Author Archives: Brenna Hillier

The Q2 lull is over, financials season is in full swing and E3 2012 is alarmingly close. It’s time to take a look over the major players and see what the year ahead holds, starting with the effervescent EA.

More »

Nintendo powerhouse Masahiro Sakurai isn’t interested in producing a sequel for recent 3DS release Kid Icarus Uprising.

More »

Kotaku reports some Minecraft fans have been disappointed to discover the Xbox 360 Edition doesn’t support split-screen play on standard definition tellies; port developer 4J Studios has confirmed you’ll need an HD cable and display. Minecraft’s not exactly visually demanding so it seems a bit odd, but there you go: if you’re fronting a CRT and looking for some couch-buddy good times, save your 1600 MS Points.

Peter Moore believes traditional retailers still have a lot to offer the games industry, even as digital revenue becomes a necessary side of the business.

More »

Despite a growing acceptance of freemium-first business models, the informed money is on a premium subscription model for The Elder Scrolls Online.

More »

EA has released a new opt-in beta for Origin. Some fine-tuning in the latest version will lower the client’s tendency to hog your system, and also ease the cumbersome DLC download process. It also allows you to display your real name via a tool-tip, so go ahead and disable that if you’re afraid of being outed as that twit who rage quits two rounds into a Mass Effect 3 match. I will find you. More details on EA’s blog.

New maps, new spec ops missions, and a whole new multiplayer mode will feature in the next content drop for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

More »

Why would the Decepticons have kidnapped a bunch of children? Find out in this trailer for Transformers: Prime.

More »

File this under “wild extrapolation” if you like, but BioShock: Infinite’s delay and Irrational Games’s search for a networking expert paints a compelling picture, probably titled “still life with multiplayer”.

More »

Square Enix has outlined a number of pre-order bonuses for Hitman: Absolution, including exclusive weapons and suits.

More »

Perfect World has narrowed down the launch window for Cryptic’s Neverwinter from “2012″ to “Q4 2012″.

More »

Edmund McMillen has confirmed that Sony is still interested in The Binding of Isaac.

More »

A Microsoft patent filed in 2009 but granted this week shows a pretty neat controller idea. Sensors on the body of the control pad measure various uniquely identifying features, like the shape of the fingers and firmness of grip, to crete a signature for each user. Imagine picking up the pad and being logged into your Xbox 360 profile – and even better, keeping your save-file-deleting siblings out. Looks neat. Probably won’t happen.

Thanks, Polygon.

Famitsu has the first images of Musou Orochi 2 Special, a PSP release for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game known as Warriors Orochi 3 in the west. This version has not been confirmed for outside Japan, but will include one new character – Rachel from Ninja Gaiden – and a Battle Royal Mode, with support for up to four players via Ad Hoc connection.

Another day, another amazing use for Kinect which has almost nothing to do with games. According to a report in New Scientist, Microsoft’s motion control tech is being used at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, to help identify early signs of autism in young children. Five Kinects places around the room feed into one processing unit, which keeps track of a room full of kiddies and looks for those showing behaviour which deviates from the average activity level of the room. Wow. It is okay to be frightened.

Thanks, Eurogamer.

Sony will release a new PlayStation 3 bundle in the US on May 25, which packs in a 320GB console, one control pad, and a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, for $299. The bundle is a kind of quick ticket straight into Call of Duty multiplayer, which Activision boasted has 40 million monthly average users. Players have already logged 1.6 billion hours with Modern Warfare 3, which as usual broke entertainment launch records on release. Hit the break for a stock image of the new bundle.

More »

As part of a month long focus on nature, Exeter Cathedral will hold a special service this Sunday evening featuring thatgamecompany’s Flower, as demonstrated by GeekDad’s Andy Robertson. Flower is ace, so this seems like a pretty good deal for the congregation. The PlayStation Network exclusive released in 2009, was critically acclaimed, and sold a whole bunch.

Thanks, Kill Screen.

Another teaser site has opened for Platinum Games’ take on the Metal Gear universe, hinting that the action-oriented title isn’t afraid to dive into the convoluted narratives the franchise is known for.

More »

EA’s stock took a bit of a beating in the wake of its financial briefing earlier this week, but CEO John Riccitiello says investors are behind the times.

More »

PlayStation 3 users have been on board Mass Effect 3′s multiplayer weekends since Operation Exorcist, but to make up for the delay in bringing the third platform on board, BioWare is offering a couple of free goodies to PS3 players. The reward packs from Operations Goliath and Raptor, two of the earliest events, will be automatically added to PS3 players’ store stocks today. It can take a few hours for the packs to roll out to all players, so don’t panic if yours hasn’t arrived yet. BioWare notes that players will need all the firepower they can get ahead of this week’s Operation Silencer, which may unlock Vorcha classes.