Engadget

Battleship HD app lets you sink ships on your iPad

Christopher Trout — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:45:00 EST

You sank my battleship! Oh those sweet, sweet words. We've been longing to hear them since we set up camp behind our iPad, and Electronic Arts has just answered our cries. That's right, the Battleship HD app is now available for download on your iOS slab, featuring a multiple-player mode, which pits you against friends (and presumably foes) packing an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. It's also got a single-player mode, available in three flavors: Classic, Salvo, and Super Weapons. Now go forth and drop bombs! The iPad app is now available at the source link for $3.

Battleship HD app lets you sink ships on your iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaikai beta goes live, brings Mass Effect 2, Dead Space 2, Sims 3 and Second Life demos to your browser window

Sean Hollister — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:17:00 EST

Remember Gaikai, the cloud computing service that lets you demo video games in your browser window without downloading a thing? It's live, meaning it's no longer just us tech journalists that get to give it a thorough try. Provided you have a blazing fast internet connection and both Flash and Java installed, four streaming game demos are a just a click (and possibly a survey, or a short wait) away, including three EA titles (Mass Effect 2, Dead Space 2, The Sims 3) and Second Life. As we discovered in our initial hands-on, it's not a flawless experience even with a fantastic internet connection, but it's not meant to be -- the entire point is to allow you to adequately sample a game right before making a purchase decision. It's also a free taste of the future, and you don't see those every day.

Gaikai beta goes live, brings Mass Effect 2, Dead Space 2, Sims 3 and Second Life demos to your browser window originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video)

Darren Murph — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:34:00 EST

EA Sports isn't one to give things away, but that's exactly what it's doing on RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook. We still haven't heard a concrete ship date for this thing, but EA swears up and down that these two titles will be finalized by the time it goes to market. Both Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover will come pre-loaded on the device, with both being full, unabridged versions; in fact, NFS will feature a new mode specifically designed for getting into the game quickly on this very tablet. Smartly, there's even a "slo mo" mode which slows everything down to enable accurate control even during hectic rides on the subway. We've lauded the PlayBook before, but we were duly impressed with just how well this thing handled multitasking. Even with NFS running in the background, we were able to play back a video in the foreground with nary a bit of lag during the transition. Tetris was predictably Tetris, and it only works when holding the slate vertically. We've got to confess that the inclusion of these two titles is quite the gesture, and considering the first four letters of this product's name, we'd say it's more than fitting. Hop on down to see a demonstration video of both, showcased here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Gallery: Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover on BlackBerry PlayBook at MWC 2011

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video)

BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band Mobile will let four players jam over Verizon's 4G LTE network

Donald Melanson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:55:00 EST

There's no shortage of applications out there to demonstrate the potential of Verizon's 4G LTE network, but Electronic Arts' just showed off one of the more impressive ones to date at its CES 2011 press conference. It demoed its forthcoming Rock Band Mobile game for Android, which will let up to four players "jam together over the network," making it the first game that can be played with friends over the network at launch. Not much more than that to go on at the moment, but we're certainly eager to try this one out for ourselves.

Update: Press release is after the break with the complete track listing. Jethro Tull is headed to 4G.

Continue reading Rock Band Mobile will let four players jam over Verizon's 4G LTE network

Rock Band Mobile will let four players jam over Verizon's 4G LTE network originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 goes the PSP route to thwart jailbreakers: Medal of Honor requires latest firmware

Donald Melanson — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:04:00 EST

It's not quite a common practice just yet, but it looks like the PlayStation 3 could be following in the PSP's footsteps in order to get around folks jailbreaking the device. As MCV reports, anyone buying Electronic Arts' new "Medal of Honor" game will first have to update their PS3 to the latest 3.50 firmware (conveniently provided on the disc) before playing -- that firmware also, of course, has the convenient side effect of blocking the ability to jailbreak the console. No word on any other games that will follow suit, but we have sneaking suspicion that this is something PS3 users will have to get used to.

