Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[SSFIV Arcade Edition PC to discourage piracy (and frustrate buyers) with 'limited' offline mode]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/ssfiv-arcade-edition-pc-to-discourage-piracy-and-frustrate-buye/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/ssfiv-arcade-edition-pc-to-discourage-piracy-and-frustrate-buye/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/ssfiv-arcade-edition-pc-to-discourage-piracy-and-frustrate-buye/#comments Okay, so there is a catch. We figured Capcom had a "solution" in place when it confirmed that Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition was coming to PC. The problem? Piracy -- the threat of which kept Capcom from releasing vanilla SSFIV on PC just a year ago.

In a blog post on Capcom-Unity, company VP Christian Svensson has addressed some "Stuff You Want to Know About SSFIV:AE for PC." Scroll down and you'll get to the catch.

"SFIV unfortunately was plagued by pirates and hackers that messed up leaderboards," Svensson writes of the original iteration on PC (which still sold well by Capcom's earlier account). "To hopefully remedy that, SSFIV:AE will be making use of what is called SSA technology."

While not as random as certain TSA measures -- SSFIV:AE players can still wear shoes and needn't limit their beverages to 3.4-ounce bottles -- the game's Software Security Assurance protocol is no less strict. Players are required to be signed into Games for Windows Live in order to access most of the game's features and content.

In offline mode, SSFIV:AE is reduced to a sort of demo, with players limited to local play only (obviously), but also restricted to 15 of the 39 fighters and unable to save settings or challenges progress. DLC is inaccessible when playing offline, as well.

Should the GWFL connection be lost mid-game, the player is given a chance to sign back in at a "logical break point" -- but should that fail ... you're in demo mode. And if you don't live in a GFWL-supported region? Svensson calls that a "buyer-beware situation."

Prospective purchasers should also be aware that Steam and Impulse will implement their respective "security solutions" (in addition to SSA), and that Steam users won't use GFWL Marketplace to purchase DLC. "We'll provide more details on that wrinkle at a later date," Svensson notes.

JoystiqSSFIV Arcade Edition PC to discourage piracy (and frustrate buyers) with 'limited' offline mode originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 May 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomchristian-svenssondrmgames-for-windows-livegfwlimpulsepcpiracyssasteamsuper-street-fighter-4-arcade-editionThu, 26 May 2011 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Syndicate script slips out]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/rumor-syndicate-script-slips-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/rumor-syndicate-script-slips-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/rumor-syndicate-script-slips-out/#comments Siliconera has published alleged "chunks" of a script for Starbreeze's long-rumored Syndicate game. If authentic, the excerpts would join some trademarks in a modest pile of evidence pointing to a reboot of EA's dormant cyberpunk series, created by the now defunct Bullfrog Productions in the early 90s.

The narrative and dialog excerpts share some commonalities with the old Syndicate games' bleak, corporate cyborg-regulated world -- namely, the suggestion of brain-implanted "chips" -- but don't otherwise let on to any gameplay elements.

In June 2009, Sean Cooper, who designed the original, isometric tactical shooter, commented on EA's failed attempts to revive the franchise. "Every time I've seen a prototype of a new Syndicate it's just been misguided," he told IncGamers. Cooper did not appear to have any knowledge of Starbreeze's possible recreation, which is rumored to have been in development since August 2007.

"The essence of the game was killing people -- and that was it," Cooper said of Bullfrog's 1993 classic. "Big guns, strong dudes; Terminators essentially. If I have to kill everyone, I will. That to me was the essence of the gameplay."

[Screenshot source: MobyGames (with script overlay)]

JoystiqRumor: Syndicate script slips out originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 May 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaproject-redlimescriptstarbreezestarbreeze-studiossyndicateThu, 26 May 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Collapse' game site registered by Ignition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/collapse-game-site-registered-by-ignition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/collapse-game-site-registered-by-ignition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/collapse-game-site-registered-by-ignition/#comments Domain hound superannuation has dug up pending website domain Collapse-TheGame.com, registered to Ignition Entertainment. The discovery would fit nicely with recent comments made by Ignition's Shane Bettenhausen, who told SideQuesting that there's a "99 percent chance" the company would be announcing a new project at E3. Of course, there's no evidence yet linking the so-called "Collapse" to the potential E3 reveal.

Bettenhausen added that the publisher's next project "might be" for NGP and suggested that Ignition's E3 announcement was dependent on Sony's press conference plan, according to SideQuesting.

Ignition's latest release, El Shaddai, was developed by its Tokyo-based studio and debuted in Japan a month ago. It's expected to be released in North America and Europe later this year.

The company's recently consolidated Austin branch is said to be working on the long-delayed FPS Reich. Additionally, Ignition's website (pictured above) indicates that the publisher has "more coming soon" to reveal.

Joystiq'Collapse' game site registered by Ignition originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 May 2011 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collapsecollapse-the-gamedomain-registratione3-2011ignition-entertainmentngpplaystationplaystation-vitashane-bettenhausenunannouncedutv-ignition-gamesvitaTue, 24 May 2011 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: PSN maintenance today, no Store update]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/psa-psn-maintenance-today-no-store-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/psa-psn-maintenance-today-no-store-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/psa-psn-maintenance-today-no-store-update/#commentsThe PlayStation Network will undergo maintenance today, according to an announcement on PlayStation Blog. The downtime is scheduled to begin at 11AM ET (in 10 minutes!) and conclude eight hours later, at 7PM.

That might sound like perfect timing for the return of the North American PlayStation Store's weekly update, but ... it's not happening. "For those asking about the PlayStation Store, we're still targeting restoration of all services by the end of this month," adds Jeff Rubenstein, the Blog's manager. "Contrary to reports, the Store will not be publishing today."

Rubenstein notes that some users may have trouble signing into PSN during the maintenance, but assures that "the majority of consumers will be able to play online as well as sign in to external sites that require PSN authentication" -- only account registration and management (including password resetting) will be inaccessible. On the European PlayStation Blog, manager James Gallagher suggests you sign into PSN and remain online before maintenance begins -- so, like, ASAP! -- to ensure connectivity throughout the day.

JoystiqPSA: PSN maintenance today, no Store update originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 May 2011 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>maintenanceplaystationplaystation-storeps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspsonyTue, 24 May 2011 10:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Big changes (and one bighorn beast) afoot in Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/big-changes-and-one-bighorn-beast-afoot-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/big-changes-and-one-bighorn-beast-afoot-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/24/big-changes-and-one-bighorn-beast-afoot-in-final-fantasy-xiv/#comments In his tenth letter to the community since assuming the Final Fantasy XIV producer role in December, Naoki Yoshida posted a staggering list of changes in process and planned for the troubled MMO. The exhaustive and meticulously charted notes suggest that Yoshida's team at least has its "concrete" plan in place -- the first goal of the leadership shakeup -- to right the game following its disastrous launch eight months ago. Better yet, some updates have already been implemented through the two most recent patches, 1.16 and 1.17.

While it's sort of impossible to concisely sum up the changes coming in the upcoming 1.18 patch -- expected before this summer -- some of the highlights include a revamped battle system and a new job system, in addition to the "long-awaited" Ifrit battle (early concept pictured).

Of course, these improvements and add-ons might be met with mixed reaction from players. Should they succeed in bringing about a better Final Fantasy XIV, it would be an undeniably good thing -- but perhaps a good enough thing for which Square Enix could finally start charging a subscription fee.

