Gaming

Final Fantasy Versus XIII sometimes feels like it’s been in development forever. So let’s pretend that it has. And that “forever” is really “since 1997?. More »      

Koch/Deep Silver's new buy Metro: Last Light has stolen first place in the UK video games chart from Dead Island: Riptide, the publisher's other game.Last Light didn't, however, match the opening week sales of Metro 2033 - arguably the better game. What's alarming about about that is Metro 2033 only managed 5th, and that game was only for two platforms: PC and Xbox 360.It should be noted, however, that digital sales are not included in the official UK chart.Read more…

Samsung is readying new, smaller versions of its S-Series Ultra HD TV, with 55- and 65-inch models due to hit Korea in June, while a 13.3-inch ultrabook display with almost as high resolution is also waiting in the wings. Samsung’s two new UHD sets will be the smallest in the range the company offers, after announcing 85- to 110-inch versions back at CES in January. Unsurprisingly, those first sets have turned out to be very, very expensive. The 85-inch S9 comes in at a whopping $39,999 which, considering there is a serious dearth of native Ultra HD content, demands as big a commitment to the UHD format as it does a big living room. Although 55- and 65-inch screens still make for big sets overall, the smaller models should make for a slightly more affordable, slightly less intimidating option. Samsung is yet to confirm pricing at this stage, though it says the new versions will support the Evolution Kit system it showed off at CES 2013, allowing for the processing and other specifications to be upgraded later on in the TV’s lifecycle. Otherwise, there’ll be micro-dimming technology for better brightness, contrast, and detail, and the ability to upscale standard- and high-definition content to better take advantage of the 4x-higher-than-HD resolution. The new UHD TVs aren’t the only pixel-packing panels Samsung has for us, however. The company is bringing new screens to SID 2013 this month, including a 13.3-inch QHD 3200 x 1800 panel ideal for high-resolution ultrabooks. 3200 x 1800 makes it more pixel-dense than the 2560 x 1600 screen Apple uses in the MacBook Pro 13, and in fact it’s even higher resolution than the 15-inch Retina Pro. It also bests the Google Chromebook Pixel, with its 2560 x 1700 display. Exactly what Samsung has in mind for it is unclear, though we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the panel show up in a new ultrabook, perhaps at IFA 2013. The company will also show off a new, more power-efficient HD AMOLED technology – promising up to a 25-percent cut in power versus existing versions – along with a low-cost 23-inch touchscreen for up to 10-finger use. Samsung reveals 55/65″ UHD TVs and 13.3″ Retina-beating Ultrabook display is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Hmm, here’s a thing. An announcement has been made at Russian game convention KRI, saying that Obsidian and the Allods team Astrum Nival are going to be making a new MMO, the trailer for which you can see below. Sadly it’s in Russian, which I do not speak. Anyone able to give us the gist? The game is called Skyforge and Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart described it as “interesting and promising.” It’s certainly interesting. The game appears to be a sequel, of sorts, to Allods, and it seems as if Obsidian will be helping out with the making the game – which was announced originally in May 2012 – appear “promising” to European and North American audiences. We’ll hear more about this in the next couple of weeks, no doubt. (more…)

Bit of a quiet week in cosplay last week, so there’s not much new stuff to share. Thankfully, there’s some new shots of favourite old costumes to get us through the dry spell. More »      

Plus, how console is still a big deal in the global games market, the rise of 'neuro-gaming' and Nintendo's forthcoming announcementsA selection of links, hand-picked by the Guardian games writers.EA Has No Games in Development For Nintendo's Wii U | KotakuLess than two years after vowing to deliver on an "unprecedented partnership" with Nintendo, gaming giant EA is quiet on the Wii U front."We have no games in development for the Wii U currently," company spokesperson Jeff Brown told Kotaku yesterday. He did not rule out the chances of EA developing for the Wii U again. EA publishes many of gaming's biggest franchises, including Madden, The Sims, and Battlefield.This is not a good sign for Nintendo, of course. EA may not be the gigantic force it once was when its lack of patronage effectively killed the Dreamcast, but the denial of regular big-hitters like Fifa and Battlefield is going to hurt.Activision's market share climbed to almost 20% in 2012 | GamesIndustry InternationalActivision's market share of the boxed video game sales market climbed from 15.7 per cent in 2011 to 19.5 per cent for 2012.That's according to data collected by Ubisoft, based on figures from NPD, GfK Chart Track and Nielsen, showing that Activision, Ubisoft, Take 2 and Microsoft were the only publishers to increase their market share.The data also provides the best selling game brands. Can you guess the top five? It's Call of Duty, Mario, Fifa, Wii Fit and Assassin's Creed. More people playing video games than ever before | Xbox WireMajor Nelson:On the latest episode of my weekly podcast, Aaron Greenberg (IEB Chief Of Staff) drops by to share some interesting data around the video game industry. How much time are people spending gaming? How does console gaming compare to PC's and mobile? Find out the answers to that and more!Microsoft reckons that consoles still make up 42% of the global consumer spend on games. People are forking out around $27bn on console titles, compared to $10bn on smartphone/tablet and $12bn on PC.Smash Bros, Mario, Mario Kart in Upcoming Nintendo Direct | IGNNintendo has confirmed that Mario, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. will appear in a Nintendo Direct before E3. The news comes via Nintendo of America's Twitter account, which wrote "#IwataSays We will discuss new Smash Bros., 3D Mario game, Mario Kart and other Wii U titles in our #NintendoDirectNA before the start of E3."Surprise!Mind games: why NeuroGaming is the future | VG247How far are we from fully controlling games with our mind? VG247?s Dave Cook speaks with neuro-technology expert Zack Lynch to discuss why sensory tools like Oculus and Google Glass are the future of gaming.This is an interesting round-up of current thinking in 'neuro-gaming' and sensory mechanics. I get virtual reality, but do you really want to touch, feel and smell game worlds? I don't want to smell Call of Duty.The Banner Saga: Factions | TIGSourceIf you like tactical games and free PvP, then you might get as addicted to the Banner Saga: Factions as I have (Factions' Steam page). It's much like playing a timed chess game with a greater depth of variety in terms of strategy, which is provided the fantasy elements of the game and its unique battle mechanics.This is just a quick heads-up for this truly beautiful looking tactical RPG.You can follow Press Start at Pinboard.GamesWiiXboxPlayStationPCKeith Stuartguardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity makes top five debut. Metro Last Light debuted at No.1 on the UK all formats all prices chart for the week ended May 18. Click here to read the full articleRelated StoriesNew Gran Turismo 6 concept footage releasedUbisoft confident that Nintendo will make good on Wii UDeadpool listed for Wii U on Amazon CanadaNext Nintendo Direct to feature Smash Bros, 3D Mario and Mario KartThe Last of Us developer diary talks death and choices

It can sometimes feel like the world is being buried beneath independently-developed PC games, leaving us with far too many to keep up with. More »      

“Nerdy News” is a mini-news show geared towards gamers, technosexuals, and all other geeky peeps. In this one hundred and seventeenth episode of Nerdy News, I’ll be reporting on: Square-Enix is releasing an HD release on PC of Final Fantasy 8. Final Fantasy VII’s downloadable PC port is finally available in Japan. The HD remaster...

New video dissects exploration. The Last of Us has spawned a new developer diary ahead of its release next month.Click here to read the full articleRelated StoriesOuya to exhibit at E3 in parking lotNew Gran Turismo 6 concept footage releasedUbisoft confident that Nintendo will make good on Wii UDeadpool listed for Wii U on Amazon CanadaNext Nintendo Direct to feature Smash Bros, 3D Mario and Mario Kart