Take-Two to buy Farmville creator Zynga for $12.7-B

NEW YORK - Video game publisher Take-Two announced Monday it reached a deal to acquire "Farmville" creator Zynga for $12.7 billion, in a major mobile gaming push by the maker of "Grand Theft Auto."

The merger brings Take-Two, a leader in console and personal computing games, together with a company with strength in interactive games played on mobile devices, such as "Farmville," which first became a phenomenon in the 2010s on Facebook.

The deal comes as Take-Two plans more smart phone versions of its games, which also include Red Dead Redemption and NBA2K.

The transaction also is designed to promote Take-Two's growth outside of its core markets in the United States and Western Europe. Take-Two officials emphasized that Zynga has a presence in more than 175 countries.

Zynga's games are generally free to play and the company generates revenues through the sale of in-game virtual items and advertising.

"We are thrilled to announce our transformative transaction with Zynga, which significantly diversifies our business and establishes our leadership position in mobile, the fastest growing segment of the interactive entertainment industry," Take-Two Chief Executive Strauss Zelnick said in a statement.

Zelnick, in a conference call with analysts, highlighted Zynga's expertise in "free-to-play" games which could allow for greater growth in India, parts of Latin America and the Middle East.

"We basically have 80 percent of the world's geography that is greenfield opportunity for us," Zelnick said. "Large parts of that geography really is driven by free-to-play and that's where Zynga's expertise lies."

The transaction prices Zynga at $9.86 per share, a 64 percent premium on Friday's share price.

About one-third of the payment will be in cash and the rest in Take-Two shares.

Zelnick is set to lead the combined company, with Zynga's team led by Chief Executive Frank Gibeau and Bernard Kim, president of publishing, overseeing the combined company's mobile gaming efforts.

New York-based Take-Two had revenues of $3.4 billion at the end of its last fiscal year and just shy of 5,100 employees. San Francisco-based Zynga had revenues of $2.0 billion and about 3,000 employees.

The deal includes a "go shop" provision that allows Zynga and its representatives to solicit and receive alternative bids for 45 days. The transaction is expected to close in the spring of 2022, the companies said.

Zynga shares soared 44.6 percent on the Nasdaq to $8.68 early Monday, while shares of Take-Two fell by 14.6 percent to $140.65.

Agence France-Presse

Sony posts record Q1 profit on pandemic demand for devices and content

TOKYO - Sony Corp raised its earnings outlook on Wednesday after a record first-quarter operating profit helped by pandemic stay-at-home demand for PlayStation 5 consoles, TVs, music and movies.

Operating profit for the quarter ended June 30 rose to 280.1 billion yen ($2.57 billion) from 221.7 billion yen a year earlier, topping the 207.96 billion expected by 10 analysts, Refinitiv Eikon data showed.

It raised its profit forecast for the year through March 2022 to 980 billion yen from 930 billion, bringing it closer to the 1 billion yen average estimate from 25 analysts.

Sony had expected growing pandemic demand for its devices and content to wane as coronavirus lockdowns eased, but with fresh waves of COVID-19 infections sweeping the world, restrictions are still common.

A shortage of semiconductors, however, which is also affecting the likes of Apple, means it cannot produce enough PlayStation games consoles to meet demand.

Those supply-chain constraints could also affect the production of other consumer electronic devices, Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki told a news briefing after Sony's results.

"We use a lot of semiconductors and it is a source of concern," Totoki said. "We can't become complacent," he added.

Sony in May said it expected to sell 14.8 million PS5 units this fiscal year. Launched in core markets in November 2020, the console, which sells for as much as $500, quickly sold out.

Sony has secured enough chips to achieve that production target, Totoki said.

Sony sees the game console as a way to connect its traditional consumer electronics with its growing content business by encouraging online game downloads and sign-ups for subscription services.

As it streamlines its consumer electronics business, Sony is beefing up its entertainment content and distribution business. In December it agreed to buy AT&T Inc's T.N animation business Crunchyroll with 3 million subscribers worldwide.

In June it bought Housemarque, a Finnish game software maker. I

Sony also increasing movie offerings on streaming services offered by Walt Disney Co and Netflix as the pandemic delays movie theatre releases.

Higher production costs, however, dented profitability, the company said.

In May, the company indicated that it would continue to expand its content business through acquisition when it said it would spend 2 trillion yen over the next three years on strategic investments, including a push to expand subscribers to its gaming and entertainment services.

In its financial division, Sony posted a 16.8 billion yen one-time loss resulting from an unauthorized fund transfer at a Bermuda subsidiary, SA Reinsurance, in May.

The company said it reported the payment to local authorities and was trying to recover the money.

-reuters-

Atari creates blockchain division for cryptocurrency, games

PARIS - Video game pioneer Atari announced on Tuesday the creation of a blockchain division that will seize on the technology to develop games and a cryptocurrency that players could spend on items.

Blockchain technology gives value to cryptocurrency and other "non-fungible tokens" (NFTs) -- such as digital works of art, photos or videos -- by making them impossible to duplicate.

The company said in a press release that it wanted to push its "Atari token" as payment for digital goods within the content on its own "Video Computer System" console and other platforms, but also third party games and applications.

"Atari will also continue to evaluate opportunities in blockchain gaming, NFTs, and blockchain-based online worlds," it said, citing "the immense possibilities of crypto and blockchain-enabled games".

The release also alluded to the possibility of the new division becoming an independently-listed entity, though it said that there is "no assurance any such potential spin-off will occur".

Atari said it was also creating a gaming division that will focus on "the expanding market of retro gaming".

The company's licensing division has already gone beyond the realm of the virtual with an agreement announced in March to build gaming-themed Atari hotels in Dubai, Gibraltar, and Spain.

Launched in California in the early 1970s, Atari is famous for its "Pong" table tennis game, widely regarded as the first video game to achieve serious commercial success.

The brand with its portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises was saved from bankruptcy in 2013 by French company Ker Ventures owned by Frederic Chesnais and American fund Alden.

Atari said Tuesday that Chesnais will relinquish his CEO post to head up the blockchain division and licensing while American Wade Rosen, currently chairman, will take over from his French colleague.

Despite disappointing results in the first half of the year, with revenues down 27 percent to 7.8 million euros, the share price has doubled since January 2021, valuing the company around 250 million euros.

Agence France-Presse

South Carolina teen wins $70K at esports tournament

GREENWOOD, S.C. — Dylan Wright always knew he would end up making money playing video games though his parents might have had their doubts.

Over the course of a recent weekend, the 16-year-old, Greenwood High School student and a teammate won a total of $70,000 at a California gaming tournament. His nearly 8,500 matches played in the game Fortnite paid off at the game’s official Fall Skirmish tournament.


The tournament spanned a recent weekend in San Jose, California, at a convention for the online streaming service Twitch, called TwitchCon 2018. Wright qualified for the tournament after spending many hours a day — some days spending nearly all day — playing Fortnite, a game that pits up to 100 players in a battle royale to be the last person standing.

When he walked into the convention center that Saturday, he said his nerves were getting the better of him. He was suddenly in the same room, getting ready to compete with world-class players he’s been a fan of online.

“It was crazy. I mean, everyone wishes they could play in a tournament,” he said. “I was shaking, but the first game hit and that adrenaline hit me. After that, everything was fine.”

About 400 players showed up to test their gaming skills at the tournament, but once the matches began, Wright had only one thing on his mind: Victory.

Wright, who goes by “Hero JDW” in the game, was playing duos with a competitive partner he met through the game. Together, the two landed a third-place finish in the first heat of matches, securing themselves a place in Sunday’s grand finals, where they placed 11th overall out of 50 teams.

“By grand finals I was a little nervous, but when the game started I totally forgot about it,” he said.

For their performance in the matches, Wright and his partner earned a total of $70,000, which he said he imagines they’ll split evenly once they receive it With the money, he plans to improve his at-home gaming set up and start vying for future tournaments and possible sponsorship.

“Three months ago, he was out playing in a shed with nothing, and now he’s here,” said Wright’s dad, Alan.

At their old house, Dylan’s gaming setup was in an outbuilding — a shed in the backyard that he ran cables to from the house. He would spend long nights out there playing to his heart’s content, keeping himself warm with a space heater in the winter.


Nowadays his gaming happens indoors, on a plastic folding table that he refuses to give up despite his mom’s pleas to let her buy a better table.