PS3 goes the PSP route to thwart jailbreakers: Medal of Honor requires latest firmware originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon Kindle gets its first premium app: Scrabble

Donald Melanson — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:27:00 EST

It's still a long way from a full-fledged app store, but the Amazon Kindle has just taken one step in that direction with its very first premium app: Electronic Arts' Scrabble. That's available right now for $4.99, and it'll work on both the second and third generation Kindle, and both Kindle DX models. It also looks like it's already off to a strong start in terms of sales -- it's currently sitting at number four on the Kindle bestseller list, right behind two Stieg Larsson novels and the latest Oprah book club pick.

Amazon Kindle gets its first premium app: Scrabble originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Sims 3: Ambitions review (iPhone)

Laura June — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:52:00 EST

The Sims 3: Ambitions adds a few new things to the mix that you couldn't do in previous versions. It beefs up your Sim's career paths and options, including firefighter, chef, musician, athlete and artist. EA's also added the option to have babies in this new iPhone iteration. Other than that, however, The Sims 3: Ambitions is a streamlined affair with good enough but not astounding graphics, and, if you already play The Sims, a completely expected progression of gameplay. And for us, that progression is fairly addictive. The streamlined version of the full game focuses on the life and career of just one Sim, with a far more limited range of things you can do. Like the previous iPhone version of The Sims 3, life inside of a mobile device is a little more lonely than it was on the desktop: for some reason, my Sim finds less things to do with her time, has less friends, and spends a few minutes at the end of each day sort of just milling around waiting to be tired enough for bed. Fulfilling her whimsical wants (why she wants to kick over garbage cans has never made any sense) is a fun time-waster, but we've always tried to keep our focus razor sharp when honing our Sims, so hobbies have usually come second. Of course, my Sim is also learning to be a gardener. Since her chosen career path was chef, Charlotte (who is named after the author of Jane Eyre and has the honor of being my fourth Sim to bear this name) thought that gardening would be a fitting hobby to cultivate. I haven't yet gotten Charlotte to either the top level of her career or chosen hobby, but I'm fairly certain it's a goal I can achieve... and that's the whole point, isn't it?

For those unfamiliar with the franchise (if that's even possible), this new iteration is probably a great starter kit. For diehards like ourselves, the open-endedness of this is a great, enjoyable time sink, to be sure, but it's also a tiny bit disappointing. Obviously we don't expect the full features of desktop versions of The Sims 3, but we can dare to dream of a day when the iPhone version hooks into the actual game, allowing us a little midday peek into the more fascinating lives of our smaller, incoherent selves. Regardless, EA's glorious franchise loses nothing by wasting our precious downtime in yet another way, and while the mobile versions of The Sims may never replace their full counterparts, these games certainly push the limits of the 'casual' gaming category.

The Sims 3: Ambitions review (iPhone) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Electronic Arts ready to embrace Android, but wishes it had an App Store

Sean Hollister — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 01:01:00 EST

Thought EA had no love for Android or Windows Phone 7? Not quite -- it's just the existing market opportunities that the company doesn't seem to enjoy. CFO Eric Brown told the Deutsche Bank 2010 Technology Conference that the game publisher is actually quite bullish on Google's rapidly popularizing mobile OS and plans to 'position its mobile business' accordingly, but first he said this: "I think the next big positive way to push better growth in mobile will be the deployment of an App Store equivalent for the Android operating system." Since we're fairly certain Brown would be aware of a little thing called the Android Market, we figure he's talking about the same mysterious reason that caused Gameloft (which produces a number of Android titles already) to circumvent the Market in favor of their own online store. One thing's for certain on the EA Mobile front: the company really needs to update their smartphone games page to support a wee bit more than the "Google Android-Powered T-Mobile G1."

Electronic Arts ready to embrace Android, but wishes it had an App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro guitar controller and MIDI-Pro adapter eyes-on

Ross Miller — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:08:00 EST

We still can't get time with the Fender Mustang Pro guitar controller while actually playing Rock Band 3, but the gang at the Mad Catz booth were fine enough with us letting us toy around on its own, sans game. So, how does it feel just silently going through chords and scales? Sturdy as can be, sure, and the 100-plus buttons for the neck feel like they'll stand up for a good bit of time. That said, it felt harder than a real guitar locating the strings and frets -- especially a pain for faster chord changing. Also a burden? No ability to bend strings -- not that you'll be able to bend on the Squier Stratocaster either, as it turns out, but that's a whole 'nother issue. We also got some eyes on the MIDI Pro Adapter for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii; there isn't much to look at for now, but if you get your kicks from plastic dongles, hey, we've got all the photos you need below.

