Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski calls it quits

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There aren’t a lot of celebrity game developers. The profession, by and large, isn’t one that lends itself to the limelight. But Cliff Bleszinski has been a rare exception to that rule.

Camera-friendly, highly energetic and never at a loss for words, the design director for such titles as Gears of War and the Unreal franchise was a natural on talk shows like Jimmy Fallon. Yesterday, though, he shocked the industry by announcing plans to leave Epic Games, his video game home for the past 20 years.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Mobile TV searches for breakthrough

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The history of mobile television has been rocky at best. While the allure of streaming live network programming to viewers over their handheld devices is undeniable, delivering that content in ways that don’t abrogate rights agreements and can somehow be monetized has proven mercurial. Loudly trumpeted efforts have fallen short, victims of poor design decisions, overpriced services and/or confusion about the target audience.

While the idea of watching television on a 3.5″ screen might not make sense to anyone in their mid-30s or older, mobile TV is a logical extension of how Generation Me has grown up with entertainment. It’s also a way for broadcasters to reclaim some of the younger viewers who increasingly spend free time multitasking with their handheld devices and may be staying away from TV sets entirely.

Read more at Weekly Variety

Apple-polisher left Mouse mighty

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Oct. 5 marks the first anniversary of Steve Jobs’ death. And in the past year, the financial world — mindful of Jobs’ obsession with detail and ability to drive the Apple staff to innovative heights — has wondered about the company’s prospects without him. That also applies to Disney and Pixar. Apple may have been Jobs’ favorite child, but Disney (where he was the largest single shareholder after the company’s 2006 merger with Pixar) was a close second.

In the short-term, things are soaring. Disney shares are up roughly 70% since Jobs’ passing, while Apple has jumped 86%. Both companies work several years in advance on products and strategies, meaning Jobs’ fingerprints will be on upcoming releases for a fair bit longer (if only tangentially).

Read more at Weekly Variety

Library titles get 3D treatment

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The resurgence of 3D in theaters and the growing number of 3D-capable TVs has dusted off an axiom in Hollywood: Everything old is new again.

Several studios are digging deep into their libraries to bring both recent hit films back for second theatrical runs in 3D and reviving old classics for 3D home conversions. And the trend isn’t showing any sign of slowing down.

Read more at Daily Variety

Cinema second screen?

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For theater owners (and studios), cell phones and tablets are the enemy today, distracting, and often angering, filmgoers. But a contingent of entertainment industry executives sees potential in the second screen inside movie theaters — and says it won’t be long before cinema chains agree.

“Cinemas have changed over the years, from being privately owned one-off, one-screen affairs to multiplexes owned by major corporations,” says Peter Wilson, director of High Definition and Digital Cinema. “They’re a bean counter-led business, where every square centimeter has to make money.”

Read more at Daily Variety

Critics take aim at underwhelming Resident Evil 6

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It might have morphed into a lucrative film franchise, but the game that put survival horror on the map is returning to its roots.

Releasing Tuesday, Resident Evil 6 lets gamers fight off undead beasts as multiple characters from the franchise’s 15-year history. It’s the largest Resident Evil game yet — and it’s gotten a significant push from both publisher Capcom and partners like Microsoft, who put it center stage during its E3 press conference earlier this year. In a holiday season filled with huge names like Halo and Call of Duty, it still manages to stand out.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

EA drops the ball with NBA Live cancellation

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In a year where there have been plenty of head-scratching moves by video game publishers, EA’s decision to sit out yet another NBA season is perhaps the most baffling.

It is nothing short of a colossal failure on the part of the company that has historically been the leader in sports games. The company’s inability to put together a high quality (or even remotely competitive) product in the ample time budgeted to do so has given Take-Two de facto exclusivity in a lucrative field for the third consecutive year. And barring a miracle or some extraordinarily savvy maneuvering, it may have just ceded the category forever.

Read more at Gamasutra

Big name games turn 25 this year

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1987 was a landmark year for pop culture entertainment. It was the first time we heard Capt. Jean-Luc Picard tell the crew of the Enterprise to “engage.” A dysfunctional yellow family called The Simpsons debuted in a series of shorts on “The Tracey Ullman Show.” And “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand” took its final bow.

The video game universe saw some pretty dramatic events as well, as several of the industry’s biggest franchises got their start in 1987 — and some 25 years later, they’ll still kicking.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

EA cancels NBA Live 13

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Despite several promises that its flagship basketball franchise would return after a three-year absence, EA has decided to once again bench NBA Live.

The decision is likely to disappoint fans who were hoping to see some competition in the NBA field once again, but is terrific news for 2K Sports, whose NBA2K 13 will once again have the court to itself.

Read more at Yahoo! Games