Articles for September, 2013

Katy Perry’s ‘Walking On Air’ Is An Orgasmic ’90s House Throwback
The best part of waking up is always new Katy Perry music. #ObjectiveFact From the opening chord to that first "Tonight!" run that swiftly follows, you know that Katy Perry's "Walking On Air" isn't your usual Katy fare. Her songs usually veer more toward anthemic, empowerment jams rather than pure dance-pop. (Think "Roar" vs. that […]
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GTA parent publisher among new Twitch investors

Take-Two Interactive joins new group of investors for streaming video platform in just-announced round of $20 million funding.

 

Gamer-focused streaming video company Twitch today announced that it had secured $20 million in new Series C funding from a round of investors that includes Grand Theft Auto parent publisher Take-Two interactive.

The $20 million investment was led by Thrive Capital, with additional participation from WestSummit Capital and Take-Two Interactive. Additional funds from existing investors like Alsop Louie Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners were also included.

Details regarding specific levels of participation in the overall $20 million were not disclosed.

According to Twitch, this new funding will allow the company to "continue scaling its sales division and infrastructure to meet the demand of its rapidly growing viewership." Twitch had 45 million unique visitors in September 2013.

In addition to supporting the expansion of the Twitch Media Group sales division, the $20 million in funding will help ensure the platform's infrastructure is ready for the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in November.

Twitch broadcasting and viewing will be supported on both next-generation systems.

Grand Theft Auto V launched earlier this month, generating $800 million in 24 hours and $1 billion in three days. The game's multiplayer component--GTA Online--launches tomorrow as a free download.

Developer Rockstar Games is expecting numerous hiccups and issues to accompany the launch.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot


"GTA parent publisher among new Twitch investors" was posted by Eddie Makuch on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:21:36 -0700
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Xbox One can detect two people talking at once

New version of Kinect can hear and understand two people speaking simultaneously and can detect mouth movements in a dark room, Microsoft says.

 

The Xbox One's new Kinect camera can detect two people speaking at once, Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison said during the Eurogamer Expo as reported by Polygon.

In addition to being able to hear and understand two simultaneous speakers, the new version of Kinect included with every Xbox One can detect mouth movements in a dark room, Microsoft said.

In all, the Xbox One's Kinect technology can detect 25 joints between six people at any given time and recognize who is using the controller.

The camera can also estimate heart rates for the recently announced Xbox Fitness program, which will be available at launch for Xbox Live Gold members.

Kinect is included with every $500 Xbox One, a decision that has drawn debate from gamers. Microsoft has acknowledged this discussion, but said previously that it has no plans to release the system without Kinect.

"You can walk in front of the console, it recognizes you. Now we can have six of us in the room all signed in with our own profiles. That kind of stuff, when people get to use it, I think it will be really obvious why we bundled it with every box," senior Xbox director Albert Penello said earlier this month.

The Xbox One launches on November 22.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot


"Xbox One can detect two people talking at once" was posted by Eddie Makuch on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:56:19 -0700
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Kanye West Deletes Tweets From Jimmy Kimmel Feud
Jimmy Kimmel, Kanye WestDoes this mean the feud is over?  Three days after Kanye West waged war on Jimmy Kimmel, the rapper deleted more than a dozen tweets blasting the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host. The hip-hop...
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‘Breaking Bad’: Rihanna, Seth Meyers, Bryan Cranston, More Weigh In On Bloody Finale
Emmy Rossum, Ed Sheeran and filmmaker Darren Aronofsky also among celeb fans bidding series goodbye. By Gil Kaufman
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Killzone: Shadow Fall file size is 50GB

Sony says upcoming PS4-exclusive FPS is an "uber file" and "it looks it, too"; game's multiplayer mode runs at 60fps "a lot of the time," but not always.

 

Upcoming PlayStation 4-exclusive first-person shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall's file size is around 50GB, Sony has revealed to Eurogamer in a new interview. The PS4 features a 500GB hard drive, though it is upgradeable.

The news came from United Kingdom managing director Fergal Gara as part of a discussion regarding the rise in popularity of downloads over physical media.

"First of all, [digital] is definitely going to grow as a means of consumption. And there are big innovations in the PS4 to make it more attractive and more easy gamer wise to want to download," Gara said. "The Play as you Download functionality, for example, means you don't need the whole file before you go. This is a little bit counterbalanced by the fact the files themselves are getting bloody big. Killzone: Shadow Fall is an uber file--I think it's cracking on for 50GB. It looks it, too, when you see it."