Gallery: Fender Mustang Pro Guitar Controller hands-on

Gallery: Mad Catz's Rock Band 3 MIDI Pro Adapter

Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro guitar controller and MIDI-Pro adapter eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band 3 keyboard hands-on (video)

Ross Miller — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:47:00 EST

The internet at large has been joking about it long enough -- "hey, where's Keyboard Hero?" Well, here it is, and it's pretty killer. We're on the fence on how to describe our experience with Rock Band 3's not-a-keytar, because in many ways it's reflective of your own thoughts on the rhythm genre and pianos in general. Those with actual musical backgrounds are likely to scoff at the easy mode's use of five arbitrary keys for the tune -- not the groupings you see above, but a different set of colors, one per white note in the right half, with indicators just above the notes on that crevice between the top panel and keys themselves (picture's after the break). Even if the actual song calls for a F# note, hitting a F or even a B might be called for instead. It's a mentality that's as old as the genre, that what we're really doing is pantomiming instruments -- or in the case of drums, just hitting key notes and letting the game fill in the blanks on lower difficulties. This, however, is an actual piano. The over-simplification is probably a necessary illusion in standard mode -- or even when the keyboard is used as a replacement guitar / bass -- but having actual proper keys will probably drive the more musically apt insane. Then again, if you're not of that mindset, none of this will probably bother you at all, so feel free to ignore our impressions and bang away.

Pro mode, on the other hand is pretty killer, for all the reasons that standard mode can be irksome. Even at the simplest levels, you're actually getting to play proper notation. Perfect for us, no matter how badly we flubbed up "Crosstown Traffic" on Expert. Sight-reading is a challenge, but nothing worse than actual notation. As we've seen before, the main lane doesn't show all two octaves, but the warning we're given before shifting to the right or left is easy enough to follow, but just like when you first grabbed the plastic axe, expect a good bit of adjustment frustration. See more pics below, and video after the break.

Update: Clarification added to the different color groupings used for Pro and Standard mode.

Gallery: Rock Band 3 keyboard hands-on

Continue reading Rock Band 3 keyboard hands-on (video)

Rock Band 3 keyboard hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster plays both real and virtual guitar... at the same time (video)

Ross Miller — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:21:00 EST

As unfair as it is, what initially gave us hesitation about Mad Catz and Squier's Stratocaster Pro guitar controller was that, well, it's Fender's second-tier brand. Despite these prejudices from our youth, Harmonix pretty much sold us on it with one pretty badass trick: the ability to simultaneously play Rock Band 3 on Pro Expert and rock the same tune through an amplifier. Bonus: in the presentation we saw, extra notes and added fills didn't seem to affect score. So, that just about turns the uncanny valley of plastic peripherals on its head. Just make sure you crank your TV's sound system to 11 to not be drowned out from what's likely an even worse screw-up sound. See for yourself in the video after the break (caution: a few naughty words contained within).

Gallery: Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro and Squier Stratocaster guitars, up close and impersonal

Continue reading Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster plays both real and virtual guitar... at the same time (video)

Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster plays both real and virtual guitar... at the same time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band 3's gear priced: keytar and Pro guitar sport MIDI out, adapter lets you use any keyboard / electronic drum set

Ross Miller — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:41:00 EST

Has your head cooled from all that rock news this morning? Nope? Well, we'd hate to rile you up again, but Mad Catz -- now the official provider of all Rock Band 3 equipment -- has priced its latest arsenal for the upcoming rhythm revival title. There's also a few new details on each instrument, so without further ado:

