Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.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[EA product manager Kevin Flynn defects, joins Call of Duty team]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/ea-product-manager-kevin-flynn-defects-joins-call-of-duty-team/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/ea-product-manager-kevin-flynn-defects-joins-call-of-duty-team/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/ea-product-manager-kevin-flynn-defects-joins-call-of-duty-team/#comments Kevin Flynn, who's worked for the last two years as a senior product manager for EA's UK arm, has left to join Activision's UK side as a senior brand manager on Call of Duty. Flynn's previous efforts for EA include launching Battlefield 3 and its subsequent Premium DLC campaigns in the region.

Flynn enlisted with the Call of Duty squad this month, which we imagine must be the busiest time to sign on for an Activision paycheck. With Call of Duty: Ghosts launching on November 5 and next week's next-generation engine reveal during the Xbox event on May 21, we just hope Mr. Flynn is finding adequate time for his lunch break every day. A hungry worker is not a happy worker!

JoystiqEA product manager Kevin Flynn defects, joins Call of Duty team originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbattlefieldbattlefield-3call-of-duty-ghostseaelectronic-artskevin-flynnmicrosoftpcplaystationps3ukxboxFri, 17 May 2013 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[EA has no Wii U games in development]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/ea-has-no-wii-u-games-in-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/ea-has-no-wii-u-games-in-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/ea-has-no-wii-u-games-in-development/#commentsEA No Wii U games in development Mega publisher Electronic Arts has no games currently in development for Nintendo's Wii U. EA recently confirmed the detail to Kotaku, following mounting evidence the publisher was no longer planning to make games for the struggling console.

It was previously revealed that some of EA's biggest franchises would not make their way to the Wii U this year, including Madden NFL or Battlefield 4. The final sign of something being terribly wrong would have been EA's top-selling FIFA franchise ditching out. That's a certainty now.

JoystiqEA has no Wii U games in development originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaElectronic-Artsnintendowii-uFri, 17 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Former NYT digital head joins EA's board as Gregory Maffei leaves]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/former-nyt-digital-head-joins-eas-board-as-gregory-maffei-leave/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/former-nyt-digital-head-joins-eas-board-as-gregory-maffei-leave/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/former-nyt-digital-head-joins-eas-board-as-gregory-maffei-leave/#commentsEA reorganization Former NYT digital head now on board Following last week's "restructuring," Electronic Arts has announced a new addition to its board of directors. Denise F. Warren has been appointed to both the board and EA's Audit Committee. Warren is the Vice President of the Digital Products and Services group at the New York Times, where she previously oversaw operations on NYTimes.com and the Times' other digital properties.

Warren will be stepping in as director Gregory Maffei steps out, passing on re-election at the stockholders meeting to be held on July 31. Maffei is the president and CEO of Liberty Media, the distributor that owns cable channels Discovery Channel, USA, Starz and more. Maffei has been on the EA board for 10 years, but is resigning to work with his own company.

Continue reading Former NYT digital head joins EA's board as Gregory Maffei leaves

JoystiqFormer NYT digital head joins EA's board as Gregory Maffei leaves originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boardboard-membersboard-of-directorsceodenise-f-warreneaelectronic-artsgregory-maffeiliberty-medianew-york-timespresidentThu, 16 May 2013 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo: 3DS software sales up 52% year-on-year in US]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/nintendo-3ds-software-sales-up-52-year-on-year-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/nintendo-3ds-software-sales-up-52-year-on-year-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/nintendo-3ds-software-sales-up-52-year-on-year-in-us/#comments Nintendo's 3DS is holding on strong to its place in the hardware charts, backed up by some successful software - and by "some" we mean "2.1 million first-party titles" in the first four months of 2013, in the US only. This is an increase of 52 percent over the same period last year.

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins sold 94,000 physical and digital copies in the US since its launch on April 24 and hit No. 9 on the April NPD chart. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon sold 140,000 units in April, for a lifetime total of 530,000 in the states.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter expected the 3DS to be the only major console with sales up from April 2012, with the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and Vita down year-over-year. Pachter found the Vita down 57 percent, while the 3DS was up 46 percent with 185,000 sales.

Continue reading Nintendo: 3DS software sales up 52% year-on-year in US

JoystiqNintendo: 3DS software sales up 52% year-on-year in US originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dshardwarenintendosalessoftwareThu, 16 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Swapper switches it up on May 30]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/the-swapper-switches-it-up-on-may-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/the-swapper-switches-it-up-on-may-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/the-swapper-switches-it-up-on-may-30/#comments

The Swapper - the Indie Fund-ed, clay model-animated, puzzle platformer put together by a few Finnish university students - has been set to hit Steam on May 30. The game has a lone space explorer wandering an alien cave, with a "weapon" that allows him to create clones of himself to solve puzzles and move around.

Facepalm has released a brand new trailer showing that gameplay and the title's excellent graphics, which were created by animating photos of actual clay. The initial release will be for PC, with Mac and Linux coming later, and "maybe something else" after that.

JoystiqThe Swapper switches it up on May 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facepalmfacepalm-gameslinuxmacmay-30pcreleaserelease-datesteamthe-swapperThu, 16 May 2013 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Google+ Games no more after June 30]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/google-games-no-more-after-june-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/google-games-no-more-after-june-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/google-games-no-more-after-june-30/#comments After June 30, Google+ Games will be no more. Google has announced it's pulling the plug on all games through its service, so if you have credits in any games or wish to continue playing, you'll need to pursue that through each individual developer.

Google announced it's pulling the plug shortly after revealing its new games services suite for Google Play, which is live right now. Google started rolling out games to its social networking service in the summer of 2011, starting with Angry Birds, Dragon Age Legends and sudoku.

JoystiqGoogle+ Games no more after June 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googlegoogle-plusgoogle-plus-gamesmacpcThu, 16 May 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[April NPD: Injustice: Gods Among Us reigns supreme]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/april-npd-injustice-gods-among-us-reigns-supreme/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/april-npd-injustice-gods-among-us-reigns-supreme/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/april-npd-injustice-gods-among-us-reigns-supreme/#comments Another hot, fresh loaf of financial data has been pulled out of The NPD Group's analytical oven, and its buttery goodness contains sales information for the four week period between April 4 and May 7, 2013. During that time, the physical retail sector of the games industry was down 25 percent when compared with its performance over the same four weeks in 2012, pulling in a grand total of $495.2 million. It's worth noting, however, that this figure does not include the sale of PC games.

Hardware sales brought in $109.5 million, a 42 percent decrease from the $187.8 million seen last year, with the Xbox 360 once again enjoying the highest sales with 130,000 units moved. Meanwhile, the brief reprieve from year-over-year decline seen by the Accessories segment last month was short lived, as in April it by dropped 19 percent to a total of $131.4 million.

