Minecraft on PlayStation. The retail smash hit of the summer?

May 9th, 2014, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster

Mojang hopes to repeat last year’s feat and have Minecraft sit atop of the UK retail charts all summer.
A physical version of the construction game is being released for PlayStation 3 on May 14th, with versions on PS4 and Vita set to arrive by September.
The game has already dominated the No,1 position in the PSN charts since it launched last December.
Last summer, Microsoft released a boxed version of Minecraft for Xbox 360, which again launched well after the digital version. However, the title went on to dominate the physical charts throughout the summer and to date has sold well over half a million units in the UK alone, according to MCV retail sources.
Mojang tells MCV that the popularity of Minecraft on disc is not a surprise when you consider the gifting market. And says it is looking to expand its retail options.
“Considering that Minecraft for Xbox has been selling really well on disc, we see that there is still had huge demand for discs and we think that releasing a disc version of Minecraft for the PS3 will be huge too,” Kaplan said.
“We try to make sure that our fans are able to engage with our game wherever they are and this is an other way of making sure we fulfill the need.”
He added: “Our physical business will continue growing but will never surpass our digital sales.
“The reason why it will continue growing is because there is still the gifting option, where it is pretty nice to get a package or something, rather than a code emailed to you.
“We are also going to expand the countries where we have prepaid cards so I think all in all it will be great for the
players to have access to various payment methods that they like.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/minec...summer/0132140

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

The DualShock 4's light bar was developed for Project Morpheus

May 8th, 2014, 23:29 Posted By: wraggster

The DualShock 4's light bar caused quite a fuss when the system launched because it was so darn bright and obtrusive. But you know why it was there? According to SCEE senior designer Jed Ashforth, "it was for tracking for VR."
Ashforth spilled the beans on Sony's once secret plans for VR in an interview withTechradar. "The tracking light... it was our department that said we need that on," Ashforth explained."When all these things were coming out six months ago and everyone was going 'it's reflecting in my TV,' we were going 'oh no' because we couldn't tell anyone what it was for."On the plus side, a recent system update allows players to dim the light bar, while other games like The Playroom use its glowing feature in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye camera to track the position of your hands. The colour-coded controllers also work as a nifty Move substitute for Johann Sebastian Joust, so it's not all bad. It was just confusing as its true purpose had yet to be revealed.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...oject-morpheus

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PSN Store Update: MLB 14, God of War Collection, Sportsfriends

May 7th, 2014, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Destiny beta launches in July on PlayStation consoles

May 7th, 2014, 00:30 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PS4 to lead all consoles with 51 million sold by 2016 - IDC

May 7th, 2014, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster

Research firm also expects Kinect to be unbundled from Xbox One and physical game sales to decline 45% compared to last gen
International Data Corporation (IDC) is preparing to publish its latest console forecast and the research firm has given GamesIndustry International an exclusive preview of the report. There are several key takeaways to note, including Sony's dominance of the new console cycle, Microsoft's need to unbundle Kinect, and a general decline in the physical retail side of the games business.
IDC predicts that Sony's PlayStation 4 will have the single biggest share of the market in 2016 with 51 million sold globally. Microsoft hasn't been faring quite as well, but IDC believes Xbox One will make a serious comeback, particularly in North America where it's forecasted to take the lead. This will be spurred on by unbundling Kinect, IDC said.
"The presumed unbundling of Kinect and Xbox One, which should facilitate rough price parity between it and the PS4, should lead to a spike in Xbox One sales; assuming the console and sensor are unbundled in 2015, IDC expects Xbox One to recover and emerge with the largest installed base of any console in North America by the end of 2016," the firm explained.
Meanwhile, Nintendo's Wii U is expected to finally receive "the equivalent of a $50 price cut worldwide in late 2014 or early 2015," but it won't make a serious dent in the installed base gap between Wii U and the competition.
Looking at the bigger picture, the retail component of the video game business is expected to see continued declines, IDC said. IDC's forecast states that, together, eighth generation consoles will generate about 10 percent less retail revenue from console hardware and disc-based games than seventh generation (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) consoles did combined through their first six years on the market.
That being said, total eighth generation console hardware revenue actually is projected to come in above the comparable seventh generation total thanks to higher average selling prices (ASPs). It's a different story, however, for the physical disc business, which IDC forecasts will see 45 percent fewer discs sold to retailers in the first six years compared to the seventh generation physical games sales.
It's clear that more and more games are being purchased digitally, and the good news is that digital sales will keep the industry healthy. "Given current trends, more than 50 percent of total game and direct app/service spending across all consoles will come through digital channels by 2019 (just over the edge of our forecast window)," said Lewis Ward, IDC research manager. "Microsoft and Sony will get there faster than Nintendo; the projection mixes all game/service spending on big 3 OEM platforms."
In order for the industry to match the sales of the seventh generation, digital will have to continue to grow - and it appears that it will. "If digital games and related online console revenue streams are included in the picture... the outlook for eighth generation consoles improves substantially. The inclusion of digital console game spending, subscription revenue and other content/service/app purchases billed through online eighth generation console stores pushes total revenue up to within a few percent of the seventh gen total through the first six years of availability," noted IDC. "Rising digital revenue is forecast to nearly offset the fall in disc-based revenue."
IDC's 73-page report, Worldwide Video Game and Entertainment Console Hardware and Packaged Software 2014-2018 Forecast, will be available this week.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ld-by-2016-idc

