06/05/2013 - GameStop confirms June 1 as the end of PlayStation 2 hardware and software trade-ins, will continue selling used stock 'for several months'
GameStop is shuttering its PlayStation 2 trade-in business as of June 1st, a company spokesperson confirmed to Engadget. "We can confirm that as of June 1st we will no longer be accepting the PS2 console or its related product for trades," the statement reads. Several of GameStop's retail locations confirmed to our sister site Joystiq that the June 1st date was accurate after a Reddit posting showed what appeared to be an in-store sign saying as much, and the statement today offers a bit more detail.
For instance, GameStop won't end sales of used PlayStation 2 hardware, software and accessories -- both in store and online -- until "several months" after the June 1 cutoff. Those sales, of course, depend on "remaining stock from trades." Additionally, GameStop reminded us that it's totally pumped for the upcoming PlayStation 4. "We are very excited about the upcoming PS4 and are making room in our stores for it and other new platforms expected this fall," the statement says. And hey, with all the extra space available in GameStop stores by "holiday 2013" (when the PS4 is expected to land at retail), it looks like GameStop will be ready for business. For GameStop's full statement, head below.
25/04/2013 - NBC plans 'The Million Second Quiz' twelve day, 24 / 7 game show
Second screen experiences connected to TV shows haven't exactly set the world on fire, but NBC will give it another try with a new game show this fall. The Million Second Quiz is being promoted as a non-stop, twelve day trivia game with an "unprecedented level of interactivity" for viewers. In a move that harkens back to our memories of 1 vs 100 on Xbox Live a few years ago, viewers at home can play along and possibly win a spot on the show. While the competition will go on around the clock, the show airs during prime time. It will broadcast live from an "hourglass-shaped structure" located in Manhattan where the four reigning champs will reside as long as they can stay on top throughout the two week competition. Once the million seconds are up, the four champions will face off for a cash prize of up to $10 million. We'll need more details before we can decide if this is more Ultimate Ninja Warrior or Oh Sit! / Splash / Bet On Your Baby (these are all real game shows, we promise), but it's one to keep an eye out for when the all new shows debut.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: The Million Second Quiz (Facebook), Million Seconds (Twitter)
25/03/2013 - GameStick strikes up XBMC partnership, will add the full Media Center experience
Playjam, the team behind GameStick, has announced that a new deal with tech company Pivos will ensure that the previously-mentioned XBMC will arrive fully-formed on its Kickstarter console. All those Media Center features will sidle up alongside your games selection and while the company maintains that gaming is still the focus of its device, given the competition, we'd say this announcement makes a whole lot of sense.
01/03/2013 - OUYA's Kellee Santiago talks game publishing, her new role as Head of Developer Relations
When Kellee Santiago resigned from her previous gig as president of thatgamecompany, she left behind a job running one of the most highly acclaimed indie game studios in the industry. But she left on a high note, having helped craft Journey -- not just one of the best games of 2012, but a high mark on the medium. Her next move is similarly bold, taking the reins of the Android-powered OUYA console's digital content library as "Head of Developer Relations." On Santiago's LinkedIn profile, she describes her new job as, "curator of content for the games section on OUYA" (among other things); a job she's plenty qualified for given her time on the board of the Indie Fund (an angel investment group of successful indie game devs). "This role seems almost like a logical extension of everything I've done up to this point," Santiago told us in an email interview this afternoon. Indeed it does. In her new role at OUYA, Santiago will be "working with many developers globally and in different capacities," she said, as well as managing the digital library that users at home see.
"I'm very passionate about empowering new voices in game development so we can have more variety in game content -- that's what initially led me to co-founding thatgamecompany, and Indie Fund, and working with the Independent Games Summit, and IndieCade," she added. The job of course includes courting devs, even if that means OUYA assists in the funding and publishing of those devs' games. "OUYA is doing both," Santiago told us -- that's no doubt assisted by the $8.5 million OUYA pulled in during its Kickstarter funding campaign.
Despite her passion for indies, she said there's no "arbitrary restrictions for developing on OUYA," and that her guiding principle is identifying, "developers and content that for whatever reasons wouldn't be able to exist on any other console." In other words, there's no reason one of the biggies -- think EA, Activision, Ubisoft and others -- couldn't get in on the action. Square Enix has already promised a variety of titles, so it seems a given that others will sign on. One developer who's still curiously uncertain about the console, however? Santiago herself. Though she teased on Twitter earlier today that she'll, "still be making stuff, too," and not to worry, she wouldn't offer us any more details about her plans for development on OUYA. Again, it seems a given, but we can't help but want to know more sooner than later.
