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Evil Controllers now offering custom PS4, Xbox One peripherals
Third-party peripheral manufacturer Evil Controllers is now offering customized PS4 and Xbox One controllers through its online store. The store currently holds 18 PS4 controllers, ranging in price from $84.99 to $109.99. Evil Controllers also has seven Xbox One game pads, priced from $89.99 to $109.99. The peripherals are official Xbox One and DualShock 4 controllers, so the buttons, analog sticks and other components won't differ from the game pads Microsoft and Sony pack in with their consoles. There are a few versions of Evil Controllers' modified peripherals that include the custom controller brand's trademark bullet-style buttons, though.
Ouya CEO open to cloud gaming, Discover store on third-party hardware
Ouya Inc. has offered support for cloud gaming service OnLive from the launch of its open-ended gaming device, the Ouya. Once OnLive filed for bankruptcy, however, Ouya began talking with other vendors about supporting its platform, CEO Julie Uhrman's recent interview with VentureBeat revealed. Uhrman stated that there is "absolutely a role for cloud gaming on Ouya," but did not offer specifics as to which service the company is considering partnering with other than "all the ones that you're thinking." More curiously, Uhrman said she's also open to the idea of Ouya's Discover store appearing on third-party hardware. The hypothetical deal would work only if the partner's product offered "the exact same specifications" as future Ouya devices in order to avoid fragmentation for developers.
Sony creates Third Party Production division
Sony created a new division with the purpose of bringing third party games to its platforms, Vice President of Third Parties Adam Boyes announced during the PlayStation Indie Arcade event at PAX Prime today. During the event, Boyes elaborated on how the division came about, and it started with the desire to bring Borderlands 2 to Vita. "We realized that we had to build an entire division in order to make Borderlands 2 on Vita happen," Boyes said. To create the division, Sony hired Gio Corsi, former lead producer at LucasArts and executive producer of the now-halted Star Wars 1313. "The big vision there was for us to be able to take these IPs from publishers and famous IPs that people love and then let developers work with it," Boyes said. Iron Galaxy Studios, developers of the recently-released fighter Divekick, will develop Borderlands 2 on Vita.
PlayStation 4 DRM policies clarified by Sony (updated)
Not so fast, vaquero. While Sony was cheered in heroic fashion for proclaiming that used games would be free and clear to operate on the PlayStation 4, it appears that the reality is actually a bit more complicated. Sony America CEO Jack Tretton has made clear today that while first-party titles will fit in with yesterday's "hands-off" approach, third-party publishers will be allowed to throw some curveballs. "There's gonna be free-to-play, there's gonna be every potential business model on there, and again, that's up to their relationship with the consumer, what do they think is going to put them in the best fit. We're not going to dictate that, we're gonna give them a platform to publish on. The DRM decision is going to have to be answered by the third parties, it's not something we're going to control, or dictate, or mandate, or implement." That's the new word out of Tretton's mouth, which seems to indicate that players like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Treyarch and pretty much any PS4 game maker outside of Sony's own umbrella can cobble together any combination of policies they want. You could say that it's not too different from how the PS3 operates today, but there's still plenty of room for clarifications across the industry. Hit up the source link for the full spiel. Update: Sony itself has responded with the following: "Similar to PS3, we will not dictate the online used game strategy (the ability to play used games online) of its publishing partners. As announced last night, PS4 will not have any gating restrictions for used disc-based games. When a gamer buys a PS4 disc they have right to use that copy of the game, so they can trade-in the game at retail, sell it to another person, lend it to a friend, or keep it forever."
