Monthly Archives: August 2011

Microsoft plans to ramp up its XBLA release schedule, and for Kinect to play a significant role.

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The terms of service for EA digital distribution platform Origin contain a reference to possible account deletion after two years of inactivity.

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Apologies for the late update, but the Activision Blizzard call to investors was this evening, and you know how excited I get when I hear Bobby Kotick talk record performances, and Thomas Tippl reveal GAPP and Non-GAAP figures. I should probably seek professional help for my problem, but I love to indulge the nonsensical madness churning like a boiling sea in my cider-soaked brain.

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Microsoft has published an interesting – and occasionally unintentionally hilarious – exposé of its Xbox Live Enforcement team, headed by policy director Stephen Toulouse, or Stepto.

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Asked whether PC gaming might be entering a renaissance, Epic’s European head Mike Gamble said it’s a “fallacy” to suggest that it hasn’t already.

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Activision Blizzard has announced better-than-expected financial results for Q2 of 2011 with $335 million in profit and net revenues of $1.1 billion, which is a 66 percent increase on Q2 2010′s $967 million.

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The week is half over, and what better way to get over the hump than by getting versed in things small enough to fit in your hand?

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Trion has released RIFT update 1.4, Legacy of the Fallen, on North American servers. You can find out what to expect in it here. Watch the video for it below courtesy of GameFront.

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Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said the firm is a bit concerned that since it marked the price down on 3DS so soon after launch, that consumers may hold out on purchasing Wii U in the hopes Nintendo will make a similar move with the console.

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Activision has announced additional new details regarding this first-ever Call of Duty XP fan experience, and one nugget which may interest attendees, is the fact they will walk away with a special redemption code for a free copy of the Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition.

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More on the class action lawsuit filed by former college athletes against the NCAA and EA has been reported by USA Today, which states that if former Nebraska and Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller and former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon can prove their rights were violated, EA could end up paying around $1 billion. This equals out to around $1,000 per player likeness used, and when all 3,630 players, and the games are added up, that’s the figure you get. The lawsuit states EA “knowing, willful and intentionally,” used players’ likenesses without providing compensation. EA says it has the right to use these likenesses, even for unnamed athletes in the game due to the First Amendment. EA has 14 days to respond to a lawsuit. Thanks D’toid.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata doesn’t believe the firm is lacking in its support of social gaming, because the firm has always put a “high value to human relationships for a long time.”

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Time Warner announced during its call to investors today it would be launching its mobile and browser-based HBO Go on consoles.

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“We don’t want to give a specific release date until we’re absolutely certain that when we launch the game it’ll be a smooth launch and a bug-free experience. It would be terrible if we released and the servers fell down or there was a bug that detracted from the overall experience. It’d be terrible for the Star Wars fans… and it’d be disappointing for the team members. People like myself, I’ve been on this project for six years. I want it to live up to the expectations.” – SWTOR game director James Ohlen reiterating to Newsarama why there isn’t a set release date for the MMO just yet.

THQ has released a multiplayer video for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, which shows the different character classes as well as touches a upon the 1.8 billion customization options for online battles. Game’s out in September. Thanks, Gematsu.

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Square has released a new video for Deus Ex: Human Revolution which not only shows off the gameplay system a bit more, but the game’s multi-path elements as well. It’s about five minutes long, so go grab a soda beforehand. Game’s out in August for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Thanks, Gematsu.

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Blizzard has announced it raised over $1.9 million through the sale of its World of Warcraft pet, the Cenarion Hatchling, which was sold to raise money towards earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan. In May, the firm said that for every Cenarion sold through July 31, 100 percent of the $10 cost would go towards the effort. Good job all around.

Minecon is a go, and the Minecraft convention will take place on November 18 and 19 to coincide with the launch the game’s full release.

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Microsoft has filed a trademark with the USPTO for Iron Brigade, and the description says only that it is “computer software” and that it was filed on July 26. The site Fusible, which dug the application up, suggests it could be in reference to a Union army unit from the Civil War, the 150th anniversary of which is this year. We’ll just have to wait and see, we suppose. Thanks, Joystiq.

Ubisoft has announced its lineup of games which gamescom attendees can play before the official releases by visiting the company’s booths at the convention.

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