Q4-2012
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NVIDIA reports Q4 2012 earnings: annual revenue up 12.8 percent, net income doubles
If you thought we were done with the numbers game, think again. NVIDIA has just pushed out its figures for Q4 of FY 2012 and things are looking good. Revenue for the quarter was $953 million, a 10.6 percent decline over Q3, but if you look over the entire year revenue increased 12.8 percent over fiscal 2011. Net income, too, was down compared to Q3, but looking annually, when compared to 2011 income more than doubled, from 253 million to 581. CEO Jen-Hsun Huang was predictably pleased with the outcome, saying: "We expect continued growth ahead, as Tegra 3 powers a new wave of quad-core super phones and Kepler, our next-generation GPU architecture, sets new standards in visual and parallel computing." We're expecting plenty of great devices too -- the Transformer Prime TF700T in particular.
Assassin's Creed 3 arrives on October 30
What is Assassin's Creed 3? Beyond a name and a distant release date (October 30), we don't have a damn clue. But that was all the information given today during an Ubisoft financials call hosted by company head Yves Guillemot. "Assassin's Creed 3 is the true next generation of both the Assassin's Creed brand and interactive entertainment/storytelling in general," Guillemot said of the game.He went on to say that Ubi is investing in AC3 more than any past title in the franchise, and that he expects it to sell beyond the 7 million racked up by Revelations. The game has apparently been in development for three years according to Guillemot, which we're hoping means it's not set in Italy again. No other details were offered for now, and Guillemot added that we'll hear more about the game in the coming months.We can guess that the upcoming game likely won't feature series star Ezio Auditore, as Ubi has claimed his trilogy is over. And it looks like this game will likely conclude the current story arc. Oh, and it's also possible that this is heading to Wii U, given that there's some form of AC title in the works for Nintendo's Wii successor. But that's all we got. We swear.
Hawken brings pretty multiplayer mech battles to the web Dec. 12
We're sure you watched thousands of YouTube videos last year, but we bet only a handful featured flying robots with guns, and just one of those was an explosive multiplayer mech battle built on Unreal Engine 3 -- yeah, that one, right up there. Hawken, the breakout title from indie studio Adhesive Games, is scheduled to launch on Dec. 12, published by Meteor Entertainment.Hawken will be web-based, free-to-play and feature fast-paced action in short bursts, styled after Call of Duty multiplayer, Adhesive co-founder Khang Le said. Players in Hawken will battle for survival and resources inside flying, rocket-equipped mechs in various regions of a barren industrial wasteland (or heaven, as we call it). Hawken is multiplayer only and will play in a session-based format similar to League of Legends, Le said.For a further glimpse at Hawken's universe, hit up the video after the break, which displays desert gameplay. If that intrigues you, sign up for the closed beta right here -- get three friends (enemies, strangers) to enlist and guarantee your spot.
Aliens: Colonial Marines shifted to a fall 2012 launch window
Despite those signs from Sega's abdomen and the worried look on its face, it seems like Aliens: Colonial Marines isn't bursting out of development onto retail shelves any time soon. The game will now arrive some time in "fall 2012," according to a statement released by Sega this evening, bumping it a full season away from its originally intended spring 2012 window.We're also told that a fancy new trailer for the game will be arriving tomorrow, so, uh, hold onto your butts! Oh ... shoot ... wrong franchise. Ummm, get to the choppah? Sorry, we kinda exhausted our Aliens references in the first paragraph.