Overall, the download process on PS4 remains a "relatively tedious" endeavor, Gara said.

"It's not perfect. It's not seamless," he said. "The file version of the game versus the disc version of the game maybe needs to go through additional QA and additional testing. Some of the problems that have occurred have occurred on older machines, which of course when you go into the next-generation you at least get to reset and start again and everything's the same age and new. That helps."

Improving the download process on PS4 has been a "major area of focus" and investment, Gara said. While numerous users have reported poor download speeds for the PlayStation 3, Sony is confident it will put a better foot forward this time around, Gara said.

"The network will perform better on multiple levels, because it becomes not just a sales or gaming delivery but increasingly it becomes a social network. So it's got to be a compelling experience on multiple levels," Gara said. "It's going to be for no lack of investment, for no lack of effort and no lack of intention that things might fall a bit short. But we're definitely moving in the right direction, and I'm confident when step on and understand its importance."

Killzone: Shadow Fall developer Guerrilla Games told Eurogamer in a separate interview that the game's single-player campaign will run at 30 frames-per-second and outputs at 1080p, while multiplayer will be different. This mode will also output at 1080p, but will run at 60 frames-per-second "a lot of the time," but not always.

"The reason for that is tricky," lead designer Eric Boltjes said. "Running 60 has become this Holy Grail. Suddenly people think if you run 60 your game is better. Technically, that's not really true. But what it does do is it makes decisions go from input to on-screen a lot easier."

"So, having a constant 60 is not actually better than having a 'lot of the time' 60. It sounds weird, but it's actually true," he added. "Because usually in the moments where we're going to drop framerate, either you're already dead or it's too late anyway."

Killzone: Shadow Fall is a launch title for PS4, arriving on November 15 in North America.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot


"Killzone: Shadow Fall file size is 50GB " was posted by Eddie Makuch on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:30:17 -0700
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Bungie teases Destiny preorder bonuses

Developer says "there most certainly will be" different bonuses for those who reserve upcoming game; announcement could be made soon.

 

Bungie Studios has teased that not only will there be preorder bonuses for shared-world shooter Destiny, but they could be unveiled shortly.

Asked in the latest (and potentially final) Mail Sack if there will be different preorder bonuses for Destiny, the studio said, "There most certainly will be. We'll tell you all about them before you even have the chance to ask again."

"You may want to turn your gaze to the stars. We've been busy. Stay tuned."

Destiny--which requires an Internet connection--is currently in development for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. The game will be released in 2014 published by Activision Publishing.

Last week, Bungie Studios design director Joseph Staten--who co-created the Destiny universe--left the company after 15 years.

Bungie Studios will release a new gameplay trailer for Destiny tomorrow, October 1. The trailer will be set in a destination that fans have been asking to see for the first time, community manager "Deej" said.

"We'll also have some exciting announcements if you're looking to suit up and explore our new frontier. Stay tuned!"

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot


"Bungie teases Destiny preorder bonuses" was posted by Eddie Makuch on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:29:34 -0700
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Star Spotting: Rihanna’s ‘Pour It Up’ Video Photos Are A Ratchet Fantasia Of Wet, See-Through Lingerie And Blonde Ambition
Pretty sure Rihanna's the only person who can look bangin' while mid- squat.  We're used to Rihanna photos eliciting reactions that range from unsurprised: "Oh! A weed fairy!"; to divine genuflection: "Oh! She's the most gorgeous creation on Earth!"; to the profane: "Oh. Is that a penis purse? But Rihanna's new "Pour It Up" video […]
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Beauty and the Beast Season 2 Sneak Peek: Vincent and JT Awkwardly Try to Reconnect—Watch!
Well, that explains the episode's title! Beauty and the Beast returns for its highly-anticipated second season on Monday, Oct. 7 with "Who Am I?," and we know who will be...
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Buzz Bites (9/30/13): Watch Arcade Fire Debut New ‘Reflektor’ Songs On ‘Saturday Night Live’
Arcade Fire apparently forgot to bring a creepy, oversized mask for 'SNL' host, Tina Fey. + Arcade Fire served as musical guests on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live," where they debuted new material off of their forthcoming Reflektor (due Oct. 29). Watch them perform "Afterlife," as well as the title track. (MTV News) + Following Arcade Fire's […]
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