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Report: Oculus Rift consumer version due by summer 2015
The virtual reality future is now! ... is what you'll be able to say next summer, according to TechRadar. The site reports that VR start-up Oculus will launch the first consumer version of the Rift VR headset sometime in mid-2015. We say "first" because according to TechRadar, Oculus will be launching the consumer version of the Rift as a public beta, with limited quantities available only through the company itself - no retailers. Oculus co-founders Palmer Luckey and Nat Mitchell told Eurogamer earlier this month that the consumer version will mark a significant upgrade - higher resolution, 90Hz or higher refresh rate - at a price somewhere between $200 and $400. We've reached out to Oculus to find out more, and will update what we hear back.
Report: Super Smash Bros Wii U playable via 3DS connection
The Wii U doesn't typically support remote play with the 3DS like the PlayStation 4 does with its handheld cousin the PlayStation Vita, but Smash-ing times call for Smash-ing measures. After spending some time with a preview build, GameSpot reports that the Nintendo 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. features a menu that claims the device will work as a controller when playing the Wii U version of the game. If the menu is accurate and remains in the final version of Smash, it also looks like you'll be able to transfer your characters' progress from the 3DS to Wii U. Lest you think people are reading too much into things, the menu reportedly reads: "Connect to a Wii U - You can exchange custom fighters or use your Nintendo 3DS as a Wii U controller." Not a whole lot of room for misinterpretation there, but we'll find out for sure when Super Smash Bros. comes to 3DS on October 3 and Wii U on ... uh ... hey Nintendo, just when is the Wii U version coming out, anyway? [Image: Nintendo]
Report: Microsoft may buy Minecraft studio Mojang
Microsoft is in serious discussions to buy Mojang, the independent Swedish studio responsible for Minecraft, in a deal estimated at more than $2 billion, The Wall Street Journal reports. An agreement could be signed this week, the site says.
Apple supplier accused of labor violations once again
Just days away from the unveiling of Apple's newest smartphone -- and quite possibly our first look at a wearable as well -- the company is yet again dealing with allegations that one of its suppliers isn't treating its employees well. According to a report by The New York Times, a factory operated by Catcher Technology has come under scrutiny for forcing employees to work excessive overtime as well as handle dangerous chemicals without protection. The factory, which manufactures parts for the iPad, had been audited by Apple earlier this year, and a statement from the company admits that there were "some concrete areas for improvement in Catcher's operations." One would have to imagine that if something as critical as poor chemical handling was noticed during the audit, it would have more than simply an area for improvement. This isn't exactly the first time Apple or any major electronics maker has had to respond to questions about another company's operations. When it comes to outsourcing, it's an unfortunately common issue that doesn't appear to have a clear or easy solution.
Report: Ouya talking to Google, Tencent about acquisition
Ouya is looking to be acquired, and it's in talks with Google, Amazon and a few Chinese companies, including Riot Games owner Tencent, Re/code reports. Re/code's sources say there aren't any offers on the table yet, but talks are proceeding. Ouya sees acquisition, rather than another funding round, as the better option, the report says. China opened itself up to the wider world of gaming when early this year it lifted a 14-year ban on foreign console sales. Microsoft plans to launch the Xbox One in China on September 23, and both Sony and Nintendo have announced plans to launch hardware in the country.
Report: Metal Gear fan remake featuring Hayter shut down
A remake of the original Metal Gear - not Metal Gear Solid, for clarity - that reportedly featured David Hayter reprising his years-long role as Solid Snake has been shut down, according to Metal Gear Informer. The site reports that a producer on the game told them that "the guys over at Konami couldn't agree on a decision so [they] had no choice but to shut us down." Although fans of the 1987 MSX top-down stealth game won't get to relive Solid Snake's mission to take down Outer Heaven, they can still experience a sample of what the team had planned by checking out a recently-released trailer featuring David Hayter - or at least someone doing a spot-on impersonation of him. Ah, the bitter taste of what could have been. [Image: Outer Heaven Productions]
Apple will reportedly announce its next iPhone on September 9th
Grab that box of sodium chloride, folks -- it's rumor time. Re/Code is reporting that Apple will hold its next iPhone event on September 9th. And while any publication can pull a date out of the hat and report on it, this particular entity has a good track record predicting Apple events (even when it was AllThingsD). This date places it just a few days after Samsung's upcoming product launch at the IFA trade show in Berlin; traditionally, this is where the Korean manufacturer announces its next Note flagship smartphone, so it's not too hard to see Apple taking on its arch rival with a similar-sized product. According to rumors, the company plans to introduce a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch version of its next iPhone. Still, nothing's set in stone, so we'll let you know as soon as we get official word from Cupertino. Update: Both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal are also corroborating the September 9th report with their own sources.
