Not to be outdone by all the other talk show hosts showing off dancing games, Whoopi Goldberg tackled Michael Jackson: The Experience on The View. And like many of the experiences previously, free copies were given out to the audience members.
Microsoft is confident in Windows Phone 7, even if the consumer response has been somewhat mixed. “I’m pretty proud of our track record,” said Darren Huston, cvp, consumer and online at Microsoft. “As a company we’re starting to get on the front foot again with innovation.”
Huston noted at the Monaco Media Forum that the key with a mobile device is “360-degree marketing.” One of those ways is working with brands to make utility apps, like a J&J app that updates diabetics on their insulin levels with health information, an American Express app that shows local guide information and a Ford Volt app that has a casual game.
Source: AdWeek
Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci are well known for their wiseguy roles and have starred in five movies together: GoodFellas, Casino, Once Upon a Time in America, A Bronx Tale, and Raging Bull. Rumors are that they will be reunited in a film version of Uncharted: Drake s Fortune.
The Fighter director David O. Russell has been working on the pre-production of the Uncharted movie and has been looking to get DeNiro and Pesci. Russell was originally pegged for the project before leaving temporarily but returning with the promise of more control over the script.
And that control apparently means scrapping much of the work that has already been done for the screenplay and ignoring the original plot of the games. The new script is rumored to involve something to do with antiquities dealers in New York.
The report is also saying that Russell is trying to get The Fighter star Mark Wahlberg on board with the Uncharted movie. If it happens, it’s likely he’d be cast in the headlining role of Nathan Drake.
Source: ShowBiz411
Gunnar Optiks has announced that they will be supporting Tron: Legacy with their premium 3D glasses. These will be shown off at the Wired Store in New York City.
“We re very excited to be working with Walt Disney Studios to promote one of the most anticipated hit films of the year with the most advanced 3D eyewear in the market today,” said Rob Aarnes, president of Gunnar. “While other brands are coming to market and focusing on mass market solutions, we are committed to radically differentiating the 3D experience with an uncompromised lens technology platform. Not only are we high definition, we are the definition of performance optics for the digital generation.”
Gunnar first launched the first ever optically correct 3D eyewear in January 2010. Their models are compatible with most theaters including those equipped with the popular RealD 3D technology.
In support of Tron: Legacy, consumers who buy one of Gunnar’s 3D glasses will receive a ticket to see the movie; also, ads for the movie will feature the Gunnar 3D eyewear with Tron: Legacy. The company currently has three styles for their 3D glasses: Phenom and Anime priced at $99, and the Midnight priced at $149.
More information is available at gunnars.com/tron.
Nintendo has revealed that their Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary limited edition red bundle of the Wii isn’t the only hardware bundle they’re putting out this holiday. They’ve announced that there will be a Mario Kart Wii bundle as well.
The bundle will include a black Wii console, a copy of Mario Kart Wii, a black Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk, a black Wii wheel and Wii Sports. Similar to the Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary bundle, Donkey Kong will come preloaded on the machine when it releases in Europe on November 26.
Ubisoft announced today more details concerning Assassin’s Creed Ascendance. This new animated short will be released in conjunction with Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood in North America on November 16, 2010.
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’s Creed Ascendance covers the narrative gap between Assassin’s Creed II and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood as Ezio Auditore works to remove the Borgia family from their place of power. It will be available on The PlayStation Store or Xbox Live for $1.99.
PopCap Games has announced a partnership with Tatio. They will launch a mobile social game service in Japan called Pop Tower in 2011 that will feature games like Bejeweled, Zuma, and Chuzzle, all with an RPG metagame developed with Japanese audiences in mind.
With Bejeweled and a host of other successful properties, PopCap Games is a casual gaming giant. The social game market is undergoing remarkable growth, and we have high hopes for this partnership, said Akihito Shoji, Taito’s SVP of Content. Mobile social game are a critical part of our overall strategy, with much of our resources devoted to the design and management of games that are not only fun pastimes, but also foster interaction and communication between players. We’re confident that our mobile social market experience and PopCap’s strong casual properties is a winning combination, and one that will deliver a whole new experience to the game users.
Sony Computer Entertainment America today confirmed the release date for Gran Turismo 5. The anticipated PS3 racer with over 1,000 cars will go on sale on Wednesday, November 24.
“Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program!” commented Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. “When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with Gran Turismo 5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans.”
Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed, added Yamauchi.
PlaySpan has announced that they have launched UltimatePay Mobile. This virtual currency monetization application for smartphone platforms should work on all Android smartphones and Nokia phones with WebRuntime installed.
With our mobile payment widget, developers now have a proven micropayments platform that brings a one-click payments experience to mobile users without them ever having to leave the game, said Karl Mehta, CEO of PlaySpan. Our mobile payments provides connectivity to 90+ payment methods across 180 countries including mobile carrier payments with 70+ Carriers worldwide.
UltimatePay on mobile give us the tools we need to create an effective monetization channel for our platform, said Jim Mitchell, CEO of FUHU. UltimatePay s simple integration gave our customers a simple and convenient payment solution, with numerous payment options and price points across multiple countries and carriers. Playspan continues to provide great support and strong operational and financial quality.”
While Steam is the leading digital download service for PC taking up to as much as 80 percent of the market, some retail chains in the U.K. aren’t fond of contributing to that growth anymore. At least two major retailers are demanding that publishers remove Steam from their games, or else they will not sell them.
If we have a digital service, then I don t want to start selling a rival in-store, said the digital head at one of the biggest U.K. games retailers. Publishers are creating a monster we are telling suppliers to stop using Steam in their games.
At the moment the big digital distributors need to stock games with Steam, a head of sales at a big-name digital service provider agreed. But the power resides with bricks and mortar retailers, they can refuse to stock these titles. Publishers are hesitant, but retail must put pressure on them.”
Source: MCV
