Explore Future Technology: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Michael Pachter: "presto un'impennata dei prezzi dei giochi fino a 120$"

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Nella più recente puntata della rubrica "Pach Attack" l'analista Michael Pachter di Wedbush Morgan ha presentato un rapporto piuttosto inquietante sul futuro dei videogiochi, sostenendo che entro un paio d'anni i prezzi dei titoli "AAA" potrebbero arrivare a oltre 100 dollari americani:

«L'industria è in pessime condizioni di salute, la situazione sta diventando insostenibile. I costi di sviluppo sono sempre più alti, i guadagni dalle microtransazioni sono in calo, i marketplace non riescono a generare introiti, gli Online Pass sono una goccia in mezzo al mare. E la pirateria non aiuta di certo. Sappiamo da fonti sicure che i più grossi esponenti dell'industria si stanno accordando per alzare il prezzo dei giochi più importanti fino a 100-120$ a copia. Il cambiamento dovrebbe cominciare a partire dai prossimi mesi per poi arrivare gradualmente alla cifra piena entro dicembre 2012»

È forse questa la sciagura di cui parlavano i Maya secoli fa? Le date, dopotutto, coincidono. Pachter poi prosegue, non sembrando affatto intenzionato ad addolcire la pillola:

«È quel che l'industria deve fare se vuole sopravvivere, non ci sono alternative. Per quanto riguarda me, nessun problema: guadagno più di 300.000 dollari all'anno, ho una Porsche e una villa al mare. E poi i giochi me li passano gratis, quindi al massimo posso dispiacermi per voi»

Tempo fa anche Danny Bilson di THQ aveva avvertito su possibili aumenti vertiginosi dei prezzi, in riferimento a un'ipotetica nuova generazione di console. Ma la cosa che ci lascia più basiti è che i Maya sapevano già tutto.

Michael Pachter: "presto un'impennata dei prezzi dei giochi fino a 120$" é stato pubblicato su gamesblog alle 07:10 di venerdì 01 aprile 2011.

David 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.gamesblog.it/post/24266/michael-pachter-presto-unimpennata-dei-prezzi-dei-giochi-fino-a-120
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PilotWings Resort Review

Will this launch title be able to help the 3DS's release soar up in the skies? Related posts:

Luis Illingworth 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2011/video-games/pilotwings-resort-review/
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FrontierVille Designer Q&A offers hints for future features

Filed under: FrontierVille

Earlier this week, we told you that some of the designers behind FrontierVille were going to be answering user questions via the game's official forums. The Q&A fan session is now over, and we learned one or two things from the designers as to what to expect in the future. Here's a quick rundown:

First, the designers officially acknowledged the change in the Oregon Trail sign, saying that "My hope was to make the signs both more visually compelling, and less space-intensive!" Unfortunately, any info about when the Oregon Trail itself will launch is still unknown.

We also learned that Dogs will have a larger part on your land in the future, and apparently it has to do with the removal of critters. This came in a user's question about lowering the amount of whacks it takes to remove a Snake or Groundhog, so perhaps our old dog will work to remove them instantly?

Meet us behind the break for more on this designer Q&A.
Here's are two other brief things we've learned

- The team has apparently been thinking about how rivers can be added to the game, although no official plans have apparently been set.
- Skunks will likely be coming to the game at some point, as multiple members of the team discussed how much they would like to see them, either as a Mystery Animal, a Varmint, or otherwise.

So, all in all, no groundbreaking revelations to be found here, but I suppose it is nice to see, from multiple members on the team, that the Oregon Trail and other expansions are actively being worked on, with one even going so far as to say "soon" in terms of the first one's release.

We'll make sure to let you know if Zynga holds another similar event, even if it's for another game, and we'll let you know if and when any of these features officially launch in the game.

Did you have your question answered via the Q&A session? Let us know what you think of these small announcements in the comments.

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Brandy Shaul 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/frontierville-designer-qanda-offers-hints-for-future-features/
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Applifier opens game discovery portal on Facebook

Filed under: Other Games

Back in the fall of 2010, Applifier became one of the best ways for developers to increase their user numbers via a bar that could be installed on top of a Facebook game, increasing exposure to players of other games. That is, as players enjoyed MMA Pro Fighter, as one example, they would be able to see links to other games that also use the Applifier bar as a way to cross-promote.

