December
Latest
'Rainbow Six: Siege' won't breach and clear until December
It seems like that original October 13th release date proved a bit too unlucky for Ubisoft and Rainbow Six: Siege. A post on the gaming juggernaut's blog says that the game has a lot of room to improve and an extra month or so will help the developers do just that. Namely, balancing weapons and equipment, tweaking co-op "across all game modes" and some other housekeeping bits.
The Daily Grind: Should EVE Online add manual flight controls?
On Friday, developer CCP Games stunned us with the news that EVE Online will be adding manual flight controls in December's Rhea update. Gamers have been asking for twitch controls since EVE launched in 2003, but the idea has always been shot down as infeasible because it would put the server under extremely heavy load. CCP mentioned its interest in twitch controls during Fanfest 2013, and I speculated on a possible server-friendly implementation in an EVE Evolved article shortly after, but the fact that the feature is about to be released still comes as a huge surprise. The new controls will be optional and quite limited. Ships will be able to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise and pitch their ships up vertically up and down, but we won't be able to do loops or rolls like in a dogfighting game. Developers also want to add joystick support soon, but so far there are no plans to add manually targeted ship weapons. Many players are excited for the new controls, and some of them are already asking for further features like the ability to lock the camera behind their ships for a more hands-on flight experience. The announcement has prompted debate in the EVE Online community, and not everyone is convinced it's a good idea. Some have complained that twitch controls don't suit EVE as the ships are supposed to be massive starships with full crews rather than single-pilot fighter craft. There's also some cynicism over whether the feature is only being worked on now due to the growing popularity of Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous. EVE could be positioning itself as a viable alternative for any players who are disappointed with the new space games, a strategy that has worked in the past to help it absorb players from games like Earth & Beyond and Star Wars Galaxies. What do you think? Should EVE add manual flight controls, and is this an attempt to appeal to the mass market? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
EVE Evolved: Clone upgrades and skill loss are gone!
While the player activity stats might suggest otherwise, the past few years have been a real rennaisance for EVE Online. Developers have gone back and iterated on dozens of old game features that were starting to show their age, and some of them have been pretty huge. The war declaration and criminality overhauls in 2012 were fundamental changes to core gameplay that had been stagnant for almost a decade, and the recent industry and warp acceleration changes were equally fundamental shifts. These were all features we had previously been told were essentially off-limits for iteration because they relied on undocumented legacy code from 2003, and none of the programmers wanted to poke that sleeping beast. Now it seems that no idea is off-limits, and developers aren't afraid to challenge fundamental parts of EVE's original design that may not make sense today. This week's Phoebe update revisited capital ship force projection for the first time since the ships were added in 2004, for example, and it removed the 24-hour skill queue limit that CCP insisted on adding in Apocrypha. In Thursday's episode of The EVE Online Show, developers announced the next big legacy feature to be put on the chopping block in the game of progress: As part of December's Rhea release, clone upgrades and skill point loss on death will be completely removed from the game. In this edition of EVE Evolved, I look at the problems caused by the cloning system, why it needs to be removed, and what could possibly replace it.
ComScore: iPhone up to 36 percent of US phone share in December, Android stayed put
There's been indications that Apple staged something of a comeback in the US during the fourth quarter, owing partly to an iPhone 5-related spike. ComScore's smartphone share data for December appears to bear that out. It estimates that the Apple claimed a 36.3 percent slice of the American market in the last month of 2012: that's a noticeable boost from 35 percent in November, and two points up since the iPhone 5's September arrival. Android remained on top at 53.4 percent, but it was once again unusually static, edging down from highs earlier in the year. Other platforms took their usual blows, although there's no doubt some hopes for revival. Just don't anticipate looking for overall cellphone market share. ComScore has switched to focusing on smartphones, and it's telling a different story than we've seen in the past. When only smartphones count, Samsung's December share left it in second place, at 21 percent -- still an increase over prior months, but not as large as Apple's 36.3 percent. The biggest surprise is LG's rise to 7.1 percent and fifth place, quite possibly due to the Optimus G and Nexus 4. Enough shifted that the market may be even less recognizable in 2013, for better or worse.
