Report: Foxconn using unpaid student interns to build PS4

October 10th, 2013, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster

Agreement with local school forces students into internships or risk losing credits

Unpaid interns are being forced to help build the PlayStation 4 at Foxconn plants, claim reports in the Chinese media.

Games in Asia cites The Oriental Post for the news, which comes after previous revelations about poor working conditions and a rash of suicides at the company best known for producing iPhones.

The report claims that students at the Xi'an Institute of Information Engineering are required to take unpaid internships at Foxconn's Yantai plant or lose six course credits – effectively blocking them from graduation.

The program is part of an agreement between the institute and the tech manufacturer which the school publicly recognizes and promotes, but students claim they're being forced into jobs that have no relation to their field of study.

The report claims one finance and accounting major was set to work glueing the parts of the PS4 together, while another wound up spending his days peeling off protective plastic and placing stickers.

One computer science major was tasked with putting the console's cords and instruction manual in the box.

These students said that their hours were the same as those of the regular workers, the difference being they go unpaid.

Foxconn says that all its workers are voluntary and it has no interest in keeping them from leaving if they so choose.

The Xi'an Institure of Technology was asked if it received an agent's fee for providing the workers, but declined to comment, stating only that the program was legal.

Sony has not yet issued a statement about the allegations.

This isn't the only time a console manufacturer has been caught up in a Foxconn scandal. The company was found to be employing teenagers to build the Wii U, a practice which Ninetendo was able to stop when it investigated.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/r...ld-ps4/0184309

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Sony: Camera cut from PS4 bundle to minimise losses

October 10th, 2013, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster

Removal of camera from bundle also gives the console the 'magic price point', CEO says

Sony has decided against including the next-gen PlayStation Camera in the initial PS4 bundle offering, CEO Andrew House has confirmed.

A piece on Business Spectator reveals Sony’s reasoning behind the decision is based on keeping the price down at $399, as well as minimising losses on each system sold.

Sony previously wanted to include the camera at the $399 retail price point, but pressure to focus on competitive pricing proved to be too much for the hardware maker.

The camera will still be sold separately for $59.99.

House also notes that a camera bundle could still be an option in the future, stating that Sony may "adjust messaging" regarding the camera at some point down the road.

Microsoft’s Xbox One will include a Kinect camera sensor with every console and, at $499, runs $100 above the cost of the PlayStation 4.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/s...losses/0184314

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Dustforce will clean up on Vita, PS3 and Xbox 360 in January

October 9th, 2013, 23:13 Posted By: wraggster

Hitbox Team's score-attack platformer Dustforce is heading to Xbox 360, PS3 and Vita this January, publisher Capcom has announced.House of leaves.

The console version will cost €9.99 / $9.99, and the PS3/Vita ports will support cross saves and crossplay, meaning players on each Sony platform can play with each and transfer their saves back and forth. Curiously, Cross-Buy isn't mentioned, so it's unclear if buying it on one Sony platform unlocks it on the other. We're looking into it, but wouldn't hold our breaths.The console version of Dustforce will feature over 50 stages, up to four-player multiplayer and online leaderboards. Additionally the Vita port will have ad-hoc support, while the PS3 version will sport replay saves."It's hard not to admire the pat precision of the controls or deny the transcendent joy of a high-ranking run," wrote EG-contributor Marsh Davies in his Dustforce review. "Those with an addiction to high scores will love the many hours they spend smashing themselves repeatedly against the levels' pitiless design."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...360-in-january

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Dragon's Crown to receive cross-play between Vita and PS3

October 9th, 2013, 23:07 Posted By: wraggster

One of co-op RPG/brawler Dragon's Crown's most disappointing features is that it doesn't allow cross-play between its PS3 and Vita versions. Well that shouldn't be a problem for long as publisher Atlus just revealed that it's adding this feature in an update due "very soon."Unfortunately, it's only confirmed the update in North America and Japan - where it's already live. But the fact that it's in development for the English-language version shows a lot of promise for European shores. I've reached out to Atlus to see what I can find out about Europe receiving this too and will update if I get confirmation either way.Our Martin Robinson wasn't incredibly fond of Dragon's Crown. He admired the co-op experience it turned into on harder settings once he'd unlocked online multiplayer and a robust move set, but questioned its decision to bury this content 15 or so hours into the game. "It's a chaotic logic that tries to justify a 15-hour trawl to reach something that resembles the breezy engagement of the scrolling brawler - a genre that, let's not forget, has its roots in 20-minute sessions fueled by 50p coins," he wrote in his Dragon's Crown review.That being said, he realised he was an outlier, and fans of the genre may still enjoy it. "Some people absolutely love it, and I can see why," he added in a comment. "For me it had its moments, but I wasn't particularly pleased with having to wait so long to get to them. Definitely worthwhile if you're curious, and it shows off the Vita better than anything else."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...n-vita-and-ps3