Ubisoft's Uplay adds third-party games, EA's Origin nabs Ubisoft ones
Ubisoft's Uplay service, a hub for purchasing Ubisoft PC games, has expanded to include third-party titles from major publishers such as EA, Warner Bros., Focus Home Interactive, Freebird Games, Paradox Interactive, Telltale Games and more. A few games listed at launch are Batman: Arkham City GOTYE, Crysis 3, Orcs Must Die 2, The Walking Dead and To the Moon.To entice potential customers to check out the new and improved Uplay, Ubisoft offers a free copy of one of the following games with a purchase of £16.99 or more (excluding pre-orders), now through March 4: Driver San Francisco Deluxe Edition, From Dust, Might and Magic Heroes 6 Deluxe Edition, Rayman Origins, The Settlers 7 Gold Edition or World in Conflict: Complete Edition. Uplay members can also redeem rewards for Assassin's Creed 3 and Far Cry 3 for free during this time.As part of the deal, Ubisoft is throwing its own games onto EA's Origin service, another PC digital distribution hub.In September, Ubisoft teased the idea of offering games from other publishers on Uplay, and said that the service would eventually feature things "beyond digital distribution."At the time of publication, Uplay is down for maintenance.
iHome promises Lightning docks, more at CES 2013
iHome, one of many companies that puts together third-party products for Apple devices, has just revealed its CES lineup, and the most exciting thing about them is that they are, finally, Lightning-equipped. Yes, the company has quite a few docks and boomboxes available for sale, from $100 to $200 or so, and while the specifics aren't all that exciting (they all play music, of course, and have various options available for FM or Bluetooth connections), the biggest deal here is the Lightning connection. I have a feeling (though it's pretty obvious, given the timing here) that Lightning will be a big trend at CES next week. TUAW will be at CES as well, looking through all of the various iPhone and iPad accessories getting announced to show up in 2013, and I wouldn't be surprised if nearly every new device we see was either built for both the 30-pin connector and the Lightning hookup, or just the Lightning. Apple's clearly moved on, and CES seems like the perfect time for third-party accessory makers to do the same. So stay tuned. As I said, TUAW will be out and about all week at CES 2013 in Las Vegas starting next Sunday, and odds are that we'll see plenty of these docks, as well as chargers and lots of other fun accessories, built specifically for Apple's Lightning standard. If you've been waiting to find some good accessories for your brand-new iPhone or iPad, you're in luck.
Ubisoft's Uplay may incorporate third-party games
Uplay, Ubisoft's recently revamped PC client, may start selling third-party games, Ubisoft worldwide director for online games Stephanie Perotti says."We remain open to opportunities," Perotti tells MCV. "Right now, we're starting the service with our own games, but as we go forward, we plan to potentially add other titles."Uplay first launched in 2009 as a hub for players to share media and unlock content in Ubisoft games. Uplay got a facelift last month and now allows players to directly download Ubisoft games, offers a collection of personalized player information for each title, and has a friends list and chat system.Perotti says Uplay will offer more than similar services, such as Steam. "The plan for UPlay goes beyond digital distribution," she says.
Smash Bros. director says Wii U version will be familiar and focused
Masahiro Sakurai, who is overseeing the upcoming Namco-created iteration of Smash Bros. on the Wii U and 3DS, says the goal for the game will be to keep things focused and fresh, rather than blowing out either the mechanics or the character list.Sakurai told IGN that because the franchise is so popular lately, he believes the core gameplay is on target, and thus won't change much in the next installment. "The game system itself is complete," says Sakurai, "so we don't want to make it 3D or introduce complicated controls just for the sake of it." The Wii U's new controller will be used, but outside of that, it sounds like things will stay familiar for fans.That will be true for characters as well. While Sakurai thinks "Snake and Sonic joining were fantastic," he's leery of going too far outside the Nintendo staple, for fear of losing "the focus of the game." Will there be anything new at all? Sakurai says only that he and his team are thinking of "ways we can introduce a slightly different, fun experience all the while keeping the usual frantic game play."
Sphero adds first third-party app with Last Fish
Sphero is a little rolling ball robot that's controlled via iOS or other mobile devices. We last covered it when it was being previewed at CES, but it's been available for a while, either online or at a Brookstone store near you. But now the little ball has added a new trick to its repertoire: With a game called Last Fish, Sphero now works as a controller. I'm not completely clear on how it exactly works, but I think you can just roll Sphero around to control the luminescent onscreen fish, which seems like a really good idea. You're effectively translating a 2D screen into actual, 3D space. The game seems very artistic and well-done, if a little simple, but the added charm of using the Sphero device makes it worth checking out. We'll look forward to seeing the Sphero used in other ways in conjuction with third-party iOS apps.
