General gaming

General gaming

Miyamoto Planning to Leave Current Role Within Nintendo [Update]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 07:03 PM PST

Shigeru Miyamoto

Update: Reuters has obtained a denial from Nintendo Co Ltd; specifically, a spokesperson stated, "This is absolutely not true [...] There seems to have been a misunderstanding. He has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. [...] He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned." Reuters' write-up has also noted that shares in Nintendo had fallen by two percent.

Shigeru Miyamoto intends to resign from his current role within Nintendo but will remain an employee of the company.

Three Reasons Why Binary Domain's Robots Are More Interesting Than Everyone Else' Zombies

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 06:15 PM PST

I've found myself unfazed by the zombie mania of the past few years. Yes, Dead Nation and Left 4 Dead are fine games in their own right; but as videogame villains go, I feel like the living dead might be played out. I don't want to fight anymore space zombies, pirate zombies, or garden zombies.

But robots are a different matter. True, they've been around since the dawn of the medium, but I'm not sure anyone has given much thought into what makes them a compelling villain. Robots are scary because they're strong, inhuman, and most importantly, relentless. And unlike zombies, they're also incredibly durable.

OnLive Mobile Lets You Play L.A. Noire on Your iPad

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 06:00 PM PST

OnLive -- the cloud-based gaming service that, through mysticism and Internet wizardry, lets you play games by instantly streaming them to your computer or OnLive microconsole -- can now be played on the go (assuming you have either a Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G-LTE connection from your service provider). OnLive founder and CEO Steve Perlman announced a Mobile aspect to the service, where you can now play OnLive on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android ones (smartphones, tablets, and even the recently released Kindle Fire) via an app. The OnLive Mobile app should go live tomorrow (Dec 8); I say "should" because while the app will hit the Android Marketplace on that date, it is still subject to certification from Apple and Amazon before it hits the store/market for those specific devices.

As part of this rollout, OnLive has secured an exclusive with Rockstar Games -- who has adapted L.A. Noire (the recent PC version with all the downloadable content) specifically for OnLive. That means, besides making the game available on the service at all (and we're assuming that future Rockstar titles will also make their way to OnLive), the developers have actually re-worked the interface to be touchscreen-specific. That is, players can now use gestures, swipes, and the like to control movement and examine objects -- Perlman notes that simple gestures can now turn objects around when looking for clues. Though, the native touchscreen interface is still being developed as of press time -- so when L.A. Noire launches on OnLive, you'll probably need to use the controller still until it gets updated with the new interface. Still, it's pretty interesting that you can now play a game like L.A. Noire (and the rest of the OnLive catalog, which includes Batman: Arkham City, Saints Row: The Third, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and so forth) on your iPad2, Kindle Fire, or phone.

The Science of Strategy Guides

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:32 PM PST

Feature

Header

The Science of Strategy Guides

Frank Glaser and Will Murray of Future Press on the trials of writing book-based game guides in an online world.

By: 1UP Staff December 7, 2011

As gaming grows annually, and draws into its fold new gamers, new fans, and new people hungry for knowledge, so too does the need for things like FAQs, cheat sites, video strategy sites, and community message boards. And although many gamers turn to the Internet for all their strategy-specific needs, there is still a large audience who craves the sturdy feel of the time-tested tome known simply as the printed 'strategy guide.' Like a bible for a gamer deeply invested in his gaming experience, sometimes nothing less will do than a thick volume filled with lavish artwork, bound in a hardcover, with an entire game's secrets at your fingertips. Often, people just don't want to have to sit in front of a computer, checking item recipes, locations, boss tactics, or map layouts. Gamers may want to reference the guide while on the bus, or during lunch, when a PC isn't handy.

While the printed guide isn't going away any time soon, the industry has had to make adjustments. Instead of receding in the wake of the Internet's dominance, most strategy guide makers --Prima and Brady being the behemoths of the industry-- have actually increased the quality of their guides, frequently offering regular softcover versions as well as 'limited edition' hardcover guides, containing premium maps, interviews, artwork and other incentives to get gamers to part with an extra $20-40 per guide. But there is a lesser-known entity quietly producing some of the highest quality guides in the English-speaking market. Their name is Future Press, which was founded in 1998, and is based in Hamburg, Germany. Staffed by a core team of 15 people, they translate their guides into 5 languages, have racked up a formidable catalogue of 50 guides thus far, of which 7 have been officially published in North America.

Historical, Vietnamese-Made FPS Coming to PC in February

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:19 PM PST

7554

Vietnam isn't a place we see a lot of games coming out of. Emobi Games is hoping that won't prevent its first game from being a hit, as the Vietnamese developer is close to releasing a first-person shooter based on the First Indochina War.

The game is known as 7554 -- a strange name, until you realize the significance. Those numbers represent the date May 7, 1954 (or 7-5-54, depending upon where in the world you call home), the day the French called for a ceasefire in the fighting with the Vietnamese army.

Bethesda Offers Tips to Reduce Skyrim PS3 Lag, Denies Fallout Dev's Assessment

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:31 PM PST

Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been out for nearly a month, and players on PlayStation 3 are still facing serious lag as the size of their save game files increase. Bethesda has yet to explain the cause of the problem, but it has offered up some tips that may help those who continue to be affected by it. It's also saying the theory put forth by an Obsidian Entertainment staffer is incorrect.

Obsidian project director Josh Sawyer recently offered up some thoughts on the Skyrim lag, a problem also faced by many Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas players. His experience -- Obsidian was the developer of New Vegas, which ran on the same engine as the Bethesda-developed Fallout 3 -- led to him suggesting the problem was "an engine-level issue" and that reworking the way save games are handled "would require a large time commitment."

Xbox Live Gets an Official iOS App

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:30 PM PST

My Xbox Live iOS app

Just a day after the Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone was released, iOS device owners can now find the My Xbox Live app on the App Store.

The free app does what many hoped they could get from the variety of unofficial iOS ones released over the years: It allows Xbox Live members to access and manage their friends list, read and send messages, edit their profile, set Beacons, view and compare Achievements, watch select videos, and edit their Avatar. The Avatar functionality, when it comes to clothing, is limited only to what you already own; you'll need to get on your Xbox 360 or Xbox.com if you want to buy that CM Punk shirt for your virtual Mini-Me.

Beware This Game-Breaking Zelda: Skyward Sword Bug

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:47 PM PST

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

While The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim players have been facing a variety of problems -- some more serious than others -- things haven't exactly been perfect for another November RPG release. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has a game-breaking bug that could potentially force you to start the entire game over. Nintendo is aware and has told gamers how to avoid it; unfortunately, those who are already affected are out of luck.

"We have been made aware of the issue that results in being unable to progress in the Song of the Hero quest," reads an email being sent out to those who contact Nintendo about the problem. "If the game has been saved after completing the sequence of events, it will no longer be possible to proceed through the game on that save file. The only options at that point are to either start the game over or to use an earlier save file to continue."

Xbox Live Terms of Service Updated to Prevent Class Action Lawsuits

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:14 PM PST

Xbox Live

Update: As noted below, the terms of service indicate you can opt out of this particular clause by mailing a letter to Microsoft. That's apparently not the case, as Kotaku has been told you must agree in order to use Xbox Live. The following statement was sent along with that clarification:

Users must agree to the new clause to the Terms of Use in order to continue using Xbox LIVE. Changes to the Terms of Use are designed to ensure that our customers have an easy way to file a dispute without requiring formal legal action. They may now bring a dispute to our attention by filling out a simple Notice of Dispute form found at www.xbox.com/notice and mailing in documentation in support of their claim. We will then work to resolve the dispute to their satisfaction within 60 days. Any customer unsatisfied with the outcome of this informal process may easily initiate arbitration with the American Arbitration Association.

3DS System Update Goes Live With Unexpected Additions

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:27 AM PST

3DS

3DS owners may have had to wait a bit longer to get the new system update than they first thought, but it also wasn't as long a wait as Nintendo said it would be. After stating the update had been delayed until December 8, the update went live last night, bringing with it a variety of undocumented features including one that amounts to 3DS Achievements.

The big advertised feature, as announced at Nintendo's pre-TGS event in September, is the ability to record 3D movies up to ten minutes in length. Also new is support for downloadable content and game demos; with none currently available, though, this support won't be of much use right now. Heavy StreetPass users will be able to enjoy updated versions of Find Mii and Puzzle Swap. And 3DS owners can now transfer their data (games, photos, saves) to a new system like that really nice Zelda 3DS.

Posted by Shri Krishna

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