Now, though, you need not be relegated to finding new games just through this bar, as a new "Games on Applifier" portal has launched on Facebook itself. This new application must be installed as any other app on your account, and can be used to discover some of the hundreds or even thousands of Facebook games that are otherwise overshadowed by the big names in the industry (ie: Zynga).
The app, which also goes by the name "Play with Friends!" shows you a constantly updating list of apps that are currently being played, along with some of the hottest games in the system. The biggest draw here however seems to be the "For You" section, which has you filling out your gender and your age, only to be shown a list of applications which are recommended for you based on the age groups and genders of other players who play those games. For a 25 year old female, for instance, you might be told to try SuperFun Town, Baking Life or Cooking Mama. A bit stereotypical, yes, but you never know - you might find your next favorite game via this app, when you otherwise would have never known it existed.

To find some of the games that Applifier thinks you should be playing, check out the Play with Friends app on Facebook.

Have you found any great apps via the new Applifier portal? Let us know in the comments.

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Brandy Shaul 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/applifier-opens-game-discovery-portal-on-facebook/
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Cafe World OK Karaoke Catering Order: Everything you need to know

Filed under: Cafe World

While you're not busy cooking dishes for the new Supreme Cuisine event in Cafe World, why not save a few stoves for the game's newest catering order: OK Karaoke. This catering order sees you "grabbing the mic" and catering a party at Klub Karaoke, with an animated Karaoke Machine being available as the ultimate prize, along with varying amounts of Cafe Points and coins, as usual.

Meet us behind the break for a full look at this six-part catering mission, which you'll have five days to complete with friends for the big prizes.

OK Karaoke sees you cooking three dishes: Sushi Spread (a 20 hour dish) 160 times, Atomic Buffalo Wings (a 3 hour dish) 150 times, and Ice Cream Sundaes (an 18 hour dish) 175 times. While the Atomic Buffalo Wings dish doesn't take too terribly long the prepare, your stoves will be tied up for a long time on the other two missions, so you'll want to make sure to start cooking a batch of these dishes before you ever actually activate the catering order on your account to get a head start.

While you're cooking this slew of dishes, you can also ask your friends for the order's 21 collectible items. You'll be able to send out individual gift requests asking for 9 CDs, 6 Song Lists, and 6 Microphones.

All told, you can have a total catering crew of 14 people, including yourself. If you and your crew can complete this order in less than five days, you'll earn the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 150,000 coins, and the Karaoke Machine decorative item.

If you can finish within the first week, but after the first five days, you'll receive two-stars, 8 Catering Points, 4,500 Cafe Points, and 100,000 coins, while finishing at any point after the first week grants you a single star, 4 Catering Points, 2,700 Cafe Points, and 60,000 coins.

It would be understandable if this mission doesn't come off as desirable as the others released in the past, not only because of the lengthy cooking times of two of the dishes, but because the prize is a decorative item rather than a recipe that can only be unlocked by completing it. Still, if you have a group of friends already tackling this order, it probably wouldn't hurt to jump in and see if you can complete it in time.

What do you think of this OK Karaoke Catering Order? Let us know in the comments.

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Brandy Shaul 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/cafe-world-ok-karaoke-catering-order-everything-you-need-to-kno/
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Amy: nuova video-dimostrazione (cam)

Gli sviluppatori francesi di VectorCell capitanati dal designer Paul Cuisset (Moto Racer e Flashback) ci regalano una nuova, o meglio, la prima dimostrazione filmata di Amy, il survival horror annunciato all'inizio del mese scorso e previsto in uscita per il secondo quarto del 2011 in esclusiva su PS3 e solo in formato digitale.

Ambientato a Silver City nel dicembre del 2034, Amy ha per protagonista una giovane ragazza (Lana) che cercherà in tutti i modi di scappare dalla cittadina divenuta un vero e proprio inferno per la caduta di un meteorite portatore di un virus in grado di trasformare le persone in esseri deformi.

Il video in questione, lo stesso che campeggia ad inizio articolo, mostra delle ambientazioni claustrofobiche "alla Silent Hill" e ci permette di osservare per la prima volta la bambina autistica di otto anni che, con i suoi misteriosi poteri, ci aiuterà a trovare di volta in volta la via di fuga più sicura attraverso il raggiungimento di determinati compiti e la soluzione di enigmi e puzzle di varia natura.

Amy: nuova video-dimostrazione (cam) é stato pubblicato su gamesblog alle 02:10 di venerdì 01 aprile 2011.

Michele 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.gamesblog.it/post/24274/amy-nuova-video-dimostrazione-cam
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Cafe World Supreme Cuisine Goals: Everything you need to know

Filed under: Cafe World

The Supreme Cuisine event has officially launched in Cafe World, allowing you to choose between either Chef Piero's hearty Italian dishes, or classic French chef Raquel. Before you can really get into the meat of this event, which sees you cooking special limited time dishes for one side or the other, you'll need to complete a series of goals in the game. The first goal is called Qualify First, and it appears as though these goals are the same regardless of if you choose Italian or French as your own cuisine type.

Qualify First has three tasks:

Serve 10 French Onion Soup
Serve 5 Tony's Classic Pizza
Get 6 Supreme Cuisine Chef Coats

The Chef Coats can be earned by asking your friends to send you the item via individual gift requests. While you're waiting for them to arrive, you can wait for your dishes to cook. French Onion Soup takes four hours to prepare, while Tony's Classic Pizza is ready after five hours.
The second mission continues the qualification process in a goal called "Keep at it!," which asks you to cook two more dishes and acquire another piece of your chef's outfit.

Serve 10 Eggs Benedict
Serve 5 Spaghetti and Meatballs
Get 9 Supreme Cuisine Chef Pants

Eggs Benedict cooks in six hours, while Spaghetti and Meatballs takes longer, at eight hours. You'll need to send individual gift requests to your friends to earn the nine Chef Pants, or you can pay Cafe Cash to skip the task entirely.

After these goals, you'll be able to get into the rest of this event, which will see you cooking two limited edition recipes for your particular side in the competition. Each dish you cook earns you points, and you'll be able to earn trophies for participating throughout the entire span of the event.

Remember, you can track the game's virtual "participants" on Twitter, so it looks like Zynga is really hoping to turn this into a large, far-reaching event - or at least something more important than a traditional goal series. We'll make sure to give you more details on this new event as we have them, so keep checking back!

What do you think of the Supreme Cuisine event in Cafe World? Which side will you take? Let us know in the comments.

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Brandy Shaul 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/cafe-world-supreme-cuisine-goals-everything-you-need-to-know/
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Developer scores will not be returning to Metacritic

Hey, remember when Metarcritic had that system to give game developers ratings? Yeah, that lasted about as long as most of my relationships. After facing sharp criticism, Metacritic pulled scores for individual game developers shortly after unveiling them on their site. Now, Metacritic has officially announced in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz that it would not be bringing back the scores at all.

“We have no plans to bring it back,” co-founder and games editor at Metacritic, Marc Doyle stated bluntly.

He explained the reasoning behind the change: not every game by every developer was counted. This was due largely in part to incomplete record-keeping of who worked on what in the games industry. “I think that is an issue, of the industry not needing or not wanting to put that information out there,” said Doyle. “If they’ve worked on 30 games and we can only show four and then we take on this score, which is really just an average of those games in our database for them, then that’s not fair.”

I guess if you want to see a grudge match between Cliff Bleszinski and Hideo Kojima, you’ll just have to continue reading your eerily specific fan fiction.

Warren Buchanan 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/03/31/developer-scores-will-not-be-returning-to-metacritic/
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FrontierVille April Fools Collection available for one month only

Filed under: FrontierVille

Just like the St. Patrick's Day collection in FrontierVille, which contains collectible items that can be found by completing all manner of tasks on your Homestead, from feeding animals to harvesting crops and trees, a new collection has launched that will celebrate the month of April. This new collection is called the April Fools Collection, and it asks you collect five "prank" items around your land.

Snake in a Can
Fake Vomit
Finger Trap
Dribble Glass
Itching Powder

Once you complete this collection (which, if it's anything like the St. Patrick's Day collection, you'll be doing many, many times over), you'll be able to turn it in for 200 XP and a Cactus. Even if you didn't need the Cactus, the 200 XP is nothing to scoff at, making this arguably a much more valuable collection than most of those that have come before.

It's presumable that you'll be able to turn in this collection after April itself has passed, but the items themselves will apparently only be available as drops during that time frame. Play fast and play a lot to make sure you earn as many free experience points as you can, while you can.

What do you think of the items in this April Fools Collection? Will you play any virtual pranks on your neighbors? Let us know in the comments.

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Brandy Shaul 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/frontierville-april-fools-collection-available-for-one-month-onl/
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Sony Online Entertainment: chiusi 3 studi interni - cancellato The Agency

Le alte sfere di Sony Online Entertainment, divisione del colosso giapponese dedita allo sviluppo di videogiochi online (MMO) per PC e piattaforme PlayStation, spinte dalla reazione degli appassionati alle indiscrezioni trapelate in queste ore sulle pagine di Kotaku hanno ufficializzato la chiusura di tre studi interni (nella fattispecie, quelli di Tucson, Seattle e Denver) e il licenziamento di 205 dipendenti.

La decisione, secondo quanto dichiarato dai SOE, sarebbe stata dettata dalla necessità impellente di contenere i costi di gestione dei propri studi: oltre alla chiusura delle tre sedi distaccate statunitensi, questa scelta va a riverberarsi negativamente sulle sorti già precarie del progetto di The Agency che, così facendo, chiude definitivamente i battenti per consentire agli sviluppatori di occuparsi di altri giochi di ruolo online legati ai franchise di PlanetSide ed EverQuest.

The Agency sarebbe dovuto essere uno sparatutto in terza e prima persona esclusivamente orientato al gioco in Rete, caratterizzato da uno stile grafico simil-cartoonesco, da un mondo persistente online completamente esplorabile e da una linea narrativa con un forte accento "spionistico".

The Agency: galleria immagini

Sony Online Entertainment: chiusi 3 studi interni - cancellato The Agency é stato pubblicato su gamesblog alle 01:55 di venerdì 01 aprile 2011.

Michele 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.gamesblog.it/post/24273/sony-online-entertainment-chiusi-3-studi-interni-cancellato-the-agency
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FrontierVille April Missions: Everything you need to know

Filed under: FrontierVille

To celebrate the beginning of April tomorrow, Zynga has launched a five-part mission series in FrontierVille called simply the "April Missions." Each mission has something to do with a task normally undertaken during the month in the real world, such as April Fools' Day, tax season, and so on.

To start, the first missions of five is called "April Fools," and it asks you to collect a single item from the new April Fools collection, along with completing two other tasks.

Have 500 Wood
Collect one Snake in a Can
Tend 30 Neighbors' Oxen

To collect this Snake in a Can, all you'll need to do is complete tasks around your Homestead, as they will drop at random throughout the entire month of April (and presumably the rest of this evening as well). Your rewards for completing this first mission aren't a joke - 500 XP and 1 Tool Box, which contains a handful of valuable building items for use on your Homestead.
Part II of V takes us to Tax Time, as you'll need to collect some of those dreaded tax forms from your friends.

Have 1040 coins
Collect 10 Tax Forms
Visit 15 Neighbors

Luckily, you'll be able to earn quite a few coins from your Daily Bonus for visiting neighbors, and most users should be able to spare 1040 (Get it? Taxes? 1040?) without really feeling a pinch. Completing this second missions gives you 500 XP and a Minibar, which was an item released during the New Years theme.

Part III of V celebrates Earth Day, and has tasks to match.

Plant 20 Fruit Trees
Harvest 30 Flax
Collect 10 Bags of Compost

Remember to check your inventory to make sure you don't have some extra trees on hand before purchasing them from the store. Meanwhile, you can ask your friends to send you the 10 Bags of Compost while you're waiting the eight hours for the Flax to grow. Finishing this third missions gives you 500 XP and a Rock Bonsai. This decorative item was first available in the Rock theme back in November for coins, so feel free to sell this second one, if you already bought one the first time around.

Part IV of V is created in honor of Take Your Child to Work Day, and asks you to complete tasks around your Homestead using your in-game children.