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

There's a new PlayStation Vita available in the US today: what you need to know

May 6th, 2014, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Call of Duty Ghosts has outsold all on next-gen, Activision claims

May 6th, 2014, 23:41 Posted By: wraggster

Activision says Call of Duty: Ghosts is the best selling game across PS4 and Xbox One, despite not mentioning sales figures for the cross-gen title.
Executive Eric Hirshberg revealed that the latest entry in its first-person shooting franchise was the second best-selling title across North America and Europe through the first quarter of 2014, bested only by Skylanders SWAP Force.
Call of Duty Ghosts is "the number one selling game on next gen consoles, life to date", he told investors during a
Activision Blizzard brought in $1.11 billion in net revenue in the first quarter of its 2014 fiscal year, according to a report to investors released Tuesday. Net sales for the three-month period that ended on March 31 exceeded their expected results but came down 16 percent from their $1.32 billion in the same period last year.
Net profit fell considerably, however, down to $293 million for the quarter. Last year the same figure was $456 million.
Activision also did not address overall sales number for Ghosts, whichhad a slower launch than Black Ops 2.
"Our better-than-expected performance was driven by record digital sales in Blizzard Entertainment's franchises, including World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, a new free-to-play game which had already registered more than 10 million users as of its March 11, 2014 launch on Windows and Mac, in addition to Activision Publishing's Skylanders and Call of Duty franchises," Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in a release.
Activision's product sales reached $769 million in total, down from $990 million last year. Despite products being down overall, sales through digital online channels managed to improve slightly to $379 million from $377 million last year.
The firm announced that World of Warcraft's subscriber numbers slipped by 700,000, dropping to 7.6 million in total. More than 1 million copies of Warlords of Draenor, the MMO's next expansion, have been pre-ordered.
The pack will be released "no later than December 20, 2014."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...vision-claims/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

I want PlayStation to be the easiest dev platform, says Sony's Boyes

May 6th, 2014, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

PS4 and PS Vita are regularly lauded as two of the most developer-friendly platforms in the console business, but Sony's Adam Boyes wants PlayStation to be the most simple and accessible platform possible.
Adam Boyes joined Sony as a dev relations exec in 2012In a newly published interview with CVG, the developer relations executive said "I would like [PlayStation] to be the easiest, most accessible place for anyone that's making great games to come out, and have their games come to the broadest amount of people".
Valve's Steam platform, as well as Apple's App Store, are widely accepted as the most hassle-free platforms to release on. While iOS publishing requires zero concept approval, Valve recently suggested it wants Steam to be fully open too. Whether Sony would take steps this far is uncertain, but Boyes made it clear he wants Sony to open up to as many indies as possible.
Speaking after a Sony press event on Wednesday, where Boyes revealed that more than 1000 independent developers are now licensed to self-publish on Sony platforms, the PlayStation executive described indies as "the heartbeat of the industry".
He said that supplying PS4 development kits to indies long before the console's general release, coupled with the system's PC-like architecture, are key to why certain developers have had a relatively easier time porting their games over.
"TowerFall alone took about eight weeks for them to port over. Octodad took eight or 10 weeks for them to bring over. So it's just making it easier for developers."
While questions regarding possible indie over-saturation were discussed on the latest CVG Off The Record podcast, Boyes believes indies help create the broadest church of content on PS4.
"For PlayStation it means a rich, diverse breadth of content. From the very top, big Call of Duty and Destiny and Battlefield and Maddens of the world, all the way to Starwhal: Just the Tip or Nidhogg."
He added that key to the company's success is its openness and sincerity when engaging with indie developers.
"I always like to say when people ask, 'oh, is it just a shtick?' No, talk to the developers. I'll tell you what I feel and believe, but the reality of it is that it comes from them. The day that we aren't good at this, and the day that we are just blowing smoke, is the day that they'll tell the world and the gig will be up."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...s-sonys-boyes/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

