Adventure Time game in works at WayForward

Adventure Time with Finn and Jake is leaping from the television screen and onto the DS, according to series creator Pendleton Ward.

Through a series of tweeted doodles, Ward revealed last night that he would be working "so closely" with WayForward Technologies to develop a DS game based on the Cartoon Network show. Details are thin on the project, but Ward said the game will ship in 2012.

Adventure Time for the DS will not be the first game based on the TV show. A series of Flash games are available through Cartoon Network's website.

[source gamespot.com ]

Baldur's Gate and sequel getting enhanced editions

Baldur's Gate is opening again. Beamdog today announced it is at work on enhanced versions of Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is in development at Beamdog subsidiary Overhaul Games and is expected to ship this summer.

Details are thin concerning the project, but Beamdog's Trent Oster shed further light on the game via Twitter. He said Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is "going to have new content for the game you love, made by some of the original team members."

Additionally, the developer revealed that the enhanced edition will include the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion. As for Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition, it will include the Throne of Bhaal expansion and will ship at a later date.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition will run on a "re-forged version" of the Infinity engine, said to boast a "variety of modern improvements." Overhaul Games will serve as publisher for both games, though platforms for the projects have not been announced.

"We're working closely with some great guys at Wizards of the Coast to ensure our work fits in properly," Oster told GameSpot. "Atari, WOTC, Hasbro, BioWare, and EA are all signed off. Took a while to pull that off, but it looks to be worth it."

[ source gamespot.com ]

EA exploring Battlefield subscription service

The Battlefield series may one day offer a subscription service. EA Games executive vice president Patrick Soderlund told Venturebeat that the company is exploring such a model for its marquee shooter franchise.

"I think it's fair to say that we're looking at that," he said. "Like all other companies, we're looking at how we can maximize our investment in this and get the most out of our investment, and get more people playing this product. That may take us to different places, but we're not really talking about where that is yet."

EA competitor Activision launched a Call of Duty subscription service, called Call of Duty Elite, last year. A $50 premium annual subscription gives gamers access to all Modern Warfare 3 downloadable content, as well as other perks.

Asked if EA is aiming to take the Call of Duty franchise down with Battlefield, Soderlund said the markets for both games are different, and focusing on quality will lead to greater sales for the publisher.

"When it comes to taking Call of Duty down, you know what? I don't look at it like that. We are in this business because we want to make the best possible products," he said. "Call of Duty is a shooter, but it's a different shooter. And I think they have a market; we have a market. I'm fine with what I'm doing. I'm going to continue innovating and doing as best as I can with my teams. Hopefully that's going to lead us to more units [sold] and more happy consumers."

[source gamespot.com ]

Diablo III Release 5-15-2012

Blizzard has announced Diablo III will launch on May 15, 2012. You can pre-purchase the game now through Battle.net.

Diablo III is one of two products expected from Blizzard in 2012. The developer is also working on Heart of the Swarm, the next version of StarCraft II, and Mists of Pandaria, an expansion to its popular MMO World of Warcraft, and has not clarified which will launch in 2012.

In recent months Blizzard has announced that a few features had to be trimmed to make this launch date, including the PvP mode and Mystic artisan. Blizzard's current plan is to patch the PvP mode in at a later date.

the game retails for $59.99 for the standard game and at gamestop the collectors edition
will retail for $99.99 and it includes;

BEHIND THE SCENES DVD

COLLECTOR'S EDITION SOUNDTRACK

THE ART OF Diablo III

Diablo® iii PC/MAC GAME

EXCLUSIVE in-game content:

DIABLO III AESTHETIC ARTIFACTS

WORLD OF WARCRAFT PET FETISH SHAMAN

STARCRAFT II BATTLE.NET PORTRAITS

DIABLO SKULL AND 4GB USB SOULSTONE

[source ign.com ]

Layoffs hit Obsidian, next-gen project canceled

It was a tough week for some at Obsidian Entertainment, according to a report at Joystiq. A tipster told the site today that a round of layoffs hit the developer this week, leaving as many as 30 out of work.

The source said an unannounced next-generation project at Obsidian was canceled this week, with layoffs impacting that team. In addition, the cuts reportedly impacted staffers who were at work on the South Park role-playing game to be published by THQ. All told, the source said 20 to 30 staffers were let go.

