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 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Sony accepting claims on 2011 PSN data breach settlement]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/sony-accepting-claims-on-2011-psn-data-breach-settlement/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/sony-accepting-claims-on-2011-psn-data-breach-settlement/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/sony-accepting-claims-on-2011-psn-data-breach-settlement/#comments If you were a PSN, Qriocity or Sony Online Entertainment user at the time of the April 2011 Sony hack that disrupted the PlayStation Network for nearly a month and compromised 70 million user accounts, now's your chance to get a piece of the class action settlement levied against Sony last year.

To qualify, you must have held a PSN, Qriocity or Sony Online Entertainment account on or before May 14, 2011. Each service is eligible to receive different claims, but PSN users are able to receive either one or two games - if you already received a free game in Sony's 2011 "Welcome Back" promotion, you're only eligible for one; if not, you're eligible to choose two - from a list that includes standouts like LittleBigPlanet and God of War HD. Notably, none of the games on offer are for the PlayStation 4. If none of the games tickle your fancy, you can instead choose free dynamic themes for your PlayStation 3 or free PlayStation Plus subscription time.

After wading through multiple pages of bureaucratic legalese, you'll find everything you need to make your claim at the PSN-SOE settlement website.
[Image: Sony]

JoystiqSony accepting claims on 2011 PSN data breach settlement originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>LBPlegalLittleBigPlanetplaystationplaystation-networkplaystation-vitaps3ps4psnpspsettlementsonyvitaMon, 26 Jan 2015 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gearbox seeks help crafting the next Borderlands entry]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/gearbox-seeks-help-crafting-the-next-borderlands-entry/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/gearbox-seeks-help-crafting-the-next-borderlands-entry/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/gearbox-seeks-help-crafting-the-next-borderlands-entry/#comments Given the massive success of Borderlands 2 and the lesser but still significant success of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, it comes as little surprise that Gearbox is planning another entry in the over-the-top post-apocalyptic shooter franchise.

"We are recruiting for next Borderlands. This is the big one," Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford recently tweeted, before offering his business email address to anyone who could be described as an "industry badass." Pitchford outlines no other qualifications, as the studio is seeking myriad people, from writers to art designers to engine programmers.

Beyond the help-wanted ad, neither Pitchford nor Gearbox has offered any further information on the next Borderlands game. It will probably feature some iteration of robotic irritant Claptrap and vibrant, color-coded weaponry, but otherwise we're in the dark.
[Image: Randy Pitchford/Gearbox]

JoystiqGearbox seeks help crafting the next Borderlands entry originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>borderlandsborderlands-2gearboxrandy-pitchfordMon, 26 Jan 2015 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Early Access zombie survival hit DayZ tops 3 million sales]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/early-access-zombie-survival-hit-dayz-tops-3-million-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/early-access-zombie-survival-hit-dayz-tops-3-million-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/early-access-zombie-survival-hit-dayz-tops-3-million-sales/#comments Publisher Bohemia Interactive has revealed that DayZ, the cult-hit, open-world zombie survival game, has attracted more than three million sales since its debut on Steam's Early Access platform.

DayZ arrives at this milestone only a year after reaching Early Access. Despite pragmatic warnings from DayZ creator Dean "Rocket" Hall that the Early Access version of DayZ is incomplete, the game was an immediate hit, selling over a million copies in its first month, owing largely to the cult following it attracted in its original incarnation: a modification for Bohemia's ArmA 2 first-person military sim.

"We would like to say thank you to every single one of the three million players, that have joined us on the journey of making DayZ," writes project lead David Durcak. "You all have helped make DayZ the best open world, zombie survival game. This is an amazing achievement, and we are really looking forward to start sharing with you all of our game design improvements, anti-hack solutions and other optimizations we have been working on for a majority of the last year."
[Image: Bohemia Interactive]

Continue reading Early Access zombie survival hit DayZ tops 3 million sales

JoystiqEarly Access zombie survival hit DayZ tops 3 million sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bohemia-interactiveday-zdayzdean-hallearly-accesspcsteamFri, 23 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Alien: Isolation: One million sold, scared]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/alien-isolation-one-million-sold-scared/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/alien-isolation-one-million-sold-scared/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/alien-isolation-one-million-sold-scared/#comments Publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly are indirectly responsible for one hell of a laundry bill, as it was announced today that Alien: Isolation has officially sold one million copies worldwide. Accounting for at least one million players, and factoring in regular sessions with Alien: Isolation's precision engineered terror, we're talking millions of soiled undergarments. We're not aware of any spikes in detergent sales, but it seems like a given.

We're rather fond of Alien: Isolation here at Joystiq, where the game stealthily crept into our top ten games of 2014.

JoystiqAlien: Isolation: One million sold, scared originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alien-isolationaliens-isolationcreative-assemblymicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4segaxboxxbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lawsuit alleges EA infringed on sports stadium update patent]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/lawsuit-alleges-ea-infringed-on-sports-stadium-update-patent/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/lawsuit-alleges-ea-infringed-on-sports-stadium-update-patent/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/lawsuit-alleges-ea-infringed-on-sports-stadium-update-patent/#comments White Knuckle IP filed a lawsuit late last week against EA, alleging that the publisher infringed on a patent that focuses on methods for updating sports games based on real-life changes. The suit referred to U.S. Pat. No. 8,529,350, which described methods that record real-world parameters, then store those elements on a server so players can download them to update their games. The patent dates back to October 2002.

While the patent is related to another one that deals with updating an athlete's statistics and skills based on real-life performance, the lawsuit focuses on changes to the appearance and attributes of stadiums and venues. The lawsuit specifically targets games in EA Sports' NCAA Football and Tiger Woods PGA Tour series, from NCAA Football 10 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 through the last respective entries, NCAA Football 14 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14. According to Patent Arcade, White Knuckle "did not identify any specific feature in its complaint."
[Image: EA Sports]

JoystiqLawsuit alleges EA infringed on sports stadium update patent originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenaseaEA-SportsElectronic-Artslawsuitmicrosoftncaa-footballncaa-football-14patentpatent-infringementplaystationps3ps4stadiumssuittiger-woods-pga-tourtiger-woods-pga-tour-14white-knuckle-gamingwhite-knuckle-ipxboxxbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Bounden, Fingle studio closes its doors in April]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/bounden-fingle-studio-closes-its-doors-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/bounden-fingle-studio-closes-its-doors-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/bounden-fingle-studio-closes-its-doors-in-april/#comments Game Oven Studios, the independent Dutch team behind body-morphing mobile games Bounden, Bam fu, Fingle and Friendstrap, will be disbanded in April, studio co-founder Adriaan de Jongh announced in a blog post today. Game Oven will release its final game, Jelly Reef, in March on iOS and Android. Game Oven developers de Jongh and Bojan Endrovski will continue to support Bounden, Fingle, Bam fu and Jelly Reef, but they will remove Friendstrap from stores on February 1.

