Gamescom 2011 Sees 275,000 In Attendance

Koelnmesse announced that Gamescom 2011 set a new record and solidified its position as the “world’s largest trade fair” with 557 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries presenting over 300 games. Over 275,000 attended the event in Cologne, with over 100,000 enjoying the city festival.

“In a word: overwhelming!” said Gerald Bose, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH. “We grew further, attaining level of results over that of last year, both on the exhibitor and on the visitor side. By regulating the admission, we were able to ensure that there was never any overcrowding in the hall, and the safety of the games community was therefore guarantee.”

“Gamescom 2011 was able to write another chapter in the success story of the world’s largest games fair with an increase in visitor numbers of 8 percent. At the same time, the trade fair sharpened its international profile with the partner country UK and many new country representative offices, including the first Gamescom appearance by the People’s Republic of China,” said Olaf Wolters, Managing Director of the German Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU). “We would like to thank all the exhibitors and partners, and in particular the Koelnmesse, for the successful event. But it is the gaming community which above all deserves our thanks and respect. Gamescom unites and brings together people with the same passion from all over the world. In 2011 there was once again a 100 percent Gamescom feeling, with an unmistakable atmosphere, an admirable patience, creative outfits and unforgettable player experiences. We are already looking forward to Gamescom 2012 in Cologne with anticipation!”

Rage iOS Free For Limited Time

id has announced that Rage on iOS will be available for free for a limited time. This comes after fans successfully ‘liked’ the Rage Facebook page 100,000 times during a set period of time.

Version 1.21 of the game has better compatibility with iOS 4 and is optimized for the iPad 2 including HDMI TV output. The full game of Rage will release on PS3, PC and Xbox 360 on October 4, 2011.

Source: App Store

DirectTV NFL Sunday Ticket Coming To PS3

DirectTV announced that those signed up for NFL Sunday Ticket can enjoy live streaming of games on the iOS, Blackberry and Android devices, along with their PS3. They will also be able to to launch an NFL.com Fantasy Football TV app on connected set-top boxes they will let them view their NFL.com Fantasy Football teams and scores directly on their TV screen.

“We are constantly looking at new ways to enhance the NFL viewing experience and create more value for the loyal fans who continue to make this our most popular and dynamic sports subscription service,” said Tony Goncalves, senior vice president, Product Management for DirectTV. “With the growth in mobile and connected consumer electronics devices, we believe it makes sense to enable viewers to watch their favorite team on more of those devices, like gaming consoles, whose users include legions of NFL fans.”

Sims Social Sees 4.8 Million Players Right Out Of Beta

Electronic Arts revealed today that The Sims Social racked up 4.8 million monthly active users now that it is no longer in beta. It’s first time going fully publice saw 840,000 trying the game out and 3.6 million starting in the week previous to that.

“When we created The Sims Social, it was important for us to incorporate the deep gameplay nuances The Sims Studio has perfected and leverage what Playfish does best- develop compelling, cutting-edge social-gaming experiences,” said John Earner, GM of Playfish’s London Studios. “Our deep knowledge of the Facebook gaming platform enables us to continue to enable dynamic new features, quests and game updates on a regular basis so The Sims Social remains fresh and fun.”

Microsoft Points To Apps In Windows 8

Apps have been migrating from mobile devices to web browsers to the most recent version of Mac OSX. Now it appears that it is coming to Windows 8, with a Microsoft Developer Network blog listing teams involved with the project including App Store, App Compatibility and Device Compatibility, and App Experience.

“You can look at all the comments and see the incredible demand for new features across a very wide range of scenarios,” reads the post. “Folks want new things, and changes to existing things; they want features to be available globally, to be accessible, and to be super high quality; they want things to work on existing hardware, and to take advantage of the latest new hardware. Our job is to get as much done in as short a time as possible, at a very significant scale.”

Source: MSDN.com

ESPN – The Gift

ESPN has launched a new ad in the U.K. that is dedicated to their fans. It captures the unspoiled exuberance of being a true fan of sport for the everyman.

 

Uncharted Vita Trailer Gets Cozy

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is the new Uncharted game from Bend Studio, but it still has the same atmosphere of previous games. There’s all the action and humorous repartee the series is known for, along with a new girl to flirt with in Marisa Chase.

http://www.viddler.com/player/7f27e792/0/

Become A Zombie

Dead Island has launched a UGC voting contest {link no longer active} on their official Facebook page. Fans can upload a photo of themselves in beach clothes or zombie make-up for a chance to win valuable Dead Island prizes. Once submitted, fans can “like” or “skip” each photo. Each photo can also be shared on Facebook or Twitter. A leaderboard tracks photos that have garnered the most likes over time.

Like And Unlock

On the official website {link no longer active} or official Facebook page {link no longer active}, fans that “like” the page will help unlock new Deus Ex content in their territory. The more “likes” the more new image, audio and video content that will be revealed. Invite friends to speed up the release schedule and augment the marketing release plans beyond recognition.