F or as long as Metal Gear Solid 4 has been around, rumors of an Xbox 360 version have been nearly constant. According to countless critics, journalists, and bloggers, the release of Kojima’s opus on Microsoft’s system is all but inevitable, regardless of how many discs it may or may not require. The rumors died down following the game’s release, but they have now been reignited by a new report out of Japan that says Konami is "actively looking into" an Xbox 360 version.
Thousands of gaming fans left a virtual world to unite in the real one and test an update of their obsession. By day they are human, but in their spare time they become mythical heroes such as wizards, dwarfs and blood-elves. At the weekend, in California, 15,000 of them logged out of World of Warcraft, the world’s biggest online game, to gather in a hall the size of an aircraft hangar for the “big nerdfest” that is Blizzcon.
They were drawn to the Anaheim Convention Centre in California by their love of the virtual worlds they inhabit. Blizzcon is part video game carnival, part trade fair and part religious pilgrimage, organised by Blizzard Entertainment, which makes World of Warcraft and the real-time strategy game Starcraft.
UK gamers will finally be able to buy Manhunt 2 for Playstation 2, PSP, and Wii on 31 October.
Originally released in the US over a year ago, the game was refused a certificate by the British Board of Film Certification in June 2007.
Following multiple appeals and changes to the game, it was granted a certificate in March.
(Reuters) – Google Inc on Wednesday launched technology to insert advertisements into online video games and boost revenue from the booming gaming sector.
The software, called AdSense for Games, is in beta testing and allows video, image or text advertisements to placed at the start, end or change of level in an online game.
The advertisers are charged on a cost-per-impression or cost-per-click basis with revenue being split between Google and game developers or publishers, it said in a statement.
Google is adding click-to-buy links to its YouTube video-sharing site. The new feature will let customers purchase songs and video games they like while watching videos on the site.
Google calls it instant gratification. Click-to-buy links, the company said, are non-obtrusive retail links positioned on the watch page beneath the video with other community features. That means users can buy products the same way they share, comment on, and respond to videos.
Google’s first step is to embed iTunes and Amazon links in videos from companies like EMI Music, and provide Amazon product links to the newly released video game Spore on videos from Electronic Arts.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Take-Two Interactive Software Inc, until recently an acquisition target of bigger rival Electronic Arts Inc, plans to remain an independent company, the makers of the popular “Grand Theft Auto” series said on Thursday.
Take-Two said the decision followed detailed discussions with “various interested parties” over the last five months.
Take-Two repeatedly said that it was weighing its options while talking with other potential suitors, although it has never named any other interested parties.
Word is spreading throughout the Internets that LucasArts and BioWare are at long last prepared to pull the curtain and speak more about the long-awaited co-project between the two companies.
The event, which many suspect will be the official announcement of the Knights of the Old Republic MMO, begins on October 21, 2008. Invitations were already dispatched and now the package is all but unwrapped.
You know what the best part is? None of you are invited (and neither are we).
Apple tells Develop that its digitial download service can boost gaming
Digital distribution platform iTunes can revolutionise the games industry in the same way it has conquered music, Apple has told Develop.
The statement of intent has come from the company – previously a more reluctant player in the games space – following its unveiling of new iPod Touch hardware and booming business of its App Store. Apple’s online storefront continues to challenge traditional retail and now provides a new channel for games developers.
New titles for new platforms on show at B2B event in Lyon
Anticipation for next month’s popular Game Connection Lyon event is building – and the organisers have offered up a glimpse at what attendees and fellow exhibitors will see at the event.
Connection Events says that the event "will welcome dozens of companies at the forefront of the new development trends for new target audiences on all platforms" – that’s next-gen formats as well as iPhone, they say, while those exploring or looking to take advantage of new business models will also be in attendance.
Sega’s Football Manager studio to use Steamworks Services for retail and download games
Football Manager developer Sports Interactive has signed up to use Valve’s Steamworks service for its 2009 management games.
Steamworks offers a suite of tools for those looking to add a variety of multiplayer and online connectivity options to their games, promising users a reliable networked experience and developers accurate and detailed metrics. The service will be used in both the retail versions of the game and the digital download versions.
