Sony Unveils ‘PlayStation Vita TV,’ a Tiny, Sub-$100 Game Console

Sony will release PlayStation Vita TV, a small, inexpensive television game console, at the end of the year in Japan, it said Monday.

The new console is, roughly speaking, identical to the hardware from Sony’s handheld PlayStation Vita game machine, but in a tiny (6.4 cm x 10.5 cm) white box that connects to your television. Players use the PlayStation 3′s Dual Shock 3 controller to play games.

PS Vita TV will launch in Japan on November 14; Sony did not say on Monday when it would make it available in other regions.

At 9,954 yen — about $100 — it’s a very affordable option, about one-quarter the price of Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4. Then again, the price conceals the fact that a Dual Shock 3 controller, required to use the system, is not included in the basic package. A more expensive package including the controller will also be available on launch day.

Sony points out that the device will play, at launch, about 1,300 games. That’s because it can play all of the PSP and PSone games that are currently available to download via the PlayStation Network digital games service, plus many of the games that have been released so far for the PlayStation Vita platform. Sony said in a press release that the PS Vita TV cannot play all PS Vita games, since many of them use the touchscreen, motion sensors, camera and other inputs that are only available on the handheld unit.

Sony is positioning Vita TV as a great device for video streaming; at the Tokyo media briefing it stressed that you would be able to use the device to stream video content a wide variety of services.

Additionally, a “future system update” will allow you to use Vita TV to stream PlayStation 4 games — if you have a PlayStation 4 console in another room of your house, you will be able to hook a PS Vita TV up to another television in a different room and play the PlayStation 4 on that television, via streaming. (Although the press release did note that PS Vita TV only supports 480p, 720p and 1080i output.)

Source: wired.com

Core Gamers Continue To Buy Games, But At A Slower Rate

Enid Burns for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Even in a harsh economic climate, gamers continue to spend money on games, according to a new report. “Core Gaming 2013,” a report released by The NPD Group, finds that almost half of the US population 9 and older play video games on a core gaming device. Purchasing of new games continues, but the rate of spending in the category is somewhat reduced compared to a year ago.

While core gamers are still purchasing games, the rate at which they purchase is going down somewhat. The report finds, “There are approximately 10 percent more core gamers saying that their spending has decreased versus a year ago than there are those stating that their purchases have increased, reflecting a decline that is in alignment with recent retail sales patterns.”

The economy is one factor in video game sales. However another factor that could cause a reduction in purchasing of video games is a lack of new content. Nintendo released its Wii U console in November, however many gamers are waiting for next generation systems from Microsoft and Sony. Game developers are also holding some titles for the release of next generation systems.

Fully 88 percent of core gamers state that they purchased new physical games, with physical used games and digital full games being frequent options as well, those figures were 78 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

“Digital purchasing among core gamers has plenty of room to grow,” said Liam Callahan, industry analyst for The NPD Group. “While many core gamers indicate they are purchasing full games and digital add-on content frequently, there are those that stated they have never purchased digital content.”

The report considers core gamers as the population that plays a core gaming device such as a console. Core gamers play games in categories including action, adventure, fighting, flight, massively multiplayer, racing, real time strategy, role-playing, shooter or sport games on a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC or a Mac, and spend five hours or more per week on any of these qualified devices. Of the US population, only 14 percent, or 37.5 million people, are considered to be core gamers.

For the three-month period of the fourth quarter of 2012, the majority of core gamers spent the most on new physical games. Core gamers spent an average of $129 on new games. Digital full games and used games followed behind. Core gamers spent less than half of the average spent on new physical titles for purchases of digital downloads and used games.

The NPD Group conducted an online survey between January 4 and January 23, 2013 to members of NPD’s online panel. The survey was completed by 6,322 individuals ages 9 and older. In cases of children between the ages of 9 and 16, the survey was sent to a parental surrogate, who was asked to respond to the survey with their child present to answer questions.