Samsung sees its lowest profit in two years as smartphone sales languish
When Samsung took the time to update investors ahead of its upcoming quarterly earnings report, it warned 'weak demand' for phones and an increased marketing spend could hit the company hard. That report hit today, and it's as bleak as the company expected. In its second quarter, Samsung posted profit of 6.25 trillion won ($6.1 billion), down from 7.77 trillion won ($6.96 billion) last year, its lowest quarterly profit in two years. Smartphone sales contributed the majority of its revenue, but the Samsung's flagship phone, the Galaxy S5, languished as the iPhone continues to fly of shelves and Chinese brands cut directly into its low-end business.
Bloomberg: Microsoft may lay off thousands, Xbox marketing teams affected
A new Bloomberg report claims Microsoft is on the verge of its biggest round of layoffs since 2009, when more than 5,000 employees lost their jobs. The job cuts could go on to top that figure, according to Bloomberg's sources, making it the biggest round of layoffs in the company's history. The sources told Bloomberg the layoffs will "probably" be in Nokia and overlapping Microsoft divisions, but also in marketing and engineering divisions. The sources said that included marketing departments for divisions such as the global Xbox team, potentially including the UK-based European group. "People with knowledge of the company's plans" said Microsoft is looking to trim its 127,000-strong employee base following the April acquisition of Nokia, which brought in 30,000 staff to the company. Two of the people said details of the restructuring are still being formulated, while Bloomberg notes the job cuts could occur "as soon as this week." Microsoft has yet to confirm or deny any of Bloomberg's information, and the publication noted a Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment on it.
Apple provides green details on new "Spaceship" campus, reports reduced emissions in 2013
Apple talks a big game when it comes to the environment, so the company's annual report on its green efforts are always an interesting read. This year, Apple's Environmental Responsibility Report (PDF) brings news on renewable energy for its retail stores and the company's overall carbon footprint. Despite using more power than ever before, Apple's carbon footprint from that power consumption actually fell 3% from 2012 to 2013. This marks the first time that figure has fallen since Apple first began reporting these figures in 2009, and proves that while the Apple's growth has lead to greater power needs, those needs are being filled without detrimental effects. Apple also reported that 145 of its U.S. retail stores, as well as all of its locations in Australia, are now using renewable energy exclusively. Looking to the future, a few details on Apple Campus 2 -- AKA "the Spaceship" -- made it into the report as well. Campus 2 will use 30% less energy than a typical R&D facility of its size thanks to its unique design which provides natural air ventilation for three-quarters of the year, and a massive solar installation that will soak up some precious energy from above. Apple is also planning on planting upwards of 6,000 trees at the new campus location, and will provide 1,000 bicycles to employees looking for a zero-emission commute.
SOE relies on players to report inappropriate posts
If you see something, SOE definitely wants you to say something. EverQuest II CM Linda Carlson responded to a post on EQ2Wire to say that the studio depends on its players to help police the "meeelions" of comments in its forums. "Unless we are actually perusing the forums when something comes up, we do indeed rely on players helping to keep the forum community a reasonable and comfortable place to post by reporting disruptive or inappropriate posts," Carlson said. Carlson went on to give advice on how to constructively post on forums and avoid unnecessary conflict with other posters, including "Never post angry. Never post drunk." and "Two trolls do not make a right."