December NPD: 2012 sales hit $13.26 billion, Black Ops 2 leads the pack
During a period that encompassed both post-Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping and the Christmas season (November 25 through December 29), the physical retail sector of the video games industry pulled in $3.2 billion, bringing the total dollar amount spent in 2012 up to $13.26 billion, which is just a little less than half of one Scrooge McDuck money vault. Both December and the year as a whole were down 22 percent from their respective 2011 counterparts, according to NPD data, with December 2011 earning $4.10 billion and all of 2011 pulling down a smooth $16.99 billion.Hardware sales specifically amount to 20 percent less in 2012 than in 2011, reporting $1.07 billion for the period and $4.04 billion for the year as a whole. Most of the decline this December, however, was seen in non-HD system sales, according to NPD analyst Liam Callahan. Hardware bundles that included software sold 37 percent more than they did last December, with sales of stand-alone hardware SKUs dropping 37 percent to balance the scales.The Xbox 360 once again held the top spot in overall hardware sales in December, with 1.4 million units sold according to Major Nelson. Meanwhile, the Wii U experienced its inaugural holiday shopping season this period. It sold fewer units that the original Wii did during its launch in December of 2006, but earned comparatively three percent more moolah than the Wii for the month. The Wii U's most expensive SKU costs $350, compared to the Wii's single $250 model.Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 topped off physical retail software sales in both December and 2012 as a whole, which totaled $1.54 billion for the month and $2.67 billion for the year, down 26 and 23 percent from 2011, respectively. Surprisingly, Far Cry 3 accomplished the second-most successful December launch NPD has recorded since it started monitoring sales in 1995, earning it the number six slot on the list of December's top 10 best-selling games. The list of 2012's 10 best-selling games can also be found after the break, in all of its "comprised entirely of sequels" glory.
TUAW Year in Review: December 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Some new iMacs "Assembled in USA"? Lost in yesterday's iFixit writeup of the 21.5-inch iMac was this small line in the description: "Interestingly, this iMac claims to have been assembled in the USA." Sure enough, a look at the... Watch the Tim Cook interview with Rock Center's Brian Williams (Updated) Tim Cook sat down and talked with Rock Center's Brian Williams in an interview that aired Thursday night on NBC. Though the official version is not yet published, a few YouTube users recorded the... Steam's Big Picture mode makes playing Mac games on TV more console-like Is that 27" iMac screen just not cutting it for your gaming needs? Introduced today, the new Big Picture mode available in the Steam client for Mac offers a front-end for your games that's... Loren Brichter and the future of iOS apps GigaOM had a wonderful post about Loren Brichter yesterday. In case you're scratching your head and saying "Who is Loren Brichter?", you may have seen some of his work without even knowing... Is iTunes Plus gone? iTunes 11 offers DRM-free audio re-downloads I am not now, nor have I ever been an iTunes Match customer. But last night, I was able to download DRM-free copies of music I purchased from iTunes in the days before iTunes Plus via iTunes 11. I... Also: Adobe turns 30 this week Apple hiring former Texas Instruments chip designers for Israeli R&D center Find My iPhone updated with driving directions Twitter for iPhone to offer photo filters iTunes Music Store finally coming to Russia tomorrow? Former Apple VP: Apple television won't happen Fortune: Apple's American-made computer will be 2013 Mac Pro Square now offers Passbook integration and gift cards See the Apple Store's global expansion in time-lapse map form iTunes 11 for the change-averse: Where did all that stuff go? Judge urges Apple, Samsung lawyers to seek 'global peace' Reality Absorption Field: The one-two punch (minus the two) Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator CS6 get Retina display support Australian town relocated into desolate parkland, per iOS 6 Maps (Update: fixed) TUAW Origin Stories: Developer Matt Drance Foxconn seeks to expand North American manufacturing operations Tim Cook discusses manufacturing, Maps in Bloomberg interview Tim Cook announces