Source: Enid Burns for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Level Head

levelHead is a spatial memory game by Julian Oliver, developed at the end of 2007, beginning 2008. 

levelHead uses a hand-held solid-plastic cube as its only interface. On-screen it appears each face of the cube contains a little room, each of which are logically connected by doors. 
In one of these rooms is a character. By tilting the cube the player directs this character from room to room in an effort to find the exit. 
Some doors lead nowhere and will send the character back to the room they started in, a trick designed to challenge the player's spatial memory. Which doors belong to which rooms? 
There are three cubes (levels) in total, each of which are connected by a single door. Players have the goal of moving the character from room to room, cube to cube in an attempt to find the final exit door of all three cubes. If this door is found the character will appear to leave the cube, walk across the table surface and vanish.. The game then begins again. 
Someone once said levelHead may have something to do with a story from Borges.. For a description of the conceptual basis of this project, see below. 

"GameStick" Will Be the Size of a USB Memory Stick, Plug into Your TV

When the Ouya game console (scheduled to launch in April) made headlines last year, it was for three reasons. One, its size and price -- the $99 box, which plugs into a TV, is the size of a Rubik's cube. Two, its choice of operating system -- it runs the same Android OS which powers smartphones and tablets. And three -- its rise to fame on Kickstarter, where it shattered records and received millions of dollars in funding not from venture capitalists, but from gamers who wanted to see it made.

Now GameStick, "The Most Portable TV Games Console Ever Created," is preparing to make a name for itself in exactly the same ways. Except that in some of them, it surpasses the Ouya.

Not even a set-top box

Up to this point, pretty much all home game consoles have been a box that sits on your shelf and plugs in to your TV. (Some PCs even do this these days.)

The GameStick, on the other hand, is about the size of a USB memory stick or a tube of lip balm. It plugs into a TV's HDMI port, and connects to a wireless controller (or even a mouse and keyboard) via Bluetooth. It "works with any Bluetooth controller supporting HID," and will come with its own small gamepad, which features twin analog sticks and a slot to put the GameStick itself inside when not in use.

Do we know if it works yet?

GameStick's creators showed off pictures of a nonworking "Mark 1 Prototype Model," and posted video of a "Reference Board" actually playing games while plugged into a television. This was a roughly USB-stick-sized circuit board, which lacked an outer case.

The reference unit had wires coming out of it, but the GameStick FAQ explains that on new, "MHL compliant TVs" it can draw power straight from the HDMI port, in much the same way that many USB devices are powered by a USB connection. A USB connector cable will be supplied with GameStick just in case, and "there will also be a power adapter."

What about the games?

The GameStick reference unit was playing an Android game called Shadowgun, an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter which is considered technically demanding by Android device standards.

GameStick's creators say "We have some great games lined up already," and AFP Relax confirms that it has roughly the same internal specs as the Ouya, plus a lineup at launch of about a dozen games including several AAA Android titles.

How much will it cost, and when will it be out?

GameStick is available for preorder now from its Kickstarter page for $79. (The price includes the controller as well.) It has an estimated delivery date of April if the project is fully funded -- and with 28 days to go, it had more than reached its $100,000 goal.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gamestick-size-usb-memory-stick-plug-tv-190300176.html

Playstation 4 features revealed, PS4 not backwards compatible for PS3

What do you think of PS4 not being backwards compatible?

Credits: 

 

examiner.co

Emai

As we speak, the Playstation 4 is a system that is undoubtedly under development, and with that said, a quite revealing report was recently brought to light that revealed some unexpected things about Sony's next gaming console.

According to a report from Digital Trends yesterday, the Playstation 4, Orbis or whatever it is rumored to be called is uncertain, however; the two aforementioned names have been ruled out, according to sources.

For those who are wondering why this change is coming to a brand that has been in existence for years, it's apparently because, "The Japanese word for 4 is 'shi,' which also happens to mean death.

