The player – The Irish Times – Fri, Feb 03, 2012
The Irish Times – Friday, February 3, 2012
Nintendo’s boss is bullish on future of 3DS despite smartphone dominance, reports CIARA O’BRIEN
ANY DOUBTS about the smartphone’s effect on the games industry will have been dispelled this week.
Nintendo, which has dominated the handheld gaming market for more years than we can remember, is on track to report its first loss in March. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the company was facing its worst results since it entered the games business.
Nintendo’s woes aren’t all down to the handheld games sector; it also faces more competition in the console market from Microsoft and Sony, which have both opted to introduce gesture control in the past 18 months. Add in an ageing console and the promise of a new Wii for 2012, and you can see where the problems have taken hold.
But smartphones certainly haven’t helped. Sales of the 3DS haven’t reached expectations, resulting in a price cut in an effort to boost sales of the 3D-enabled games device. At its original launch price of about €270, it was a bit of an investment. and, with more and more high-quality games available for smartphones and tablets (more versatile than the handheld), it wasn’t surprising Nintendo decided last summer that a price cut was in order. Irish gamers can now get their hands on one for about €170.
Is the future of the handheld device in jeopardy? no, says Iwata. he pointed to a jump in 3DS sales following the launch of a number of software titles for the device in the end stages of last year as evidence that Nintendo has disproved the theory that demand for dedicated handheld gaming devices no longer exists.
Iwata is also confident that Nintendo losses on the 3DS can be made up for in software sales.
Sony obviously feels just as confident about the future of its games devices, with its PlayStation Vita only weeks away from debuting on the Irish market. like Nintendo, Sony is betting heavily that gamers still want something they can play that isn’t their smartphone. (Sony is trying to tap into the social networking trend by offering a 3G-enabled device.)
The Vita, due for launch on February 22nd in Europe and North America, has already been on sale for more than a month in Japan, where it sold 325,000 units in its first few days. By January 5th it had sold a total of 500,000.
How European consumers will take to the PS Vita will be known in a matter of weeks.
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The player – The Irish Times – Fri, Feb 03, 2012
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Categories: Technology Tags: doubts, games industry, gesture control, microsoft
Nintendo kicks off next-gen battle, plans late 2012 Wii U launch
Reuters reports that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the Wii U will arrive in the US, Europe, Australia and Japan by the end of 2012.
This will take advantage of the end-of-year shopping season, which Nintendo hopes will drive sales of the new console.
The Wii U will offer a touchscreen tablet-shaped controller and precision motion controls. The controller will display information that won’t appear on TV screens. The console itself will also offer HD graphics.
It will be the first of the next-generation games consoles launched, as rumours suggest the next Xbox – which many have dubbed the ‘Xbox 720’ thanks to the lack of an official name – will see a release by the end of 2013.
Reports have said it could be six times more powerful than the Xbox 360 and that developers will get development kits for the console in August of this year.
Kotaku reports that the next Xbox could be able to play Blu-ray discs but may include an “anti-used game system” which may mean the console won’t be able to play used games. It could be used to aid publishers who lose money from used games sold by gaming retailers, though this rumour is unconfirmed from Microsoft.
The next Xbox could also have a smaller controller and could ship with a new version of the Kinect hands-free motion sensor.
As for the next PlayStation, Kazuo Hirai, who is responsible for Sony’s video game division, believes the PlayStation 3 has a “10-year cycle” and that Sony will not stray from this. this could mean that the next PlayStation may not emerge until 2016.
Laura O'Brien | |
Nintendo kicks off next-gen battle, plans late 2012 Wii U launch
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Categories: Technology Tags: developers, game system, microsoft, precision motion, wii
Which Xbox 360 Accessories Improve The Gaming Experience Most?
There’s excellent news for all gamers available, Microsoft will extremely soon launch a new Xbox 360 controller with an unique d-pad! So, are you planning to get this controller once it reaches the marketplace? not just a controller, but you will find loads of Xbox360 accessories that aid in enhancing your overall gaming experience. but do you might have any notion what these accessories could be? if not, continue reading the following paragraphs to have an concept concerning the very best Xbox 360 accessories.
Xbox 360 is available in the market in three unit designs – the “Arcade”, the “Pro” or “Premium” and the “Top-notch” or “Elite”. to enhance the experience of gaming with each of these units, you must buy accessories like faceplates for customization, webcam for video chatting, Gamercize, dance mats and headsets for talking.
However, to take full advantage that the gaming console offers, you must consider buying a couple of things. Buying these components would enhance the overall gaming experience. for example, it is highly recommended that you play your games on an HDTV. You should also have broadband internet connection to access Xbox live.
HDTV: to get the real impact of the next-generation graphics, you must install a HDTV. Are you a serious gamer? then HDTV is the way to go! High-definition technology for better quality of picture and sound effects makes it a hot favorite among gamers.
Broadband Internet: You’d surely love to play your games online, connect with friends and join games via a broadband connection. Although, your gaming console offer a fully-featured, single player experience, but, to utilize the potential of your gaming consoles fully, you must sign-up for Microsoft’s Xbox Live service.
Beside these components to enhance the overall gaming experience, there are three ps3 break that are considered as must-haves by the experienced gamers. You just can’t miss out on these if you love gaming.
Wireless controller: This controller is considered to be the most important accessory for gaming consoles. So, don’t miss out on buying one.
Wireless headset: while you have full control over your game, these wireless headsets allow you to talk to your friends simultaneously.