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Proteus to release for PS3 and Vita this month

October 9th, 2013, 22:59 Posted By: wraggster

Proteus will release for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita later this month boasting new features exclusive to consoles.
Originally released for PC and Mac in January, Proteus is a procedurally generated exploration game which, according to co-creator Ed Key, "lurks somewhere on the shady fringes of what it means to be a game."
The Sony editions were announced in July and will come with new features. For the PS Vita version, users can generate a world based on their current, real world geographical location.
Meanwhile, both the PS Vita and PS3 versions can generate islands based on the current date, taking into account weather conditions.
The port will also implement the PS Vita's backpad, though more details on how the functionality will work will be revealed in the near future.
If you're curious to know more about Proteus, CVG's own senior citizen correspondent Gamer Gran reviewed the game.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ures-detailed/

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EU PS Store sale discounts Uncharted, Infamous and LittleBigPlanet

October 9th, 2013, 22:55 Posted By: wraggster

The discounts, which cover Uncharted, Infamous and LittleBigPlanet games, as well as Gravity Rush and PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, will run until October 15.
PS3:

• infamous, Was €14.99/£10.99, now €10.04/£7.36
• inFAMOUS 2, Was €19.99/£15.99, now €12.99/£10.39, Not available in Turkey
• inFAMOUS Collection, Was €34.99/£28.49, now €19.94/£16.23
• LittleBigPlanet, Was €14.99/£10.99, now €10.04/£7.36, Not available in Bulgaria, Hungary, Qatar
• LittleBigPlanet 2, Was €14.99/£10.99, now €10.04/£7.36
• PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, Was €19.99/£15.99, now €12.99/£10.39
• Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Was €14.99/£10.99, now €10.04/£7.36,
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Was €14.99/£10.99, now €10.04/£7.36
• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (GOTY edition), Was €24.99/£19.99, now €19.99/£15.99

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Sony tried including PlayStation 4 Eye camera at $399, may include in future bundles

October 9th, 2013, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster

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Good old days weren't so good - Cerny

October 9th, 2013, 22:12 Posted By: wraggster

Between creating Marble Madness and helping design the PlayStation 4, Mark Cerny has seen the process of making games transform time and again over his career. And while the growing popularity of independently developed games is bringing some development team sizes back to where they were when he first started, Cerny told the parallels between the two eras pretty much end there.
"It is absolutely not like us back in those days," Cerny said when asked if current indie studios reminded him of his early years. "So Atari was one-person teams, or two-person teams. But because it was coin-operated games, there was dedicated hardware, and those cabinets cost $3,000."
As a result, there was a huge amount of infrastructure built up around each game, Cerny said, with multiple levels of management tracking and green-lighting the work from a single programmer. Developers were similarly stifled at Sega, where Cerny worked on games like Kid Chameleon and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
"If you look at what we were doing at Sega, that was, in some sense, I hate to say it, shovelware," Cerny said. "It was one programmer, one designer, three months, and you just shipped it. And the quality was low and they didn't care. That is so far from what we call indie today, which is a labor of love and you never know when it will be done. It'll be done when it'll be done, when it achieves the creator's vision."
As system architect for the PlayStation 4, Cerny was also asked about any misconceptions regarding the soon-to-launch system that he would like to clear up.
"John Carmack came out recently and said that the [Xbox One and PS4] console hardware seems to be about the same level of performance," Cerny said. "I think that probably the power of the PS4 is a little bit underappreciated there in that statement. But you have to take it from John Carmack's perspective. This is a man who builds spaceships, right? So from his perspective, he's 20 years out in the future looking back, and they all kind of look the same."
Cerny didn't seem to take the slight too personally, calling Carmack a "true genius," citing his work on engines as evidence of an "unbelievable" level of vision.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-so-good-cerny

