 | Watch Dogs to sell around 6 million units Jul 18th 2013, 17:17 Ubisoft says after E3 showing, sales expectations boosted for open-world game to above 6.2 million. 
After its showing at E3 this year, Ubisoft has decided to boost sales projections for open-world game Watch Dogs. In a post-earnings financial call today, Ubisoft management said the game is now expected to sell modestly better than the original Assassin's Creed, which moved 6.2 million copies. "What is true is that three months ago when we announced our results, we were kind of referencing that we, in our plan, we had built up Watch Dogs with expectation slightly below what Assassin's Creed 1 did when it was first released--and it was 6.2 million," a Ubisoft director said. "So after E3, what we said today was that we do feel that we can expect…slightly above the 6.2 million that Assassin's Creed did." Watch Dogs launches for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC on November 19. The Xbox One and PS4 versions will release sometime this holiday. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Watch Dogs. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ubisoft sales slide 42 percent Jul 18th 2013, 16:26 Assassin's Creed publisher sales plummet to €76 million for latest quarter; back catalog sales rise 56 percent to €60 million for the period. 
Ubisoft today reported earnings for its first quarter ended June 30, revealing sales plummeted 42.2 percent to €76 million ($99 million). During the same period last year, which included the release of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Ubisoft reported €131 million ($171 million) in sales. A bright spot on Ubisoft's earnings sheet were back-catalog sales, which rose 56 percent to €60 million ($78 million). Ubisoft attributed this result to a "solid performance" by Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed III, Just Dance 4, Rocksmith, and Rayman Origins. Digital sales were up 27 percent to €34 million ($44 million) during the quarter, driven primarily by Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. Blood Dragon has sold over 500,000 copies to date. "Ubisoft's teams once again performed remarkably well at this year's E3 in a very competitive and dynamic environment. The event was an opportunity to fully confirm the potential of the next-generation consoles whose launch in late 2013 is synonymous with a new growth phase for Ubisoft and the industry as a whole," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement. Sales for the second quarter, which sees the release of Splinter Cell: Blacklist (August 20) and Rayman Legends (September 3), are expected to hit €200 million ($262 million), up 35 percent from a year ago. Ubisoft is currently holding a conference call to discuss results. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Oculus Rift could land on smartphones Jul 18th 2013, 16:02 CEO Brendan Iribe eager to adapt virtual reality technology for next generation of smartphones. 
The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is aiming to release in 2014 for PC, but developer Oculus VR has ambitions to bring the technology to other platforms down the road. Speaking with Edge, CEO Brendan Iribe said the company has tested the technology with Kinect and Move, but the focus is really on PC and smartphones. "I love consoles, but internally we're a lot more excited about where mobile's going to go, and being able to plug it right into a next-gen cellphone," Iribe said. "It's the innovation, and how fast cellphones are now improving--where we'll be with the next Galaxy or the next iPhone compared to where consoles are." "Those things are almost doubling every year, compared to a console that…s just stuck it out for eight years--it just makes us very excited," he added. "There's a lot of improvements that can be made on the hardware side for VR that no-one's doing yet because it's a new thing. The mobile rate of innovation is going to be able to make a lot of those improvements." Iribe explained that the Oculus Rift's 2014 date is loose because the company still has a number of design issues to resolve, including finalizing the form factor and eliminating motion blur, among other things. Also in the interview, the executive said he expects--and welcomes--competition in the virtual reality space, because it will only drive innovation faster and further. Oculus Rift headsets are currently available at $300 for development kits. Oculus VR recently secured $16 million in venture capital funding to "accelerate" development. No public release date for the headset has been announced. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Official Firefly game launching next year Jul 18th 2013, 14:54 Fox Digital Entertainment reveals iOS, Android RPG based on 2002 TV show will launch in 2014. 
Cult TV show Firefly will live on through an all-new iOS and Android role-playing game from Fox Digital Entertainment. The company announced Firefly Online this week at San Diego Comic-Con, scheduling the new game to launch in summer 2014. Firefly Online is in development at QMXi and Spark Plug Games (Plight of the Zombie, Puzzle Quest 2 for iOS) and will cast players in the role of a captain who must recruit a crew and lead missions. The game supports customization ships and cross-platform play. "When we were first approached with this challenge, we realized that Firefly is unique among shows and movies, so only a unique game experience could do it justice," said Spark Plug Games president John O'Neill in a statement. "Firefly Online, while having a lot of familiar game elements, will be like no game you've ever experienced." Firefly Online is currently in development for iOS and Android, though the company said it may expand to include additional platforms. For more on Firefly Online and to preregister, check out the game's newly launched website. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Max Payne 3 graphic novel compilation arriving in October Jul 18th 2013, 14:25 Titan Books publishing Max Payne 3: The Complete Series at bookstores and online for $10 on October 22. 
Rockstar Games announced today that Titan Books will publish Max Payne 3: The Complete Series, a compilation pack of the three previously released Max Payne graphic novels. The Complete Series brings the three novels together in a hardback print edition for the first time and includes never-before-seen artwork. The three graphic novels--Fight And Flight, Hoboken Blues, and After The Fall--tell the story of Max's twisted past. The Complete Series will be available at bookstores and through online retailers on October 22 for $9.99/£8.99. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Angry Birds Star Wars coming to consoles Jul 18th 2013, 14:03 Bird-flinging strategy game coming to Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PS Vita, and 3DS this October from Activision. 
Activision announced today that it will release Angry Birds Star Wars for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, and 3DS on October 29. Angry Birds Star Wars originally launched for mobile devices in November 2012 and has been downloaded over 100 million times. A sequel with Skylanders-style toys will release in September. The console and portable version of Angry Birds Star Wars includes new levels, features, and platform-specific elements, according to Activision. It also features a two-player co-op mode and four-player competitive mode. Achievements/trophies, leaderboards, and high-definition graphics are also supported on the new versions. The Angry Birds Trilogy, also published by Activision, has sold over 1 million copies to date across Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and 3DS. It arrives for Wii and Wii U on August 13. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft "passionate" about indies, says Lionhead Jul 18th 2013, 13:17 Creative director Gary Carr suggests Microsoft will use future press events to discuss new indie platform, says industry has no future without indies. 
Microsoft is "passionate" about its relationship with independent developers and will use future press events to discuss a new platform to support the development community, Fable developer Lionhead Studios creative director Gary Carr has told OXM. Discussing Microsoft's recent announcement that indie developers cannot self-publish on Xbox One, Carr said Microsoft understands that these developers are vitally important to the business. "I certainly know that Microsoft want to talk at future press events about their relationships with indies. I can't really talk about that, but they're very passionate about building a strong relationship with indie development--indie development is the future," Carr said. "There is no future to the games business without independent developers; they always will shape the industry, and the big corporations will follow," Carr added. "So that relationship is important. Carr added that "giants" like Sony and Microsoft are needed to "hold [the industry] all together in some way," but said the independent development community has always been the "real driving force" behind the industry. The Xbox One launches this November for $500. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ouya launches $1 million developer fund Jul 18th 2013, 12:33 "Free The Games Fund" will match Kickstarter funding provided game is exclusive to platform for at least six months. 
Ouya today announced a new $1 million developer fund that will match funding for new games through Kickstarter provided the titles are exclusive to the platform for at least six months. The new fund will match 100 percent of total funds raised up to $250,000 from Kickstarter campaigns that must conclude by August 10, 2014. All projects must adhere to Ouya's submission guidelines. A full list of rules is below: - Game projects must launch on Kickstarter on or after August 9, 2013, and conclude by August 10, 2014.
- Games must meet their Kickstarter funding goal and raise a minimum of $50,000 to be eligible for matching.
- Once successfully funded via Kickstarter, OUYA will match 100% of the total funds raised up to $250,000.
- Game creators must make their game exclusive on OUYA for a minimum of six months beginning on the date the title becomes available for download on OUYA.
- And, for the game that raises the most via Kickstarter by the end of the program, the developer will earn an additional $100,000 Rock Star bonus from OUYA.
In addition, Ouya will not provide matching funds all at once. 25 percent will be given when a Kickstarter campaign concludes, 50 percent when the title launches on Ouya, and the final 25 percent after the six-month Ouya-exclusive period is over. More information about Ouya's new developer fund is available at the Free The Games Fund website. The $99 Android-powered Ouya launched last month to the public and quickly sold out, though the microconsole is now again readily available. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Teen jailed after League of Legends argument hopeful for case dismissal Jul 18th 2013, 12:01 19-year-old Justin Carter will file motion for dismissal on August 12, according to lawyer. 
The Texas teenager jailed after comments made on Facebook following a League of Legends match is hopeful that his case will be dismissed. Speaking with Kotaku, Justin Carter's lawyer Don Flanary said he will file a motion for dismissal on August 12 "I think the law is definitely on our side," Flanary said. Carter was arrested in March after he said on Facebook following a League of Legends match that he was going to "shoot up" a school and "eat their still, beating hearts," according to his father. He reportedly followed up these comments with "LOL and "JK." A woman in Canada saw his comments and informed the police, who arrested Carter for making a terrorist threat. Carter's comments came just months after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were killed. According to Flanary, Carter was charged without full context or understanding of his comments. "It's clearly sarcasm," Flanary said. "They charged him before looking at the entire thread." An "anonymous good Samaritan" posted Carter's $500,000 bail last week. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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