“Me as mama, I would always tell him you need to focus in school, get off the game and study,” Jennifer Wright said. “But he’s an A and B student. He’s a good kid, so that’s where I’m OK. I know at nights he’s in here playing his game, he’s not out getting in trouble.”

She admitted that when Dylan would spend all night playing the game during the summer, often still playing when his parents woke up, that she fussed at him. On Sunday, she was crying — what she had seen as aimless playing had been practicing all along.

“I’ve seen how hard he’s worked over the past year and a half to accomplish this,” she said. “I’m so proud of him.”

Alan said he’s always told his son to follow his dreams, even if they seem like a long shot. Of course, beside Dylan’s three monitors on his table was his statistics textbook, and his parents said they’re still pushing him to pursue higher education and always have a backup plan.

For now though, mom is acting as a surrogate coach, carefully watching the offers that come in to sign Dylan to professional gaming teams and fully embrace him into the world of esports.

source: sports.inquirer.net

New Nintendo Video Spotlights Upcoming Super Smash Bros. Fighters

REDMOND, Washington, United States — In the final video presentation dedicated to the Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games, creator Masahiro Sakurai provided many details about previously announced character Cloud from FINAL FANTASY VII, as well as introduced two new playable fighters to the franchise: Corrin from upcoming Nintendo 3DS game Fire Emblem Fates, and Bayonetta from the critically acclaimed Bayonetta games.

Bayonetta was the overall top pick in the recent Fighter Ballot, which asked fans to nominate characters that they would love to see added to the Super Smash Bros. series. Bayonetta was the No. 1 pick in Europe and in the top five in North America. When factoring in the amount of votes, Bayonetta was the clear worldwide choice.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151215006747/en/

Bayonetta was the overall top pick in the recent Fighter Ballot, which asked fans to nominate characters that they would love to see added to the Super Smash Bros. series. (Photo: Business Wire)

In addition to detailed information about the new characters, Sakurai also revealed two new stages coming to both Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as downloadable content. Midgar – a familiar location for fans of FINAL FANTASY VII – will join the series as Cloud’s stage, while Bayonetta will feel right at home in the Umbra Clock Tower stage. New Mii Fighter outfits will also be added to the game, highlighted by a full costume inspired by Geno from the Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

All of these new additions will be the last downloadable content for Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. This new content brings the total number of playable characters to 58, the total number of stages in both versions of the game to 84 and the number of costumes and hats to 99 and 97, respectively.

“Mr. Sakurai knows how to go out with a smash,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “With the inclusion of even more surprising characters, stages and costumes, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U cement themselves as two of the most robust fighting games of all time.”

Launching as downloadable content planned for February 2016, Corrin from Fire Emblem Fates joins the roster of both Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Like Wii Fit Trainer, Robin and the Villager, players can choose to play as a male or female version of the character. Corrin has the blood of a dragon in his veins, allowing him to transform and pull off attacks like no other fighter. Corrin will be available as a download in Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U for $4.99, or both game versions together for $5.99.

As revealed in the Nintendo Direct presentation last month, Cloud from FINAL FANTASY VII is coming to Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. The character will have two costumes: one inspired by the original FINAL FANTASY VII game and one from FINAL FANTASY VII: Advent Children. Like in FINAL FANTASY VII, Cloud possesses Limit Breaks when fighting in Super Smash Bros. As Cloud gives and receives damage, or uses his Down Special Attack, his Limit Break meter will fill. Once full, Cloud can activate his Limit Break. While playing on Midgar, Cloud’s new stage, players can grab Summon Materia that call forth summons from the FINAL FANTASY universe like Ifrit and Bahamut ZERO. Once activated, only the player who triggered the summon will be safe from damage. Cloud and the Midgar stage will be available as a download in Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U for $5.99, or both game versions together for $6.99, beginning within hours of today’s video presentation.

Launching at the same time as Cloud, a new Chocobo hat for Mii Fighters will release as downloadable content. Also launching is a costume based on fan-favorite character Geno from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a classic role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System created in collaboration with SQUARE ENIX. Additionally, Mii Fighter costumes for Sonic the Hedgehog series characters Knuckles and Tails, and even costumes inspired by more characters from other franchises will be made available for download in February 2016.