28/02/2013 - OUYA shipping to Kickstarter backers on March 28th
OUYA announced this afternoon that its Android-powered game console is shipping to Kickstarter backers starting on March 28th. The company took to its Kickstarter page to announce the news, which says, "Parts are in the factory and assembly lines are buzzing." When the console starts arriving to folks who supported the Kickstarter campaign -- wherein the company raised just over $8.5 million dollars -- there'll be a lengthy list of launch games (around 500 last we heard) and more on the way. Alongside news of the console's launch date for backers comes word that Portal creator Kim Swift is developing a "brand new, exclusive title" for the console, and Papo & Yo dev studio Minority Media is also stepping up with a new game. Both Tripwire Interactive and nWay are also bringing games to the OUYA, with the former working on two games and the latter working on one (action-RPG ChronoBlade).
If that weren't enough, Journey developer Kellee Santiago was announced as the newest high profile OUYA employee, wherein she'll "lead developer relations." Santiago has a short history of high impact in the game industry, having helped create thatgamecompany (developers of Flow, Flower, and Journey) as well as leading an excellent TED Talk. She also appeared in this Engadget Show.
And that's to say nothing of the console's future; company CEO Julie Uhrman told us at DICE 2013 that the OUYA will see annual hardware refreshes, akin to mobile phones. We've yet to get our hands on the device, but we've heard good things from developers who got their early units back in December. Should you wish to hear even more about the OUYA ahead of its late March launch, Uhrman is joining Engadget on-stage for our first ever Expand event in a few weeks -- snag your tickets right here!
Source: Kickstarter
22/02/2013 - Jimmy Fallon gets first PS4 hands-on, plays some Killzone: Shadow Fall (video)
First things first: We still haven't seen the PlayStation 4. That said, if you'd like to see someone other than a Sony rep or developer putting their hands all over that DualShock 4 with touchpad and share button -- we asked, but apparently network TV still trumps internet -- then say no more. Managing Director of Guerilla Games Hermen Hulst came by the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show with a prototype unit (not shown) loaded up with the Killzone: Shadow Fall demo we saw at the press conference. Jimmy and guest Anthony Anderson played a bit, with varying degrees of success and were predictably impressed by the new system, due out this fall. There's not a lot of new information to be had, unless you wanted to know what the ceilings in the game look like (clearly, Anderson prefers to play shooters inverted). Watch the video embedded after the break, we're going to doublecheck ?uestlove's Instagram to see if he got any backstage or setup shots of the system behind the curtain.
Via: Kotaku
Source: Latenight (YouTube)
21/02/2013 - Used games will function on PlayStation 4, but there's a mysterious caveat
Sony head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida is a gregarious, smart, talkative interviewee. And that's exactly why it was so weird that he fully waffled when we asked him to address whether or not the newly unveiled PlayStation 4 will play used games. "That's my expectation, that PS4 games will work on [the] hardware. That's my expectation," he told us in an interview this morning. When we pushed to clarify what he meant, Yoshida stuttered. "Ummm ... yeah. We have to really name our system services to explain more about it," he added.
That's a similar answer to what he told Eurogamer last night at Sony's big PlayStation 4 announcement event, vagueness and all. Yes, used games "can play on PS4," but does it require a license repurchase? Perhaps you have to belong to an as-yet-unidentified PS4 online network? It's not entirely clear, but there seems to be a caveat to the statement, "Used games work on PS4." Sony, however, isn't saying what that caveat is just yet. Of course, current-gen consoles all support buying any used, physical copies of games and playing them on their corresponding game consoles
Yoshida also confirmed that games will launch at retail as well as digital, but, well, you probably already guessed that from the included Blu-ray disc drive.
15/02/2013 - Gamestick now available for preorder: stake your claim for $79
The previously Kickstarter-funded games console has launched its preorder page, powered by Amazon. You'll have to stump up the same $79 premium which nets you the same GameStick that those crowd-funders are getting. Preorders will ship once those early orders are fulfilled. However, anyone ponying up today can expect theirs to arrive a good few months before the global retail launch later this year. You also order those dock and case peripherals, priced up at $25 and $10, respectively. Pick any color (as long as it's white) at the source.
