An exclusive gaming industry community targeted
to, and designed for Professionals, Businesses
and Students in the sectors and industries
of Gaming, New Media and the Web, all closely
related with it's Business and Industry.
A Rich content driven service including articles,
contributed discussion, news, reviews, networking, downloads,
and debate.
We strive to cater for cultural influencers,
technology decision makers, early adopters and business leaders in the gaming industry.
A medium to share your or contribute your ideas,
experiences, questions and point of view or network
with other colleagues here at iVirtua Community.
We are looking for home based call center agents from US,<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>,<st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>,<st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region> to work on an excellent outbound pay for performance campaign. Very good payout. Interested can send a mail to nan@atworldsolutions.com immediately. There are only 20 openings at present.
We are looking for home based call center agents from US,<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>,<st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>,<st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region> to work on an excellent outbound pay for performance campaign. Very good payout. Interested can send a mail to nan@atworldsolutions.com immediately. There are only 20 openings at present.
Apple today annoiunced FaceTime: iPhone 4 to iPhone 4, anywhere there’s WiFi, zero setup, front or rear camera, amazing video and audio quality. It’s based on a lot of standards, and we’re going to take it all the way… we’re going to make FaceTime an open industry standard.”
We call this FaceTime — video calling. It’s… it’s great. It’s iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 anywhere there is WiFi, and there is no setup required.
iPhone 4 – iPhone 4 video calling – Wifi only, no set up
That’s iPhone 4, and we think it’s the biggest leap we’ve taken since the original iPhone. I think you’ll agree there’s more to it than met the eye.”
At WWDC today Steve Jobs said "It’s not just a front-facing camera, it’s a front-facing camera and 18 months worth of work to create software you’ll never even notice when you want to make a video call"
This has left the tech blog in a bit of a predicament—according to Editorial Director Brian Lam, Gizmodo is going to use the liveblogging of a number of other sources to construct its own, well, liveblog, of the WWDC keynote instead of its planned, "we're actually there" coverage.
This comes a few days after San Mateo County authorities announced that a "special master" had been appointed to assist in the search of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen's belongings: goods seized as part of a police investigation into the disappearance (and Gizmodo acquisition) of one of Apple's prototype iPhones. It's the very device that's rumored to be announced at the Monday keynote.
The special master—a third party that's been appointed by the court to ensure that its instructions are carried out – will be working with San Mateo County authorities to ascertain what information about the prototype can be pulled from Chen's seized belongings. The purpose behind the introduction of a special master is to ensure that only information related to the case is noted down: It's based on an agreement between the district attorney's office and Chen's attorney, Thomas Nolan, regarding the potential legal ramifications of California's shield laws for reporters.
But that's not the only dispute that still surrounds the missing prototype story. According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, in an interview at the D8 conference earlier this week, there's still a question as to whether said prototype was actually lost in a Redwood City bar—as the story has panned out thus far—or whether it was stolen out of software engineer Gray Powell's bag.
"When this whole thing with Gizmodo happened, I got a lot of advice from people that said you've got to just let it slide. You shouldn't go after a journalist because they bought stolen property and tried to extort you," Jobs said. "And I thought deeply about this, and I concluded the worst thing that could happen is if we change our core values and let it slide. I can't do that. I'd rather quit."
This isn't the first time Gizmodo has found itself short of a party invitation based on the actions of its editors or staffers. In 2008, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) banned Gizmodo TV blogger Richard Blakeley from its Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for life. The hammer came down as a result of a CES video Blakeley shot, featuring the blogger walking through the CES floor using a TV-B-Gone kind of device to shut off television displays throughout the convention.
Editor Brian Lam is calling for volunteer conference attendees to help cover the conference in Gizmodo's absence.
No prizes for seeing this one coming: tech blog Gizmodo - who have been making headlines recently after posting pictures of a stolen prototype iPhone on their site - have been left off the list of invites for Apple's 2010 World Wide Developers Conference.
The snub is the latest development in a case that has seen the involvement of the California police, Apple's legal team and the raid of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen's house.
Despite not being invited, Gizmodo still plan to cover the event live, and have posted a call on their site for attendees of the conference to get involved and keep them updated with photos, video, audio and text messages.
Age of Heroes Online is a multiplatform online RPG-strategy based on series of mobile games «Age of Heroes» by Qplaze ®.
It is based on profoundly developed fantasy world with its unique history, geography, magic and traditionally intricate political situation.
Age of Heroes Online is built on the basis of one of the most popular settings in fantasy style – a story of huge world inhabited by humans, elves, orcs and gnomes.
Controls elements used in the game are simple and intuitive… history of the world and game features are presented to the player gradually, step by step.
For player are available all the races in game and plenty of development ways for every game class. With almost every NPC or object in game player can interact – talk, fight, look over.
Age of Heroes Online is available both for users of PC and different mobile devices – mobile phones, pocket PC, communicators – at any time and almost in any place;
The list of supported platform includes – Microsoft Windows, Windows Mobile 5-6, Symbian OS. Also Age of Heroes Online successfully works on most of mobile phones with Java MIDP 2.0 support and Internet access. However, game functionality on different devices is completely the same and gives no advantages to any of the players.
For Age of Heroes Online players is available an enormous game world that greatly exceeds the sizes of other multiplatform MMORPG:
ú More than 60 locations with more than 200 unique maps for travelling and exploring;
ú More than 60 buildings and objects – from palaces to tombs, from tradesmen shops to gladiators’ arenas.
ú 9 different types of locality and game landscape vividly illustrating the differences between game races;
ú More than 25 types of battle fields completely depended on type of locality.
Gameplay of Age of Heroes Online can surprise with its variety even experienced players of online PC games:
ú In game there are more than 100 creatures with most of which player can not only fight but also hire them to his army;
ú 4 races of Age of Heroes Online not only have their own set of creatures but also unique locations, architecture, cities, heroes and magic schools;
ú For player there are available more than 130 unique quests and tasks of different degree of complexity and in different localities full of danger and adventures;
ú Player can select from 12 unique heroes with more than hundred of different skills and special abilities available for development;
ú More than 100 different animated effects go with battle actions – spectacular magic, explosions, lightning, special heroes’ abilities and many others, - creating truly epic battle canvas;
ú In the world exist 400 different magic objects and artifacts all of which can be found, purchased or gained by player in the battle.
7:12
samengland: photos, music, tv shows, contacts, cal, bookmarks, apps
7:13
samengland: "if you lose your ipad and get another one you can back it up on an iphone"
7:13
samengland: wifi - also have 3G
7:13
samengland: built in
7:13
samengland: cost - in the US
7:13
samengland: 2 plans
7:14
samengland: 250mb data per month $14.99/month
7:14
samengland: UNLIMITED play for $29.99
7:14
samengland: AT&T only
7:14
samengland: please tell your friends and colleagues about LiveTechEvents.com
7:15
samengland: activate the ipad on the ipad itself
7:15
samengland: but how much does the device cost?