Resident Evil 6 announced by Capcom, arriving November 20 on 360/PS3 with PC version later
Resident Evil 6 is heading to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 20, 2012, with a PC release to follow, says Capcom. In it, returning favorites Leon S. Kennedy (the "S" stands for "Superhair") and Chris Redfield (tree arms from RE5) will play co-leads, each leading his own campaign through the US and China, respectively. The brand new trailer is just above. Any of this sound familiar? That's probably because the next entry in the Resident Evil series was outed a bit earlier than its publisher expected this afternoon, when images of RE6 marketing were sent to IGN by a Gamestop employee. Subsequently, a flood of details about the unannounced game were unleashed by a couple different outlets regarding its gameplay, dev team, and characters. Many of said details have been re-confirmed by Capcom in its own press release, though it's lacking in the specificity we reported earlier. The trailer, however, depicts a new martial-artsy character fighting various ... things (and people), some splashes of cover-based shooting, and a presidential zombie. And is that Ashley? Three words: Oh. Em. Gee.
Rumor: Resident Evil 6 infecting 360/PS3 on Nov. 20 [update: it's legit!]
"Resident Evil 6" may not be representative of the number of Resident Evil games that exist in total, but it looks to be the title of the next entry in Capcom's long-running zombie series. A retail poster spotted by one GameStop-employed IGN reader outs the title, a November 20, 2012, launch date on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and a perfectly spooky drawing of the number six. Additionally, GamesBeat purports to have insider info from a Capcomer in the know, who says that RE6 will star series vets Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy. Everyone's favorite mysterious, violent lady, Ada Wong, is also rumored role in the yet-to-be-announced game. Scant other details were given, though it is said to be developed by an internal Japanese team at Capcom that's "aiming for a cross between the action/horror blend of Resident Evil 4 ... and the far more action-oriented Resident Evil 5." After The Sixth Axis tracked down Capcom as the source of a recent viral ad campaign ("No Hope Left"), the company's US reps refused to comment on the meaning of the ads. At the time, it seemed likely that the faux graffiti was tied to the Resident Evil franchise given the stylized biohazard symbol found on the "o" in "No," but now it seems all the more likely to be tied to an announcement at 5PM ET today, lining up with a notably direct video added to the ad's website (found after the break). We'll be here at 5PM -- and beyond, of course -- to let you know if we hear anything more official. Update 1: IGN is further reporting that both Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy will be playable characters, each teaming up with "unnamed partners" for their own campaign branches -- branches that will apparently cross paths at some point in the game. Ada Wong is supposed to be playable at some point after completing both Leon and Chris' storylines, though a third unnamed character will also have a campaign that must be completed as well before Wong is accessible. All three campaigns will allegedly be available from the jump, allowing players to jump between stories. And finally, RE6 is supposed to be set "across the globe," with China mentioned specifically. This is all according to "sources within the development team." Update 2: Capcom has since confirmed the game as heading to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 20 with a PC release to follow. Full story here.
Razer's 'Project Fiona' is a gaming tablet prototype ... and it plays PC games
Perhaps the PlayStation Vita's leggy 5 inch screen just isn't enough for your dedicated gaming portable needs. Perhaps -- and this is just a theoretical, of course -- you think Sony's promise of console quality games on the Vita isn't nearly as important as full-on console games on the go. Enter Razer's "Project Fiona PC Gaming Tablet." It's merely a prototype (at least for now), but this may be the go-to portable for you at some point in the future, fictional crazy person. Razer unveiled the prototype concept this week at CES, ending an ambiguous, weeks-long promotional campaign (seen after the break). According to a press release issued by the hardware company, the Project Fiona tablet comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, and is capable of running "current-generation PC games" -- Firefall, Assassin's Creed: Revelations and H.A.W.X. 2 are shown in the teaser, offering examples of some titles that will apparently work on the device -- surprise surprise, Ubisoft is jumping at the chance to showcase its wares on a new gaming device. Razer claimed in the announce that "many" PC games will "run natively" on the device without any need for specialization. Beyond being a super powerful gaming tablet, Project Fiona also keeps up with the Joneses by including "ultra-precise accelerometers and a highly sensitive multi-touch screen," which is intended to give developers a chance to cater their PC games to the device. It also has now de rigeur forced feedback, so you can rumble while commuting. Unlike Razer's previous gaming prototype, the Switchblade, the company isn't giving out a hard price for Project Fiona, but said it'll be "under $1,000" when it's expected to launch in "Q4 2012."%Gallery-143664%
Orc Attack storming XBLA, PSN, PC in Q4
Casual Brothers Games has announced it will bring Orc Attack to digital platforms. Specifically, the hack and slash (no relation to Orcs Must Die!) will be hitting Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, PC and OnLive in the fourth quarter. As the name implies, Orc Attack sees up to four playable orcs joining forces and slaying poor, pitiful humans. Given the ... gaseous nature of each orc's special attacks – not to mention the characters' names, including the devilishly clever "Lord Poop" and charmingly witty "Doc Turd" – we're not expecting any complicated, emergent gameplay or a deep, thought-provoking narrative.
