Gaming Popular For Tablet Owners

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According to data from Interpret, gaming on tablets and social networking is on the rise. 54 percent of tablet computer owners use it to play games, and the study found that gamers are more likely to purchase a device like the Galaxy S or iPad than the average consumer.

The study also found an increase of 12 percent for social network use compared to the last quarter. Also, 45 percent of smartphone users confirmed that they use social networking through their mobile phone.

Source: Interpret {link no longer active}

Baseball DualShock Launching With MLB 11

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Sony announced today that they will release a baseball-themed DualShock 3 to celebrate the release of MLB 11: The Show. The controller will retail for $54.99 when it releases the same date as the game, on March 8.

Actually, not too shabby.

Also, those who pre-order the game will receive 30 days of MLB.TV for free on PS3. This will let users check out their favorite “out of market” baseball broadcasts.

Source: PlayStation.Blog

Bulletstorm’s Epic Beta Offering

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Electronic Arts has announced that the Xbox 360 Epic Edition of Bulletstorm will have early access to the Gears of War 3 beta. Retailing for $59.99, the Epic Edition will also feature 25,000 experience points in game, visual upgrades for the game’s leash and special weapons and armor.

“Epic is poised to break new ground in 2011 with Gears of War 3 and Bulletstorm,” said Dr. Michael Capps, president of Epic Games. “With these two highly anticipated triple-A experiences comes a unique opportunity to do something to really excite players, and that’s what we intend to accomplish with the support of Microsoft Game Studios and EA. This is for the shooter fans.”

Bulletstorm will release on February 22, 2011 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

PlayStation Mobile App Coming Soon

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Sony has announced that they will be launching the PlayStation App very soon. The app will be free to download for iOS 4 and above and Android OS 1.6 and above.

The app will let users check up on their PSN trophies and look at their friends’ status, along with enabling gamers to share news on Facebook, Twitter or email. The app will also dish out the latest news on games for PlayStation platforms. While it is currently only announced for Europe, a U.S. version is likely coming soon.

Source: PlayStation.Blog

Zynga Signs Dr. Dre For Mafia Wars Promotion

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Zynga has announced that they have signed a deal with Dr. Dre. The in-game music partnership will let players stream the video Kush, featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon, free within Mafia Wars and purchase the song via an iTunes link in the game.

“We’re always looking for innovative and interesting ways for fans to discover great music and with an artist of Dre’s cultural significance we really wanted something special that s never been done before,” said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records. “We felt it was a perfect fit for Dre to be the first musical experience for the millions of Mafia Wars players to enjoy while gaming.”

“Mafia Wars players will also be able to collect Dr. Dre inspired virtual goods such as headphones, a vintage car, and weapons. Players will also be able to watch a Dr. Dre video message and become eligible to win signed Dr. Dre headphones and a signed copy of the CD Detox when it becomes available next year.”

“Dre is a cultural icon that has inspired generations of music lovers,” said Mark Pincus, CEO and founder of Zynga. “We’re huge music fans at Zynga and we know the players within Mafia Wars will love the chance to discover incredible music content while playing with their friends.”

Joe Mauer Covers The Show Second Straight Year

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Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that Joe Mauer will be the cover athlete for MLB 11 The Show. The 2009 AL MVP was also last year’s cover athlete for The Show.

“I’m extremely honored to return as the cover athlete for MLB 11 The Show,” said Minnesota Twins Catcher Joe Mauer. “Serving as spokesperson for The Show is a thrilling experience, and partnering once again with the best baseball game available was an easy decision and one that I’m very excited about.”

“Joe Mauer continues to be a driving force in Major League Baseball as the premier all around player in the game,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. “Year in and year out, MLB The Show delivers the best baseball gameplay experience available, truly in a class of its own, so I could not think of a more worthy ambassador to once again represent the highest rated, best selling baseball video game franchise of all time.”

Metal Gear Neko: Monster Hunter

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Recently, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker saw the inclusion of monsters from the Monster Hunter series and the partnership is continuing. On December 24, Capcom is releasing a special free downloadable quest for Monster Hunter Portable 3rd called “MGS Solid & Liquid.” Completing it nets players a “Solid Neko Knife”, a “Neko Bandanya” and a “Solid Neko Suit.”

Monster Hunter is NOT a sneaking mission.

These two collaborations, coming from the two biggest PSP titles of the year, show a thriving market for Sony’s portable in Japan, which contrasts heavily with the U.S.  Cross promotions like this are a great way to build excitement, but it also shows how far apart the game markets in Japan and the U.S. are right now.

Source: Kotaku

Just Cause Movie Makers Making Prequel

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L+E Pictures’ Adrian Askarieh and Eric Eisner are working on adapting Just Cause to the big screen. The two movie producers and gamers are eager to do right by the action series.

“It’s a great action/adventure with a strong central character; two must have elements for a good action film,” said Askarieh.

“The epic scope of the games and, as Adrian said, the Scorpion character is what fascinated me,” added Eisner. “I felt that we had the building blocks to make a very good action film and one that could hopefully translate into a franchise.”

They hope to tell an origin story featuring the Scorpio organization, central character The Scorpion, with plenty of crazy stunts and grappling hook action for good measure.

“We wanted our Casino Royale, if you will, and Michael [Ross] is the perfect writer to execute that,” said Askarieh. “He starts from reality and grounds the story in a plausible universe. Once you have done that, the audience will believe all the extraordinary things Rico/The Scorpion does in the story.”

Source: JustCause.com

Call Of Duty Fake Ad Still Well Done

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When a brand is popular enough, people will do things for almost inexplicable reasons, like make a fake ad using original footage in convincing fashion. Mixing in narration based upon the most recent inaugural address, it’s like a less jovial version of the There’s a Soldier in All of Us ad.

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