7:15
samengland: international
7:15
samengland: NO INTERNATIONAL DEALS IN PLACE YET
7:16
samengland: deals hoped for by summer internationally
7:16
samengland: email....
7:17
samengland: uses GSM microsims only
7:17
samengland: ibook store, carry 1000s of books
7:18
samengland: pricing?
7:18
samengland: $999?
7:18
samengland: aggressive pricing...
7:19
samengland: THE DEVICE WILL COST AT $499
7:20
samengland: IPAD WILL COST $499 for 16GB
32 GB $599
64GB $699
$130 more for 3G on each model
$829 for 3G+64GB
7:20
samengland: 6 models
7:20
samengland: Lowest price $499 (no 3G, 16GB)
7:21
samengland: Google offers books for free, true
7:21
samengland: iBook store is ebooks (ebooks on the ipad)
7:21
samengland: external keyboard
7:21
samengland: plug in to it
7:21
samengland: like a netbook!
7:21
samengland: plug ipad in to keyboard and charging dock
7:22
samengland: also protective case like sony reader
7:22
samengland: book style
7:23
samengland: 24 months data + 64GB IPad 3G will cost a total of $1549 same cost as an imac
7:23
samengland: the ipad is SQUARE in shape
7:25
LiveTechEvents: keyboard same size as laptop keyboard?
7:25
Why will buy the iPad?
Me!
( 61% )
Not me...
( 39% )
7:26
LiveTechEvents: no new iPhone as of yet
7:26
Which iPad would you buy?
16GB
( 24% )
32G
( 26% )
64GB
( 50% )
7:27
LiveTechEvents: please vote in polls
7:28
LiveTechEvents: everyone getting the livestream ok? promo video showing now
7:28
LiveTechEvents: it has no phone capabilities
7:28
LiveTechEvents: resolution is 2x size of an iphone, apps are pixel-doubled
7:29
LiveTechEvents: no HD, no 720p
7:29
LiveTechEvents: we have feedback due to bandwidth issues
7:29
LiveTechEvents: @junjunb true, but $130 more 3G on any model
7:29
LiveTechEvents: The apple website hasn't been changed a lot which is strange normally theirs a teaser page up.
7:30
LiveTechEvents: there are 6 models
7:30
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Apple seems to have rushed this product out.
7:31
LiveTechEvents: 2 weeks were given to NYT to develop their app - it looks unfinished like a website from 1997 based on tables?
7:31
LiveTechEvents: people already know how to use the iphone/ipod touch so they will find this easy apparently
7:31
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I'd still recommend someone buy a netbook you can get a lot more for your money.
7:31
LiveTechEvents: ibook store, app store, itunes store 125million accounts with credit cards
7:32
LiveTechEvents: the processor is NOT INTEL it is just apples own 1GhZ processor (intel atom is 1.6Ghz and a netbook costs ~£250) most have built in 3G too (dell mini more, samsung NC, lenovo ideapad)
7:33
LiveTechEvents Discussion:In the UK the iPhone is currently on Orange, Vodafone and o2 so the iPad will probably be with one of those two, probably o2 at first.
7:34
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I think the iPad would look better with a wide-screen display watching films on the iPad won't be a pleasant experience.
7:36
LiveTechEvents: It has a lot of potential, who will wait for version 2?
7:37
LiveTechEvents Discussion:The games played were extremely poor they crashed and were fuzzy. Also the iBook application doesn't look as usable as the Kindle.
7:37
LiveTechEvents: is the kindle dead?
7:38
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Amazon will most likely slash the price of the Kindle to make it more competitive and plus you don't have to pay data charges.
7:40
Are you disappointed with the iPads features?
Yes
( 46% )
No
( 54% )
7:40
LiveTechEvents: Please sign up to email updates at LiveTechEvents.com main page for updates on future major tech events. Max 2 emails per year (No spam!)
7:41
LiveTechEvents: David, yes the iPad uses Micro SIM Any carrier that can handle micro-SIM will work and no contracts.
7:41
LiveTechEvents: They said earlier that international data deals would be June/July but micro sim cards would probably just work
7:42
LiveTechEvents: micro sim doesnt need contracts
7:43
LiveTechEvents: No more announcements - no iPhone
7:43
LiveTechEvents: If the iPad had a front and pack camera, that would be a great addition. Imagine Skype - video conferencing on an ipad!
7:44
Would you like the iPad to have a camera for Skype Video Conferencing?
Yes
( 94% )
No
( 6% )
7:44
LiveTechEvents: Theres apples big mistake - 96% people think the device should have two cameras
7:45
LiveTechEvents: No OLED screen but 10 hour battery life - good viewing angle almost 180 degrees
7:45
LiveTechEvents: its quite big, 9.7 inch screen with 3/4 inch bezel
7:46
LiveTechEvents Discussion:http://www.apple.com/ipad/ - website is up.
7:46
LiveTechEvents: Would this device leave the house that often? Why do we need 3G? Whats wrong with free Wifi in starbucks
7:46
LiveTechEvents: with the stand this is also a good aeroplane device
7:46
Who wants to pay £130 more for 3G? Or will you just stick with Wifi?
I want 3G
( 32% )
Im fine with Wifi
( 68% )
7:47
LiveTechEvents: screen is very responsive, A5 chip (probably ARM) is very good
7:47
LiveTechEvents: photo app responds fast
7:47
LiveTechEvents: we will have a hands on in approx 10 mins
7:48
LiveTechEvents: ****************
Please sign up to email updates at LiveTechEvents.com main page for updates on future major tech events. Max 2 emails per year (No spam!)
****************
7:52
LiveTechEvents:
****************
Please sign up to email updates at LiveTechEvents.com main page for updates on future major tech events. Max 2 emails per year (No spam!)
****************
7:53
LiveTechEvents: it docks in landscape with a keyboard
7:53
LiveTechEvents: calendar feels like a calendar (cork board etc)
7:54
LiveTechEvents: "real world experience"
7:54
LiveTechEvents Discussion:@Rufex its a lot like the iPhone OS, we're getting a demo of the iPad soon.
7:55
LiveTechEvents: No Adobe Flash on iPad <<<<
7:55
LiveTechEvents: 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
7:55
LiveTechEvents: screen's aspect ratio is closer to 4:3 than 16:9
7:55
LiveTechEvents: its square
7:56
LiveTechEvents: @JSWolf - closer to 4:3
7:56
LiveTechEvents Discussion:For anyone who's wondering what it looks its like a large iPod Touch.
7:57
Sam: ****************
Please sign up to email updates at LiveTechEvents.com main page for updates on future major tech events. Max 2 emails per year (No spam!)
****************
7:57
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Though your eyes might get tired after a long reading period, unlike the Kindle
7:57
Sam: iphone games are blown up x2 - look fuzzy
7:59
Sam: All iPhone apps which are blown up for iPad are VERY fuzzy - will all iPhone app developers make their apps for iPad too?
7:59
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Unfortunately iWork isn't as fully featured as Microsoft Office, maybe MS will develop an iPad app?
