52652695
submission
RogueyWon writes:
5 November sees the worldwide release of Cal of Duty: Ghosts, the latest installment in the incredibly successful franchise that's often seen as the poster-child for "dudebro" gaming. However, compared with previous titles, Ghosts is facing a challenging launch environment; the developer is already setting expectations that the game will sell fewer copies than previous installments. At the same time, with the review embargo passed, the critical reception for the game is looking lukewarm, with some reviews making unflattering parallels with the previous installment in the series. Could the momentum finaly be ebbing away from the Modern Military Shooter bandwaggon?
52506179
submission
RogueyWon writes:
The BBC reports that a batch of Dell's Latitude 6430u Ultrabooks has shipped out with a rather embarrassing problem; a strong smell of cat urine. While some users initially cast blame upon their own feline companions, Dell has now acknowledged that the problem was due to a fault in the manufacturing process for the laptop's palm rest and is offering replacement parts to affected users. The company has also reassureds customers that the chemicals responsible for the odour were not harmful to human health (so that's alright then).
52291873
submission
RogueyWon writes:
Four months after the launch of the Ouya micro-console, Gamasutra has pulled together a round up of the experiences of indie developers who have brought their games to the platform. There's both positive and negative news; developers seem to like the ease of porting to the platform, but have concerns regarding the approach that its marketplace takes. Perhaps most crucially, sales of games on the platform are far from stellar.
50818239
submission
RogueyWon writes:
When Blizzard released the third installment in its famous Diablo series in May 2012, the game received a rapturous reception from some parts of the gaming press. However, many gamers were far less enthusiastic. The first bone of contention was an always-online DRM requirement (which rendered the game intermittently unplayable during the weeks after its release). Almost as controversial, however, was an auction house system which combined with the game's own reward mechanics to provide a strong incentive for players to spend real money trading in-game items. When the Playstation 3 version of the game was released last month, this widely-despised feature was notable by its absence. Now, in what is at least a small concession to the power of customer opinion, Blizzard has announced that the feature will be removed from the PC version of the game next year. The always-online requirement, however, looks set to say.
49713439
submission
RogueyWon writes:
According to a since-removed post on the Age of Empires Online forum, Microsoft will shut down its much-ridiculed PC DRM service Games for Windows Live from July 1, 2014. Launched in 2007, the service has struggled to convince either publishers or gamers of its merits and in recent months, even publishers who had previously supported the platform had ditched it. Questions are now being asked about the future of games dependent upon the service, which include popular favorites such as the Batman: Arkham series and Dark Souls.
49322631
submission
RogueyWon writes:
The latest Humble Bundle offers a number of major and relatively recent titles on a "pay what you want" basis, with revenues split between developers, the Humble team, and the Child's Play and American Red Cross charities. Legendarily over-the-top open world game Saints Row 3 arguably takes top billing this time around, though purchasers willing to donate above the average also receive Dead Island and Metro 2033. Unlike some of the earlier Humble Bundles, the games in this pack are available Windows-only and must be linked to a Steam account.
48119381
submission
RogueyWon writes:
One of the more welcome details of the recent E3 announcements, which got slightly lost in the furore around used games restrictions, was the news that games on both the Playstation 4 and Xbox One would be region-free. The news leaves Nintendo as the only console manufacturer still committed to region locked games. Now a fan campaign, reminiscent of the successful Operation Rainfall is seeking to persuade Nintendo to drop region locks from its 3DS and Wii-U consoles. Are the days of region-locked console games, a long-running bugbear for internationally-minded gamers, finally coming to an end?
47574315
submission
RogueyWon writes:
A new firmware update for Sony's Playstation 3 console went live overnight, but some users are reporting that it renders their consoles non-functional. Coverage via gaming news sites indicates that Sony are aware of the problem, but have not yet issued any statement on possible resolutions.