Source: GameStick
10/02/2013 - NBA offers its first free event app to track the All-Star Game through Android, iOS
The NBA isn't known for offering much in the way of free apps, or tailoring its efforts around a special event. For the All-Star Game and surrounding events, however, the league is trying both in one shot. Its All-Star 2013 app for Android, iPads and iPhones lets anyone follow along with related scores, news, video highlights and voting for certain MVP awards. Fans fortunate enough to be in Houston for the event also get ticket details and maps. You'll notice that there's no mention of live audio or video -- the NBA isn't that kind, unfortunately. Even so, the All-Star app could be helpful for keeping tabs on the Slam Dunk competition without paying for the privilege.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, HD
Source: App Store (iPad), (iPhone), Google Play
01/02/2013 - GameStick wraps up successful Kickstarter run with nearly $650K
With a sum totaling around six times what the folks at PlayJam initially requested, the GameStick Kickstarter campaign can certainly be called a success. The project ended today just shy of $650K ($647,658 to be precise), resulting in its successful funding. Now all the folks at PlayJam have to do is deliver on the promise of their Kickstarter: produce and ship around 5,500 GameStick's by April (not to mention the Dock, and various special edition versions of the GameStick itself). A tall order, but one no doubt assisted by an infusion of cash six times what PlayJam expected to be working with. The model seen above is the final controller design, remodeled based on feedback from the backers that brought GameStick to life. It's the final model backers will see when their unit arrives this April.
16/01/2013 - Stay seated: Valve's Team Fortress 2 ported to virtual reality
If Valve Software's Team Fortress 2 is anything, it's versatile. The company's demonstrating that versatility once more in porting the game to virtual reality goggles, which could result in some serious psychological trauma. Kidding aside, a Game Developers Conference blurb today revealed the internal project -- part of Valve's ongoing wearable computing efforts -- which says the talk, "will describe lessons learned from Valve's porting experience." In another talk, Valve hardware man Michael Abrash is diving into the possibilities he sees in the future of VR, as viewed through his own company's experience.
It isn't clear whether Valve is using the much-loved Oculus Rift technology (seen above); the notes of the second talk only detail a general exploration of VR's weaknesses and strengths as they pertain to current technology. One thing is clear: both talks aim to educate game developers on what some Valve employees see as a burgeoning new frontier in game development. We welcome this bizarrely sci-fi future with open arms.
Continue reading Stay seated: Valve's Team Fortress 2 ported to virtual reality
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, HD
10/01/2013 - GameStick pulled from Kickstarter due to IP dispute
The Android-based gaming console GameStick was just pulled from Kickstarter, according to an email we just received from Kickstarter support. Its project page is no longer accessible, and the only information given in our support email says it was removed due to, "an intellectual property dispute." As a result, the project page was taken down ("removed from public view," says the email), and it may end up getting canned altogether. "If we are not able to re-post it within 30 days, we will cancel the project," says the email. Yikes! Should that occur, all pledges for the project will expire (Kickstarter doesn't charge pledges until a project is approved), and the project, "will be permanently unavailable."
We're following up with Playjam, the project's creator, for more and will let you know if we hear back.
27/08/2012 - LG's Game World landing on its own Smart TVs
LG has just announced Game World, a new Smart TV portal that's only available to Cinema 3D Smart TV owners. The service will let users snap up downloadable games in categories such as action, RPG or arcade, then play them in 2D or 3D with the company's Magic Remote or other third-party controller. The service is not to be confused with LG's Gaikai cloud gaming service, and the company said most of the titles will be family-friendly. Mind you, that looks like Shadowgun on the main page above, so there's clearly some grown-up only entertainment, too.
Continue reading LG's Game World landing on its own Smart TVs
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
LG's Game World landing on its own Smart TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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10/08/2012 - SlingPlayer survey hints at possible expansion to game consoles
We haven't exactly been lacking in SlingPlayer-supporting devices as of late, but it looks like the placeshifting service could possibly be set to expand to an entirely new area: game consoles. That word comes from a new Sling survey obtained by Zatz Not Funny, which attempts to gauge customers' interest in a SlingPlayer app for game consoles (it specifically asks if they own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii). As you might expect, however, details are light beyond that, with the survey only mentioning that such an app would let you watch video from your SlingBox in full HD, and that you'd naturally be able to control it with your console's controller. Of course, while it does come directly from Sling itself, it is also still just a survey, so we wouldn't recommend getting your hopes up too much for the time being.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
SlingPlayer survey hints at possible expansion to game consoles originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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12/07/2012 - Angry Birds land on Samsung Smart TVs, wage war with gestures
If your contempt for green swine runs deeper then you can express on a smartphone, maybe its time you took the war to something bigger. How about a Samsung Smart TV? According to the firm's Flickr page, Rovio's Angry Birds are once again taking their war to your living room, and will be utilizing the the platform's motion control features. Sounds like Sammy's Smart Interaction setup is good for a bit more than changing channels and browsing the web from your couch. Don't own a Smart TV? Sit tight, your Xbox and its fancy Kinect sensor will have their day on the battlefield soon enough.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
Angry Birds land on Samsung Smart TVs, wage war with gestures originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 05:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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28/05/2012 - Must See HDTV (May 28th - June 3rd)
Game of Thrones
HBO's premiere series wraps up season two this weekend, and while we're not going to spoil things (yeah we read ahead via wiki summaries, we're weak) we're pretty sure that someone will die in this episode. Just like pretty much every other episode. Someone else will do something honorable, someone will be betrayed, and... dragons. Game of Thrones, ladies and gentlemen.
