2013
Latest
Mistborn fantasy novels becoming Birthright game, due out Fall 2013
Brandon Sanderson is the author who was selected to finish off the popular Wheel of Time series of fantasy novels after Robert Jordan passed away, and of course he's a legitimate author in his own right with a New York Times top ten series called Mistborn. Sanderson has announced on his own blog that he's teaming up with Little Orbit Games (creators of licensed games for Young Justice and Sherlock Holmes) to turn Mistborn's setting into a video game.The game is set as sort of a prequel to the books, taking place hundreds of years in the past. Sanderson says he's been impressed by Little Orbit from working with them so far, and while there's not a lot of information on the game yet, he says the company "envisioned the game the same way I always had." Sanderson will be staying away from the actual game's design, but he will be writing the plot and dialogue. Mistborn: Birthright is due out on "video game platforms" later on in 2013.
Nissan Leaf to get minor range boost, prove Moore's Law doesn't apply to EVs
Fifteen months and 10,000 American sales later, Nissan is preparing a 2013 overhaul of its Leaf EV. What green and fresh bounties can we expect? Leather seats, a "darker" interior and more efficient heater, which could let the EV go up to 20-25 miles further in cold-weather conditions. Sounds minor to our comfortably warm ears, and there's no specific mention of inductive charging (depicted above) either. On the other hand, the 2012 model already hiked up prices and Nissan probably has to stick closely to the current $35,000 bracket or risk being run down by another all-electric, all-emotional hatchback that's also due next year.
Logitech selects Bracken Darrell as president right now, next CEO in 2013
When current CEO Guerrino De Luca took the reins at Logitech following huge losses on Google TV and its business in the EMEA region, we knew it was only temporary and now Logitech has appointed a successor. Bracken P. Darrell is coming over from Whirlpool (where he lead its efforts in, you guessed it, Europe, Middle East and Africa) to be its new president effective April 9th. The plan is for him to take over for De Luca on January 1st, 2013 (who will return to his former role as Chairman), while leading an improved, slimmed down product roadmap -- the theme is said to be quality over quantity -- for the second half of the 2013 fiscal year. On the conference call De Luca indicated more would be revealed during an upcoming earnings announcement in April which, combined with a hint at a Harmony remote refresh during the last call in January, has us marking our calendars already.
Expect Shinji Mikami's next game in 2013 or beyond
In December last year we predicted that Shinji Mikami's Zenimax-owned development studio, Tango, wouldn't produce any actual products within the next year -- on account of all the free Skyrim it received -- and it looks like we were right.Mikami told 4Gamer, as translated by Andriasang, that Tango would not launch any games in 2012, but leave itself a rather wide berth for producing something after 2013. The new, unannounced title uses an external engine, but it has been customized to the point that it is almost an internal one, Mikami said, leaving out any other specifics about the game. He did note that Skyrim "stimulated him as a creator," though.
Vita Phantasy Star Online 2 service begins in 2013
The Vita version of Phantasy Star Online 2 will have the portability advantage over the PC release, but it'll also have one serious disadvantage. Sega revealed that it plans to release the handheld multiplayer action RPG in 2013. The PC version is still slated to begin service this year.Andriasang has the first screens of the Vita version, which reveal a game that looks as if it could use that extra development time -- the screens are a bit rough. Sega said that the Vita game is just 10% complete, so presumably it'll look nicer as it approaches completion.
Octodad 2 now 'Octodad: Dadliest Catch,' coming in 2013
"Dadliest Catch." Octodad 2 is now called "Octodad: Dadliest Catch." Go gather up your family in front of the warm glow of the computer. A title like that is worth sharing.Developer Young Horses informed us that the saga of a floppy octopus trying to pass as a loving human dad will continue in 2013, on Mac, PC, and Linux. One more time: Octodad: Dadliest Catch. Yep, still funny.
