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]