Writing on Twitter, an Obsidian animator acknowledged the layoffs, offering his support for those impacted by the action. Additionally, as pointed out by members of the Obsidian forums, several studio employees have updated their LinkedIn pages to reflect they are no longer employed at the company.

Game Banshee says a tipster also noted that "the owners weren't paid for 6-7 months" and that "401k matching was halted" for employees.

Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart told GameSpot, "We are always happy to talk about our announced projects, gaming, and the industry as a whole. However, it is our policy to not comment on stories regarding our staff."

Obsidian is presently known to be developing two games: the South Park RPG and a game based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time novels. On top of those endeavors, last month, the developer said it was eyeing crowd-funding service Kickstarter for a potential future project.

[source gamespot.com ]

Microsoft doubling XBLA gamerscore cap

Gamers thirsting for a bigger gamerscore will be happy to know that beginning next month, all new Xbox Live Arcade games will support up to 400 points, an increase from the current cap at 200.

Additionally, with the update, all new XBLA titles will support up to 30 achievements. This is a spike from the previous cap of 20. This change will be optional for developers from April to May, but beginning in June, all new XBLA games will be required to sport 400 gamerscore points.

No specific titles have been confirmed yet as having 400 gamerscore.
XBLA has a number of new projects in the works, including a game from Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski, as well as Fez and Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

[source gamespot.com ]

Xbox Live bug wiping achievements

Xbox 360 players have been accruing achievements and Gamerscores since the system launched more than six years ago, but some of those tallies are being mistakenly reset today.

Microsoft's official Xbox Support Twitter page has been replying to dozens of user complaints about having their achievements wiped out and their Gamerscores reset. Some users reported it happening on startup, while others said they lost their information after downloading a game update or earning a new achievement.

The Xbox Support Twitter page has suggested two remedies to the situation so far, but hasn't said they should work in every case. First, affected users are advised to sign out of their Xbox Live profile and sign back in. If that doesn't work, they are being asked to re-download their Xbox Live profiles. There is also an ongoing thread on the Xbox Live support forums for users to report continuing issues.


[source gamespot.com ]

Pursuit of AAA is a 'cancerous growth' - AC3 dev

The Assassins Creed franchise is one of the biggest in the business both inside and out. Its latest entry--Revelations--shipped over 7 million units, and represented a step forward in terms of graphics power and scale within the series. But according to Assassin's Creed 3 creative director Alex Hutchinson, this represents "cancerous growth."

Speaking at a 2012 Game Developers Conference session titled "Designing Games to Sell," Hutchinson said he envisions two "dystopian" futures for the game industry. One, he said, is where the only games that sell are focused on analytics, and are obsessed with making money.

The other, according to Hutchison, is what he described as a "massive arms race," where studios are "pushing for graphical fidelity and working on the sheer scale of games."

"We think about [this push] as kind of cancerous growth," he said. "I think that will leave the AAA blockbusters as nothing more than the last of the dinosaurs."

Hutchinson concluded his talk by offering an ideal aim for video games.

"In my mind video games need to have the goal of educating people, entertaining people, or at least being artistic," he said. "If you're not pushing any of these things…then I think we’re in for a rough patch."

[source gamespot.comm]

Report: Next Xbox To Have No Disc Drive

The next Xbox won't contain a physical disc drive, according to a new report.

A source close to British trade magazine MCV claims that Microsoft revealed this information under what it described as "the strictest NDA" they have ever encountered.

While the console will not contain a disc drive, according to the source, the report suggests it will contain "some sort of interchangeable solid-state card storage, although it is not known whether this will be proprietary or a more standard format such as SD."

MCV is also claiming that a 2013 release window for the hardware has been confirmed.

A move to digital-only distribution would be extremely unconventional for Microsoft; if there is any truth to this report, it would be a major blow for traditional retail. Microsoft has yet to officially deny the story.

In response to the report, Microsoft has said, "We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumors or speculation."

What do you think about the latest murmuring about Microsoft's next console? Let us know in the comments below.

[source ign.com ]

Valve worth $3 billion - Report

Valve Software, maker of Half-Life, Portal, and Counter-Strike, is worth $3 billion, business magazine Forbes has discovered.

To unearth Valve's worth, the magazine spoke with unnamed "industry insiders," equity analysts, investment bankers, and technology analysts.

The magazine reports that this makes Valve co-founder and managing director Gabe Newell one of the richest individuals on earth. Newell owns more than 50 percent of Valve, indicating a personal net worth of at least $1.5 billion.

Forbes notes there are 1,226 billionaires living today, and Newell ranks 854th. Newell will be featured in the magazine's 25th annual list of the world's billionaires issue.

Valve owns and operates the Steam digital distribution service. It currently boasts 40 million users. Additionally, the company is rumored to be at work on a "Steam Box," which could be unveiled as early as this week.

[sourcegamespot.com]

SimCity returns in 2013

The reports have proven correct: SimCity will return to the PC in 2013. At a Game Developers Conference event tonight, Electronic Arts confirmed that its Maxis studio is at work on a new installment in the city-building franchise for release next year.

According to EA, Maxis is building the new SimCity on its new GlassBox game engine. Among other features, this engine will allow the studio to introduce curved roads to the franchise. The game will also be fully 3D, a first for the series.

EA also noted that the game will emphasize a dynamic struggle for limited resources as a player's city develops. The company said that this feature will play into the game's cooperative and competitive online component.

EA's Origin online storefront is already offering preorders for downloads of SimCity in a $60 limited edition and $80 "digital deluxe" package. The limited edition will introduce superheroes and villains to the game, as well as unspecified "mystery items." The digital deluxe version will have all of that, as well as new British, French, and German-themed city sets.

The first trailer for the new SimCity can be seen below. EA has more information on the game through its official website.

[source gamespot.com ]

Notch Teases a Secret in Minecraft

During a conversation between Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson and SpyParty's Chris Hecker at GDC 2012, Persson teased there's still some undiscovered secret in Minecraft. Though no additional details were provided on what it might be, the subject came up during a crafting discussion where Hecker and Persson were talking about how consulting a wiki was almost a required part of the play experience.

To date, Minecraft has sold almost 5.2 million copies. You'd figure everything about the game would be known at this point considering how long it's been available and how active the modding community is, but apparently one secret has eluded even the most hardcore players.

During the discussion Persson touched on a number of topics about Minecraft's development, and expressed regret over introducing half-blocks and neglecting to implement multiplayer earlier in the development process. He also noted why no female character model was included in the game. "It ends up being extremely sexist," said Persson of an earlier attempt to make it happen.

[source ign.com ]

Game Gear Games Headed to 3DS Next Week

Nintendo has announced the upcoming slate of games set to hit the 3DS eShop.

Sega Game Gear games, which Nintendo confirmed last month, will begin to hit the eShop next week. Sonic Triple Trouble, Shinobi and Dragon Crystal will all be available starting March 15th.

New 3DS game demos are also incoming. A free demo version of Sega's Crush 3D is downloadable now, and a demo version of Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure will hit the eShop on April 19th.


NES Classic Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream will arrive on March 8th alongside Fun! Fun! Minigolf Touch!, which will allow players to use their own Miis. Zombie Slayer Diox will arrive on March 22nd, followed by Arc Style Soccer!! 3D later this month.

Aztec-themed action puzzler Ketzal's Corridors is also coming soon, along with "96 shape-matching missions and three multiplayer modes." Nintendo also noted that Colors! 3D will arrive in April, letting "users of any artistic skill level create and share 3D drawings and digital sketches."

[source ign.com ]

New Men in Black 3 Trailer

[source ign.com ]

Making Sense of the Valve Steam Box Rumors

It's no secret that PC gaming needs a shot in the arm, and if a recent report from The Verge is to be believed, Valve hopes to deliver one with the Steam Box, a console-sized PC that can compete with consoles and the growing popularity of mobile platforms like Android and iOS.

There's still much we don't know about the alleged device and/or platform -- not the least of which is whether or not it actually exists -- but there's certainly reason to consider it as within the realm of possibility. Despite being responsible for some of the biggest franchises in gaming, a large portion of Valve's business is anchored in the success of Steam, its digital distribution client for PC and Mac. In order for the service to grow, PC gaming has to move beyond the enthusiast market. It has to be mainstream and the Steam Box could be Valve's ace in the hole for making that happen.
The concept, murky as it may be, may actually be pretty sound.



