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Miniature horses were the best thing at Build 2018
Don't worry, everyone, I found the Microsoft petting zoo. That's right, that miniature horse you see up there (her name is Midnight Mocha) is staring warily at you from the top floor of the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, where Microsoft's Build developer conference is underway. The zoo, as I'm calling it, is part of a larger relaxation section, the likes of which we've seen at other tech and gaming conferences. But a dedicated space with rented therapy animals? That's new.
Popcorn Time creator reveals himself (and why he left)
Up until the original Popcorn Time 'died' and became an open source project, its chief creator was only known as "Sebastian" -- not surprisingly, he wasn't keen on linking his real name to a pro-piracy initiative. At last, though, this mysterious man has revealed both his identity and his motivations. He's Federico Abad, an Argentinian designer who created Popcorn Time when he wanted a fast and simple way for people to watch any movie they wanted. Existing options took too long, or were confusing to a relative neophyte like Abad's mom. If she liked the technology, it was a good idea.
Analyst: US software sales up 70% in April
With NPD results for April due out this Thursday, it's time for all the analysts to jump into the prediction pool. Pachter already got his out the door, now it's time for Lazard Capital's Colin Sebastian. GameDaily reports that Sebastian believes software sales for April will be up 70% year-to-year, thanks to GTA IV and Mario Kart Wii.Sebastian predicts that although the PS3 and Xbox 360 received a strong hardware sales bump from GTA IV, the PS3 has another one incoming with Metal Gear Solid 4 in June. He states that it's hard to determine what sales in the second half of 2008 look like compared to 2007, but believes the summer months (weak for revenue, even just a few years back) will continue to see strong retail numbers with Wii Fit, Rock Band Wii, MGS4 and movie-based games. Who needs to go outside? There's just sun cancer out there.
Analyst: NPD will show March was a winner for software sales
The March NPD report is expected next week, but Lazard Capital Market's Colin Sebastian believes software sales will be up 35% for the month. GameDaily reports Sebastian expects top sellers to include Army of Two, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, and continued success by Call of Duty 4 and Rock Band. Thanks, in no small part, also goes to a little game called Super Smash Bros. Brawl.Sebastian believes an early Easter holiday and spring break for students assisted software and hardware sales. Speaking of hardware, the analyst believes that that his forecast of six to eight million Wiis being sold in North America during 2008 will "likely prove conservative" due to titles like Wii Fit. He expects healthy growth in the industry leading into the summer due to games expected this year like GTA IV, Mario Kart, GT5: Prologue, MGS 4 and Spore.
Patch 2.4 without the expansion
Reader Sebastian wrote in to us with an interesting question: what good is patch 2.4 if you don't have the Burning Crusade expansion yet? He has a lower level character that hasn't hit 70 yet (he's on level 46), and wants to know exactly what 2.4 is doing for him. From what we can tell, not much.You'll still get some of the good interface updates -- so you'll get the buffs to Inspect, the combat log improvements, and all of the other additions Blizzard has made to the UI. All of the talents you have by 46 that got changes will change, too, and of course the improvements to Warsong Gulch are great for characters of almost any level (since almost everyone can go in there). And let's not forget the biggest change this patch: Old Blanchy's Feed Pouch is now an 8 slotter. That's huge.But no, until you hit level 70, the new daily quests and the Sunwell Instances and the new badge loot won't matter much to you at all. But the good news is that the expansion is only $30, and sometimes even cheaper than that. The weather's getting nice outside, so go mow a few lawns this weekend, and then you'll be able to level up and join us all in the land of the Blood Elves where pretty much everyone has gone mad with magical power. Trust me -- it's more fun than it sounds.
Analysts sound off: What does Blu-ray winning mean to the PS3 and gamers?
The big boys of game industry analysis are back to tell GameDaily what they think this new Blu-ray tide of exclusivity will mean to gamers. Sure, the big talk is that Blu-ray winning could mean a PS3 price cut, but that'll only benefit those who don't already have the latest console Kutaragi built. For consumers with a PS3 snug at home, they should breathe a little easier knowing they won't have to buy another HD movie player in the near future. But what do the boys with the crystal balls think? Mike Hickey, Janco Partners: The PS3 will eventually receive an awakening as Blu-ray becomes the winning format, this will lead to larger install base and motivate third-party developers to the PS3. Michael Pachter, Wedbush Morgan Securities: Says Sony once said 70 - 80% of PS2 owners treated it as their first DVD player, he believes the same will hold true for HD movies -- except that there is currently only a 10% penetration with 1080p televisions. He also says there will be a sales spike later this year coinciding with another price cut. Colin Sebastian, Lazard Capital Markets: He says when consumers decide they "need" a Blu-ray player it certainly can't hurt the PS3, especially if its games improve and hardware prices decline. David Cole, DFC Intelligence: Doesn't believe Blu-ray is a determining factor in the console wars, but it is a nice bonus. He believes if a consumer were stuck choosing between two gaming platforms that were equal, then the Blu-ray might tip them over to the PS3. But he says the list for consumers goes: Price, good exclusive games, and, finally, Blu-ray. The boys of analysis have spoken, what do the ladies and gentlemen of these here internets believe?
More analysts predict PS3 ahead of Xbox in July
Pachter ain't the only analyst predicting the July NPD numbers will show the PS3 has finally outsold the Xbox 360. Turns out Lazard's Colin Sebastian predicts the same thing, saying the PS3 price cut gave the console its expected sales bump for July, while the Xbox 360 hardware issues finally coming to light will cause sales to lag. The Wii and DS will keep doing what they do and make Nintendo gobs of cash.Yes, you can all release your collective "duh" now, but it's still Sebastian's job to say it. He says Activision should see a 200% growth in July, based on Guitar Hero and Transformer sales, whereas EA should expect a 10% decline (remember, this doesn't involve Madden '08 money). Well, whatever the stars tell the analysts, all will be revealed this Thursday by the NPD numbers.