Verizon halts dubious third-party billing on landlines, years after landlines were 'in'
Okay, okay -- landlines are still useful. But rapidly growing, they are not. That said, Verizon is caving to congressional pressure in a relatively minor way, announcing that it'll be banning certain third-party charges on landline bills. In political circles, the process is known as "cramming," where customers (oftentimes unknowingly) submit their number to certain third-party add-ons that have generated some $10 billion in revenue over the past five years. Sen. Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia is applauding the move, and also encouraging Congress to make this commonplace across all carriers. Curiously, there's no mention of mobile blocking, where consumers are regularly duped into subscribing to recurring fees via text-based competitions and contests. Perhaps when we've all moved on to telepathy, the feds can get right on that.
Siine Keyboard for Android brings 'Sexy Delete,' icons do all the talking (video)
It goes without saying that one of the beauties of Android is how easily customizable it can be. For example, you're not shackled to its stock keys and can easily swap in a third-party solution such as Siine; which is packing strange, but useful, features like "Sexy Delete." To go along with the provocative erasing, Siine offers an array of tap-driven icons that act as phrase shortcuts, allowing you to enter anything from "what's up" to "miss me" -- you can even program your own. Siine Keyboard won't ask anything from your wallet, and you can grab it now via the source link below. We're also hooking you up with a quick tutorial courtesy of its creators after the break.
Kenko Tokina 400mm lens for Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX hits Japan tomorrow
Looking for a zoom booster to flesh out your NEX or MFT kit? Then take a highly magnified gander at Kenko Tokina's 400mm f/8 mirror lens, which now comes with both E- and T-mounts to complement the manufacturer's existing SLR-compatible range. So long as you don't mind the light-sapping aperture and manual focus, you'll be able pick one up in Japan tomorrow for a price that should soon become apparent. Just bear in mind that other new MFT options from Tamron and Astrodesign are likely on their way too.[Thanks, Tibor]
Swype won't initially be available on Ice Cream Sandwich, but it's in the works
Swipers won't be swiping on Ice Cream Sandwich... at least, not for a while. Swype tweeted the above message, indicating that the third-party keyboard company has its work cut out for it. It appears that Android changed things up this time around, including the way it reports screen resolution -- a crucial element to a keyboard, which naturally would cause a company like Swype a little bit of grief. No timeframe for availability has been set, but don't panic if you have to stick with the stock 'board on your brand new Galaxy Nexus for a spell.
Blizzard elaborates on Guardian Cub sales
Has Blizzard surrendered to the powerful RMT lobby or are there other forces at work behind the company's recent decision to introduce a loophole that allows players to buy in-game gold and items with real-world currency? According to a recent post on World of Warcraft, the sale of the Guardian Cub is meant to test the waters of fighting rampant account compromises. Blizzard claims that gold farming is actually not as common these days, but instead most of the gold that is sold through third-party services comes from stolen accounts. The idea of bypassing third-party gold sellers by providing a cash shop pet that could be resold or traded in game was meant to be a creative solution to the problem. "Players can buy one for the purpose of trying to sell it in-game, creating the potential for players to exchange real money for gold in a way that does not lead to account compromises. Of course, all that comes with the pretty important caveat that demand for the pet will be finite, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to find a buyer," Blizzard writes. The company says that it doesn't expect this will solve the overall issue, the success or failure of the unique pet will help Blizzard determine if this approach is worth pursuing further.