US PS Plus update: PES 2014, Stick it to the Man

May 6th, 2014, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster

US PlayStation Plus subscribers will this week get access to two new Instant Game Collection titles, Sony has confirmed.
Bizarre point-and-click adventure Stick it to Man is the latest IGC title for PS4 owners, while football sim Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 will be added to the list for PS3.
Both titles will join the IGC list as part of the weekly US PlayStation Store update tomorrow, May 6.
These are among six IGC newcomers SCEA has confirmed for the month of May, with dark platformer Limbo and puzzle game Surge Deluxe on Vita, and platformer Puppeteer and 2D fighting game Skullgirls Encore on PS3 also to come later this month.
This week's US PS Store update will also see the introduction of a sale on Activision titles. The full list of discounted games and prices is below:

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Slightly Mad Studios gives first look at Project Cars

May 5th, 2014, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Borderlands 2 caps co-op play on Vita at two Vault Hunters

May 2nd, 2014, 22:30 Posted By: wraggster

In sad news for fans of the frenetic multiplayer gunplay found in Borderlands 2, it has been revealed that the game's upcoming Vita incarnation will only support a maximum of two players during co-operative play.

"We checked in with the SCEA Third Party Production team, who confirmed that while they strived to include four-player co-op in the game, they made a decision late in their development cycle to focus on providing the best two-player-only co-op experience possible," a Sony representative wrote on the PlayStation.blog. "As a result, the maximum co-operative player count forBorderlands 2 on PS Vita is capped at two."

While this is disappointing, players can look forward to the wealth of content otherwise found in the handheld Borderlands 2. Not only are saves cross-compatible with the PlayStation 3 version of Borderlands 2, but the Vita game includes six of the DLC packs released for its console counterpart after launch. Plus, online multiplayer is available for anyone suddenly depressed that they can't shoot up Pandora with three nearby pals.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/02/bo...vault-hunters/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Gran Turismo 6 remembers racing legend Ayrton Senna

May 2nd, 2014, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster

It's been two decades since Formula One racing champion Ayrton Senna died during a Grand Prix race at Italy's Imola Circuit, and to memorialize the grim anniversary, the developers behind Gran Turismo 6 have unveiled a two-pronged tribute.

Pay a visit to the Gran Turismo website and you'll find a new section dedicated to Senna. Currently the site's focus is on the Ayrton Senna Institute, a non-profit dedicated to educating the youth of Brazil. Here you'll find an overview of the Institute's work, including a short film directed by the same auteur responsible for the visually striking Gran Turismo documentary Kaz: Pushing the Virtual Divide. As May rolls along, the site will be updated with two slideshows depicting important moments in Senna's career.

Alongside this web content, the month-long Senna memorial will also see the debut of "in-game racing content only available in Gran Turismo 6," though neither Sony nor the Gran Turismo team offer further details on what to expect.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/01/gr...-ayrton-senna/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PlayStation recruits ad agency to 'reposition' PlayStation Plus.

May 1st, 2014, 23:56 Posted By: wraggster

Sony has recruited ad agency Work Club help push PlayStation Plus across Europe.
The agency will 'rebrand and reposition' the PS Plus service, according to CampaignLive.

For those that don't know, PS Plus is the subscription service available for PS3, PS4 and PS Vita that allows for online gaming on PS4, and offers a range of free games across all platforms. It's grown dramatically since the launch of PS4, but isn't as widespread on Sony's consoles as Xbox Live has been across Microsoft's machines.

The European advertising agency for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe had been 180 Amsterdam since 2011.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/plays...n-plus/0131886

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PlayStation 4 indie devs are already using Project Morpheus

May 1st, 2014, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PS4 gets Sky Go and Now TV from this summer

