Q2-2012
Latest
HP cuts 27,000 jobs, profit tumbles 31 percent in Q2
Looks like rumors of major cost-cutting measures at HP are true: the company along with its fiscal Q2 results has just outlined plans to slash 27,000 jobs by the end of its fiscal 2014. The group of affected staffers, or about eight percent of the workforce, is being offered an "early retirement" if it doesn't want to wait to be let go involuntarily. The move is intended to streamline HP's operations and save between $3 billion to $3.5 billion a year by the time the cuts are done. As for the results themselves, they explain all too clearly why the cuts are inbound: HP 's profit dropped a massive 31 percent to $1.6 billion, and its revenue dropped three points to $30.7 billion. CEO Meg Whitman touted the results as exceeding an earlier glum outlook, but with the enterprise, printer and services groups all dragging the company down, it's clear that HP is in the same boat as a struggling Dell.
Fieldrunners 2 dashes to iPhone in June
Subatomic Studios had one of the first iPhone hits in 2008 with the tower defense game Fieldrunners, which was then ported to many other platforms. Four years later, Subatomic is back, and so is Fieldrunners.Fieldrunners 2 is due on iPhone "at the end of June" with an iPad-optimized version following. It expands on the gameplay of the first one with more, and more varied, maps, over 20 upgradeable towers, and more than 30 enemy types trying to ruin them. New features include puzzle and "sudden death" maps and air strike and powerup attacks.Check out the first screens and art in our gallery, and enjoy the feeling of nostalgia for an iPhone game for the first time.%Gallery-155908%
Techland's Mad Riders touches down on PSN May 29, XBLA/PC on May 30
If you've somehow managed to get your fill of Trials Evolution's dusty peaks and valleys already, Techland's latest, Mad Riders, may be perfect for you. And hey, the game is set to launch on May 30 according to the latest trailer. That's pretty soon!Like Trials before it, Mad Riders is a digital-only title, but unlike Trials, it's not limited to a single console (Mad Riders is headed to PSN, XBLA, and PC). It'll be available one day earlier for PSN users on May 29, and May 30 on XBLA and PC, but it'll cost the same on all three: a cool $10. Techland describes that as "an awesome game for the price of a pizza," though we'd warn the studio against devaluing its games as such. What kind of pizza are you gonna get for $10? Terrible pizza, that's what!
Rayman Origins finally makes it to 3DS on June 5
The release of a 3DS Rayman Origins demo did indeed lead into a (new) release date announcement. According to the information in the eShop and in this trailer, the platformer will finally arrive on 3DS June 5, 2012.That's a day after Ubisoft's E3 press conference, so Rayman Origins could potentially arrive on 3DS after the official announcement of its own sequel. Awkward!%Gallery-155635%
Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock lands on PSN May 23
Like the TARDIS, the PS3 is "bigger on the inside," capable of holding an entirely new Doctor Who adventure within its slim casing. The BBC announced today that Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock will be released "globally" on PlayStation Network Wednesday, May 23, and in UK retail the following Friday. "We really appreciate your patience as we've been making sure the game is perfect for all you eager fans," said executive producer Simon Harris, referencing the two-month delay of the game, which made the title unfortunately ironic.The brief announcement on the PlayStation Blog did not offer any release dates for the announced PC or PlayStation Vita versions. It also doesn't tell us if the game will finally reveal the fate of the Doctor's daughter Samantha.
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown due June 5 on PSN, June 6 on XBLA
We can't see the title of the new XBLA/PSN release of Virtua Fighter 5 and not think of "The Final Countdown." And now, we are in the final countdown before Final Showdown's release. Sega announced today that the 3D fighter will arrive on PSN June 5 and on XBLA June 6.Should you want to make the delightfully budget-priced fighter less budget-priced, the release will be accompanied by a bunch of character customization DLC. Individual character packs (containing "600-950" items!) will be released for $5/400 MS Points; or you can buy two bundle packs (one with 9 characters' items and one with 10) for $15/1,200 points, also on release day.
Pikmin 2, Mario Power Tennis on US Wii June 10, DKC Returns and Brawl discounted
Despite never having been released for Wii in North America, the Wii's "New Play Control" version of Pikmin 2 will be released as part of the "Nintendo Selects" line June 10, alongside fellow GameCube port Mario Power Tennis. Rather than question the logistics of a budget re-release of a game that was never released in the first place, we'll celebrate the $19.99 price point under which it's coming out.Also joining the Nintendo Selects line are two bona fide Wii games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the excellent Donkey Kong Country Returns, at $30 each. It's about (two years past) time for Brawl to be made cheaper, though it's unusual that these two games will sell for $10 above the normal Nintendo Selects price.%Gallery-155336%
Crystal White PS Vita coming to Japan, along with Hatsune Miku version
The first, and second, Vita color variants are on their way to Japan. This morning, Sony Computer Entertainment revealed the Crystal White PlayStation Vita (in an uncontroversial manner), shipping June 28 in both wi-fi and 3G models. It's like the normal "Crystal Black" Vita, but white.Sony also revealed the Hatsune Miku Limited Edition, a Crystal White Vita with an exclusive rear touchpad design depicting the virtual idol and singer. This version will ship in Japan August 30 as part of a bundle with the still-unnamed next Hatsune Miku Project DIVA rhythm game. Don't look for that one anywhere outside of Japan; none of the previous Hatsune Miku games on PSP and 3DS have been localized.