Live vision camera: The Xbox 360 live vision cameras allow the gamers to take pictures, and video chat. You can use these pictures and videos for other advanced gaming features.
Now that you know there are so many important xbox 360 hdmi cable that you should buy, you must be looking for a reliable store.
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Which Xbox 360 Accessories Improve The Gaming Experience Most?
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Categories: iPod, iPhone, Xbox 360 Tags: hdtv, microsoft, xbox360
Smartphone wars: ITC clears Apple in HTC/S3 patent case
Apple [AAPL] has won yet another significant battle against its litigious iOS copycats, with the International Trade Commission (ITC) declaring the company did not violate patents owned by S3 Graphics.
[ABOVE: Apple's latest iPad ad, 'Love'.]
ITC investigation ‘terminated’
That’s a big deal. S3 Graphics is now owned by HTC, which acquired the company and its patent portfolio for $300 million in July this year.
The commission reversed its own preliminary ruling in which it declared some Apple products had indeed violated S3 patents involving texture compression, as used in 3D. (Specifically, US Patent No. 6,658,146 directed to systems and methods for compressing images and US Patent No. 6,683,978).
Having reversed that decision, the ITC has declared its investigation "terminated" [PDF], dashing the hopes of the HTC Bold manufacturer.
The brave and the bold
HTC and Apple have a series of outstanding litigation between them. This litigation is part of what is believed to have driven HTC’s purchase of S3 in the first place, as that company attempted to shore up its case against Apple. That attempt now having failed, it can’t look too good for HTC in terms of achieving victory elsewhere.
HTC General Counsel Grace Lei said: "We are disappointed, but respect the ITC’s decision." HTC may appeal against the decision.
Apple, Microsoft, Google and Android device makers have been racing to acquire patents to protect their smartphone and tablet offerings in recent months, as the battles between all these parties for the future of mobile devices intensifies.
At present, litigation between Apple and others seems to be moving slowly in the iPad/iPhone manufacturer’s favor: Samsung has been forced to change its product in many markets, or remove them from sale entirely; HTC has lost its S3 graphics case.
The ITC should rule in a separate dispute between HTC and Apple in December. The preliminary decision so far has been that HTC violated two Apple patents — will this also be reversed?
Will Apple gun for Google next?
It is open to question as to Apple’s next move. as it slowly prevails in many of its worldwide cases, will it eventually feel it has sufficient judicial support to chase after its true foe, Google, for the imitative elements it has identified within the Android OS?
Apple’s departed co-founder, Steve Jobs, famously promised to "destroy Android", as he felt many of its ideas had been taken from Apple in what he felt to be a vast betrayal of trust.
In a sense, Google should take responsibility for those patents it has used without permission within the Android OS. In doing so it hasn’t just exposed itself to criticism, it has exposed its manufacturing partners to the risk of legal attack.
With Apple now prevailing in many of the outstanding cases, it is only a question of time until the mud cast at Cupertino by Google and its allies will be washed away, leaving the search giant clearly exposed for failing to pay adequate regard to copyright or intellectual property matters.
[ABOVE: The latest app from Dominos. you can make your own pizza. Fun? However, at least in the opinion of this observer, a pizza is not a vegetable.]
These complaints are not new. In its time the company has seen similar accusations from book publishers, the music industry, shopping and price comparison websites and search engine competitors.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s Fire continues to attract value-conscious consumers, despite the string of negative reviews. With Amazon set to introduce a low-cost smartphone next year, Apple and Amazon seemingly have many Android partners held within a painful, litigious, highly-competitive and not especially profitable vice.
This game can only lead to industry consolidation. Smaller smartphone players will consume each other; some big names will quit the market, and Apple will hit many players right between the eyes with the release of the iPhone 5 next year.
A bump in the road, or a death knell for the Android army? you decide — and state your case in comments below…
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I’d like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when these items are published here first on Computerworld.
Smartphone wars: ITC clears Apple in HTC/S3 patent case
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Categories: Technology Tags: copycats, litigation, microsoft
Sony’s smartphone problem: Software!
Sony just bought its partner Ericsson out of their struggling mobile phone venture, Sony Ericsson. now Sony is apparently going to try to become a big player in the smartphone business.
Ignoring how late this move is, here’s the bigger problem: Today’s smartphone industry is less about hardware and more about software, platforms, and services. but I can’t think of a single time that Sony has impressed me with anything software-related.
The Sony I know has always had the potential to make high-quality hardware, and to miniaturize things in an elegant way. The Sony MiniDisc player I had in the late 90s was a great little device. The Sony Ericsson phones I owned from 2002-2005 were some of the best around. Sony’s Vaio laptops have always seemed like nice hardware, relative to the Windows competition. And Sony’s cameras are fine. but that stuff is just one part of the gadget business now.
What is Sony possibly going to do with software that would give it a distinct advantage over the iPhone, other Android devices, or even Microsoft phones? some sort of PSP integration might have seemed ground-breaking half a decade ago, but now Apple is the handheld gaming leader. not much else about Sony is interesting or must-buy anymore. what, are they going to make a Blu-ray phone?
There is still an opportunity, I suppose, to become one of the better, high-end Android phone makers, and to do something with the PSP brand. That doesn’t excite me, but perhaps that’s where to start. It’s just hard to see Sony becoming a leader or building a great business here.
Also: Of course Nintendo should make iPhone games
More: Android, Mobile, Sony
Sony’s smartphone problem: Software!
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Categories: Technology Tags: cameras, microsoft, quality hardware, Sony, vaio
