Monthly Archives: July 2011

Interview: Ubisoft’s Guillemot Talks Early Adoption Of Wii U

Posted on by

Ubisoft’s chairman and CEO Yves Guillemot talks to Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris about his company’s early adoption of the upcoming Nintendo Wii U, and about how the new transition means that Sony and Microsoft need “new machines soon.”

When it comes to early adoption, gamers don’t have anything on Yves Guillemot.

The chairman and CEO of Ubisoft has long taken the approach that as a new gaming system approaches, his company wants to be one of the flag bearers for the launch lineup. It did it with the Xbox 360. It did it with the 3DS. And it’s planning to do it once again when Nintendo’s Wii U hits store shelves next year.

Read more at Gamasutra.com

App Review: Video Time Machine

Posted on by

There may be no bigger time sink in the app store than Video Time Machine. The 10,000 videos in a variety of categories (from ads and news clips to music videos and movie trailers) kick-start a nostalgic feeling that prompts you to watch “just one more.” At its heart, it’s entirely dependent on YouTube uploaders, but developer Original Victories has handpicked some of the most representative of the eras. Just as fascinating are the historical videos, which show actual footage of the Titanic or the first sound ever recorded. It’s an app that’s easy to get lost in — and one where you absolutely won’t mind it when that happens.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App Review: Build A Car

Posted on by

Build A Car is a trainwreck. It is a buggy, uninspiring, slapped together piece of software that would be a waste of your time if it was free. As it stands, though, it’s a waste of both time and money. The controls are sloppy. The magnetic qualities of elements is baffling (hover a wheel or another vehicle body over one on screen and they stick together and cannot be separated). And even if you do create a fun vehicle, all you can do is stare at it, then trash it and start over. This app is simply not worth a moment’s consideration — no matter how much of a vehicle enthusiast your little one might be.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Ubisoft fights used sales with online pass system

Posted on by

Add Ubisoft to the list of publishers who are throwing up barriers for buyers of used games.

The French publisher has unveiled a new system dubbed the Uplay Passport that will include a one-time code with each game, giving players access to locked content — including online multiplayer. Buyers of used copies will have to shell out $9.99 to utilize those features.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

GameStop ramps up its digital division

Posted on by

When it comes to digital game sales, GameStop is still an also ran – but the company is making a series of moves that are starting to raise eyebrows among industry observers, who say it seems on track to become a powerful force.

Valve’s Steam service is still far and away the category leader, but GameStop (in a meeting with analysts) said it expects to see digital sales jump from $500 million this year to $1.5 billion by 2014.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Why are movie games so bad?

Posted on by

It’s not that often that you can definitively point to the beginning of a trend. But when it comes to really bad video games based on movies, there’s a pretty clear starting point.

It was 1982, and Atari was hoping to capitalize on the monster success of Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” It gave the game’s developers less than six months to create the title — and the rush-job showed. Wise players bypassed it and Atari ended up burying thousands — if not millions — of unsold copies in a New Mexico landfill while ushering in what would become known as the great video game crash of 1983.

Nearly 30 years later, things really haven’t changed that much.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Why gaming may be the key to 3D

Posted on by

It’s too early to call 3D TV a disappointment, but given the hype surrounding it and the accompanying marketing push, it certainly hasn’t lived up to expectations.

The price of the sets is partially to blame (and those wonky, dorktacular glasses aren’t doing the industry a lot of favors, either.) But what it really comes down to is a lack of content — and that’s where television manufacturers are counting on video games to come to the rescue.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

App Review: Revolutionary War

Posted on by

Most people don’t look too much further than the BBQ or pool on July 4, but the Revolutionary War app puts the story of the War of Independence in perspective, offering a mix of informational essays with videos, biographies, and original documents in the form of the Journals of the Constitutional Congress. It’s good for kids and a nice refresher for adults who have forgotten their grade-school history. The app is laid out fairly well, but parts of it seem rushed. Freezes and crashes happen occasionally and some of the graphics are more simplistic than they should be. At the time of this review the $4.99 price is about a dollar more expensive than we’d prefer, but as an educational tool, it’s first rate.

Read more at Common Sense Media

What’s next in technology – and why it matters to Hollywood

Posted on by

Intel’s introduction of its Sandy Bridge chip technology in January was a breakthrough for the computer industry. Suddenly, transferring HD video between devices wasn’t an arduous affair and the chip came with security protocols that were enough to impress even jaded studios – who agreed to begin offering HD versions of film online the same day they hit DVD and Blu-ray – a first for the entertainment industry.

To quote Bachman Turner Overdrive, though, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Review: Blue Microphones Yeti and Snowball

Posted on by

The days of having to own pro-level audio equipment to produce a professional sounding podcast may be far behind us, but a bad mic can still ruin your credibility and cause an audience to flee. Fortunately, Blue Microphones has produced a pair of pro/am mics that are not only affordable, but produce an audio quality that comes within shooting distance of systems that cost thousands of dollars.

The company offers two mics – the less expensive Snowball and the higher-priced Yeti. Determining the best for you will largely depend on your needs.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog