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Virgin Galactic’s VSS Imagine is its shiny, next-gen spaceship
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip III will start ground tests later this year. It’s an eye-catching vessel, finished with a mirror-like material that’s meant to reflect its surroundings. The coating also offers thermal protection.
Kia will release a production version of its Imagine EV in 2021
Kia's Imagine EV won't remain a concept for too much longer. European operations chief Emilio Herrera told Automotive News in an interview that a production version of the crossover should arrive in 2021. He didn't say how the street-going car would differ, although we'd expect it to be wildly toned down compared to the version that debuted in Geneva. Those 21 displays, the aircraft-style steering column and giant wheels likely aren't long for this world.
HTC U12 leak points to the return of dual rear cameras
HTC's return to dual cameras with the U11 Eyes (for selfies) this year wasn't as "noteworthy" as it had claimed, but now it seems like we'll finally have something more exciting along this line. LlabTooFer, a historically accurate source of HTC-related leaks, has posted what's claimed to be specs for the Imagine (aka U12), and its centerpiece would be a dual rear camera system with 12- and 16-megapixel sensors. It's not explained how this would work, but the size difference is usually meant to allow cropping for portrait or zoom modes without losing detail. The device wouldn't lean solely on this feature, either.
Ubisoft continues to just dance around fiscal year losses
A year ago, as Ubisoft reported net losses of €43.671 million for its 2009–10 fiscal year (ending, March 31, 2010), CEO Yves Guillemot brushed aside concern, saying, "We forecast a return to profitable growth in 2010–11." Well, here we are -- and Ubisoft isn't exactly basking in the sun. For the 2010–11 fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, the publisher's net losses slumped further to €52.120 million (about $74 million). Yet Guillemot again played the role of the optimistic fortuneteller as he looked to the company to "post further growth in both sales and current operating income in 2011–12 and 2012–13." (Notice how he didn't drop the P-word this time.) He put a positive spin on the 2010–11 fiscal year, too, observing "a sharp upturn in revenue." Indeed, sales were up 19 percent over the previous fiscal year to €1.039 billion. In addition to "another success" with Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Guillemot attributed much of the sales growth to a rebounding casual market, which Ubisoft dominated with its (just) dance game segment, as well as strong support for the Kinect and 3DS launches. Notably, 38 percent of the publisher's game sales over the 12-month period came from Wii titles. Ultimately, Ubisoft's bottom line suffered from reorganization costs, which amounted to €95.9 million in non-recurring charges, including unspecified project terminations (so, Am I Alive?). Presumably, if Ubisoft is now appropriately restructured, it can focus more effectively on making successful products again. "For example," Guillemot offered, "we plan to launch a free-to-play world based on our highly popular franchise for young girls, Imagine."
Rock Band Weekly: John Lennon's 'Imagine' album
John Lennon's "Imagine" album will be next week's Rock Band DLC. The acclaimed set of songs joins the title track, which is one of the Rock Band 3 on-disc songs. The album's DLC launch comes about a month after the worldwide celebration of the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birthday. No need to imagine the album's track list, it can be found after the break.
Rock Band 3 getting John Lennon's 'Imagine' album as DLC
Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that John Lennon's acclaimed 1971 album, "Imagine," will be among the first albums available for download in Rock Band 3. We imagine all the people who purchase the new keyboard peripheral will be very eager to play some of Lennon's ballads. An exact release date and price has yet to be announced (should that have been a "Gimme Some Truth" joke?), though you can expect Lennon's nine tunes (the title track is already on the disc) to join The Doors and Billy Joel online sometime after the game's October 26 launch. And even if you buy it a bit late, there's no better way to commemorate a legend's 70th birthday. Remember how disgusted Grandpa was when you gave him a quarter of a beetle inside a velvet box?
Ubisoft confirms closure of Brazil studios within the calendar year
Ubisoft has confirmed to Joystiq that "development activities in its Brazilian studios will ramp down by the end of this year." The publisher states that due to the current market conditions, it can't "achieve the goals initially set for the studios." There is no set date when the Brazil shops will close, but it will be before the end of the calendar year. There are currently 25 people working between the two studios in Brazil, who are "finishing DS and PSP projects which they will see to completion." The company could not confirm the official number of layoffs, as "some" team members may take positions at other Ubi studios. The Brazil studios had worked on the casual Imagine series, which doesn't currently fit in with the company's focus on major franchises -- a priority for the major, new (subsidized) Toronto studio. Ubisoft plans to continue its business presence in Brazil and is "currently evaluating opportunities." Overall, the publisher states that its "production headcount" should remain stable this year.
Ubisoft reviewing its Brazilian operations
Ubisoft's future in Brazil is unclear. Following a report by Canal dos Games that the publisher was shutting down all operations in the country, Ubisoft was forced to comment, telling UOL Jogos it was reviewing its plans for the region. Ubisoft opened up its first studio in Brazil back in 2008. The company followed that up by acquiring Southlogic Studios, which has diligently worked on the Imagine series for the past couple years. We've contacted Ubisoft to find out if its casual-focused developers in the region will have to Imagine unemployment.
Brother's AirScouter floats a 16-inch display onto your eye biscuit (video)
First announced in July, Brother's updated AirScouter wearable display is finally getting its first live demonstration at Brother World in Japan. The prototype Retinal Imaging Display (RID) projects safe, fast-moving light directly onto your retina that appears to the viewer as a 16-inch display floating transparently at a distance of about 3 feet. The tech used by Brother was harvested from its own optical system technologies found in laser and inkjet printers. Brother plans to launch the AirScouter for industrial uses in Japan where the glasses could overlay operating manuals onto machinery, for example. Later, Brother plans to adopt its RID tech into consumer products worldwide making for a more immersive (and practical) augmented reality experience.
Ubisoft Imagines a blockbuster 'Games for Everyone' holiday lineup
Clear your holiday schedules, folks. We know there are a bunch of high-profile releases you're planning on tucking into as the year concludes, but Ubisoft's recently revealed "Games for Everyone" collection probably won't leave you much time to play all that junk. Pretending to own a resort or work as a veterinarian or design clothes is taxing stuff, you know. Click past the jump to see the full list of Imagine and Petz titles set to drop later this year, then spend the rest of the day thinking about what order you'll be playing them in. We're thinking about doing Style Lab Fashion Design first, then making the jump to Imagine Fashion Stylist. You know, so we can learn the basics before going totally commercial.
Comcast looking to compress HD even more
Oh Comcast we understand you're always looking for new ways to increase the capacity of your network, but we'd hoped you learned by now that bit starving HD wasn't one that would go un-noticed. Some providers wean off analog channels, others deploy SDV and still others move VOD to IP or start using more efficient codecs like H.264. Now all of those have their drawbacks, and we appreciate you always trying to find a better way. But testing out ways (that appear to be snake oil from Arris, BigBand Networks, Harmonic, Imagine, and others) to fit four quality HD channels in one 38Mbps QAM channel while still using MPEG2 seems about as likely as our dear old grandma winning the lottery. So while we want you to keep on keeping on the good fight to improve your infrastructure, we just hope you don't forget that not everyone who watches Comcast HD doesn't mind if it looking like a mosaic.
Ubisoft details first quarter 2010 releases; reveals Anno for iPhone
Ubisoft's latest sales report details the company's proposed fourth quarter fiscal year releases -- the period beginning January 1, 2010 until March 31, 2010. It's pretty much everything we expected, with profits for Ubisoft relying on four key titles, three of which are on the PC platform: Assassin's Creed II: Director's Cut, Red Steel 2, The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom and Silent Hunter 5: Battle for the Atlantic. However, other notable titles will also release during this window, including Racquet Sports and the upcoming Assassin's Creed 2: Multiplayer on iPhone -- oh, and a bunch of new Imagine games, obviously. Outside of detailing these games, Ubisoft also announced that its popular Anno series is coming to the iPhone. Exact details on the game haven't been revealed, but it's a safe bet that city planning and real-time strategy will somehow be involved. Head past the break for the full list of releases. Source - Ubisoft Q3 sales report [PDF link]
Ubisoft bringing Imagine franchise online with Imagine Town
Image above is from Imagine: Babyz for the DS. You probably figured that out already, though. According to a recent Ubisoft press release, launched alongside its Q3 earnings report, either this year or the next will see the introduction of what may be the company's most profitable property to date -- Imagine Town, an online extension of the popular series of casual DS games. Little is known about the platform so far, though the presser stipulates that it will be "a virtual world" which will be seamlessly folded into "UbiWorld™, the portal dedicated to young girls." (In any other context, that would be an extremely creepy thing to say.) We realize this news probably means very, very little to you, so allow us to frame it to you in a different way: Imagine Town is going to be the thing that lets Ubisoft afford to make Beyond Good & Evil 2. See, now you're interested.
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine celebrates their first anniversary
Has it really been a year of demon negotiations and devil summoning already? Why yes, it apparently has been. Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, the online sequel to the acclaimed Digital Devil Saga series has just turned one year old! To celebrate, Aeria Games is offering Imagine players a brand new demon, Joyful Alice, as well as a new dungeon to explore, Celu Tower Gold. Celu Tower is a brand new high level dungeon for players to explore, patched into the game as of yesterday. The tower has a few new demons to contract with, but, more importantly, players can also get the chance to find a special demon plug-in and fuse Thor himself! Otherwise, look forward to being able to wield Mjolnir, Thor's Hammer, as a brand new weapon. To grab yourself a Joyful Alice, either check your e-mail for a special code and instructions (if you're signed up to receive them) or check out the Imagine website for more information on the promotion.
Motorbikes, alchemy, and demon friend quests now in Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine
Demon Busters in Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online are now enjoying a fresh content update, which includes motorbikes courtesy of the Shinjuku Babel mechanics. This new mode of transportation in the game allows players to travel between zones quickly and in first person perspective. Atlus has also introduced alchemy, a crafting system where players can create new objects with unusual properties. Runes that boost abilities for your demons or potions that augment your own abilities are a few possibilities with the new item mixing system. They've also released more PvE content in the form of demon friend quests, provided your friendships with the infernal powers-that-be are at the appropriate levels. Perhaps the biggest content addition to Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online is the Team Battle system. The title's publisher Aeria Games writes: "Gather your allies and friends to crush your enemies in fast-paced, high intenseity group versus group combat for glory and god-like gear. Choose to fight solo in sided matches against other solo players, or combine your strength with others to demolish the competition in team versus team battle."
Overheard @ E3: Imagine laughing it up
Classic moment to remember from the Ubisoft press conference: As the company displayed its roster of Imagine games the crowd was so tickled by the surreality of the moment, that the chuckling got pretty bad. It was quieted fairly quickly though when one large gentleman remarked "Laugh it up, my daughter buys all this shit, and I'm the one paying for it."If there's a better summation of the casual market, we've never heard it.
Ubisoft announces Style Lab casual franchise
Ubisoft's press conference just took a turn for the boastful as the publisher praised its highly profitable casual franchises, Petz and Imagine. In order to rake in more solid gold bars of gold, Ubisoft is attempting to achieve a sales nirvana they're calling "Tween Games 2.0." The latest push in this attempt? An all new for-kids (let's be honest, for little girls) franchise known as "Style Lab."The franchise will feature games that implement the DSi's camera for various girly reasons -- take a picture of yourself, and tart yourself up with make-up, or design your own jewelry which you can submit online and order in real life. Day. One. Purchase.
Ubisoft: full-year sales up 14% in 2008
Ubisoft announced its financial results (PDF link) for fiscal 2008 (which ended on March 31, 2009), and for the most part news (or Newz, if you prefer) is good. Full-year sales for 2008 grew to €1.058 billion, up 14% over last year's €928 million total.The company explained the strong results of its last quarter with "a continued very strong showing" for its Wii lineup, including Raving Rabbids TV Party, Shaun White Snowboarding Road Trip, and My Fitness Coach. One million units each of Shaun White (not just limited to the Wii version), Tom Clancy's HAWX and the Petz and Imagine games were shipped to retailers in Q4.Ubisoft's sales target for the 2009 fiscal year is €1.1 billion. It expects the first quarter sales of 2009 to be weaker than 2008's, due to the relative lack of major releases (Q1 2008 included Haze and Assassin's Creed on PC), with growth to occur in the second half of the year.Source (PDF document)
Atlus Games launches online gaming and anime portal
Fans of RPGs like the Persona series and those already playing Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online should be familiar with Atlus Games. The company is branching out into online interaction via a new web portal that's a home for their upcoming (summer release) MMO title Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent as well as having a heavy focus on anime. In fact, users can draw live on the site and collaborate with others in this fashion. We've known that a web portal for MMOs and anime was something on horizon but it became official with yesterday's press release and the launch of the Atlus Online portal. Along with the rest of the wired (and wireless) world, Atlus Online is also on Twitter.
Ubisoft moves 1 million Imagine unitz
Ubisoft is adding on to its enormous acquisition war chest, and the Imagine series is bringing the duckets: The company just hit the 1 million mark on its casual series for 2008 in the UK. Speaking with CasualGaming.biz, Ubisoft group brand manager Sgt. Mark Slaughter said, "The Imagine series and the broader Games For Everyone portfolio now represent a significant part of Ubisoft's business." That makes a lot of sense, considering the company sold nearly 300k "unitz" of Imagine titles in just the four weeks leading up to Christmas (with Imagine Teacher and Imagine Dream Weddings heading up the sales spike, obviously). Who knows what'll happen when blockbuster Imagine "gamez" like Imagine Fashion Designer New York make it to Europe? Ubisoft uber alles!UPDATE: We contacted Ubisoft, but the company couldn't confirm Mr. Slaughter's 1 million units number, instead telling us the series has sold over 8 million 11 million units worldwide. Michael French, Editor-in-Chief of CasualGaming.biz did, however, confirm Mr. Slaughter's number, saying, "This is a UK only figure." [image]
