General Gaming News II: Steam Helpdesk Site Leak

**Kuishen** · 2012-11-16 20:19

Originally Posted by Melena

So Time Magazine put out a top 100 games of all time broken down by decade. They fucking put Bioshock in but not System Shock 1 or 2. So much rage.

Sounds as lolworthy as the G4 one that came out a while ago.

**Spoony Bob** · 2012-11-16 20:42

SKFU got his hands on a Vita devkit…says it has vulnerabilities that could help hacking it

http://wololo.net/2012/11/17/skfu-go...lp-hacking-it/

Following up to the news on SKFU, some additional information has been discovered with what could be the very first public glimpse at a developer model PlayStation Vita.

If you just currently read Wololo’s article about SKFU and his progress on Vita hacking then you would know there wasn’t a lot of confirmation on things, until now. It appears that SKFU has successfully got his hands on a PlayStation Dev Kit, and that might be how he made progress on his hacking research.

After some extensive research it was discovered (thanks to reader Maccle!) that he does indeed have a dev kit. SKFU posted a thread over at Assembler Games trying to sell his dev kit for unknown reasons, however, giving out some surprising information.

“So, what might it be worth to collectors?

A bit background information about PS VITA DevKits:

The official SONY price for devkit models which are sent to third party developers is 1.900€.

There is no fix price for internal models known.

The prices you are going to submit are for an internal model based on newest hardware revision.

Surprise me

”

SKFU went as far as posting clear images of the top and back sides of this “new model”. Developers do get access to hardware better than the normal Vita with usually double the RAM, but it’s possible other upgrades and enhancements exist in those Vitas. In particular, the pictures give us some good insight of what a developer device looks like compared to the normal consumer Vita. The pictures show noticeable physical changes such as matte buttons, a USB port (2.0 for Faster transfer?) and a HDMI port. This dev Vita is dubbed the “Vita PDEL-1001″ which is supposedly ” the first one in the wild.” Definitely some exciting discoveries here.

Notice the addition of a “real” mini USB port and an HDMI port

Compared to the retail version under it

However, that’s not the only information that was revealed when one user asked about the every 90 day activation of the dev kit Vita license that has to be done to keep the developer special features working. SKFU responded with the following information on the subject…

“Partly correct. the activation is just required to run unsigned self’s.

all other functions are fully active like any pc tool to connect or mess with, debugging functions, file system access etc etc.

running unsigned selfs can be achieved other way. aswell there’s several vulnerabilities in devkits up to newest firmwares which
might lead to bypass the activation soon

”

It seems that not only has SKFU gotten into the Vita’s OS with full access but he has also found exploits within the dev kit firmware. This is huge news as it could mean we are closing in on more developments towards a Vita exploit. SKFU has not made any other type of public announcement regarding such so that could mean he is holding on to it for a later date or still working.

It is still unclear at this point if he used a regular developer license (in association with the devkit) to get access to the information he posted last week in his blog (as implied by some of you in our comments section, some tools made available to developers by Sony could allow to read what’s on the Vita Stick without a need for any hack)

This is a huge discovery and definitely one that will be constantly developing, so stay tuned. One other question that needs to be answered is, why would SKFU need to sell this unit, if he’s making progress with it?

What do you think about this? Are you ready for a Vita hack? Let me know in the comments!

**6souls** · 2012-11-18 03:53

The portable console war in Japan has always favored Nintendo's 3DS over Sony's Vita, but never quite like this.

Last week, the Vita hit a new all-time low in the country, selling only 4,021 units. By comparison, the 3DS sold nearly 47 times that many, at 187,077.

The numbers only tell half the story, however: 3DS sales were bolstered significantly by the release of Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which debuted at number one on the charts with 721,786 copies sold.

Still, it's clear that Sony is having a very difficult time selling anyone in the country on the Vita, and a lack of desirable software in the region isn't helping matters. The Vita had no new releases last week, and none of its games appear in the top 30 chart. There are, by comparison, fourteen 3DS games.

