Windows 8 Marketplace won’t sell games like Grand Theft Auto in the UK, but what about the US?

Microsoft bars games with the PEGI 18+ rating like Grand Theft Auto IV from the Windows 8 Marketplace in the UK. What will happen in the US?

Windows 8 is not earning Microsoft many fans in the video game development community. Marcus “Notch” Pearson, the creator of Minecraft, said that Microsoft is “ruining the PC as an open platform” with its new operating system that apes the contained, curated style of Apple’s iOS and OS X operating systems. His sentiments echoed those of Valve’s Gabe Newell and Blizzard’s Rob Pardo.

It would seem that Microsoft’s policies for selling games through the Windows 8 Marketplace are going to further incense those developers. Microsoft’s closed policy will see video games intended for adults only, meaning those games that could potentially receive an Adults Only rating from the ESRB in the US, will not be allowed on the platform.

GamesIndustry International reported on Thursday that Microsoft will indeed ban games rated for ages 18 and older, at least in the UK. Citing an article written by Casey Muratori which outlines Microsoft’s guidelines for apps sold on the Marketplace—apps cannot contain depictions that “glamorizes illegal activity,” “irresponsible use of alcohol or tobacco products,” or “excessive or gratuitous profanity”—this means that many games rated PEGI 18 cannot be sold through Microsoft’s store at all. Grand Theft Auto IV, the original version of Heavy Rain, and many other PEGI 18+ rated games would be blocked from the market.

Kotaku confirmed these rules were official and that no game can be sold through the Marketplace without meeting them. “No, you cannot distribute Windows Store apps without going through the Windows Store. The exception to this is for enterprise apps. Developers can, however, create and offer desktop apps the same way they always have—through their own site or distribution point.”

The question though is how these policies will affect the Windows 8 Marketplace globally. The UK’s PEGI rating system is different from the ESRB’s, designating some games that receive an M for Mature rating in the US PEGI 16+ and others PEGI 18+.

A representative of Microsoft’s PR agency handling the promotion of Windows 8 told Digital Trends, “We have nothing more to share beyond what is public on the Windows Dev Center (section 6.2 of the app certification requirements discusses ratings) and information on Rating boards for Windows apps.” Section 6.2 only restricts games with an “over ESRB Mature” rating, the same guideline that tickets what is and is not allowed on the Xbox Live marketplace.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Grand Theft Auto V and BioShock Infinite delays responsible for Take-Two losses

Grand Theft Auto 5 and BioShock Infinite are going to give Take-Two a lucrative 2013, but it's hurting in 2012 as a result of their delays.

The future is bright for Take-Two Interactive. Borderlands 2 had a strong first week, with critics raving and financial analysts predicting it will be the fourth best-selling game of the year, trailing only Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Assassin’s Creed 3, and Halo 4. XCOM: Enemy Unknown‘s got good buzz and NBA 2K13 will enjoy the series’ perennially great sales. Next year? BioShock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto V. Those two games though, the shining stars of 2K Games’ 2013, were supposed to come out in 2012. They’re the root of Take-Two’s low revenue expectation woes.

As reported by GamesIndustry International, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick explained during a meeting this week why the company saw a $107.7 million loss in the last fiscal year. “This was primarily due to our decision to postpone the release of several titles in order to allow for additional development time,” said Zelnick, “Although our commitment to quality may occasionally affect near-term results, we believe it’s the right approach for maximizing revenue and profits over the long-term.”

BioShock Infinite, by all accounts, needed the extra gestation time to be the success that Take-Two wants it to be with gamers. Irrational Games announced ahead of E3 2012 that it would push BioShock Infinite into 2013 and that it wouldn’t show the game to the press until it was close to finished. In August, though, numerous key staff members working on Infinite left Irrational amid reports that the game was in deep trouble. Cut multiplayer modes and broken play systems were just a couple of the alleged problems facing the game.

Grand Theft Auto V meanwhile didn’t come out in 2012 because Rockstar Games is, as the studio is wont to do, taking its time making the game perfect. “Grand Theft Auto V is in full development and making substantial progress,” said Zelnick in the meeting. There were rumors that GTAV might see a surprise release in October, but the game’s now a lock for the beginning of the next fiscal year.

A year that will prove markedly better than 2012. Take-Two saw sales during the April to June quarter drop to $226 million from $334 million during the same period in 2011. Max Payne 3 simply didn’t hit in the way that past spring Rockstar releases like Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire did. Grand Theft Auto V shouldn’t have the same problem, and BioShock Infinite should help Take-Two close the fiscal year in March strong.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Google exec pays $1.7 million at charity auction for Ferrari 599XX Evo, picks it up at Italian Grand Prix

You know it'll be a good day when you pick up your new car at the Italian Grand Prix, especially when it's a Ferrari 599XX Evo that's waiting.

