Nintendo Wii U Controller Gets NFC Technology

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Nintendo has announced that there will be NFC technology will be incorporated into the Wii U’s controller. This will allow the controller to read and write data wirelessly in a similar way to the ‘Portal of Power’ reading device for Skylanders action figures and could also be used as a way to pay for online purchases with a compatible bank and credit cards.

“By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via non-contact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world,” Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told investors. “Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micro-payments.”

Source: Official Nintendo Magazine

EverQuest Joining Free-To-Play Fold

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Sony Online entertainment has announced that their seminal MMORPG EverQuest is going free-to-play. The game launched in 1997 and has had 18 expansions and “countless content updates.”

“With the move to free-to-play, players will continue to enjoy the EQ experience they know and love, only now they have the power to choose a model that caters to their play style,” said SOE in the announcement. “Through the new free-to-play model, players will have the options of non-recurring vs. recurring subscriptions, Free vs. Silver memberships, item unlockers, and many more. Additionally, all players (both old and new) will be given brand new items via a ‘Welcome Pack.’”

Find out more about how the F2P services will work at everquest.station.sony.com/free.

Nick Fury Movie Brought Up In Captain America Talk

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Neal McDonough was Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: First Avenger, and while he didn’t get a lot of screen time, he’s hopeful to return in the sequel. “Yeah, they’re planning [to go into production for] Captain America 2 for the end of this year, because Marvel does one film at a time,” says McDonough. “So they’re going to do Thor 2 and as soon as Thor has wrapped, they’ll do Cap 2. Hopefully right after that, we’ll jump into Nick Fury because that’s the one I’m looking forward to more than anything.”

Noting that Dugan is the right hand man to Nick Fury, he’s also hopeful to be in a movie starring the Avengers leader. “I just pray that they have a 1970s setting, because I want to see Sam Jackson with lamb chops kicking people’s asses for [the] Marvel universe,” continues McDonough. “It would just be awesome.”

Source: imdb.net

Ninja Theory Not Apologizing For Dante’s New Design

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Dante’s new look in DmC has been controversial among fans, but developer Ninja Theory has stuck by their guns. Creative director Tameem Antoniades noted that Japanese character design can somehow get away with more “campiness.”

“We did a thought experiment suggested by [former Capcom exec Keiji Inafune] early on. It went like this: imagine this game as a contemporary movie,” said Antoniades. “What would it look like What would Dante look like We went from there.”

“Japanese style ethos does tend to involve make characters look cool for the sake of looking cool, adding odd accessories, crazy hairstyles and color, cowboy boots and so on simply because they look cool,” noted Capcom’s Alex Jones. “We in the West tend to be more functional adding things that have meaning and being able to explain that meaning. Why does Dante have white hair I want to make a little story around that and explain it. And so on for the rest of his design choices.”

“We’ve not so much done away with any of the Japanese aspects of the series,” Antoniades resumed. “But are more building on the foundations of the franchise to develop a game that has a different flavor. We grew up on U.S. and European movies, comics, music and general culture. That’s what we’re tapping into. We’re not pretending we are Japanese nor making apologies for that.”

Source: OXM

Street Fighter X Tekken: PS3 Exclusive Characters go Bonkers

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It’s been known for a while that Street Fighter X Tekken on PS3 and PS Vita would get Cole from InFamous and the Sony cat mascots Kuro and Toro. Now, however it’s been revealed that it will also have Pac-Man piloting a robot version of Mokujin and weirdest of all, a version of Mega Man based around the first game’s American box art.

Get The Reem!

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On the official Facebook page for UFC Undisputed, fans that ‘Like’ the page will be able to be sent a token code on or around the launch of the game via e-mail to download UFC heavyweight number one contender Alistair Overeem. Fans can also review Alistair’s fight history and information on the tab to learn more about his background and fighting style.

Kindle Fire Lights Up Android Tablets

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Strategy Analytics asserts that the number of tablet computer shipments increased from 10.7 million units to 26.8 million units year-over-year for the final quarter of 2011. While Apple sold 15.4 million iPads, Android saw its share increase from 29 percent to 39 percent during that period, due in large part to the Kindle Fire, which is believed to be 40 percent of all Android tablets.

“Amazon takes the focus away from the device and operating system, emphasizing content, a differentiated consumer experience and commerce,” added Flurry’s VP of Marketing, Peter Farago. “For its launch, it lined up key content such as Facebook and Angry Birds, as well as offering Amazon Prime, its own streaming TV and movie service.”

Amazon’s Kindle Fire has an advantage over the Samsung Galaxy Tab that results in 2.5 times more paid downloads. “Upon launching the Kindle Fire, consumers must either link to their Amazon account or enter credit card information,” added Farago. “This makes the user base 100 percent payment enabled.”

Source: blog.flurry.com

Kabam Gets Fearless

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Kabam has announced that it has acquired Fearless Studios, a developer founded by one of the major persons behind The Force Unleashed series in senior executive producer Haden Blackman. Both Blackman and former LucasArts director of engineering Cedrick Collomb will join the social game developer, along with everyone else at Fearless.

“The Fearless Studios team brings a wealth of talent and experience in creating outstanding, highly successful AAA titles across a range of genres,” said Kevin Chou, CEO of Kabam. “Their skills in game design, emerging technologies and proficiency in making the transition from 2D to 3D on consoles mesh perfectly with Kabam’s strategy. We’ll significantly strengthen our industry leadership as the online gaming market transitions to higher fidelity, 3D gameplay with our acquisition of Fearless Studios.”

“There’s no way we could pass up the chance to marry our vision for creating story-driven action games s with Kabam’s excellence in building great online franchises using their incredible infrastructure, distribution ability, and advanced analytics,” said Haden Blackman. “Joining the hardcore social gaming leader gives our team a once in a lifetime opportunity to forge a new paradigm for what players can experience in an online game.”