For a closer look at the numbers, last week's Japanese sales charts are available here.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/1...p#.UKXL0Gcr7To
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost...43&postcount=1

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that the cumulative sales of the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system reached a milestone of 70 million units*1 worldwide as of November 4, 2012 – less than six years after the platform launched in 2006. SCE also announced that sales of the PlayStation®Move motion controller surpassed 15 million units*1 worldwide as of November 11, demonstrating continued growth and momentum of the PS3® platform.

The PS3® system has delivered high quality, award-winning entertainment experiences since its launch. Throughout its lifecycle, the PS3® system has continued to evolve with more streamlined design, larger Hard Disk Drive (HDD) capacity, and new features through software updates. In September 2012, SCE launched the new PS3® system, which has a reduced volume and weight of more than 50 percent compared to the original PS3® model, and of 25 percent and 20 percent respectively compared to the slim PS3® model launched in 2009. The new PS3® has been well received by consumers around the world.

Along with the introduction of PS3® in November 2006, SCE launched PlayStation®Network, which now operates in 59 countries and regions*2 around the world. PlayStation®Network supports free community-centric online gameplay, exclusive games from independent developers and major publishers, and a broad range of entertainment applications across movies, music, and sports. PS3® owners can access 170,000 downloadable digital content including 57,000 game content worldwide from PlayStation®Network*3. In October 2012, SCE redesigned PlayStation®Store for PS3®, offering a more streamlined and accessible store experience, including a stunning new user interface, simple search, and powerful content discovery. The new store is now available in Europe and North and Latin America with more countries and regions to follow.

PlayStation®Plus, the subscription service package on PlayStation®Store that offers exclusive benefits such as discounts on games or online storage for game saves, started to offer an “Instant Game Collection” in North America and Europe in July 2012. The Instant Game Collection enables PS Plus members to enjoy popular titles from third party developers and publishers as well as SCE Worldwide Studios at no extra cost. SCE has also enhanced the content offering for PS Plus members in Japan in November.

Introduced in September 2010, the PlayStation®Move motion controller that enables users to intuitively play games is now supported by a wide range of titles with more than 400 as of November 2012, including Sports Champions, Everybody's Golf 5, and Sorcery (Sony Computer Entertainment). Additionally, this month marks the global launch of Wonderbook™, a new peripheral that delivers the next evolution of storytelling and a unique experience exclusively on PS3®. Wonderbook*4 uses the PlayStation®Eye camera to take augmented reality to spectacular new places, while drawing players into new worlds and allowing them to interact with stories as they tilt or rotate it, or simply turn the pages*5.

PS3® has gained tremendous support from 3rd party developers and publishers worldwide. Cumulative number of software titles for PS3® reached 3,590 with more than 595 million units sold worldwide*6. More exciting and attractive new titles are to be released from third party developers and publishers as well as SCE Worldwide Studios, including RYU-GA-GOTOKU 5 (SEGA Corporation), Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 (TECMO KOEI GAMES CO.,LTD.) towards the holiday season. In addition, software titles that support “cross platform feature” such as Everybody's Golf 6, LittleBigPlanet 2: Cross Controller Pack(Sony Computer Entertainment) are also expected to be released. With these titles, SCE will deliver a ground-breaking gaming experience by leveraging the capabilities of both PS3® and PlayStation®Vita.

SCE will continue to further expand the PS3® platform and create a world of computer entertainment that is only possible on PlayStation®.

*1 Sell-in number

*2 As of September 30, 2012.

*3 As of November 14, 2012.

*4 Title which only needs PS Eye and Wonderbook to enjoy will become available.

*5 Wonderbook launced on November 13 in North America and on November 14 in Europe/PAL territories.

*6 As of September 30, 2012.

http://scei.co.jp/corporate/release/121116_e.html

Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), today announced that for the fourth consecutive year, the Call of Duty® franchise has delivered the biggest entertainment launch of the year. The highly-anticipated Call of Duty®: Black Ops II has achieved an estimated sell-through of more than $500 million worldwide in the first 24 hours of its release, according to Chart-Track, retail customer sell-through information and internal company estimates.