May 1st, 2014, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster

UPDATE: Sky has told Eurogamer the Now TV app is still coming to Xbox One - and it will do so "by summer"."We enjoy a long track-record of innovating with Microsoft and look forward to the launch of Now TV on Xbox One by summer," a spokesperson said."We will announce the more details on the Now TV app for Xbox One nearer to the time of launch in the summer this year."But what of Sky Go?"Looking ahead, we will also consider any future opportunities for Sky Go," the spokesperson added.
ORIGINAL STORY: PlayStation 4 receives Sky Go and Now TV from this summer, Sky has announced.The deal between Sky and Sony means PS4 owners can watch Now TV on their PS4 from this summer. Sky Go will be available later this year, Sky said.Now TV customers can use PS4 to watch content as part of their subscriptions. Sky TV customers can watch TV from Sky Go on PlayStation 3 or PS4 for the first time. Now TV support was added to the PS3 last year.Sony Computer Entertainment UK boss Fergal Gara said: "Now TV has been a great addition to the PlayStation 3 entertainment portfolio, so bringing it to the new PS4 is going to delight all users of the newest, most powerful member of the PlayStation family."Sky Go joining both PlayStation platforms further enhances our credentials as the ultimate gaming and entertainment package."Sky Go is the service that lets Sky customers watch live and on demand content in line with their subscription at no extra cost on a variety of devices. Now TV is a contract-free internet streaming service for Sky Movies, Sky Sports and shows on the likes of Sky Atlantic. When it comes to Sky Sports, for example, you can pay a one-off fee of £9.99 to gain access to those channels for a 24 hour period.There was no mention of Xbox One in today's announcement. Back in November Sky told Eurogamer that Now TV would be made available on Xbox One in the summer of 2014.When Microsoft published its list of Xbox One entertainment apps many noticed there was no mention of a Sky Go app, formerly the Sky Player, which is currently available on Xbox 360.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...om-this-summer

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PS4 to receive Nidhogg, Spelunky, Skulls of the Shogun and more

May 1st, 2014, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

Sony has revealed a dozen new games heading to PS4. Some are going multi-format too.Source.

There's some pretty great finds in here like Eurogamer favourites Spelunky, Nidhogg, and Skulls of the Shogun. The rest of the lineup isn't too shabby either with hilarious party game Starwhal: Just the Tip and promising subversive retro platfromer Axiom Verge bringing their unique flavours to Sony's platforms.Spelunky creator Derek Yu noted on the US PlayStation Blog that Mossmouth is once again working with Blitworks - who did the PS3 and Vita conversions - on this latest PS4 build, which will feature 1080p graphics, more social features in the Daily Challenge mode, and an option to upload replays to the leaderboards.Here's the full list of Sony's recently announced indie lineup:PS4 only:

• Nidhogg - Mark Essen's minimalist two-player fencing extravaganza.
• Skulls of the Shogun: The Bone-a-Fide Edition - 17-Bit's turn-based strategy game.
• Source - Fenix Fire Games' stylish 3D Metroidvania.
• Chasm - Discord Games' procedurally-generated adventure platformer.
• Jamestown Plus - Final Form Games co-op shmup.
• Ironclad Tactics - Zachtronics' rapid-fire card-based strategy game.
• Apotheon - AlienTrap's stylish 2D ancient Greek platforming adventure.
• Escape Goat 2 - MagicTimeBean's puzzle platformer presented by Double Fine.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Watch Dogs season pass detailed, includes new single-player campaign

April 30th, 2014, 23:10 Posted By: wraggster

Ubisoft outlines its DLC plans for Watch Dogs in the newly launched trailer above, revealing that Season Pass buyers will receive access to a variety of additional single-player content.

Watch Dogs' Season Pass includes a new mini-campaign starring supporting character T-Bone, along with three additional missions and five costumes for use in the game's core single-player campaign. The Season Pass also bundles the "Conspiracy!" Digital Trip mode and the exclusive "Untouchables" pack, which includes a 1920s-style gangster costume and Tommy gun.

All DLC packs will be available for Season Pass owners one week prior to their public release. Watch Dogs' Season Pass is priced at $19.99.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/wa...e-player-camp/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PS4 1.70 firmware goes live, has a bunch of extra tweaks

April 30th, 2014, 23:06 Posted By: wraggster

The latest major firmware update for the PlayStation 4 is available to download now, adding SHAREfactory, HDCP disabling, Twitch and Ustream archiving, auto-downloading and pre-loading for pre-ordered games, and a few extras besides.

A large chunk of the 1.70 update centers around video capture and streaming, headlined by the new SHAREfactory suite that lets players edit and customize their gameplay vids. The HDCP off option allows people to record with capture cards (external recording devices). On the streaming side, broadcast resolutions are upped to 720p and streams can be archived to watch later on Twitch and Ustream - that was originally expected in a separate update, so its inclusion in 1.70 is an early bonus.

There's a bunch of smaller extras in the update too, including brightness settings for the DualShock 4 light bar, sorting trophies by rarity, PayPal support for the PS4 Store, and more voice commands for the PS Camera.

The updates aren't limited to the PS4, either. A Vita update brings automatic detection of devices for Remote Play, while the PS App has one of the coolest little additions: being able to change your profile picture to a stored image or photo on your mobile.

For the full list of updates, head over to the PlayStation Blog.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/30/ps...-extra-tweaks/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Driveclub is still free for PlayStation Plus members

April 30th, 2014, 22:55 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Vita shooter Velocity Ultra free this week on PlayStation Plus

April 29th, 2014, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here