Wireless Keyboard: That MIDI port many of you spotted is for output, letting you plug the two-octave (C3 to C5) velocity-sensitive keytar directly into MIDI sequencers for non-gaming use. It'll set you back $80, with an optional stand to be sold separately (no price given) alongside the game's launch. Buying the keyboard / game bundle will be $130, or about $10 off individual purchases. Oh, and if you want to feel a bit more techno, this puppy can be used as the guitar / bass input.
MIDI PRO-Adapter: Want to use your own keyboard or electronic drum set? Here's the mediator you need, from MIDI to USB to console, and it sports the D-pad and other necessary gamepad buttons as well as velocity sensitivity adjustment controls. Asking price is $40.
Pro Cymbals Expansion kit: three cymbals, apparently rejiggered from RB2's offerings for quieter play and a pre-defined 10 degree angle. It's $40 for this hi-hat, crash, and ride pack.
Wireless Fender Mustang Pro Guitar Controller: Not the Squier hybrid we saw, this one actually sports a multitude of buttons for each string, spanning 17 frets (102 buttons in all). Actual strings are used for the plucking and strumming, and here's something interesting -- the axe has a MIDI output for software sequencers. This behemoth is $150, or approximately 1.5 Benjamins in your local currency.

Pictures of each instrument -- and the yet-to-be-priced Squier -- in the gallery below, as well as a few screen caps of Pro mode so you can get an idea how exactly it'll "correct you" on proper Bohemian Rhapsody finger picking.

Gallery: Rock Band 3 hardware and screenshots

Continue reading Rock Band 3's gear priced: keytar and Pro guitar sport MIDI out, adapter lets you use any keyboard / electronic drum set

Rock Band 3's gear priced: keytar and Pro guitar sport MIDI out, adapter lets you use any keyboard / electronic drum set originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band 3 gets 'Pro' mode, real guitar hybrid controller and keytar revealed -- Devo be praised

Ross Miller — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:44:00 EST

Wrap your head around this one: a 150-button guitar peripheral. That's for the pro version of Rock Band 3, whose goal is to actually turn the controllers into something more fitting of actual musicianship in a separate, more advanced "Pro" mode (the core game is still intact for those want it). First up is the aforementioned two-octave keyboard / keytar, whose difficulty goes from pressing within one of five ranges to actual dead-on notes. For drums, the three cymbals can now actually function as separate notes, sharing three lanes but given their own shape to know which to hit. Guitar, however, is a whole new beast. A $150 Fender Mustang pro (pictured up top) boasts 17 frets and 6 strings of accurate placement for a total of 102 buttons, and six nylon strings that must be plucked individually. Of course, if that hits the uncanny valley of plastic peripherals too closely, there's a Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster that'll be coming out that can actually be used as a real guitar or a Pro model. Vocal melodies from Beatles Rock Band carry over here. No concrete release date; head on over to new Joystiq for the preview, or if you want to see true trendsetters, watch Devo predict this game all the way from 1982 -- that video's after the break.

Continue reading Rock Band 3 gets 'Pro' mode, real guitar hybrid controller and keytar revealed -- Devo be praised

Rock Band 3 gets 'Pro' mode, real guitar hybrid controller and keytar revealed -- Devo be praised originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gibson's Rock Band lawsuit ends in settlement, one way or another

Sean Hollister — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:15:00 EST

Back in 2008, Gibson Guitar hoped to cash in on the Rock Band craze with a slate of patent infringement lawsuits of dubious quality, and though the firm lost to Activision a year later, its suits against Harmonix, Electronic Arts, Viacom, and six major retailers stirred something in Nashville's rock gods. Though exact terms weren't disclosed, the parties reached a settlement in a Tennessee federal court this week, and plan to bring the lawsuit to an end by June 14th. Meanwhile, we hear Harmonix v. Konami is meeting a similar end; retailers should be able to sell cheap plastic guitars with a infinitesimally cleaner conscience in a little over three months.

Gibson's Rock Band lawsuit ends in settlement, one way or another originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA CEO says digital gaming sales will overtake console numbers next year

Joshua Topolsky — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:23:00 EST

Need more evidence that physical media is inching towards the door? Enter this Reuters conversation with Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello. While the company -- the largest publisher of "interactive entertainment" (AKA video games) -- is hurting on sales during the awesome global recession currently underway, he thinks the future is digital. All digital. Riccitiello had this to say on the matter:

"When people think of games, they traditionally think, in the U.S., of what sells on the Xbox, the PlayStation, and the Wii, and they forget about all these online services that are out there... if you add all that stuff up, it's almost half the industry now. It's about 40 to 45 percent. Next year it's likely to be the larger share of the total industry and it'll be bigger than the console games all put together."