7:59
Sam: No multitasking - unmodified iphone OS
8:00
Sam: It might LOOK better but your eyes will kill after a couple of hours
8:00
Sam: Apple event is not over
8:00
[Comment From Rufex]
REALLY?! NO multitasking? do they simulated at least?
8:00
Sam: Rufex, yes!
8:01
[Comment From Rufex]
thats where kindle wins! its basically a book!
8:01
[Comment From junjunb]
since its 3g, the underground teams will make way for phone capabilities
8:01
[Comment From Doeloe]
i expected more from apple
8:01
[Comment From junjunb]
yup.. but i think its not wise to buy right of the bat.. im SURE there are a lot of bugs still..
8:01
[Comment From Kristian]
phone app could be Skype or video conferencing with Tandberg Movi
8:01
[Comment From james]
good pricing
8:02
Sam: 114,000 people watching THIS live stream
8:02
[Comment From Ken]
I don't think a netbook can beat the 499 deal
8:02
[Comment From Lee]
Agreed, it seems they did rush it. I waited for the updated iphone, and I will wait for this as well.
8:02
[Comment From Rufex]
its not the same as a netbook, touchscreen, smaller, easily carried...
8:02
[Comment From scott]
Still AT&T? What about all of us who cannot get AT&T? This is such a huge .. horrible issue. People complain about AT&T, I would just like to have the OPTION to use it. They will not give me service.
8:03
[Comment From Lee]
Only reason I can think of getting one, is if Adobe and Coral release fully functioning versions of Photoshop, Illistrator and Painter. It would be like having a piece of digital paper.
8:03
Sam: That would be good - CS4 apps on iPad
8:03
[Comment From karli]
fuck of ipad
8:03
[Comment From GeeK]
The Ipad outpriced the kindle
8:03
[Comment From Ucopmok Mok]
for me kindle is not dead because kindle still have the majority online book
8:03
[Comment From Guest]
what the hell about macbook pro updates?
8:04
[Comment From Salem]
32 is the best
8:04
[Comment From Dizaat]
Is there going to be an new iPhone today?
8:04
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Dizaat - unfortunately no
8:04
[Comment From Ucopmok Mok]
it would be great if i can play the many facebook games on the iPad,
8:04
Sam: No flash!
8:04
[Comment From Rufex]
but its much more than the kindle!! cant compare different things!
8:04
[Comment From DVE]
will you be able to use graphical programs like photoshop? Or programs like office word
8:04
Sam: DVE - just iWork
8:05
[Comment From Carl]
is there an SD card reader on the side so we can upgrade the storage?
8:05
[Comment From Lee]
A built in stylus would of been nice...
8:05
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I agree but the Kindle is good at what it does iBooks looks like an afterthought
8:05
[Comment From Guest]
USB ports????
8:05
Sam: No SD card reader, No USB ports
8:05
[Comment From Lee A]
Why are people comparing the Kindle to iPad? They're two different products
8:05
Sam: The iPad directly competes according to appl
8:06
Sam: however just like when they compared the Nintendo DS to iPod Touch
8:07
[Comment From Diogo]
Is there going to be a new macbook pro today?
8:07
Sam:
****************
Please sign up to email updates at LiveTechEvents.com main page for updates on future major tech events. Max 2 emails per year (No spam!)
****************
8:07
[Comment From Carl]
Missing GPS!!! Would be great in the RV!!!
8:07
LiveTechEvents Discussion:No it was just the iPad launched today.
8:07
Sam: True - no GPS is as big a failure as leaving the camera out!
8:08
Sam: Demo hall - 60 iPads
8:08
Sam: where was the 'One last thing'?
8:08
Have you signed up to updates on the main page at http://LiveTechEvents.com Yes
( 18% )
I will right now
( 14% )
I dont want to
( 68% )
8:09
[Comment From carmen]
I wanted USB ports and flash and would like multitasking, front facing camera, tethering. Without tethering, I wouldn't bother with a data plan. Anything else can be synced. I still love it, but I'll wait.
8:09
Sam: Do you think they were creating it for a year?
8:09
Sam: front facing camera would be great on Skype
8:10
[Comment From dylan]
im a little disappointed, i expected much more after a year of creating it!!!!
8:10
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Dylan, I think they rushed it.
8:12
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Future updates in the coming years will make it a more compelling product. It did take apple more than a year to add copy and paste.
8:14
[Comment From dylan UK]
i personally think they just bought 10inch touchscreens and added the ipod touch software onto it! theres nothing 'new' on it, its all been seen before
8:14
[Comment From Rufex]
haha! a year for copy and paste! true!
8:14
Sam: Please refresh http://www.livetechevents.com and subscribe to email updates. These will be sent out only before major events. Thank you for supporting us. We are a FREE service.
8:15
Sam: A front facing camera would be a welcome addition to version 2, along with GPS
8:15
Sam: The iBooks bookstore is up now
8:16
Sam: 9000 in our stream today. Thanks for watching. Please refresh http://www.livetechevents.com and subscribe to email updates. These will be sent out only before major events. Thank you for supporting us. We are a FREE service.
8:16
9000 in our stream today. Thanks for watching. Please refresh http://www.livetechevents.com and subscribe to email updates. These will be sent out only before major events. Thank you for supporting us
I already joined
( 67% )
I'm about to now...
( 33% )
8:17
Sam: Front facing camera is a fundamental assent. What 3G operator would you rather it be exclusive to in the UK?
8:17
[Comment From dylan UK]
yes sam, as soon as they add a front facing camera i will get one. maybe they will bring out an add on? when will apple learn we like cameras on our gadgets?
8:18
[Comment From Rufex]
so, really? how much better than an iphone is it? more powerful processor, more RAM Im sure, but software the same still with no multitasking, and apps the same but enlarged and not in a good way...
8:18
Will the iPad fulfil a need in your life if you choose to buy one?
Yes
( 25% )
Np
( 75% )
8:19
[Comment From r1]
are they gonna announce the new iphone 4g?
8:19
LiveTechEvents Discussion:not today
8:19
[Comment From raymund]
so when we will get front camera?
8:19
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Probably in the next 1-2 years
8:19
Sam: Processor is almost 100% faster though no multi task and also the fact that iphone apps are being used are a big pitfull, the font size will be very big and games and graphics pixellated
8:19
Sam: Remember most iPhone apps are designed for THUMBS not HANDS.
8:19
Sam: This will cause big problems in the UI of apps
8:20
Sam: What about the ASUS nvidia tablets coming out? Competitors?
8:20
[Comment From Sunny]
iphone os 3.2? any word?
8:20
Sam: No word of this Sunny
8:21
[Comment From Rufex]
technology for the iphone existed long before its appearance but due to price issues no such phone was launched. only apple can launch an expensive thing like that and their people will buy it..
8:22
[Comment From Rufex]
will this ipad have the same success as their iphone?