JoystiqBig changes (and one bighorn beast) afoot in Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 May 2011 00:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.18final-fantasy-xivnaoki-yoshidapatchpcsquare-enixupdateTue, 24 May 2011 00:05:00 EST<![CDATA[NBA extends multi-year licensing agreements with 2K and EA Sports]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/nba-extends-multi-year-licensing-agreements-with-2k-and-ea-sport/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/nba-extends-multi-year-licensing-agreements-with-2k-and-ea-sport/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/nba-extends-multi-year-licensing-agreements-with-2k-and-ea-sport/#comments Six years ago, the NBA counted five major game makers -- including Sony, Midway and Atari -- in its non-exclusive circle of licensees. That number has since dwindled to two, as the league today re-upped its multi-year licensing agreements with its longstanding (and still standing) video game partners, Take-Two Interactive and Electronic Arts.

Unsurprisingly, through its 2K Sports label, Take-Two will continue to make use of its NBA license in its successful NBA 2K franchise. The most recent release, NBA 2K11, has now sold more than five million units since its October 2010 debut, according to the publisher. The next iteration, NBA 2K12, is expected to be announced at E3.

Assuming 2K12 is on track to be released this fall (lockout or game on), it would mark a second straight year that 2K Sports' simulation series entered the market with no direct competition (Madden style!). EA, the NBA's oldest video game partner, permanently benched NBA Elite 11 last November after the company determined, "It was just going to be a bad game." EA Sports' next basketball sim won't be released until Fall 2012, with a download-only NBA Jam sequel subbing in this October.

Additionally, Take-Two is expected to "explore and develop new NBA licensed gaming opportunities, including online on social media platforms," according to a press announcement.

Counting itself as "the No. 1 U.S. sports league on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube," the NBA, through its NBA Digital label, has already released NBA Legends (developed by Lionside) and NBA Dynasty (in partnership with Disney-owned Playdom) on Facebook this year.

[Pictured: Bulls versus Lakers and the NBA Playoffs (EA, 1991); source: Hoopedia]

Continue reading NBA extends multi-year licensing agreements with 2K and EA Sports

JoystiqNBA extends multi-year licensing agreements with 2K and EA Sports originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 May 2011 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-sportsbasketballeaea-sportslicenselicensingnbanba-2k10nba-2k11nba-2k12nba-digitalnba-dynastynba-jam-on-fire-editionnba-legendssalessocial-gamestake-twoMon, 23 May 2011 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN breach and restoration to cost $171M, Sony estimates]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/psn-breach-and-restoration-to-cost-171m-sony-estimates/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/psn-breach-and-restoration-to-cost-171m-sony-estimates/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/23/psn-breach-and-restoration-to-cost-171m-sony-estimates/#comments In the lead-up to its fiscal year 2010 earnings report this Thursday, Sony today released a revised forecast -- forewarning a $3.2 billion loss (yowzah!) -- for the twelve months ending March 31, 2011. Having occurred in late April, the PlayStation Network attack and subsequent data theft and outage fall outside of that period, but the company nonetheless addressed "the impact" of the event during an investors call today, "since there have been so many media inquiries about this incident."

"As of today," said Sony, according to its call script, "our currently known associated costs for the fiscal year ending March 2012 are estimated to be approximately 14 billion yen on the consolidated operating income level." That's roughly $171 million -- a "reasonable assumption," says Sony -- that the company expects to spend throughout the current fiscal year on its "personal information theft protection program," in addition to "welcome back programs," customer support, network security "enhancements" and legal costs. Sony noted that revenue loss from the outage and recovery, which also spans its Qriocity and Sony Online Entertainment services, had been factored into the cost, as well.

"So far, we have not received any confirmed reports of customer identity theft issues, nor confirmed any misuse of credit cards from the cyber-attack," the company added. "Those are key variables, and if that changes, the costs could change."

And what about the class action suits? Sony qualifies them as "all at a preliminary stage, so we are not able to include the possible outcome of any of them in our results forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2012 at this moment."

JoystiqPSN breach and restoration to cost $171M, Sony estimates originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 May 2011 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>class-actioncostforecastfy-2011playstationps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspqriocitysoesonyMon, 23 May 2011 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA['Kinect Me,' 'Crimson Alliance' among new Microsoft games rated]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/kinect-me-crimson-alliance-among-new-microsoft-games-rated/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/kinect-me-crimson-alliance-among-new-microsoft-games-rated/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/kinect-me-crimson-alliance-among-new-microsoft-games-rated/#comments A trio of game ratings appeared on the Australian Classification website today, perhaps spoiling some of the titles Microsoft will announce just around the corner at E3. New entries for "Crimson Alliance," "Fusion: Genesis" and "Kinect Me" all list Microsoft as publisher and run the gamut from Mature-rated to PG to G. Only the Crimson Alliance page notes a developer, Certain Affinity, which is corroborated by the game's Brazilian classification. Likewise a rating for Fusion: Genesis has also shown up in Brazil, where both titles are listed for Xbox Live Arcade.

Kinect Me remains the most mysterious of the mystery titles and could perhaps feature some connection to the kinect.me promotional site (pictured above) that's been live since last summer. A source tells Siliconera to expect an E3 announcement of "Kinect Fun Lab," which the site surmises could be a working title for Kinect Me -- both names are at least sufficiently generic-sounding to be one and the same game.

Additionally, Brazil has classified two more Xbox Live Arcade titles, Fruit Ninja Kinect and Hole in the Wall (from Ludia), supporting previous ratings of the pair of pending releases.

Joystiq'Kinect Me,' 'Crimson Alliance' among new Microsoft games rated originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 May 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiabrazilcertain-affinityclassificationcrimson-alliancedejusfruit-ninja-kinectfusion-genesishalfbrick-studioshole-in-the-wallkinectkinect-fun-labkinect-meludiamicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosratingsxblaxboxFri, 20 May 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hunted sound design video takes sneak peek around dark corners]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/hunted-sound-design-video-takes-sneak-peek-around-dark-corners/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/hunted-sound-design-video-takes-sneak-peek-around-dark-corners/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/hunted-sound-design-video-takes-sneak-peek-around-dark-corners/#comments As you inch along in the darkness, you reassure yourself that the noise is just the sound of a game designer rubbing his cello bow all over a kitchen pot. But even if that's really all it is, isn't that still kind of scary?

Continue reading Hunted sound design video takes sneak peek around dark corners

JoystiqHunted sound design video takes sneak peek around dark corners originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bethesda-softworkshunted-the-demons-forgeinxile-entertainmentmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxFri, 20 May 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dragon Age 3 artists wanted, Bioware sr. director tweets]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/dragon-age-3-artists-wanted-bioware-sr-director-tweets/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/dragon-age-3-artists-wanted-bioware-sr-director-tweets/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/dragon-age-3-artists-wanted-bioware-sr-director-tweets/#comments Dragon Age 3 was unceremoniously outed on Twitter last night in a call by BioWare creative lead Alistair McNally for new artists. "I'm looking for exceptional environment artists to join me at #BioWare Edmonton, Canada to work on #DragonAge3," he tweeted yesterday evening.

He added a few corresponding hashtags, but otherwise left the subtle reveal at that. An hour later, seemingly with environment artists still on his mind, McNally was praising The Witcher 2 for its topnotch graphics. "Looks stunning with DX11 and everything turned up," he tweeted.

[Thanks, Tyler C.]

JoystiqDragon Age 3 artists wanted, Bioware sr. director tweets originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 May 2011 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alistair-mcnallybiowarebioware-edmontondragon-agedragon-age-3Fri, 20 May 2011 10:25:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Store expected back online next Tuesday]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/playstation-store-expected-back-online-next-tuesday/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/playstation-store-expected-back-online-next-tuesday/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/playstation-store-expected-back-online-next-tuesday/#comments Sony has notified its developer and publisher partners that the PlayStation Store is scheduled to relaunch next Tuesday, May 24, according to a memo obtained by Gamasutra. In the message, PSN content manager Jack Osorno details plans to update the Store twice weekly -- on Tuesdays and Fridays -- for two weeks in order to speed up the release of content that's been delayed due to the outage.

Next Tuesday's update will include content originally scheduled to be released on April 26, while an update on Friday the 27th will bring releases previously planned for May 3. Updates on May 31 and June 3 will comprise the remaining content intended to be published throughout the rest of May. By the regularly scheduled June 7 update, the Store is expected to be up to date.

"If there are concerns, we are willing to consider adjusting the release date of your content on this schedule," Osorno notes. "Adjustments will be made on a case by case basis." (The memo does not address any other kind of adjustment that might be made to appease concerns.)

While the launch date for the "Customer Appreciation Program" wasn't noted (this was a memo to devs and pubs, remember?), the choice of two free games is expected to be made available "shortly after PlayStation Store is restored," for a limited time, according to an announcement earlier this week.

[Image source: PlayStation.com]

JoystiqPlayStation Store expected back online next Tuesday originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 May 2011 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jack-osornoplaystationplaystation-storeps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspsonyThu, 19 May 2011 12:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360 PayPal update arrives right on schedule ... in some territories]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/xbox-360-paypal-update-arrives-right-on-schedule-in-some-ter/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/xbox-360-paypal-update-arrives-right-on-schedule-in-some-ter/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/xbox-360-paypal-update-arrives-right-on-schedule-in-some-ter/#comments Microsoft has today begun the anticipated rollout of probably the least anticipated Xbox 360 system update in the post-NXE era. The automatic update is being "gradually" deployed to consoles across the globe through Xbox Live over the next few weeks. "Just like any other update to our service," Major Nelson notes, "you will know you've received it when you turn on your Xbox 360 console, connect to Xbox Live and receive a notification to download the update."

Most notable, the update includes the option to add your PayPal account as a billing option on the console (it was previously limited to Xbox.com) for Microsoft Points and Marketplace content purchases. The feature will be available to all Xbox Live users, excluding those in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Taiwan. So ... just a few (million) people left out.

Additionally, the new system update adds and enables (by default) an auto-standby feature that's activated after one hour of console inactivity. You can switch it off in System Settings, but ... why? Finally, the update will also introduce support for the new Xbox game disc format (a.k.a. "XGD3"), which adds 1GB of storage capacity and some fresh anti-piracy coating.

According to internal documents we obtained earlier this month, Avatar Kinect is scheduled to be released as a separate update on May 27.

JoystiqXbox 360 PayPal update arrives right on schedule ... in some territories originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 May 2011 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto-standbydashboard-update-spring-2011microsoftpaypalsystem-settingsupdatexboxxbox-livexgd3Thu, 19 May 2011 10:38:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN website sign-ins disabled after users identify potential exploit [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/psn-website-sign-ins-disabled-after-users-identify-potential-exp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/psn-website-sign-ins-disabled-after-users-identify-potential-exp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/psn-website-sign-ins-disabled-after-users-identify-potential-exp/#comments Call it another "hiccup" in Sony's bumpy road to getting the PlayStation Network back up and running, securely: The company has disabled PSN sign-in access on its PlayStation-related websites for "essential maintenance" purposes.

"Clarification: this maintenance doesn't affect PSN on consoles," tweeted PlayStation Blog EU this morning, "only the website you click through to from the password change email." A follow-up tweet added, "We'll let you know as soon as the landing page is back online."

Although Sony has yet to specify the reason for the maintenance outage, the action follows users' discovery of a potential exploit of the PSN password change function on Sony's websites. UK gaming news site Nyleveia was the first to sound the alarm when it warned, "A new hack is currently doing the rounds in dark corners of the internet that allows the attacker the ability to change your password using only your account's email and date of birth."

In actuality, it was not so much a "hack" as it was a critical oversight by Sony, which had not changed the PSN password reset method on its websites when it began to partially relaunch the service last weekend. Any website user, nefarious or not, needed only to provide a PSN account's associated email address and the account holder's date of birth to change the password -- information that was stolen by hackers during the PSN breach last month.

Needless to say, if you have received an email confirming your PSN password has been changed (and you didn't change it yourself), you should contact Sony. For now, the password reset function has been disabled on Sony's websites.

"Unfortunately this also means that those who are still trying to change their password via Playstation.com or Qriocity.com will be unable to do so for the time being," Sony said in a statement posted by Eurogamer. "This is due to essential maintenance and at present it is unclear how long this will take."

Update: Sony has issued a statement on PlayStation Blog, describing the issue as "a URL exploit that we have subsequently fixed." The company adds, "Consumers who haven't reset their passwords for PSN are still encouraged to do so directly on their PS3. Otherwise, they can continue to do so via the website as soon as we bring that site back up."

JoystiqPSN website sign-ins disabled after users identify potential exploit [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>exploitplaystationps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspsonyWed, 18 May 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War 3 beta attracted 1.29 million testers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/gears-of-war-3-beta-attracted-1-29-million-testers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/gears-of-war-3-beta-attracted-1-29-million-testers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/gears-of-war-3-beta-attracted-1-29-million-testers/#comments The cogs did their part, as 1.29 million fans enlisted in the recent Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta and pre-ordered the game in hordes. In all, Epic gathered 249 years worth of match-time data from players spanning 145 countries during the four-week public testing phase, which wrapped up this past Sunday. And it was all up and running, for the first time, on dedicated servers. (Oorah!)

While neither Microsoft nor Epic specified how many beta testers got in early through their "Epic Edition" copies of Bulletstorm, the pair was quite pleased to announce that Gears of War 3 has surpassed one million pre-orders (the other ticket into the beta) -- and we're still four months away from the game's September 20 launch. That's got to be some kind of record, right?

Uh-huh. Gears 3 now holds the distinguished honor of being "the fastest pre-ordered Xbox exclusive title to reach this milestone in the history of the platform." (*Golf clap*)

Pore over some more beta stats after the break.

Continue reading Gears of War 3 beta attracted 1.29 million testers

JoystiqGears of War 3 beta attracted 1.29 million testers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 May 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaepicepic-gamesgears-of-war-3microsoftmicrosoft-game-studiospre-orderstatsxboxxbox-liveWed, 18 May 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Phil Harrison joins Gaikai advisory board]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/17/phil-harrison-joins-gaikai-advisory-board/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/17/phil-harrison-joins-gaikai-advisory-board/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/17/phil-harrison-joins-gaikai-advisory-board/#commentsBacking up his talk, Phil Harrison has joined the advisory board of cloud-gaming service Gaikai. In his keynote address before the Italian Videogame Developers Conference last December, Harrison precipitated "the browser wars of the 21st century" -- a battle to distribute console-quality, triple-A games on any browser-equipped device.

"Somebody is going to win," he said at the time. "Somebody is going to deliver console-level 3D graphics, video and audio into a web browser." It would appear that Harrison has placed his chips -- or at least some of them -- on Gaikai. The one-time president of Sony Computer Entertainment (oh, and Atari, too -- don't forget), Harrison will maintain his role as rich guy investor at London Venture Partners, which he co-founded last year with some other fat cats.

Joining the rich guy on the Gaikai advisory board is rich gal Robin Kaminsky, the former executive VP of Activision, who led both studio and marketing activities. Kaminsky's marketing experience in particular is coveted by Gaikai CEO David Perry. "The first use of Gaikai's open cloud is to disrupt how video game advertising works," he said in today's advisory board announcement.

Gaikai's current mission differs from the service provided by chief competitor OnLive (oh, and Otoy, too -- don't forget) in that it seeks to provide browser-based demos that developers and publishers can feature on their websites to drive full-game sales. Gaikai is currently in a closed beta testing phase.

Continue reading Phil Harrison joins Gaikai advisory board

JoystiqPhil Harrison joins Gaikai advisory board originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advisory-boarddavid-perrygaikaimacpcphil-harrisonrobin-kaminskyTue, 17 May 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Catherine trailer pops the question, fans answer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/17/catherine-trailer-pops-the-question-fans-answer/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/17/catherine-trailer-pops-the-question-fans-answer/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/17/catherine-trailer-pops-the-question-fans-answer/#comments Last month, Atlus asked its fans to be featured in this new Catherine trailer -- they just had to answer a few, short questions about marriage on camera. Were you one of those foolish enough to take the bait?

Continue reading Catherine trailer pops the question, fans answer

JoystiqCatherine trailer pops the question, fans answer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atluscatherinemicrosoftplaystationps3xboxTue, 17 May 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: God of War PSP collection coming to PS3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/16/rumor-god-of-war-psp-collection-coming-to-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/16/rumor-god-of-war-psp-collection-coming-to-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/16/rumor-god-of-war-psp-collection-coming-to-ps3/#comments The so-called "God of War Portable Collection" is headed to PS3 in Asia this July, according to a reported press release sent out by Sony Computer Entertainment Taiwan and posted by international gaming news outlet The Magic Box. While we could not locate the press release on the SCET website, it does appear to have been redistributed on additional news sites, including China Times, a major Taiwan-based media company.

According to The Magic Box, the collection will include graphically enhanced versions of the two God of War PSP games, 2008's Chains of Olympus (pictured) and last November's Ghost of Sparta. The HD ports are said to include both Chinese and English language options and will be packaged together for release in Asia on July 7. It's not been specified whether the collection will be disc-based or digital (or both).

Additionally, no development studio has been attached to the project. The PSP games were created by Ready At Dawn (Ghost of Sparta in collaboration with Santa Monica Studio). Last fall, Ready At Dawn co-founder Ru Weerasuriya said the team had moved on to an action-adventure game based on new IP.

The original God of War Collection, an HD-ification of the first two PS2 games, was released as a single-disc compilation for PS3 in November 2009. A downloadable version followed a year later. We've contacted SCEA for comment on the Portable Collection.

JoystiqRumor: God of War PSP collection coming to PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 May 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>god-of-war-chains-of-olympusgod-of-war-ghost-of-spartagod-of-war-portable-collectionhdplaystationportps3pspscetsonyMon, 16 May 2011 14:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Ghost Recon: Future Soldier scheduled for Q1 2012]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/ghost-recon-future-soldier-pushed-to-q1-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/ghost-recon-future-soldier-pushed-to-q1-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/ghost-recon-future-soldier-pushed-to-q1-2012/#comments During an investors call today, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said that Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is now scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2012 (the company's 2011-12 fiscal Q4). This places it at the tail end of the fiscal year, which was the previously given (and rather large) release window. "We want first to assure the best quality possible," Guillemot explained in a moment of déjà vu, "as well as to avoid the very crowded Christmas landscape in the shooter genre." It was as if he was still reading last year's script.

On May 18, 2010, Guillemot had offered those exact same reasons about Future Soldier's readiness then, saying, "Due to a very competitive environment, we decided to move the game out of the Christmas [2010] quarter, and into the March [2011] quarter." He added, "It will also provide additional time to our development teams to realize their vision."

At this rate, Ubisoft is going to have to change the title to "Ghost Recon: Soldier." Wait a minute -- we already used that one ... These delays are getting old.

JoystiqGhost Recon: Future Soldier scheduled for Q1 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>delaysghost-recon-future-soldiermicrosoftpcplaystationps3q1-2012release-dateubisoftubisoft-parisubisoft-red-stormxboxyves-guillemotThu, 12 May 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft continues to just dance around fiscal year losses]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/ubisoft-continues-to-just-dance-around-fiscal-year-losses/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/ubisoft-continues-to-just-dance-around-fiscal-year-losses/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/ubisoft-continues-to-just-dance-around-fiscal-year-losses/#comments A year ago, as Ubisoft reported net losses of €43.671 million for its 2009-10 fiscal year (ending, March 31, 2010), CEO Yves Guillemot brushed aside concern, saying, "We forecast a return to profitable growth in 2010-11." Well, here we are -- and Ubisoft isn't exactly basking in the sun.

For the 2010-11 fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, the publisher's net losses slumped further to €52.120 million (about $74 million). Yet Guillemot again played the role of the optimistic fortuneteller as he looked to the company to "post further growth in both sales and current operating income in 2011-12 and 2012-13." (Notice how he didn't drop the P-word this time.)

He put a positive spin on the 2010-11 fiscal year, too, observing "a sharp upturn in revenue." Indeed, sales were up 19 percent over the previous fiscal year to €1.039 billion. In addition to "another success" with Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Guillemot attributed much of the sales growth to a rebounding casual market, which Ubisoft dominated with its (just) dance game segment, as well as strong support for the Kinect and 3DS launches. Notably, 38 percent of the publisher's game sales over the 12-month period came from Wii titles.

Ultimately, Ubisoft's bottom line suffered from reorganization costs, which amounted to €95.9 million in non-recurring charges, including unspecified project terminations (so, Am I Alive?). Presumably, if Ubisoft is now appropriately restructured, it can focus more effectively on making successful products again. "For example," Guillemot offered, "we plan to launch a free-to-play world based on our highly popular franchise for young girls, Imagine."

JoystiqUbisoft continues to just dance around fiscal year losses originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 May 2011 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsassassins-creed-brotherhooddancedsearningsfinancialfy-2010-11imaginekinectmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3pspq4salessonyubisoftwiixboxThu, 12 May 2011 14:14:00 EST<![CDATA[Chrono Trigger travels to Virtual Console next Monday]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/chrono-trigger-travels-to-virtual-console-next-monday/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/chrono-trigger-travels-to-virtual-console-next-monday/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/chrono-trigger-travels-to-virtual-console-next-monday/#comments It sure feels like we've waited an eternity for Square's timeless Super Nintendo RPG to come to Virtual Console. Begrudgingly, we suppose it's true -- good things do come to those who wait. Next Monday, May 16, marks Chrono Trigger's long overdue release on Virtual Console in North America.

Following its press release, Square Enix confirmed that the game will be sold at the standard 800 Wii Points ($8) price for SNES ports on VC (as opposed to the 900-point premium being charged in Japan). That's quite a bargain for pretty much the best game ever.

[Image source: Chronopedia]

Continue reading Chrono Trigger travels to Virtual Console next Monday

JoystiqChrono Trigger travels to Virtual Console next Monday originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chrono-triggernintendonorth-americaq2-2011release-datesnessquare-enixvirtual-consolewiiThu, 12 May 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix braces investors for 'extraordinary losses' in last fiscal year]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/square-enix-braces-investors-for-extraordinary-losses-in-last/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/square-enix-braces-investors-for-extraordinary-losses-in-last/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/12/square-enix-braces-investors-for-extraordinary-losses-in-last/#comments On the eve of its quarterly presentation to investors and analysts, Square Enix today sent out a "revised" (uh-oh) forecast for the financial results of the last fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2011. Stakeholders should bring their ponchos -- they're in for stormy weather.

In February, with nine months in the books, the publisher was confident it could hold onto its threadbare profits, forecasting a meager ¥1 billion ($12 million and change) in net income at the close of the fiscal year. While the unforeseen and devastating Great East Japan Earthquake in March knocked out more than half of that forecast income -- costing Square Enix roughly ¥0.6 billion in amusement facility closures and repairs -- other factors contributed more significantly to the company's now bleak outlook.

So how bad is it? Square Enix currently anticipates a ¥12 billion (nearly $150 million) net loss for the 12-month period, a negative 226 percent change from the previous fiscal year (which brought in ¥9.509 billion in income). Further, accounting for additional subtractions from the balance sheet, the company is bracing investors for "total extraordinary losses of approximately ¥16.0 billion during the fiscal year."

