Outlined during Microsoft’s CES keynote earlier this week, gaming app Cut the Rope has had its journey to the world of HTML5 published for the masses. Tying together features like CSS3 styling and canvas-rendered graphics, the blog post details in cheery technical detail how creators ZeptoLab and Pixel Lab (not related) transferred the game from Objective-C to JavaScript. Check the game for yourself down at the source and expect to see some extra levels designed especially for the browser platform. We’d love to play through those new levels, but boss is around so…
Last year, a group of disgruntled gamers filed a class-action lawsuit against Sony over its decision to remove the “Install Other OS” feature from its PS3 firmware. Last week, though, their case was dismissed by US District Judge Richard Seeborg, on the grounds that the plaintiffs failed to actually state a claim. In a ruling issued Thursday, Seeborg said he sympathized with the gamers’ gripes, but ultimately determined that they had failed to demonstrate any legal entitlement to the feature, thereby neutering their arguments. “The dismay and frustration at least some PS3 owners likely experienced when Sony made the decision to limit access to the PSN service to those who were [un]willing to disable the Other OS feature on their machines was no doubt genuine and understandable,” Seeborg wrote. “As a matter of providing customer satisfaction and building loyalty, it may have been questionable.” He went on, however, to point out that the users “have failed to allege facts or articulate a theory on which Sony may be held liable” post-PS3 purchase, effectively ending the litigation.
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that its Xbox 360 dashboard would be getting an upgrade “in the coming days.” Today, the company has clarified that statement, declaring that the revamped interface will launch on December 6th. The update promises to bring deeper Kinect integration (including sharper voice recognition capabilities), Facebook sharing mechanisms, and a cleaner interface. Redmond also says that the fall clean-up will introduce “a wealth of new content,” including live TV, music and movies, available for streaming. For now, the dashboard is still in beta, though it certainly won’t be long before the masses get their hands on it.
We’ve watched in awe Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, the Revelations, and the trailer shown in E3 left us hanging at what happened to Ezio at the old castle when he was left in the cliff by the templers. Well, here’s some more footage of the scene.
CVG reports that not only will the UK receive the previously revealed “Animus Edition” of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, but a second collectible bundle as well. The “Collector Edition” differs from the Animus Edition in that it contains an artbook and soundtrack instead of an encyclopedia, and leaves out the in-game Armor of Brutus and capacity upgrades.
Oh, and it’s £49.99 for Xbox 360 or PS3, instead of the Animus Edition’s £68.99, as listed by retailer GAME. The Animus Edition is available from the UK’s Ubishop site.
Oh, did you want the artbook, soundtrack, and encyclopedia? Don’t worry — you don’t have to buy the game twice. The Ubiworkshop is selling the encyclopedia.
The game doesn’t come out in another 3 months, but that’s not going to stop me from posting this epic gameplay video just to tick your urge. Watch this, but be warned. This game will only come out in October.
Nowadays, you can’t really claim to have a mobile OS worthy of the title if your users can’t run Angry Birds on it. Good news from Microsoft, then, as Windows Phone 7 can finally be admitted at the grown-up table now that it has released its port of Rovio’s epic bird-launching experience. $2.99 is the Marketplace price for the full version, though there’s also the option to try out the first few levels for free. Because, you know, there might still be people out there who haven’t yet been exposed to the charms of this perniciously addictive little game. But seriously, who really want to play such idiotic and childish game of harpooning a stupidly drawn oversize bird towards some digital bricks?
A new dev diary for F1 2011 details some of the improvements we can expect from the Formula One sequel. Improved multiplayer is going to be a big focus, with 16 player online multiplayer support and a new co-op championship mode. The full roster of drivers, teams and manufacturers will be updated for the next Formula One season, and the game will also include the new Indian Grand Prix. We’ll be making racing cars go “nyyeeaaaaaoowwww” when the game comes out on September 23 this year.
Industry trade website Develop-Online has revealed in an interview with Valve’s Robin Walker that Team Fortress 2 is now permanently free to play, and will solely be supported by in-game item purchases.
TF2′s switch to F2P was rumoured and expected, but perhaps not this soon. Walker says that Valve had been exploring the idea since September 2010. “We’ve been toying with the idea of making Team Fortress free-to-play ever since the Mann-conomy update,” Walker said. “The data we got back from that update leads us to believe that TF2 would be more successful as a completely free product.” Read the rest of the interview with Walker at Develop-Online.
Prior to today, Team Fortress 2 was in the middle of a “free week.” The game’s Über Update should deploy later this evening.
There’s talk that Team Fortress 2 will actually go free-to-play (F2P). “Drkirby” over on NeoGAF was digging through the registry and uncovered what looked to be a test version of the supposed F2P game, listed as “Valve TestApp440 – Test 1″ to conceal its real name. Drkirby went on to look up #440 and discovered that it’s attached to Team Fortress 2 – the number is even shown in the game’s product URL.
According to the registry entry, the TestApp440 is check-marked under the “Subscriptions” tab as having no cost, but that could also mean that the current test doesn’t require a fee. There’s also indication that there will be a “low violence” version, slapped with a DE tag meaning Deutsch, aka German (“LowViolenceInRestrictedCountries=1″).
Team Fortress 2 is a team-based multiplayer game for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 first introduced as part of The Orange Box “bundle” back in Q4 2007. The cartoony, team-oriented game was then released as a standalone PC title on Steam in April 2008. As of Q3 2010, Team Fortress 2 sold over seven million units worldwide, and currently sells for $9.99 on Steam. Given its age and established user-base, Team Fortress 2 could easily slip into F2P mode and reel in potential customers previously not willing to part with ten bucks.
At this point, the F2P Team Fortress 2 is mere speculation but a definite possibility. Stay tuned as more will undoubtedly be unearthed soon.
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