Games Archive

Why Xbox Kinect Needs an App Store

Submitted by superphage1 2010-06-25 Games 4 Comments

The Xbox 360 Kinect may be designed for games, but its true potential lies in Apps. Because Kinect has full-body tracking, gesture recognition, and specialized microphones that are good for hands-free voice recognition, new types of non-game apps that have never been seen anywhere except maybe in Star Trek could come into being. "Computer, show me the best Italian restaurants in North Beach." Kinect could then show these on the screen, and you could flick through this list with gestures, minority report style. What app is this? Why, Yelp for Kinect, of course.

Is LGP Going The Way Of Loki Software?

Submitted by Michael 2010-06-24 Games 18 Comments

Born out of the demise of Loki Software in 2001 was Linux Game Publishing, but now a decade later the fate of LGP is not looking good for the company that has ported about two dozen game titles to Linux.

It’s Official: Valve Releasing Steam, Source Engine for Linux

Thom Holwerda 2010-05-12 Games 64 Comments

"Valve Corporation has today rolled out their Steam Mac OS X client to the general public and confirmed something we have been reporting for two years: the Steam content delivery platform and Source Engine are coming to Linux. This news is coming days after we discovered proof in Steam's Mac OS X Client of Linux support and subsequently found more Linux references and even the unreleased Steam Linux client. The day has finally come and Linux gamers around the world have a reason to rejoice, as this is the biggest news for the Linux gaming community that sees very few tier-one titles." This means Linux users can finally enjoy two of the best games in recent years: Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2. BOOMER!

The State of Mac and Linux Gaming

Kroc 2010-05-08 Games 39 Comments

Wolfire blog writes: "It's 'common knowledge' that Mac and Linux gaming are so unimportant that they might as well not exist. Everyone 'knows' that Mac games sell a tiny fraction of the amount that Windows games sell, and that Linux games simply don't exist. But are these ideas based on reality? Where did these figures come from? Anyone who has ever worked with statistics knows that it's unwise to trust 'common knowledge' without data to back it up. I decided to ask some developers about their sales distribution, and get some real data about Mac and Linux game sales."

Steam Is Coming to Linux

Thom Holwerda 2010-04-22 Games 80 Comments

Yesterday Phoronix showed proof of Steam's Linux client existence via its Mac OS X launcher that is currently in closed beta, then this morning they showed further signs of Linux support. Since 2008 it was known that Steam and the Source Engine would come to Linux. As an update, they even pointed out the download link for the Steam Linux binary from their store.

Sony Refuses To Reimburse PS3 Refunds

Thom Holwerda 2010-04-16 Games 50 Comments

I think we need to start a digital rights category or something (the next version of OSNews will have it, for sure), because we have yet another article about this subject. After Sony removed the Other OS feature from the PlayStation 3, a European PlayStation 3 owner successfully secured a partial refund from Amazon under the European Sale of Goods Act. Sony has now retaliated, stating it is not going to reimburse retailers

Geohot Restores PS3 OtherOS Feature, May Work on Slim Too

Thom Holwerda 2010-04-07 Games 53 Comments

Good times, good times. Sony received a ton of deserved flak after it announced it would remove the PlayStation 3's "Install other OS" feature, despite advertising the machine with said feature, and despite promising only a few weeks earlier not to remove the feature. iPhone and PS3 hacker George "Geohot" Hotz promised to restore the feature - and less than a week later, he delivers.

PlayStation Pull-Back Hurts Inexpensive Supercomputing

Submitted by Jim Lynch 2010-04-04 Games 19 Comments

A different take on Sony's removal of the Other OS feature of fat PS3s. "The reality probably is that Sony loses money on every PS3 it sells, counting on game sales to make up for the loss in revenue. Academic institutions using PS3s for clusters aren't likely to buy games or engage in online commerce. That's why, when you hear that the US military was planning to buy 2200 PS3 consoles to upgrade an existing PS3-based supercomputing cluster, Sony doesn't jump for joy. I suspect it was news like this, plus other sales for clustering, that prompted Sony to turn off the 'Other OS' feature for existing PS3s."

George Hotz Working to Restore PS3 Other OS Support

Thom Holwerda 2010-03-30 Games 41 Comments

That Sony is a company known for its rather... Unfortunate stance towards DRM and copyright infringement should come as no surprise to anyone, after they more or less crippled the MiniDisc format with DRM, installed rootkits on users' machines, and started removing features from the PlayStation 3. That last one doesn't seem to end well: George Hotz, the famous iPhone hacker and the first to crack the PS3's security, has vowed to bring Linux support back to the PS3.

Evony: Investigating the Game Everyone Loves to Hate

Thom Holwerda 2010-03-30 Games 12 Comments

"One game on the Web has been accused of being little more than an elaborate scam designed to bilk gamers out of their money. The game, Evony, has an extensive Web presence that has gained a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons, and that's just the beginning of the bad press surrounding the title. Accusations of shady business practices, legal bullying, and physical intimidation surround the game; some of these claims are easy enough to parse, while others are practically impossible to figure out because the real story has become so convoluted that it's a Gordian Knot of facts."