If there's a silver lining, it's in the publisher "introducing a tightened selection standard regarding title lineup" -- which cost Square Enix about ¥4.5 billion in the short term due to project cancellations, including a Highlander game and Gun Loco. But, ideally, this quality control will "strengthen" the company's critical video game segment in the long run, and perhaps restore Square Enix to its former glory.

JoystiqSquare Enix braces investors for 'extraordinary losses' in last fiscal year originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningsfinancialforecastfy-2011gun-locohighlandersquare-enixThu, 12 May 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: 'Batman: Arkham City #1' prequel comic now available]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/11/psa-batman-arkham-city-1-prequel-comic-now-available/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/11/psa-batman-arkham-city-1-prequel-comic-now-available/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/11/psa-batman-arkham-city-1-prequel-comic-now-available/#commentsWriter Paul Dini tweets to remind us that the first issue of his Batman: Arkham City prequel comic is out today. The page-turner is conveniently available in digital format direct from DC Comics, or you can shuffle on down to the local comic shop and nab it for 3 bucks.

Initially set to be a six-parter, the miniseries appears to have been shaved down to five issues. Parts 2 and 3 are due next month, with the fourth issue slated for late July. The game will be released on October 18.

Dini, who first started ordering Batman around as a writer and producer for The Animated Series, also wrote the story lines for the two Rocksteady-developed games. He's assisted by Arkham City concept artist Carlos D'Anda, who drew all the pretty pictures for the new comic -- and colored them in too. Check out the full-size cover image of the first issue after the break.

Continue reading PSA: 'Batman: Arkham City #1' prequel comic now available

JoystiqPSA: 'Batman: Arkham City #1' prequel comic now available originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 May 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batman-arkham-citycarlos-dandacomicsdc-comicsmicrosoftpaul-dinipcplaystationprequelps3xboxWed, 11 May 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Fallout: New Vegas DLC trailer pumps up 'Honest Hearts']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/11/fallout-new-vegas-dlc-trailer-pumps-up-honest-hearts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/11/fallout-new-vegas-dlc-trailer-pumps-up-honest-hearts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/11/fallout-new-vegas-dlc-trailer-pumps-up-honest-hearts/#comments Racing out into the New Vegas desert wilds to ogle the clothing-optional Burning Man event, you start to wonder if, in your haste, you misread the "Honest Hearts" DLC description. Ohhh, you realize, it said Burned Man -- well, shoot. (And shoot you will.)

Continue reading Fallout: New Vegas DLC trailer pumps up 'Honest Hearts'

JoystiqFallout: New Vegas DLC trailer pumps up 'Honest Hearts' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bethesda-softworksdirect2drivefallout-new-vegashonest-hearsmicrosoftobsidian-entertainmentpcplaystationps3psnsteamxblaxboxWed, 11 May 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LA Noire 'Rockstar Pass' add-on spotlighted in Xbox Marketplace release schedule]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/la-noire-rockstar-pass-add-on-spotlighted-in-xbox-marketplace/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/la-noire-rockstar-pass-add-on-spotlighted-in-xbox-marketplace/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/la-noire-rockstar-pass-add-on-spotlighted-in-xbox-marketplace/#comments Microsoft today sent out the release schedule for Xbox Live Marketplace content over the next two weeks (May 10-23). The schedule was posted in the latest edition of the "Xbox Live Newsbeat" press email, which showed next Tuesday's L.A. Noire "In the Spotlight."

"In celebration of launch on May 17," the newsletter teases, "take your L.A. Noire experience to the next level and download the 'L.A. Noire Rockstar Pass' add-on." The Rockstar Pass what now?

Releasing day and date with the retail game, the 800-point DLC "Pass" is presumably a sort of Project Ten Dollar experiment. It's unclear, however, if it will provide access to the pre-order bonus content (already confirmed to be made available for purchase "at some point after the game comes out") or offer wholly new content to all owners of the game. Perhaps it's a sort of Cerberus Network-like pipeline for delivering new detective cases -- but that's just a guess. The Pass remains a mystery for now, as Rockstar has yet to respond to our request for clarification.

Otherwise, the new Marketplace schedule has few intriguing reveals. Besides noting some previously announced dates and several Games on Demand launches, it does list Sega Rally Online Arcade for release on Xbox Live Arcade next Wednesday, May 18, for $10. Some pirate-themed deals and the demo of Fable 3 for Windows will also be available next week. Head past the break for the complete schedule.

Update [5/18/11]: The due date came and went without the so-called "Rockstar Pass" appearing on the Xbox Marketplace -- and no mention is included in new copies of the game. Rockstar continues to keep mum on the subject.

Continue reading LA Noire 'Rockstar Pass' add-on spotlighted in Xbox Marketplace release schedule

JoystiqLA Noire 'Rockstar Pass' add-on spotlighted in Xbox Marketplace release schedule originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 May 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatar-marketplacedeal-of-the-weekdemodlcfable-3fable-3-pcgames-on-demandla-noirela-noire-rockstar-passmicrosoftpcrelease-daterockstar-passsega-rally-online-arcadexblaxblmxboxTue, 10 May 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Namco Bandai climbs out of the red with pair of million-sellers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/namco-bandai-climbs-out-of-the-red-with-pair-of-million-sellers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/namco-bandai-climbs-out-of-the-red-with-pair-of-million-sellers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/namco-bandai-climbs-out-of-the-red-with-pair-of-million-sellers/#comments For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, Namco Bandai's "Content" division -- which includes both home-console and arcade games, in addition to music and video products -- increased sales just enough to post a modest operating income of ¥3.09 billion ($38.5 million). In turn, the company turned around from the previous fiscal year's net loss to scrounge up ¥3.78 billion ($46.9 million) in profit.

The publisher put out 88 games (including individual iterations of multiplatform titles) across six systems, selling roughly 20.9 million software units in the 12-month period. Its efforts were focused primarily on handheld releases, with 30 games on DS -- plus three more for the 3DS launch -- and 29 for PSP. The company's two bestselling titles during the fiscal year, however, were for home consoles: 2009's still-kicking Tekken 6 accounted for 1.15 million unit sales on PS3 and Xbox 360 in the US alone, and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 sold 1.1M units worldwide on those same consoles, according to the company's financial highlights document [PDF].

While Naruto performed above initial expectations, Enslaved failed to muster numbers in line with even the revised sales forecast reset by Namco Bandai in November. Ninja Theory's action-adventure had to settle for 730,000 units sold across PS3 and 360, falling short of the hoped-for 800K mark. As for Splatterhouse and Majin, the publisher did not report their individual sales, as both titles' performances seemingly fell below 400K units (Namco Bandai's cutoff line for "Main Game Titles," as they appear in the financial highlights report).

For the current fiscal year, which began April 1, Namco Bandai forecasts continued gains resulting in ¥8 billion in profit. The publisher has plans to release 90 games during the period, including 26 titles bound for PS3. Props to anyone that can name three of them! (No googling.)

JoystiqNamco Bandai climbs out of the red with pair of million-sellers originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 May 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dsearningsenslavedfinancialfy-2011majin-and-the-forsaken-kingdommicrosoftnamco-bandainaruto-ultimate-ninja-storm-2nintendoplaystationps3pspq4salessonysplatterhousetekken-6wiixboxTue, 10 May 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Crysis Steam sale activation key issue resolved]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/crysis-steam-sale-activision-key-issue-resolved/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/crysis-steam-sale-activision-key-issue-resolved/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/crysis-steam-sale-activision-key-issue-resolved/#comments On Friday, the first Crysis game and its expansion were discounted on Steam as part of an "EA Week" of sales. That night, on the Steam Users' Forums, purchasers began reporting that they could not activate the games. By the next morning, some 221 replies later, a Valve representative chimed in to say, "We are aware of the problem and are investigating the issue."