The Umbra Witch herself is joining the giant cast of playable characters in Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as a result of the worldwide Fighter Ballot. Just like in her action games, Bayonetta is a combo fighter in Super Smash Bros., chaining different kinds of attacks together. Her signature move is Witch Time, which slows down opponents if they are within range. Her new exclusive stage is called Umbra Clock Tower and is filled with moving platforms and even an alternate world. Bayonetta and the Umbra Clock Tower stage are planned for launch in February 2016, both available for download in Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U for $5.99, or both game versions together for $6.99.

As with all the other playable Super Smash Bros. characters, Cloud, Corrin and Bayonetta will also get their own amiibo figures. More information about these upcoming amiibo figures will be revealed in the future. Additionally, amiibo figures for current fighters Ryu and Roy, along with a Famicom Color version R.O.B., will launch on March 18. All amiibo figures are sold separately.

For more information about Super Smash Bros., visit http://www.smashbros.com/us/.

Remember that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U ™ and Wii ™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS ™ and Nintendo DS ™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System ™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games and more than 686 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy ™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi ™ and Nintendo DSi XL ™, Super NES ™, Nintendo 64 ™, Nintendo GameCube ™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario ™, Donkey Kong ™, Metroid ™, Zelda ™ and Pokémon ™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

source: tehnology.inquirer.net

Review: Ubisoft turns ‘Rainbow 6′ into 5-vs.-5 war on terror

The world of online video games can be a nightmare, an every-man-for-himself, kill-or-be-killed wasteland that brings out our most nihilistic impulses. But big publishers are hoping to change that with more games that force us to work together—particularly as they try to invent multiplayer competitions that will appeal to the ever-expanding audience for “e-sports.”

“Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege” (Ubisoft, for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, $59.95) is a five-vs.-five contest with some similarity to one of the most popular e-sports titles, Valve’s “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.” It could be an audience hit—I found it almost as entertaining to watch as to play—but it need a bit more variety to stand out in the saturated multiplayer market.

You play as a member of a commando squad, attacking or defending against a second team of commandos. (Ubisoft says they’re both counter-terrorist units—which defies logic, but welcome to Clancy World.) In a typical scenario, the defenders have taken over a large building; the attackers need to bust in and “neutralize” (OK, kill) them. There are a few variables: The attackers may need to rescue a hostage or defuse a bomb, or the defenders may be trying to protect a human “asset” from assassination.

At the beginning of each mission, you and your teammates have 45 seconds to prepare. Defenders can erect obstacles and set traps, while attackers can send reconnaissance drones into the site. Then you get a few minutes of mayhem.

It sounds simple, but the large environments offer a wide variety of approaches to the task. As attackers, do you want to rappel up the walls and bust through the skylights, or sneak in through the garage and try to take your enemies by surprise? As defenders, do you want to hole up in one room or spread out and aggressively hunt down the invaders?

You can also choose to play as one of 20 different operatives, who bring different weapons, traps and skills (like healing or the ability to sense enemies through walls) to the mix. You can acquire those operatives by spending in-game currency, which you earn by completing matches or playing through the solo “situations.”

Even if you’re itching for multiplayer, it’s a good idea to run through the situations, which give you a solid grounding in the techniques you’ll need to win. There’s also a “terrorist hunt” mode where one to five operatives can fight off waves of computer-controlled bad guys. They aren’t as satisfying as the epic solo campaigns offered by previous “Rainbow Six” games, so if you’re a lone wolf, you’ll be disappointed.

Indeed, I’ve already heard from franchise fans who are angry that it has veered so dramatically into online multiplayer. You’ll get the most out of it if you can team up with four players you trust—which can be a tall order for even the most sociable gamer. Two-and-a-half stars out of four.

source: technology.inquirer.net

YouTube to launch app, site dedicated to gaming

LOS ANGELES — YouTube is seeking to win over gamers.

The online video giant announced plans ahead of next week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo to launch a separate app and site specifically for fans of video games.

Ryan Wyatt, YouTube’s global head of gaming content, unveiled YouTube Gaming during an event Friday at YouTube Space LA, one of the site’s production facilities. He said YouTube Gaming will be a destination for users to find gaming videos, live streams and Internet personalities. sl

“Despite the crazy usage that gaming drives on YouTube, we’ve never really built gamers the experience that they deserve,” said Wyatt. “That’s something that changes today.”