(June 3rd, HBO, 9PM)
Workaholics
Comedy Central's series makes its return this week, and the story of three slackers just trying to get by has really grown on us. Trying to explain the interactions between Blake, Adam and 'Ders would probably make us look crazy, so we'll just advise you to tune in and hope for another Double Dare cameo by Marc Summers. If the words "let's get weird" don't mean anything to you, check out the trailer embedded after the break.
(May 29th, Comedy Central, 10:30PM)
Stanley Cup Finals
The NHL Playoffs are finally down to just two teams: the LA Kings and the New Jersey Devils. Hockey's biggest prize is up for grabs, however the games are pretty spaced out so we've only got two of them on the schedule this week. We're sure you can make time to tune in.
(May 30th & June 2nd, NBC, 8PM)
Continue reading Must See HDTV (May 28th - June 3rd)
Must See HDTV (May 28th - June 3rd) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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30/01/2012 - Totally blow out the big game! Super Bowl XLVI
Continue reading Totally blow out the big game! Super Bowl XLVI
Totally blow out the big game! Super Bowl XLVI originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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15/02/2010 - Hands-on with the interactive Olympics and web videos
Continue reading Hands-on with the interactive Olympics and web videos
Hands-on with the interactive Olympics and web videos originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments25/12/2009 - Senator Kerry asks Fox & Time Warner to keep the Bowl Games on
As the New Year's Day deadline closes in, the Time Warner Cable - Fox standoff has gained another participant, Senator John Kerry. He's sent a letter to executives at both companies in hopes to avoid a New Year's Day blackout that could pull the network's Bowl Games (Cotton, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange) from sports loving cable subscribers. This is a bit of a habit for the senator, who has previously put his two cents in on the Comcast/TWC & NFL Network dispute. What he's asking for from the two is that if an agreement isn't reached, they continue transmitting at least through the College Bowl season under the current terms. Some may question such a letter on the grounds that this doesn't deserve such attention, or whether it will have any effect, but we're happy someone is standing up for viewers stuck in the middle and only have one question: Can we push that extension out to cover the season premiere of 24?Senator Kerry asks Fox & Time Warner to keep the Bowl Games on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments16/08/2009 - Redbox debuts $2 video game rentals, pretty lean on titles thus far
Filed under: Industry
[Via Zatz Not Funny]
Redbox debuts $2 video game rentals, pretty lean on titles thus far originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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17/06/2009 - Game Consoles Main Driver in Online Video Growth
Networked video game consoles are the most used devices for bringing web video to the TV in the US - and look set to remain so until 2013, according to an In-Stat report.
It found that 29 per cent of US 25 to 34 year olds with game consoles already use the devices to watch streaming video off the Internet.
17/06/2009 - LG Delivers First HDTVs To Instantly Stream Netflix
LG is introducing the first HDTVs capable of streaming Netflix movies without the need for an external device such as game console or set-top box.
The online movie rental service will be available in North America on LG's new 47-inch LCD HDTV LH50 and 50-inch plasma HDTV PS80.
07/05/2009 - SecondRun.tv updated with direct play Media Center Extender support
Filed under: Media PCs, Media streamers, Internet
[Thanks, Nathan]
SecondRun.tv updated with direct play Media Center Extender support originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 07 May 2009 13:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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13/04/2009 - Netflix on the lookout for gaming platforms engineering guru
Filed under: Media streamers
[Via Joystiq]
Netflix on the lookout for gaming platforms engineering guru originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments12/03/2009 - Sony Not Cutting PS3 Price - or Planning Non Blu-ray Version
Sony has no intention of releasing a PS3 without a Blu-ray drive.
The suggestion that the Japanese company would ditch the high-def format was scotched by Sony's marketing manager Kim Nguyen.