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Grand Theft Auto V claims seven Guinness World Records

October 9th, 2013, 21:58 Posted By: wraggster

Rockstar’s GTA V has only been on sale for just over three weeks but the game has already claimed seven world records.
The PS3 and Xbox 360 epic sold 11.2m units in its first day, generating revenues of $815.7m/£511.8m. It hit $1bn/£624.25m after just three days.
In the process it has beaten previous record holders Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, The Avengers and Avatar.
"GTA totally deserves to be recognized as an icon of modern British culture, and we're thrilled to be able to feature the game in the record books,” Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday said.
“Gaming is no longer a niche hobby, as GTA V has proved, and how exciting that it's taken on the might of Hollywood and won! I'm also doubly proud as a Dundonian to welcome this home-grown series back into the Guinness World Records book.”
Here are its seven records in full:
1. Best-selling action-adventure video game in 24 hours
2. Best-selling video game in 24 hours
3. Fastest entertainment property to gross $1bn
4. Fastest video game to gross $1bn
5. Highest grossing video game in 24 hours
6. Highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours
7. Most viewed trailer for an action-adventure video game

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/grand...ecords/0122314

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Ambition to ship GPU-less console delayed PS3

October 9th, 2013, 21:30 Posted By: wraggster

Desire to ship console without a graphics chip pushed it back an entire year

A flawed ambition to ship PlayStation 3 without a graphic processing unit was a major reason for the console’s year-long delay, fresh interviews with Sony staff have revealed.

Speaking to IGN, members of Naughty Dog, said that PS3 was intended to launch in 2005, but the Sony’s hardware team – lead by Ken Kuturagi – originally wanted the system’s Cell chip and SPUs to handle its entire graphics processing.

“We had started this ICE [Initiative for a Common Engine] team with the intent of developing some core technology that could be shared amongst all the first parties, back at the end of Jak II,” said an unnamed source.

“We thought, ‘okay, Jak 3 will come out – that was 2004 – and then we’d have another year.’ Then we’d get our PS3 game out.”

Naughty Dog soon got Amy Hennig, creator of Uncharted series, involved to start coming up with ideas for the new console. But with the system delayed, she worked on Jak 3.

Jak X, the studio’s last PS2 game, was only supposed to be a “stopgap” before it moved on to after “the entire [PS3] was delayed by a year”.

“For a while, [PS3 had] no GPU, it was going to run everything with SPUs,” the source said.

Sony poured at least $400 million into the development of the Cell processor. For sometime, the company’s ambition, another source said, was for PS3 to go without a GPU at all; Cell was expected to do all the heavy lifting.

“The ICE team proved to Japan that it was just impossible. It would be ridiculous. Performance-wise, it would be a disaster. That’s why they finally added the GPU, closer to the end.”

PlayStation 3 was revealed for the first time at E3 2005 in Los Angeles. By that point, Sony had struck a deal with Nvidia to supply its console with a GPU and plans for a 2005 launch were abandoned, leaving Microsoft to get a head start with Xbox 360.

Another source added: “I think that the hardware guys focused too much on getting the [Sony’s proprietary processor] CELL working that the GPU project [for PlayStation 3] ultimately fell behind.”

http://www.develop-online.net/news/a...ed-ps3/0184281

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DICE promises changed single player for Battlefield 4

October 9th, 2013, 00:25 Posted By: wraggster

The single player component of Battlefield 4 will feel quite different from what was offered in Battlefield 3, DICE has said.
"We got a lot of feedback from the Battlefield 3 single player,” DICE creative director Lars Gustavsson told CVG. “Based on what we intended to deliver the team did a great job, but given that it's a Battlefield product there were a lot of expectations that it would be more open
"What we promised ourselves [with Battlefield 4] was to unify the product more, so we infused a lot of the things from multiplayer – from being able to use your squad – into multiplayer, so now you can use them in single player to engage enemies.
“First and foremost we're opening up the encounters more to give you the freedom to decide how to tackle them, whereas in Battlefield 3 it was more 'pick up that one and kill that one', which I can agree is not the most exciting way. Players want to feel smart doing what they're doing.”
“We do single player because we want to and we've learned a lot while doing it, and I think we have a great story to tell."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/dice-...ield-4/0122249

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Injustice Ultimate Edition announced

October 7th, 2013, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster

Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition is, according to Warner Bros, "the comprehensive version of the 2013 best-selling fighting game franchise".


