12
Aug

General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Assassin’s Creed III PC Release Date Pushed Back To November 20th

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Assassins Creed 3Okay so pushed back might be a bit of an exaggeration since it was never formally announced, however up until now we were told the PC release date would match those of the Xbox 360 and PS3. This has never been true in the past, but we played along. Turns out if you were one of the countless masses who expressed cynicism at this statement, you'd have been in the right.  

The release date has been pushed to November 20th for North America, and November 23rd for those in the UK. The new date gives the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions almost a full month head start, with both editions planning to hit shelves for console players on October 31st. Ubisoft has never really done a good job of explaining why the PC version of their games are typically launched a month or more apart for the console versions, though many have theorized that it has something to do with piracy.

Anyone else have a theory?

Barnes & Noble Cut Nook Tablet Prices To Compete With Nexus 7

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT

NookThey won't come right out and say it, but a recent price cut on the Nook Tablet family can only mean one thing, Nexus 7's are back in stock. The Barnes and Noble devices aren't even close to being the best Android tablet option out there these days, however for those invested in the B&N platform they are still a very capable device. Additionally, if reading is going to be your primary use for a tablet, these budget devices will fit the bill quite nicely.

Here is a full breakdown of the cuts:

The price of the Nook Color drops from $169 to just $149. 

The Nook 8GB Tablet drops from $199 to $179.

The Nook 16GB Tablet drops from $249 to $199.

It's worth reminding users however that the lion share of spare capacity of these tablets have been reserved by the operating system for B&N content only, so if you are looking for a tablet that you can load up with your own content, the Nook probably won't be your best choice. 

Apple Offered To License Patents to Samsung for $30 per Phone, $40 per Tablet

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 09:35 AM PDT

The Apple vs. Samsung saga has been unfolding at a rapid pace over the last few weeks, and several new developments about what went on behind the scenes is starting to emerge. According to court fillings, Apple considered Samsung a "strategic partner", and offered them the option to license key patents in order to restore peace between the two companies. "Samsung chose to embrace and imitate Apple's iPhone archetype," Apple said in an Oct. 5, 2010 presentation to Samsung. "Apple would have preferred that Samsung request a license to do this in advance. Because Samsung is a strategic supplier to Apple, we are prepared to offer a royalty-bearing license for this category of device." 

According to a report by AllthingsD, Apple also offered to give Samsung a 20 percent discount if the company would cross-license its patent portfolio back to Apple. The documents also show Apple was interested in expanding the scope of what was covered to devices running the Symbian and Bada operating systems as well. In 2010, the year the settlement was proposed, Apple was seeking around $250 million in compensation. They also pointed out that the settlement was far less than what they were already spending with Samsung on components. 

"Apple has identified dozens of examples where Android is using or encouraging others to use Apple patented technology," Apple said in the August 2010 presentation, which contained the headline "Samsung copying iPhone."

"Many more Apple patents are relevant to the Android platform," Apple said, outlining dozens of patents it believed were being infringed. "Apple has not authorized the use of any of these patents."

Obliviously Samsung didn't take the offer or they wouldn't still be duking it out in court. $250 million in 2010 however would probably only be a small fraction of what they would be earning as royalties these days since Samsung has the market cornered when it comes to non-iPhone Smartphones.

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Microsoft Responds to Windows 8 Backlash From Game Developers

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT

GFWLIn a recent interview, Valve CEO Gabe Newell took a few pot shots at Windows 8, and it didn't take long before Blizzard, Mojang, and several other high profile developers piled on. Most have stopped short of calling it a "catastrophe" the way Gabe Newell did, however most have made it clear they don't see much benefit for PC Gamers who are on the fence about upgrading. "If Microsoft decides to lock down Windows 8, it would be very, very bad for indie games and competition in general," said Minecraft creator and founder of Mojang, Markus "Notch" Persson. Microsoft's response's was a carefully worded statement attempting to restore confidence, however when terms like "Games For Windows Live" are used, we had to admit to being slightly skeptical. 

According to Microsoft Windows 8 will offer built-in games and related achievements, and that Xbox Live is fully integrated into the OS. They once again re-affirmed their commitment to the Games for Windows Live brand, and that the future of the Xbox would be closely tied to Windows 8. "With Xbox on Windows 8, we created easy entry points into the types of entertainment that you'll enjoy, including games," a spokesperson told VentureBeat. "The Games app prominently features your avatar, profile, friends and Gamerscore and allows you to explore your friends' avatars." Users will also be able to buy games for their Xbox on the PC, and queue them for downloading on the console.

Microsoft's decision to try and bring the PC and Xbox closer together is an odd strategy, and one that could potentially backfire. PC and console gamers are very distinct communities, and it's a relatively small percentage of either side that has any desire to see the two mashed together. 

It's worth pointing out that existing games should, at least in theory, run as well in Windows 8 as they did in previous versions. If you aren't interested in a "Modern UI" or the Xbox integration on the other hand, it probably won't offer current PC Gamers much in the way of useful new features.   
Posted by Shri Krishna

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