PC gaming has always been marred by the perception that it's a costly pursuit reserved almost exclusively for those with the know-how, resources and interest to build or purchase a

Minecraft-ing with Friends

Last time we checked out Minecraft on XBLA, the most amazing feature was the in-game crafting system and guide. For a game so dependent on wikis and online recipe discovery, this addition was a fantastic way to keep players in-game and not meandering the internet looking for ways to grow a garden.

Here is the coolest Minecraft art you will see all day.

But a new demo revealed that not only does Minecraft have a self-contained crafting system, it also supports four-player splitscreen, letting teams of friends chill out on the couch building entire worlds together. With four people chipping away in the mines, the frame rate stays super-smooth, making it a great way to spend time with the people next to you on the couch without even having to look at them.

This jump-in-jump-out co-op also breaks into additional combinations once taken online. Up to eight people can maneuver around in any given world, meaning that eight people, playing splitscreen in two locations can all team up, or four teams of two, or any combination in between. The connectivity is seamless, and it's hilarious to see your teammates dressed in one of several curious outfits including tuxedoes, Boris Becker's short tennis shorts, or the classic Minecraft guy.

Make a home with friends.

This local connectivity brings Minecraft players together in a way that the PC version never could. If you've still never heard of Minecraft, make sure you check out our PC Minecraft review to see what it's all about.

[source ign.com ]

Assassin's Creed III Confirmed for Wii U

Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin's Creed III will come to Wii U.

In a press release today, Ubisoft noted that "Assassin's Creed III is set to release on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC and is also in development for Wii U from Nintendo."

The Debut Trailer for Assassin's Creed III

Previously, Ubisoft announced that an Assassin's Creed game would come to Wii U during E3, but until now hadn't confirmed that it would be Assassin's Creed III.

Assassin's Creed III is set to hit PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 30th, and Wii U is currently set to be released before the end of 2012. Will the game hit Wii U at the same time as other platforms? We've reached out to Ubisoft for comment and will update with any information that we receive

[source ign.com ]

Top Five Skyrim Mods of the Week - March 3

If you've been playing the PC version of Skyrim, chances are you've at least taken a quick peek at all the terrific mods available on Steam Workshop and Skyrim Nexus. But sifting through all the latest mods can be a tough job. Well, have no fear. GameSpot is back with another video to showcase our favorite user-generated content from the past week (or so). And just because we love you, we've even thrown in a few more exploding chickens.


[source gamespot.com ]

Mass Effect Infiltrator Revealed

Let's get one thing out of the way right from the start: Mass Effect Infiltrator for iOS is not a roleplaying game. Players don't level up, engage in dialogue trees, or pilot a spaceship. Instead, the team at IronMonkey Studios has created a full-featured and action-oriented cover shooter, with hooks into the core Mass Effect trilogy's storyline.

Gamers play as Randall Ezno, a covert Cerberus agent of few words. As will surely come as no surprise to Mass Effect veterans, Ezno discovers early on that Cerberus is not the benevolent company it might first appear to be. The bulk of the action takes place in a sprawling Cerberus base. Ezno must travel deeper into the facility to uncover intel and put a stop to the company's plans.

Aside from a few small concerns, Infiltrator's third person action controls well via the iPad's large touch screen. As is standard, players drag the left side of the screen to move Ezno, and the right side to adjust the camera. The principle innovation is the game's aiming system. To target an enemy, players simply

Doom 4 developer responds to leaked images

The pile of supposed Doom 4 artwork posted earlier this week is not representative of the developer's new shooter, id Software has confirmed.

Today, id Software design director Matthew Hooper took to Twitter to respond to the artwork. He did not directly refute the authenticity of the images but noted they don't represent what gamers will find in Doom 4.

"Those images have nothing to do with what you're gonna see in Doom 4," he said.

Accompanying the images was a rumor that Doom 4 had been cancelled. Parent publisher Bethesda debunked this speculation, saying, "Doom 4 is not cancelled. When we are ready to talk about it, we'll let folks know."

That wasn't the first time Doom 4 was rumored to be shut down. Last October, word spread that Doom 4 was "indefinitely postponed," but Bethesda was quick to quiet that talk, saying, "Games are done when they are done, and no title under development at id has been postponed--indefinitely or otherwise."