The app and site, which is scheduled to debut in the U.S. and U.K. later this summer, will feature individual pages dedicated to more than 25,000 games.

YouTube product designer Jonathan Terleski demonstrated that if a user began searching for the word “call” on the YouTube Gaming app, the military shooter “Call of Duty,” not the Carly Rae Jepsen tune “Call Me Maybe” would appear first.


YouTube is also seeking to make it easier for users to broadcast live and competitive gaming, known as e-sports, by creating singular links that can be shared, removing the need to schedule a broadcast and promoting live broadcasts.

“YouTube Gaming is built from the ground up for gamers, by gamers,” said Wyatt. “No longer is gaming going to be lost in a sea of content. We’re unleashing a brand-new user experience that puts games front and center. That includes live gaming, as well.”

The move by Google-owned YouTube takes direct aim at Twitch, the gaming-centric streaming video site acquired by Amazon last year for nearly $1 billion. While YouTube remains the dominant online video site, Twitch has solidified itself over the past three years as a destination to stream gameplay from such titles as “League of Legends” and “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.” Twitch now boasts 100 million users who watch 1.5 million broadcasters a month.

“We welcome new entrants into the growing list of competitors,” said Matthew DiPietro, Twitch’s vice president of marketing, in a statement. “Gaming video is obviously a huge market that others have their eye on. It inspires us to work even harder to make the community proud.”

YouTube Gaming will be previewed at YouTube’s booth on the E3 show floor beginning Tuesday.

The announcement of YouTube’s renewed focus on gaming once again signals the importance of online video on the eve of E3, the gaming industry’s annual trade show. While the interactive extravaganza is no longer broadcast live on TV cable channels such as Spike and G4, the surprise-laced press conferences and flashy game demonstrations attract millions of viewers on YouTube, Twitch and other online streaming services.

“The way you reach a gamer today is very different than the way you would 20 or even 10 years ago,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Electronic Software Association, which organizes E3.

“It’s more direct. The consumers want the experience of video game debuts through the eyes and voices of true gamers,” Gallagher continued. “Now, those true gamers who can speak with enthusiasm about a new ‘Fallout’ or ‘Call of Duty’ are able to do it live and in person through streaming technology. It’s another example how the industry has matured and grown beyond traditional forms of media."

source: technology.inquirer.net

‘Zelda,’ ‘Batman’ among anticipated games due in 2015

LOS ANGELES — Link, Master Chief, Batman and Nathan Drake will be back in action.

The leading men are among the protagonists starring in totally new video game installments in 2015, joined by newcomers like a team of intergalactic monster hunters and their prey (“Evolve”), a band of high-tech criminals and their tails (“Battlefield Hardline”) and a battalion of explorers and their procedurally generated universe (“No Man’s Sky”).

The gaming line-up for 2015 also includes a pair of original Victorian-inspired tales (“Bloodborne,” ”The Order: 1886″), the return of two long-gone, out-of-this-world gaming franchises (“Star Wars: Battlefront,” ”Star Fox”) and an expedition into the open-world genre for a long-running stealth series (“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain”).

Here’s a glimpse of some of 2015’s most anticipated games:

— “Batman: Arkham Knight” (for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC; June 2): After three editions of stomping, gliding and grappling through a virtual Gotham, Batman has keys to the Batmobile in Rocksteady Studios’ Dark Knight finale. This time, besides old-school baddies like Penguin and Scarecrow, Batman is facing off against a new menace called Arkham Knight.

— “Battlefield Hardline” (for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC; March 17): Visceral Games is dodging the military in favor of an interactive game of cops and robbers in the latest entry of the first-person “Battlefield” shooter series. The war-on-crime action will include bank heists, police chases and hostage rescue missions.

— “Bloodborne” (for PlayStation 4; March 24): “Dark Souls” mastermind Hidetaka Miyazaki takes a stab at the PlayStation 4 with this relentless role-playing title set in a gothic enclave that’s been overrun by infected monsters. “Bloodborne,” much like predecessors “Dark Souls” and “Demon’s Souls,” is expected to be quite the nightmare.

