The Nintendo 3DS is set to take the market by storm introducing for the first time a consumer ready mobile device that features a glasses-free 3D display. However, seeing how the Nintendo 3DS is the device’s first iteration there are definitely going to be some kinks to sort out. A off that has just came to light is the battery life. One would assume that this high-tech 3D display wouldn’t be the best on battery but according to recent reports it will run just 3-5 hours with 3D activated and up to 8 hours with 3D deactivated.
That is, if you can even keep the 3D activated that long without having more strain on your eye than you can handle.
Those looking to grab the Nintendo 3DS make note that it is set to hit store shelves on March 27th with a $249.99 price tag.
If you’ve been paying attention to the gaming community you may have noticed a top notch StarCraft 2 mod dubbed World of StarCraft that effectively transformed the game from a real time strategy to an RPG. Unfortunately for the developers of the game, a take down notice had been posted in place of a YouTube video that claimed copyright infringement from none other than Blizzard – the developers of both StarCraft and World of Warcraft.
Luckily, Blizzard has come forth to say “It was never our intention to stop development on the mod” instead going on to say:
“With the name so closely resembling that of World of Warcraft, we wanted to discuss the title of the mod with the developer, and as part of our routine procedure, we contacted YouTube to request the video be removed while that discussion took place.”
But that’s not all, they continue by saying:
“We were also curious about the project and wanted to discuss with the developer what the mod entailed.”
So, while it’s not yet confirmed, our best guess would suggest World of StarCraft will continue under a different name. As for the second part? Let’s hope Blizzard hired the modder and puts him to work on an official World of StarCraft. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
We’ve also included the World of StarCraft video in question above for your viewing pleasure.
Activision’s Call of Duty franchise has become not only one of the biggest FPS titles, but one of the biggest video game titles of all time. Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward, has been one of the franchise’s hardest hitting titles with fans everywhere clamoring over its release. Luckily, Modern Warfare 3 is definitely in development despite all of the fuss over the Inifinity Ward founders vs. Activision lawsuits but when exactly it will be out, we haven’t been sure.
Lucky for us, the rumor mill is in full swing with the latest set suggesting Modern Warfare 3 will be out for the whole lot in Q4 of this year. Of course, this wouldn’t be too hard to figure out yourself after some thinking due to the fact that Call of Duty titles tend to be released in Q4 with both Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops getting released in November. So, if I had to make an educated guess, I would say Modern Warfare 3 will also be released in November. But don’t take my word for it, wait until someone officially involved with the matter comes forth to say more.
After much debate and rumoring, Bethesda has confirmed that the upcoming Oblivion sequel, Skyrim, will indeed feature mod tools and mod support. An Bethesda rep stopped by the forums and said:
“We’ve always been impressed with what the community has done with our tools. Like the Elder Scrolls Construction Set for Morrowind and Oblivion, we plan to release [a] Creation Kit so you guys can mod Skyrim.”
Modding was one of the most popular aspects of Oblivion — some of the mods are played to this date. Skyrim will be out on November 11, 2011.
Sega has announced the latest installment in their Virtua Tennis franchise, Virtua Tennis 4 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. The game will support motion controls on all three platforms, with the regular Wiimote support, Xbox 360′s Kinect and PlayStation 3′s Move. Virtua Tennis 4 will include a new career mode called “World Tour”, and will be out later this year.
Just earlier today Nintendo came forth to announce that the Nintendo 3DS would be made available on March 27th for a decently palatable $249.99. Now, every one’s favorite online retailer Amazon.com has posted the device for pre-order with the above mentioned release date and price point.
For those who aren’t aware the Nintendo 3DS features a design similar to the Nintendo DS but adds a 3D display that requires no 3D glasses and a camera capable of taking 3D images.
When it comes to dedicated portable video game consoles Nintendo and Sony are pretty much the only relevant players. The latest devices on the market from both companies include the Nintendo DS and PSP, respectively, and all of their iterations. While we’ve heard nothing official of a PSP2 out of Sony rumors suggest that they will be launching the device quite soon – potentially even this month.
On the other side of things we’ve known that Nintendo will be launching the Nintendo 3DS on March 27th for $249.99. So, which one will sell more? According to industry analyst Michael Pachter, the Nintendo 3DS by a healthy margin:
“I think that the 3DS will outsell the PSP2, because the 3DS is new and different, while the PSP2 is likely going to be a souped up version of the old PSP. Thus, I think that 3DS will have greater success in capturing the consumer’s imagination… I think this is Kinect vs. Move all over again. Kinect is outselling Move because Kinect is new and different, while Move is very similar to the Wii.”
While Pachter has definitely done his homework, if the past is anything go by this one is somewhat of a no brainer. Then again anything can happen as the Jets just beat the Patriots, right?
Sony has long been one of the leading mobile gaming console manufacturers thanks to their PSP line up. Now that the device has been on the market for quite some time, many have speculated that Sony will soon be launching a successor to the console. While we’ve heard nothing official of the matter, Bloomberg has just notified us of a very interesting rumor.
According to their source, Sony will be launching the PSP2 on January 27th. This goes along with the rumor that says Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play (otherwise known as the PlayStation Phone) will be getting announcing during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.
Is any of this to be believed? January 27th is right around the corner so we don’t have long to find out.
NOTE: The above image is a speculative render of the PSP2 and is NOT an official image.
Guerilla Games’ Killzone franchise is one of the hardest hitting exclusives that the Playstation 3 has. Killzone 2 had some bugs here and there but was received generally well and applauded for its hard hitting graphics and amusing gameplay. Well, Killzone 3 is just over the horizon and looks to bring gamers things like 3D graphics and more.
If you’re picking up Killzone 3, you’ll be happt o know that a beta for Zipper Interactive’s Socom 4 is being bundled with the game. There’s no telling exactly what will be included in the Socom 4 beta but considering the game is largely multiplayer based it’d be safe to assume that it will definitely include that.
Killzone 3 will be hitting store shelves exclusively for the PS3 on February 22nd.
If you’ve paid attention to pretty much any media outlet you’ll know that Tiger Woods doesn’t have the cleanest of track records which has seen many of his sponsors fly the coop. One sponsor that has stayed with him through thick and thin is none other than EA Sports but that looks to be changing very quickly. As you’re sure to know, the box art for PGA Tour 12 was released not too long ago and showed us that Tiger Woods’ name was featured much less prominently than previous years.
Now, reports have surfaced that say EA Sports has just signed a new brand ambassador for the PGA Tour series named Rhys Davies. The professional golfer will wear the EA Sports logo during all competitions. While this is great for Mr. Davies, it might not be soo good for Tiger Woods. Does this mean that EA Sports is slowly phasing Woods out? If he doesn’t return to greatness our best guess would be yes.