De Jongh and Endrovski founded Game Oven in November 2011 with their first game, Fingle, which was nominated for an IGF Nuovo award. Bounden, a two-player dancing game for mobile, is nominated this year for an IGF Nuovo prize and a GDC Innovation Award. Game Oven received financial support for Bounden from the Dutch grant program, Game Fund, and worked with the Dutch National Ballet to create the choreography.

And, despite Game Oven's closure, Bounden is doing "really well," de Jongh told me today.

"We're not making millions, no, but Bounden's profit is larger than the development costs, so maybe awards are not that disconnected from the financial success of the game," he said. "With Fingle, IGF helped us build an audience, helped us reach that critical mass, and even though we no longer do any marketing effort for Fingle, we still make one minimum wage from the game every month. The way things look now, it seems like Bounden is on that same road."

Continue reading Bounden, Fingle studio closes its doors in April

JoystiqBounden, Fingle studio closes its doors in April originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidboundenclosuredutchdutch-game-gardenFingleGame-Ovengdc-2015igf-2014igf-2015IndieiosipadiphonemobileTue, 20 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, January 5 - 11: Gaming memorabilia edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/19/stiq-figures-january-5-11-gaming-memorabilia-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/19/stiq-figures-january-5-11-gaming-memorabilia-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/19/stiq-figures-january-5-11-gaming-memorabilia-edition/#commentsWelcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter.
Joystiq writes about gaming-themed figurines, apparel and trinket-stuffed special editions fairly often, but there are scores of referential collectibles out there that never reach our front page. It can feel pretty impossible to scoop up (or find room for) everything that piques your interest, but every once in a while something comes along that's just too difficult to pass up.

For me, it was the Christopher Lee's series of Mario prints, which rolls up memories from the NES' Super Mario Bros. trilogy, Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. I've had the tendency to go overboard with gaming decorations in the past, but Lee's series struck me as a clever, subdued way to celebrate my ideal source material. I particularly appreciate that "subdued" bit whenever I have guests over that are dismissive of games - I don't feel the urge to cover these prints up the way I did with my more obnoxious past tributes in order to spare myself from snide comments.

Can tributes to gaming be found somewhere within your living space? Perhaps a miniature Mega Man stands guard beneath your monitor, or a replica of your favorite weapon hangs by your game collection? Tell us about the real-world souvenirs you've gathered from your gaming adventures, right after you check this week's Japanese hardware sales data after the break!

Continue reading Stiq Figures, January 5 - 11: Gaming memorabilia edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, January 5 - 11: Gaming memorabilia edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jan 2015 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Japanese-Hardware-SalesJapaneseHardwareSalesstiq-figuresstiqfiguresMon, 19 Jan 2015 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony to close its Canadian stores]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/sony-to-close-its-canadian-stores/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/sony-to-close-its-canadian-stores/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/sony-to-close-its-canadian-stores/#comments Sony will close all 14 of its Canadian retail locations, according to a press release issued on The Canadian Press. The company will shut down the stores "over the next six to eight weeks," resulting in 90 layoffs. The company has "been scaling back its business in Canada for the past year and has already shut several locations, including one at the Toronto Eaton Centre." As reported by CBC News, the locations of the soon-to-close stores are as follows:
  • Alberta (3)
  • The Greater Vancouver area (3)
  • The Greater Toronto Area (5)
  • Ottawa (1)
  • Montreal (1)
  • Quebec City (1)
Sony announced plans to sell its Vaio PC business and restructure its TV division in February 2014, at which point it planned to lay off 5,000 employees over the next year. It also shut down 20 stores in the United States while restructuring the Sony Electronics division. The Sony-owned developer Sucker Punch laid off some of its staff in August as well.
[Image: Sony]

JoystiqSony to close its Canadian stores originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>canadaclosureclosuresPlayStationretailSONYsony-storestoresFri, 16 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Just pirate it,' Hotline Miami 2 dev tells Australian fan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/just-pirate-it-hotline-miami-2-dev-tells-australian-fan/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/just-pirate-it-hotline-miami-2-dev-tells-australian-fan/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/just-pirate-it-hotline-miami-2-dev-tells-australian-fan/#comments While most developers are staunch opponents of piracy, Hotline Miami 2 designer Jonatan Söderström recently encouraged one Australian fan to pirate the game if censors keep it from his local retailers.

Following the Australian Classification Board's recent decision to withhold a rating from Hotline Miami 2 (effectively banning the game from the country), designer Jonatan Söderström was asked by an eager Australian fan how he might obtain a copy. The fan even offered to send money directly to the developer. Söderström politely turned down the offer, instead telling the fan, "If it ends up not being released in Australia, just pirate it after release."

Söderström's response was posted to Reddit where it was immediately cheered, though some questioned its authenticity. At least until Fork Parker, fictional CFO (yet very real mouthpiece) of Hotline Miami 2 publisher Devolver Digital, confirmed the events in question with a succinct, "That was him."
[Image: Devolver Digital]

Joystiq'Just pirate it,' Hotline Miami 2 dev tells Australian fan originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jan 2015 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiadevolver-digitalfork-parkerhotline-miamihotline-miami-2jonatan-soderstrompcpiracyFri, 16 Jan 2015 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision takes victory lap, Destiny biggest new game franchise launch]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/activision-takes-victory-lap-destiny-biggest-new-game-franchise/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/activision-takes-victory-lap-destiny-biggest-new-game-franchise/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/activision-takes-victory-lap-destiny-biggest-new-game-franchise/#comments Let us be colloquial: Activision makin' mad bank, yo. Like, all the cheddar. The publisher took a victory lap this morning, reiterating the top placement of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare during yesterday's NPD, the success of Skylanders among children and making a pertinent addendum to Destiny's sales in 2014.

Last night, US retail tracking group NPD released its year-end data, with Destiny ranked third behind Call of Duty and Madden NFL 15. Activision noted this morning that Destiny was in second place "among all titles in the U.S. in 2014, based on revenue." This would reflect the significant digital distribution push Destiny had, as well as the special editions and expansion bundles.

Continue reading Activision takes victory lap, Destiny biggest new game franchise launch

JoystiqActivision takes victory lap, Destiny biggest new game franchise launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2014ActivisionActivision-Blizzardcall-of-dutycall-of-duty-advanced-warfaredestinymicrosoftplaystationps3ps4skylandersxboxxbox-oneFri, 16 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC survey: eSports rising, consoles cresting]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/gdc-survey-esports-rising-consoles-cresting/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/gdc-survey-esports-rising-consoles-cresting/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/gdc-survey-esports-rising-consoles-cresting/#comments The Game Developers Conference revealed its third annual "State of the Industry" survey results, which found that 79 percent of North American game developers believed eSports is a "sustainable business." GDC surveyed over 2,000 developers, 12 percent of which said they are working on an eSports-style, skill-based, competitive multiplayer game.

The State of the Industry survey also found that 21 percent of developers said they made most of their profits from microtransactions, whereas 29 percent said "direct sales to consumers or digital sales" was their biggest draw. This compares to 13 percent of the developers surveyed, which pointed to sales at retail as the source of the majority of their profits. Of those surveyed, 41 percent said profits for their companies were higher in 2014 compared to the previous year.

Lastly, 56 percent of the polled developers said their current projects would launch on PC and 50 percent said their games would reach smartphones or tablets. 26 percent said they were currently working on a game for PS4 while 22 percent said they were developing an Xbox One game. Head over to GDC's site for a more detailed breakdown of its State of the Industry survey results.
[Image: GDC]

Continue reading GDC survey: eSports rising, consoles cresting

JoystiqGDC survey: eSports rising, consoles cresting originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>esportsgame-developers-conferencegdcmicrosoftMicrotransactionsmobilepcplaystationps4state-of-the-industrysurveyxbox-oneThu, 15 Jan 2015 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Journey composer Austin Wintory nears expulsion from AFM]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/journey-composer-austin-wintory-nears-expulsion-from-afm/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/journey-composer-austin-wintory-nears-expulsion-from-afm/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/journey-composer-austin-wintory-nears-expulsion-from-afm/#comments Seven months after the American Federation of Musicians threatened Grammy Award-winning composer Austin Wintory with a $50,000 fine for recording the soundtrack to The Banner Saga against regulations, the music union has issued an official fine of $2,500.

Despite a looming January 19 deadline, Wintory refuses to pay. "Doing so would be to agree that their failed policies, selective tactics and threats work," the composer told Variety. Instead, Wintory claims his lawyers are examining the options available to him should the AFM make good on its threat to boot him from the union. As a further snub, Wintory claims he will write a check to the Education Through Music - Los Angeles charity "where the money can be used toward building on dreams instead of destroying them."

When the AFM first notified Wintory of the potential $50,000 fine he faced for not following proper union regulations in recording music for a game, the composer was defiant. "Ultimately I don't think this is about me," Wintory stated. "This is about what's right. This is about composers and musicians being able to work in a medium that we love without fear of threat and intimidation, and it's about the next wave of musicians and composers who want to get into this business and dream of working in games, who shouldn't have to fear being attacked."
[Image: AFM]

JoystiqJourney composer Austin Wintory nears expulsion from AFM originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american-federation-of-musiciansaustin-wintorylegalthe-banner-sagaunionThu, 15 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The War Z dev: 'We were arrogantly deaf to problems']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/troubled-zombie-game-the-war-z-tops-2-8-million-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/troubled-zombie-game-the-war-z-tops-2-8-million-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/troubled-zombie-game-the-war-z-tops-2-8-million-sales/#comments They may not be slavering corpses, but the developers of The War Z share one thing in common with the undead denizens of their game: Persistence. Despite seemingly endless controversy, the open-world zombie survival game has reportedly passed 2.8 million sales.

From the beginning, players accused The War Z (aka Infestation: Survivor Stories) of liberally borrowing ideas from Bohemia Interactive's cult-hit DayZ, including its setting and basic "survive against endless hordes of corpses" gameplay. Then The War Z reached Steam and was immediately hit by allegations that the developers knowingly listed features on the digital storefront that had not yet been added to the game. Valve eventually stepped in and pulled The War Z from Steam.

Continue reading The War Z dev: 'We were arrogantly deaf to problems'

JoystiqThe War Z dev: 'We were arrogantly deaf to problems' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>day-zhammerpoint-interactiveinfestation-survivor-storiesOP-Productionspcsalessergey-titovthe-war-zworld-war-zzombiesThu, 15 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamestop holiday sales down 6.7 percent to $2.94 billion]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/gamestop-holiday-sales-down-6-7-percent-to-2-94-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/gamestop-holiday-sales-down-6-7-percent-to-2-94-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/gamestop-holiday-sales-down-6-7-percent-to-2-94-billion/#comments As it does every January, ubiquitous mall retailer Gamestop has issued its holiday sales report. Though sales of $2.94 billion mark a year-on-year decline in business, it comes as little surprise and the retailer remains optimistic.

That $2.94 billion figure is overshadowed by the $3.15 billion Gamestop reported last year (though it tops the $2.88 billion from the previous year's sales report). The key reason for this is a year-on-year 32 percent decline in new hardware sales. While that seems dire, keep in mind that the 2013 holiday season saw the launch of both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, so the $3.15 billion Gamestop reported last year is likely greatly enhanced by the appearance of new hardware on the market. The highlight of Gamestop's holiday sales report is a 5.8 percent increase in new software sales, which the retailer attributes primarily to a 94.4 percent jump in sales of games for the now-established Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.

"During the holiday period, consumer demand for video games was strong, resulting in new software sales growth," said Gamestop CEO Paul Raines. "We expect that trend to continue into the first quarter. Overall, each of our business units performed well giving us positive momentum as we look toward 2015."

JoystiqGamestop holiday sales down 6.7 percent to $2.94 billion originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamestopholiday-salesmoneysalesThu, 15 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[UK's top-selling retail games of 2014 led by FIFA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/uks-top-selling-retail-games-of-2014-led-by-fifa-surprise/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/uks-top-selling-retail-games-of-2014-led-by-fifa-surprise/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/uks-top-selling-retail-games-of-2014-led-by-fifa-surprise/#comments As was expected, FIFA 15, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Grand Theft Auto 5 dominated the UK sales chart in 2014. MCV has the list of the top 100 titles by sales, supplied by Chart-Track and UKIE. A huge caveat to note is the data only covers physical retail box copies, with no digital distribution data.

Ubisoft was the publisher with the most games on the chart, followed by EA, at 12 and nine, respectively. Watch Dogs and Destiny made the top ten, with original intellectual properties making up nine percent of the list. Head over to MCV for all 100.

JoystiqUK's top-selling retail games of 2014 led by FIFA originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chart-trackchart-track-weeklyfifa-15great-britainmcvukThu, 15 Jan 2015 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: New 3DS reaches North America next month]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/rumor-new-3ds-reaches-north-america-next-month/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/rumor-new-3ds-reaches-north-america-next-month/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/rumor-new-3ds-reaches-north-america-next-month/#comments The New 3DS, an upgraded version of the existing Nintendo 3DS XL with a faster processor and additional joystick, may launch in North America as soon as February 13, according to an unverified photograph posted to NeoGAF.

The image, seen above, depicts what appears to be official signage. It clearly mentions the New 3DS model and says "Available 2.13." According to Kotaku, this is an official Gamestop promotional poster, though Nintendo has yet to officially confirm the image's claims.

The timing of the leak raises this rumor's prominence - Nintendo is scheduled to unveil a wide swath of information on its upcoming plans tomorrow morning during the first Nintendo Direct of 2015. If the company is going to announce the North American launch of the New 3DS model, that's where it will happen. We'll keep you updated on any announcements the console manufacturer may make.
[Image: vinnygambini/NeoGAF]

JoystiqRumor: New 3DS reaches North America next month originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsnew-3dsnintendoTue, 13 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Shadowrun: Hong Kong seeks funding [update: funding found]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/shadowrun-hong-kong-seeks-funding/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/shadowrun-hong-kong-seeks-funding/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/shadowrun-hong-kong-seeks-funding/#comments Harebrained Schemes, developer of the excellent Shadowrun Returns and even more excellent Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall roleplaying games, has launched a Kickstarter page that it hopes will fund the development of a new game called Shadowrun: Hong Kong.

This early in development solid gameplay details and in-game imagery is sparse, but the Kickstarter page reveals that while Shadowrun: Hong Kong will utilize the same core engine behind Shadowrun Returns and Dragonfall, it will be a wholly new adventure. "Shadowrun: Hong Kong has everything you expect from a Harebrained Schemes Shadowrun game: strong storytelling and sharp writing, lots of morally gray choices, a crew of memorable characters with distinct personalities, challenging tactical turn-based combat, a robust character creation system, and a one of a kind cyberpunk-meets-magic game setting that's endured for over 25 years," the developer claims.

Harebrained Schemes is seeking $100,000 to develop Shadowrun: Hong Kong, a goal that shouldn't be too hard to reach. With 34 days of fundraising remaining, the total sits at just over $85,000 and climbing.

Update: In the short time between this article being written and it being published, Shadowrun: Hong Kong attracted over $40,000, easily toppling its goal. Now we wait to see just how much extra cash the fundraising effort can pull in before it ends.
[Image: Harebrained Schemes]

JoystiqShadowrun: Hong Kong seeks funding [update: funding found] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crowdfundingharebrained-schemeskickstartermacpcshadowrun-hong-kongshadowrun-returnsTue, 13 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty Online public beta launches in China]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/call-of-duty-online-public-beta-launches-in-china/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/call-of-duty-online-public-beta-launches-in-china/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/call-of-duty-online-public-beta-launches-in-china/#commentsCall of Duty Online launches in China Call of Duty Online, the China-only freemium version of the mega franchise, is now in open beta for hundred of millions of Chinese. Announced several years ago, publisher Activision has taken a very disciplined approach in developing the game for the region.

"We've worked closely with our partner at Tencent, and we've challenged one of our most trusted and talented development teams of Raven Software to create a true Call of Duty experience tailored for the Chinese market," said Activisition Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg. "Throughout testing, the community feedback has been tremendous. We couldn't be more excited and we look forward to winning the hearts and minds of a new community in China."

Not to mention: all that cash! Almost every major publisher has made a deal with Tencent to get a piece of China's emerging market. Thanks to China's regulations governing international investment, the company has turned into the go-to gatekeeper to the region. That hasn't stopped Tencent from making outside investments of its own, including a minority stake in Epic Games and ownership of League of Legends developer Riot. Oh yeah, Tencent is also a massive "passive investor" in Activision.

Continue reading Call of Duty Online public beta launches in China

JoystiqCall of Duty Online public beta launches in China originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivisionActivision-Blizzardpctencenttencent-holdingsMon, 12 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GameStop stores going Azure to stream promos to mobiles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/gamestop-stores-going-azure-to-stream-promos-to-mobiles/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/gamestop-stores-going-azure-to-stream-promos-to-mobiles/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/gamestop-stores-going-azure-to-stream-promos-to-mobiles/#comments GameStop plans to use Microsoft's Azure cloud computing technology to enhance its retail locations, allowing customers to stream "video game and promotional content" to mobile devices. While not offering a timetable for when the services would be offered, the retailer revealed examples of ways it would use Azure, such as giving customers the opportunity to view game trailers on their smartphones while browsing the store shelves. GameStop will also shift its checkout process to in-store mobile shopping carts that "can be used by the customer to facilitate a faster checkout."

Microsoft's Azure technology was previously used by Respawn Entertainment for the developers' first-person shooter, Titanfall. Respawn's Jon Shiring explained in March 2014 that elements of the game's online multiplayer functions like AI hosting and physics calculations relied on the cloud computing tech. GameStop updated its trade-in policies with a four-tiered pricing structure in August. The retailer showed overall declining sales in November, though sales of new hardware was on the rise.
[Image: GameStop]

JoystiqGameStop stores going Azure to stream promos to mobiles originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>azurecloudcloud-computinggamestopmicrosoftmicrosoft-azureretailretailersMon, 12 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, December 22 - 28: Real-life video game replicas edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/stiq-figures-december-22-28-real-life-video-game-replicas-ed/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/stiq-figures-december-22-28-real-life-video-game-replicas-ed/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/stiq-figures-december-22-28-real-life-video-game-replicas-ed/#commentsWelcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter.
Yes, I'm still stuck on the real-life Pac-Man maze that Budweiser built for a Super Bowl commercial. Running through replicas of gaming stages and scenarios was really more of a backburner-tier childhood dream, but now that my imagination's willing to daydream about more than training Pokemon, it's pretty fun to think about the gaming experiences I'd recreate if I had a pile of money to burn.

Out of all the possibilities, I think I'd throw my millions at an on-rails Star Fox theme park cart ride. There would be four Arwings to emulate the Star Fox Team, each following its own rail, and most of the ride would be heavily inspired by Star Fox 64. Each group could compete for the high score while assisting each other with bogeys, gathering powerups and generally making Andross' life miserable. I feel like friendly fire would also be an incorporated danger, but only for whoever uses Slippy's ship.

What about you? Would you fund an incredibly-dangerous venture into building F-Zero-style race tracks and vehicles? Maybe you'd rather clear a castle of monsters and turkey legs with just a whip and holy water? What about a to-scale paintball field that channels Halo's Bloodgulch map? Tell us what kind of gaming experiences you'd build if money and most logistics weren't obstacles, right after you check this week's Japanese hardware sales data after the break!

Continue reading Stiq Figures, December 22 - 28: Real-life video game replicas edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, December 22 - 28: Real-life video game replicas edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Japanese-Hardware-SalesJapaneseHardwareSalesstiq-figuresstiqfiguresMon, 12 Jan 2015 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo halting console and software distribution in Brazil]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/nintendo-halting-console-and-software-distribution-in-brazil/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/nintendo-halting-console-and-software-distribution-in-brazil/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/nintendo-halting-console-and-software-distribution-in-brazil/#comments Nintendo will end its distribution of hardware and software in Brazil due to high import tariffs. The company opted not to create a local manufacturing operation to avoid the import fees in the emerging market.

"Starting in January 2015, Gaming do Brasil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Juegos de Video Latinoamérica, GmbH, will no longer distribute Nintendo products in Brazil," Nintendo stated to Game Informer. "Despite the changes in Brazil, Juegos de Video Latinoamérica will continue to be Nintendo's distributor for Latin America and they remain committed to the brand and the region."

To get a sense of the sticker shock these tariffs have, when Sony's $400 PlayStation 4 launched in Brazil it was approximately $1,800. Sony explained at the time the mark-up was caused by various import fees and taxes.

"Brazil is an important market for Nintendo and home to many passionate fans, but unfortunately, challenges in the local business environment have made our current distribution model in the country unsustainable," said Nintendo. "We will continue to monitor the evolution of the business environment and evaluate how best to serve our Brazilian fans in the future."

JoystiqNintendo halting console and software distribution in Brazil originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsbrazilnintendowii-uFri, 09 Jan 2015 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom drops sales forecasts ahead of year-end results]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/capcom-drops-sales-forecasts-ahead-of-year-end-results/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/capcom-drops-sales-forecasts-ahead-of-year-end-results/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/capcom-drops-sales-forecasts-ahead-of-year-end-results/#comments Capcom revised its consolidated earnings forecast for the fiscal year ending on March 31, lowering its net sales expectations from 80,000 million yen ($673 million) to 65,000 million yen ($547 million). The change represents an 18.75 percent decline, which Capcom said is "primarily due to the severe impact on pachislo machine sales," thanks to "the delay in the introduction of a new model."

Capcom added that "delays in the launches of some midrange titles in the Digital Contents business" also impacted its projections. While the publisher did not specify what previously-delayed digital games were the culprit, it did push back the beta for its online RPG Deep Down (seen above) to 2015 back in late August. Capcom also delayed the Japanese launch of Breath of Fire 6: Guardians of the White Dragons to this coming spring as of late July.
[Image: Capcom]

JoystiqCapcom drops sales forecasts ahead of year-end results originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breath-of-fire-6breath-of-fire-6-guardians-of-the-white-dragonscapcomdeep-downdelaysearningsfinancialsfiscal-2014fy-2014salesFri, 09 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Daylight developer closes, passes Blacklight IP to new studio]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/08/daylight-developer-closes-passes-blacklight-ip-to-new-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/08/daylight-developer-closes-passes-blacklight-ip-to-new-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/08/daylight-developer-closes-passes-blacklight-ip-to-new-studio/#comments Seattle-based developer Zombie Studios is closing its doors after over twenty years of operation. The developer announced the news on its website, noting that the studio's owners are retiring. As a result, former Zombie Studios employees started a new company, Builder Box, and "acquired some of the work Zombie is parting with."

That includes all rights to Blacklight: Retribution (seen above), Zombie Studios' 2012 cyberpunk first-person shooter. Builder Box was formed by Andy Kipling and Russell Nelson, Zombie Studios' director of production and technical director, respectively. In a PlayStation Forums post last week, Kipling assured Blacklight: Retribution fans that "the people behind the scenes who have been constantly contributing to the Blacklight universe for the last four years remains intact," and that players "can look forward to more updates and exciting changes in the coming year."

Zombie Studios formed in 1994, launching its first game the following year, a spaceship simulator known as Ice and Fire. The developer is known for creating the Spec Ops line of tactical shooters, starting with Spec Ops: Rangers Lead the Way in 1998 for PC. Among the final games developed at Zombie Studios is the Atlus-published survival horror game Daylight, which arrived on PC and PS4 last year.
[Image: Zombie Studios]

JoystiqDaylight developer closes, passes Blacklight IP to new studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy-kiplingblacklightblacklight-retributionbuilder-boxbuilderboxclosuredaylightdeveloperdevelopmentrussell-nelsonspec-opszombie-studiosThu, 08 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Appeals court sides with ex-NFL players in Madden likeness suit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/appeals-court-sides-with-ex-nfl-players-in-madden-likeness-suit/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/appeals-court-sides-with-ex-nfl-players-in-madden-likeness-suit/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/appeals-court-sides-with-ex-nfl-players-in-madden-likeness-suit/#comments A federal appeals court struck down Electronic Arts' appeal to dismiss a 2010 lawsuit in which retired NFL players alleged that the publisher used their likenesses without permission in Madden NFL 09. A three-judge panel unanimously declined EA's motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds of First Amendment protections under "incidental use." Madden 09 included over 140 historic NFL teams as well as the stats and positions of thousands of retired athletes to celebrate the series' 20th anniversary, and EA allegedly altered jersey numbers and removed the players' names to avoid paying licensing fees, according to the August 2010 lawsuit.

The judges referred to another recent likeness lawsuit in the opinion, in which former college athletes sued EA in May 2009 over the use of their likenesses in NCAA Basketball and NCAA Football games. EA proposed a $40 million settlement to that lawsuit in September 2013, resulting in those players earning up to $951 for each year their likeness was featured in the games. The publisher added $8 million in expenses related to that lawsuit in May 2014.

EA introduced similar First Amendment-based defenses in its appeal for the retired NFL players lawsuit save for one additional argument: That the likenesses were protected under the First Amendment as incidental use. The judges "held that Electronic Arts's use of the former players' likenesses was not incidental because it was central to Electronic Arts's main commercial purpose: to create a realistic virtual simulation of football games involving current and former National Football League teams." The decision upholds a California court's March 2012 dismissal of EA's attempt to prevent the suit from going to court. Among the plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit is Sam Keller, a former Arizona State, Nebraska and Oakland Raiders quarterback that filed the original likeness lawsuit related to the publisher's college sports games.
[Image: EA]

JoystiqAppeals court sides with ex-NFL players in Madden likeness suit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appealappeals-courtclass-actionclass-action-lawsuitEAElectronic-Artsfirst-amendmentfootballlawsuitlikenessmaddenMadden-09Madden-NFL-09microsoftnflnintendoplaystationps3wiixboxWed, 07 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioShock lead designer joins Orcs Must Die! studio]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/bioshock-lead-designer-joins-orcs-must-die-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/bioshock-lead-designer-joins-orcs-must-die-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/bioshock-lead-designer-joins-orcs-must-die-studio/#comments A recent blog post written by Robot Entertainment CEO Patrick Hudson reveals that Paul Hellquist has left Gearbox Software to join the Orcs Must Die! developer as its new lead designer. Hellquist then confirmed the news in a tweet a few hours later.

Along with his work as lead designer on Irrational Games' Randian undersea shooter BioShock, Hellquist later worked at Gearbox as lead designer on that studio's well-liked story-driven shooter, Borderlands 2. What Hellquist will be doing at Robot isn't yet clear, though Hudson's blog entry does say that he expects Hellquist "to have a profound impact on the games we make, starting with Orcs Must Die! Unchained."
[Image: Robot Entertainment]

JoystiqBioShock lead designer joins Orcs Must Die! studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2015 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioshockborderlands-2paul-hellquistrobot-entertainmentWed, 07 Jan 2015 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Monument Valley dev: 5% of Android players paid to play]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/monument-valley-dev-5-of-android-players-paid-to-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/monument-valley-dev-5-of-android-players-paid-to-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/monument-valley-dev-5-of-android-players-paid-to-play/#comments Monument Valley developer Ustwo revealed that only five percent of the game's installs on Android are "paid for." It divulged "interesting data" about the game in recent tweets, clarifying that a "small number" of the other 95 percent of installs were legitimate. Additionally, the data does not account for the one promotional day in which Monument Valley was free on the Amazon Store. By comparison, Ustwo said that 40 percent of the installs for the game on iOS were paid for.

Piracy isn't a new problem for the Android platform, as indicated by games such as Lucky Frame's Gentlemen!. The Edinburgh, Scotland-based independent developer announced in August 2013 that just 144 of the 50,000 downloads for Gentlemen! on Android were legitimate. Ustwo first launched Monument Valley on iOS in April 2014 before it arrived on Android one month later. The game reached one million copies sold in July after having recouped its development costs after one week on the App Store. It received eight new levels on iOS in November and earned a year-end award from Apple last month.
[Image: Ustwo]

JoystiqMonument Valley dev: 5% of Android players paid to play originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2015 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidgoogle-playmobilemonument-valleypiracypuzzleustwoTue, 06 Jan 2015 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Kickstarter rakes in $529 million for projects in 2014]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/kickstarter-rakes-in-529-million-for-projects-in-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/kickstarter-rakes-in-529-million-for-projects-in-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/kickstarter-rakes-in-529-million-for-projects-in-2014/#comments Over 3.3 million people pledged $529 million towards projects on Kickstarter in 2014, the crowdfunding platform revealed. This marks an increase over the site's 2013 stats, which saw $480 million pledged by 3 million individuals. Kickstarter reached $1 billion in total pledges as of March 2014. It also revised its terms in September to force the hands of project creators that fail to deliver products to their backers.

Of the 22,252 successful projects to earn money on Kickstarter last year, 1,980 of them were in the broad games category. Games made off with 16.8 percent of the total money pledged last year ($89.1 million). While that includes the $626,250 earned by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick's retro-inspired point-and-click adventure game Thimbleweed Park, the "Games" category isn't limited to video games, but also includes a large dose of tabletop games as well. Our year-long Crowdfund Bookie research project found that over $35 million was pledged specifically to video games on crowdfunding platforms over the span of one year.
[Image: Kickstarter]

JoystiqKickstarter rakes in $529 million for projects in 2014 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crowdfundingdatafundingkickstarterthimbleweed-parkTue, 06 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony: PS4 sales surpass 18.5 million following holiday boom]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/sony-ps4-sales-surpass-18-5-million-following-holiday-boom/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/sony-ps4-sales-surpass-18-5-million-following-holiday-boom/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/sony-ps4-sales-surpass-18-5-million-following-holiday-boom/#comments PlayStation 4 sales are now beyond the 18.5 million mark, according to Sony's announcement at CES 2015. The PS4's pubertal growth into the late teens (millions-wise) occurred in a prolific holiday season, with more than 4.1 million units shifted worldwide since November 23, 2014.

Sony's numbers represent the company's estimates of units sold to consumers, as opposed to retail shipments. According to Sony, the PS4 "continues to demonstrate the fastest and strongest growth in PlayStation hardware history." To contrast and compare, the PS3 shipped 10.5 million units within a similar timeframe, and the PS2 10.6 million units.

"We are absolutely delighted that so many customers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as their console of choice throughout this holiday season," said Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House. "We will continue to reinforce and deliver additional value on PS4 as the best place to play, by bringing even more exciting content and by enriching our wide array of service offerings."

Continue reading Sony: PS4 sales surpass 18.5 million following holiday boom

JoystiqSony: PS4 sales surpass 18.5 million following holiday boom originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2015 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ces-2015globalholidayplaystationplaystation-4playstation-plusps4salessonyworldwideTue, 06 Jan 2015 05:30:00 EST<![CDATA[XNA, Xbox Live founder leaves Microsoft]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/xna-xbox-live-founder-leaves-microsoft/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/xna-xbox-live-founder-leaves-microsoft/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/xna-xbox-live-founder-leaves-microsoft/#comments Xbox Live Founder Boyd Multerer announced his departure from Microsoft this week after 17 years with the company. Multerer revealed the career change via his Twitter account, saying "Goodbye Microsoft. It was a good run. Xbox was Great! Time to do something new." Multerer's bio on the social media site indicates that the "something new" he's up to is on his own terms, as he is "currently doing independent secret stuff."

Multerer not only led the design and direction of Microsoft's Xbox Live service starting in 2000, but also served as project manager and led the creation of XNA, the company's toolset that facilitates independent game development for its platforms. The longtime Microsoft designer's last position with the company was as director of development since 2011, designing the operating software of its latest home console, Xbox One.
[Image: Microsoft]

JoystiqXNA, Xbox Live founder leaves Microsoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Boyd-Multererdeparturekinectmicrosoftxboxxbox-oneTue, 30 Dec 2014 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, December 15 - 21: 2015 resolutions edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/stiq-figures-december-15-21-2015-resolutions-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/stiq-figures-december-15-21-2015-resolutions-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/stiq-figures-december-15-21-2015-resolutions-edition/#commentsWelcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter.
Now that we can count the remaining days of 2014 on one hand, you might hear an awful lot about New Year's resolutions over the coming days. Whether it's a completely new goal or something you committed to last year, changing up comfortable habits can be fun!

Fun or, in the case of my confessed achievement addiction in 2013, exceedingly necessary. I used to spend hours trying to clear achievement lists in their entirety, and unlike some of collectors who enjoy the hunt, I generally despised the effort. Thankfully, I've finally stopped caring - I don't even think to look at a game's remaining achievements before moving onto a new title, and the spared time has conveniently supported my second resolution from last year: To try more games I usually wouldn't go for.

This year, I intend to dig into the deeper cuts of the gaming series that I love. That means more handheld Castlevania and Zelda games, an introduction to the Mega Man X sub-series and plenty of oddball spinoffs like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. I'll also double down on my existing efforts to try out unfamiliar territory like The Witcher series and unique smaller games, too.

Which gaming resolutions will you commit to for 2015? Share your goals with us, right after you check this week's Japanese hardware sales after the break!

Continue reading Stiq Figures, December 15 - 21: 2015 resolutions edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, December 15 - 21: 2015 resolutions edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Dec 2014 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Japanese-Hardware-SalesJapaneseHardwareSalesstiq-figuresstiqfiguresMon, 29 Dec 2014 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Federal court dismisses Wiimote patent case against Nintendo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/24/federal-court-dismisses-wiimote-patent-case-against-nintendo/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/24/federal-court-dismisses-wiimote-patent-case-against-nintendo/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/24/federal-court-dismisses-wiimote-patent-case-against-nintendo/#comments Nintendo has prevailed in yet another patent lawsuit, this time against Texas company UltimatePointer LLC, regarding a case we first reported on in 2011. UltimatePointer asserted that Nintendo's Wiimote infringed on its patent for an "Easily Deployable Interactive Direct-Pointing System and Presentation Control System and Calibration Method Therefor." In a Seattle federal court, Judge Robert S. Lasnik ruled that the Wiimote does not infringe on UltimatePointer's patent and found that a number of the company's claims were invalid, meaning no trial is required.

Nintendo of America Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Richard Medway offered the following statement about the decision: "We are very pleased with these decisions, which confirmed Nintendo's position from the beginning - we do not, nor have we ever, infringed these patents. The result in this case, once again, demonstrates that Nintendo will continue to vigorously defend its innovations against patent lawsuits, even if it must do so in multiple courts and commit significant resources to defend itself. Nintendo continues to support reform efforts to reduce the unnecessary and inefficient burden patent cases like this one place on technology companies in the United States."

And now this one gets thrown in the "backlinks about Nintendo patent disputes" pile. Electronics company Philips recently won a dispute in the UK against Nintendo regarding the Wii and Wii U's use of a camera and motion-sensing technology. Nintendo plans to appeal the UK decision, and Philips has filed against Nintendo in the US as well.
[Image: Nintendo]

JoystiqFederal court dismisses Wiimote patent case against Nintendo originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lawsuitnintendopatentpatent-infringementultimatepointerwiiwii-uWed, 24 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Chinese game market rivals US]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/23/chinese-game-market-rivals-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/23/chinese-game-market-rivals-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/23/chinese-game-market-rivals-us/#commentstorn hundred dollar bill with... A report from the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association pegs the country's gaming revenues this year at about $18.5 billion, a 38 percent increase year-over-year, reports Xinhua. Mobile and social games saw the most dramatic increases to $4.4 billion (+145%) and $11.7 billion (+52.5%), respectively.

The NPD reported the US games market hit a total of $15.39 billion last year, with the report covering 2014 expected early next year. The US market saw a one percent increase between 2012 and 2013.

China is the great emerging market for the video game industry. The current Chinese sales really only cover PC and mobile, as the country only lifted its 14-year-ban on foreign consoles earlier this year. Microsoft has sold over 100,000 units of the Xbox One into the Chinese market, with Sony starting PlayStation 4 and Vita sales in the new year. Nintendo is also expected to enter China with devices targeted for the market.

[Image: Shutterstock]

JoystiqChinese game market rivals US originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinanpdunited-statesTue, 23 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, December 8 - 14: Biggest surprise in 2014 edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/22/stiq-figures-december-8-14-biggest-surprise-in-2014-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/22/stiq-figures-december-8-14-biggest-surprise-in-2014-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/22/stiq-figures-december-8-14-biggest-surprise-in-2014-edition/#commentsWelcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter.
A lot can happen in a year. Social media behemoths can snatch up rising tech companies, unlikely returns can happen simply because a CEO says so, and new, strong genre frontrunners can seemingly come out of nowhere. Sometimes the surprises we don't have the chance to hype ourselves for are the best parts of a year, and this week's Stiq Figures is all about celebrating 2014's personal out-of-left-field moments.

Personally, my biggest surprise was when Nintendo addressed my complaints at E3 by revealing Splatoon and Code Name: STEAM, two new, prominent franchises with fresh characters that wouldn't be stuck solely testing the waters of the eShop. As much as I enjoy Nintendo's existing roster, I've harbored a lingering hope in recent years that the developer would make a substantial effort with a blank slate. With two retail-sized debuts on the way within the first two quarters of 2015, I'm glad to have some fresh faces to look forward to in addition to a few reunions.

What caught you off guard this year? Was there a particular announcement that you weren't expecting, or was it a game you played that you didn't expect to love as much as you did? Let us know in the comments, right after you check this week's Japanese hardware sales after the break!

Note: As Media Create did not provide updated sales figures last week, this week's sales data is presented without comparison. We will return to the standard up/down format next week.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, December 8 - 14: Biggest surprise in 2014 edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, December 8 - 14: Biggest surprise in 2014 edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Dec 2014 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Japanese-Hardware-SalesJapaneseHardwareSalesstiq-figuresstiqfiguresMon, 22 Dec 2014 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[All but one of Sony's arguments against Killzone lawsuit dismissed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/20/all-but-one-of-sonys-arguments-against-killzone-lawsuit-dismiss/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/20/all-but-one-of-sonys-arguments-against-killzone-lawsuit-dismiss/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/20/all-but-one-of-sonys-arguments-against-killzone-lawsuit-dismiss/#comments
A federal judge has ruled that a class action lawsuit concerning the resolution of Killzone: Shadow Fall may proceed once the lead plaintiff files an amended complaint, according to a release from the US District Court. Lead Plaintiff Douglas Ladore's initial complaint, as reported in August by Courthouse News, alleges that Sony's claim of "razor-sharp 1080p native resolution" is false advertising, as Ladore claims Shadow Fall's multiplayer becomes "blurry to the point of distraction."

Shadow Fall developer Guerrilla Games released a statement addressing the game's resolution, explaining that a technique called "temporal reprojection" is used in multiplayer, which "combines pixels and motion vectros from multiple lower-resoultion frames to reconstruct a full 1080p image." The statement added, "If native means that every part of the pipeline is 1080p then this technique is not native."

In the recent ruling, US District Judge Edward Chen dismissed all but one of Sony's arguments - Chen agreed Ladore's negligent misrepresentation claim cannot stand in its current state, as Ladore did not present a non-economic loss (such as personal injury or property damage) suffered in relation to his purchase of Shadow Fall. However, Chen granted Ladore 30 days to file an amended complaint, in case he can "sufficiently allege that he or other putative class members suffered such non-economic damages."
[Image: Sony]

JoystiqAll but one of Sony's arguments against Killzone lawsuit dismissed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>killzonekillzone-shadow-falllawsuitplaystationps4resolutionSat, 20 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shadowrun Returns to Kickstarter in January 2015]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/shadowrun-returns-to-kickstarter-in-january-2015/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/shadowrun-returns-to-kickstarter-in-january-2015/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/shadowrun-returns-to-kickstarter-in-january-2015/#comments A recent addition to the two-year-old Shadowrun Returns Kickstarter page reveals that developer Harebrained Schemes will return to crowdfunding in January 2015, though the reasons why aren't entirely clear.

The image above is the entirety of the update. That pseudo-shamanic green dragon symbol is the de facto logo for Shadowrun Returns, suggesting that Harebrained Schemes is seeking money to develop additional content for a game we described as a loving, cyberpunk homage to the roleplaying games of the 1990s. Whether this new content might be a second expansion (a la Dragonfall) or even a sequel is unknown.

While Harebrained Schemes' first stab at crowdfunding went very well - the developer was seeking $400,000 and attracted over $1.8 million - that was two years ago. Since that time Kickstarter and sites like it have been flooded by developers seeking money. As we pointed out earlier this year, this glut (not to mention reports of Kickstarter scams) has decreased the amount of money available via crowdfunding. The success of Shadowrun Returns will no doubt bolster Harebrained Schemes' fundraising attempt, but it seems unlikely that the developer will again draw more than four times its goal.
[Image: Kickstarter/Harebrained Schemes]

JoystiqShadowrun Returns to Kickstarter in January 2015 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CrowdFundingharebrained-schemeskickstartermacpcshadowrun-returnsFri, 19 Dec 2014 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony: PS4 demand is challenging European supply]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/sony-ps4-demand-is-challenging-european-supply/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/sony-ps4-demand-is-challenging-european-supply/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/sony-ps4-demand-is-challenging-european-supply/#comments The PlayStation 4 is in high demand for the second holiday season in a row, according to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO Andrew House. Without offering specific sales numbers, House told Reuters that the console is potentially "going to be quite inventory challenged." Shipments for the PS4 reached 13.5 million consoles as of the end of October.

"I'm not going to say you won't be able to find a PlayStation 4," House added. "I think it's going to be kind of hand to mouth in terms of that market." The CEO noted that sales for the system in December were in line with Sony's projections, though it was a "tougher" month thanks to the $50 holiday price cut by its main competitor in the United States, Microsoft's Xbox One. While its gaming division is thriving, Sony upped its loss forecast to $2 billion in September due to struggling smartphone sales and opted to not renew its FIFA sponsorship at the beginning of this month to spend more money on structural reforms.
[Image: Sony]

JoystiqSony: PS4 demand is challenging European supply originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Andrew-Houseconsoledemandeuropeplaystationps4salessceeSony-Computer-Entertainment-Europesupplysupply-and-demandFri, 19 Dec 2014 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Investors plug $6 million into Majesco]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/investors-plug-6-million-into-majesco/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/investors-plug-6-million-into-majesco/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/investors-plug-6-million-into-majesco/#comments Majesco Entertainment completed an investment round that resulted in $6 million in funding, the Cooking Mama publisher announced today. $1 million of the funds were issued to the company with the rest stashed in escrow until certain, as-yet-unknown conditions are met by Majesco. The company also appointed two people to its boards of directors to replace two that stepped down, one of whom is Jesse Sutton, who will remain Majesco's CEO after resigning from the company's board.

SEC filings in November admitted that Majesco "suffered losses that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern." It reported a 27.2 percent drop year-over-year in net revenue in September, as well as net losses of $2.7 million. As a result, Majesco laid off several staff in October to reduce fixed costs. The company also noted last month that it is "currently not developing any significant new games for release in fiscal 2015," which ends on October 31, 2015.
[Image: Majesco]

JoystiqInvestors plug $6 million into Majesco originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2014 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningsfinancialsfundinginvestmentinvestorsJesse-SuttonlossesMajescoMajesco-Entertainmentmajesco-gamesprofitspublisherpublishingThu, 18 Dec 2014 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Veteran producer Tak Fujii departs Konami]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/17/veteran-producer-tak-fujii-departs-konami/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/17/veteran-producer-tak-fujii-departs-konami/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/17/veteran-producer-tak-fujii-departs-konami/#comments Veteran producer Tak Fujii announced his departure from Konami today following a "great 20 years of creation." Fujii revealed the career move via Twitter, giving thanks to "all who supported, loved my titles." Fujii's time with Konami began in 1997, serving as audio director for 11 years with the publisher.

Fujii worked on a number of games with Konami, including the Pro Evolution Soccer series, Q-Entertainment's Ninety-Nine Nights 2, the PS3 port of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise and Volition's Darksiders, which Konami published in Japan. As for Fujii's future, the producer added that he "will be freelance for a while." Of course, Fujii may be best known for providing an interesting presentation at E3 2010, about which he also tweeted, "don't think that was the best of me."
[Image: Konami]

JoystiqVeteran producer Tak Fujii departs Konami originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>departurekonamiKonami-Computer-Entertainment-Japanninety-nine-nights-2no-more-heroes-heroes-paradiseproducertak-fujiiWed, 17 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Humble Bundle milestones: $50M to charity, $100M to devs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/humble-bundle-milestones-50m-to-charity-100m-to-devs/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/humble-bundle-milestones-50m-to-charity-100m-to-devs/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/humble-bundle-milestones-50m-to-charity-100m-to-devs/#comments Humble Bundle has raised more than $50 million for charity since launching its first sale in May 2010 - the Humble Indie Bundle, as it was called back then. That bundle introduced the idea of "pay what you want" pricing and offered customers power over the allocation of their payments, plus the chance to do something good for charity. Specifically for that first promotion, it was the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Child's Play Charity.

"When my co-founder Jeff [Rosen] first contacted the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Child's Play for our first promotion, no one knew who we were," Humble co-founder John Graham tells Joystiq. "After pitching the confusing idea, in probably too much detail, he was cut off: 'So let me get this straight, you are basically asking if you can give us money? Sure!'"

Humble Bundle now supports a roster of more than 50 charitable organizations and has expanded with weekly bundles, ebook bundles, mobile bundles and the Humble Store, which by itself raised $1 million for charity by June 2014. That very first Humble Bundle raised roughly $400,000 for charity - $200,000 each for EFF and Child's Play - at the time an "incomprehensible" amount to John Graham.

"It produced a lot of pressure to keep going," he says. "Our potential to raise another $400,000 for charity felt like a moral obligation. Raising more than two orders of magnitude beyond that goal was not something we ever considered."

Continue reading Humble Bundle milestones: $50M to charity, $100M to devs

JoystiqHumble Bundle milestones: $50M to charity, $100M to devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Dec 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ablegamerscharitychilds-playeffelectronic-frontier-foundationhumble-bundlehumble-indie-bundlehumble-storehumble-weekly-salejeffrey-rosenjohn-grahamTue, 16 Dec 2014 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft follows Chinese PS4 reveal with Xbox One price cut]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/microsoft-follows-chinese-ps4-reveal-with-xbox-one-price-cut/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/microsoft-follows-chinese-ps4-reveal-with-xbox-one-price-cut/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/microsoft-follows-chinese-ps4-reveal-with-xbox-one-price-cut/#comments Following Sony's announcement that the PlayStation 4 will soon launch in China, Microsoft has dropped prices on Xbox One consoles in the region. According to the gaming arm of Chinese news outlet Sina (via Kotaku translation), both the Xbox One with Kinect and the a la carte version of the console have been discounted by 500 RMB (about $80), to 3,799 RMB ($613) and 3,199 RMB ($517), respectively.

Despite these price drops, neither version of the Xbox One is as inexpensive as the PlayStation 4 will be when it reaches China on January 11 at a price of 2,899 RMB ($468). Both versions of the Chinese Xbox One include two free games, while Sony has made no mention of any games bundled with its console.
[Image: Microsoft]

JoystiqMicrosoft follows Chinese PS4 reveal with Xbox One price cut originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinadiscountmicrosoftprice-dropxbox-oneMon, 15 Dec 2014 14:30:00 EST