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Opinion: Planting ideas

Randy Smith — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:48:08 GMT

Randy Smith considers how to avoid making gameplay feel like a chore.

Facebook setting up EU social team

Nathan Brown — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:18:26 GMT

Facebook is setting up a dedicated office in Europe to work with the region's social game developers. The company already has a similar operation in the US, but told the Guardian it was setting up in Europe because it is "the most interesting region in terms of innovation" in the social space.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/feb/22/facebook-games-europe

The Guardian

Facebook is setting up a dedicated office in Europe to work with the region's social game developers.

The company already has a similar operation in the US, but told the Guardian it was setting up in Europe because it is "the most interesting region in terms of innovation" in the social space.

Dear Esther dev working on new Amnesia

Nathan Brown — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:28:47 GMT

Dear Esther studio Thechineseroom is working on a new game in the Amnesia series, subtitled A Machine For Pigs. Joystiq reports that the game, which is being developed by Dan Pinchbeck's studio and produced by Frictional Games, developer of the original Amnesia: The Dark Descent, will be released for PC later this year.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs/

Joystiq

Dear Esther developer Thechineseroom is working on a new game in the Amnesia series, subtitled A Machine For Pigs.

Joystiq reports that the game, which is being developed by Dan Pinchbeck's studio and produced by Frictional Games, developer of the original Amnesia: The Dark Descent, will be released for PC later this year.

EA pulls App Store Battlefield 3

Nathan Brown — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:10:52 GMT

Electronic Arts has pulled Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the iOS App Store following complaints from players. IGN reports that the game, a free download thanks to sponsorship from military film Act Of Valor, had an average user rating of two and a half stars when EA took it down. Players complained of a variety of issues, including problems with the controls and multiplayer matchmaking.

http://uk.wireless.ign.com/articles/121/1219168p1.html

IGN

Electronic Arts has pulled Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the iOS App Store following complaints from players.

IGN reports that the game, a free download thanks to sponsorship from military film Act Of Valor, had an average user rating of two and a half stars when EA took it down. Players complained of a variety of issues, including problems with the controls and multiplayer matchmaking.

Borderlands 2 dated

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:08:18 GMT

Borderlands 2 will be released on September 18 in North America, and three days later in Europe, publisher 2K Games has confirmed.

Borderlands 2 will be released on September 18 in North America, and three days later in Europe, publisher 2K Games has confirmed.

2K president Christoph Hartmann said: "The addictive gameplay and shooting and looting mayhem of the first Borderlands is back and better than ever, taking the franchise to an entirely new level.

"With more guns, enemies, missions, an engaging story and all-new characters, Borderlands 2 promises to bring a new era to gaming this fall."

Killzone art collection launches

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:47:01 GMT

Dutch art dealership Cook & Becker has launched a curated collection of artwork from the Killzone franchise. Now available on the firm's website, The Killzone Collection contains concept art and drawings from Guerrilla's PlayStation shooter series, including Stahl Arms, a finalist at Into The Pixel 2011.

http://www.candb.com/en/

Cook & Becker

Dutch art dealership Cook & Becker has launched a curated collection of artwork from the Killzone franchise.

Now available on the firm's website, The Killzone Collection contains concept art and drawings from Guerrilla's PlayStation shooter series, including Stahl Arms, a finalist at Into The Pixel 2011.

All the works are museum-grade, certified art giclées - fine art printed using inkjet printers - and are guaranteed to stay in mint condition for over 100 years.

NeverDead review

Edge Staff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:40:50 GMT

Rebellion's innovative shooter is brimming with oddball ideas.

You can read this review in full in our print edition.

Our March issue, which is on sale now, features reviews of all the most important releases, together with in-depth Post Script articles, including Final Fantasy XIII-2, WipeOut 2048 and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Edge to host F2P Summit session

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:50:44 GMT

Alex Wiltshire, Edge's online editor, is hosting a roundtable discussion at next month's F2P Summit in London. The topic for the panel is My Worst Mistake, with our affable overlord joined by Relentless co-founder Andrew Eades, Papaya Mobile founder Oscar Clark, and Matthew Wiggins, GM of Zynga Mobile UK.

http://www.f2p-summit.com/

F2P Summit

Alex Wiltshire, Edge's online editor, is hosting a roundtable discussion at next month's F2P Summit in London.