He went on to say that if EA's digital arm was a standalone company, "it would be like the darling of Wall Street." Of course, he's not just talking about XBLA and the App Store -- this is an all-encompassing view of the digital market, including casual gaming, Facebook apps, and WoW transactions as well. It may not be the kind of all-encompassing push needed, but we are hoping this sort of noise rattles the industry enough to mobilize smarter, more centralized methods of online distribution.

EA CEO says digital gaming sales will overtake console numbers next year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA VP says the Xbox 360 is "maxed out"

Nilay Patel — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:26:00 EST

Microsoft might be busy extending and building on the Xbox 360's capabilities with Project Natal and all manner of NXE and Live updates, but it sounds like some of their third-party devs think they're running out of headroom -- in an interview with the Official Xbox Magazine, EA senior VP Patrick Soderlund said that "we've maxed out the 360 but we haven't maxed out the PS3." That's an interesting parallel to what Miyamoto was just saying about the Wii, of course, but it doesn't seem like the situation is entirely dire: Soderlund also said that he's "truly impressed" with the 360 and that he "would have a headache" if he were running Sony. Still, that doesn't bode well for Microsoft's planned 10-year 360 lifecycle if it's true -- we'll see if Redmond has something new for us before 2015 after all.

Filed under: Gaming

EA VP says the Xbox 360 is "maxed out" originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Beatles Rock Band books surprise gig at Xbox 360 meetup

Ross Miller — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:10:00 EST

Last night Microsoft held an E3 2009 post-press conference event, and while Natal wasn't anywhere within our reach, we did happen upon Harmonix's Beatles Rock Band stage, an appropriately cliché setup on the rooftop of The Standard Hotel. We'll be getting more thorough hands-on time with the instruments later in the week, but for now, enjoy a glimpse at the concert ensemble, blasting forth with (confirmed!) three-part harmony.

Filed under: Gaming

Video: Beatles Rock Band books surprise gig at Xbox 360 meetup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beatles Rock Band features multi-mic support, harmonious performances?

Ross Miller — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST

Wouldn't it be great if you and your mop top-clad friends could all sing together in the upcoming The Beatles: Rock Band? According to a rumor found in the latest issue of Game Informer, Harmonix is doing just that: including multiple-microphone support for players to harmonize on the tracks. Not much else is given, but a NeoGAF forum poster who last week claimed to have played an early version adds that three mics were being used -- one for each instrument -- and there was also a new harmony trainer mode to ensure your vocal talents were up to snuff. We'd advise a good bit of skepticism, no matter how much sense it seems to make or how many of you dreams would come true if this turned out legit. In the meantime, you can go back to deciding which of the Fab Four you're gonna pretend to be first when the game launches on September 9.

[Via Joystiq]

Read - Multi-mic support
Read - Harmony trainer

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Beatles Rock Band features multi-mic support, harmonious performances? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii MotionPlus can be oversensitive to your needs, say EA devs

Ross Miller — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:59:00 EST

The jury's still out on whether or not Nintendo follows our logic and is gonna release the Wii MotionPlus attachment before June 18th, the day Electronic Arts debuts the first compatible game Grand Slam Tennis. Regardless, the developers of that game want you to know that they had to actually to tone down the touted 1:1 responsiveness to make the game playable. We can't say that we blame them -- after all, the air resistance of a Wii remote is slightly different than that of a full tennis racket -- but we'd love to have the option to crank up that sensitivity and see just how unstable it really is. So when do we a chance to find out for ourselves, eh Nintendo?

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming

Wii MotionPlus can be oversensitive to your needs, say EA devs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Beatles come to 'Rock Band,' instruments and all (update)

Joshua Topolsky — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:13:00 EST

Do you love the Beatles? Do you love Rock Band? Are you ready to totally lose it? If you said yes, that's good -- because MTV Games and Harmonix have just announced a partnership with Apple Corps, Ltd. to bring the band's music and instruments to the Rock Band universe. According to the PR, the game (which apparently lets you do all kinds of awesome Beatles-related rocking) will also premiere with a set of new hardware "modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career." Right now they've just got a holder page up with a launch date of September 9th, but as soon as we get our eyes on the gear, we'll let you know.

Update: Here's some more information to cleanse your pallet. The game, known henceforth as The Beatles: Rock Band, will be sold software-only for $60 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii (note the extra Hamilton over the usual Nintendo pricing). The standalone guitars will be sold separately for $100, and if you're opting for the Limited Edition Premium Bundle, featuring the game and all instruments, it'll set you back $250. No word on pricing outside of US just yet. Despite the Rock Band branding, it's considered a standalone title and no one is talking right now about any connectivity, downloadable content or transferring of songs between Beatles and other RB games. According to Joystiq, you'll be able to rock out to 45 songs from the band's 1962 to 1969 EMI catalog. Full press release after the break.

Continue reading The Beatles come to 'Rock Band,' instruments and all (update)

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The Beatles come to 'Rock Band,' instruments and all (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D-BOX ventures into video game sector with Motion Code

Darren Murph — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:07:00 EST

First it was home theaters, and then came the rumors of actual theaters. Now, D-BOX is officially getting into bed with video games, though we can't say for certain how well it'll be received. For those in the dark, D-BOX's Motion Code system enables specialized chairs to rumble and bumble along with the on-screen action, and thanks to a new deal with Electronic Arts, synchronized buzzing will be a part of Need for Speed Undercover on the PC. There's no word on what other titles are lined up for Motion Code treatment, but we've all ideas this one here will be a litmus test of sorts to see how things pan out. Call us crazy, but we'll take an actual Sunday drive over a simulation.

[Via TheHDRoom]

Filed under: Misc

D-BOX ventures into video game sector with Motion Code originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA reveals Android gaming plans: Tetris, Bejeweled, Monopoly, oh my!

Darren Murph — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:33:00 EST

Hot on the heels of Electronic Arts kinda-sorta slamming Nokia for its lackluster N-Gage gaming platform comes word that the video game giant will be dabbling in the world of Android here shortly. Unsurprisingly, we're informed that Tetris will be the first Android title out, while Bejeweled and Monopoly should follow suit in November. According to EA Mobile vice president Adam Sussman, "Android is another exciting new platform to offer customers great games with enhancements like touch and tilt capabilities," and while we weren't given specifics outside of the aforesaid titles, more games are definitely "in development."

Filed under: Games, T-Mobile, Android

EA reveals Android gaming plans: Tetris, Bejeweled, Monopoly, oh my! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia expects "challenging times" for handset gaming to continue

Darren Murph — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:40:00 EST

It shouldn't come as any huge surprise that the handset gaming market isn't exactly thriving, and with these curious economic times surrounding us, we have all ideas that folks have better things to worry over than what their N-Gage buddies are doing. And so does Nokia. According to Jaakko Kaidesoja, head of Nokia's gaming operations, he "expects challenging times to continue," noting that the "overall gaming market is likely not growing." Predictably, he was fairly bullish on the eventual success of the N-Gage platform and the iPhone, but he did confess that pre-loading the N-Gage software onto mobiles would greatly help adoption (you think?). In related news, EA Mobile's Peter Parmenter thrashed Nokia by calling N-Gage "not quite polished yet" and referring to it as a soft launch. It's okay Nokia -- we still have to find something to do on the can, so surely gaming fits in there somewhere.

[Via mocoNews]

Read - Nokia's take
Read - EA Mobile's take

Filed under: Games, Software, Nokia

Nokia expects "challenging times" for handset gaming to continue originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA's Crysis Warhead PC can, uh, play Crysis

Nilay Patel — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:32:00 EST

Looks like EA's about to cash in on all that "can it run Crysis" chatter -- Crysis Warhead will be accompanied by the launch of a $699 Ultra-built gaming tower that should manage a consistent 30fps. Crytek has been testing on the so-called "Warhead PC" since early on the dev process, tweaking the engine to make sure the game ran well on the 2.66GHz E7300 Core 2 Duo, 512MB GeForce 9800GT and 2GB of RAM-- the rule was "if it sucks on this, the whole thing sucks" -- and it apparently cranks out consistently solid framerates at high quality settings. No word on an exact release date, but for $699 it's not a bad deal -- and hey, it plays Crysis.

[Via CNET]

Read - Article on Warhead PC's development
Read - Tiger Direct info page

Filed under: Desktops

EA's Crysis Warhead PC can, uh, play Crysis originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gibson still thinks a video game is a musical instrument, sues Harmonix for Rock Band

Nilay Patel — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:55:00 EST

We still think Gibson's attempt to claim that Guitar Hero violates its patent on "simulating a musical performance with a musical instrument" is totally unfounded and ridiculous for a number of reasons (it involves a "3-D headset," for one), but we can sort of see why the company is now suing Harmonix as well -- they're a Fender outfit, after all. The third in a series of petulant lawsuits filed by the notoriously litigious guitar maker over the patent claims Harmonix, Viacom, and Electronic Arts are all liable for Rock Band, but it's not clear if Gibson is going after just the guitars or the drum kit as well, which is probably closer to actually counting as an instrument. Of course, the patent itself hasn't changed since the last time we read it, and it's obvious that Gibson's going to have itself quite a challenge convincing the court that playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band involves musical instruments of any kind -- after all, it's just Simon, right?

Disclaimer: Nilay is a lawyer and a rock star, but he's not your lawyer (or your monkey, man) and this is not legal advice or analysis.

Filed under: Gaming

Gibson still thinks a video game is a musical instrument, sues Harmonix for Rock Band originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA's CEO nonchalantly mentions "coming launch" of Rock Band for Wii

Darren Murph — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:24:00 EST

Finally got around to trading in that raincheck for your very own Wii? Good. Ready to pick up Rock Band? Believe it or not, we think we know that the aforementioned title is indeed headed to Nintendo's darling -- that's according to EA's CEO John Riccitiello, who was reportedly heard mentioning its "coming launch" on a recent conference call. Apparently, IGN even went the extra mile and pinged EA for additional confirmation (and got it), and while no details surrounding a release date, price or wicked new setlist were uncovered, at least you've got a few ticks to start scrounging up spare change.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming

EA's CEO nonchalantly mentions "coming launch" of Rock Band for Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA wants an open gaming platform

Nilay Patel — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:21:00 EST

Considering EA is the king of repackaging the same game for multiple consoles (and multiple years -- hello, Madden), you wouldn't expect the company's head of international distribution to call for a single universal platform, but that's exactly what Gerhard Florin told the BBC he wants. "We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," he said, adding that "You don't need an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii -- the consumer won't even realise the platform it is being played on." Florin's comments were based on his prediction that set-top boxes would eventually contain enough horsepower to stream and run games over the net, a development he said would kill the market for dedicated consoles in the next fifteen years -- which means he's obviously never had to struggle with a cable company DVR, because we think we'll stick with a console that can register more than three button presses without locking up, thanks much.

[Via Gamesindustry.biz]

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EA wants an open gaming platform originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA to ship first mic for the Wii

Nilay Patel — Mon, 07 May 2007 21:05:00 EST

Looks like the rumors we've been hearing were true -- EA is going to be bundling in a microphone with its Wii karaoke / dancing game Boogie when it ships sometime around the holidays. Alfredo Chavez, EA's gameplay producer for the game, recently told IGN in a video interview that "the Wii version comes bundled with a microphone, it's a USB microphone and it's probably going to be the first mic for the Wii." While that sounds disappointingly like the mic will be wired and plug into one of the Wii's USB ports -- it better have one crazy long cord -- we're still hoping for that fabled Wiimote microphone. Keep your fingers crossed, and check the read link to watch more of IGN's video interview with Alfredo.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming

EA to ship first mic for the Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2007 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA delivering downloadable games to Nokia handsets

Donald Melanson — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:23:00 EST

Nokia and Electronic Arts have announced a partnership that'll see the uber-gamemaker delivering some of its mobile titles directly to Nokia handsets via Nokia's "Content Discoverer" portal. The initial line-up of titles, set to drop this holiday season, include: Tetris, Tetris Mania, The Sims 2, Doom, FIFA 06, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 and FIFA Street 2. EA's also announced that it'll support Nokia's next generation gaming platform, with yet-to-be-announced "custom-designed" titles for Nokia S60 devices. Not announced, however, are any indication of prices for the games, or any details on what other games might be forthcoming. Madden would seem like a safe bet, and we can only hope that Spore will find its way into our hands as soon as possible.

Filed under: Software, Nokia

EA delivering downloadable games to Nokia handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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