As for Doom 4, the game's existence was first acknowledged in May 2008, when the developer sent out a press release stating that production had begun on the game. At the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, id Software head of technology John Carmack said the core team on Rage would move to Doom 4 development following the release of its latest shooter. He also said a sequel to Rage was planned to launch after Doom 4

[source gamespot.com ]

New Details on the Next SimCity

Earlier this week we reported that German magazine GameStar revealed SimCity. While there hasn't been an official world-wide announcement, IGN has translated the GameStar pages and gleaned the following details.

Simply called SimCity, a host of changes are coming to the series. For starters roads can now be curved, making for more organic city layouts than the grid framework the series was known for. The fixed viewpoint is also gone, allowing players to zoom in on specific buildings or move the camera around. Zooming in close to the ground also changes the audio, with close ups providing the cacophony of the city, and zoomed out views providing a much quieter atmosphere.

Visually, there's an increased level of detail (note: the currently leaked screenshots are concept only, not representative of the actual game). Buildings will have tiny pieces of signage, individual citizens will roam around and go about their daily lives, sometimes doing benign things like going to dinner, other times becoming proactive and protesting if jobs get low. The attention to detail actually has gameplay importance too, as you can see if a factory is working effeciently based on how it looks, how it animates.

Buildings also change over time in SimCity. Buildings progress overtime, unlocking new abilities, such as the power to put out fires faster for an upgraded firestation.

And you don't have to worry about trying to decipher the progress of your city via a number of graphs and charts, as these are being replaced with modernized infographics.

Multiplayer has been expanded for SimCity. You and your regional friends can trade resources via land, sea and air, hopefully resulting in collaboration between partners to build more effeciently. Online play also means there leaderboards, where you can see how you rank in fields like finance or production.

What's currently unclear is how the price of raw materials are determined. The article in GameStar alludes that prices in single-player are affected by what goes on in the online world. However, they don't get too specific about whether it's affected by a player-based economy or by actual, real-world events.

We should be seeing SimCity ourselves in the near future.

[source ign.com ]

Valve readying 'Steam Box' console

The "Big Three" console makers may soon be joined by a fourth. A Verge report citing unspecified sources and rumors states that Valve Software wants to break into the TV set-top console market with a "Steam Box" system of its own.

In keeping with Valve cofounder Gabe Newell's statement last month that the company doesn't want to get into the hardware market (but will if it has to), the Steam Box is said to operate more like a platform along the lines of Google's Android operating system or the 3DO. In theory, Valve would set hardware specifications and create the system software, but multiple partners (Alienware is one rumored name mentioned in the report) would be able to create their own Steam Box devices.

The baseline specs reportedly tout a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GPU. And in addition to running PC games through Valve's Steam storefront, the boxes would be able to run services of rival digital distributors, like EA's Origin service.

The Verge also pointed to a Valve patent from last year as being related to the Steam Box. Specifically, the report says the Steam Box is slated to come with a USB controller that allows users to swap out different components to suit their tastes or different game types. Another possible feature of the controller is biometric readings that would allow games to change in real-time based on users' heart rate.

As for when the Steam Box could be unveiled, next week's GDC and the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June are given as two potential public debuts for the system. A Valve representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment as of press time.

[source gamespot.com ]

check this guy out!The Legend of Andrew Episode 1

i really think this guy is going places in the minecraft comunity!

 

 

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time due this fall

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will arrive exclusively on the PlayStation 3 this fall, developer Sanzaru Games told GameSpot today.

Announced during Sony's 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo briefing, Thieves in Time previously carried a general 2012 release window.

Though Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is the first entry in the franchise Sanzaru has designed, the studio is not entirely a stranger to the series. The developer--also behind PlayStation 2 title Secret Agent Clank--contributed to 2010's Sly Collection.

The Sly Collection is a budget-priced high-definition combination pack that bundled PlayStation 2 Sly titles Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves for the PS3. These titles were originally developed by Sucker Punch Productions, which has since devoted its efforts to the Infamous franchise on the PS3.

As was suggested by the game's teaser trailer at E3 2011, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will have players meeting up with Sly's ancestors through time travel. For more on Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, check out GameSpot's On the Spot video feature with Sanzaru Games president and CEO Glen Egan, embedded below.