Apple is becoming an increasingly major player in enterprise
The sun has long since set on the days of enterprise users walking around with BlackBerry smartphones on their hips, but what is taking the place of those keyboard-clad handsets? According to a new report soon to be released by Apple-focused IT management app maker JAMF Software (publisher of Casper Suite), the number of businesses answering that question with "Apple" is larger than ever before. The small-sample study polled 309 IT professionals about Apple device usage within their walls. Their findings show that Apple is making huge gains in enterprise adoption, with over 90% of businesses polled supporting one or more Apple devices for employees. A full 98% expect the use of Apple devices in their businesses to grow even more over the next three years. The data points to a huge spike in Apple enterprise usage, with use of devices like the iPhone and iPad more than doubling in the past three years. The appeal of Apple's gadgets is a huge factor in this upswing, with 78% of respondents stating user preference was a factor in their company choosing to support Apple hardware. On the other side of the coin, the majority of IT professionals polled say that they're not very confident in the tools they have to manage Apple devices in their companies. This is of course great news for JAMF, as the company is in the business of helping organizations adopt Apple devices for business use, but it also shows that the desire for shiny new Apple gadgets is outpacing many companies' ability to adapt to the changing tide. Other players in the cross-platform IT management space like Absolute, IBM Tivoli, Cisco Meraki, VMware's AirWatch and HP OpenView are also supporting the increased demand for Apple in the enterprise -- and Apple's MDM hooks are improving to make the job easier. It's clear at this point that the iPhone and iPad aren't going anywhere, so Apple's growing role in enterprise doesn't seem to be at risk of being a flash in the pan. At the same time, companies looking to fit Apple devices into their systems run the risk of being unprepared for the venture, which isn't ideal for anyone involved. The real takeaway here -- aside from Apple continuing to gain important traction with businesses -- is that a great end-user experience is dependent on IT experts having a handle on Apple's devices and management tools before their company springs for thousands of company-owned iPhones. It seems like a no brainer, but the numbers show that it's a problem yet to be adequately addressed by many businesses. [Photo credit: Cristiano Betta]
The Daily Grind: Do you report other players?
I have a few social rules that I follow when I'm in any MMO. I am courteous to other players and helpful when I can be. I stay the heck out of political, religious, or World of Warcraft-themed "debates" in general chat. I resist correcting others' grammar or mocking them for a poorly chosen name. And if someone is being verbally abusive to anyone, I report them. Maybe that makes me a narc, a thin-skinned snitch who's just waiting to tattle on anyone with a potty mouth. Actually, I don't care if you swear, but there are certain words and phrases meant to put others down that cross a line with me. Communities should be better than that, and that's why I have no problem hitting the report button now and then. Do you report other players for things apart from gold selling site spam? If so, what's your threshold? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Time Warner Cable says 'me too,' issues first transparency report
Not to be outdone by its competitors (or future owner), Time Warner Cable has released a transparency report of its own. From January to June last year, the telco obeyed some 12,000 information requests from the government that break down as such. Of the legal requests, 82 percent were for subpoenas, 12 percent were for court orders and four percent related to search warrants. Seventy-seven percent of the time that data was requested, it was subscriber and transactional info that was disclosed, 20 percent resulted in no data shared at all and three percent of the time, content information was disclosed. Because the report doesn't give exact numbers, though, comparing the precise amount of requests that TWC handled with its competitors isn't exactly easy.
Report: RBI Baseball 14 takes the current-gen mound on April 10
RBI Baseball 14 will reportedly launch on April 10, according to a tweet from ESPN Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell. Rovell noted that the launch date applies to the game's Xbox 360, PS3, iOS and Android versions, though there's no word on the Xbox One and PS4 versions as of yet. The resurgence of the RBI Baseball series was first announced in January, and is in development by MLB Advanced Media, the baseball league's in-house interactive entertainment division that handles mobile games and broadcast tools like MLB.TV. We've reached out to MLBAM to confirm the game's release date and will update as we learn more. [Image: MLBAM]
Apple reportedly testing inductive, solar and motion charging for its unannounced smartwatch
We've heard that when Apple reveals its first smartwatch product, there's going to be a heavy focus on health and fitness, but there might also be a way to charge the wearable without plugging it in, according to a report from The New York Times. Inductive charging came in a wave of smartphones last year, including Google's Nexus 4 and Nokia's Lumia 920 range, although we don't often see it in anything smaller than a phone (or camera) form factor. Apple, however, is looking into cramming the same technology into its iWatch, or whatever it eventually calls its debut wearable. It works like this: Electromagnetic fields are generated from a charging base, which are then picked up by metal coils and transformed into for-real electricity that charges your device. The Cupertino company is experimenting with other new charging methods too, although these are apparently years away from consumer products. Sources close to the matter also mentioned the inclusion of a solar layer beneath the device's display, while the company has also looked into kinetically charging its wearables -- something that is already used in many modern (non-smart) timepieces.