plans to manufacture Mac computers in USA Google Maps for iOS gets more than 10 million downloads right away Google launches YouTube Capture video sharing app for iPhone Dropbox for iOS updated to version 2.0 with all-new design The Daily staff offers a musical goodbye Reality Absorption Field: Apple's wireless way Apple announces the Mac App Store's Best of 2012 You can finally gift apps from the App Store on iOS again iTunes 11.0.1 fixes AirPlay, brings back duplicate detection Review: Google Maps for iOS Google Maps now available on App Store 1Password 4 for iOS offers new interface, favorites, more Kickoff for Mac adds planning to group chat Fake installer malware makes its way to Mac Google CEO discusses relationship with Apple Your trusty TUAW blogger tries Windows 8 Woz predicts that in 2013, iOS devices are headed to work Zynga shuts down 11 apps, including PetVille and Mafia Wars 2 Mom gives son iPhone with 18-point contract Just in time for New Year's, RunKeeper upgraded to 3.0 Preparing high-res icon files with Automator Production lines running through Chinese New Year to meet iPad mini demand Attempts to ban Apple devices could see Samsung fined $15 billion Bloomberg blames iOS device thefts for NYC crime rise "Sesame Street" app developers share experience, tips iPhone 5 launches in Africa, Caribbean and Southeast Asia A look at Apple's security efforts in 2012 Apple wins patent rights to new curved glass process Will Ferrell Apple Switch ads are a holiday-themed blast from the past Five apps that put the Merry in Merry Christmas Karateka compared on the Apple II and the iPhone Cycloramic spins your iPhone 5 by itself
December's Ask Cryptic covers Season 8 and the third anniversary of Star Trek Online
In the latest Ask Cryptic for December, Executive Producer Dan Stahl answers a mountain of questions about Star Trek Online's upcoming third anniversary, Season 8, and more. Is a customizable UI in the works? Will the Adorian ship come later than January? Is the Voyager bundle coming in Season 8? What's the one thing Stahl would add to the game if it were up to him (wait, it's not?)? These questions and many more are all answered in this month's Q&A. If you'd like to see your own question be considered for a future Ask Cryptic, keep an eye on the forum board "Federation News Network" for the monthly thread.
Google hustles Android 4.2.1 onto Nexus devices to give you December back
With the rollout of a major OS upgrade like Android 4.2, we can imagine it's easy to forget something, but Google's omission of the entire month of December in the People app was certainly a doozy. The beauty of the Nexus program is that Google can rectify little issues like that post-haste, however, and Mountain View has now rolled out Jelly Bean 4.2.1, a small update that adds back that all-too-important month. So far, Nexus 4 and 10 users have reported getting the update, according to XDA Developers, though there's no evidence yet of any other fixes. Check your Nexus device (or the source) to see if it's arrived in time for, you know. Update: Looks as if the Nexus 7 is a go, too!
Android 4.2 bug omits December from the People app, makes end-of-year birthdays even less bearable
The launch of Android 4.2 brought a welcome smattering of extra features to the mobile world, but a recently discovered bug omits something slightly important: namely, the month of December. Dive into the People app on any device using the new OS, and the last 31 days of the year will be unavailable for contacts' anniversaries and similar special occasions. Google is aware of the flaw, although it hasn't yet said when it will have a fix in place. We've reached out to get a more definitive timetable for a solution beyond just what's implied by the Gregorian calendar. In the meantime, don't lean too heavily on that smartphone to remember an imminent birthday; people born in December are stiffed out of enough presents as it is. [Thanks, Waverunnr]
Sonic CD was December's top PSN game
Not that we're necessarily surprised by Sonic CD taking the number-one spot on December's PSN charts, but it's always a little sobering when the classics of yesteryear outsell brand-new titles like Trine 2. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, friends.Well, the fact that Sonic CD is arguably the best 2D Sonic game of all time probably has something to do with it too, but we all know most of us bought it just to hear Sonic Boom again. Hop past the break for the full list of December's best-selling PSN titles.