Mojang's next work-in-progress, Cobalt, now available
You already kinda sorta knew about Cobalt, Mojang's first game launch as a publisher, but did you know that it'd be totally out today in Alpha form? Oh, yeah, okay, you already kinda knew that too. Well now it's official and has a price (€9.95/$13), but beyond that, we've also got a whole mess of info about today's launch. For one, the game will only be available on Windows PC initially, with OS X and Linux support arriving in "Beta." Moreover, there is no "single-player" version of Cobalt, only multiplayer and co-op modes -- according to Mojang, "hot seat" multiplayer is available on the PC and it's "theoretically limited by the number of USB controllers you manage to forcefully plug in to your poor computer." We're gonna go ahead and suggest no more than four, just to be safe. The game's Alpha also comes with a level editor, which Mojang hopes players will use to "create everything from single maps to whole campaigns from scratch." That isn't to say that the dev team at Oxeye Game Studio are sitting on their hands and waiting for the user-generated content to populate their game, however -- the announcement promises that the team "will continue adding their own maps and game modes to the game as well as continue work on the main campaign." Like with Minecraft before it, purchasing Cobalt in Alpha (or "pre-ordering" the final build, if you will) nets you access to all future builds of the game, barring the possibility of console or mobile ports. While there is no timeframe for the completed game's launch, the devs set a handful of milestones for themselves, such as the main campaign not showing up until after the game goes "Gold" (read: finished). In the meantime, we'll be sure to let you know when people start creating incredible homages to things they love within Cobalt, as with Minecraft before it.
Joe Danger: Special Edition triple flips to XBLA on December 14
The beefed up, sanded down version of Joe Danger coming to Xbox Live Arcade (the "Special Edition") will apparently arrive on December 14 for 1200 MS Points ($15). Developer Hello Games revealed the date via Microsoft Studio's own "playXBLA" blog, where the dev team further cemented what has been added (and subtracted) to the upcoming re-release. Beyond the launch date announcement, Hello Games also gave out a brand new launch trailer and a whole variety of new screens. For those of you who have yet to check out Joe Danger, you're in for a real treat. For the rest of us, well, hey, more Joe Danger! Alright!%Gallery-141291%
'Pid' is a pretty platformer from Grin vets Might & Delight, planned for XBLA/PSN/PC in 2012
We're suckers for artsy platformers, so when Beefy Media's Adam Boyes took to Giant Bomb's livestream this evening with a debut trailer for Might & Delight's latest offering, "Pid," and the game was a gorgeous hand-drawn platformer, we were pretty excited to tell you all about it. In Pid, you'll control what appears to be a little boy in a colorful and mysterious world of platforms and robots -- like Limbo and Machinarium had a digital baby, if you will. The trailer showed off a bit of co-op play, as well as a variety of different environments through which to romp. Pid is being built using the Unity engine (like that mystery Square Enix game, among many others), thus making its ubiquity across platforms all the easier. While Boyes admitted the M&D folks don't have a publisher for the game yet, he said they've been actively speaking with publishers and are looking at an Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC release in "the back half of 2012." Expect more details and the trailer tomorrow, on Joystiq, when the game gets announced "officially." Head past the break for a quick snap of the game in action.