Apple's iWatch and iOS 8 are reportedly fitness-focused
We still don't know exactly what Apple's long-rumored smart watch is, or what it's called -- yes, iWatch is probably right -- but a report today from 9to5Mac posits a whole heap of new information. First, the wearable works in concert with "Healthbook," a new internal app intended to track various fitness (steps, distance, etc.) and health metrics (blood pressure, heart rate, etc.). Second, it looks like Healthbook -- at least currently -- is a crucial part of iOS 8, and when paired with iWatch (or whatever it's called) the two are "able to monitor several other pieces of health and fitness data." It's unclear exactly what that means. Like it's name, Healthbook is apparently pretty similar to Passbook, and you'll be able to swipe through various "cards" with health information. Of course, none of this should come as a tremendous shock (though it's all still firmly in the rumor bin) -- word of Apple working on a wearable has been floating for quite some time, and it's past the point of coincidence. Between Apple hiring wearable electronics engineers (notable ones!), meeting with FDA regulators about "mobile medical applications," and the competition already staking a firm claim in the nascent smart watch market, no one following the tech news beast should be shocked. That's to say nothing of the dedicated chip inside Apple's latest iPhone (seen above). Regardless, with nothing officially announced just yet, we've reached out to Apple for more.
Nintendo reportedly planning mini-games and content for its biggest rival: the smartphone (updated)
Japanese newspaper Nikkei has a generally good record for getting the scoop on Nintendo, and this one could be pretty important. According to this report, Nintendo will announce plans to create "progressive" content for smartphones -- the very devices that many reckon is chipping away at the company's casual gaming audience. We won't be seeing a full-length iteration of a Zelda title, but it could include background stories (video content is mentioned), offer a tour of in-game worlds and (least interestingly) the very latest news on retail games headed to Nintendo's own hardware. Mini-games would introduce new characters and, as Nintendo has apparently told it to Nikkei, would be free to try, at least for a short period. The report adds that Nintendo will hold off on paid-for games and in-app purchase, instead hoping that its smart device morsels would whet the appetite for full-version -- full-price -- console game purchases. CEO Satoru Iwata had already mentioned late last year that the company needed to "take advantage of [smartphones'] existence." Nintendo hasn't confirmed or denied the report yet: we reached out for comment earlier today. Nikkei says that Nintendo will announce these plans later this week, when Iwata-san discusses the game maker's Q3 financial results. (Spoilers: there's going to be some bad news.) Update: Not so Sega. Not yet.
Google reportedly buying artificial intelligence startup for $400 million
According to reports (and confirmed by the internet company itself), Google has bought Deepmind: a relatively small AI company from London. Re/code broke the news, stating that Google had sunk $400 million into the purchase -- a figure that the company hasn't yet confirmed. The startup's placeholder site outlines its work on "general purpose learning algorithms," with its first projects encompassing games, e-commerce and simulations. It sounds like the team might be working in a separate direction to Google's recent robotics purchases, but the company (unsurprisingly) is plenty interested in the future of artificial intelligence: it teamed up with NASA to launch an AI research lab just last year.
Report: Battlefield 4 banned in China
The Chinese government has banned Battlefield 4 in the country following the release of the China Rising expansion, the Wall Street Journal reports. The game was banned over "national security" reasons. EA declined to comment when contacted by the Wall Street Journal. We have also reached out to EA and will update this post accordingly. The Battlefield 4 single-player campaign takes place during 2020, when a Chinese admiral initiates a plan to overthrow the government. The China Rising expansion features a variety of new maps, vehicles and an additional gametype, all set on the Chinese mainland.
