 | Obama calls for game violence research Jan 16th 2013, 18:26 US President directs Centers for Disease Control to conduct further studies on relationship between virtual violence and real-world violence. 
President Barack Obama today ordered more research be done to investigate the relationship between video games and real-world violence. As part of a $500 million, 23-point plan, Obama directed the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other research agencies to conduct further research into the matter in the wake of December's deadly school shooting in Newtown, Conn. The Obama administration is calling on Congress to allocate $10 million for the CDC to conduct its research. Vice President Joe Biden met with gaming leaders--including Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello and Entertainment Software Association president Michael Gallagher--last week to discuss gun violence. Obama's plan to conduct more research into game violence is not the only such ongoing initiative. West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller's dead-but-not-defeated proposition would task the National Academy of Sciences to study the effects of violent video games and other programs on children. Rockefeller plans to re-introduce the bill to Congress this month. "Most gun owners are responsible and law-abiding, and they use their guns safely," reads a statement from the White House. "The President strongly believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. But to better protect our children and our communities from tragic mass shootings like those in Newtown, Aurora, Oak Creek, and Tucson, there are four common-sense steps we can take right now." In addition to tasking the CDC with conducting more research on video game violence, Obama's plan includes closing background check loopholes, banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, making schools safer, and increasing access to mental health services. "While no law or set of laws will end gun violence, it is clear that the American people want action," the statement continues. "If even one child’s life can be saved, then we need to act. Now is the time to do the right thing for our children, our communities, and the country we love." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Splinter Cell: Blacklist pushed back to August Jan 16th 2013, 17:36 Ubisoft action-shooter originally targeted to launch this spring now expected late summer. 
Splinter Cell: Blacklist has been given a release date of August 20, Ubisoft has announced. It was originally due to come out this spring. A new trailer for the game on IGN lists that the game will be available for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In Splinter Cell: Blacklist, a group of "rogue nations" have become fed up with the United States' armed presence in their countries. To combat this, they devised "The Blacklist," a series of terrorist attacks aimed at the United States. Development on Splinter Cell: Blacklist is being led by Ubisoft Toronto, with Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Shanghai assisting. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | NRA iOS game draws criticism Jan 16th 2013, 17:20 Connecticut gov says "How dumb can you get?" about National Rifle Association's new education-themed Practice Range game. 
Political leaders across the country are none too pleased with the National Rifle Association's recently released iOS game, NRA: Practice Range. The free app was released one month after the massacre in Newtown, Conn. and allows players to shoot targets at a range with numerous weapons, including handguns and automatic rifles like the ones used in the real-world killings. "How dumb can you get? How insulting can you be? How tone deaf can you be? You can quote me on anyone of those," Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy said at a press conference Tuesday, as reported by CBS news affiliate WFSB. "The idea that they decided on one month anniversary to release that, and I've been on the app and you can push a button and hear a gun going off and it's clearly, it's offensive," he said. In addition to letting gamers shoot guns in a virtual range, NRA: Practice Range offers facts, safety tips, and educational materials related to gun ownership. It also includes the latest news and legislation updates as well as state-by-state gun rights information. Malloy was not the only Connecticut political leader to take issue with the app. Democratic senator Chris Murphy issued a statement Tuesday lambasting the NRA and its decision to release the app on the anniversary of the shooting. "The NRA seems intent on continuing to insult the families of the victims of Sandy Hook," Murphy said. "How could they think it was a good idea to use the one-month anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook to release a game that teaches 4-year-olds to shoot assault weapons? No matter what outrageous new tool they use, the NRA cannot make a straight-faced case that sport shooters need military-style weapons to enjoy their hobby." During a much-publicized press conference in December, NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre blamed games, among other forms of media, for the deadly shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead December 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Criticism over the app extended outside of Connecticut borders. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told CBS New York that the app represents "the height of hypocrisy" and called on Apple to change the app's age rating. This would later happen, as Apple altered the game's rating from being appropriate for children 4 and up to children 12 and up. ’The NRA has acted in an unbelievably hypocritical fashion by blaming the nation’s gun violence on video games and movies, then coming out with a game for children featuring assault weapons. Apple should not facilitate children using it,’ Bloomberg said. Not all politicians took issue with NRA: Practice Range. During a recent CBS This Morning interview, Republican former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich defended the app, saying people should take a look at the app before they pass judgment. "My understanding is that it is a gun safety app and that it's for young hunters to learn gun safety," Gingrich said. "I would recommend people watch the entire app before they render judgement." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Nintendo bringing Wii U, 3DS to Sundance Jan 16th 2013, 16:19 Mario maker to have presence at this week's film festival in Park City, Utah with Wii U Video Challenge and Nintendo Lounge. 
Nintendo is hoping filmgoers at this week's Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah will spend some of their free time thinking about games. The Mario maker has announced it will host several events during the annual film gathering, the first of which is the Wii U Video Challenge. To be held tomorrow, January 17, the Wii U Video Challenge is an event that will showcase films about the next generation of game consoles. Three short films will make their premiere at the event, including those focusing on Wii U and New Super Mario Bros. U. Nintendo executives, "industry influencers," and other "VIPs" will be in attendance during the event. A live audience will vote to determine the winning film. On January 18, Nintendo will open its Nintendo Lounge to executives and celebrities before opening to the public on January 21. Inside, fans can play a range of Wii U and 3DS games, including the already released Nintendo Land and ZombiU, as well as upcoming games like Wii Fit U and Rayman Legends. As for its 3DS showing, the Nintendo Lounge will let attendees go hands on with New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, as well as three upcoming games: Brain Age: Concentration Training, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate. Games had a part in last year's Sundance Film Festival as well, with Indie Game: The Movie taking home the Best Editing accolade within the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Epic Mickey 2 sold 270k in US - Report Jan 16th 2013, 15:42 Disney sequel Power of Two reportedly sells 1 million fewer copies in United States during comparable period of time. 
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two came up well short of the sales milestone set by the 2010 original, according to a new Los Angeles Times report. Citing NPD data provided by a person not authorized to share the information publicly, the paper states Epic Mickey 2 sold 270,000 units in North America by the end of 2012. Over a comparable period of time, the original Epic Mickey sold 1.3 million copies in the region, the report states. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two scored generally fair reviews upon release in November. GameSpot's review praised the game's story and surprises, but lamented its jumping mechanics and cooperative partner Oswald, among other things. Series developer Junction Point Studios founder Warren Spector said in May 2012 that Epic Mickey was planned as a four-game series, though no future games from the studio have been announced yet. Disney just yesterday announced its new Disney Infinity game/platform that will span consoles, PC, and mobile devices. The game will make use of real-world toys, much in the same way that Activision's Skylanders series does, and ship during June 2013. Activision is not afraid of the competition, saying it is confident Skylanders will remain the top-seller in the market. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Temple Run 2 revealed Jan 16th 2013, 15:19 Sequel to immensely popular mobile game adds new graphics and environments, more powerups, and special powers for each character. 
Temple Run 2 is on the way. According to a listing on iTunes New Zealand, husband-and-wife development team Imangi Studios will release a sequel to the popular downloadable game imminently. No release date for North America or Europe was revealed, though as was the case with the iOS version of Bastion, gamers can expect Temple Run 2 in the West tomorrow. The sequel will feature updated graphics, new environments and obstacles, as well as more powerups and achievements. In addition, special powers for each character will be available, as will a bigger monkey. The original Temple Run has been downloaded over 170 million times, including 75 million downloads on iOS in 2012 alone. For more on the story behind the game's breakout success, check out GameSpot's interview with creators Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Missouri rep wants violent-game tax Jan 16th 2013, 14:13 HB 157 would charge a 1 percent excise tax on games rated T, M, or AO in Missouri; revenue derived would go towards mental health programs. 
If a new bill becomes law, gamers in Missouri could pay a "violent-game" tax in the near future. Missouri representative Diane Franklin (R-123rd District) introduced HB 157 (via PC Gamer) to the state's General Assembly this week, proposing all games rated T, M, or AO carry a 1 percent excise tax. Revenue derived from this initiative would be deposited into the state's general revenue fund and be used only for the treatment of mental health conditions associated with "exposure" to violent video games. According to the bill, "immediate action" is necessary to protect and ensure the mental health of those exposed to violent video games. In addition, it claims that such a bill is necessary for the "immediate preservation of public health, welfare, peace, and safety." HB 157 was introduced to the Missouri General Assembly January 14, exactly one month after the schoolhouse massacre in Newtown, Conn. that left 20 children and six adults dead. This is not the first time a state representative has introduced a bill seeking to tax violent games. In January 2012, Oklahoma state representative Will Fourkiller (D. 86th District) introduced a bill that would charge a 1 percent excise tax, with revenue derived to be given to the state's obesity-fighting and anti-bullying funds. This bill was defeated a month later. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Kid Cudi joins Need for Speed movie Jan 16th 2013, 13:32 Hip-hop artist Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi joins Aaron Paul for DreamWorks' upcoming racing film; Ramon Rodriguez, Rami Malek, and Harrison Gilbertson also on board. 