8:23
Sam: Almost 10,000 people joined us today for our coverage. Thank you for joining us! We are a 100% free service. Please join our email list at http://www.livetechevents.com (refresh the page) - we will send max 2 emails per year to notify you when we do live coverage of MAJOR tech events. We will improve our coverage in the future and ensure that video quality is better and you will hear our audio discussion. This is the first event we covered and it went well!
8:23
[Comment From raymund]
will this works as a phone with the 3g connection?
8:23
Sam: No it will not, but it has 3G for data
8:23
Rufex: nope! no phone capabilites!
8:24
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Nobody really knows what the iPad will do, the iPhone had a purpose what purpose does the iPad have
8:24
Rufex: HP's tablet should should come up anyday now!
8:24
Sam: GPS would be cool on the iPad
8:24
Rufex: that should be another interesting event and something which we can compare with the ipad through and through...
8:25
What would you most liked to have seen on the iPad?
Front facing and main cameras
( 55% )
GPS
( 5% )
Tethering
( 0% )
Stylus
( 0% )
OLED Screen
( 40% )
8:26
Rufex: also, the possible name iSlate was so much better!
8:27
LiveTechEvents Discussion:yeh although I would have thought apple would be starting to move away from adding 'i' to the front of everything.
8:27
[Comment From Sunny]
to be honest i told myself i would never get an iphone, but then i became a sucker to marketing and what not and eventually got one myself. maybe the same thing with the ipad in a few years?
8:28
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Sunny, well apple certainly knows how to market a device, and I think you'll start seeing iPad's being used in your local Starbuck soon enough.
8:28
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Almost 10,000 people joined us today for our coverage. Thank you for joining us! We are a 100% free service. Please join our email list at http://www.livetechevents.com (refresh the page) - we will send max 2 emails per year to notify you when we do live coverage of MAJOR tech events. We will improve our coverage in the future and ensure that video quality is better and you will hear our audio discussion. This is the first event we covered and it went well!
8:28
Rufex: hopefully not Sunny! I mean, I'll never get tired of saying it! Two iphones and an ipad and still? No MULTITASKING?? REALLY?
8:29
[Comment From Jon Wolf]
What is the screen's aspect ratio?
8:33
[Comment From Sunny]
i dont have a macbook. well.yet maybe in about 6-9 months, but i dont think opting for an ipad would be a alternative choice? or would it?
8:34
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Sunny what kind of things would you be doing on your computer?
8:34
Rufex: I think that an ipad would never fullfill as many needs as you may have as a macbook...
8:36
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Rufex, I'd agree I think people need to realise that the iPad is basically a larger version of the iPod Touch but with a few more capabilities.
8:36
[Comment From diogo]
i need to buy a new pc, i'm thinking to buy the macbook pro, should i wait for thenew update?
8:37
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I would wait as I'm sure it's imminent.
8:37
Rufex: true! a large ipod touch is a more accurate comparison than a large iphone
8:37
[Comment From Rod Lewis]
So, I'm not the only person who wants a camera for Skype
8:38
Rufex: Guess not Rod...
8:38
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Rod, it seems a lot of people want a front facing camera.
8:38
[Comment From p0ps]
for me as a Painter, it's what I've always wanted. As a browser, social networker, emailer, reader, movie watcher, music watcher - it's got all I need. I'll get the 3G 16GB ASAP
8:39
Rufex: the painter part is really interesting!
8:39
LiveTechEvents Discussion:p0ps do you think the screen will be accurate enough to produce good paintings?
8:39
Rufex: But I'd strongly suggest you test it before you buy it!
8:39
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Almost 10,000 people joined us today for our coverage. Thank you for joining us! We are a 100% free service. Please join our email list at http://www.livetechevents.com (refresh the page) - we will send max 2 emails per year to notify you when we do live coverage of MAJOR tech events. We will improve our coverage in the future and ensure that video quality is better and you will hear our audio discussion. This is the first event we covered and it went well!
8:39
[Comment From Chris]
As a designer... I really wanted a stylus for sketching!
8:40
[Comment From p0ps]
yes, I can make it work. I can do it on the iPhone with Brushes, this will be better.
8:40
Rufex: Exactly! And what about software? Will there be good software for painting and photo editing?
8:40
Rufex: If you can do it with the iphone then go ahead!
8:41
Rufex: We have to give it to them though... If you're fine with 16Gb and no 3G, then 500 bucks is an excellent price!
8:41
[Comment From p0ps]
I expect the iPhone app developers will do a good job with making the fantastic apps available from phone to pad.
8:41
[Comment From tehbomb]
where can I watch the video
8:41
Rufex: Provided their touch screen is as good as the price...
8:42
p0ps: It has 10 finger multi-touch, correct? That's pretty sweet.
8:42
Rufex: I assume the screen is capacitive and supports multitouch... Is that the case?
8:42
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Yes it's both
8:42
p0ps: They demoed Jobs typing with all 10 fingers.
8:43
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I'd like handwriting recognition. I think it'll be a pain using the keyboard.
8:43
[Comment From DVE]
using it as a wacom tablet on our mac would be great too
8:45
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Now your talking, it would be cool if it worked out of the box as a secondary surface for the mac computers.
8:45
[Comment From diogo]
imminent like days? weeks?
8:45
p0ps: and a remote for TV & Macs
8:45
LiveTechEvents Discussion:more likely weeks.
8:46
LiveTechEvents Discussion:p0ps, let's wait for the jail breakers to get their hands on the iPad!
8:46
p0ps: Yes this is waiting to be hacked big-time.
8:47
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Almost 10,000 people joined us today for our coverage. Thank you for joining us! We are a 100% free service. Please join our email list at http://www.livetechevents.com (refresh the page) - we will send max 2 emails per year to notify you when we do live coverage of MAJOR tech events. We will improve our coverage in the future and ensure that video quality is better and you will hear our audio discussion. This is the first event we covered and it went well!
8:47
[Comment From diogo]
this ipad can't replace a wacom tablet,right?
8:48
LiveTechEvents Discussion:No I doubt it will 'officially' .
8:49
Rufex: I dont think that apple is ready to drop the i on front the names of their products. I believe their goal is that you hop on your iCar and go to your iOffice to work, have a delicious iLunch, finish the day, stop at an iBar for a beer and go home to eat and sleep with your iWife.
8:54
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Almost 10,000 people joined us today for our coverage. Thank you for joining us! We are a 100% free service. Please join our email list at http://www.livetechevents.com (refresh the page) - we will send max 2 emails per year to notify you when we do live coverage of MAJOR tech events. We will improve our coverage in the future and ensure that video quality is better and you will hear our audio discussion. This is the first event we covered and it went well!
8:56
Rufex: This was the first event covered by you guys?
8:56
Rufex: Excellent work!
8:56
Rufex: Clearly you did a great job! It's the first time I seek out to watch some live show due to my poor latin american width band and already I ended up here!
8:56
Rufex: Cheers!
8:57
LiveTechEvents Discussion:it was indeed we plan to do more in future, glad to hear it.