It will include the original game and all downloadable content (a total value of £79), and will retail for £49.99 on PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360, and £29.99 for Vita and PC. North American pricing has yet to be confirmed.


The DLC included features extra characters Lobo, Batgirl, General Zod, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna and Scorpion. More than 40 extra character skins and 60 S.T.A.R. Labs Missions are also now available from the start of the game.

The North American version will also come with the game's soundtrack featuring an exclusive track from Jane's Addiction titled 'Another Soulmate'.

It also marks the debut of the game on PS4, Vita and PC. According to Warner Bros:

"Remastered for next-gen technology by High Voltage, the PS4 system version will feature Touchpad functionality, video sharing and streaming, and will link to players' PlayStation Network Feed page during match wrap-ups and pause menus. High Voltage is also bringing the PC version of the game to hungry fans.

"The PS Vita version, which is adapted for the handheld experience by Armature Studio, will feature touch controls for mini-games in the story mode and S.T.A.R. Labs Missions, Ad-hoc and Wi-Fi multiplayer, collectible hero cards, and all DLC released to date."
In CVG's Injustice review, we said: "Injustice: Gods Among Us isn't a game that's built to last. Short-term exhilaration turns to long-term ennui once the giddiness of its morality-bending world wears off, and for us that make the experience one to pick up in the sales - unless you're utterly Bat-mad. All the same, while it lasts, this is crackingly overblown entertainment."

Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition will be released on November 12 in North America and November 29 in Europe.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ion-announced/

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Shadow of the Colossus free to US PS Plus subs from Tuesday

October 7th, 2013, 22:28 Posted By: wraggster

Team Ico's PS2 classic Shadow of the Colossus will be available at no additional cost to US PlayStation Plus subscribers from Tuesday, October 8.
The game was re-released with enhanced HD visuals for PS3 in 2011, and has the player do battle with a series of giant Colossi in an attempt to resurrect a loved one.
Sony previously confirmed a list of new Instant Game Collection titles in October, including Sine Mora (Vita), Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PS3), Poker Night 2 (PS3) and Hotline Miami (PS Vita/PS3, Cross-Buy).
This week's PS Plus Update also adds a list of new game discounts on titles including the Crash Bandicoot series, Tony Hawks Pro Skater, Transformers games and more.
Check out the fill discounts list on the US PS Blog.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-from-tuesday/

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PS4 pre-orders held for ransom by online retailer

October 7th, 2013, 22:27 Posted By: wraggster

An online retailer has come under fire for informing customers who pre-ordered PS4s that they must now pay between £415 and £470 in order to stay in the pre-order queue for launch day.
Since October 3, SimplyGames has sent emails to customers who pre-ordered PlayStation 4 consoles stating they must upgrade their purchase in order to retain their allocated unit.
According to games website PixelEnemy, the online store is also guaranteeing a system on launch day if two or more standalone consoles are purchased. Those who ordered the basic £350 unit, however, will lose their place in the queue unless they upgrade.
Those affected will need to spend at least £415 for an unofficial bundle, with other packages climbing to £470 in price. Eurogamer, which has published an image of the enforced upgrade choices, shows that some bundles contain unofficial dual-charging cables - confirmation that this bundle has been assembled by the retailer and not likely delegated by Sony.
SimplyGames' decision to hold allocated stock at ransom has sparked outrage on the official European PlayStation forums. Users have pledged to never do business with the retailer again.
"Will never order a single thing from them," reads one of the first comments.
Unverified information published elsewhere suggests that CentreSoft, a distributor that has previously delivered stock to SimplyGames, is forcing the retailer's decision by only supplying bundles.
It is not confirmed that CentreSoft still works with SimplyGames, and it is not believed that any other CentreSoft retail partner is enforcing pre-order upgrades, meaning that the accusation appears unfounded.
Sony has also been accused in the matter. It is alleged that, further up the supply chain, the PlayStation 4 manufacturer has supplied more bundles and less standalone systems than previously anticipated. In a statement sent to CVG, Sony denied these claims:

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PlayStation 4 mobile app headed to Vita in next update, dubbed 'PS4 Link'

October 7th, 2013, 22:21 Posted By: wraggster

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Gman's PS2 Portable

October 7th, 2013, 21:52 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.made-by-bacteria.com/foru...p=31730#p31730

Here's my first PlayStation 2 portable. This is being entered in the build off. Good luck to other contestants!