— “Evolve” (for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC; Feb. 10): After tackling team-based zombie slaying with “Left 4 Dead,” Turtle Rock Studios takes on monster hunting in this multiplayer shooter with a twist. Instead of equal squads aiming for each other online, “Evolve” pits a team of four against one player portraying an oversized, overpowered behemoth.

— “Halo 5: Guardians” (for Xbox One, fall 2015): For his latest interstellar adventure, hardened “Halo” hero Master Chief is joined by a new companion, fellow supersoldier Locke. Developer 343 Industries has injected a slew of fresh abilities into the game’s multiplayer mode, including thruster-boosted dodging and ground pounding.

— “The Legend of Zelda” (for Wii U, 2015): Link and his trusty steed Epona are set free in an expansive open realm in the first original “Legend of Zelda” adventure crafted for Nintendo’s high-definition, touchscreen-centric Wii U console. “Legend of Zelda” producer Eiji Aonuma has promised that Link’s actions will have the ability to reshape his fantasy world.

— “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” (for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC; 2015): “Metal Gear” one-man army Snake is dispatched to Afghanistan during the Cold War to take down Soviet forces. “Phantom Pain” seeks to be the most liberating “Metal Gear” yet with sandstorms and daylight affecting the mercenary’s stealthy tasks.

— “No Man’s Sky” (for PlayStation 4, PC, 2015): While most game makers precisely position every polygon within their creations, the developers at Hello Games are dispatching players to virtual worlds with randomly generated landscapes, meaning plants, animals and atmospheres will look different for each person who picks up this ambitious exploration title.

— “The Order: 1886″ (for PlayStation 4, Feb. 20): In this third-person alternate history romp, the Knights of the Round Table battle supernatural forces with steampunk gear across London. “The Order” creators Ready at Dawn are harnessing the PS4’s souped-up processing power to transport gamers to an intricate and moody rendition of the foggy city.

— “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” (for PlayStation 4; 2015): After surviving a trek through a sprawling desert and a jaunt through an ancient crumbling city, “Uncharted” champion Nathan Drake returns for his first quest on the PS4. This time, the smart-alecky treasure hunter will be joined by his brother, portrayed by omnipresent video game actor Troy Baker.

Other anticipated titles include: role-playing sequel “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”; online-only shooter “Tom Clancy’s The Division”; time-bending action title “Quantum Break”; a next-gen rendition of “Star Wars: Battlefront”; Lara Croft follow-up “Rise of the Tomb Raider”; and “Star Fox” for the Wii U.

source: technology.inquirer.net

NY man’s 10,607 video games secure Guinness title

BUFFALO, New York – Maybe it was getting his first video game, Cosmic Avenger, for Christmas at the age of 12, and then having to wait an entire year for the hard-to-land Colecovision console to play it on that made Michael Thomasson so determined to get his hands on every video game and system he could find.

Now, 31 years and roughly 11,000 games later, Thomasson is the newly crowned world record holder for having the largest collection of video games. He is featured in a two-page spread in the just-released “Guinness World Records 2014 Gamer’s Edition.”

“I have games on cartridge, laser disc. I have VHS-based games, cassette-based games,” Thomasson said, standing among the collection that fills the basement of his suburban Buffalo home.

Along with the games, he has the devices to play them on, not only the Xboxes and PlayStations but obscure ones like the Casio Loopy, the only game system specifically geared toward girls, which came out in Japan in 1995, and the Pippin, a dud released by Apple the same year.

“Every game on it is awful,” Thomasson says of Apple’s foray into the gaming world. “It’s the least fun of anything in the house.”

At the other end of the spectrum is the old Colecovision unit like the one that appeared under the Christmas tree one year after his grandparents gave him his first game for it. They had mistakenly believed his parents had gotten their hands on the playing system, which was a hot item that year. It stands to this day as the best present his parents ever gave him.

“It’s my first love so it’s sentimental,” Thomasson said. But the games also were quality, with very little of the “shovelware” — mediocre, rushed releases — typical of many systems, he said.

“They looked good, they played good. For the time they sounded good,” he said, “for the bleeps and blips of the ’80s.”

