Nintendo and 49 other Japanese publishers win $1m in damages from three companies selling DS flash cartridges in Tokyo.
A judge in a Japanese court case has ruled that three companies distributing illegal R4 flash cartridges for the Nintendo DS must pay Nintendo and dozens of other developers almost $1 million in damages.
Nintendo Japan announced that the three Tokyo-based resellers of the piracy-enabling R4 cartridges, Seafort Japan, Mediaforce, and Magical Company, are guilty of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and must now pay ¥95,620,005 (approx $945,873/£635,774) in damages.
Nintendo and the 49 other plaintiffs make up almost all of Japan's major publishers, including Capcom, Namco Bandai, Konami, Square Enix, and D3.
The Japanese government ruled in November 2012 that, after years of attempting to block the devices from sale, all R4 devices are illegal in Japan.
When Worlds Collide is also the name of a 1933 end-of-the-world science-fiction novel from Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer.
The story focuses on a group of North American scientists who race to build a spacecraft to escape earth, which is doomed by environmental disasters brought on by a runaway planet on a crash course for earth.
When Worlds Collide was adapted into a 1951 film of the same name and was reportedly the inspiration for 1998's Deep Impact.
Since-removed job posting at Rockstar Leeds suggests company's newest games could come to PC.
Rockstar Leeds recently posted (and has since removed) a job listing for a programmer who would assist in bringing the company's "latest titles" to PC.
"Rockstar Leeds are currently looking for a talented graphics programmer to help bring our latest titles to the PC platform," reads a line from the job ad as captured by Rockstar Watch.
"Working together with the other Rockstar studios, you will be responsible for maintaining the studio’s uncompromising quality bar, delivering the highest quality PC experience possible."
The requisition also mentions "working with skilled developers on next generation gamers," suggesting Rockstar will continue to release games on PC in the future.
A Rockstar Games representative was not immediately available to comment.
Some of Rockstar Games' "latest titles" currently unavailable or unannounced for PC include 2010's Red Dead Redemption and this September's Grand Theft Auto V. The company has said a PC version of GTAV is "up for consideration."
PC version of last year's XBLA hit to be released via Steam and GOG.com.
Randomly generated platformer Spelunky will be released for PC on August 8, the game's official website has confirmed.
Spelunky on PC will be available on both Steam and GOG.com. "Spelunky is returning to PC on August 8th, 2013!", wrote developer Mossmouth. "The walls are shifting’"
The new PC version is based on last year's remastered Xbox Live Arcade port of Spelunky, which itself was a souped up version of the game's 2009 freeware release on PC.
PC version of Gaijin Entertainment's World War II military flight combat MMO will support virtual reality tech.
The PC version of Gaijin Entertainment's World War II military flight combat MMO War Thunder will support the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, the developer announced today.
"The Oculus Rift is probably the most innovative technological advancement to grace the gaming industry in many years and we are going to take advantage of it," executive producer Pavel Kulikov said in a statement.
The PC version of War Thunder is currently in open beta and has over 2 million registered players. Currently, Oculus Rift is available only to those with development kits. Public release and pricing information has not yet been announced.
"When you take off and you look down at the Cliffs of Dover, you can actually believe that they are below you while flying high in your aircraft," said senior programmer Alexandr Polyakov.
War Thunder is also in development for iOS and Android platforms. Gamers interested in trying out the title can download the War Thunder open beta from the game's website today.
Design director PJ Estevez says Xbox One game has been designed so anyone can play, but also challenging to master.
Crytek's upcoming Xbox One action game Ryse: Son of Rome has been designed with a concept called "mashing to mastery," according to design director PJ Estevez.
Speaking with Gamereactor, the developer explained that Ryse has been designed so anyone can play, but will also be challenging to gamers who want to "master" their techniques.
"We have this concept we call mashing to mastery. The idea is that anyone can play it and they can mash the buttons and fight, but if you get the right timing you're able to actually master it," Estevez said. "Master the reaction you get out of the AI. You worked on the AI, you get them to this executable state and you execute them and we're like: 'Why does it have to stop there?' 'Why do I have to stop and watch this movie play out?'
"Because we've all played games that have executions and like 30 minutes into it you're like 'Really, I smash this guys head, then I stab then I kick him,'" he added. "So we're like, well, let's continue the flow, let's make it open up a window and give guys who want to spend time learning it more of a reward bonus."
Estevez acknowledged that some gamers may have seen the button prompts during the game's E3 trailer and groaned about the game using quicktime events. However, these slow-motion execution moments are meant to accentuate the experience, Estevez said.
"It's probably one of these things where you see it on stage and you see the button prompts and everyone's like, 'Aww, it's a QTE!' But no, it's really about the flow and maintaining it."
Ryse: Son of Rome is due out in November alongside the Xbox One. The game, formerly a Kinect-exclusive for Xbox 360, follows Roman soldier Marius Titus as he seeks to avenge the death of his family.
Rockstar Games releases first official gameplay video for upcoming open-world game; check out GameSpot editor analysis.
Rockstar Games has released the first official gameplay video for Grand Theft Auto V, giving gamers a glimpse into the world of Los Santos ahead of its launch this September.
A narrator describes the world of GTAV as a "sprawling, satirical re-imagining of modern southern California covering mountains and oceans, expensive stores and strip malls; urban decay and untouched wilderness; beaches and backwoods; the sublime and the ridiculous; greed and hypocrisy."