The Binding of Isaac's Wrath of the Lamb begins May 28
"Wrath of the Lamb," the enormous expansion to The Binding of Isaac, has been assigned a release date even more specific than the "late May" window it previously had: it'll be on Steam May 28, creator Edmund McMillen told Joystiq.McMillen also reiterated his claim that Wrath will be the sole expansion for Isaac. "Development for Super Meat Boy: The Game has started full time and once it's moving I won't be looking back!" In the meantime, you should look up – at the new, terrifying trailer for Wrath of the Lamb.
Nintendo's 'Midnight Purple' 3DS made official, eggplanting at retailers on May 20
Bust out your bright purple tennis racket and get weird with Nintendo on May 20 when the new "Midnight Purple" 3DS launches alongside Mario Tennis Open. Nintendo announced the new 3DS color scheme this morning after retailer listings this past weekend outed the new color.Like the quartet of 3DS flavors already available for purchase, Midnight Purple (or "Big Purp," as we're calling it) will retail for $170 when it arrives next month. Will there be a Grimace-tied promotion at McDonald's alongside the launch? We can only dream.
Total ArKade makes mobile word game 'AbraWordabra' appear
The first game from Total ArKade, the company started by ex-Halfbrick employee Tony Takoushi, is "AbraWordabra" for iOS, Android, and Bada, a title that shows the studio's commitment to camel case.It's also a collection of word games built around the concept of grabbing animate letter-block people as they amble around the bottom of the screen – they're normal people who have been transformed into letter blocks by an evil magician, naturally. You'll put those people to good use by first dropping them into a magic book to turn them to letters, then filling in missing letters from words, rewriting misspelled words, coming up with the biggest word you can in a limited time, and guiding floating letters to safety by tilting the phone.You'll be able to pull AbraWordabra out of a hat (by which we mean your phone's app store) on May 2. A free "lite" version will be released the same day.
Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion
Tim Cook: Apple focusing more on iPad for enterprise Tim Cook hates litigation, not quite ready to call a patent truce 365 million iOS devices 'in play,' iPad taking off in education and government markets How do you follow up a stunning Q1 where you set record quarterly earnings and issue a sizable dividend to investors? Well, if you're Apple, you just keep on keepin' on, shattering even the wildest expectations with "a record March quarter." Leading up to today's earnings, the outfit's stock was down around two percent, mostly on reports that iPhone activations were something other than mind-blowing. That said, shares have already started to creep back into positive territory in after-hours trading. Wall Street was hoping for around $36.88 billion in revenue (despite lower guidance from Apple itself), with upwards of 30 million iPhones sold and 12 million iPads sold -- galling numbers, no matter how you slice it. The actuals? Well, we're seeing $12.30 earnings per share, compared to an estimated $10.04 earnings per share. It all adds up to $39.2 billion in revenue and $11.6 billion in pure, unadulterated profit with 35.1 million iPhone units sold alongside 11.8 million iPads. (Of note, the new iPad was only on sale for around a fortnight in this quarter, making that figure even more impressive.) The former represents an 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter, while the latter shows a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Though Mac sales weren't equally astonishing, the four million units sold in the past three months indicates a seven percent uptick compared to Q2 2011. The iPod department, which has been sinking in recent years as iPads and iPhones become the primary music players of consumers, still saw 7.7 million units sold, representing a 15 percent decline from the same quarter last year. Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010.Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010. As for CEO Tim Cook's reaction? Aside from grinning from ear-to-ear looking at his growing stash of loot, he stated: "We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you're going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver." Keep on telling us that, Tim, and we'll keep waiting. The conference call kicks off at 5PM ET, and we'll be liveblogging it just after the break!
HTC predicts 55 percent revenue jump, could hint at strong One sales
HTC's results for Q1 2012 were a long way short of spectacular, but they came too early to see any impact from sales of its latest wares -- particularly the flagship One X and the ambitious mid-range One S. According to Reuters, the Taiwanese manufacturer now predicts that its revenue will leap by 55 percent in Q2, compared to that bad last quarter. That kind of growth equates to around $3.56 billion, which isn't so impressive when you compare it to the same quarter last year, when turnover broke records and was around 20 percent higher, but it's still an encouraging sign that this company could reap what it sowed at MWC.
Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition includes Harley Quinn content, Year One movie [update: Harley Quinn DLC on April 30]
The Harley Quinn-related teases have led to this: today's announcement of a "Game of the Year Edition" re-release of Batman: Arkham City. Coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 May 29, the new version contains the "Harley Quinn's Revenge" expansion, along with the previously released Robin, Catwoman, and Nightwing packs and a set of alternate skins.In addition to all the in-game content (henceforth referred to as "those wonderful toys") the GOTY edition will contain a download of the Batman: Year One animated movie.Update: You don't have to wait until May, or buy the game again, to get the Harley Quinn DLC. It'll be sold separately starting April 30.%Gallery-153840%
Product page lists May 9 release date for Datura in the UK
Datura, the dreamlike PSN Move game about exploring a magical (and likely metaphorical) forest, will be released in Europe on May 9, according to a Sony UK product page for the game. While nothing official has been announced, we'd argue that this page constitutes fairly official notice in itself.There's no corresponding US page, but it's likely that a May 9 release in the UK means Datura will come to North America on May 8, the nearest Tuesday. In any case, the new trailer (above) should make sure you have plenty of questions to go with this latest answer.
Qualcomm breaks records with Q2 2012 earnings, thanks 'strong demand' for 3G- and 4G-enabled devices
It's a good time to be in business. And by "business," we mean, "in the wireless business." Apple and Samsung seem to be selling every smartphone they make, and Qualcomm seems to be outfitting those very devices with quite a few components. After a record-setting Q1, Qually has just revealed that its Q2 2012 earnings made for "another quarter of record revenues and earnings per share." The driving force? "Strong demand for 3G- and 4G-enabled devices across both developed and emerging regions," according to Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, the outfit's chairman and CEO. Mobile device usage isn't apt to start contracting anytime soon, which has pushed the company to increase operating expenses to "facilitate additional 28 nanometer supply." Getting down to brass tacks, we're told that Q2 revenues reached $4.94 billion, representing a 28 percent uptick year-over-year, while operating income hit $1.9 billion -- a 15 percent increase year-over-year. Net income was reported at $1.76 billion (a 21 percent improvement over Q2 2011), but it's important to note that these figures included $761 million, net of income taxes, for discontinued operations as a result of a $1.2 billion gain associated with the sale of "substantially all of its 700 MHz spectrum." Those looking for more figures can hit the source link; those looking to improve Qualcomm's bottom line can just buy another phone.
Skyrim's voice-enabled Dragon Shouts arrive 'the week of April 23'
When Skyrim's Kinect functionality arrives some time during "the week of April 23," it'll come in five different languages (English, Italian, Spanish, German, and French). Bethesda revealed said details to CNN in an exclusive interview, wherein the concept was referred to as "Project Adam" and outed as having begun "shortly after the game's release in November."Despite the addition of Kinect to Skyrim in a voice-based way, Bethesda VP of marketing and PR Pete Hines said replacing any combat with physical actions in front of a Kinect sensor wouldn't make a lot of sense. "Doing combat and swinging your sword and all that stuff without a controller would dramatically change the game. We're trying to enhance the experience as we designed it with some additional functionality." We can't help but agree, Mr. Hines.Take a look at the upcoming Kinect support for Skyrim in the video just above.
Max Payne comes to iOS April 12, Android two weeks later
You'll be able to play Max Payne on a minimal screen next week. The mobile version of Remedy's squint-em-up will be out on iOS April 12, publisher Rockstar reported today. Androids will gain the ability to enter bullet time when Max Payne mobile lands on that platform on April 26.The mobile port features HD graphics and customizable controls, though you won't be able to customize the controls off of the screen and onto physical buttons.%Gallery-152561%
Heroes of Ruin wrecking shop on June 26
Heroes of Ruin will bring co-op dungeon crawling to 3DS on June 26, Square Enix announced today. If you want a chance to play it before then, Square will exhibit the game at PAX East this weekend.If you want a less hands-on preview, the above video introduces the "Alchitect" character class, whose name is not a typo.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier presented on PC June 12
You're not going to believe this, but Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is coming out later on PC than on consoles. A PC delay from Ubisoft? Unthinkable. But it's true: the publisher announced today that the PC release will be available in stores and online June 12, following the May 22 launch on consoles. The release date for the UK is June 15.You can find the full specs after the break. As for DRM, Ubi says "A temporary broadband connection will be required for one-time product registration at first launch using the player Uplay account. From that point on, no permanent connection is required, except for online modes."