Software sales (including PC games) topped out at $267.8 million, with NetherRealm Studios' Injustice: Gods Among Us taking top honors as the best-selling game for the period, the first time a fighting game has finished in first since 2011's Mortal Kombat. Dead Island: Riptide and BioShock Infinite rounded out the podium in spots two and three respectively - meanwhile MMO/Syfy series Defiance debuted in fifth. As always, scope the full list after the break.

Continue reading April NPD: Injustice: Gods Among Us reigns supreme

JoystiqApril NPD: Injustice: Gods Among Us reigns supreme originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20133dsapril-npdbioshock-infinitedead-island-riptidefinancialinjustice-gods-among-usmicrosoftnintendoNPDpcplaystationps3saleswiiwii-uxboxThu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft ends fiscal 2013 with €64.8 million in profit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ubisoft-ends-fiscal-2013-with-64-8-million-in-profit/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ubisoft-ends-fiscal-2013-with-64-8-million-in-profit/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ubisoft-ends-fiscal-2013-with-64-8-million-in-profit/#comments Ubisoft has released its financial information for the 12 month period ending March 31, 2013, which by all accounts seems to have been a pretty legit fiscal year for the publisher/developer conglomerate. The company crossed the finish line with €1.256 billion ($1.615 billion) in revenue and €64.8 million ($83.3 million) in profit, an 18.3 and 73.7-percent year-over-year increase, respectively, when compared to the €1.061 billion ($1.364 billion) in revenue and €37.3 million ($47.9 million) in profit recorded at the end of 2012.

Ubisoft contributes its stellar year to the continued success of its main three franchises, Assassin's Creed, Just Dance and Far Cry, the latest entries in which have all sold between six and 12 million copies.

JoystiqUbisoft ends fiscal 2013 with €64.8 million in profit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20133dsAssassins-Creedassassins-creed-3far-cryfar-cry-3financialsfiscal-2013just-dancejust-dance-4macmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3ubisoftvitawii-uxboxWed, 15 May 2013 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[EA opening DICE Los Angeles studio]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ea-opening-dice-los-angeles-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ea-opening-dice-los-angeles-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ea-opening-dice-los-angeles-studio/#commentsEA opening DICE Los Angeles studio EA is bringing a new DICE studio to Los Angeles, and it's expected to be a key part in the creation of new Star Wars games. As the Wall Street Journal reports, DICE LA hopes to take advantage of the area's "extreme talent pool," a pool Activision is already knee-deep in via Infinity Ward and Treyarch, both based in California. DICE LA plans to employ 60 members by the end of 2013, and is keen to bring the very best to the studio.

"There is an extreme talent pool over [there] that we want to be a part of," DICE General Manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson told WSJ. "It's no secret our main competitor is there."

Troedsson didn't reveal just how much the company is investing in the new studio. The news comes after what's been an eventful month for EA. The company announced 900 layoffs due to restructuring, estimated to be 10 percent of its then workforce. However, EA is clearly looking to build big on the platform of exclusive rights to Star Wars games.

[Image Source: @Battlefield]

JoystiqEA opening DICE Los Angeles studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DICEdice-laEAstar-warsWed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shaq's licensing company trademarks 'Shaqfighter']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/shaqs-licensing-company-trademarks-shaqfighter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/shaqs-licensing-company-trademarks-shaqfighter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/shaqs-licensing-company-trademarks-shaqfighter/#comments
Mine O' Mine, the licensing company responsible for all things bearing the resemblance of the legendarily mononymous Shaq, has registered a trademark for "Shaqfighter." The trademark's Goods and Services qualifications cover the term for "providing online games" and "computer and video game characters," among many other purposes along that line, which leads us to believe that this is probably a video game thing.

Of course, when the words "Shaq" and "fighter" are thrown together in such close proximity, 1994's Shaq-fu immediately springs to mind for any of us old enough to remember it in all of its confusing, supernatural glory. Well, "glory." Here's hoping this new jam ends up being more than an Infinity Blade clone starring an endless bloodline of medieval Shaqs. Actually ...

JoystiqShaq's licensing company trademarks 'Shaqfighter' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>shaqshaq-fushaqfightertrademarkUSPTOWed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rovio lets loose Stars publishing program for third-party games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/rovio-lets-loose-stars-publishing-program-for-third-party-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/rovio-lets-loose-stars-publishing-program-for-third-party-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/rovio-lets-loose-stars-publishing-program-for-third-party-games/#comments
Rovio is entering the mobile publishing arena through its Rovio Stars initiative, which will cover the whole spectrum of publishing duties such as marketing and PR. Rovio will even consult with developers to help them optimize their games prior to launch.

Budding developers can already submit their mobile works to Rovio Stars through a handy application page, though all applicants must have a playable build to present. Screens, videos and other supplementary materials are also encouraged, as it provides Rovio with a better sense of the overall game.

As of now, Rovio Stars has recruited two games: Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage from Longdon-based Nitrome (based on the Flash version) and Tiny Thief from Barcelona indie outfit 5 Ants. The latter is due sometime this summer, while Icebreaker's mobile release is tentatively scheduled for "soon" on the official site.

Continue reading Rovio lets loose Stars publishing program for third-party games

JoystiqRovio lets loose Stars publishing program for third-party games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5antsandroidicebreaking-a-viking-voyageiosipadiphonemobilenitromeroviorovio-starstiny-thiefWed, 15 May 2013 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA developing Frostbite Go mobile game engine for iOS and Android]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/ea-developing-frostbite-go-mobile-game-engine-for-ios-and-androi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/ea-developing-frostbite-go-mobile-game-engine-for-ios-and-androi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/ea-developing-frostbite-go-mobile-game-engine-for-ios-and-androi/#commentsEA has a mobile version of Frostbite EA has published a website for its Frostbite graphical engine, and text on the website mentions the existence of a project called Frostbite Go, which EA describes as "a mobile division empowering EA game developers with Frostbite's proven excellent workflows and features to bring true Frostbite experiences to all major mobile platforms." In other words, the company is putting together the technology to run Frostbite on platforms such as iOS and Android.

The blurb doesn't say which version of Frostbite the mobile engine will be based on, but given that Frostbite 3 is the new hotness around EA, it's a fair guess that the company is adapting the latest and greatest for Frostbite Go. We're supposed to see Frostbite 3 games arrive later on this year (with Battlefield 4 being the first of these), so odds are that any Frostbite Go-created products should hit the market at that same time.