The topic for the panel is My Worst Mistake, with Wiltshire joined by Relentless co-founder Andrew Eades, Papaya Mobile founder Oscar Clark, and Matthew Wiggins, GM of Zynga Mobile UK.

They will each relay the design and business mistakes that inadvertently led to success, and explain the lessons learned from their time in free-to-play.

Price, demand kept Vita's UMD scheme from the west

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:26:56 GMT

A lack of demand caused by the low price for digital downloads of PSP games meant Sony saw little point in bringing Japan's UMD Passport programme to the west, Sony has admitted. Speaking to Wired, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said that there would have been little merit in launching the scheme, which allowed Japanese Vita owners to buy digital download licences for their UMD PSP games for a nominal fee, in other territories.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/02/shuhei-yoshida-dice-interview/

Wired

A lack of demand caused by the low price for digital downloads of PSP games meant Sony saw little point in bringing Japan's UMD Passport programme to the west, Sony has admitted.

Speaking to Wired, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said that there would have been little merit in launching the scheme, which allows Japanese Vita owners to buy digital download licences for their UMD PSP games for a nominal fee, in other territories.

Nintendo details Japan 3DS lineup

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:52:02 GMT

Nintendo has revealed Japan's 3DS game lineup for the coming months. The news was revealed by company president Satoru Iwata during a Nintendo Direct presentation streamed on the firm's official website, which was re-broadcast with English subtitles an hour later.

Nintendo has revealed Japan's 3DS game lineup for the coming months.

The 3D handheld's release slate was revealed by company president Satoru Iwata during a Nintendo Direct presentation streamed on the firm's official website, which was re-broadcast with English subtitles an hour later.

Code Hero: Programming players

Edge Staff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:37:15 GMT

The FPS that teaches players how to create their own games.

Code Hero is an FPS unlike any you’ve played before. Maybe we should call it an FPC - eschewing bullets for code, the game arms players with a gun that fires lines of Javascript and Unityscript.

Made by San Francisco-based indie Primer Labs, Code Hero is purpose-built to teach people how to code, exchanging power ups for its players' growing knowledge of Javascript, and ultimately make their own games.

Nintendo announces Brain Training for 3DS

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:04:57 GMT

Nintendo has announced a new game of brain training exercises featuring Dr Kawashima, to be released in Japan this summer. The game was announced by company president Satoru Iwata in a Nintendo Direct briefing earlier today. Speaking from the sound studio in the bowels of Nintendo's Kyoto HQ, Iwata recalled that he first met Dr Kawashima on the day DS launched in Japan, showing him a prototype that would eventually become Brain Training.

Nintendo has announced a new game of brain training exercises starring Dr Kawashima, to be released in Japan this summer.

The game was announced by company president Satoru Iwata in a Nintendo Direct briefing earlier today. Speaking from a sound studio in the bowels of Nintendo's Kyoto HQ, Iwata recalled that he first met Dr Kawashima on the day DS launched in Japan, showing him a prototype that would eventually become Brain Training.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare review

Edge Staff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:43:12 GMT

The series' combat still shines, but Wake stumbles in his transition to XBLA.

You can read this review in full in our print edition.

Our April issue, which is on sale March 14, features a Post Script interview with head of franchise development Oskari Häkkinen on the challenge of squeezing big-budget production values into XBLA file sizes and why guns are holding games back.

PopCap unveils Lucky Gem Casino

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:10:50 GMT

PopCap Games has launched Lucky Gem Casino, a collection of slot machine games based on the company's existing properties, on Facebook. The game, which you can play now at the source link below, features seven slot machines based on Bejeweled, Zuma, Chuzzle, Bookworm and more.

http://www.facebook.com/LuckyGemCasino

Facebook

PopCap Games has launched Lucky Gem Casino, a collection of slot machine games based on the company's existing properties, on Facebook.