Nielsen: iPhone 4S launch was "enormous"
With all the lines here in the US and overseas, we knew the iPhone 4S was going to be a tremendous hit. Now, a Nielsen survey from December gives us some numbers to support this observation. According to the survey, 44.5 percent of smartphone buyers bought an iPhone in December. This number is up from the 25.1 percent who bought an iPhone in the pre-4S month of October. It's also remarkably close to the 46.9 percent who bought an Android device. The majority of buyers (57 percent) chose the iPhone 4S over the iPhone 4 or the 3GS. This surge in iPhone 4S sales had a profound impact on Android. Google's mobile OS still edges out iOS (46.9 percent versus 44.5 percent), but its share of new phone sales has fallen from 61.6 percent in October. As pointed out by Phillip Elmer De-Witt of Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog, these Nielsen results are not unique; a similar trend was recorded by NPD last month. Though the single iPhone 4S couldn't overtake the plethora of Android handsets, it did grab a substantial chunk when Android had a strong profile of available handsets. All the carriers have more than one Android handset, and Samsung launched the flagship Galaxy Nexus with Verizon during the month. Despite this high profile launch, Android numbers slid, while iOS gained. [Via Apple 2.0]
EVE Evolved: Development on EVE in 2012
Following the summer drama that came to be known as monoclegate, the past six months have been challenging for EVE Online's players and developers alike. When players learned that cash-shop clothing was priced higher than its real-life equivalent, the quirky story of the $80 monocle swept across gaming blogs like wildfire. The story's tone soon turned a great deal more sinister with the leak of an internal company newsletter titled Greed is Good, and a second leaked memo from CCP's CEO added more fuel to the flames. Ultimately, players spoke with their wallets; subscriptions fell by at least 8%, and with no financial backup plan, CCP was forced to lay off 20% of its staff worldwide. The staff members who remained were faced with the task of turning things around, and with the feature-packed Crucible expansion, they did so spectacularly. In just a few short months, hundreds of high-profile features, graphical overhauls, and quality of life improvements breathed new life into a neglected universe. I think most players recognise that this has been a genuine turn-around from within CCP, but some are still skeptical that the company has really reformed. The question on everyone's mind is whether CCP can really keep up this quality of development in the coming year as it delivers two full expansions and integrates EVE with DUST 514. Perhaps nobody is better qualified to assess that than CSM delegate and former CCP game designer Mark "Seleene" Heard, who recently attended the December CSM summit and witnessed first-hand the aftermath of monoclegate and Crucible's development. In this week's EVE Evolved, I delve into Mark's CSM Summit report to find out how development at CCP has changed, what we can expect in 2012, and how monocle-gate has affected CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson.
Nintendo, Boingo bring free airport WiFi to 3DS, commuter rage to slightly dip
Know what could save you from that inevitable bout of holiday travel-induced rage? Free WiFi on your 3DS, that's what. Let's be real, you and a few million others are about to be stuck waiting on a tarmac somewhere or suffocating in a boarding area throng of weary travelers. So, if you've got Nintendo's latest portable handy, you'll at least have a free internet connection to latch onto, courtesy of Boingo. The company's recently announced an agreement with the Big N to make its service free of charge to users across 42 of our nation's airports. You'll be able to take advantage of the gratis goods once your console receives a scheduled firmware update, due to roll out today. Now if that doesn't get you in a festive spirit, you're probably just a mean, green 'ol Grinch -- or a PSP owner.
PSA: 3DS firmware update goes live, upgrades camera
Nintendo's 3DS update had been dragging its feet, but it's got its act together, sneaking out to devices a day earlier than expected. It will add both 3D video-recording and DLC capabilities to the handheld, although there's been no confirmation yet of the Hulu Plus feature promised back in October. According to Joystiq, there's now a new Nintendo Zone to interact with when connected to certain WiFi hotspots and a host of new "accomplishments" to unlock on StreetPass. Users are reporting that the update is rolling out now -- it may be worth booting up that guilty Black Friday purchase for a look-see.
Nissan sells more than 20,000 Leafs in first year, high-fives commence on Tokyo Motor Show floor
You win this round, hippies! Only a few months after announcing that it sold 10,000 all-electric Leaf cars in international markets, Nissan stated at the Tokyo Motor Show today that the company has sold over 20,000 Leafs since the car went on sale in December of 2010. Of the 9,000 Leafs that have been sold to U.S. owners, over 60 percent went to homes in California, where owners no doubt admire their electric cars while enjoying their tasty organic kale and starfruit smoothies. The company also added that it expects to sell more than 10,000 Leafs in the U.S. by the end of 2011, which dovetails perfectly into their predictions. Given that the Japanese EV's prime competition has been plagued by concerns about its flammability, Nissan might just exceed those expectations.