"With first day sales of over half a billion dollars worldwide, we believe Call of Duty is the biggest entertainment launch of the year for the fourth year in a row," said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc. "Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office receipts for "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars," the two most successful movie franchises of all time. Given the challenged macro-economic environment, we remain cautious about the balance of 2012 and 2013."

On November 13, 2012, millions of fans attended more than 16,000 midnight openings at retail stores worldwide. Reflecting the wave of excitement that swept the globe, Call of Duty: Black Ops II drove social conversation in its first 24 hours as it was a top trending topic globally on Twitter in 23 cities worldwide. Additionally, there have been more than 30 million YouTube video views of the game's live-action 'Surprise' launch trailer since its release on October 29, 2012.

"Call of Duty has become more than a product people buy, it's a brand people buy into. And every November we do more than just the launch of a game, we kick off an annual, unofficial but worldwide phenomenon called the Call of Duty season," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "I want to thank our incredible team at Treyarch for making an amazing game, everyone at Activision for making this brand a force of nature and our retail partners for their unprecedented support of this franchise. But most importantly I want to thank our millions of fans for their continued support and loyalty and for making us better every day."

http://investor.activision.com/relea...leaseID=721903

**6souls** · 2012-11-18 03:58

Spoiler: show

http://www.ingress.com/

We’ve seen startups tackle location-based multiplayer gaming, with title’s like Massive Damage’s Please Stay Calm and Shadow Cities out of Grey Area, but now a heavyweight player has entered the ring with Ingress, an app created by Google’s Niantic Labs. The Niantic project got a lot of buzz last week thanks to a mysterious teaser, and previously the group was responsible for Google’s location-based discovery app Field Trip. Now, Ingress is launching on Google Play, offering a way for players with invites to join in unravelling a global mystery.

The game is like other map-based ones we’ve seen before, plotting in-game elements to real-world locations, so that users can interact with the locales on their Android devices to unlock clues about what’s going on, gather objects, work together and against other human players in a two-sided battle to determine the future of humanity. It all sounds very high-stakes, and it isn’t just about interacting in a virtual world overlaid on top of our own; there’s also a shared goal, with details gradually revealed on a virtual corkboard at the Niantic Project website.

The plot involves two warring sides, the Enlightened and the Resistance, who have opposite views on what to do with a new source of powerful flowing energy that can be tracked via the app and emerges at various real-world sculptures and structures. The energy maps in the game strongly remind me of J.J. Abrams’ Fringe, a similarity that Frederic pointed out in his earlier article but that’s become even more apparent as a source of inspiration now that the cat’s out of the bag.

Again, access to this app is invite-only, so you’ll have to wait for Niantic to ask you to join in the ongoing battle in Ingress. They’re calling it a closed beta, but I wonder if limiting access is more about building a sense of mystery and secrecy into the game world as it is about controlling player group size.

In the past, I’ve found in speaking to the developers behind these kinds of games (Massive Damage and Grey Area, specifically), that people generally still play these at home or in the office, at stationary places rather than in an exploratory fashion by wandering the world. Ingress seems to be more about seeking out locations, based on the trailer you can see below, so I’m curious to see if player patterns differ here, or if Google can be more successful in getting players off the couch and out into the world. It’s clear that with Field Trip and now with Ingress, Niantic has a common theme (and possibly a mission) of motivating mobile users to get out and engage with their surroundings.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/15/nia...s-google-play/

**Insanecyclone** · 2012-11-19 15:08

**6souls** · 2012-11-20 01:06

Spoiler: show

http://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/...ht-5-art-1.jpg

Spoiler: show

**6souls** · 2012-11-22 19:44

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8068/8...037784f360.jpg

We at Inside Gaming are proud today to announce the nominees of games that we will celebrate at the Inside Gaming Awards 2012. This year has been incredible for gaming and we regret that we have only so many awards to give. Please join us on December 8, 2012 for the Inside Gaming Awards and see which titles are awarded their respective awards.