Features:
Ag-85 polycase
5amp 7.4v batteries
4 inch 4:3 screen
dualshock 2 controller
PS2 slim 79001 motherboard
It plays games off of a usb drive
Internal free mcboot memory card

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Grand Theft Auto V breaks PSN sales records

October 7th, 2013, 21:39 Posted By: wraggster

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V has not just been breaking records on the High Street.
The PlayStation Blog has confirmed that the digital version of the game available for £49.99 on the PlayStation Network has broken the previous sales record enjoyed by The Last of Us to become the biggest ever digital release on the platform.
It may well have been helped, of course, by the fact that the game continues to be relatively hard to come by in some areas.
Also note that the game achieved these sales success despite plenty of talk online about the alleged technical failings of the PSN release – allegations that Rockstar has refused to acknowledge from the off, incidentally.
What also remains unclear is exactly how many copies sold on PSN. Does the fact that FIFA 14 – a game that costs £59.99 to download or less than £39.99 I shops – was second in the PSN chart this week suggest that sales still remain relatively small?

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/grand...ecords/0122207

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Injustice: Gods Among Us heading to PS4... but not Xbox One

October 7th, 2013, 21:35 Posted By: wraggster

Warner has announced Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition for a number of formats.
One of them is PS4. Not on the list, however, is Xbox One. Also missing is Wii U, despite the fact that the original version of the game was released on Nintendo’s machine.
High Voltage is developing the PS4 release, which will make use of the system’s console-specific features like the controller touchpad and video sharing. The new PS Vita version, developed by Armature Studio will do much the same, introducing touch controls and wi-fi multiplayer.
The Ultimate Edition includes all of the original release’s DLC, offering characters such as Batgirl, General Zod and Mortal Kombat star Scorpion.
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition will be released on PS4, Vita, PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on November 29^th.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/injus...ox-one/0122208

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Simply Games says PS4 upgrade offer is "largely a retailer-lead initiative"

October 7th, 2013, 21:35 Posted By: wraggster

Online retailer Simply Games has confirmed to MCV that it’s PS4 pre-order upgrade plan has not been forced upon it by Sony.
The company has been contacting customers who have pre-ordered a PS4 telling them that they must upgrade to a more expensive bundle to secure their machine.
“We are aware of some fairly major inaccuracies that have been reported on various web sites,” Simply Games director Neil Muspratt told MCV. “Whilst this is very regrettable, we have taken the decision not to get involved with internet speculation, rumours and untruths.
“We can confirm that ours is largely a retailer-lead initiative and on site we have listed a combination of Sony bundles and our own PS4 bundle offers. By and large these offers have been very well received, to the point at which our launch allocation has now all been sold through.”
Sony, meanwhile, has confirmed to MCV that the PS4 upgrades being offered by retail partners are not mandatory.
“We value our consumers and offered the bundles precisely to give them choice and value. And the key word there is choice,” Sony UK told MCV. “We have not nor would we ever force people to buy one of these instead. Sony is not and would not force anyone to buy something they don't want.
“Since the announcement of these bundles we have been asking retailers to reach out to their pre-order customers to give them the choice of taking a bundle (which hadn't been announced when they placed their original pre-order).
“We continue to work closely with our retail partners to ensure we offer this choice against the challenges of managing demand and inventory in the climate of amazing excitement and unprecedented demand for PlayStation 4.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/simpl...iative/0122223

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Red Dead Redemption revisited, through the lens of cinema

October 7th, 2013, 20:10 Posted By: wraggster

EXT – Los Santos – DayThere’s a series of trucks parked in a rough circle. Like a ritual. A meet. It’s silent. There are torn up bodies all around. One is breathing. Barely. There’s a bag of money on the gravel, among the spit and the dirt. Our hero picks up the bag. His troubles begin…This is a very specific scene from Grand Theft Auto V, not tied to the main story and therefore not guaranteed to cross your mind as anything of major importance as you cruise Los Santos over the coming days, weeks, months. In fact, it’s actually a very meticulous recreation of a pivotal scene from the Coen Brothers’ No Country For Old Men, and anyone familiar with the film’s opening will immediately identify the homage.

http://www.edge-online.com/features/...ion-revisited/

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