3DS system update pushed back to December 8th, Nintendo confirms
November is just about over and 3DS users are still without that firmware update announced last month. They needn't worry, though, because Nintendo says it's on the way. In a statement posted to its site yesterday, the company confirmed that the refresh "is in the final stages of internal testing," and that it will be released by December 8th -- not the end of November, as previously indicated. When it finally hits, users will be able to record 3D video, access new StreetPass games, and transfer data across their 3DS systems. These all sound like good things, but they'll only come to those who wait.
Huawei Honor shipping in December to select markets
Next month may be a long December, but we've got reason to believe that this year will be better than the last -- if you've been digging the scoop on the Huawei Honor, anyways. The device, with its colorful assortment of six different hues, will be ready for an official release in the twelfth month to China, Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, with other markets following later (there's no word on when the Honor will arrive on Cricket as the Glory). We've known for quite some time that it was coming this quarter, and we already know the specs: Huawei's new darling will come running Android 2.3.5 underneath a proprietary skin, be powered by a 1.4GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM, and offers a 4-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) display, 8MP rear camera with a 2MP front-facing cam and a power-packed 1,900mAh battery. Happy holidays indeed. Read on below for the press release.
RuneScape wishes members a merry Christmas with its December update
Christmas is quickly approaching, and with it many MMOs are gearing up for a December update. For EverQuest II, World of Warcraft and many others, this means it's time for the annual Christmas festivals or other wintry festivities. Other games, such as EVE Online and Asheron's Call, will be giving players a major patch this month to add new content or features. Players of RuneScape will be similarly celebrating the holiday season with a Christmas patch full of goodies. Included in the update will be improvements to the Warrior's Guild, new hit splats to give additional information about damage, and the new area of Daemonheim for subscribed members. The Warrior's Guild will be getting a new challenge called the Cyclossus, and many of the previous challenges will be updated to include additional rewards. Daemonheim will bring players the winter Heimland Games, with activities ranging from snowball fighting and snowman decoration to ice skating and something ominously referred to as "seal sliding." To top off the December update, a new Damage Soaking stat will be added to several pieces of high-level gear to fix what Jagex calls "an imbalance between the potential damage per minute (DPM) and damage capacity (DC) of higher-level players." If you're one of RuneScape's several million players, you'll have a lot to look forward to this holiday season.
Verizon hosting 4G LTE news conference tomorrow to discuss launch plans
Guess what people, Verizon's LTE network launch is really for real and the carrier has now scheduled a news conference for tomorrow where it'll discuss its December plans in more detail. Tony Melone, VZW's chief tech officer, will be on hand to answer any questions beyond the already known plans for 38 metropolitan areas to get the 4G LTE treatment -- accounting for a cool 110 million Americans who'll be able to ride the lightning of faster internet speeds on the move. The event kicks off at 12PM and we'll make sure to tune in, if only to find out what Tony's answer is to the inevitable "what is 4G" question. [Thanks, Henry]
Is The Agency launching on December 31st? Nope
Normally we've got no problem speculating on rumors here at Massively. It's a fun way to pass the days until a beta really does begin or a release date actually is announced. Except, sometimes, it gets taken too far. Rumors of SOE's The Agency receiving a December 31st release date have been floating into our inbox lately. Of course, that doesn't make any sense, because six days after Christmas (and one day before New Year's Day) is a horrible time to launch any game, especially one that requires all-hands-on-deck like an MMO. Additionally, any time a retailer lists a game at a default price on the first or last day of the month? That's a big shot in the dark. The fact of the matter is nobody knows the release date for The Agency, even though everyone wishes they did. We're fairly sure that even the development team doesn't have a clear picture of that right now. Most videogames have a moving "release window" and this one is no different from the rest. When we do have a solid information expect to hear all about it right here on Massively.