8:57
Rufex: bandwidth.. you know what I mean...
8:57
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I do indeed.
9:00
[Comment From Sam]
does the ipad have snow leapard
9:00
LiveTechEvents Discussion:No it's based on the iPhone OS
9:01
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Any other questions you want answering?
9:03
Rufex: it has VGA out support or AV out via dock connector and converter cable... thats interesting...
9:03
LiveTechEvents Discussion:that would be good, but it's something the iPod's/iPhone's have been able to do for sometime.
9:05
[Comment From john]
is ipad going to be consider as computer or something else?
9:05
Rufex: It's definitely not a computer...
9:05
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I would say something else, like the iPhone/Touch it can't really compete with a computer.
9:06
Rufex: It's software is not powerful enough to be one...
9:06
[Comment From convert]
That was me, windows user until I was 33yrs old, starting with a tandy. On the macbook for 1 week and I knew I'd never ever go back to windows.
9:07
Rufex: We'll all be using linux or other free software OS by the end of the decade... Ubuntu is only getting better and the new Gnome that comes out in April shall rock!
9:08
LiveTechEvents Discussion:I'm all for Ubuntu it's a great OS.
9:09
LiveTechEvents Discussion:Right, that's a wrap folk we're over and out, remember if you want to stay up to date with Live Tech Events please join our email list at http://www.livetechevents.com (refresh the page) - we will send max 2 emails per year to notify you when we do live coverage of MAJOR tech events.
Edit Delete
9:10
LiveTechEvents Discussion:thanks for participating, head over to iVirtuaforums.com if you have any more questions about the iPad.
These include some titles from larger publishers that should’ve knownbetter – and niche publishers that should’ve known better to boot.Special thanks to Chris Remo, Kris Graft, and Leigh Alexander forsuggestions:
Javaground’s UniWar is a hex-based strategy game for iPhone that didn’t get nearly enough play. While Hudson was providing inferior ports of Military Madness to XBLA (and a decent port to Android), UniWar took the tried-and-true formula to the next state, with simple tweaks and clever unit pairings.
This was one of my favorite iPhone games of the year – it wasn’tamazing, but it provided a solid tactics experience in a year wherethat was really difficult to find on a handheld. Unfortunately itdidn’t really get picked up by the masses.
With more swearing than an American porno, HotD: Overkillrubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Its over-the-top exploitationfilm love, married with the classic light gun gameplay was too much forsome people. But it was not too much for Gamasutra’s Kris Graft, wholoved this game to pieces and put this on our list.
I do welcome the return of the light gun genre, and Headstrong did anexcellent job of recognizing what was good about the genre from agameplay perspective. Shame the “hardcore” Wii userbase doesn’t reallyseem to dig the old lightgun thing.
This was one of my personal surprises of the year. With Raiden,you pretty much figure you know what you’re getting, and to some extentI did. But there was so much more there under the surface. Raiden Fighters Acesgot me to fall in love with scores again, through its perfectimplementation of arcade fun. Big explosions, chunky pixely graphics,and ridiculously responsive controls, it’s the best I could hope from ashooter, in this day and age, or any previous.
I found myself going back to attempt single credit playthroughs,because the game essentially teaches you itself. Far from thebullet-hell shooters of the current era, RFAwinds up being more accessible and more inclusive than even modernindie shooting games. Well worth a spin, especially given the valueprice in the West.
Chinese developer Meridian hit it out of the park with Alive4Ever, but it was understandably somewhat glossed over. It’s one of many twinstick Smash TV-styleshooting games on the iPhone, so is easily dismissed. But theresponsive controls, and more importantly the different missions - fromrescuing survivors, to defeating enemies in specific ways, toharvesting gold - kept the missions fresh.
The game is plain fun, and when you layer on a level system withvarious upgradable weapons, accessories, and attributes, you’ve got agame that really caters to the “just one more” voice in all of us.
This is another one that I totally understand people skipping over. Thefighting genre is niche to begin with, and SNK releases so many KOF variants and ports that nobody but the hardest of the hardcore can keep up. But KOF 98 UM is a rebalanced version of the most popular KOF ever, with new characters to boot.
The game feels more kinetic and more explosive than ever, and thebalances really help make the game work much better in versus mode. Butin the shadow of the arguably regressive KOF 12, 98 UM really didn’t get the chance to shine. If you like fighting games and have ever wondered what KOF was all about, this is the game to start with. It showcases almost everything that is good about the series.
The Silent Hill series has taken some serious knocks,after the third. Most recently development shifted to the West, and forbetter or for worse, it seems here to stay. Double Helix dropped the ball on Homecoming, and Climax’s Origins didn’t fare much better – but the latter developer got a second chance with Shattered Memories,a reimagining of the original, and it works quite well. Though itdoesn’t have the scares of the PSX game, it does have thoughtfulpuzzling and a very well developed UI.
I’ve argued about this with the developers in person, but the blue icedenvironments just don’t have the scare factor of the originalrust-colored chainlinked worlds of Silent Hill for PlayStation – but the newest entry is the best Silent Hill in years, and it seems most have written off the series entirely at this point.
Shattered Memories is worth a shot for fans of the adventuregenre more than the survival horror genre. Fans and critics alike willdiscount the game based on the downturn in the legacy - but if you canget past the arguable lack of horror, you’ll have a nice gameexperience on your hands.
Here’s a protip if you want to get on the overlooked list – release agood, but very niche handheld game for $40. That will assure almostnobody will play it in spite of its quality, as is the case with Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble,the third in Spike’s awesomely irreverent look at the world ofhighschool delinquents, released for $10 too much by Atlus in the U.S.(and not at all in Europe, so far).
This third person action game has you starring as an ambitious younggangster (bancho) who lacks street cred. As you progress, you use youreye beams to stare down other gangsters, (unfortunately staring atpeoples’ butts and crotches has been severely de-emphasized in this,the third entry in the series. It was rather hilarious.)
Crouch on the ground like a hooligan to regain your power, and engagein smack talking battles to raise in ranks and achieve dominancewithout fighting (of course, you do wind up fighting an awful lot). Theridiculous humor, fun action, and B-level nature of this game wouldhave you singing this game’s praises to your pals – if only it weren’tpriced out of most people’s “sure, I’ll try that” range.
There have been many theories as to why this game didn’t get thepopular reception it should have, in spite of overwhelming criticalapproval. Marvelous blames its own lack of brand appeal. Thedevelopment lead, producer Yoshiro Kimura worries that the game might appear too kiddy for more sophisticated audiences. But the fact is, this bizarre Pikmin-like game had way more to offer than most people realized.
It came from the mind of the creator of Chulip (Kimura), a game in which you must kiss people of all genders in order to make the world a happier place. In Little King’s Story,you play as an unintentional king who must unite the land, in anincreasingly bizarre adventure full of game and culture references,both obvious and obscure, which charmed the pants off of journalists,but they got it for free.
Those who had to pay kept their pants firmly affixed to their belts,and didn’t shell out for the title. Which is a shame, because if anythird party Wii game was trying to make something to fit the coreaudience while pleasing the casual, this was it.
It sure feels odd to put an EA game on the overlooked list, but here Igo. This is the final release from a whole Pandemic Studios, and in myopinion, their best game. I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of thestudio’s last work, but this one hits the right chords. It’s a GTA-likein which you throw Nazis to their doom (that’s fun), while liberatingParis (well, Paris is awesome), and driving sports cars and runningaround on rooftops (I’ll admit, I have a mild videogame rooftopfetish).
Like Infamous, Prototype, and Assassin’s Creed before it, The Saboteurfeatures parkour as a main method of getting around (it’s admittedlythe worst of the bunch at it – still fun though), and uses the player’sabilities to get into some interesting situations. One of my favoriteaspects is sneaking, in which you can sucker punch, garrote, orotherwise stealthily disable a Nazi and then steal their clothes toblend in and engage in subterfuge. Throwing a Nazi off a building,stealing his clothes, then blowing up his sniper roost has a certainkind of satisfaction associated with it.
The icing on the cake though, is the Will to Fight mechanic. The world of The Saboteuris black and white when controlled by the Nazi, and in color in areaswhere the French resistance is strong. This works surprisingly well –in the black and white areas, the main color you can see is the red ofNazi insignia – on armbands, on buildings, and on every Nazi target youcan blow up with dynamite (you do a lot of this).
This not only shows you an easy list of targets, it actually feelsoppressive. There are enemies everywhere, and in fact they’re the mostvisible thing in the environment. The environment changes back to colorin real time as you destroy more Nazi installations – it’s subtle, butfor me the mechanic really works.
If only the tone of the game had been more serious they could’ve reallyhad something there. But still, the game is good, I’m still playing at12 hours in, and it got neither the recognition nor the marketingbudget it deserved. It’s not perfect by any stretch, and it does havesome dastardly design choices at times, but it’s most definitelyoverlooked for its quality. And a fitting final effort from a studiothat exists now in name only.
1. Cryostasis (Action Forms Ltd./Aspyr/505 Games/Zoo Corp. – PC)
Ukrainian developer Action Forms Ltd. has released good games before - Chasm was well received, and the company’s other games have done rather alright. But Cryostasis,an FPS survival horror game, of a sort, is Action Forms' magnum opus. Ihave absolutely no doubt that if the game were released on homeconsoles, this would be one of the more talked-about games of the year,but the curious shape of game journalism means most of us tend toignore PC games in favor of the dedicated console experience. As itstands, this game hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.
What’s so special about Cryostasis? A few things. First,it gets across the idea of cold (and for that matter warmth) incrediblywell. Cold is your enemy, and also very tied to your health. The gametakes place on a huge ship that’s been wrecked in the North Pole – andthe prior inhabitants have come back to life as horrific shadows oftheir former selves. You have to battle the cold, as well as the actualenemies, in order to stay alive.
In this game each encounter matters, in true oldschool survival horrorstyle, avoiding huge waves of enemies in favor of important dedicatedbattles. The main “gimmick” of this game is the ability to dive intothe memories of dead crew members you find, during which time you canattempt to avert the deaths of these characters. If you’re notconvinced, try on one of the more unusual brain dives for size. Mildspoilers included, but none that are really tied to the main story.
You come upon a meat locker. There, you have the ability to dive intothe memory of a slab of beef. You become a cow in a field – there’sreally not much you can do, other than die. But later, you have theability to play as the ship’s butcher. You can choose not to kill thecow – by not killing the cow, not only is that particular slab of beefno longer present in the meat locker, the butcher lives, because he wascrushed to death by that very beef slab.
EA's Need for Speed: Shift has gone straight to number one in the UK chart in its debut week. The game, developed by the newly formed London-based Slightly MadStudios, enjoyed high enough sales to knock last week's number one -Guitar Hero 5 - off the top position after just one week there.
Need for Speed: Shift is the 13th installment of the long-running racing video game franchise Need for Speed published by Electronic Arts. It was announced in January 2009 as part of a three-game announcement that includes Need for Speed: Nitro and Need for Speed: World Online.[3] Shift was developed by Slightly Mad Studios—who, under their former name Blimey! Games helped develop GT Legends and GTR 2 together with SimBin Studios—with help of Michael Mann (EP at EA Black Box) and Patrick Söderlund (senior VP of EA Games and head of DICE). In the new franchising model for the series adopted by EA, Shift takes its place focusing on simulation racing and realistic drifting rather than the arcade racing of previous titles in the series. It abandons the street racing formula of previous games and focuses on simulating the "true" driver experience.
Shift's sales were split fairly evenly between PlayStation 3 and Xbox360, with the former just pipping the Microsoft hardware with 52 percent of the sales. Xbox 360 took 44 per cent and PC and PSP theremaining five per cent. Colin McRae: Dirt 2, which made its debut last week at numbertwo, dropped to number three this week. Eidos' Batman: Arkham Asylumdropped one place this week to number four, and Wii Sports Resortgained one place to number five.
Launch Video
The only other new entry in this week's top ten, alongside Need for Speed, was Bethesda's WET, which entered at number six. Dropping three places to number seven was The Beatles: Rock Band, whileCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare remained at number eight for a secondweek. Nintendo's Wii Fit fell four places to number nine and EA's TigerWoods PGA Tour 10 rounded off the top places at number ten, afterclimbing one position.
The full UK all-formats chart from Chart-Track for the week ending September 19 is as follows:
01 Need for Speed: Shift
02 Guitar Hero 5
03 Colin McRae: Dirt 2
04 Batman: Arkham Asylum
05 Wii Sports Resort
06 WET
07 The Beatles: Rock Band
08 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
09 Wii Fit
10 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
Shift has been met with generally favorable reviews, the Windows version gaining a metacritic score of 87.IGN awarded it 9/10 (outstanding) citing among other things an incredible driving experience and excellent sound effects, IGN also gave Need for Speed: Shift a editors choice award.[11]Official Xbox Magazine awarded Shift with 9/10 saying that it has an outstanding driver’s view; a deep, addictive career mode with lots of variety and options; sharp multiplayer racing counts toward single-player career. Official Xbox Magazine has also nominated Need for Speed: Shift for editors choice award.[12]Eurogamer gave it a 7/10, saying, "If the skittish handling and overbearing, messy advancement can be reined in, Need for Speed could have a future in its newly serious and somewhat crowded surroundings. But with the infinitely more comprehensive Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5 looming in the very near distance, it's hard to see the point in this second-stringer this time around, for console players at least. And given Need for Speed's recent, confused history, you shouldn't count on it wearing the same face next year."[13]
General Features
True Driver's Experience– A variety of visual cues delivers the true driver's experienceincluding a three-dimensional HUD that mimics driver head movement,inertia and G-forces. The depth of field also adjusts based on thespeed of the car; so when the car is travelling at high speeds theperspective will shift to the distance putting the car/cockpit out offocus.
