game

On eve of Xbox reveal, Sony teases PS4 peek for E3

Hey, remember the PlayStation 4? Actually, we never saw it, now, did we? Sony's new teaser trailer for the PS4, however, released minutes ago, gives us a decent dose of blurry silhouette and fast-cut shots of what look like details.

The Sony press conference is on June 10 at 6 p.m. PT at E3 in Los Angeles, which is where more details should be spilled -- as opposed to the February PS4 preview event, which was mainly conversations and promises about features. … Read more

Xbox next: What to expect at Tuesday's Xbox reveal event

Much has changed in the video game landscape since Microsoft unveiled the Xbox 360 in 2005.

Back then, Microsoft was a clear underdog, hoping to cut into the leads held by rival consoles from Nintendo and Sony. The Xbox had a core following, to be sure. But it also had plenty of ground to make up.

When Microsoft reveals the details of the next Xbox on Tuesday, it will be sitting in a far more comfortable position. Just last week, NPD reported that 130,000 Xboxes were sold in April in the United States, making the Xbox the best-selling video game console … Read more

Game industry sees hardware sales plummet 42 percent

The latest data out on the gaming industry indicates one, simple message: times are tough.

Overall spending on game industry products in the U.S. in April hit $495.2 million, down 25 percent compared to the $657.5 million consumers spent during the same period in 2012, according to monthly sales data on the game industry from research firm NPD. Hardware sales were hit hardest with just $109.5 million spent on consoles and handhelds last month. That figure is down 42 percent compared to the same period in April 2012.

Once again, the Xbox 360 led the market … Read more

Report: EA to scrap Online Passes for games

Electronic Arts will be dropping Online Passes from all of its future games, citing lackluster player support, according to a report by Venture Beat.

EA Senior Director of Corporate Communications John Reseburg revealed the news. "Yes, we're discontinuing Online Pass," he said. "None of our new EA titles will include that feature."

EA is not the only game publisher that elects to bundle an Online Pass with new copies of its games. The one-time codes are designed to restrict access to key features, such as online multiplayer. Players who buy a second-hand version of the game are given the option to purchase an Online Pass for a fee, prior to being able to play with others. … Read more

Consumer spending on iOS games outpaces 3DS, Vita

An increasing number of people are deciding to dedicate their cash to Apple's iOS rather than traditional gaming handhelds, according to a new study.

A joint study performed by research firms IDC and App Annie found that during the first quarter of 2013, total spending on iOS App Store games outpaced that of dedicated handhelds such as Nintendo's 3DS and PlayStation Vita. It was the first time that iOS games outpaced the traditional devices. In the fourth quarter, iOS was slightly behind gaming handhelds in total spending.

For now, Google Play is still a distant third, tallying about … Read more

'Game of Thrones' gets an official 'Night's Watch'

This is just what the Night's Watch needed: an, erm, "Night's Watch." Because it's helpful to know when dusk is approaching on the Wall, probably.

The timepiece, actually called "The Night's Watch", was produced by Swiss manufacturer Ulysse Nardin for HBO, based on its "Black Sea" rugged diving chronograph.

The watch itself isn't particularly "Game of Thrones"-related. Although it's appropriately black, the dial features the aquatic wave pattern of the Black Sea watch, and red elements embellish the numeral markers, hands and power reserve and … Read more

Google I/O news roundup

CNET Update keeps it brief:

It took Google about three hours to deliver the keynote address at its I/O developers conference. But in this episode of Update, I sum up what you need to know in under three minutes.

More on the announcements from Google I/O 2013:

- Google Music adds All Access streaming music (hands-on)

- Google Play adds cloud saves, leaderboards, matchmaking

- Google+ gives photo lovers what Facebook doesn't

- Google Now voice search arriving on the desktop

- Google previews next version of Maps for Android, iOS

- Google revamps Maps with 3D, cards, social search … Read more

Google Play adds cloud saves, leaderboards, matchmaking

Google is trying to make gaming a little better on its Android and iOS platforms with a handful of new features for developers. Chief among them is a new cloud save service, which stores game progress on Google's servers and syncs up gaming activity between devices.

Google also has a new matchmaking service, which like Apple's Game Center, can match up players for live and turn-based games. Google says this works on both Android and Apple's iOS. A demo of the feature at Google's I/O keynote crashed and burned, but the company says it works … Read more

Analyst: Nintendo sold 55,000 Wii U units in April

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter has released his monthly estimates on console sales, and not surprisingly, given recent months, April didn't look too swell for Nintendo and its Wii U.

According to Pachter, who estimates console sales in the U.S. based on retail checks, Nintendo sold just 55,000 Wii U units in April, down 19 percent compared to March. The company's Wii, which has been on store shelves for years, sold 75,000 units in April, according to Pachter.

Microsoft was once again the leader in the console market in April, selling 205,000 Xbox 360 units … Read more