Thomasson began collecting almost immediately, he said, but the path to the world record had a couple of restarts. He sold off his collection twice, first in 1989 to raise money for a Sega Genesis, then again to pay for his 1998 wedding. (“I was heavy into collecting when we married so she knew what she was getting into,” he says of his wife, JoAnn.)

Since then, Thomasson has methodically rebuilt the collection, averaging two games per day on a strict $3,000-a-year budget which means never paying full price.

He estimates the collection is worth $700,000 to $800,000.

He hasn’t played every game. The father of a 5-year-old, Anna, Thomasson designs games and teaches 2D animation, game design and the history of video games at Canisius College in Buffalo. He also writes on the topic for magazines and books.

“I probably get three hours of playing in a week,” he said. “If I’m lucky.”

Guinness lists the number of games in Thomasson’s record-breaking collection at 10,607, though he said the number exceeds 11,000 now, a year after the official count and after discovering forgotten stashes of games after the counting crew left.

Either way, it bested the previous record holder, Richard Lecce, who held the record first recorded in 2010 with 8,616 games.

“My congratulations to a fellow collector,” Lecce, 39, said by phone from his Florida home upon hearing his record had fallen. “It’s very impressive and I’m very happy for him.”

Lecce began collecting as a way to own all the games he couldn’t have as a kid, he said, and grew to appreciate their place in pop culture.

Still an active collector, Lecce hasn’t counted his games in the last few years and doesn’t know what his number has grown to, but he has no immediate plans to challenge Thomasson for his old record.

“It’s something I did for my own enjoyment. I applied for the Guinness book for my kids so that years from now they can look back and say, wow, my father was in the ‘Guinness Book of World Records,’” Lecce, a father of two and numismatist, a rare coin dealer, said.

He’s happy to see more people collecting, and appreciating, video games.

“Everything from the original artwork to the actual code that was written for the games to the actual box art and the whole marketing plan,” he said. “It’s just a very undervalued and underappreciated art form.”

source: technology.inquirer.net

Wii U Sales are Up 200%!

It seems reports of the Wii U‘s demise might just be premature. Nintendo‘s home console has seen it’s sales rise by more than 200 % for the month of September.

Nintendo recently dropped the price of its Wii U by $50 to $299.99. The company also began offering a Wii U bundle with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in September. The price drop and excitement over the new exclusive and bundle are thought to be the causes of the uptick in sales.

While the Wii U’s sales are up, it still trails the Sony’s Playstation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and it will face the new consoles from both companies this Holiday season. Sony unseated Microsoft in September, selling more PS3′s than Xbox 360s for the first time in 32 months.

Hopefully the big N can keep the exclusives coming, at least enough to keep the Wii U in the game long enough for the Wii – V to come out! (I kid, I kid)

For more information, Nintendo’s press release follows below:

Oct. 17, 2013

Nintendo 3DS Repeats at No. 1, Wii U Responds Following Price Cut

Nintendo enters the critical holiday selling season with strong momentum, as Nintendo 3DS finished as the best-selling video game system in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive month and Wii U enjoyed new momentum following a price cut.

On Oct. 15, Nintendo revealed that Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, which launched globally on Oct. 12, combined to sell more than 4 million units worldwide during its first two days on the market. A full breakdown of U.S. sales for the games, as well as the new Nintendo 2DS handheld, which launched on the same day, will be included in next month’s NPD report. In addition to the latest Pokémon adventure, Nintendo 3DS fans have two exciting games on the horizon, both launching on Nov. 22: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Mario Party: Island Tour.

On Sept. 20, Nintendo reduced the price of the Wii U Deluxe Set by $50 to a suggested retail price of $299.99 and introduced a limited-edition bundle that features a download code for a digital copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. Sales of Wii U hardware in September increased by more than 200 percent over sales in August, and that is with only 15 days of data being reported at the new price. Over the next few weeks and months, Wii U fans can look forward to playing Wii Party U (Oct. 25), Wii Fit U (Nintendo eShop, Nov. 1) Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Nov. 15) and Super Mario 3D World (Nov. 22).

*Data regarding physical sales of games in September are from the NPD Group. Data regarding digital downloads of games and combined physical/digital life-to-date numbers are from Nintendo’s internal sales figures. All numbers, unless otherwise stated, are specific to the United States only.

source: intomobile.com