JoystiqEA developing Frostbite Go mobile game engine for iOS and Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbattlefield-4developmenteaenginefrostbitefrostbite-3frostbite-gogamegamesiosipadiphonemobileTue, 14 May 2013 22:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Pachter: Wii U sales hit 55,000 in April, 20,000 below Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/pachter-wii-u-sales-hit-55-000-in-april-20-000-below-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/pachter-wii-u-sales-hit-55-000-in-april-20-000-below-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/pachter-wii-u-sales-hit-55-000-in-april-20-000-below-wii/#comments Nintendo's Wii U sold 55,000 units in April, down 19 percent from March, while the Wii sold 75,000 in April, down 16 percent from last year, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter estimates. To compare, he says Microsoft sold 205,000 Xbox 360 units and Sony snagged 165,000 sales of the PlayStation 3 this April. By these numbers, sales of the Xbox 360 are down 13 percent and PS3 sales are down 5 percent year-over-year.

Nintendo hit 185,000 sales of its 3DS last month, a 46 percent jump in sales from the previous year, Pachter says. Sony's Vita is down 57 percent from 2012, selling just 30,000 units this April. These are of course the standard Pachter estimates, which can only mean one thing - the official numbers are on their way, via the NPD. Those figures are expected on Thursday.

As of March 31, the Wii U has sold 3.45 million units since its launch, below Nintendo's initial forecast of 5.5 million, and even January's adjustment to 4 million. Nintendo expects to have sold 9 million Wii U consoles by next fiscal year, ending March 2014, with sales spurred by the release of "key Nintendo titles."

JoystiqPachter: Wii U sales hit 55,000 in April, 20,000 below Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsestimatesMichael-Pachtermicrosoftnintendoplaystationps3saleswiiwii-uxboxTue, 14 May 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[VP Joe Biden: 'No legal reason' the US can't tax violent media]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/vp-joe-biden-no-legal-reason-the-us-cant-tax-violent-media/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/vp-joe-biden-no-legal-reason-the-us-cant-tax-violent-media/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/vp-joe-biden-no-legal-reason-the-us-cant-tax-violent-media/#commentsBiden says there's no legal reason the US can't tax violent media Vice President Joe Biden has been on the front lines of the gun violence debate since the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in December. In January, Biden led a task force assigned by President Barack Obama to examine possible means of curtailing gun violence in the US, and his findings prompted Obama to call for scientific research into the effects of violent media on young minds.

Earlier in May, Biden met behind closed doors with 20 representatives from faith-based organizations to discuss gun control and immigration, and he briefly addressed video games, Politico reports. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, proposed to Biden that "media and entertainment that portray violence should be subject to a special tax, with the proceeds going to help victims and their families," according to Rabbi Julie Schonfeld.

Biden replied that there was "no restriction on the ability to do that; there's no legal reason why they couldn't" place a tax on violent media, Sister Marjorie Clark told Politico. Biden again emphasized the need for more research into the subject, Clark added: "He said they really need a good scientific study, which they've done on things like smoking."

During his initial fact-finding meetings in January, Biden expressed particular interest in speaking with inter-faith organizations, though he met with a wide swathe of communities, including entertainment companies, advocacy groups, youth organizations, the mental health community and the NRA.

JoystiqVP Joe Biden: 'No legal reason' the US can't tax violent media originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gun-violencejoe-bidenpoliticstaxtaxesunited-statesUSATue, 14 May 2013 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Shadow of the Eternals gets a secondary Kickstarter campaign]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/shadow-of-the-eternals-gets-a-secondary-kickstarter-campaign/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/shadow-of-the-eternals-gets-a-secondary-kickstarter-campaign/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/shadow-of-the-eternals-gets-a-secondary-kickstarter-campaign/#commentsShadow of the Eternals gets a secondary Kickstarter campaign Precursor Games has launched a second, simultaneous crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for Shadow of the Eternals, the episodic horror game serving as a spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. This is a supplement to the crowdfunding project that Precursor launched on its own site on May 6. The Kickstarter campaign looks to raise $1.35 million, while Precursor's campaign asks for $1.5 million.

"Due to overwhelming popular demand, we are happy to announce that an official Kickstarter campaign has launched for Shadow of the Eternals," Precursor says. "This gives potential pledgers even more options to contribute to the game."

Precursor's campaign accepts payments through PayPal - unlike Kickstarter - and doesn't necessarily have to reach its goal to take whatever money it raises. That campaign has 24 days remaining and has raised $156,000. The Kickstarter campaign has 36 days to reach its goal, otherwise Precursor won't receive any of that money.

Precursor will use the money raised in its crowdfunding efforts to launch a pilot episode in Q3 2014, and pay for the engine and core system development. Future episodes of Shadow of the Eternals - there will be 12 in total - will be "significantly cheaper and faster to produce," and Precursor will announce more episodes based on the success of its fundraising(s).

JoystiqShadow of the Eternals gets a secondary Kickstarter campaign originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crowdfundingeternal-darknessfundraisingkickstarterpcPrecursor-Gamesshadow-of-the-eternalsMon, 13 May 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Take-Two year-on-year revenue up, digital sales on the rise]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/take-two-year-on-year-revenue-up-digital-sales-on-the-rise/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/take-two-year-on-year-revenue-up-digital-sales-on-the-rise/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/take-two-year-on-year-revenue-up-digital-sales-on-the-rise/#commentsTakeTwo reports annual net loss of $312 million, rise in digital revenue Take-Two announced its financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, revealing that the company took in $1.214 billion in sales last year, up from $825.8 million for the fiscal year 2012.

Take-Two notes that BioShock Infinite met with "significantly" higher sales than any previous BioShock release, shipping over 3.7 million units to date. The company reports a net loss of $31.2 million over the past fiscal year, but projects between $1.75 to $1.85 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year (ending in March, 2014), spurred by upcoming releases like Grand Theft Auto V and WWE 2K14.

The report notes year-over-year improvements in both revenue and net losses, bolstered by big sellers like Borderlands 2, NBA 2K13, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Catalog sales for older releases like Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption also saw strong performances, as Take Two noted a 192 percent year-over-year rise in revenue from digitally delivered software.

JoystiqTake-Two year-on-year revenue up, digital sales on the rise originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-gamesbioshock-infinitefinancialsfiscal-2012fiscal-2013microsoftpcplaystationps3take-twoxboxMon, 13 May 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[WWE 2K14 throws down at retailers on October 29]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/wwe-2k14-throws-down-at-retailers-on-october-29/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/wwe-2k14-throws-down-at-retailers-on-october-29/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/wwe-2k14-throws-down-at-retailers-on-october-29/#comments WWE 2K14 is scheduled to launch on October 29 for Xbox 360 and PS3, Take-Two Interactive confirmed in its fiscal year 2013 financial report. Take-Two snagged the rights to the WWE franchise in February, through a deal that went down before THQ's public bankruptcy auction in January. The deal gives Take-Two exclusive rights to publish WWE games "across all major platforms and distribution channels."

WWE 2K14 is in production from series developer Yukes, based in Japan, and 2K Sports.

JoystiqWWE 2K14 throws down at retailers on October 29 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2K-Gamesmicrosoftplaystationps3Take-Twowwe-14wwe-2k14xboxMon, 13 May 2013 16:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix posts $134M fiscal net loss, projects profit for coming year]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/square-enix-posts-134m-fiscal-net-loss-projects-profit-for-com/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/square-enix-posts-134m-fiscal-net-loss-projects-profit-for-com/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/square-enix-posts-134m-fiscal-net-loss-projects-profit-for-com/#comments As approximately projected, Square Enix posted a net loss of ¥13.7 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31 2013, that converting to around $134 million. Back in March, Square Enix announced it was implementing major restructuring that would produce an "extraordinary loss". Today the company further detailed its new strategy for the next fiscal year, in which it projects a return to profit.

"The business environment surrounding the [Square Enix] Group is in the midst of major changes, where smart devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs are spreading rapidly," Square Enix stated in today's results, "while the console game markets in North America and Europe are increasingly competitive and oligopolistic. In light of such environmental changes, the Group is focusing all efforts on a substantial earnings improvement through driving reforms of business structure in order to establish new revenue base."

Square Enix previously noted "weak" sales of "big console titles" in North America and Europe, including Sleeping Dogs, Hitman: Absolution, and even Tomb Raider. Today the company said it will increasingly target smartphones and tablets, citing Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade and Kaku-San-Sei Million Arthur as satisfactorily profitable. Square Enix also noted Dragon Quest X as "showing steady performance."

As such, the restructuring brings overhauls to Square Enix's larger-scale development,with the company looking to improve turnover and produce content better tailored for different regions. Square Enix was clearly dissatisfied with the performance of its western portfolio, and layoffs were incurred in the company's North American and European divisions.

Square Enix believes these changes will be the platform for profit in the coming fiscal year, projecting net income of between ¥3.5 billion and ¥6 billion, or $34.4 million to $59 million.

JoystiqSquare Enix posts $134M fiscal net loss, projects profit for coming year originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europefinancialsjapannorth-americarestructuringsquare-enixMon, 13 May 2013 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, April 29 - May 5: Arcade cabinet edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/stiq-figures-april-29-may-5-arcade-cabinet-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/stiq-figures-april-29-may-5-arcade-cabinet-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/stiq-figures-april-29-may-5-arcade-cabinet-edition/#commentsWelcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something - meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.
Stiq Figures, April 29 May 5 Arcade cabinet edition
Reddit user mystery_smelly_feet recently posted a gallery of photos showing off the construction process for a custom arcade cabinet. The cabinet sports a classic Nintendo theme, complete with iconic grey, red and black controls that are vaguely similar to the NES game pad we all know and love. We're looking at it this week on Stiq Figures out of pure awe and jealousy. Make one for us, Mystery Smelly Feet!

Continue reading Stiq Figures, April 29 - May 5: Arcade cabinet edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, April 29 - May 5: Arcade cabinet edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 May 2013 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>JapaneseHardwareSalesstiqfiguresSun, 12 May 2013 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3 Auction House back online sans bug, exploiters punished]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/diablo-3-auction-house-back-online-sans-bug-exploiters-punished/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/diablo-3-auction-house-back-online-sans-bug-exploiters-punished/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/diablo-3-auction-house-back-online-sans-bug-exploiters-punished/#comments Diablo 3's Auction House is back online after Blizzard took it down earlier this week, following an update bug that allowed players to duplicate trillions in gold. Blizzard found the bug, exterminated it, and will now donate all proceeds generated from the exploit to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Blizzard will not roll back the servers across the board, but will instead target specific accounts that used the exploit, banning or rolling back those users depending on their activity.

"Only a relatively small number of players had the billions of gold necessary to exploit the bug, and only 415 of those players chose to use this exploit for personal gain," Blizzard Production Director John Hight writes in the Battle.net forums.

As of yesterday, Blizzard had recaptured 85 percent of the erroneous gold and was working to track down the remaining currency.

JoystiqDiablo 3 Auction House back online sans bug, exploiters punished originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auction-houseBlizzardbugDiablo-3exploitgoldpcreal-money-auction-houseSun, 12 May 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GREE lays off 30 from San Francisco offices]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/gree-lays-off-30-from-san-francisco-offices/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/gree-lays-off-30-from-san-francisco-offices/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/gree-lays-off-30-from-san-francisco-offices/#comments Japanese publisher GREE has laid off 30 members of its San Francisco office, according to a report from GamesIndustry International. Anil Dharni, COO of the mobile and social publisher, told GamesIndustry that GREE has recently aligned its US studio "to focus on creating the next generation of mobile social games. This shift in focus has been clearly demonstrated by the success and growth of our games."

"As part of ensuring that we are operating as efficiently as possible, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our work force. The employees leaving today have made great contributions to our success and we wish them all the best," he added.

We have contacted GREE for confirmation of the layoffs, and will update accordingly.

JoystiqGREE lays off 30 from San Francisco offices originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 May 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anil-dharnigreegree-san-franciscolayoffsmobilesocial-gamesSun, 12 May 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine wants to win back Stacking, Costume Quest rights]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/double-fine-wants-to-win-back-stacking-costume-quest-rights/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/double-fine-wants-to-win-back-stacking-costume-quest-rights/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/double-fine-wants-to-win-back-stacking-costume-quest-rights/#commentsDouble Fine wants to win back Stacking, Costume Quest rights Double Fine wants to tie up all of the loose ends within its catalog and is seeking the distribution rights to its games formerly published by THQ, Stacking and Costume Quest. Nordic Games picked up the distribution rights to these games during THQ's bankruptcy auction in April, though Double Fine attempted to secure the rights from THQ as early as February.

Double Fine owns the intellectual properties for Stacking and Costume Quest, so if it wants to make new games within each series, it can.

"We're still trying to get the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking," Schafer told Game Informer. "We can still make more of those games. We still have the IP, but we'd love to have all of the IP and distribution rights in house."

On top of those distribution rights, Double Fine wants to regain the Brutal Legend IP from EA and the Iron Brigade IP from Microsoft, Schafer said. These are difficult positions for Double Fine, but for us, deciding which war to watch is just as hard: Battle of Heavy Metal and Mechs or the Battle of Kids in Costumes Playing with Toys From the Old Country. Decisions, decisions.

JoystiqDouble Fine wants to win back Stacking, Costume Quest rights originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brutal-legendCostume-Questdistribution-rightsdouble-fineintellectual-propertyiron-brigademicrosoftnordic-gamespcplaystationps3stackingthq-bankruptcyxboxSun, 12 May 2013 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ANNE passes its Kickstarter goal with more than a week to go]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/anne-passes-its-kickstarter-goal-with-more-than-a-week-to-go/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/anne-passes-its-kickstarter-goal-with-more-than-a-week-to-go/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/12/anne-passes-its-kickstarter-goal-with-more-than-a-week-to-go/#commentsANNE reaches Kickstarter goal with 11 days left ANNE, the 2D nostalgia-laden platformer from developer Mo, hit its $70,000 Kickstarter goal, and from today it still has nine days left to earn more money. In a multilingual thank you update, Mo said words couldn't express his gratitude, so he created the happy robot image above.

"For sure the money is what will allow me to get the job done, but knowing that there are people like you out there that believe in my game, in me, just this is worth more than money," Mo said.

The first stretch goal for ANNE is $80,000 and it would add Mac and Linux versions of the game to Mo's development schedule. At $90,000, ANNE would have achievements and a Gender Swap mode, and later stretch goals (up to $150,000), add Ouya, PSN, Vita and Wii U versions.

ANNE is a combination of ideas from some of Mo's favorite 16-bit games, including Mega Man, Contra, Gradius and Super Metroid. That last one was a big inspiration, Mo told Joystiq in April.

"I remember at the beginning, you had this amazing ship," he said. "A crazy sprite landing slowly and then, the next thing you know, you're just on foot. And I was just, 'What a tease.' What if you could actually go in [the ship] and fly? What would that look like, and how fun would that be? So basically, it's picking up from just questioning myself and just trying to see what, you know, what am I really looking for as a player right now?"

JoystiqANNE passes its Kickstarter goal with more than a week to go originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anneIndiekickstartermopcsuper-metroidSun, 12 May 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SyFy renews Defiance for a second season]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/11/syfy-renews-defiance-for-a-second-season/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/11/syfy-renews-defiance-for-a-second-season/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/11/syfy-renews-defiance-for-a-second-season/#comments The SyFy network has picked up Defiance for a second season. Production on the 13-episode season will begin in August in Toronto, and is expected to air in 2014.

The show also has a companion MMO of the same name by Trion Worlds. It's a popular one at that, as it recently saw its millionth user sign up to play. Plus, Defiance will receive five DLC releases this year, so things are looking up for fans of both the game and the show.

Continue reading SyFy renews Defiance for a second season

JoystiqSyFy renews Defiance for a second season originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 May 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defiancemmommorpgseasonshootersyfytrion-worldsSat, 11 May 2013 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EA executives Andrew Wilson, Stephen Bene unload stocks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/ea-executives-andrew-wilson-stephen-bene-unload-stocks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/ea-executives-andrew-wilson-stephen-bene-unload-stocks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/ea-executives-andrew-wilson-stephen-bene-unload-stocks/#comments Two of Electronic Arts' top-level executives have collectively unloaded a total of 57,085 stocks, following a general increase in EA's stock value after this week's Star Wars exclusivity announcement. According to SEC forms filed yesterday, EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson has sold his entire stake in the company: 32,085 shares at $21.42 a pop, for a grand total of $687,260.70.

EA senior vice president and General Counsel Stephen Bene followed suit, today exercising an option to buy 25,000 shares from EA at $16.06 per share for $401,500 in total, well below the current market value. Bene then sold those shares for $22.40 each, making $560,000. After subtracting the amount originally spent when the option to buy the shares was exercised, Bene made a net profit of $158,500. Unlike Wilson, Bene is still in possession of 6,700 shares of EA, according to SEC documents.

JoystiqEA executives Andrew Wilson, Stephen Bene unload stocks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsAndrew-WilsonEAelectronic-artsfinancemacmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3Stephen-Benestocksvitawii-uxboxFri, 10 May 2013 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Silicon Knights closes office, unloads assets]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/report-silicon-knights-closes-office-unloads-assets/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/report-silicon-knights-closes-office-unloads-assets/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/report-silicon-knights-closes-office-unloads-assets/#commentsReport Silicon Knights closes office, unloads assets Something shady is going on in the province of Ontario with Silicon Knights and the full story is still shaking out. Yesterday it was reported that Precursor Games, which is working on the curiously funded Shadow of the Eternals - a "spiritual successor" to Silicon Knights' Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - bought and implemented Silicon Knights' assets into their new project.

Polygon also reported late yesterday that Silicon Knights' offices are now empty (stopping just short of closing), and that despite there being "no connection to Silicon Knights" according to Precursor Games' CEO Paul Caporicci, former SK head Dennis Dyack confirmed that he had left SK and was now chief creative officer at Precursor. Polygon has way, way more on this.

Silicon Knights lost a multi-million, multi-year lawsuit against Epic Games last year and there's still questions about the money the company may or may not have gotten from the Ontario government. More on this is sure to be revealed in its time.

JoystiqReport: Silicon Knights closes office, unloads assets originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>canadaontarioPrecursor-Gamessilicon-knightsFri, 10 May 2013 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sega Sammy posts fiscal net profit, Aliens: Colonial Marines shipped 1.3M [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/sega-sammy-posts-fiscal-net-profit-aliens-colonial-marines-shi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/sega-sammy-posts-fiscal-net-profit-aliens-colonial-marines-shi/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/sega-sammy-posts-fiscal-net-profit-aliens-colonial-marines-shi/#comments Sega Sammy reported financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31 2013 today, noting a net profit of ¥33.5 billion, which converts to $331 million. The figure represents annual growth of 53.3 percent. However, the company's operating profit decreased year-on-year by 67.3 percent, down now to ¥19.1 billion, or $189 million.

While Sega Sammy made significant net profit, largely through gains on the sales of "investment securities" and transfers of employees' pension benefits, the company noted decreased demand for packaged games in light of global economics. Sega Sammy said it must adapt to a market leaning towards games on social networks and smartphones.

That decreased demand was coupled with a year of restructuring at Sega Sammy's US and European divisions. With less games coming out as a result, it's no surprise Sega Sammy saw decline in packaged software shipments, down to 10.8 million overall. They include 1.31 million units of the critically panned Aliens: Colonial Marines, as well as 1.36 million for Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed and 940,000 for Football Manager 2013. Meanwhile, Yakuza 5 shipped 590,000 units since its launch in Japan in December 2012.

Sega Sammy's biggest success gaming-wise looks to be Phantasy Star Online 2. The PC and Vita MMO has a subscription base of over 2.5 million now, and the company said revenue from in-game purchasable items "exceeded forecasted levels."

Sega Sammy forecasts it will ship 11 games on PC, 7 on Wii U, 7 on PS3, 6 on 3DS, 5 on Vita, 4 on Xbox 360, and 2 on PSP in the fiscal year ending March 31 2014 - of course there'll be some crossover there. The company estimates a 41 percent growth in net profit for the next fiscal year, up to ¥47 billion, or $464 million.

Update: Sports Interactive's Miles Jacobson tweets Football Manager 2013 has now passed the 1 million mark for sales, having done so five months earlier than FM2012 did.

JoystiqSega Sammy posts fiscal net profit, Aliens: Colonial Marines shipped 1.3M [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Aliens-Colonial-Marinesfinancialsfootball-manager-2013phantasy-star-online-2segasega-sammysonic-and-allstars-racing-transformedFri, 10 May 2013 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Into the Dead, endless zombie shooter for mobile, hits 10 million]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/into-the-dead-endless-zombie-shooter-for-mobile-hits-10-millio/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/into-the-dead-endless-zombie-shooter-for-mobile-hits-10-millio/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/into-the-dead-endless-zombie-shooter-for-mobile-hits-10-millio/#commentsInto the Dead, endless zombie shooter for mobile, gets 10 million hits Mobile games may not all reach the same level of fame as retail or desktop counterparts, but the market is strong, producing games that sell millions more than some of our favorites and support entire teams of developers. Into the Dead from mobile publisher PikPok, for example, just passed 10 million downloads across iOS and Android devices, after five months on the market.

Into the Dead is an endless runner combined with a shooter, all set in the zombie apocalypse. It's free on iOS and Android, but a no-ad version of the game is available for $2 as an in-app purchase. And now for a thought experiment: If only 10 percent of players purchase the ad-free game, that's $2,000,000. Not bad for a 5-month-old.

If you want to bring Into the Dead to 10,000,001 downloads, head to the App Store or Google Play. Another PikPok game to pass 10 million downloads is Flick Kick Football. The Flick Kick series has clocked in more than 20 million downloads.

Continue reading Into the Dead, endless zombie shooter for mobile, hits 10 million

JoystiqInto the Dead, endless zombie shooter for mobile, hits 10 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10-millionandroiddownloadfree-to-playinto-the-deadiosipadiphonemobilepikpokzombiesFri, 10 May 2013 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/steam-greenlight-pulls-in-2-million-voters-has-a-chat-with-its/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/steam-greenlight-pulls-in-2-million-voters-has-a-chat-with-its/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/steam-greenlight-pulls-in-2-million-voters-has-a-chat-with-its/#commentsSteam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies Getting accepted through Steam's community-voting service, Greenlight, is an ongoing, complex project for many indie developers - and for Steam itself. Valve hosted a chat with Greenlight developers this week to discuss concerns, suggestions and propose what Greenlight may look like in the future.

Valve is "actively looking into" releasing the Steamworks API so developers can prepare their games prior to being Greenlit, though it has no timeframe to make that public. Currently all games go to the same Greenlight, but Valve said it would discuss the idea of separating the service by "games that are ready to go" and "games that are in development."

On May 1, Valve Greenlit a mini batch of games, and this system will most likely be the new standard, the team said: "Unfortunately, we have limited resources at the moment, so we cannot ship every game that we want. We're working toward having an open platform that Gabe has talked about, but we're not there yet."

Continue reading Steam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies

JoystiqSteam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 May 2013 20:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crowdsourcinggreenlightIndieLinuxmacpcSTEAMsteam-greenlightvalveThu, 09 May 2013 20:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Timegate closes its doors]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/report-timegate-closes-its-doors/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/report-timegate-closes-its-doors/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/report-timegate-closes-its-doors/#commentsReport Timegate closes its doors Timegate, the studio behind Section 8 and Aliens: Colonial Marines, laid off its entire staff today, Kotaku reports.

On May 2, Timegate filed for bankruptcy protection, citing a debt of up to $50 million. The filing revealed that Timegate owed large sums to 50 companies, including Epic Games, Agora Games and DJ2 Entertainment. In April, Timegate lost an appeal against publisher SouthPeak Interactive, potentially losing the Section 8 license and adding $7.35 million to its debt. SouthPeak fought for Timegate's closure in arbitration and won, leading to today's layoffs, the report says.

Timegate let go 25 employees in March, citing a rough transition to next-gen consoles and a publishing deal that fell through. The studio's most recent project is Minimum, a free-to-play shooter for PC that was supposed to launch on Steam Early Access on April 16. Minimum is currently not listed anywhere on Steam.

JoystiqReport: Timegate closes its doors originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bankruptcyclosurelayoffssection-8-prejudiceTimeGateTimeGate-StudiosThu, 09 May 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony posts $458M fiscal 2012 net profit, forecasts 5M portable sales in fiscal 2013]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/sony-posts-458m-fiscal-2012-net-profit-forecasts-5m-portable-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/sony-posts-458m-fiscal-2012-net-profit-forecasts-5m-portable-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/sony-posts-458m-fiscal-2012-net-profit-forecasts-5m-portable-s/#comments Sony had a net income for fiscal 2012 (ending March 31 2013) of ¥43 billion, which converts to $458 million. It's the first time the company's posted annual net profit since 2008. A far better situation than the company's $456.7 million loss last year.

As the company predicted following several cost-cutting measures across the previous year - including the sales of major buildings in Tokyo and New York, as well as thousands of layoffs - Sony posted an operating profit for the fiscal year, which came in at ¥230.1 billion ($2.45 billion).

Sony shifted 3.4 million PS3 and PS2 units across the last quarter, while the Vita and PSP came in at 1.3 million. Sony's fiscal year figures were in line with projections made last quarter, with the home consoles at 16.5 million and the portables at 7 million.

However, the portables' figures compare unfavorably with the company's initial estimate for the year, which was 16 million. Sony is being much more cautious for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, predicting only 5 million units in what's approximately the Vita's second year at retail. PS3 figures are estimated at 10 million, while Sony chose not to include PS4 projections.

The PlayStation division saw 12.2 percent year-on-year decline in sales, coming in at ¥707.1 billion ($7.52 billion). Operating income saw a much sharper drop, down 94.1 percent to ¥1.7 billion, or $18 million. Sony put the declines down to decreased hardware sales, as well as the "strategic price reduction" for the Vita in Japan earlier this year.

One area where growth is predicted is software, even without including the PS4. Sony projects an increase from the 266 million units sold in fiscal 2012 to 319 million (including digital units).

