Games Latest News Archive
(December 20, 2010) L A Noire preview The woman I’m speaking to is lying. I don’t need to listen to what she’s saying; I can tell from her body language that she is unnerved by my questions. Her body is slightly turned away from me, her arms are folded and she is nervously chewing her bottom lip. Most telling, however, is the look in her eyes and the way that she refuses to make eye contact. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(January 24, 2011) LittleBigPlanet 2 review The original LittleBigPlanet was a curiously contradictory beast. Recipient of numerous accolades from the gaming press, but equally as criticised. Its acquired-taste physics, for many, left a lot to be desired and acted as a barrier for those looking for a fun platforming experience, as did the investment required to really get to grips with the Create mode; it was user-friendly and easy to pick up, but extremely time consuming to make levels on par with some of the best the community had to offer. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(January 13, 2011) Tiger Woods dropped from own video game cover Tiger Woods may have been hoping this year would be an improvement on the last, but 2011 didn't get off to the best of starts after he was dropped from the cover of his own video game. The fallout from a high-profile sex scandal and his subsequent divorce meant 2010 was a year for Woods to forget off the course, while on it the world's most feared player resembled a shadow of his former self, losing his number one ranking to Lee Westwood. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(January 05, 2011) Top 10 brand new games for 2011 Read reviews for Brink, Bulletstorm, Child of Eden, Ghost Trick, and many more. Full reviews on the Telegraph website.
(December 20, 2010) L A Noire preview The woman I’m speaking to is lying. I don’t need to listen to what she’s saying; I can tell from her body language that she is unnerved by my questions. Her body is slightly turned away from me, her arms are folded and she is nervously chewing her bottom lip. Most telling, however, is the look in her eyes and the way that she refuses to make eye contact. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(December 06, 2010) Splatterhouse game review To say that Splatterhouse is a game that deals in blood would be an understatement. It's a game that revels in it. It paints the walls with it. It's a game that plants its tongue firmly through cheek, playing up to its heritage as a rabble rouser, sneering at censors, laughing in the face of the "games-as-art" brigade. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(December 01, 2010) Donkey Kong Country Returns review Released in 1994, Donkey Kong Country wasn't looking to reinvent the 2D platformer, but to craft the genre in the image of its hero; hulking and primal, a game set to the tune of jungle drums. But with those fantastic graphics -- on a SNES, of all things -- it was a statement of intent. At least, it was, until a third dimension came along and ruined everything; by 1996 the best days of the 2D platformer were left in the wake of Super Mario 64's unbridled genius. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(November 22, 2010) Kinect Joyride review One of the way critics avoid being harsh on casual core titles is by emphasising their potential as 'party games'. Highlighting the 'party' appeal of games allows us to forgive casual titles for a lot of their bugs and drawbacks. Who cares if the interface is ropy or if the game is severely lacking in depth? What difference does it make if the difficulty curve is practically non-existent? The inference here is that the only thing that matters to the 'party game' crowd is whether or not they had fun. If they did, the game did the job the developers intended it to do and can be judged a success. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(November 17, 2010) Rock Band 3 review For years, one accusation that was routinely thrown at the music video game phenomenon was "why don't you pick up a real instrument instead of mucking around with these plastic toys?" There are a lot of answers to this. Guitar Hero and Rock Band are about empowerment, putting you an your mates in the role of rock superstars, pretending to thrash out Free Bird by matching buttons to on-screen prompts. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(November 09, 2010) Call Of Duty: Black Ops video game review With Call Of Duty: Black Ops, developer Treyarch has finally stepped out from Infinity Ward's shadow by producing one of the best games of this year. Unfairly or not, when it comes to Call Of Duty, Treyarch has long been seen as the stand-in developer for the franchise. As Activision's military shooter title shot to world stardom, Treyarch was called upon to pump out place-holder games while Infinity Ward toiled away on the next triple A COD release. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(November 04, 2010) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II video game review For all its faults, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed had a lot going for it. Flimsy in its design, but cathartic in its blistering whirlwind of lightsabers and force powers, at the heart of LucasArts’ electric action game was something really good ready to bloom, even if some properly rubbish bits spoiled the whole thing. If you’ve played it, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(November 01, 2010) Saw II: Flesh & Blood video game review If there's one area you couldn't accuse Saw II: Flesh & Blood of failing in, it's torture. Not only do NPCs and the player characters suffer numerous grisly and no doubt painful fates, the player his/herself is subjected to an endless barrage of suffering. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(October 27, 2010) Fallout: New Vegas video game review The only people who will be surprised at what they find when they boot up Fallout: New Vegas, are those players who never played or saw a single frame of Fallout 3. Everyone else, however, will find everything reassuringly familiar from the moment they step out into the crisp, sun-scorched wilderness surrounding the titular settlement. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(October 21, 2010) Electronic Arts to buy Angry Birds publisher for $20m Electronic Arts will buy Chillingo, the company that publishes the hugely popular mobile phone game, 'Angry Birds'. It’s the latest in a series of acquisitions by the video games company, as it seeks to improve its foothold in the burgeoning mobile gaming space. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(October 20, 2010) Vanquish video game review Vanquish is a fast-paced, high-octane and resolutely hard-core shooter. It's also one of this year's best games, writes Nick Cowen. It's hard to begin any review of Vanquish without first addressing how fast the game feels. The latest title to roll off the barmy assembly line of Platinum Games - the developer behind Bayonetta and MadWorld - contains plenty of aspects gamers will recognise from other titles, but rarely have they been used at the service of such a high-velocity experience. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(October 15, 2010) Microsoft Kinect supplies ‘running low’ Many high street retailers have already sold out of their pre-order allocation of Microsoft’s new controller-free gaming system, sparking fears of a Christmas shortage. Several stores, including Game and Play.com, have already sold out of their pre-order allocation of the Kinect gaming system, which officially goes on sale on Nov 10. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(October 11, 2010) Fifa 11 video game review Fifa 11 is another solid entry in the football sim franchise, offering a mix of fantasy football career modes and reality-based gameplay. Nick Cowen investigates. The football season may have been underway for a few weeks now, but for millions of gamers it begins this month with the release of Fifa 11. As ever, the arrival of EA Canada's football sim is greeted with the usual speculation of how it will fare against the latest title in the PES series, but in truth, Fifa 11 is probably in competition with its own predecessors as much as it is with Konami's new game. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(October 05, 2010) Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock video game preview As the release of the latest Guitar Hero approaches, Nick Cowen talks to the game's Project Director, Brian Bright, on how Neversoft is keeping things fresh by going back to the franchise's rock roots. To say that Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock is entering an oversaturated market is something of an understatement. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 30, 2010) Nintendo 3DS launch date and price announced Nintendo confirms retail cost and release dates for its 3D hand-held DS console. The Nintendo 3DS hand-held console, which allows players to view 3D images without the need for special glasses, will launch in Japan in February 26 2011 and will be sold at the suggested retail price of 25,000 yen (around £189). Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 28, 2010) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 video game review Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 arrives with the same core gameplay in tact, while introducing new tweaks and features which are sure to delight fans of the franchise. After a rough year in the spotlight, Tiger Woods is back to grace the cover of his new PGA Tour release, and for the 15th game in the series, he's joined on the cover Rory Mcilroy in celebration of the Ryder Cup. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 23, 2010) Michael Jackson video game announced A massive multiplayer online virtual world (MMO) called Planet Michael is set for launch next year. Planet Michael, which has the backing of the late singer's estate, will be released next year. The developer, See Virtual Worlds, said the online multiplayer game would feature its own real-word economy and provide players with opportunities to learn about and contribute to charitable causes. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 22, 2010) EA Sports MMA video game review I level this query at EA Sports MMA executive producer, Dale Jackson, whom I've just beaten for the fourth straight time in a row on his mixed-martial arts sim. He laughs and says 'no'. I narrow my eyes in suspicion; while I consider myself a fair opponent in most fighting games, this is the man responsible for overseeing the creation of the game, and less than ten minutes ago I was having difficulty working out how to punch. Jackson gives me a double-take and then gestures at the screen. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 21, 2010) BioShock 2 Minerva's Den DLC review BioShock 2's self-contained story DLC, Minerva's Den, is a gripping adventure which gives its parent game a run for its money, writes Nick Cowen. When BioShock 2 was released earlier this year, its biggest draw - aside from its predecessor's lofty reputation - was that it offered players the chance to return to the submerged city of Rapture. The forbidding metropolis, in which the first game's antagonist, Andrew Ryan, founded a social order based on Ayn Rand's objectivist rantings, has to be one of the most compelling environments ever created in the medium. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 17, 2010) Sony PlayStation Move: Review Sony's motion-sensing controller is much more precise than the Nintendo Wii, but will it win over hardcore gamers? Since Microsoft’s Kinect and Sony’s PlayStation Move controller were unveiled last year, the feeling among the traditional gaming fan base has been that Sony’s device would be the one to enhance their favourite games. With Microsoft seemingly targeting the family audience that Nintendo has cultivated with the Wii, Sony was careful to show gamers that Move would not just be used to play mini-games or sports games. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 16, 2010) Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions video game review Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions is a linear yet exciting entry into the Marvel universe that won't leave you missing the streets of New York, writes Ashton Raze. Remember the first time you webbed your way around Manhattan? Swinging in great, sweeping arcs across the open borough, free to go wherever you pleased. Dodging and weaving amongst traffic, catapulting yourself off buildings, soaring through the New York streets. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 14, 2010) Super Mario celebrates 25th birthday Super Mario celebrates his 25th birthday on Monday with 240 million games having been sold worldwide. The sales figures mean that the Italian-American plumber is a bigger earner than Harry Potter and more iconic than Mickey Mouse. The Nintendo video game franchise is the biggest in history and a series of celebrity TV adverts will start on Monday to mark the anniversary. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 10, 2010) Madden NFL 11 video game review Tom Hoggins finds that Madden NFL 11 hasn't undergone an dramatic overhaul, but provides an accessible gateway to American Football for newcomers. In the interest of full disclosure, I have a confession to make. My knowledge of American Football is ... limited. Oh, I understand the sport to a certain degree: the cut and thrust of offence; the impenetrable wall of the defensive line; the game of chess between the two coaches, using giant blokes in helmets as pieces. But it’s a very base knowledge. Truth be told, as far as North American sports go I’m more of an ice hockey man than gridiron. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 08, 2010) Call Of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer hands-on preview Call Of Duty: Black Ops hopes to go one better than its world-beating predecessor this Christmas. Nick Cowen sees if it's up to the test. Anyone who is under any illusion about the importance of multiplayer modes, at least as far as shooters are concerned, should have a gander at the colossal task facing Treyarch this Christmas. The developer Call Of Duty: Black Ops will see its new game beset from all sides in the run-up to its release date. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 07, 2010) Plants Vs Zombies video game review Plants Vs Zombies continues its campaign for multi-platform domination by landing on Xbox Live Arcade. Nick Cowen prepares to get his fingers green. Recently, on my homeward bound Tube commute, I let out a spontaneous cry of triumph which caused all the other passengers in the carriage to stare at me disconcertingly. I grinned at them sheepishly and did my best to turn invisible for the remainder of the journey. Inwardly, I gave myself a massive high-five. Finally, after about two weeks of toiling away, I would now be able to start reading books again on my daily trip into work. The reason for this is that I'd completed the final gaming achievement from the new list which was loaded onto my Plants Vs Zombies iPhone app in the last update. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 02, 2010) Microsoft to increase Xbox Live subscription fee The cost of subscribing to Xbox Live Gold will increase by £1 per month, Microsoft has confirmed. Microsoft has announced that it will be increasing the cost of subscriptions to its online gaming portal, Xbox Live. From November 1, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will have to pay £5.99 per month rather than £4.99 per month for access to the online gaming and movie download portal. Gamers in the United States and Canada also face a similar price increase. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(September 01, 2010) PlayStation 3 'hacked' PS3 owners can buy a 'modchip' to hack their console and allow games to be copied and played from a hard drive. A special USB powered PlayStation 3 'modchip' has been released which claims to allow games to be copied and played from a hard drive. The PlayStation 3 console is the only current-gen console not to be jailbroken and is famous among hackers for its security. The USB 'modchip' has been produced by PSJailbreak and claims to be the first easy solution to hacking the PlayStation console. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(August 31, 2010) Fable III video game preview Fable III offers a darker, deeper and altogether more compelling adventure than its predecessors, writes Nick Cowen. No one can argue against the fact that dark days are upon us; this country has fallen on hard times. The sun still shines over most of the lush, green countryside but the dirty grey veil from the cities encroaches by the day as forests are stripped in the name of progress. Industry has been given free reign to motor full steam ahead, and while this has been profitable for some, the level of poverty in the country has risen. The nation's ruler is issuing edicts which he says will pull the country forward and boost its productivity Full story on the Telegraph website.
