New sales numbers have shown that May 2011 game sales have dropped to their lowest number since 2006. It seems like a huge loss, especially in the wake of E3.
The full story can be found here: http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/766-may-video-game-sales-worst-in-five-years In case you haven't heard the news by now, two days ago Activision announced that its hit Call of Duty series will now include a premium service. The service will include the ability for players to join groups, clans (evidently two different things), and will give added security to the gameplay. Of course, as this service is "premium" it will cost a monthly fee.
Would you like to know more?: http://mashable.com/2011/05/31/call-of-duty-elite/ Carmine is going to be discussing this and other similar things in Carmine's Corner. Once that's up, we'll link it here. The dust hasn't settled yet. Sony reported today that its Sony Music Entertainment Greece servers have been hacked and more personal information has been stolen. They're not reporting the loss of any credit card information, but Sony's clearly being targeted by hackers on an international level.
We'll keep you posted as we find out more information, but for now, as always, keep track of your credit card and bank account statements. For more information, see this link: http://mashable.com/2011/05/24/sony-hacker-attack/ Now before you skip over this story, this definitely made me pause. If you buy a new PC from Dell.com, HP.com, Best Buy, or the Microsoft Store with a value of at least $699, Microsoft will give you a new 4GB Xbox 360. It looks like it's the slim model, which is a pretty good deal all things considered.
If you're in the market for a new computer, you might want to consider this. I have used Dell.com in the past with good results. This deal wouldn't make me go out and buy a new computer just for the Xbox, but if I was in the market I'd take advantage of this. To read more, see this link: http://mashable.com/2011/05/19/microsoft-free-xbox/ Those of you who have played some of the more recent Bioware games know that they're not shy about same-sex romance. The first two Mass Effect games allowed for girl-on-girl romance options and the Dragon Age games have allowed some very "complex" romance options.
Evidently, Mass Effect 3 will go along the same path as Dragon Age: Origins and allow for both sides of the same-sex spectrum. Now male players can romance male characters in addition to female players romancing female characters. When we get Mass Effect 3, we'll definitely be reviewing it. For those of you that want to pre-order the game, however, be aware that this is definitely an issue. You can read a bit more here: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2011/05/16/same-sex-romance-all-mass-effect-3-says-bioware We found this article the other day and thought it was interesting. I haven't heard of many people buying rumble vests, but I've always been somewhat tempted by those HDMI cables designed specifically for the Xbox 360 or PS3. In short, all HDMI cables are the same, and overpriced ones aren't any better than cheap ones.
If you want to know more about these and other accessories (such as third-party controllers), read here: http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/661-five-game-accessories-you-dont-need/ News of the hackers getting into Sony's databases is taking another downward turn as Sony has announced that its "Sony Online Entertainment" servers have been hacked. This brings the total count of affected users upwards of 24.5 million. If you have ever bought anything online from Sony I would be keeping close track of the charges on your credit cards and bank accounts for quite some time.
More information can be found here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/226908/sony_hack_caps_recent_string_of_security_horror_shows.html All kidding aside, this is a serious issue. Sony managed to annoy a lot of hackers, who have taken it in turn to crack the security protocols of Sony's PSN and steal users' personal information. If you have ever bought anything directly from the PSN (meaning you downloaded it on your Playstation 3), you should be keeping track of your bank statements.
More information can be found here: http://kotaku.com/#!5795913/sony-comes-clean-playstation-network-hackers-have-stolen-personal-data Not sure if any of you parents have seen an in-game ad in some of the games your kids have played, but they can either be done kind of right or completely wrong. They need to give the players something in return for the view. This article discusses the new possibilities. What if brands offered DLC for free in exchange for watching a few commercials? It's an interesting idea, assuming it's done right.
You can read more about it here: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/34281/Opinion_InGame_Advertisings_Big_New_Play.php The face of gaming is changing. It's becoming as common and nonchalant as going to the movies. In an interview with Online Media Daily, IGN's president Roy Bahat discusses what the changes to the gaming environment have been and what they mean for the future.
For more information, see here: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=149124 |
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