Submitted by NiceGuyEddie 2010-03-29 Games 119 Comments

The PlayStation 3 Slim already had an ability penalty of -35 Geekiness because of its lack of the "Install Other OS" option, and now the regular PlayStation 3 will follow in its footsteps. A PS3 firmware update, scheduled to land April 1, will disable this option on regular PS3s as well. This, dear readers, is what we in the business call a "testicle move", especially since only a few weeks ago, Sony bold-facedly claimed the feature would not be removed.

Nintendo Steals Its Own Thunder With 3DS Announcement

David Adams 2010-03-26 Games 13 Comments

This Sunday, Nintendo will launch its newest portable gaming gadget -- the Nintendo DSi XL. This latest version of Nintendo's best-selling DS game machine is large and in charge with not only an expanded waistline but two super-sized screens. But while the DSi XL hasn't even had a chance to sashay out of its box yet, another portable gaming gadget is already hogging its spotlight. And it's another portable gaming gadget from Nintendo. It's called the Nintendo 3DS ... and it doesn't exist yet.

Submitted by google_ninja 2010-03-08 Games 29 Comments

"It's officially official: Valve will bring its Steam online distribution service and titles from its massive library of hit games to the Mac this April, the company confirmed Monday. The successful content-delivery service will bring Valve titles like Left 4 Dead and the upcoming Portal 2, as well as games from other publishers, to Apple computers for the first time. The move was telegraphed last week in a series of teaser posters that mashed characters from Valve games into retro Apple ads." The big thing: native! Native! No emulation! Great news for Mac fans, and hopefully, a Linux version is on the way too.

Clearly the Middle Child: Mass Effect 2

Thom Holwerda 2010-02-02 Games 16 Comments

And here I am, a week later. The Xbox home screen is patiently waiting for input, and as I put the controller down, my eyes drift towards the left, towards the closet where I keep my Xbox games, ordered according to which I find the best. Out of excitement, I had put the Mass Effect 2 box in the prime position when I bought it, but now that I've finished the game, I can't help but take it down a few pegs - behind Mass Effect 1, behind Dragon Age, but just above Fallout 3. I find it hard to admit, but Mass Effect 2 failed to meet my (admittedly) insanely high expectations.

Mass Effect 2 Released

Thom Holwerda 2010-01-26 Games 37 Comments

I just went out in the blistering cold (windchill factor -12) for a very specific purpose: a certain online retailer had broken the embargo on a certain product, and in the faint hope that real-world stores would follow, I figured I'd be able to get my hands on said product that way, too. What are we talking about here? Oh, only what will most likely be the game of the year.

Once Impenetrable PS3 Cracked Wide Open

Thom Holwerda 2010-01-25 Games 31 Comments

"The first hacker to successfully jailbreak the iPhone says he has pulled off yet another modding marvel, this time penetrating the previously impervious PlayStation 3 gaming console. The hack by 20-year-old George Hotz, aka geohot, is significant because the PS3 was the only game console that hadn't been hacked, despite being on the market for more than three years. The feat greatly expands the functionality of the box by allowing it to run unrestricted versions of Linux and a wide range of games that are currently forbidden. The hardware and software designer told El Reg it took him five weeks to develop the hack using a combination of modifications to the console's hardware and software."

Microsoft Cites Psystar Case in Xbox Antitrust Defence

Thom Holwerda 2010-01-24 Games 49 Comments

Remember that little legal spat going on between Apple and Psystar? That one's been more or less wrapped up, with Apple being the sole victor there. The dust from that case has barely had time to settle, and already we see another company quoting it to support its own restrictive, anti-consumer practices. The company in question? Ha, it's Microsoft.

Learn to Let Go: How Success Killed Duke Nukem

Thom Holwerda 2009-12-22 Games 9 Comments

Wired has a very interesting article detailing the demise of 3D Realms and Duke Nukem Forever, the iconic game that never was. "It was never completed. Screenshots and video snippets would leak out every few years, each time whipping fans into a lather - and each time, the game would recede from view. Normally, videogames take two to four years to build; five years is considered worryingly long. But the Duke Nukem Forever team worked for 12 years straight. As one patient fan pointed out, when development on Duke Nukem Forever started, most computers were still using Windows 95, Pixar had made only one movie - Toy Story - and Xbox did not yet exist."

Nintendo Sees 52% Profit Drop

Thom Holwerda 2009-10-30 Games 53 Comments

Thanks to the massive success of the Wii and DS game consoles, Nintendo was able to turn the tide and once again become the number one game company in the world. As with any honeymoon, however, it must come to an end at some point. Nintendo reported its financial results for the first half of 2009 yesterday, and it didn't look good.

Dreamcast Turns 10, New Game To Be Released in October

Thom Holwerda 2009-09-09 Games 25 Comments

It's time for a trip down memory lane. Exactly ten years ago today - 09-09-1999 - Sega released the Dreamcast on the North American market. Widely regarded as far, far ahead of its time, the Dreamcast pioneered several concepts which the competition only picked up on years and years later. Sadly, the Dreamcast would face an early grave.