Computer Sense

So I came across this video on my Saturday morning and I thought this was hilarious!  Coming from one of my favorite shows xplay, it's always a good laugh, Enjoy!

That's the opinion of EA top dog John Riccitiello, who told IndustryGamers: "Consoles used to be 80 percent of the industry as recently as 2000. Consoles today are 40 percent of the game industry, so what do we really have?

"We have a new hardware platform and we're putting out software every 90 days. Our fastest growing platform is the iPad right now and that didn't exist 18 months ago."

Riccitiello also said the notion of five-year platform cycles is completely outdated and that future hardware is likely to be driven by social experiences and cross-platform play rather than supercharged graphics.

"I would argue that one of the least interesting things about the games industry was that every five years you'd see a new console or platform from everybody at about the same time with about the same or similar upgrades or services... But it's not a particularly smart way to run an industry... bulges in technology investment followed by harvest."

He said of Wii U: "Nintendo is bringing out a new platform that brings together some of what we're learning from new media and new platforms like the iPad and then integrating that with a console. It's the perfect time for that in the industry."

Riccitiello added: "I would argue that there's more to be provided in terms of value for the consumer in micro-transactions and social experiences and driving those better in cross-platform gameplay between a console and a PC and a handheld device and a social network than there is supercharging graphics... I always liked the power, but I don't know if it's the story 
anymore."
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/312269/ea-ceo-consoles-now-just-40-of-the-games-industry/

Tim Schafer has pitched to a lot of executives in his time, but this one looks like a really tough cookie. He’s dealt with Activision and EA, but now he’s in the big leagues, meeting with the Cookie Monster. “Zombies kinda 2007?” Hasn’t Mr Monster seen Dead Island? Still, Tim comes out on top in the end with a characteristically unusual idea. He works hard too, he’s already got a tech demo running.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/07/13/and-in-other-pc-gaming-news-115/

The list, which EA has now pulled from the internet and replaced with a fetching all white 404 error page, is said to have included the likes of Direct2Drive and GamersGate with EA's own Origin topping the list.

There has been some perceived conflict between the well established Steam platform and EA's new kid on the block, since Crysis 2 was removed from Valve's digital distributor last month.

EA's David DeMartini clarified the position saying that it was Steam's decision to remove Crysis 2 from its library, not EA's.

He also said that there had been some jarring between the two companies but dismissed it by saying that was normal in any relationship and EA intended to make its games available on as many platforms as possible.

It's not clear whether that approach will apply to Battlefield 3.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/311095/news/battlefield-3-not-coming-to-steam/

In an interview with Develop, iPhone game developer Quinn Dunki claimed peer pressure at a young age is steering talented females away from jobs which are typically thought of as male roles.

"The only difference between me and my maths-inclined, game-loving friend - who does advanced needlepoint instead of engineering - is that she succumbed to the peer pressure," Dunki told Develop.

She argued that gender imbalance is a problem that is too big for the industry to solve all by itself: "The outreach needs to go down to the [early] school levels. That's where the research shows girls stop studying maths and science due to pressures from peers and other sources."

Develop reports that 42 percent of all game players are women, according to recent ESA data, but it's believed that only one tenth of game developers are female. 

If efforts are made in schools now, Dunki thinks we will see results in the industry in a couple of generations. "In the meantime, the best thing we can do is provide role models. If you're a female engineer or scientist, put yourself out there," she added.

Dunki's words echo those of LucasArts' creative director Chris Hocking, who said on Wednesday that the industry needs to attract more women and become a little less obsessed with fart jokes.


http://www.computerandvideogames.com/310898/news/female-developers-need-to-put-themselves-out-there/

So it seems that something rather unfortunate has come up.  During a casual game of Team Fortress 2 my computer suddenly froze up and then all of a sudden my power supply exploded.  It seems the PSU couldn't take on the intensity of TF2.  Smoke filled my computer and left several burn marks all over, thus ending the life cycle of my power supply which was said to last me 7 years rather lasting me 2 years.  Anyways this kind of sucks, it will probably be about $100 for a new one.  Anyway just thought I'd share another one my downfalls, this also brings up something I should mention, when it comes to purchasing hardware it's probably best to check which company your buying from.  Some companies receive a lot of positive feedback and others don't.  Oh well story of my life.

If you have a hard time putting that kind of figure in to context, think of 74 billion one dollar notes piled high. There you go.

Software sales are forecast to account for $44.7 billion of 2011's total spend, hardware for $17.8 billion and online gaming for $11.9 billion.

In 2015, software will account for $56.5 billion of the $112 billion total, hardware for $27.4 billion, and online gaming - the fastest growing sector - for $28.3 billion.

Gartner research director Brian Blau said: "We find that subscription fees are giving way to 'freemium' models, in which the game is provided for free to gamers but is monetised through advertising (both in-game advertising and display advertising) and in-game microtransactions, such as the sale of value-added services or virtual-good purchases.

"This trend is prevailing given the rise of social gaming, in which online gaming is connected to social networking sites and social networking platforms."


http://www.computerandvideogames.com/310549/news/gamers-will-spend-74-billion-this-year-report/

That's according to a new Digi Times Report, which even more surprisingly claims Sony's to have Taiwan-based partners begin production of PS4 complete with body movement-based controls, similar to Microsoft's Kinect.

Taiwan-based component manufacturers Foxconn and Pegatron Technology, assemblers of PS3, will undertake assembly of PS4, according to the site's sources.

The planned shipment volume of PS4 in 2012 is at least 20 million units, they indicated.

The report follows another from reliable US news site IndustryGamers, which claimed last month that it's heard from "industry sources at a top developer" that the Playstation 4 will become a real thing in the next 18 months.

Prior to that, a similar story pointed to an Xbox 720 reveal next year, with developer Crytek cited as the source of the rumour.

The PS4 2012 claim, which is looking more and more likely as the rumour reports pile up, would be quite a surprise considering only a few weeks ago Sony reaffirmed it's 10-year cycle strategy for the PlayStation 3.

Newly-promoted CEO of PlayStation worldwide, Andrew House told CVG at E3 he "still characterised this as the early period" for PS3, and noted that Sony had "only really just begun to explore what the potential is for 3D".

But it's the first we've heard of Sony jumping on the motion-sensing camera bandwagon. Are Sony and Microsoft about to go head-to-head in the 'no controller' stakes? Will the PlayStation firm do a better job? What does it mean for Move? 

It looks like we're in for an exciting 12 months. We'll be the first to remind you of the old phrase, 'There's no smoke without fire.'


http://www.computerandvideogames.com/310125/playstation-4-release-date-2012/