(August 27, 2010) The resurrection of the Commodore 64 Commodore USA is set to launch a new version of the classic gaming PC, the Commodore 64. The Commodore 64 is set to make a commercial comeback in time for Christmas. The classic all-in-one personal computer, which first went on sale in 1982, has not been sold officially since 1994. New company Commodore USA is hoping to produce a machine with an almost identical chassis to the original C64, with the original, thick, chunky keys, off-white housing, and the striped rainbow logo, but using significantly upgraded internal parts. The ?rst version of the C64 was a true phenomenon at the time, and original models still sell on eBay for around £20. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(August 26, 2010) Mafia II video game review Mafia II combines a compelling narrative with a tight, slow-burning structure. It's no GTA, which suits it just fine, writes Ashton Raze. You can't go home again, or so Thomas Wolfe said. Once you get out, you stay out, because things never go back to the way they were. You can't rekindle that feeling of growing up, your childhood friends have moved on, the old neighbourhood has changed, and so have you. Going back is never a good idea. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(August 25, 2010) Cheating gamers face online ban The people behind one of the biggest video games of the year are taking the unusual step of banning some of its fans from playing the online, multi-player version. Set in the American Wild West, Red Dead Redemption has sold millions of copies around the world, many of them in the UK. But developer Rockstar Games say they've had complaints from gamers about cheats hacking their way to high scores. Full story on the BBC website.
(August 24, 2010) The gaming PC still beats the console With all of the console-related gaming products flooding the market, you'd be forgiven for thinking that consoles are the only option gamers have. However, PC gaming is enjoying something of a mini renaissance at present. Not only does the PC enjoy a large and varied library of games to rival those of the consoles, it's more affordable than ever and is keeping pace with a lot of trends staking a claim to gaming's future. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(August 23, 2010) Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days video game review Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is the second outing for two of the medium's more compelling anti-heroes. It's a pity they're not starring in a better game than this one, writes Nick Cowen. In an age where video games have never looked more gorgeous, IO Interactive have made a either very brave or a very silly decision. For the second instalment of their third-person-shooter franchise, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, they've taken a huge risk by making their game look as ugly as possible. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(August 20, 2010) Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light video game review Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light restores the queen of adventure to her former glory, writes Tom Hoggins. Poor Lara. Everyone’s favourite tomb raider has had it tough the last few years. Once an emblematic duchess of the video game industry, Ms Croft has had to suffer the indignity of starring in two rubbish films being fussed over by Chris Barrie, before naff PS2 game Angel of Darkness spoiled her cred altogether. Even her latest games, despite being more than decent, have been spoiled by snotty upstart Nathan Drake. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(August 04, 2010) Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore - teaser trailer An action-platform game, Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore allows players to take on the roles of multiple characters from the film as they fight Kitty Galore's evil agents in over 45 covert missions across various locations and environments. View trailer on the Telegraph website.
(August 03, 2010) Star Wars: The Old Republic nears completion BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk talks to Daniel Emery about the game firm's history and its upcoming Star Wars release. The massive multiplayer online role-play game (MMORPG) Star Wars: The Old Republic is nearing completion. While the Canadian developer BioWare would not be drawn on an exact date, it said that spring 2011 "was not unrealistic". "It's getting closer, it's coming down the pipe," the firm's founder Greg Zeschuk told BBC News. At present the MMORPG market is dominated by World of Warcraft, which boasts more than 10m players. Star Wars: The Old Republic is set 4,000 years before the events in the movies, which gave the developers almost a free hand in creating a unique persistent Star Wars universe. Full story on the BBC website.
