Oct 13
The video games industry is obsessed with the phrase “next generation”, but what does it actually mean? What can gamers expect from any game given that name?
It would be easy to dismiss the next generation gaming experience as simply eye candy.
The latest games all look great but the potential offered by the processing power of consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PS3 does not end there. They also give developers a wealth of new gameplay possibilities. Continue reading »
Oct 13
US games giant Electronic Arts (EA) is to buy two video game studios for $855m (£422m) in a deal adding role-playing and action titles to its portfolio.
EA is the world’s biggest games publisher and will now acquire Bioware and Pandemic Studios.
They are private firms that have been partners since a 2005 deal brought them together in VG Holding, a deal backed by private equity firm Elevation.
The buy is the biggest ever for EA, known for its Sims and Madden games. Continue reading »
Oct 02
MICROSOFT’S HALO 3 has been getting a thorough dissecting this week, even as rumours of a split from its creators continue to slither from the lips of naysayers.
Halo 3 is one of the fastest-selling games ever created, and also one of the highest scoring when it comes to critical reception. How aggravating, then, that its graphics have been found to be sub-par. Microsoft specifies that games on the Xbox 360 system must render at a resolution of at least 720p - that’s 1280×720 to you PC folks. The 360 will then either output that or upscale it to 1920×1080 for output on larger displays.
Read full story.
Sep 29
Halo 3 has officially become the biggest entertainment launch in history, accumulating nearly £84m in the first 24 hours alone.
This is only based on sales in the United States. Halo 3 was released in the UK on 26 September and saw hundreds queuing to get their hands on a copy.
The Xbox 360 title beat previous records set by blockbuster releases like Spider-Man 3 and novels such as Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.
Halo 3, which sees players take control of the Master Chief once again, also broke the record in Australian retail history and looks set to continue the trend around the world. Continue reading »
Sep 24
AN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - “Halo 3″, the highly anticipated video game from Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research), won high praise on Sunday from game reviewers who gushed over the lush settings, cinematic feel and array of multiplayer features.
The game, the final chapter of a trilogy that began in 2001 with the launch of Microsoft’s original Xbox, is a key part of the company’s strategy to take a bigger share of the console gaming market from Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research). Continue reading »
Aug 12
SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) — Microsoft Corp said Monday it will cut the price of its main Xbox 360 video game console model by about 13 percent in the United States, hoping to boost sales ahead of the crucial holiday season.
The move reduces the price of the Xbox 360 Premium model by $50, to $350, and follows a move last month by rival Sony Corp to cut the price of its PlayStation 3 machine by 17 percent, to $500.
Faced with unexpectedly strong competition from Nintendo Co Ltd’s cheaper Wii console, Microsoft is aiming at expanding the appeal of the Xbox 360 to an audience outside its core fan base of young men.
“As we look to the holidays we want to bring in more gamers and lower the price for those customers,” the Xbox 360’s group product manager, Aaron Greenberg, said in an interview.
“We’re always trying to bring down cost of the box and … we always try to pass on the savings to our consumers. We feel like this is the right time to do it.” Continue reading »
Aug 12
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Hasbro, Inc. (HAS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said they have made a licensing agreement to create electronic versions of some of Hasbro’s most popular games including Monopoly, Scrabble and Yahtzee.
Under the agreement, which runs through 2013, Redwood City, California-based Electronic Arts will hold worldwide rights to create the digital games for electronic devices including mobile telephones and over the Internet. Continue reading »
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