed the name of the beta because recently the term has come to mean something very different than just a 'testing release available for free to try out,' so we did not want to add to the confusion."
As regards to Windows 8 ARM, Microsoft is set to make available a number of development PCs equipped with WOA which will be made available to developers. Anticipating the inevitable press coverage of the development machines, Sinofsky took pains to point out that these were development tools, designed to be easily opened and made of "low-cost plastic" and that they should not be taken to "represent WOA and the experience."
Sinofsky also described a rather more phone-like route to market than the traditional Windows variety. No end-user installable version of WOA will be available but rather it will come pre-installed on existing ARM-based PCs. Such PC labels will be clearly "labelled and branded" to avoid being confused with a standard x86 Windows 8 PC.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-on-arm/027926
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February 11th, 2012, 00:36 Posted By: wraggster
While 43 per cent prefer wi-fi to 3G when abroad.
We recently reported that more than half of Brits don't know what data roaming is.
Now, cloud communications firm MACH and researcher YouGov say that almost a quarter of smartphone and tablet owners don't use data roaming at all.
Meanwhile, 45 per cent have not used 3G at all while abroad and 43 per cent choose to connect to PAYG wi-fi.
Lokdeep Singh, chief technology officer, MACH, said: "These results demonstrate that wi-fi is a key access technology for mobile data when abroad.
"Operators should look today at how they can successfully market new wi-fi offerings, both to gain market share of existing wi-fi users, and to address the untapped market of smartphone and tablet owners who are currently not using data services when roaming."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...roaming/016996
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February 10th, 2012, 00:54 Posted By: wraggster
The week isn't quite over yet, but it's already shaping up to be a busy one for Google Chrome. After finally bringing its browser to Android on Tuesday, Google yesterday announced an update for the original desktop version, promising faster browsing and enhanced security. More specifically, this new Stable release features a revamped omnibox that will now pre-render pages as a user types in a URL or search query, allowing for faster load times. Google has also tweaked its Safe Browsing feature, which will now automatically scan downloaded files for malware, with an especially sharp focus on any ".exe." or ".msi" files. To determine the safety of a given file, the browser will compare it against a list of publishers and files known to be safe. If it doesn't show up there, Chrome will then consult Google for more information. If the file proves suspicious, it'll warn the user and recommend deleting it. Google added that it's working on an update for its Chrome OS, as well, promising a new image editor and Verizon 3G activation portal, though there's no word yet on when that might roll out. For more details, see the source link below.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/g...peed-security/
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February 9th, 2012, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft is set to release the first public beta release of Windows 8 on the 29th of February at an event in Barcelona, describing the release as a "consumer preview".
The event coincides with Mobile World Congress which also takes place in Barcelona that week, perhaps giving some indication of mobile devices for Microsoft's new OS.
Microsoft hasn't announced a date Windows 7 will be released to manufacturing although it's widely thought to be around the October time frame. There's still plenty that could push the date back given the ambitious nature of Windows 8, with an entirely new UI and built-in Store, compared to earlier releases.
Assuming Microsoft follows the strategy as previous public betas, the Windows 8 "consumer preview" will probably not expire until the final version is nearing release. More will doubtless come to light as MWC draws near.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...ebruary/027923
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February 8th, 2012, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster
Alienware's latest PC is an attempt to fire a salvo right across the bows of Sony and Microsoft's gaming flagships. It looks like the (slightly overweight) lovechild of the pair; like an alternate universe console. The X51 borrows liberally from the design schools of both the Xbox (matte sides) and the PlayStation 3 (slot-loading optical drive, front panel gloss). The Alienware logo rotates to suit both vertical and horizontal setups. The device is around the size of the original PS3, but it looked pretty petite in comparison to There's a litany of holes on the back of the X51, including plenty of USB ports and audio options. Reacquaint yourself with some technical specifics after the break, alongside our hands-on impressions with Super Street Fighter IV.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/a...on-launch-eve/
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February 8th, 2012, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster
Gaikai has launched an instant trial of 2K Games' upcoming title The Darkness II - marking a significant step towards CEO Dave Perry's goal of pre-release streamable demos for all major titles.
Gaikai allows gamers to stream demos of prominent PC titles through their web browser even if their PC or Mac would not be capable of running the game locally, doing all the difficult computations in the cloud.
However, the cloud gaming startup had previously only featured games some time after their initial release, activity which showcased the technology nicely and offered some value to retail partners but offered only limited potential for marketing.
This time, the free and instant-streaming demo of The Darkness II is available at embracethedarkness.com, retail sites and Eurogamer.net ahead of its international release on February 10. (It should be noted that GamesIndustry.biz is published by Eurogamer Network Ltd.)
For pre-release demos to work, the game's developer would have to collaborate with Gaikai prior to completing the game, suggesting that Gaikai is starting to convince publishers of the value of adding cloud gaming to their promotional campaigns and receiving support in response.
"Streaming The Darkness II demo through Gaikai gives 2K Games the unique opportunity to engage with their fans and potential customers with amazing content in a way that was impossible until recently," Robert Stevenson, SVP interactive entertainment, told GamesIndustry.biz.
"An instant, hands-on experience is by far the most powerful weapon in a publisher's marketing arsenal. At Gaikai, that's what we deliver."
Gaikai currently has partnerships with a number of publishers and retailers including EA, Capcom, Walmart and and TV manufacturer LG.
"The Darkness II is visually impressive and is driven by a compelling storyline, which brings out the best in Gaikai's cloud gaming service, instantly reaching a global audience of millions of gamers with no special modifications or changes to the game," added CEO David Perry.