(August 02, 2010) PlayStation Move prices appear online Starter kit featuring motion controller and camera expected to cost around £50 when it goes on sale on Oct 19, according to information that has appeared on some retailers’ websites. Video game fans are expected to have to pay around £50 for the starter kit of Sony’s new motion-sensing game control system, the PlayStation Move. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 31, 2010) Limbo video game review Limbo is proof positive that the horror and platform gaming genres aren't mutually exclusive. Tom Hoggins finds it impossible to turn away. Limbo is horrifically beautiful. A monochrome purgatory painted in jet-black ink and scratches of charcoal. The screen’s peripheries glow and flicker, as if we’re peering into this world through a grainy, fish-eye lens. The gloomy background, given a sense of depth in just a wash of grey shade depicts destitution and despair. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 29, 2010) Nintendo DS R4 cartridges ruled illegal R4 cartridges, which allow Nintendo DS users to play pirated video games, can no longer be sold or marketed in the UK. The High Court has ruled that 'game copiers', devices which can be used to store and play copied games on the Nintendo DS hand-held console, are illegal. It means that the game copiers, known as R4 cartridges, can no longer be imported, sold or marketed in the UK. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 28, 2010) Demon's Souls video game review Demon's Souls is being hailed as one of the most memorable, important and fantastic games in recent memory. It deserves all its accolades, writes Ashton Raze. A few steps into the first proper area of Demon's Souls and a pink scrawl on the ground gives up this desperate - and alarming - plea for help. A few feet on and a touching a bloodstain shows a lithe female warrior, depicted as a transparent red phantom, flailing her dagger wildly before slumping to the ground, defeated. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 27, 2010) Dance On Broadway video game review Dance On Broadway offers a fun, if slightly flawed, dancing experience that the whole family can take part in. Or they can sit there and laugh at you, writes Nick Cowen. I stared down at the copy of Dance On Broadway with in my hand with a mixture of shock and disgust. Claudine Beaumont, the Technology Editor flicked me a glance and kept typing. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 26, 2010) Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies video game review BDragon Quest IX is a huge, accessible and engaging JRPG for Nintendo’s handheld, writes Tom Hoggins. While Final Fantasy is arguably the name most associated with the JRPG (Japanese role-playing game), Dragon Quest is the name that defined it. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 22, 2010) UK video game sales chart UK game sales chart: the multiformat top 10 best selling video games in the UK. Data supplied by ELSPA. Full list on the Telegraph website.
(July 21, 2010) DeathSpank video game review DeathSpank mixes sword and sorcery with playground humour in an addictive RPG cocktail. It's well worth a look, writes Nick Cowen. With Crackdown 2 and Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 being the only heavy hitters released in recent weeks, it looks as though DLC may stand a chance of competing with video games for a share of the market this summer. The last couple of weeks has seen some interesting offerings arrive on the PSN and Xbox Live Arcade. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 20, 2010) PC Zone magazine is to shut after 17 years Britain's first ever magazine dedicated to PC gaming is to cease publication after 17 years. PC Zone magazine, the sometimes anarchic and irreverent monthly journal, is set to close after 225 issues on 2 September 2010. Future Publishing, which owns the title, said the closure comes in the wake of a strategic review of its PC games portfolio. At its last audit, PC Zone was only selling about 11,000 copies a month. The magazine started life in a rather dank and dusty basement in Central London. Full story on the BBC website.
(July 19, 2010) Joss Stone to star in James Bond computer game A digital version of Stone will star as the femme fatale Nicole Hunter in James Bond 007: Blood Stone, the agent's new video game. Speaking at the game's London launch, Stone said: ''I'm the first Bond girl from the West Country - instead of Martini in my glass I'm drinking cider and nobody will ever know. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 16, 2010) Enslaved: Odyssey to the West video game preview Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is the prettiest apocalypse Tom Hoggins has ever seen. There’s a chain of thought --documented in David de Vries’s ‘Life After People’-- that come the end of humanity, nature will reclaim the Earth. Cities will decay, crumbling under the weight of lush green foliage, vines intertwining with the rusting metal girders of buildings and bridges. Cars will turn to dust, roads will crack wide open, and great shimmering lakes will pool into the great canyons of abandoned towns. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 15, 2010) Toy Story 3: making of the video game How do you create a video game that retains the unique character of a beloved franchise while pushing the boundaries of gameplay? One of the year’s most hotly anticipated films is almost here - Toy Story 3 is released in the UK on July 19, and cinemagoers are expected to flock to see the latest exploits of Woody, Buzz and the rest. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 14, 2010) E3 2010: Mario Sports Mix video game preview Mario Sports Mix applies old school arcade style gaming to multiple sports templates. The result is one of the most addictive and fun party games around, writes Nick Cowen. By the third day of E3, most video game journalists are, mentally speaking, in headless chicken territory. With the main three developer keynote press briefings bagged and tagged, thousands of us hit the show floor to rush between booths, grabbing hands-on time with any many new titles as possible. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 13, 2010) Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 video game review Lego Harry Potter is a game made for kids of all ages and the best Lego game yet, says Tom Hoggins. Mrs. Hoggins and I are proud to say that we are perfectly normal, thank-you very much. We are the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because we just don’t hold with such nonsense. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 12, 2010) Crackdown 2 video game review Crackdown 2 lets players loose in its expansive playground with lots of new guns, vehicles and enemies to enjoy. But is that enough, asks Nick Cowen. Three years is a long time in the video games industry. When Crackdown was released for the Xbox 360 in 2007 it punched above its weight with aplomb. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 09, 2010) E3 2010: Nintendo 3DS hands-on preview The Nintendo 3DS puts 3D gaming right in your hand with no special glasses required. It's an absolute marvel to behold, says Nick Cowen. Is it possible to get sick of adulation? To become morbidly tired of hearing words like "amazing", "brilliant" and "fantastic"? Full story on the Telegraph website.