While it might have been a long weekend for those left waiting for their activation keys to start working, this morning, Valve software developer Mike Blaszczak started a new thread with some reassuring news. "We've been working with EA to get the Crysis keys enabled over the weekend," he posted. "As EA enables keys, users should see the games activate."

Blaszczak implied that the issue stemmed from EA's side, adding, "EA is aware of the issue and actively working through it, and we're doing what we can to assist."

In a follow-up response he confirmed, "Yes, we know the cause," but avoided an explanation. As of publishing, a few users had replied to say their games were now working, though Blaszczak warned, "No ETA is available for individual users."

[Thanks, Martin]

[Update: Corrected headline typo. (Freudian slip!)]

JoystiqCrysis Steam sale activation key issue resolved originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activationcrysiscrytekeaissuemike-blaszczakpcsteamvalveMon, 09 May 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN outage costing Capcom 'hundreds of thousands, if not millions,' exec says]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/psn-outage-costing-capcom-hundreds-of-thousands-if-not-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/psn-outage-costing-capcom-hundreds-of-thousands-if-not-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/psn-outage-costing-capcom-hundreds-of-thousands-if-not-million/#comments A Capcom-Unity forum user received a surprisingly frank response from senior VP Christian "Sven" Svensson when he asked the executive, "Do you have anything to say about the ordeal going down with hackers messing with [Sony] and stealing information from their servers?" Does he ever!

Svensson, who said he was "frustrated and upset" by last month's breach and subsequent outage, offered a two-fold response, first addressing the question from his consumer perspective. "I also play games online on PS3, which I can't do ... and likely my personal information is also compromised," he lamented. "Secondly I like to buy things in the PlayStation [Store] and that I can't do right now" -- not to mention play Capcom's pair of DRM-protected PSN games offline.

While the gamer in Svensson seems to have a surefire back-up plan (his post signature notes he's currently playing Portal 2 on PC), his corporate officer side has less wiggle room to weather the outage. "On a related note, as an executive responsible for running a business, the resulting outage obviously costing us hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in revenue that were planned for within our budget," he added. "These are funds we rely on to bring new games to market for our fans."

Svensson made no mention of any specific delays, cancellations or business restructuring that might result from the revenue shortfall, nor did he suggest how Capcom might look to recoup the lost revenue. His response also avoided any critique of Sony's handling of the situation, and instead stayed on topic: "CAPCOM- How do you feel about the SONY Hackers?" asks the thread's title.

"In short, the hackers appear to be trying to 'punish' Sony for some perceived injustice, and they've been effective in that I suppose," Svensson concluded. "But they're also punishing millions of other consumers and businesses which makes it impossible to be sympathetic to their 'cause.'"

[Pictured: Capcom PSN Storefront; source: Capcom-Unity]

JoystiqPSN outage costing Capcom 'hundreds of thousands, if not millions,' exec says originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomchristian-svenssonplaystationplaystation-storeps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspsonyMon, 09 May 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Last-minute Mother's Day gift idea brought to you by Activision, the makers of Prototype 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/last-minute-mothers-day-gift-idea-brought-to-you-by-activision/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/last-minute-mothers-day-gift-idea-brought-to-you-by-activision/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/08/last-minute-mothers-day-gift-idea-brought-to-you-by-activision/#comments Surprise! It's Mother's Day. You forgot -- didn't you? No worries. Activision has you covered.

Just zip this, uh, prototype card over to ma and get back to enjoying your Sunday.

JoystiqLast-minute Mother's Day gift idea brought to you by Activision, the makers of Prototype 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 08 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbaby-hellercardmarketingmicrosoftmothers-daypcplaystationprototype-2ps3radical-entertainmentxboxSun, 08 May 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[From Dust dev diary directs our attention to the art direction]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/07/from-dust-dev-diary-directs-our-attention-to-the-art-direction/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/07/from-dust-dev-diary-directs-our-attention-to-the-art-direction/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/07/from-dust-dev-diary-directs-our-attention-to-the-art-direction/#comments This latest From Dust dev diary reveals a gameworld inspired by out-of-this-world locales: from the the lagoon archipelagos of Polynesia to the central Sahara Desert and on into the mind of prolific French sci-fi author Laurent Genefort.

Continue reading From Dust dev diary directs our attention to the art direction

JoystiqFrom Dust dev diary directs our attention to the art direction originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 May 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artart-directiondev-diaryeric-chahifrom-dustlaurent-genefortmicrosoftpcplaystationps3psnubisoftxblaxboxSat, 07 May 2011 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Rewards beta testers recieve 'thank you' T-shirts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/playstation-rewards-beta-testers-recieve-thank-you-t-shirts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/playstation-rewards-beta-testers-recieve-thank-you-t-shirts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/playstation-rewards-beta-testers-recieve-thank-you-t-shirts/#comments Sony is sending out thank you cards and T-shirts to some of the most active participants in the PlayStation Rewards beta that ended on March 31. According to the card, the "exclusive" tee is "only for Beta testers who reached one of the Tiers" in the loyalty program. "Wear It Proud," declares a bold statement at the top of the note.

Coincidence or not, the shirts are arriving as both Sony and its PlayStation brand face a customer loyalty crisis. Having its most faithful followers out rocking PlayStation apparel might be just the street team campaign the company needs to augment the bigwig apologies and consumer protection promises. Of course, the "PlayStation" lettering is perhaps illegible (it's in Japanese!), and "the shirt is pretty lame" otherwise, notes one recipient on BigBadBob's Blog.

As for PlayStation Rewards, its public launch remains in doubt following an unspecified delay. "We remain committed to providing the best overall consumer experience for our users," a representative said in late March, "and we will be refocusing our efforts in the near future to further developing PlayStation Plus and our other network services." No kidding.

[Image credit: BigBadBob113; thanks, Xakdublin]

JoystiqPlayStation Rewards beta testers recieve 'thank you' T-shirts originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 May 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betagiftplaystationplaystation-rewardsps3psnpspsonythank-youtshirtFri, 06 May 2011 18:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom profits soar with help from record AAA game sales]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/capcom-profits-soar-with-help-from-record-aaa-game-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/capcom-profits-soar-with-help-from-record-aaa-game-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/capcom-profits-soar-with-help-from-record-aaa-game-sales/#comments Good ol' video games came through for Capcom over the twelve months ending March 31, 2011. The company reported "a history-making milestone" of five million-seller titles in the period, with Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (4.6 million units shipped) leading the pack. Additionally, Dead Rising 2 (2.2M units), Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2M units), Super Street Fighter IV (1.6M units) and Lost Planet 2 (1.5M units) racked up high shipment numbers, and each surpassed the million-mark in pure sales.

In all, net sales in Capcom's "Consumer Online Games" division increased 60.8 percent over the previous fiscal year to ¥70.3 billion (about $873 million). But the sales success of so-called "major titles" wasn't the only contributing factor in Capcom's record bottom line for a fiscal year, which showed a net income increase of 257.6 percent over the previous year to ¥7.75 billion -- roughly $96.3 million in profit!

Despite reported losses of ¥1.45 billion due to restructuring and another ¥105 million filed under "disaster" -- the Great East Japan Earthquake knocked out ten of Capcom's arcades -- all of the company's business units recorded operating income gains for the year. Notably, the "Mobile Contents" division enjoyed some highlights, with downloads of The Smurfs' Village Facebook game exceeding expectations "by far" and the Japan-only iPhone version of Ghost Trick faring "well."