"While it might seem silly to break from nearly two decades of successful branding because a two words sound alike, it’s important to remember how branding has negatively affected the Xbox and Xbox 360 in Japan. Where 'X' marks the spot in the US, it’s a negative sign in Japanese culture."

For brevity and identification purposes though, the system will still be referred to as the Playstation 4 or Orbis, until a new name is brought out from Sony.

The quality of games will resemble content already seen from games like "Star Wars 1313" and "Watch Dogs."

Supposedly, these games will not be running in 4K resolution and the only way that feature will make it onto the system is if it's utilized only for videos.

Above all of this, the most surprising detail to come out of this report is the claim that PS4 will not be backwards compatible with Playstation 3 and its Blu-Ray games.

The alternative for playing PS3 games on Sony's next system would be to go through their newly acquired cloud-gaming service Gaikai.

There was no mention of whether or not previously purchased PS3 games will have to be bought all over again on Gaikai.

Of all these new details, which is most surprising to you?

Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/playstation-4-features-revealed-ps4-not-backwards-compatible-for-ps3

Xbox 720 May Be Real And May Be Unveiled This Summer

Image Credit: Microsoft

Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

They might not be that great at keeping a secret or playing coy, but it’s likely that Microsoft is simply bringing some relief to those eager, die-hard Xbox fans who simply can’t stand to be titillated for much longer.

With the New Year now underway, there have been some murmurings that the latest Xbox console (widely expected to be called the Xbox 720) could finally be unveiled somewhere around June 11, 2013. This date just happens to fall right in the middle of the giant gaming conference known as E3. Microsoft’s Larry Hryb (known on Xbox Live as “Major Nelson”) gets credit for whipping these fans into a frenzy after he posted a very simple and subtle countdown timer on his blog yesterday.

The blog reads, in its entirety, “And it’s on…” then features the timer, counting down the days, hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds until E3 2013.

Of course, it only makes sense that Microsoft would attend such a conference. After all, the company announced their SmartGlass offerings at the 2012 E3 as well as some new titles and sales figures for their popular console. Microsoft is a key player in the gaming world and has more than enough reasons to be present at a gaming conference.

Yet, it’s their inability to keep a secret which has many anticipating the unveiling of a new console this summer. For instance, Microsoft posted a job opening online late last summer which stated that they planned to release “new versions of our most significant products including Windows, Office and Xbox” in the next 18 months.

Fast forward several months: Blog SemiAccurate announced yesterday that Microsoft has already put in an order for the silicon that they will need to power the new Xbox 720. These chips are said elsewhere to be an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU.

The Xbox 720 is also expected to ship with a 256 GB hard drive with 8 GB of memory, all for around $299 in time for Christmas 2013.

Now that many believe Xbox is moving ahead with their 720 production, all eyes have shifted towards the other large contender in this space, Sony’s Playstation. Many believe the Playstation 3 is due for a more substantial upgrade than Sony’s typical “slim” version. With the Xbox allegedly moving forward with a new model, some believe Sony will have to release their latest as well.

During last year’s E3 conference, however, Sony America’s CEO and president Jack Tretton told eager fans not to hold their breath when it comes to a Playstation 4.

“Back to the original PlayStation we always thought in 10-year product life cycles,” said Jack Tretton, speaking to the Associated Press. “I think you’re seeing those generations be longer and longer because the technology is so great, it’s difficult to surpass it.”

While the technology may indeed be difficult to surpass, it’s also true that no other electronic device market is sticking to 10-year product cycles. New cell phones, laptops and computers are released every month, and many now live in a one-year product cycle. While consoles may not perform well in such a short life cycle, it’s very possible they could thrive in a 3 to 5 year life cycle. And if one of the major consoles contenders begins to shorten the life cycle of their product, it’s difficult to imagine that the others could hold their market position without following suit.

Source: Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online