Feed 10 Cows with your Child
Chop 10 Trees with your Child
Collect 5 Building Bonuses with your Child

Remember, doing this is as simple as clicking on a child to activate them as your primary character and then working as normal. It doesn't matter if the same child completes all tasks, or if you split between multiple children, so if you haven't had a second or even third child in the game yet, don't worry. For finishing this mission, you'll receive 500 XP and 1 Workbench, which is otherwise available to purchase for 10,000 coins in the store.

Finally, Part V of V takes us to Arbor Day, with two tasks dedicated to trees.

Clear 10 Debris
Tend 20 Fruit Trees
Tend 20 Neighbor Fruit Trees

It doesn't matter what kind of Debris, or what kinds of Fruit Trees you tend, so these should be really easy tasks to complete for most neighbors. Finishing this final mission gives you 500 XP and a Red Rose Arbor, the prize that's received for turning in the Red Roses crop Collection.

All in all, the reward items are fairly disappointing for this mission series, but the XP you'll earn, along with the ease of most of these tasks makes up for it. These missions are apparently already available to most users, rather than taking a long time via a slow roll-out, so make sure to start them soon to celebrate the launch of April with the rest of the FrontierVille universe.

What do you think of these April-themed missions? Is there any one "holiday" that you like more than the rest? Let us know in the comments.

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Brandy Shaul 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/frontierville-april-missions-everything-you-need-to-know/
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BloodRayne: Betrayal announced for XBL, PSN

Vampire franchise BloodRayne is making a return, albeit in one less dimension; Majesco’s announced that BloodRayne: Betrayal, a Wayforward Technologies-developed side-scroller for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, is expected to arrive sometime this summer.

The new hack 'n slash adventure teams Rayne up with “a mysterious new friend to stop an evil vampire massacre,” which, while not confirmed, sounds very cooperative’y.

Stylish 2D side-scrolling action is promised, though the briefest of teasers, above, doesn’t reveal much on what to expect.

Rain Anderson 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/03/31/bloodrayne-betrayal-announced-for-xbl-psn/
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Fun Da Vinci Walkthrough

This walkthrough is for the game Fun Da Vinci.

Levels 1-15:

Levels 16-28:

Games for today:

1. Elephant Quest — Get your hat back from the Mammoth

2. Steel Curse — Fun RPG fighting game

admin 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.fncgamesblog.com/2011/03/31/fun-da-vinci-walkthrough
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GameStop: 153 milioni di console in Europa

Vi siete sempre chiesti quante siano le console in giro per le case europee? Se la risposta è sì, molto probabilmente non avete comunque avuto modo di saperlo visto che non tutti hanno i mezzi per fare una ricerca del genere. Mezzi che sicuramente non mancano a GameStop e IDG, che hanno pubblicato i risultati di una ricerca effettuata nel nostro continente. In Europa ci sarebbero, a dicembre 2010, un totale di 153 milioni di console, delle quali 114 milioni di "next-gen" (anche se ormai forse dovremmo dire "current-gen").

Questi i dati nel dettaglio, ordinati per quantità:

1) 46 milioni - Nintendo DS
2) 24,9 milioni - Nintendo Wii
3) 14,8 milioni - PSP
4) 14,7 milioni - PlayStation 3
5) 13,7 milioni Xbox 360

Numeri che in realtà non rivelano nulla in più di quanto già non sapessimo: lo strapotere di Nintendo con l'accoppiata DS-Wii, in grado di vendere per mesi e mesi con una marcia in più rispetto alla concorrenza, seguita dalla portatile PSP e dalle due acerrime rivali PS3 e X360. Praticamente appaiate le due console casalinghe Sony e Microsoft, anche se per la prima il milione di vantaggio è comunque motivo di vanto, visto che anche in Europa è arrivata in ritardo rispetto alla seconda.

Via | MCV

GameStop: 153 milioni di console in Europa é stato pubblicato su gamesblog alle 00:40 di venerdì 01 aprile 2011.

David 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.gamesblog.it/post/24268/gamestop-153-milioni-di-console-in-europa
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Rein: iPad could run Samaritan in a few years

Should Apple continue improving on iPad’s processing and graphical capabilities at the rate demonstrated with the just-released iPad 2, the tablet could in only a few year’s time be at a point where it could handle the impressive looking DX11 demo Epic Games showed off at GDC earlier in the year.

While the Samaritan footage (see here) is mainly targeting hardware manufacturers — it’s said to be Epic’s “love letter” to them — Epic’s vice president Mark Rein believes the Apple device may be in a position to make use of the tech in the not-too-distant future as well.

“If Apple continues on this scale,” Rein told Develop in a recent chat, “they'll have a device that can run this [points to Unreal Engine DX11 demo] in a couple of years.”

Wouldn’t that be something.

For now though, it’s a message to console creators first and foremost; “We're telling them that this is the big leap that we think justifies that new piece of hardware you're going to build, and we're telling them that this is what we need next-gen consoles to be capable of, because we can't build a more powerful PC than the one that's running the DX11 demo!”

Rain Anderson 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/03/31/rein-ipad-could-run-samaritan-in-a-few-years/
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Saints Row: The Third - trailer di debutto con scene di gioco

Saints Row: The Third - primo video di gioco

Come per le recenti scansioni di Saints Row: The Third, il team di sviluppo Volition ha scelto le pagine di Game Informer per offrire del nuovo materiale riguardante il gioco d'azione, attualmente previsto per fine 2011 su PC, PlayStation 3 e Xbox 360.

Si tratta stavolta di un trailer di debutto contenente addirittura scene di gioco: esatto avete capito bene, si tratta del primo filmato in assoluto contenente scene tratte direttamente da quello che sarà la versione finale di Saints Row: The Third. Il video è visibile direttamente sul sito di Game Informer che ha l'esclusiva di questo colpo nelle parti basse. Vedere per credere.

PS: ovviamente il video possiamo interpretarlo come un mezzo pesce d'aprile :)

Saints Row: The Third - trailer di debutto con scene di gioco é stato pubblicato su gamesblog alle 00:01 di venerdì 01 aprile 2011.

Rosario 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.gamesblog.it/post/24270/saints-row-the-third-trailer-di-debutto-con-scene-di-gioco
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The Darkness II gets developer diary

2K’s The Darkness II has received its first developer video. Watch above as faces from Digital Extremes explain what the sequel’s all about and what changes to expect over the first game. No gameplay in there sadly, just some screenshots to break up the chatter.

The game’s out this fall for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. No dates just yet.

Rain Anderson 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/03/31/the-darkness-ii-gets-developer-diary/
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EA fields MLB Facebook game, World Series Superstars

Filed under: Other Games

Admittedly, you could have seen this one coming from a mile away. EA has launched its fourth sports game on Facebook, World Series Superstars, a pro baseball social game, Gamasutra reports. And according to CNBC, it's the company's first baseball game in six years thanks to Take Two Interactive owning the rights to MLB-based games since 2005. However, that agreement did not cover Facebook games, and how could it have? The genre has only been around for three years at most. Very sneaky, EA.

Regardless, the game was developed by the company's social gaming arm, Playfish, as was Madden NFL Superstars and FIFA Superstars before it, which are home to 1.5 million and 3.5 million monthly players respectively, according to Gamasutra. World Series Superstars allows players to create their own dream team and compete in a single-player league as well as with their Facebook friends. Through successful games, players can increase their team's strengths and deck out their stadiums. And considering everyone is just about back from Clearwater at this point, EA could not have better timing.

Have you tried World Series Superstars on Facebook yet? How do you think this game will fare compared to previous sports games on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Joe Osborne 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/ea-mlb-facebook-game-world-series-superstars/
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Rare has only used “10-15%” of Kinect’s power

Remember that tale about how we only use 8% of our brains? Imagine if you could use the full power of your brain, they’d say (and apply that concept to a movie starring Bradley Cooper). Well, imagine that your brain is a Kinect. Rare, who recently won a BAFTA award for Kinect Sports, recently sat down for a talk in London where software director Rick Burton said that they have only taken advantage of “10 to 15 percent” of Kinect’s potential so far.

Imagine what Rare could do with 30, heck maybe even 40 percent. Burton believes the possibilities with the tech are “virtually limitless” and that the company would take more advantage of the device’s features such as 3D infrared depth reading and voice recognition on future projects. “Imagine sitting in your living room and saying: ‘Kinect, entertain me.’ That’s where we’re going,” he finished.

Next project on the list for Rare: Kinect Court Jester.

Warren Buchanan 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/03/31/rare-has-only-used-10-15-of-kinects-power/
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Cafe World Supreme Cuisine Event: Choose a side, cook its delicacies

Filed under: Cafe World

A major event, Zynga's "Iron Chef," if you will, is about to begin in Cafe World. It's called Supreme Cuisine, and it will pit diametrically opposed, cultural culinary traditions against one another in a massive cook-off. The event will be organized into an elimination round-style tournament with the winner crowned the world's Supreme Cuisine. According to the video, players will have to choose between either Hearty Italian chef Piero and Classic French chef Raquel (you can even follow their progress on Twitter) in the first round of this competition. As players cook limited edition recipes from the culinary school of their choosing, they can earn new recipes and collectible trophies. It's unknown exactly when this event will release, though I can bet that it will be a slow roll-out. We're done fueling the hype, so let the above video do the rest.

Have you seen this feature appear in your Cafe World yet? Which side would you choose in the first round? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Joe Osborne 01 Apr, 2011

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Source: http://blog.games.com/2011/03/31/cafe-world-supreme-cuisine/
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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tribeca Film Festival selects its first ever videogame: L.A. Noire

It’s a tear jerking moment for our industry; L.A. Noire is being honored as an Official Selection at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. It’s the first ever videogame to achieve such recognition.

The game itself will be on display at this year’s festival, with an exclusive presentation taking place on April 25. It will take a look at the making of the title, which was obviously recognised for its devotion to creating a life-like noir setting and story.

Geoff Gilmore, Tribeca Enterprises' Chief Creative Officer said: "What Rockstar and Team Bondi have accomplished with L.A. Noire is nothing less than groundbreaking. It's an invention of a new realm of storytelling that is part cinema, part gaming, and a whole new realm of narrative expression, interactivity, and immersion. We are poised on the edge of a new frontier."

Congrats to L.A. Noire, we can’t wait to get our hands on it in mid-May.

Jamie Feltham 31 Mar, 2011

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Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/03/30/tribeca-film-festival-selects-its-first-ever-videogame-l-a-noire/
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Insomniac Games song (pin)Ballz comes to Rock Band Network

Hey everyone, Do you remember our infamous recruiting music video called pin(Ballz)? It featured our very own Chris Stathis singing a new song about how awesome it is to work here. If you have forgotten it, or never saw it, check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q86tZxuWngo&feature=related Thanks to uber-fan Colin Lenzen, we now have the track authored in Rock Band Network. Colin worked tirelessly to create the Rock Band tracks from our original stems. We're hooking sir Colin up with an epic swag pack with various items from Community Day and a few other speical items. The track is currently in testing, and clicking the youtube link below will let you see a preview. When it releases, it'll be 99 cents, and Insomniac's portion of those proceeds will go directly to Child's Play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxPZn9KHnu4&feature=channel_video_title We hope you're excited to play this fan-favorite song in Rock Band, and also support Child's Play! -IG

30 Mar, 2011

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Source: http://www.insomniacgames.com/blogcast/blog/insomniac_insider/152570977
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Battlefield 3 wages a 12-hour war

Battlefield 3 doesn’t only boast top of the range visuals and audio, it’s apparently got the length to match too.

In an interview with Games.on.net, DICE GM Karl-Magnus Troedsson commented on the game having a 12-hour single-player campaign. He said: “Naturally we want to introduce more people to our franchise. A lot of people don’t want to jump straight into multiplayer. They want to feel around a bit and they’re ready to move over to online.

“The hardcore online people, they don’t care, they’re just straight in. Maybe they don’t even touch the campaign. But we want to get more people in, invite more people into the franchise. That’s one of the main reasons why we have this different part of the game.”

If the campaign really does prove to be 12 hours long, will it be able to keep players engaged all the way through? It’s a challenge that many games have avoided by having dramatically shorter campaigns in recent years (looking at you, Black Ops), let’s hope BF3 shows them up.

Jamie Feltham 31 Mar, 2011

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Source: http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/03/30/battlefield-3-wages-a-12-hour-war/
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