Capcom tempered its jubilation, however, noting that the forecast for the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2012) calls for "lower sales and earnings." The company anticipates "immeasurable economic losses" in Japan due to the earthquake and its aftermath, as well as a "downturn in consumer confidence" in the game industry at large -- not to mention Capcom's weaker offering of AAA titles this year. Dead Rising 2 ... again?

"We will focus more than ever before on our global operations as the environment surrounding the industry rapidly changes," Capcom said, observing that "the rise of social games [is] fueling the growth of new competitors in the industry."

JoystiqCapcom profits soar with help from record AAA game sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 May 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomdead-rising-2earningsfinancialfy-2010lost-planet-2marvel-vs-capcom-3microsoftmobilemonster-hunter-freedom-3playstationps3pspq4salessonysuper-street-fighter-ivthe-smurfs-villagexboxFri, 06 May 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Super Meat Boy level editor released, 'FINALLY']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/super-meat-boy-level-editor-released-finally/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/super-meat-boy-level-editor-released-finally/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/super-meat-boy-level-editor-released-finally/#comments "We always wanted to release a basic level editor" for Super Meat Boy, Team Meat's Edmund McMillen writes in an emailed announcement, "but the idea started to balloon when we decided to buy servers and program a fully automated level portal (Super Meat World) to support these levels as a bonus chapter for the PC version." Needless to say, it's taken a while for the two-man team to complete the free add-on. But ...

The level editor is "FINALLY out on Steam!" McMillen rejoiced.

Technically, the editor is in beta release -- "and probably will be for a very long time," McMillen notes in a blog post -- so users may encounter "minor issues." Still, with the exception of boss battles and warp zones, the editor can be used to create "anything you see in game," and even package such torturous levels into a complete chapter of pain.

"So think of this as a thank you to all the awesome fans who sent us cool shit, nice emails and created amazing levels with devmode," the ever-irreverent McMillen concludes in his post, "if you bitched us out because the free level editor was delayed, you should probably not update your game and burn in hell."

McMillen added in his email that Super Meat World would be updated next week to add a few "missing" features and fix some bugs with the editor. "After that we will be closing the book on the PC version, porting SMB to Mac and swiftly moving on to game #2."

JoystiqSuper Meat Boy level editor released, 'FINALLY' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 May 2011 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaedmund-mcmillenlevel-editorpcsteamsuper-meat-boysuper-meat-worldteam-meatThu, 05 May 2011 16:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Increased game sales 'partly offset' Warner Bros' revenue decline]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/increased-game-sales-partly-offset-warner-bros-revenue-declin/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/increased-game-sales-partly-offset-warner-bros-revenue-declin/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/increased-game-sales-partly-offset-warner-bros-revenue-declin/#comments The precise impact of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on big daddy Time Warner's bottom line is pretty obscured. WBIE is a division within a division of the media behemoth, which didn't bother to include a line for "video games" in its first-quarter earnings report. Though the company did manage to share a few positive words about its game-making sub-division.

Nestled somewhere underneath Time Warner's "Filmed Entertainment" umbrella (a.k.a. Warner Bros.), WBIE apparently performed admirably for a division that ultimately suffered declining revenues. Filmed Entertainment, which encompasses feature film, television, home video and "interactive game production and distribution" (that's video games!), saw its revenues slide 3 percent to $2.6 billion in the first three months of 2011, as compared to the prior-year first quarter. More noticeable was the division's 50 percent plunge to $155 million in "adjusted" operating income for the period.

However, Time Warner noted in its report that "declines were partly offset" by "higher video games revenues," in addition to other factors relating to television. While it's impossible to parse out video game sales from what's dubbed "other content" in the earnings breakdown, this category did show the biggest year-over-year percentage growth of all content in the Filmed Entertainment division, even if its dollar-amount revenues were a fraction of theatrical and television products' hauls.

Notably, Time Warner indicated that first-quarter game sales were "driven by Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars," which was developed by Traveller's Tales, part of WBIE subsidiary TT Games. The game is published by LucasArts.

As for Time Warner's outlook on Filmed Entertainment for the rest of the year, CEO Jeff Bewkes said during the earnings call, "With our strong film slate, the momentum in our TV business and several promising games, we continue to expect Warner will post record profits this year." Would it have killed him to namedrop Mortal Kombat and the next Batman? Jeez.

JoystiqIncreased game sales 'partly offset' Warner Bros' revenue decline originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 May 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsdsearningsfilmed-entertainmentfinancialfy-2011jeff-bewkeslego-star-wars-3-the-clone-warsnintendopcplaystationps3pspq1sonytime-warner-cablewarner-broswarner-bros-interactivewbiewiiThu, 05 May 2011 16:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Mass. bill proposes stepping up state's game dev incentives]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/mass-bill-proposes-stepping-up-states-game-dev-incentives/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/mass-bill-proposes-stepping-up-states-game-dev-incentives/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/mass-bill-proposes-stepping-up-states-game-dev-incentives/#comments With EA set to break ground for a new facility at LSU, and Gameloft considering similar "endeavors" in New Orleans, Louisiana legislatures have got to be feeling good about the allure of the state's Digital Interactive Media Credit. 1500 miles to the northeast, Massachusetts is considering enacting similar tax incentives for game developers through a bill filed earlier this year by Rep. Vincent Pedone.

As the bill, affectionately known as "H03301," continues to kick around the Mass. Legislature, representatives of specialty tax services provider Alliantgroup take a look at its proposed "rewards" on Develop. While subject to alteration, the current draft of the bill proposes significant tax credits for both labor- and production-based costs incurred by large and small game-related companies alike, including a potential credit for a "promotional logo of the commonwealth of Massachusetts" placed on a game. In other words, stamp a game with a "Made in Massachusetts" logo (as Alliantgroup dubs it) and a company could earn up to a $75,000 annual credit under the bill's current stipulations.

Of course, the bill has yet to be put to a vote by state lawmakers, who can ill afford to sleep on it for long if they want to keep pace in the "quest" to win over the game industry. In addition to Louisiana, Alliantgroup identifies 16 other "game-friendly" states, including neighboring Rhode Island, which last year lured away Curt Shilling's 38 Studios from Mass.

["Made in Massachusetts" logo source: Massachusetts Bay Trading Co, Inc.]

JoystiqMass. bill proposes stepping up state's game dev incentives originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 May 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>billbill-H03301designdevelopmentmassachusettstax-breakstax-creditstaxesvincent-pedoneThu, 05 May 2011 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Canadian firm proposes class action against Sony to the tune of $1B in damages]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/canadian-firm-proposes-class-action-against-sony-to-the-tune-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/canadian-firm-proposes-class-action-against-sony-to-the-tune-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/canadian-firm-proposes-class-action-against-sony-to-the-tune-of/#comments A proposed class action lawsuit filed in Ontario, Canada against Sony over the PlayStation Network breach is shooting for the jackpot. The suit claims damages "in excess of $1 billion" for the breach of consumer privacy, in part to cover the costs of credit monitoring and fraud insurance over two years for the estimated 1 million PSN and Qriocity users living in Canada.

Toronto law firm McPhadden Samac Tuovi has proposed the class action against Sony Japan, Sony USA, Sony Canada and other Sony "entities," and added in its press release, "While Sony has advised American users about the availability of free credit reports, it has yet to advice Canadian users about credit reports."

Filed on behalf of representative plaintiff Natasha Maksimovic, the claim alleges Sony exposed its customers to identity and financial theft, in addition to "fear, anxiety (and) emotional distress," according to The Canadian Press.

Maksimovic, 21, of Mississauga, Ont., has been described by the law firm as "an avid PlayStation user for years," who signed up for PSN and Qriocity for use on her PSP and Sony e-book. "If you can't trust a huge multinational corporation like Sony to protect your private information, who can you trust?" she asked in the firm's release. "It appears to me that Sony focuses more on protecting its games than its PlayStation users."