GOTY

Spoiler: show

BEST CO-OPERATIVE MULTIPLAYER

Spoiler: show

BEST COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER

Spoiler: show

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Spoiler: show

BEST ART DIRECTION

Spoiler: show

BEST ANIMATION

Spoiler: show

BEST ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Spoiler: show

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Spoiler: show

MOST ORIGINAL GAME

Spoiler: show

BEST GAME CINEMATOGRAPHY

Spoiler: show

BEST NARRATIVE

Spoiler: show

BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME

Spoiler: show

BEST INDIE GAME

Spoiler: show

BEST ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Spoiler: show

BEST CHARACTER DESIGN

Spoiler: show

BEST TRAILER

Spoiler: show

This is Machinima's version of the Spike Video Game Awards without the flare or the 2 hours of bullshit.

**6souls** · 2012-11-23 05:30

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/.../project-godus

It’s an innovative reinvention of Populous, the original god game and delivers exciting global co-operation, competition, creation and destruction to a whole new generation..

The dream at 22cans is to make gaming meaningful. We want to engage people in fresh new ways with accessible, delightful games and experiences. We’re calling them experiments. Curiosity – what’s inside the cube was the first of these and we’re taking what we’ve learnt from it and applying it to future projects such as our next step - GODUS.

Populous was created over 22 years ago, and we believe that to date, nothing has come close to emulating its powerfully godlike experience. It’s this experience we aim to reimagine. GODUS blends the power, growth and scope of Populous with the detailed construction and multiplayer excitement of Dungeon Keeper and the intuitive interface and technical innovation of Black & White. The original Populous hailed from the 8-bit era but GODUS will use the most modern technology the world has to offer.

Microsoft is building an Xbox set-top box. Multiple sources familiar with Redmond's plans have confirmed to The Verge that the company plans to introduce a low-cost alternative to its Xbox console, designed to provide access to core entertainment services. The move will allow Microsoft to further increase its presence in the living room, providing consumers with a choice between a set-top box or a full next-generation Xbox console.

We're told that the set-top box is part of a two-SKU strategy for Microsoft's next-generation of Xbox hardware that will be unveiled in 2013, with a release date ahead of the holiday shopping season. The device will run on the core components of Windows 8 and support casual gaming titles rather than full Xbox games typically found on a dedicated console. Although hardware specifications aren't fully locked down, we understand Microsoft will use a chipset to enable an "always on" device that boots quickly and resumes to provide near-instant access to TV and entertainment services.

Microsoft's Xbox set-top box work is said to be part of a broader effort to ensure its core architecture for the next-generation Xbox is scalable enough to be put together to run on a number of devices. We understand that the company could opt to combine its core system for the next Xbox with a phone stack to deliver a phone capable of running a full version of Microsoft's Xbox Live services. It has also investigated providing this functionality to TV OEMs, who could include the core services as part of a licensed Xbox television set.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/21/3...streaming-2013

Today we're pleased to announce that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition will launch for iOS via the App Store and Android through Google Play on December 6th, with both versions priced at $4.99.

This 10th Anniversary Edition brings the full experience of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to mobile devices, with native high-resolution graphics and several enhancements unique to the iOS and Android platforms including updated character models and lighting effects, new and more precise firing and targeting options, a fully customizable control layout and native support for Retina display devices.

http://www.rockstargames.com/newswir...ing-to-io.html

7th Dragon 2020 II (PSP)

http://tokyo.sega.jp/
http://www.famitsu.com/news/201211/22024714.html

**Deader2818** · 2012-11-23 21:44

I have a feeling this might be the last xbox. I think they are more interested in doing things like Apple does and competing with them then worrying about video gaming and competing with Sony and Nintendo.

**Qalbert** · 2012-11-23 22:14

lol...

**Deader2818** · 2012-11-23 23:02

They are pushing shit like smart glass/tablets, phones, making a console like apple TV and putting way to much money and time into Kinect. Really seems they are starting to focus more on multimedia then gaming.

**Guitarman** · 2012-11-24 03:12

Nah, just gaming as a whole is shifting. Face it. People like you and I are relics.

Sony was just downgraded to "junk" status so we'll see how long they can stay in the console war.

**6souls** · 2012-11-24 04:33

Nintendo may be releasing another Wii redesign in the near future. The information was part of an internal release schedule from a major retailer that at this time we are unable to disclose. After combing through the details we've gleaned the following information:

Introducing the Wii Mini! Coming Dec 7 2012!
WII MINI CONSOLE
Compact Nintendo Wii Console
Comes with Sensor Bar, Nunchuk and Wii Remote Plus with Jacket.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rumor/32595

**6souls** · 2012-11-24 04:37

Originally Posted by Guitarman

Sony was just downgraded to "junk" status so we'll see how long they can stay in the console war.

Sony’s money problems keep on rolling: according to Reuters, the electronics giant’s debt rating has been downgraded to “junk” status by Fitch, a debt rating firm. Basically, this is a reflection on the fact that Sony hasn’t been pulling in much in the way of profit for quite a while. The downgrade translates out to a warning for banks, signifying that if you lend money to Sony right now, you might not see a reliable return on that loan.

Here’s what Fitch said in a statement about the downgrade to BB-minus from BBB-minus:

Fitch believes that continuing weakness in the home entertainment and sound and mobile products and communications segments will offset the relatively stable music and pictures segments and improvement in the devices segment which makes semiconductors and components.

What’s the problem? For starters, the yen is too strong, which means that sales in other countries are less valuable in Japanese currency, resulting in a loss of profits. In addition, Sony has plenty of struggling divisions that cancel out the profits of other revenue-generating divisions. Add in the struggling worldwide economy, and you’ve got a big problem for the company.

The article cites a quote from Masahi Oda, the Chief Investment Officer at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, who actually sees some light at the end of Sony’s financial tunnel:

[…]Sony [is] struggling to generate operating profits, but […] is restructuring and I don’t envision the current situation continuing. A collapse of their core business would be a problem, but we are not at the point yet, and to me Fitch looks too negative.

Interested readers who’ve been following Sony’s woes may remember that not too long ago Standard and Poor’s downgraded the company’s credit rating back in February—the second such downgrade within the last year or so.

http://www.insidegamingdaily.com/201...raded-to-junk/
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...o-junk-status/
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/1...8AL0AD20121122

Director Hugh Binns statement: Eurocom are undertaking a restructuring which I regret to say has meant we've made the majority of our workforce redundant today.

This includes many very experienced, talented and highly skilled employees, and we'd like to thank them all for your hard work and efforts.

We've fought to try and save as many jobs as possible, but the steep decline in demand for console games, culminating in a number of console projects falling through in the last week, left us with no option. Eurocom has retained a core staff of just under 50 employees and will be focusing mainly on mobile opportunities moving forward.

http://www.splashdamage.com/

**Qalbert** · 2012-11-24 08:13

Originally Posted by Jornna

They are pushing shit like smart glass/tablets, phones, making a console like apple TV and putting way to much money and time into Kinect. Really seems they are starting to focus more on multimedia then gaming.

people already have dev kits for the next xbox...

**Kalmado** · 2012-11-24 09:13

That trailer for The Last of Us makes me want a ps3

**Deader2818** · 2012-11-24 12:17

Originally Posted by Qalbert

people already have dev kits for the next xbox...

yeah no shit. I said that THIS might be there last xbox as far as gaming. I didn't mean the 360. I meant their new system.

**Qalbert** · 2012-11-24 12:21

then use your words. This means the present current system, not the next one. dumbass.

**Deader2818** · 2012-11-24 12:24

Considering I posted after the post talking about the 2 different skus for their next system, I think most people would be able to infer what I meant. Context is key. Only dumb ass around here is you. Sorry to disappoint you.

**Kalmado** · 2012-11-24 12:25

/angrypumpkin

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