Google’s Vice President of Engineering, Benjamin Sloss, picked up a new car this weekend, and had a couple of pictures taken at the same time.

Lucky him, you’re probably thinking, and are about to skip to the next article; but hold on, this wasn’t a trip down to his local dealership, and the car wasn’t a Prius, a Corolla or even something slightly interesting like a Tesla Model S.

No, he was collecting a Ferrari 599XX Evo, which was be presented to him at the Monza Grand Prix circuit in Italy, on the same day as the Italian F1 Grand Prix. Oh, and the photos would be with Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

Sloss paid 1.4 million Euros — that’s $1.79 million, currency conversion fans — for the car at a charity auction back in June, the proceeds of which went to an earthquake relief fund for those affected by the quake in the Emilia Romaga region of Italy in May.

So, a good cause then, but what about the car? If you’ve not heard of it, Ferrari’s 599XX Evo is very special indeed, as it’s the extreme version, of the extreme version of the already exciting Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

To make a 599XX Evo, you take a 599XX, which produces 720 horsepower from its 6.0-liter V12, then reduce the weight by 35kgs, up the power to 740 horsepower using a side-exit exhaust and liberally sprinkle it all with proven F1 technology.

Besides the wheel “doughnuts” fitted to the 599XX — used to reduce drag and cool the brakes — and active suspension, there’s a DRS-style active rear wing, which pops open at the press of a button to reduce drag at high speed.

The results are impressive to say the least, with 0-60 taking 2.9 seconds, and a top speed of 196 miles-per-hour. Additionally, 599XX ownership buys you entry into the Corsa Clienti, an exclusive club for Ferrari FXX and 599XX owners.

This is a good thing, as the 599XX and the 599XX Evo aren’t road legal, and these Ferrari events are the only time owners get to drive their cars, where they’re supported by a team of Ferrari engineers and test drivers.

To help Sloss’ 599XX Evo stand out amongst the other cars — although only 30 of them have been produced — it has a commemorative plaque signed by Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo and F1 drivers Alonso and Massa.

As weekends go, this one sounds like a good one.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Intel cranks up the pressure, as ZTE and Motorola prepare to release Atom-powered Android smartphones

ZTE has announced the Grand X IN, an Intel Medfield-powered Android phone, while Motorola prepares to join the party in September.

Intel is continuing to push its way into the mobile processor market with its Medfield platform, ready to take on Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments. Although Medfield has been around since the beginning of 2012, it has yet to make much of an impact, but as more manufacturers explore its potential, this is beginning to change.

ZTE has announced it has joined Intel’s merry band with the unveiling of the new Grand X IN. Well, we say new, but we really mean an older phone with one very important tweak.

The Grand X has already done the rounds several times, having been revealed earlier this summer as an “advanced gaming phone,” and before that as the Mimosa X; but this new version ditches the Tegra 2 and replaces it with Intel’s Atom chip, hence the addition of “IN” at the end of the phone’s name.

ZTE’s Grand X IN uses Intel’s single-core Z2460 Atom processor, the same as that found in the Orange San Diego, a UK-only, network-branded re-badging of the original Intel reference device. Although ZTE doesn’t mention it, we presume it shares the same 1.6Ghz clock speed too.

The screen measures 4.3-inches and has a 960 x 540 pixel resolution, there is 16GB of internal memory, 1GB of RAM, GPS and support for HSPA+ networks. For what will be priced as a mid-range phone, it’s good to see features such as NFC, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Dolby Mobile and HD Voice make it onboard.

Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the standard operating system, and the Grand X IN is the first Medfield phone to have this almost-new version installed from the factory, as previous Intel phones have used 2.3 Gingerbread.

Besides the processor change, ZTE has also swapped the ordinary 5-megapixel camera from the first Grand X out in favor of an 8-megapixel camera, which can also shoot 1080p video.

Motorola gets in on the Intel action

ZTE isn’t the only manufacturer backing Intel either, as none other than Motorola is almost certainly preparing to announce its own Atom-powered smartphone.

The Google-owned company has sent out invitations to a special event to be held in London on September 18, which bore both Motorola’s and Intel’s logos.

Motorola’s tagline for the event is “Let us take you to the edge,” and VentureBeat.com discovered a Twitter hashtag, #motoedge, linked to the forthcoming event, hinting that this could be the name of the new device. A supposed Intel-powered Motorola phone was leaked way back in February, but we’ve heard nothing since.

The partnership between Motorola and Intel was announced at the beginning of the year, and the cache of a true “big name” manufacturer is exactly what Intel needs to kickstart its assault on its competitors market share.

For now though, Intel fans have the ZTE Grand X IN to look forward to, and it should hit European store shelves in September. A price has yet to be confirmed, but if ZTE has any sense, it will keep the £190/$299 SIM-free cost of the existing Grand X in place.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com