[ source gamespot.com ]

EverQuest Online Adventures going offline

EverQuest Online Adventures for the PlayStation 2 marked its ninth anniversary last month, but it won't survive to celebrate another. Sony Online Entertainment this week announced "the imminent sunsetting" of four of its games, including its first console massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

EverQuest Online Adventures let players be a human, elf, dwarf, o

EverQuest Online Adventures and a trio of PC online games--Infantry, Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga, and Cosmic Rift--will be taken offline permanently on March 29. SOE has said it expects to have some sort of celebration for EverQuest Online Adventure players to mark the game's passing, though details aren't yet available.

"Each of these games shares a special place in both ours and our players' hearts," SOE said in a statement. "This is not an easy decision, but there comes a time when it's best for our developers to move on to the next adventure, and that day has come."

Current EverQuest Online Adventures players are being permitted to play out the game's final month without paying the monthly subscription charge and are being offered three-month gold memberships for EverQuest and EverQuest II on the PC

[source gamespot.com ]

Assassin's Creed III set in Colonial America

Assassin's Creed III will be set in Colonial America, according to purported promotional material for the game.

A Best Buy tipster sent Kotaku an image of what appears to be promotional material for Assassin's Creed III. The image shows an Assassin's Creed-looking hooded character wielding a tomahawk, arrows, and a gun in front of the Continental flag.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations wrapped up Ezio's story, indicating the franchise would shift its focus to a new protagonist in Assassin's Creed III.

Adding credibility to Best Buy's leaked art, the GameStop-owned Game Informer magazine also reportedly leaked similar-looking art for Assassin's Creed III. Toastervision grabbed an image of a hub for Assassin's Creed III (which has since been pulled), showing the hooded character alongside the first United States president, George Washington.

The Best Buy tipster also indicated that Assassin's Creed III will be unveiled officially on March 5, with preorder bonuses also detailed on that day. A reveal on March 5 coincides with the 2012 Game Developers Conference, which runs March 5-9 in San Francisco.

[UPDATE] Ubisoft has released the box art for Assassin's Creed III (pictured above), confirming rumors that the game will be set in Colonial America. The company also announced that it will officially unveil Assassin's Creed III on March 5 at 5 p.m. PDT.

Assassin's Creed III is due for release on October 30. Company CEO Yves Guillemot predicted it would be "the biggest launch in Ubisoft history."

As of press time, Ubisoft had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment

[source gamespot.com ]

Nintendo victorious in Wii Balance Board patent suit

Nintendo's legal team has notched another victory today, as the company claimed victory in a United States patent suit related to the Wii Balance Board, Wii Fit, and Wii Fit Plus.

A Maryland US District Court judge has dismissed a patent infringement suit against the company brought by IA Labs in April 2010. Had the case proceeded further, it would have headed to a jury trial.

The suit claimed that the Wii Balance Board peripheral, as well as Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus, had infringed upon US Patent No. 7,121,982. This patent was issued in 2006 for "Computer Interactive Isometric Exercise System and Method for Operatively Interconnecting the Exercise System to a Computer System for use as a Peripheral."

"We vigorously defend patent lawsuits when we firmly believe that we have not infringed another party's patent. We refuse to succumb to patent trolls," said Rick Flamm, Nintendo of America senior vice president of legal & general counsel.

IA Labs' 2010 patent suit also claimed that Nintendo infringed upon US Patent No. 7,331,226. This patent was issued on February 19, 2008, for "Force Measurement System for an Isometric Exercise Device." Nintendo made no mention of its efforts in fighting this claim. The company told GameSpot, "We're looking into this."

IA Labs sought to have the court prevent the sale of all products that infringe upon its products, as well as damages, attorney fees, and other court costs.

[source gamespot.com ]

THQ seeking 'Evolve' trademark

Publisher THQ has made it clear it plans to evolve its business, but now it appears the company is aiming to bring evolution further into its company.

THQ filed a trademark application with the United States Patent & Trademark Office for "Evolve" on February 22 under the goods and services description of "video game software."