JoystiqSony posts $458M fiscal 2012 net profit, forecasts 5M portable sales in fiscal 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 May 2013 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>financialsplaystationplaystation-vitaps2ps3pspsonyvitaThu, 09 May 2013 06:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Limited edition Mass Effect 3 Paladin pistol replica available for pre-order]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/limited-edition-mass-effect-3-paladin-pistol-replica-available-f/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/limited-edition-mass-effect-3-paladin-pistol-replica-available-f/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/limited-edition-mass-effect-3-paladin-pistol-replica-available-f/#commentsLimited edition Mass Effect 3 Paladin pistol replica available for preorder
BioWare has just revealed this snazzy real-life replica version of Mass Effect 3's M-77 Paladin pistol, available for pre-order today. The weapon weighs 7 pounds, is hand-finished and hand-painted, and is one of a set of only 200 made by collectible firm Triforce.

Buying one for yourself will run you a total of $400: You'll need to put down $200 now to reserve your own fake space gun, and then another $200 when it's ready to go, which is expected to be later this year. That's not cheap, but then again nobody said fighting off the Reaper Invasion would be.

JoystiqLimited edition Mass Effect 3 Paladin pistol replica available for pre-order originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebioware-storemass-effect-3microsoftpaladinpcpistolplaystationps3real-lifereplicastoretriforceweaponxboxWed, 08 May 2013 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Crowdfunded 'My Carnival' is a video game designed to help children with cystic fibrosis]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/crowdfunded-my-carnival-is-a-video-game-designed-to-help-child/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/crowdfunded-my-carnival-is-a-video-game-designed-to-help-child/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/crowdfunded-my-carnival-is-a-video-game-designed-to-help-child/#commentsMy Carnival is a game for children with Cystic Fibrosis, seeking funding AccessAble Games has announced a new campaign to raise funds for a free video game designed to help children with cystic fibrosis learn how to perform their breathing exercises correctly. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that requires daily physiotherapy training, and while experts say there are some tools out there to teach affected children already, they're not as helpful and entertaining as they could be.

Enter My Carnival, which will use a standard PC mic to track a child's breathing in and out, and can be adjusted depending on the child's ability. Once the breathing is tracked, My Carnival then translates that into playing games at an busy carnival, having the player do things like fill a balloon with a water stream.

You can contribute to the project right now. AccessAble's "tipping point" budget of $29,000 would cover just four minigames, but the full budget of $40,000, if raised, would provide for eight minigames total. Currently, the team has only raised just over $1,000 with 23 days left in the effort.

JoystiqCrowdfunded 'My Carnival' is a video game designed to help children with cystic fibrosis originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessable-gameschildrencrowdfundingcystic-fibrosisdiseaseeducationgamehealingmy-carnivalpcstart-some-goodWed, 08 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney Interactive down $54 million in Q2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/disney-interactive-down-54-million-in-q2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/disney-interactive-down-54-million-in-q2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/disney-interactive-down-54-million-in-q2/#comments By the end of the second quarter of its fiscal year, Disney Interactive was once again the media conglomerate's only unprofitable sector, reporting a $54 million operating income (read: pre-tax) loss for the three month period ending March 31, 2013. This is, however, a 22 percent year-over-year improvement when compared to Q2 2012's reported operating income loss of $70 million.

Disney contributes the loss to "growth at our Japan mobile business from a licensing agreement that started in February 2012 and lower acquisition accounting expense at our social games business." No mention is made of Junction Point Studios, which Disney closed in January after lackluster sales of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, or of the company's forthcoming game/toy platform Disney Infinity.

JoystiqDisney Interactive down $54 million in Q2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsDisneydisney-infinityDisney-InteractiveEpic-Mickey-2financialsjunction-point-studiosmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3Q2Q2-2013vitawii-uxboxWed, 08 May 2013 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Yoshida: Sony did not consider an always-on PS4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/yoshida-sony-did-not-consider-an-always-on-ps4/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/yoshida-sony-did-not-consider-an-always-on-ps4/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/yoshida-sony-did-not-consider-an-always-on-ps4/#commentsSony never considered an alwayson PS4 The PS4 won't require an "always-on" internet connection, and it was never going to need one, Sony President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida told Game Informer (via Gamespot).

"Did we consider it? No, we didn't consider it," Yoshida said. "The main reason being that many countries don't have robust Internet connections. It makes sense for people to have Internet connections to play online games, but for offline games there are many countries that we saw [that] do not really have robust Internet."

Fair point. Yoshida previously confirmed an offline mode in terms of the PS4's social and sharing features, saying, "Oh yes, yes, you can go offline totally. Social is big for us, but we understand there are some people who are anti-social. So if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that." Developers, too, will be able to limit which aspects of their games players can share with the world.

Sony's major next-gen competitor, Microsoft, is set to reveal its new console on May 21. The latest internal memo regarding the next Xbox's online functionality says that some features should "just work" whether a player is on- or offline.

JoystiqYoshida: Sony did not consider an always-on PS4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>always-onInternetnext-gennext-xboxplaystation-4ps4SONYxbox-nextWed, 08 May 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft fired another THQ Montreal veteran yesterday, Desilets says]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ubisoft-fired-another-thq-montreal-veteran-yesterday-desilets-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ubisoft-fired-another-thq-montreal-veteran-yesterday-desilets-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ubisoft-fired-another-thq-montreal-veteran-yesterday-desilets-s/#commentsUbisoft fired another THQ Montreal veteran yesterday, Desilets says Ubisoft fired original Assassin's Creed creative director Patrice Desilets yesterday, after his rocky transition from Ubisoft, to THQ Montreal and back to Ubisoft. One of his colleagues, Jean-François Boivin, was also fired yesterday, Desilets tweeted. Boivin traveled from Ubisoft to THQ Montreal, before being pulled back in at Ubisoft, just as Desilets did.

"Thinking of my good friend and producer @JFBoivin who also got fired yesterday," Desilets wrote. "I'm sharing your support with him."

Boivin's LinkedIn profile says he joined Ubisoft in 2005 and held a variety of production roles - including production manager for Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed 2 with Desilets - until 2011, when he joined THQ Montreal to work on a new IP. Desilets left Ubisoft in 2010 and began work at THQ Montreal after a one-year non-compete agreement. When the agreement was up in 2011, THQ brought over three people from Ubisoft, whom Desilets said he needed.

During the THQ bankruptcy auction in January, Ubisoft bought THQ Montreal, effectively rehiring Boivin and Desilets. There's no word if Boivin's firing was as dramatic as Desilets'.