The Need for Speed movie has landed another high-profile actor. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi has signed on to DreamWorks' racing movie, joining Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul. Other actors recently confirmed for roles in the Need for Speed flick include Ramon Rodriguez (Battle Los Angeles, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Rami Malek (Night at the Museum, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II), and Harrison Gilberstson (Beneath Hill 60, Accidents Happen). In addition, English actor Dominic Cooper (Captain America, Band of Brothers) will play a leading role in the film. He has been cast as Dino, an ex-Nascar driver who uses his wealthy connections to establish a car-modifying business. Rounding out the announced cast members thus far is Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later, Fright Night) who will reportedly play the role of an "exotic car dealer" for the film. Directing the Need for Speed film will be Scott Waugh, who's best known for helming Act of Valor, a military movie starring active-duty US Navy SEALs. Possibly more relevant to the Need for Speed project will be Waugh's experience on stunt crews for dozens of films, including Torque, The Italian Job, and Biker Boyz. Waugh will be filming a screenplay penned by George Gatins, the executive producer of DreamWorks' 2010 comedy She's Out of My League. Gatins developed the Need for Speed film's story with his brother John, who is producing the film and also wrote the scripts for Real Steel and Flight The Need for Speed movie is in production at DreamWorks (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda) and is due to theaters on February 7, 2014. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | AMD says former employees handed next-gen trade secrets to Nvidia Jan 16th 2013, 11:55 Four employees conspired to take trade secrets and solicit staff for rival technology manufacturer. 
Four former AMD employees have been accused of taking "thousands of confidential documents" and company secrets to rival technology manufacturer Nvidia. Chief amongst the accused is Robert Feldstein, a vice-president at AMD - now working for Nvidia - who helped oversee the company's negotiations to include hardware in the next-generation Xbox and PlayStation and also the Wii U. "This is an extraordinary case of trade secret transfer/misappropriation and strategic employee solicitation," says AMD's court filing in documents obtained by ArsTechnica. On his last day working for AMD, Feldstein attached two external hard drives to his work machine and "onto those storage devices, three highly confidential files - two licensing agreements with significant customers and a document outlining proposed strategies to AMD's strategic licensing - were transferred," says the 15-page lawsuit. Feldstein, alongside managers Manoo Desai and Nicolas Kociuk allegedly swiped over 150,000 files across six months before leaving the company, Desai is also alleged to have bought a hard drive to the office on her last day, where she created a "folder called Perforce - which is the name of an AMD internal database containing the confidential technological work and development of AMD process and product." Kociuk is accused of pinching 150,000 files across his two work computers, and AMD's cyber-detectives say he ran "several internet searches about how to copy and/or delete large numbers of documents." It's basically Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C and then Ctrl+V, Nicolas. Using forensic analysis, AMD claims that ’Desai and Kociuk conspired with each other to misappropriate AMD's confidential, proprietary, and/or trade secret information; and/or to intentionally access AMD's protected computers, without authorization and/or in a way that exceeded their authorized access.’ All three employees and one other manager, Richard Hagen, were also accused of attempting to solicit other AMD staff to join the competition. The result of all these accusations is that the quartet are up against charges for Misappropriation of Trade Secrets, Unfair Competition, Violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Breach of the Employee's Duty of Loyalty, Breach of Contract and - as if that wasn't enough - Conspiracy. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | DmC gets blasted in Metacritic user ratings Jan 16th 2013, 10:58 Users attack game for its narrative and simplistic combat. 
Despite winning over the critics, Ninja Theory's reboot of the Devil May Cry series has taken a solid drubbing on its Metacritic user score page. The Xbox 360 version of the game is currently sitting on an 86 Metascore at time of writing, but the user score is a significantly lower 3.0 after 288 reviews. Many of the complaints are aimed squarely at Ninja Theory's characters and narrative, with many criticising some of the late game (and spoiler-filled) actions of Dante and his acquaintances. Another common criticism is the level of difficulty, with many accusing it of being too simple for their tastes even on its more challenging modes. Ninja Theory's take on the series has divided fans since its announcement but most critics have embraced the game. The new combat approach alongside its attempts to engage with themes of capitalism and corporation in particular have been praised in reviews. "Sure, you may baulk at Dante's trendy new haircut, or maybe even miss a little of that B-movie Devil May Cry insanity," said GameSpot's Mark Walton in his 8.0 review of DmC, "but the heart of what makes the series so enticing and so much fun to play holds true here." "DmC pulls off that unlikely reboot trick of feeling fresh and inviting while still holding onto what made the original series so appealing and so special. There's no point in looking back: Dante has got a brand-new future in front of him, and if DmC: Devil May Cry is anything to go by, it's going to be a great one." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Nintendo Japan merges handheld and console hardware teams Jan 16th 2013, 10:15 Unifying hardware teams is Nintendo R&D's biggest shake-up in nine years. 
Nintendo will merge its console and handheld development teams at the end of this month, as part of the first-party publisher's biggest R&D shake-up since the launch of the original DS nine years ago. Reported by Japanese newspaper Nikkei (via MCV), the two teams will now share their expertise as they look to develop future hardware that will satisfy both its Wii and DS audiences simultaneously. The merged team will be working out of Nintendo Japan's new $300 million R&D facility in Kyoto, which has been in construction for the last three years. Nintendo's most recent hardware, the Wii U, has resulted in "not bad" sales over its first two months on US store shelves, according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, although the new console was narrowly outsold by its predecessor in December. Much of Nintendo's 2013 lineup remains unknown, although many are expecting Microsoft and Sony to weigh in with their own new hardware announcements in the next few months, with recent rumours suggesting the next Xbox and PlayStation would retail for $350. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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