iPad World

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. It’s an instantly forgettable title. And it’s not just meaningless and profoundly generic, it’s saddled (like Dragon Age: Origins before it) with the exhausting suggestion that this isn’t the birth of an exciting fantasy universe so much as the launch of a new franchising opportunity.

Having spent 15 hours or so in the company of a near-finished preview build of 38 Studios’ brisk role-player – out next week – I can confirm that it deserves much better than this limp nomenclature. And yet, it’s true that the title fits it like a glove.

‘Kingdoms of … Continue Reading

Piracy isn’t always bad for business and can help grow an entertainment brand, so argues the boss of Angry Birds developer Rovio.

As reported by The Guardian, Mikael Hed told an audience at the Midem conference in Cannes earlier today that the entertainment industry needs to change the way it looks at consumers.

“We could learn a lot from the music industry, and the rather terrible ways the music industry has tried to combat piracy,” he explained.

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It’s not subscription MMOs that are dying, Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online maker Turbine told Eurogamer – it’s antiquated games that insist upon a single method of payment.

“People now in the West expect to have full control over their entertainment dollar and spend it the way they want to,” explained Adam Mersky, Warner’s (Turbine’s owner) digital communications Witch King.

“It’s probably not right to say the subscription MMO is dying, it’s probably more right to say the idea of forcing a player to only have one option for having to consume your content – that’s probably … Continue Reading

Nintendo is happy to avoid getting bogged down in an expensive tech race against its rivals with the Wii U, so says CEO Satoru Iwata.

Speaking during an investor Q&A last week, Iwata suggested that, although its new console will offer some titles featuring high-end visuals, the company plans to compete in other areas instead.

“As we will showcase the Wii U at E3 in June this year, the detailed announcements must wait until then, but we are aiming to make a system which shall not be forced into competing with the others where the contenders … Continue Reading

“Real fans” will want to wait for the finished version of upcoming Xbox Live Arcade game Trials Evolution – and not download the leaked version, developer RedLynx has said.

Trials Evolution leaked onto file-sharing websites last night, sparking the appearance of unapproved gameplay videos publisher Ubisoft has been working furiously to remove from the internet.

RedLynx managing director Tero Virtala told Eurogamer the leaked version is without online features – and thus does not offer the complete package.

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The next Xbox will not launch in 2012, Microsoft has gone on the record to say.

Cedrick Delmas, marketing director of Microsoft France, was asked by Lepoint.fr in a new interview (translated by Eurogamer’s Oli Welsh): “Rumours indicate the presentation of a new Microsoft machine at E3 in June…”

His response:

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Triple Town creator Spry Fox is suing developer 6waves Lolapps for alleged copyright infringement over its game Yeti Town.

iPhone and Facebook developer Spry Fox revealed it had previously worked with Lolapps while Triple Town was in development, during which time Lolapps was privy to detailed information on the game’s closed beta and business strategy.

Lolapps had signed up to publish Triple Town on Facebook, but dumped Spry Fox via Facebook message the day it rolled out snowy-themed doppelgänger Yeti Town.

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Ghost Recon: Future Soldier ain’t quite what it used to be. When it first broke cover – and when we last took a serious look at it – Ubisoft’s tactical shooter series had evolved into something far removed from the games of old, having become an action-heavy third-person shooter starring a soldier who was, in Ubisoft’s own words, “an F-16 on legs”. It had turned into Gears of Recon, and it proved an unpopular shift in direction for a series once known for its tactical smarts.

“We’d just finished Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, but that … Continue Reading

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Sony reckons it’ll be the last to announce its next generation plans.

Sony France boss Philippe Cardon told Lepoint.fr (translated by Eurogamer’s Oli Welsh) the Japanese company won’t be rushed in the next-gen race.

“It’s true that there are a lot of rumours, but I can’t tell you anything,” he told the interviewer.

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