JoystiqUbisoft fired another THQ Montreal veteran yesterday, Desilets says originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firedfiringlayoffspatrice-desiletsTHQthq-bankruptcythq-montrealUbisoftWed, 08 May 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision Blizzard closes out Q1 2013 with $1.32 billion net revenue]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/activision-blizzard-closes-out-q1-2013-with-1-32-billion-net-re/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/activision-blizzard-closes-out-q1-2013-with-1-32-billion-net-re/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/activision-blizzard-closes-out-q1-2013-with-1-32-billion-net-re/#comments The first quarter of Activision Blizzard's fiscal 2013 has come to a close, with the massive developer/publisher reporting $1.324 billion in net revenue for the three months ending March 31, 2013. This figure is $164 million beyond Activision Blizzard's prediction for the quarter ($1.16 billion), and 12.96 percent more than the $1.172 billion earned during the same period last year.

"The shift in release dates of competing products, the disappointing launch of the Wii U, uncertainties regarding next-generation hardware, and subscriber declines in our World of Warcraft business all raise concerns, as do continued challenges in the global economy," CEO Bobby Kotick said in the report. "For these reasons, we remain cautious."

Despite this, Activision Blizzard is raising its net revenue outlook for calendar year 2013 by 3.3 percent, from $4.085 billion to $4.22 billion. Kotick attributed the company's successful quarter to Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm and World of Warcraft, as well as continued consumer interest in Call of Duty and Skylanders.

JoystiqActivision Blizzard closes out Q1 2013 with $1.32 billion net revenue originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsactivision-blizzardfinancialsfiscal-2013macmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3q1-2013vitawii-uxboxWed, 08 May 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA kills licensing deals with gun makers, keeps those guns in games [Update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ea-kills-licensing-deals-with-gun-makers-keeps-those-guns-in-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ea-kills-licensing-deals-with-gun-makers-keeps-those-guns-in-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ea-kills-licensing-deals-with-gun-makers-keeps-those-guns-in-ga/#commentsEA keeping guns in games but drops licensing Behind the scenes, EA is dropping licensing ties to real-life gun manufacturers, but on-screen it still intends to use branded guns in its games. Most recently, EA has worked with gun manufacturers such as McMillan Group International and gun magazine maker Magpul to promote Medal of Honor: Warfighter, but now those deals are off - even though EA still plans to use name-brand guns in its shooters.

"We're telling a story and we have a point of view," EA Labels President Frank Gibeau tells Reuters. "A book doesn't pay for saying the word 'Colt,' for example."

EA spokesman Jeff Brown says branded weapons lend games "enhanced authenticity," which is why EA wants to keep them in its games. However, all official agreements between EA and gun companies are now severed. "The action games we will release this year will not include licensed images of weapons," Brown says.

Following December's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the NRA and a handful of politicians and pundits blamed video games for encouraging gun violence. One week after the shooting, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said video games represented "a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people."

Brown says that the NRA's comments have nothing to do with its decision: "The response from our audience was pretty clear: They feel the comments from the NRA were a simple attempt to change the subject."

EA is currently involved in a lawsuit with Bell Helicopter, who argues that use of its helicopters in the Battlefield games goes beyond fair use and infringes on Bell's trademark. A jury trial is set for June to decide the issue, which could easily apply to EA's new gun-licensing theory.

Update: Jeff Brown tells Ars Technica that EA has never paid a licensing fee to a gun manufacturer, nor has it been paid to use specific branded guns in its games. EA will simply continue this practice in the future.

"No other EA game or service has used licensed gun images in a game," Brown says.

EA did work with McMillan and Magpul for that Medal of Honor: Warfighter campaign, a charity benefiting veterans that encouraged gun makers featured in the game to donate. Those that did were featured on a Warfighter sub-page as "authentic brands" in the game. All of the money went straight to the charity, Brown says.

JoystiqEA kills licensing deals with gun makers, keeps those guns in games [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EAElectronic-Artsgun-violenceGunslicenselicensingmedal-of-honor-warfightermicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxWed, 08 May 2013 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom year-end results: sales up, profit down, Resident Evil 6 failed to meet projections at 4.9M]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/capcom-year-end-results-sales-up-profit-down-resident-evil-6/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/capcom-year-end-results-sales-up-profit-down-resident-evil-6/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/capcom-year-end-results-sales-up-profit-down-resident-evil-6/#commentsResident Evil 6 ships over 45 million copies worldwide Resident Evil 6, Capcom's flagship of horrors for the fiscal year concluding March 31, 2013, certainly has "plateaued," as Capcom put it in today's results. The game, which launched in October of 2012, shipped over 4.5 million units at the time. The company announced today the game sold 4.9 million units. Comparatively, Resident Evil 5 has sold 6.1 million units.

"As a result, [Resident Evil 6] did not meet with our projection," the company's statement reads. "In contrast, Dragon's Dogma became a greater-than-expected hit product in the domestic market, which has high profitability, and became an unprecedented million seller in the recent years as an original title."

Overall, Capcom sales were up 14.6 percent for the year to ¥94.07 million ($950M), with net income down to ¥2.97 million ($30M), which is a decrease of 56 percent from last year. Capcom expects this year to be similar in revenues, but hopes to bring that profit back to the 2012 level. This year's line-up includes Remember Me and Lost Planet 3.

JoystiqCapcom year-end results: sales up, profit down, Resident Evil 6 failed to meet projections at 4.9M originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomdragons-dogmafy-2013microsoftpcplaystationps3resident-evil-6xboxWed, 08 May 2013 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[EA Sports and FIFA extend exclusive license until 2022]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ea-sports-and-fifa-extend-exclusive-license-until-2022/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ea-sports-and-fifa-extend-exclusive-license-until-2022/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/ea-sports-and-fifa-extend-exclusive-license-until-2022/#commentsImage You know that couple where everything is just public displays of affection and love notes? That's Electronic Arts and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The two companies announced this morning they'll continue going steady until December 31, 2022.

Under the agreement, EA retains the exclusive rights to FIFA-branded games, including the exclusive rights to the official FIFA World Cup game. In the executive understatement of the week, EA Sports EVP Andrew Wilson said, "EA Sports released the first FIFA-branded soccer game in 1993, and 20 years later our partnership with FIFA continues to be very strong."

FIFA 13 sold 14.5 million units through March, EA announced yesterday as part of its year-end financial results. That's up 30 percent from FIFA 12's sales the prior year. The franchise is doing so well that maybe folks in the States will start calling it football soon. We joke, Madden, we still love you too, baby.

JoystiqEA Sports and FIFA extend exclusive license until 2022 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaea-sportsElectronic-Artsfifafifa-13microsoftnintendopcplaystationps3wii-uxboxWed, 08 May 2013 08:15:00 EST