(July 08, 2010) World of Warcraft maker to end anonymous forum logins. A row has erupted after Blizzard - the publishers of the popular online game World of Warcraft - announced that users on its site forums would have to post under their real names. Full story on the BBC website.
(July 5, 2010) Naughty Bear video game review Naughty Bear is enoyable for around two hours before its returns are diminished by repetitive gameplay, scrappy presentation and a mulfunctioning multiplayer. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(June 30, 2010) Joe Danger video game review Joe Danger’s mix of speed and stunts will raise a smile in anyone who thinks video games are at their best when they’re a challenge to be mastered. Despite countless invested hours, Joe Danger remains a stunt driver with more determination than discernible skill. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(June 29, 2010) Budget 2010: Video games tax credits scrapped. In his emergency budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has said that the Coalition Government has no plans to introduce tax breaks for the video games industry. In a move that is likely to disappoint UK video games developers and publishers, George Osborne has announced that tax breaks for the industry will not be implemented. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(June 23, 2010) England victory over Slovenia predicted by Facebook game. Fifa Superstars, a new video game for the social networking site Facebook, has predicted a 3-1 victory for England in their crucial game against Slovenia. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(June 23, 2010) E3 2010: Sony launches PSN Plus. Premium subscription for PlayStation Network users unveiled at E3. Sony has announced PSN Plus, a premium subscription-based service for its PlayStation Network, at the E3 expo in Los Angeles. Sony president Jack Tretton said PSN Plus users would gain access to an exclusive set of features and content, such as preferred early downloads of demos and select betas, as well as free content including full PSN games, themes and avatars. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(June 22, 2010) Nintendo profit concern over currency market gyrations. Nintendo has said that ongoing currency gyrations could have a significant effect on its profits. The creator of the popular Wii gaming console has a market value in excess of $85bn (£57.2bn) and is now Japan's third most valuable listed company. Full story on the BBC website.
(June 21, 2010) E3 2010: is motion-sensing the future for video-gaming? The highlights of E3 2010 included the PS Move leapfrogging the Wii, but there was no one defining moment for this year's E3 videogames conference. As the E3 video games expo draws to a close this week, the games industry and media leave Los Angeles in a slight daze. In the past week, the biggest names in gaming - Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony - unveiled new titles, new technology and online services in an effort to each establish themselves as the frontrunner in the video games industry. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(June 18, 2010) E3 2010: Microsoft showcases the forthcoming video games and utilities for Kinect - its Xbox 360 motion-sensor controller. The launch-titles and features for Microsoft’s revolutionary new hands-free interface, Kinect, have taken centre stage at its keynote address at E3. Corporate Vice President Marc Whitten introduced the line-up, which included a list of new video games and demonstrations of Kinect’s social media functionality. Full story on the Telegraph website.
(June 17, 2010) Armchair tyrants will get another chance to test their plans for world domination when Civilization V goes on sale in late 2010. The game is due for release in the US on 21 September and three days later in the rest of the world. The fifth incarnation of the nation simulator features some big changes over earlier outings. Full story on the BBC website.
(June 16, 2010) Nintendo has unveiled its new 3D handheld gaming system at a briefing in Los Angeles at the E3 games show. Called 3DS, the system has two screens and can display 3D images that can be seen without using special glasses. Nintendo said the novel handheld is designed to replace the existing DS and is scheduled to be on shop shelves in late 2010. The gaming giant said it had overhauled the graphics system on the DS to bring it into the 21st Century. Full story on the BBC website.
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