The game, which you can play now at the source link below, features seven slot machines based on the likes of Bejeweled, Zuma, Chuzzle, and Bookworm.

Beat Sneak Bandit review

Edge Staff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:32:40 GMT

Simogo skilfully blends rhythm and stealth in the funkiest iOS game to date.

You won’t need to play Beat Sneak Bandit for long to realise its creators are every bit as nimble as their protagonist. Swedish duo Simon Flesser and Magnus Gardebäck have crafted a bright, angular comic-book world that distances itself from the pastel-hued melancholia of the pair’s earlier Bumpy Road with every bass squelch and synth stab. Both, however, are equally unfashionable.

Vita review

Edge Staff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:54:47 GMT

Sony’s handheld packs together some of the best features of portable consoles and smartphones.

On paper, it’s incoherent: a bewildering congregation of inputs and delivery methods that should struggle to come together with any grace. Look at the specifications: Sony’s new handheld has game cards, memory cards and a digital store. It has two touchpads, thumbsticks, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a microphone and cameras.

Kojima Productions hiring for new Metal Gear

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:02:06 GMT

Kojima Productions is hiring for staff to work on a new Metal Gear game. A listing on publisher Konami's website confirms that Kojima Productions will have its own booth at the GDC Career Pavilion next month, and is looking for staff in Japan and California.

http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/gdc2012/detail_en.html

Konami

Kojima Productions is hiring for staff to work on a new Metal Gear Solid game.

A listing on publisher Konami's website confirms that Kojima Productions will have its own booth at the GDC Career Pavilion next month, and is looking for staff in Japan and California.

Vita launches in the west

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:52:19 GMT

Sony's new handheld, PS Vita, has launched in North America and Europe. First in line at Game's flagship store on London's Oxford Street was Zohaib Ali, 21, who had been waiting outside the store since Sunday. "No sleep," he told VG247. "Tonight I'm just going to play Vita all night. I've stayed awake all night. I've already played it - it's really good! I love games, I love technology - I just want my Vita."

http://www.vg247.com/2012/02/22/uncompromised-%E2%80%93-ps-vita-launches-in-the-uk/

VG247

Sony's new handheld, PS Vita, has launched in North America and Europe.

First in line at Game's flagship store on London's Oxford Street was Zohaib Ali, 21, who had been waiting outside the store since Sunday.

"No sleep," he told VG247. "Tonight I'm just going to play Vita all night. I've stayed awake all night. I've already played it - it's really good! I love games, I love technology - I just want my Vita."

Sony Santa Monica helping out on The Last Guardian

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:31:12 GMT

Internal studios including Sony Santa Monica are assisting Team Ico in development of long-awaited, much-delayed PS3 exclusive The Last Guardian. Speaking to Wired, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida admitted that several Sony studios were helping out to help ship the game, which was first announced at E3 in 2009.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/02/shuhei-yoshida-dice-interview/

Wired

Internal studios including Sony Santa Monica are assisting Team Ico in development of long-awaited, much-delayed PS3 exclusive The Last Guardian.

Speaking to Wired, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida admitted that several Sony studios were helping out to help ship the game, which was first announced at E3 in 2009.

Game cancels The Last Story SE pre-orders

Nathan Brown — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:17:46 GMT

Beleaguered UK retailer Game Group has cancelled all Special Edition pre-orders of Wii RPG The Last Story. In an email to customers who had pre-ordered the Special Edition of the Mistwalker RPG, which will be released on Friday, Game confirms: "Unfortunately, this product is no longer being stocked and we will therefore be unable to fulfil your order, which has been cancelled."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-21-game-scraps-the-last-story-special-edition-days-before-launch

Eurogamer

Beleaguered UK retailer Game Group has cancelled all Special Edition pre-orders of Wii RPG The Last Story.