The video also explains how the game's three-character system will work. During one mission, the player is shown switching between Trevor, Michael, and Franklin during a heist. One character is shown piloting a helicopter, another rappels down a building, while the third stands atop a faraway building and assists by firing on enemies from afar.
When not in a combat mission, players can switch between characters "for a touch of voyeurism," the video says.
The video also reveals that players will be able to customize cars, fly planes, purchase clothes, play sports (golf, tennis, and bike riding were shown), hunt animals, and dive for underwater treasure.
GTAV launches September 17 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Producer Dave Cox shown in new image playing upcoming action game with virtual reality headset.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 producer Dave Cox recently tweeted a picture of himself playing the upcoming action game using an Oculus Rift headset, suggesting support for the virtual reality headset may be in the works.
The image depicts Cox wearing an Oculus Rift headset while playing Lords of Shadow 2 on a PC monitor. He captioned the photo, "Walking around Dracula's throne room! Amazeballs #oculusrift."
Cox followed up this tweet with another that reads, "Watching Carmilla walking towards me’. Holy crap! Are they real ??!! #oculusrift."
Konami has not officially announced Oculus Rift compatibility for Lords of Shadow 2. GameSpot has reached out to the publisher for comment.
Assassin's Creed creative director and 1666 lead Patrice D’silets says that new IP would feature Rembrandt in some way.
1666, the suspended new project from Assassin's Creed creative director Patrice Désilets, was intended to be on the same scale as Ubisoft's annual franchise.
Désilets spent more than a year working on the game before he left Ubisoft in May, and before that at THQ. "[1666] was to be the new Assassin's Creed," said Désilets to GameReactor Spain (translation via GameRanx) during the GamesLab conference in Barcelona last month. "The first year was to build the team, to study [the historical era], but also to create a new IP."
The IP rights for 1666 are currently being fought for by Désilets. "I'm sorry guys, it was amazing. And it still is amazing, and I hope to get it back and finish it for you - and for me," he said.
Speaking about how 1666 would play, Désilets said it would have been something different. "It was not easy because I was a little guy jumping around with a sword, and [we] were making a shooter. We were trying something different, to expand borders again."
He also said the game would take place in Amsterdam and be connected to the painter Rembrandt. "Here's the only clue [I'll give]. Rembrandt was still alive in 1666, died in 1669."
Désilets said he took one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings, The Philosopher in Meditation, and embedded it into the design document for the game.
Lionhead Studios inviting players to submit their own achievement for upcoming RPG remake; game will retail for $40.
This fall's high-definition remake of the original Fable will include one achievement made by the community, developer Lionhead Studios has announced. The studio has launched a new contest that invites players to submit their own achievement for the upcoming game.
The contest began Monday and runs through July 14. Those interested in participating can submit their achievement for Fable Anniversary on the Lionhead Studios forums.
At the close of the entry period, a panel of judges from Lionhead Studios will review all eligible entries and determine five finalists. Entries will be judged equally on creativity, appropriateness to game theme, and originality.
Lionhead Studios will then put the five achievements up to a public vote for final determination on or around July 15.
The winning achievement will appear in the game and the person who created it will have their name added to the credits and take home a copy of the game and a t-shirt.
To be eligible, all achievement names must be no more than 32 characters, while their description cannot exceed 100 characters. Submitting a suggested logo for the achievement is optional.
Lionhead Studios also revealed today that Fable Anniversary will retail for $40, the same price as 2011's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
Developer reveals further microtransactions coming to aging MMO first in Asian regions; studio "still pretty early in the exploration process."
Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed further microtransactions are coming to World of Warcraft via an all-new in-game store.
Community manager Bashiok said in the game's forums that Blizzard is "still pretty early in the exploration process" and that first tests will take place in Asian regions before spreading to other countries.
The new in-game store's ambition, Bashiok said, is to simplify and expedite the purchasing process that already exists for World of Warcraft.
"For players who are already interested in the in-game items we offer, such as Pet Store pets and mounts, the benefits of an in-game store are pretty clear," he said. "We think everyone would appreciate the convenience of being able to make such purchases without having to leave the game, and ultimately that's our long-term goal for the system, though there's quite a bit of work involved in retrofitting those existing items into the new system."
First tests of the in-game store will take place in Asian regions with new kinds of items, including an experience buff (to assist with leveling) and an alternate way to acquire Lesser Charms of Good Fortune.
"We've had a lot of requests from players in different regions for convenience-oriented items such as these, and as with other new ideas we’ve introduced as WoW has evolved--including Pet Store pets, mounts, and more--your feedback plays a hugely important part in determining what we add to the game," he said.
"Ultimately it’s still too early in the process to make any final determinations about our plans, but in the meantime, we hope you'll check out the in-game store once it’s implemented on the PTR and let us know what you think."
World of Warcraft will mark its ninth anniversary this November. The game's subscriber base has fallen to 8.3 million, but it is still the top subscription-based MMO on the market.
During a financial call in May, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said the environment surrounding online games has become increasingly competitive. To addresses this, the executive said the company plans to release new content more frequently to keep gamers playing and to make it easier for lapsed players to return to the game.
World of Warcraft's most recent major expansion was September's Mists of Pandaria. No new add-ons have been announced.
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