No further information regarding the trademark application is available, and as of press time, THQ had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

THQ has had a troubled year. It lost $56 million during the 2011 holiday quarter, and cut as many as 240 jobs as part of its move away from the children's game sector. On top of that, THQ has until July 23 to get its single-share valuation above $1 or it will face de-listing from American stock market Nasdaq

[source gamespot.com]

SimCity 5 due in 2013

Gamers will have a new SimCity title to play from series creator Maxis in 2013, if a new report proves accurate.

German gaming magazine GameStar (via Spanish games site Jimdo) spoke with Maxis developer Lucy Bradshaw, who confirmed SimCity 5 is in development at Maxis. She also noted that work on the Spore and Sims franchises kept the developer from revealing SimCity 5 sooner.

The magazine suggests that the new entry will run on an all-new game engine called Glassbox and will feature multiplayer support, updatable buildings, and nonlinear road patterns.

As of press time, EA had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment on the matter.

EA and Maxis are holding an event at the 2012 Game Developers Conference next week, with the companies calling it "huge." The event's website was recently updated with word that Academy Award-winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Deadwood) and Charity Water founder and CEO Scott Harrison will speak during the proceedings.

[source gamespot.com]

iPad 3 to be revealed March 7

Evidence continues to grow that an iPad 3 announcement is imminent. Today, CNET reports that Apple has invited the tech-sector press to an event to be held on March 7 at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center. The brief invitation promises: "We have something you really have to see. And touch."


CNET's report coincides with a similar dispatch by CNBC this morning claiming to have unearthed new details on the iPad 3's tech specs. According to the site, Apple's latest device boasts a quad-core processor and support for the 4G LTE cellular wireless standard.

The sources did not say when Apple will begin selling the iPad 3, but if its release schedule falls in line with that of the iPad 2, users can expect to have the device a week after it is announced.

Previous speculation on the iPad 3 has indicated that the tablet will have a form factor similar to the iPad 2. That rumor mongering has also suggested that the device will sport a significantly faster processor, a high-definition screen, and 4G LTE network support that will carry data faster than the iPad 2's present 3G speeds.

The iPad has proven to be a phenomenal success for Cupertino, California-based Apple. During its October-December 2011 quarter alone, the company sold 15.43 million units of the tablet device. The most valuable publicly traded company, Apple is currently trading up 1.3 percent to $532.67 per share as of press time

[source gamespot.com]

PlayStation 4 not using Sony Cell processor

The PlayStation 4 will not use Sony's Cell processor, nor any advancement of the technology, industry sources have told gaming blog Kotaku.

Sony's Cell tech isn't coming to the PS4, according to Kotaku.

This news follows last week's report that AMD will power the PS4's graphics processing unit, marking a departure from the PlayStation 3's Nvidia-powered GPU.

As of press time, Sony had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

The Cell processor (at right) was at the heart of the PlayStation 3, helping the system render its high-definition visuals and other complex processes. However, in 2007, Sony abandoned future Cell development based on its high cost.

As for the PS4, Sony has acknowledged its existence last year, but gamers shouldn't expect it anytime soon. Sony has shot down rumors that the system would be unveiled at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo this June, later saying news of a PS4 in 2012 would be distracting.

For more on rumors relating to the PS4, as well as the next Xbox and Wii U, check out GameSpot's next-generation rumor roundup feature.

[source gamespot.com]

Report: Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Slated

This isn't the first time a retailer has listed the as yet unconfirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Last month Amazon France posted a product page for Black Ops 2 but quickly pulled it from the site.

Today, a reputable Spanish and Portuguese online shop FNAC has listed the same game with a November release window.

Black Ops 2 is rumoured to be the next instalment in the successful Call of Duty franchise. Activision - the publisher behind the series has yet to officially announce what the next game will be, though a November release would be in keeping with previous launches.

[source ign.com]

Minecraft 1.2 Released

While pre-releases have been available for players who wanted to preview the upcoming content, the rest of us can finally check it out with today's final 1.2 release. Today's update adds the adorable ocelot, iron golems and a new jungle biome.

The build height of Minecraft has also been altered, letting players now build 256 blocks into the sky, as opposed to the previous 128. Villagers will now also have children if there is space, tamed wolves will breed, and mobs now have rare drops. Additional blocks and items have also been added, though the post on Mojang's site doesn't include which.

To get an entertaining overview of the update, check out the trailer below.

[source ign.com]