NASA to launch Hubble space telescope successor in 2018, will clean its room later
You know you're going to miss the Hubble Space Telescope once ceases operation and they let it simply burn up in orbit. But don't cry, dry your eye, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced plans to put its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, in orbit in 2018. The telescope, which will be 100 times more sensitive than the Hubble, faced being cut completely by a Congressional subcommittee earlier this year as a result of budget constraints given its $8.8 billion price tag. After much Capital Hill grilling over the project being billions over budget, NASA has moved is scheduled launch -- initially set for 2013 -- to October of 2018. Although not the best news, it'll still get up there and you can hug your Hubble plushie tightly tonight knowing distant worlds will be that much closer.
Gearbox to move HQ to new $61 million building in Frisco, TX
Randy Pitchford's Gearbox Software (currently working on Borderlands 2) has entered into a lease for a 61,000 square foot space in Dallas, Texas, part of a new $61 million "mixed-use" space called Frisco Square that will also host other businesses, "220 apartments, 50,000 square feet of retail space and an 800-space parking garage," according to the Dallas Business Journal. The project is scheduled to break ground sometime next year, and will be done in 2013 if things go as planned. At that time, Gearbox is scheduled to move its headquarters from about 15 miles away in Plano, TX to Frisco. A developer for the project says that Gearbox is "the straw stirring the drink" in development, with various other businesses showing interest in space after the initial deal. That's all fine and good, but we just hope there's a nice penthouse. Duke can't be expected to move in somewhere without a fully-stocked penthouse!
Netflix, Fox ready to resurrect Arrested Development as a streaming exclusive in 2013
The Bluth family has been off of TV since Arrested Development was cancelled by Fox back in 2006, but after many rumors and reports of a bidding war the show is ready to return as a Netflix-exclusive series. New episodes should be available in the first half of 2013 and represent another serious push into original content for Netflix after it signed up House of Cards, which will debut next year. The details are in the press release after the break, including interesting quotes from Fox execs celebrating this "new business model" allowing them to bring back this show, following Family Guy and Futurama making similar trips back from the dead. After a summer of price hikes, cancellations, and Qwikster PR gaffes, this should bring in goodwill at least from fans of this show, and likely intensify campaigns to save other gone-too-soon TV shows. So what's next to get the Flatliners treatment? Firefly? Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles? Dollhouse? Terriers? Community (six seasons and a movie!)?
XCOM delayed beyond Q1 2012
A tired but resourceful former cop delays an alien invasion. It sounds like the eventual outcome of the never-ending Die Hard franchise, but for now it's the picture of Take-Two's first quarter of 2012. We didn't think there'd be room for Max Payne 3 and 2K Marin's overhauled XCOM in the same month, and now the latter project has been bumped into the publisher's fiscal year 2013. Originally scheduled to launch on March 6, 2012, the promising tactical shooter is expected sometime between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013. XCOM's public invasion has moved ahead in jolts since it was first announced, but has grown quiet in recent months following rumors of layoffs at 2K's Australian studio. At least it's a chance for humans and aliens to agree on something: these things are never easy to plan.
MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings 'faster, simpler, easier' infotainment to your late-model whip
For better or worse, Ford owners have been basking in the overzealous infotainment ways of MyFord Touch for over a year now. Since then, the service's been updated with amenities such as integrated Nuance voice recognition for SYNC, but now the Dearborn-based automobile monolith is taking things a few steps forward. Penned for release "early next year," the MyFord Touch Upgrade will usher in a massive revamp across every nook and cranny of the system as a whole. Starting with the 2013 model year Flex, Taurus and Escape, drivers will be greeted by over 1,000 revised screens implementing an "improved look," with an up to 40 percent increase in font sizes, a simpler -- and more cohesive -- GUI focused displaying only important info (for less clutter) and notably, doubly fast response times for touch and voice-based inputs. And oh yes, it gets even better. Those with tablets will be pleased to know that multimedia playback will be supported via USB, while mobile phones will benefit from quicker automatic Bluetooth pairing and better echo and noise-cancellation. Ford has also baked-in voice support for sports buffs with Sirius Game Finder, as well as bibliophiles with Audible.com integration (which can also be touch controlled, should you desire it). Best of all, you'll no longer need to recite any parenthetical or bracketed album info your music tracks may have, or the direction of street names when inputting addresses for directions. Speaking of, the TeleNav-enabled nav system will have further map detail courtesy of Navteq, with enhancements like more 3D imaging, "photorealistic" signage and better route planning thanks to "a database of historical traffic patterns." If you've already got some miles on an existing MyFord Touch-enabled ride, no worries -- Ford will give your system the upgrade pro bono when it's available, taking all but a (hopefully) quick visit to your local dealer. Potential and current Ford owners will find more visuals in the gallery below and full details in the press release past break. Update: Ford has let us know that existing owners will not be required to visit their dealer for the upgrade, and will be receiving a USB drive allowing for a self-install in the mail. That said, you can still drop by your dealer after getting it to have the install done there. %Gallery-138462%
Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium MMO coming March 13 ... 2013
THQ has officially announced a date for the long-awaited Warhammer 40K MMO, subtitled Dark Millennium. Don't get too excited, because it isn't due until March 13, 2013. Given all of the games we have yet to see this year, not to mention next year, this Warhammer seems especially distant in the future. Our friends at Massively have a ton of info if you need something to tide you over. At least THQ is staking an early claim on that "3/13/13" date. May we recommend the picturesque Hinesville, GA -- home of not one, not two, but three signers of the Declaration of Independence -- as a place on which to center the midnight launch proceedings? You'll really like the zip code tie-in. Update: THQ sends a note that it has not yet officially announced a date for the title, and there is no more mention of 2013 on the official websites for THQ or the game itself. Unmark that calendar, we guess.
UK 4G network auction delayed, spectrum sell-off pushed back to the end of 2012
The dizzying world of 4G speeds remains a distant prospect for Britons, with telecoms regulator Ofcom deciding to delay the auction for the next generation of mobile spectrum. It was looking to sell off two potent bands of wireless network by the end of this year, but those plans have been put on hold by some legal jostling and desk-banging from UK carriers, with the British equivalent of the FCC saying it received several "substantial and strongly argued responses." The sell-off delay might not affect any launch dates for 4G (already being tested in rural parts of the UK), as the bands up for grabs still won't be available until 2013. But eventually all of this to-ing and fro-ing will test even the Brits' stoic patience.
Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee to start Leaf production by late 2012
No worries Nissan EV fans, more Leaves are on the way -- that's according to Bill Kreuger, the head honcho of Nissan's manufacturing and supply chain division. Kreuger tells Automotive News, the catastrophic earthquake in Japan that shut down several large plants was just a small speedbump in the release of the flagship electric vehicle. Nissan North America has been preparing a 1.6 billion dollar production complex in Smyrna, Tennessee, to begin rolling out EVs in the masses by late 2012. The plan is to have the plant assemble about 200,000 battery modules and as many as 150,000 Leafs each year, and we're guessing it'll have quite an easy go finding names for each and every one.
THQ says WAR40K MMO due by March 2013
It looks like March 2013 is the latest expected delivery date for THQ's Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online MMORPG. Rock, Paper Shotgun reports that THQ told its investors the sci-fi opus should see the light of day in the fiscal year 2013, a period stretching from April 2012 to March 2013. While news of the far-future setting has excited some fans, others are put off by rumors that the extensive faction roster from the source material is being distilled to a more MMO-palatable pair of opposing organizations. However it turns out, we'll have to wait quite a while it seems and content ourselves with the slow trickle of WAR40K news.
Best case scenario: Del Toro's 'Lovecraftian' THQ game in 2013
Pan's Labyrinth director and The Strain co-author Guillermo Del Toro has confirmed earlier reports that he's collaborating with THQ on high-profile video games. Speaking to MTV news, Del Toro said talks involved "huge games, huge world creation and long deadlines." How long, exactly? "With THQ we're looking at around a three year developing deadline for each game," he said. Though it's unclear how many projects are encompassed by the deal, the director claimed each is being explored in a "serious" manner. "Expect the first game, best case scenario, 2013." You can also expect it to be a "Lovecraftian thing" and a "very different type of horror game." Del Toro also recounted his experience with the cancelled "Sundown," one of several games that he had pitched in 2006. "It was eerily similar to Left 4 Dead, which I adore and am addicted to and that, in the household, is considered a 'family game.'" Wait ... if that's a family game, can you imagine how scary this THQ collaboration will be? We were just going to go with a "Boo Blox" joke, you know?
Globalfoundries takes ARM Cortex-A9 into 28nm land, looks forward to 20nm chips in 2013
Forget the numbers, here's what matters: Globalfoundries' new production capabilities will lead to "smooth production ramp-ups and faster time-to-market" for its customers. Now consider that this promise relates to scrumptious 28nm Cortex-A9 SOCs and feel free to rejoice. The chip fabricator has just declared itself ready to take orders for ARM's systems-on-chip built using its high-k metal gate 28nm fab process. This fulfills its pledge for mass production in the latter half of 2010, but lest you think Globalfoundries is resting on any nanoscale laurels, it also has a 20nm roadmap to tell you about. It's very simple, really: expect even smaller, even more power-efficient silicon in 2013. We don't know if the future will be bright, but it sure looks like it's gonna be small.
Report: Games industry to $65 billion by 2013
According to IndustryGamers, a report from market intelligence firm Strategy Analystics predicts that the video game industry is primed for some serious growth in the coming years. Specifically, the report states that the worldwide game industry will likely reach revenues of $64.9 billion by 2013. As the industry just recently reached a value of 46.5 billion in 2009, that's an increase of $18.4 billion, or 39.5% over the next three years. The report notes that sales of packaged software will increase, but increased sales of digital goods, in-game ads and subscriptions will play the primary role in growth. Specifically, online games are expected to grow to $24.8 billion by 2013, accounting for 38 percent of the overall games market. The firm expects social games to take up a major portion of growth, specifically the sale of virtual goods for use in online games (think Farmville). Now, if you'll excuse us, Joystiq Publishing really needs to get to work on Social Networking Town, the social networking game in which you buy virtual people to fill your virtual in-game social networking friends list. Once that's done, you can play virtual social networking games, in which additional virtual goods are available. The only way to win is to never stop playing!
Large Hadron Collider schedules holiday for 2012, full 7 TeV power for 2013
It's good to know that even huge inanimate objects appreciate the need for a work-life balance. After a nice winter hiatus, Switzerland's Large Hadron Collider is coming back online soon, set to resume smashing protonic beams at one another with the force of 3.5 trillion electron-volts (TeV) per beam, or 7 TeV in total. We have to swallow hard when we hear such force described as "low-energy," but that's what the LHC designers consider it, and moreover we're learning they'll skip past the middle and go for the full 14 TeV potential smashes after a retooling break during 2012. Although this may delay the discovery of the Higgs boson particle, other physics research shouldn't be stalled in the meantime -- scientists claim they'll be able to extract data from the low-energy collisions that could lend us more information on aspects of string theory, extra dimensions, and supersymmetry. Doesn't all this sound like nerds trying to avoid getting real jobs?
In-Stat sees Blu-ray players closing in on DVD sales in 2013
While Futuresource may still be sticking to its 2012 predictions of Blu-ray software dominance, In-Stat has taken a break from the tea leaves to mention it expects Blu-ray player sales to near 80 million by 2013. In its vision of the near-future that's not enough to overtake DVD player sales of 90 million, but with a higher average selling price Blu-ray players will own most of the dollars being spent. Naturally, Blu-ray recorders (and, we'd expect Blu-ray/VHS combos) are most popular in Japan, while Europe produces the most revenue for players. We're not ready to lay down $3,495 to find out more detailed forecasts, but we'll put a pin in the calendar and ask Jeremy Toeman to save the date for our 2013 podcast about whether or not Blu-ray sales have lived up to expectations.