Gaikai will hope to add more day-one releases to its portfolio as it continues to establish itself. Its main technological competitor in the cloud gaming space, OnLive, offers its services directly to gamers instead, hoping to build an Xbox Live-style subscription service where players log in to play new and old games.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...le-with-gaikai
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February 8th, 2012, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster
Bethesda has released a content editor for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, along with a bonus texture pack that gives the Nord homeland even more detail.
The high-res texture pack revamps the look of characters, buildings and the environment, making everything sharper.
It requires Windows 7 or Vista, 4GB of system RAM and a DirectX 9.0c compatible nVidia or AMD ATI video card with 1GB RAM, according to Eurogamer.
Also out now is the Creation Kit, which allows PC users to create their own weapons, characters, objects and more for use in-game.
Both are currently available for free via Steam.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/skyri...ow-live/090922
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February 8th, 2012, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster
As the entry age for web access heads ever southwards, preventing young minds from the perils of the internet is a growing concern for parents. For this reason, Microsoft teamed up with the UK-based CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center) to create a special kid-friendly version of its IE9 browser. Access to key CEOP pages are baked right in, and there are dedicated tabs for thethinkuknow.co.uk information site and, of course, Bing. Additional security comes via a Jump List that lets parents and care-givers set the age group of their child and prevents them from seeing unsuitable content. It's only available on Windows 7, and you'll need to prevent your curious children from using any other browser, but at least it's extra peace of mind at no extra cost.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/07/m...version-of-ie/
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February 8th, 2012, 01:12 Posted By: wraggster
Gaikai co-founder David Perry believes that Microsoft will be forced to enter the TV market to compete with more hardware focused companies like Apple and Sony.
In an interview with CVG, Perry claims that the expanding functionality of the Xbox and PlayStation 3 combined with the emergence of cloud-gaming through Smart TVs will change the way consumers look at consoles.
"I think [the platform holders are] going to stop calling them consoles and they'll start calling them something else," he said.
"Digital TVs are including all of that media stuff. I think the mistake that the console companies are making is not a mistake of their choice - it's the evolution they have to go through.
As soon as AAA game experiences are accessible through "other media hubs" it will disrupt the traditional console market, shifting advantage to those companies with the ability to produce TV hardware.
"I don't mean Checkers, but things like Call of Duty - the public will get confused," Perry continues. "With that in mind, who is able to make a TV? Sony is already making them, so it will have to take all that stuff into its TVs.
"So: my prediction is that Microsoft will have to make a TV. What choice do they have? There have been lots of reports that Apple has bought out a large LCD panel-making company. It's pretty obvious that they're on the trail too."
Last month, Gaikai inked a deal to include its service in LG TVs, and the company's other executives have made no secret of their doubts over the precarious future of the console business.
Microsoft has given no clear indication that it is contemplating a move into television hardware, though television content will play a key role in the future of the Xbox platform.
In December last year, rumours emerged that the company was seeking an executive to develop first-party TV content for Xbox Live. However, plans for an "Xbox Live Diamond TV service" were recently put on hold due to prohibitive licensing costs.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...nter-tv-market
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February 8th, 2012, 01:06 Posted By: wraggster
Unity Technologies and LG have partnered to feature Unity authored games on the manufacturer's 2012 range of Smart TVs.
"The television technology LG is introducing this year is very impressive and offers an incredible opportunity for the developers under the Union umbrella to reach a new market," said Unity CEO David Helgason.
"Our goal with Union is to create new avenues of distribution for developers using Unity, and LG smart TVs are creating a massive and new gaming audience."
Through its Union division Unity will supply a number of titles for the new range of internet connected televisions, with plans to increase that number in the future. The televisions come supplied with a Magic Motion Remote, complete gyroscopic technology.
"Adding a huge catalogue of Unity-authored titles to the line-up of games available on LG TVs will boost the incredible value that our customers receive when choosing one of our HDTV models," added Sang-Woo Lee, LG's head of content division.
"We want our TVs to be the most comprehensive platform for entertainment on the market and having access to such an impressive array of games helps make that happen."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...re-unity-games
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February 7th, 2012, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft clearly has no care for the silly paramaters we call "seasons," as its launching Microsoft Flight on February 29, bucking the original "spring" launch window. Microsoft Flight's official site will be hosting downloads of the free application starting that Wednesday -- no other distribution channels are named, but we suspect it'll also be up on Games for Windows Live's Marketplace as well.
That guess' accuracy is bolstered by the news that the "Hawaiian Adventure Pack" wil be made available as well on the 29th, coming in at $19.99. The pack is said to include the "remaining Hawaiian Islands, a new plane, and 20 new missions," should you have already exhausted your enjoyment of the other content, perhaps during the simulation's beta period. More details on the DLC can be found just after the break, including two additional planes, priced at $7.99 and $14.99 (for regular and "deluxe" models, respectively).
At this point, we were gonna make a flippant joke about Flight being little more than flying simulation, but then we thought about and started feeling all guilty. So, here we are. Either way, how about those DLC prices, eh? Madness!
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/mi...ird-on-feb-29/
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February 6th, 2012, 23:55 Posted By: wraggster
[hackitbuildit], from instructables, has brought us a a DIY windows 8 tablet. To make the tablet, an old laptop is used that meets the minimum requirements of windows 8 preview, a touch screen conversion kit, and of course the software itself. The laptop is first prepared by removing the casing around the screen, and if you just go by the pictures it kind of looks like he is ripping it apart! Though if you look at the video screws are being removed.
The screen is flipped around and laid on the keyboard with a couple spacers between them, as many laptops use the keyboard area as heat sinking. The touch screen is installed, and some wood strips are hot-glued to the outside to fill in the gap between the screen and base. With a little paint you’re left with a large, but functional windows 8 tablet to get started developing for.
http://hackaday.com/2012/02/06/diy-windows-8-tablet/
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