Senator Schumer blasts OnStar for 'brazen' privacy violation, calls for FTC investigation
Last week, OnStar issued a privacy notice informing customers that it would continue to collect data on vehicles still connected to its servers, even for those who have already canceled their subscriptions. The move elicited a chorus of protests from Democratic privacy advocates in the Senate, including Chris Coons, Al Franken and, most recently, Charles Schumer, who wrote a letter to the FTC yesterday calling for an investigation into what he sees as a bold violation of consumer rights. "By tracking drivers even after they've canceled their service, OnStar is attempting one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory," the New York Senator said. "I urge OnStar to abandon this policy and for FTC to immediately launch a full investigation to determine whether the company's actions constitute an unfair trade practice." Find out more about OnStar's new policy, after the break.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Test driving Magic Hub
I'm going to jump on this one before anyone else does. The company Overwolf developed a little application that provides MMO players with social networking, web, video and screenshot functionality without the need to alt+tab out of a game. It's a lot like what Trion has built into RIFT, only in a third-party package, and Frogster partnered with Overwolf to provide a Runes of Magic-branded version called Magic Hub -- complete with RoM-specific buttons. After some technical problems, I got Magic Hub to work and put it through its paces. There are other applications out there that provide a wide range of functionality for gamers, but since this one is customized for RoM, I thought I'd give my impressions.
Origin nets 4 million client installs, adding third-party content 'very soon'
EA's digital distribution service, Origin, is set to deliver third-party content "very soon," EA CFO Eric Brown said today. Origin has gathered 4 million client installs, a number Brown expects to see grow as we enter the holiday season, also known as Dueling Mainstream FPS Launch season. Brown says EA will use its collection of 130 million users and various payment methods to attract third-party games to Origin. EA has previously said Origin wasn't created to compete directly with Steam, but that was way back in July, when EA wasn't sure if Origin would catch on. Apparently plans can change drastically in two months, especially once an obvious business-dependent marketing ploy actually catches on.
Atari, EA and others push court to accept Apple's request against Lodsys
Lodsys filed suit earlier this year against a number of third-party App Store developers, claiming that it owned patents covering a number of functions used by Apple's app marketplace, and that by using that store, these third-party devs were in violation of these patents. Apple, however, came out swinging a little while back, throwing a blistering letter down in the lawsuit, essentially calling Lodsys' claims nonsense. And now Atari, EA, and a number of other iOS developers named in the lawsuit have thrown their support behind Apple's argument, officially filing motions to support Apple's position outlined in that letter. The motions also ask that Apple be allowed into the lawsuit as an intervenor and not just a third-party, so that it can properly review and make an actual response to everything filed by Lodsys. Lodsys has been accused of making an end-run around Apple to the smaller developers in this case, and trying to go after companies that might not be able to afford a fight, but passing this motion would pit Lodsys straight up against Apple and all of its resources rather than just the developers themselves. One notable exception from the companies already fighting the case: Google. Lodsys reportedly also targeted Android developers, but so far Google hasn't stepped up in the same way that Apple has. We'll have to see if the folks in Mountain View are willing to join the fight as well.
Outspark announces Flint publishing platform
Outspark -- makers of popular free-to-play MMOs Fiesta, Luvinia, and more -- announced today the release of its new publishing platform, Outspark Flint. It's a logical addition, considering the company's recent move to publishing third-party titles. Outspark believes that Flint will bring new MMO titles into the reach of the more than 200 million players that Outspark commands. The first game on the Flint platform is Lord of Ages, an MMORTS which went live last week. Outspark claims that "the platform is enabling Lord of Ages to reach an even larger audience." The platform itself is an "open API that provides third-party developers and operators with all of the tools necessary for distribution, user acquisition, analytics, monetization, marketing and operations." Whether this new platform indeed helps Outspark reach its goals or not, we'll have to wait and see.
'We hear you loud and clear': CCP clarifies third-party application licensing fees
What should be a week of rejoicing following EVE Online's Incarna expansion going live has been soured by controversy over seemingly high-priced microtransactions and debate over fees associated with third-party application licensing. Today, CCP has come out to address the second point and clarify its position. CCP Guard admits that the company didn't do the best job in explaining how third parties can charge a real-world money fee for their services apart from in-game currency, and he reposts an illuminating transcript of an interview with CCP Zulu regarding the licensing. The problem came in the form of $99 licensing fees to use this new service, a charge that EVE players felt was extremely high. Apparently CCP agrees and will be looking into changing it to a "token charge" that will make the contract between CCP and the third party binding without it being a financial obstacle. You can read the full explanation over at EVE Online, and while you're at it, you can snag yourself the expansion on Steam for $10.