Driver Profile – What kind of driver are you? Driver profiletracks the player's evolution as a race driver from event to event.This system is made up of a driver's personality on the track, theirsuccess rate and any profile points and badges accrued all of whichwork together to create a tailor-made career and gameplay experience.Driver profile is pervasive throughout all modes: career and online.
Dynamic Crash Effect - When the player hits a static objector opponent car, the player will feel like they are 'taking damage'. Acombination of visual and audio effects will leave the playerdisorientated and briefly disrupt the race.
Total Customization – Need for Speed SHIFT features acomprehensive customization option that lets the player tailor everyaspect of the cars performance and styling. Go under the hood toupgrade and tune your vehicle to increase its performance. The visualcustomization system allows players to personalize both the exteriorand trick out the interior to reflect their individual style andpreferences.
Photo Real Cars and Tracks – Nearly 70 licensed cars areavailable including the Pagani Zonda F, Audi RS4, and Porsche 911 GT3RSR. There is also over 15 real-world locations like Willow Springs andLaguna Seca as well as fictional circuits like downtown London andTokyo.
Space trading game Eve Online has suffered a virtual version of the credit crunch. Oneof the game's biggest financial institutions lost a significant chunkof its deposits as a huge theft started a run on the bank.
One of the bank's controllers stole about 200bn kredits and swapped them for real world cash of £3,115.
As news of the theft spread, many of the bank's customers rushed to remove their virtual cash.
<!-- E SF -->
Space scandal Thetheft from EBank took place in early June but only now have detailsemerged about the amount of money stolen and why it was taken.
Thetheft was carried out by EBank's chief executive, a player known asRicdic, now known to be a 27-year-old Australian who works in thetechnology industry. His full identity has not been revealed save thathis first name is Richard.
The stolen kredits amounted to 8% of the 2.6tn that Ebank had in its virtual vaults.
"Basicallythis character was one of the people who had been running EBank for awhile. He took a bunch of (virtual) money out of the bank, and tradedit away for real money," Ned Coker, of Icelandic company CCP which runsEve, told the Reuters news agency.
Eve Online has about 300,000players all of whom inhabit the same online universe. The game revolvesaround trade, mining asteroids and the efforts of differentplayer-controlled corporations to take control of swathes of virtualspace.
It has now emerged that Ricdic used the cash to put down a deposit on a house and to pay medical bills.
"I'mnot proud of it at all, that's why I didn't brag about it," Ricdic toldReuters. "But you know, if I had to do it again, I probably would'vechosen the same path based on the same situation."
Ricdic has now been thrown out of the game as trading in-game cash for real money is against Eve Online's terms and conditions.
Therules governing play within Eve would not have sanctioned Ricdic if hehad simply stolen the cash and used it in the game, nor if he hadbought kredits with real dollars.
The scandal is not the firstto play out in Eve Online. In early 2009 one of the game's biggestcorporations, called Band of Brothers, was brought down by industrialespionage.
It’s fair to say that the founders of Metacritic never foresawit generating the attention it has attracted. Intended as a way ofseeing at a glance whether a game was worth buying, it’s now used asa measure of game quality by the largest publishers, developers andretailers.
John Riccitiello has used its scores todefine EA’s business strategy to analysts; Steam prominently displaysthem on its product pages; developer Frontier uses them for salesforecasting.
And this simple set of numbers is deemedresponsible for many industry ills, from over-examination of reviewscores to influencing developer royalties. “I’ve heard thatpublishers will try to put a step in royalty levels depending onMetacritic scores, or some sort of Metacritic-related compensationstructure to a deal,” says Andy Eades, development director atRelentless.
Metacritic is still edited by just one man,Marc Doyle. But his focus remains very much on the reason why it wasestablished in the first place. “I really see myself as a kind ofgatekeeper to tell people that these are the games you should be payingattention to,” he declares. His role is to gather scores andcomments for every game released in the US, choosing whichpublications are included and concocting the formula that combinesthem into a single number.
A night owl, he works into thesmall hours from his office in Los Angeles. And though it’s nowowned by CNET, Metacritic is still his baby, Doyle co-founding itafter studying at USC Law School. There he met Jason Dietz,who came up with the concept and name in 1999. They launched itin 2001 and sold it in 2005.
Metacritic isn’t the onlyinternet game review score aggregator. The other major site is GameRankings, also owned by CNET. Doyle and GR’s editor, Lee Alessi,“talk to each other,” but have different methodologies. GR’sscores are based on averages, while Metacritic weighs publications’scores differently, depending on Doyle’s opinion of their prestigeand quality. But he won’t reveal how.
Both work on the sameprinciple, however: consistently include enough reviews fromenough publications across enough games and the results will smoothout. “A big game – one of the GTAs – I know Edge is going toreview it, and I know an easy grader will too, and so the biggames will get the same treatment,” Doyle explains. “If I includeall your reviews and all theirs, it all works out.”
Certainly,viewed broadly, the games at the top of the scale are generally thebest games around, and the bottom ones certainly aren’t. Thechallenge for Doyle [pictured above] – and the main source ofcontroversy – is in his selection of publications. The originalbasis was: “Who is the most credible, who has the best reputation,the best analysis?”
But now, he says: “It’s essentiallyabout whether gamers are going to them because they’re reliable foradvice on what games they should buy. I really don’t have to do toomuch research because they just come to me. I check out their scoringmethodology, send out a questionnaire asking when they launched,how many reviews they cover a week, total reviews done, aboutstaff – all the things I’ve learned over the years that I have todo.”
Clearly, much credence is placed on metascores, buttheir use as a metric for business decisions also depends on whetherthere really is a causal relationship between scores and sales.“There’s anecdotal evidence both ways,” says Doyle. “I know thatcertain publishers have done very comprehensive studies and they’vebeen able to highlight certain types of games and certain types ofgenres for which predictability will be much higher – racing,sports and certain types of action games, certain types offranchises. Others you just don’t know, like why did the Ben 10game sell through the roof? I don’t know. It’s not sopredictable, it’s not scientific or perfect.”
Activisionhas made such studies. Executive VP of publishing Robin Kaminsky saidat the 2008 DICE conference that higher-quality games, based onscores from Game Rankings, on average sell more, and that for everyfive points above 80, on average, sales double. But she notedthat many games buck this trend, and that the largest publishershave found that the greatest sales growth tends to occur in gamesscoring in the region of 70 compared to those scoring 80 ormore.
She also presented 18 products achieving scores of90 or more in 2008 and 2007. Only two were projected to sellover seven million copies, while seven sold less than a million.Overall, 12 out of the 18 sold less than two million, afigure that marks a rough break-even point for a triple-A game. Inother words, there is a correlation but quality does not assuresuccess.
And yet Metacritic is still gaining in stature, apoint illustrated by the fact that Doyle is receiving increasingcorrespondence from publishers. “If I’m missing something,publishers contact me and ask whether there’s a bias or a systematicissue – ‘Why are you covering this publication and not another?’”
Indeed,many PRs are strongly affected by a greater use of metascores aswell. Certainly, we’ve spoken with a PR for a major publisher whoexpressed huge frustration with the stress their companies place ongetting the best they can. “PRs who haven’t been in the industry verylong will get angry when certain new publications that I know haven’tearned their reputation aren’t included, or some local daily paper,”says Doyle.
“I say, ‘Guys, they haven’t made it yet’ –I try to be as kind as I can because I know sometimes they haveclauses in their contracts that make them affected by metascores interms of bonuses or penalties.”
The practice could be subtlychanging the relationship between developers and publishers, too.“You really want a producer to focus on doing everything that’s rightfor the game, not to be focused unduly with the review score it’sgoing to achieve,” says Splash Damage’s Paul Wedgwood [above].
“Ifhis bonus is wound up at a score of 70 or 80, he might betempted to err on the side of caution rather than taking risks andpushing for an 85 or a 90. Look at projects like BioShock,for example – on paper that isn’t something any sane producer wouldtake on, but it’s obviously well justified by its review scores.”
Furtherto this, many developers of games for broader markets feel thatmetascores are unrepresentative of their work. “If you look at familygames and kids’ games, they consistently score as many as tenreview points lower for, dare I say, what’s similar quality,”says Frontier’s David Braben. “It’s actually really hard to make areally
good kids’ game.”
For Wedgwood, developers canbe more directly affected by a poor metascore. “The negative sideis if developers are penalised for achieving low scores despite nothaving control over the resources and schedule for the project.”
Doylethinks so too: “If they’re having to achieve a certain metascore withthe same budget, that’s disturbing.” But it depends on therelationship between developer and publisher as well, as Wedgwoodsays: “Obviously, if the developer is wholly or partially funding agame or has a strong relationship with the publisher and can determinewhen it’s going to be released and how much it’s going to cost tomake, it’s their responsibility. And I think in that situationit’s quite common for a publisher to have an expectation for quality.”
Indeed,Wedgwood is a proponent of the idea that publishers should offer abonus related to earning certain metascores: “I think that reallyshows confidence from the publisher, saying ‘irrespective ofwhether or not this is a commercial success we’re going to pay you abonus just for achieving a certain review score’ – that’s a realincentive.”
But Braben [above] argues that developers have hadincentives all along. “Think of sales as a great big glorifiedMetacritic,” says Braben. “There’s been a lot of earnest talk aboutusing Metacritic and Game Rankings to incentivise, but the one reallyobvious way of incentivising things is royalties. EA has giveninterviews in which it mentioned average Metacritic scores as being ametric of the quality of its games. The problem is, why is itquoting that and not sales success?”
Eades agrees,reminding us that game companies are businesses: “There’s no pointin getting nine out of ten, ten out of ten and then not sellingenough products to justify a sequel.”
Which brings us back to the fact that Metacritic was only ever meant to be a general
guideto what to play for a game-buying public. For as long as everyone inthe videogame industry remembers that at the heart of it are one man’sdecisions, it could have value as just one of many other ways ofmeasuring a game’s overall success.
And perhaps, among allthe fears that a new focus on quality by publishers has emerged, thisis a change for the better. Wedgwood certainly agrees: “Wouldn’teverybody rather be working for a publisher that’s more concerned aboutquality?
Released to nearly as much fanfare as his thrilling movies, Uwe Boll's Tunnel Rats -- a game adaptation of the 2008 film of the same name -- became available for download this week. As our sister site Big Downloadrightly points out, the film has yet to be released Stateside (keep inmind it's based on the American war in Vietnam), though the game showedup earlier this week on Steam for $19.99.
Game Trailer:
Movie Trailer:
Developed by Velvet Assassin creator Replay Studios -- you'll understand if we're a bit less than confident in Tunnel Rats.For those of you still looking to check it out, we'd like to point outUwe Boll supposedly had a hand in making the game as well. Let us knowhow that goes for you
http://store.steampowered.com/app/99073/
Title: Tunnel Rats
Genre:Action Developer:Replay Studios Publisher:Boll AG Release Date: 15 May 2009
Languages: English*
Ah geez, the last thing we need is Uwe Boll making movies based on video games.
or rather, any movies at all.
He's stupid, and a bit immature. He completely ignores why people hate his films, and makes weak excuses. Then he starts calling people "silly retards", and inviting people he can beat to boxing matches, while declining those who frighten him.
According to gamesindustry.biz The videogames industry has set a new record in the US for sales ofsoftware and hardware, with 2008's level topping USD 21 billion acrossthe year, with almost a quarter of that coming in the supposedlyeconomy-stricken month of December.According to NPD data software sales grew by almost 23 per centto USD 11.7 billion, with December alone accounting for USD 5.3 billion- more than the total figure generated throughout the entire calendaryear in 1997.
Console game sales totalled USD 8.9 billion, based on 189million units sold, while PC games accounted for USD 701 million from29.1 million units, while portable titles sold 79.5 million units,hitting USD 2.1 billion.
The total number of games sold was just under 298 millionunits, with more than half of those rated at Everyone 10+. Teen titlesaccounted for 26.7 per cent of the market, while Mature games were just15.9 per cent.
I think it's amazing that something great is staying strong in our economy. It seems like the gaming industry sometime's get a lot of blame for things but it cannot be blamed for getting weak in our economy. Buy games and keep it strong!!
Xbox 360 to hugely outsell PS3 in December NPD? <!-- Article Start -->
VIa Gamesindustry.biz:
In advance of the official release of the NPD software and hardwaresales results for December in the US, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachterhas released his preview, including an expectation that the PlayStation3 will have been hugely outsold by the Xbox 360.
In his note he reveals his preview numbers as 1,350,000 unitsales for the Microsoft console, compared to 750,000 for thePlayStation 3 - while both are dwarfed by the expected 3,250,000 Wiisales.
He's also expecting to see a 10 per cent year-on-year increasein total software sales of USD 2.625 billion, the vast majority - USD2.42 billion -of which will be made up from PS3, Wii, Xbox 360,PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS platforms.
Based on the numbers above and anecdotal discussions with friends and collegues it looks like the WII has taken the console market by storm. I remember many considered Nitendo DOA with the arrival of the PS3 and Xbox/Xbox 360, but it looks like being innovative has a pretty good upside.
When Palm launched its Prelast week at CES, we were both blown away and pretty overwhelmed.Besides issuing new hardware, the company also demoed a completelyoriginal operating system called webOSwhich incorporates some pretty heady ideas about what a mobile phonecan do. Now that we've had a little time to step back, we're taking amore methodic look at the device and its software, and hoping to answersome of those nagging questions you've been asking. Read on for a lookat everything we know about the phone right now.
Based on the review by Engadget and others it looks like Palm may have a sliver of hope for its survival.
Do you think they have enough Intellectual Property in the "Pre" to make someone like RIM or MS want to buy them for the technology?