In an email to customers who had pre-ordered the Special Edition of the Mistwalker RPG, which will be released on Friday, Game confirms: "Unfortunately, this product is no longer being stocked and we will therefore be unable to fulfil your order, which has been cancelled.

"Please accept our apologies for any disappointment and inconvenience this may have caused."

This week's opportunities on Edge Jobs

Edge Staff — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:42:53 GMT

Find your future working on DICE's Frostbite engine, a new Sony PS3 game or coding MMOGs for Massive.

DICE is looking for a software engineer and senior software engineer to develop its Frostbite game engine. The jobs are based in Stockholm, Sweden, and include openings on the core systems, physics and destruction, rendering and infrastructure teams. Find all DICE's jobs here.

Game not stocking Ubisoft Vita titles

Nathan Brown — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:12:14 GMT

UK retailer Game Group's fortunes have taken another turn for the worse after it admitted it would not be stocking Ubisoft-published PS Vita titles. A spokesperson told VG247 that the company, the largest specialist videogame retailer in the UK, will not be selling Lumines: Electronic Symphony, Michael Jackson: The Experience HD, Rayman Origins, Asphalt Injection and Dungeon Hunter Alliance.

http://www.vg247.com/2012/02/21/game-will-not-stock-ubisoft-vita-launch-titles-in-uk/

VG247

UK retailer Game Group's fortunes have taken another turn for the worse after it admitted it will not be stocking Ubisoft-published PS Vita titles when the new handheld launches tomorrow.

A spokesperson told VG247 that the company, the largest specialist videogame retailer in the UK, will not be selling Lumines: Electronic Symphony, Michael Jackson: The Experience HD, Rayman Origins, Asphalt Injection or Dungeon Hunter Alliance.

EA readies F2P Simpsons game

Nathan Brown — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:05:06 GMT

EA is weeks away from releasing The Simpsons: Tapped Out, a free-to-play game for iOS devices. CNET reports that EA has committed significant resources to the project, using the cartoon's writers and voice actors. The game starts with Homer causing a nuclear explosion that wipes out Springfield, tasking the player with rebuilding it, completing quests and unlocking characters along the way

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57380592-94/how-the-simpsons-will-spark-eas-freemium-push/?tag=mncol;topStories

CNET

EA is weeks away from releasing The Simpsons: Tapped Out, a free-to-play game for iOS devices.

CNET reports that EA has committed significant resources to the project, using the cartoon's writers and voice actors. The game starts with Homer causing a nuclear explosion that wipes out Springfield, tasking the player with rebuilding it, completing quests and unlocking characters along the way.

Assassin's Creed announced for Gree

Nathan Brown — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:08:30 GMT

Gree and Ubisoft have announced an agreement that will see a brand new Assassin's Creed mobile game released exclusively on the Gree platform.

Gree and Ubisoft have announced an agreement that will see a brand new Assassin's Creed mobile game released exclusively on the Gree platform.

Due in English and Japanese this December, little was revealed about the game, which we rather hope will be called Assassin's Greed. Instead, the two companies promise "a new and innovative social gaming experience for the franchise."

Sony reveals Vita digital pricing

Nathan Brown — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:48:29 GMT

Sony has finally revealed the prices for full PS Vita games on the PlayStation Store ahead of the handheld's launch tomorrow. Of Sony's firstparty titles, Uncharted: Golden Abyss is the most expensive, at £39.99, just £5 less than its retail RRP. WipeOut 2048, Modnation Racers: Road Trip and Everybody's Golf will cost £29.99, while Little Deviants and Reality Fighters are priced at £19.99 apiece.

http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/02/21/playstation-store-update-ps-vita-launch-edition

PlayStation Blog

Sony has finally revealed the prices for full PS Vita games on the PlayStation Store ahead of the handheld's launch tomorrow.

Of Sony's firstparty titles, Uncharted: Golden Abyss is the most expensive, at £39.99, just £5 less than its retail RRP. WipeOut 2048, Modnation Racers: Road Trip and Everybody's Golf will cost £29.99, while Little Deviants and Reality Fighters are priced at £19.99 apiece.