Sony has 20 days to file a statement of defense in Canada and additional time to do so in the US and elsewhere.

Continue reading Canadian firm proposes class action against Sony to the tune of $1B in damages

JoystiqCanadian firm proposes class action against Sony to the tune of $1B in damages originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 May 2011 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>canadaclass-actionlawlawsuitlegalmcphadden-samac-tuoviontarioplaystationps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspqriocitysonyWed, 04 May 2011 11:25:00 EST<![CDATA['Family Game Night 4: The Game Show' got bored with board games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/family-game-night-4-the-game-show-got-bored-with-board-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/family-game-night-4-the-game-show-got-bored-with-board-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/family-game-night-4-the-game-show-got-bored-with-board-games/#comments The crazy thing is: Yahtzee played with a giant rubber bawl and bowling pins, instead of the traditional cup and dice, is actually a better idea for a video game -- especially one compatible with Kinect and PlayStation Move.

The crazier thing is: The Family Game Night 4 video game includes fewer than half of the minigames featured in the Family Game Night television game show on which it's based. You can't even begin to imagine how "Operation Relay" is going to work in your living room -- you just have to wait for the EA Hasbro division's next sequel.

Family Game Night 4: The Game Show will be released this fall for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and features support for motion control on all three platforms. It includes five minigames adapted from The Hub channel's Family Game Night game show, including "Bop-It Boptagon," "Connect 4 Basketball," "Scrabble Flash," "Sorry! Sliders" and "Yahtzee Bowling."

[Image credit: Hub Television Networks]

Joystiq'Family Game Night 4: The Game Show' got bored with board games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 May 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatareaea-hasbrofamily-game-night-4hasbrokinectmicrosoftmiinintendoplaystationplaystation-moveps3wiixboxTue, 03 May 2011 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[DC Universe Online 'Super-Servers' to address queue time issues]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/dc-universe-online-super-servers-to-address-queue-time-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/dc-universe-online-super-servers-to-address-queue-time-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/dc-universe-online-super-servers-to-address-queue-time-issues/#comments "Super-Servers" sure sounds like a euphemism for "server merge," a sign that the DC Universe Online community is in rapid decline, but SOE is putting a positive spin on its plan to address "concerns about queue times on the servers." The DCUO operator expects to begin testing "new technology to meld all of our US and European PC and PS3 servers into four Super-Servers" this month, according to a news post on the official game site.

The so-called Super-Servers would be divided into two per region, with the US and Europe each hosting a PC and PS3 server and continuing to segregate the platform communities. "This will allow for more opportunities to queue and participate in other group related game mechanics," SOE explained, without clarifying whether the move would actually reduce the number of servers or instead initiate cross-server queuing to cut down on wait times. The "melding" has also raised questions about how SOE would keep PvP and PvE players separated. "We'll have more details at a future date," said the company.

Editor's note: As of publishing, access to the DCUO site (and game) has been suspended due to a separate issue. We've re-posted SOE's Super-Servers announcement after the break.

Continue reading DC Universe Online 'Super-Servers' to address queue time issues

JoystiqDC Universe Online 'Super-Servers' to address queue time issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dc-universe-onlineeuropepcplaystationps3server-mergeserverssoeSony-Online-Entertainmentsuper-serversusaMon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE suspends services after discovering 'an issue']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/soe-suspends-services-after-discovering-an-issue/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/soe-suspends-services-after-discovering-an-issue/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/soe-suspends-services-after-discovering-an-issue/#comments Uh-oh. While Sony Online Entertainment had assured its customers last week that, "to the best of our knowledge, no customer personal information got out to any unauthorized person or persons" during last month's breach into Sony's systems, the MMO division today suspended its games and services, including its websites and Facebook titles.

"We have had to take the SOE service down temporarily," the group said in a brief statement this morning. "In the course of our investigation into the intrusion into our systems we have discovered an issue that warrants enough concern for us to take the service down effective immediately."

SOE added that it would provide an update later today. In the meantime, the notification page suggests you download and play some (offline) casual games to distract you from that horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Update: SOE has announced that it has lost 12,700 customer credit card numbers as the result of an attack, and roughly 24.6 million accounts may have been breached. Check out our follow-up post for more information.

JoystiqSOE suspends services after discovering 'an issue' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 May 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dc-universe-onlineeverquesteverquest-2facebookfree-realmsmmooutagepcplanetsideplaystationps3psn-outage-2011soestar-wars-galaxiesstation.comvanguard-saga-of-heroesMon, 02 May 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamasutra examines a PlayStation brand in crisis]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/gamasutra-examines-a-playstation-brand-in-crisis/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/gamasutra-examines-a-playstation-brand-in-crisis/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/gamasutra-examines-a-playstation-brand-in-crisis/#comments Hard as it may be to recall, at the turn of the century, "PlayStation" had replaced "Nintendo" as the colloquialism for "video game," and the PS2 was beginning its unprecedented run of 150 million units shipped. The brand was nothing short of "awe-inspiring," as Gamasutra business editor Colin Campbell recounts in a recent editorial. But a decade later, "the PlayStation brand is in gentle decline," observes Campbell. "And the events of the past week could accelerate that decline into something more serious."

In his thorough assessment of Sony's "predictably pitiful" response to the current crisis, Campbell poses a most distressing possibility. Imagine if, in a year's time, we were to look back and reflect: "'It just kinda went away, didn't it? Sony entirely laid the blame on the hackers, launched a lot of legal flak, refused to take any responsibility, offered the minimum clarity and token recompense. But no-one cares any more. At least they've encrypted my personal data now.'" Could we really settle for that?

While Campbell lays out an otherwise convincing ideal game plan for Sony to follow -- where is KB on this one, really? -- he's also suggesting that, aside from unavoidable short-term costs, the crisis could blow over for the company. It would seem, then, that in order to prevent such a sorry (non) response from Sony, video game media and consumers alike will have to act and not just react. Now that we've changed our passwords and checked our credit reports, what next? Do we just sit back and hope a freebie is coming our way? Is that how little it takes for us to forgive and forget? Or can we continue to push Sony for a respectful response -- and, if that fails, take our business elsewhere?

The video game community at large doesn't have to clean up Sony's mess, but we owe it to ourselves and each other to ensure Sony does the job right. Otherwise, we risk continuing to be treated as uninvolved, adolescent basement-dwellers. The hackers among us shouldn't be the only ones to teach Sony a lesson.

JoystiqGamasutra examines a PlayStation brand in crisis originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandoutageplaystationprps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspsonyFri, 29 Apr 2011 21:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3 'definitely in the home stretch,' says game director]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/diablo-3-definitely-in-the-home-stretch-says-game-director/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/diablo-3-definitely-in-the-home-stretch-says-game-director/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/diablo-3-definitely-in-the-home-stretch-says-game-director/#comments Following unprecedented access into "Blizzard's gated, guarded headquarters complex" earlier this week, The New York Times has returned practically empty-handed. Sure, correspondent Seth Schiesel got to play Diablo 3 for "about an hour" -- a fleeting opportunity that some of us would nevertheless kill for -- but he was unable to glean any solid details about the game's secretive, make-or-break trading system. Nor was he able to dig up any new dirt on those possible console ports, not to mention demand to know when the lead PC/Mac version is going to be released.

"We're definitely in the home stretch," game director Jay Wilson cruelly teased. "We're crunching. This is when the magic happens." Dare we presume that means a 2011 launch? We'd better not.

JoystiqDiablo 3 'definitely in the home stretch,' says game director originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddiablo-3jay-wilsonmacpcrelease-dateFri, 29 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST