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Monday, November 18, 2013

EverQuest Next coming to PS4?

So far, MMORPG EverQuest Next has been confirmed only for PC, but it appears a PlayStation 4 version may be in the works, according to a tease from Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley.

"We haven't announced, technically, that we're putting it on PlayStation 4, but it's fair to say that we're a Sony company so, you know, I say that with a smile on my face," Smedley told GamerHub TV (via CVG). "I can't wait to see it on the PS4."

Producer David Georgeson said in August that SOE is focused principally on the PC version of EverQuest Next.

"We're very serious about this being a PC-orientated launch. Now, you're dumb not to explore other options with a business of this type, but we're very serious about developing for the PC," he said at the time.

If EverQuest Next does come to PS4, it would not be the first MMO from SOE to hit the next-generation console. DC Universe Online is currently available on PS4, while PlanetSide 2 will be released for the console next year.

An alpha period for EverQuest Next Landmark--the worldbuilding tool for EverQuest Next--will begin in February, 2014 for those who purchase the recently announced Founders Packs. No release date for EverQuest Next itself has been announced.

New Need for Speed movie trailer

DreamWorks and Electronic Arts today released a new extended trailer for the upcoming Need for Speed movie starring Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul.

The 2:30 trailer (below) introduces viewers to the revenge-themed plot, as well as the band of characters Paul will associate with during the film, including Michael Keaton (Batman, Mr. Mom).

The film's story follows street racer Tobey (Paul) framed for a crime he did not commit. After leaving prison he embarks on a mission to settle the score with the man who set him up.

The Need for Speed movie will be released in theaters on March 14, 2014. It was directed by Scott Waugh (Act of Valor, various stunt credits). The latest Need for Speed game is Need for Speed: Rivals, which is available today on PlayStation 4.

The game, the first project from Ghost Games, will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC tomorrow, with an Xbox One version to follow at launch on November 22.

Source: http://www.gamespot.com

Battlefield 4 PC hit with DDoS attack, PS4 crash fix on the way

DICE confirms PC version of military FPS the target of a distributed denial-of-service attack; update aiming to fix PS4 crashes coming next week.

The PC version of Battlefield 4 was the target of a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack this weekend, leaving the game unplayable for some, Swedish developer DICE has confirmed on the game's forums.

"We are being targeted by a DDOS, but working on fixing it asap," Battlefield producer Ali Hassoon said Saturday evening. "I'm sorry somebody is ruining your and my day. Rest assured we are doing our best to mitigate the situation though."

The PC version of Battlefield 4 is not the only iteration of the game that is experiencing issues. In a Battlelog update today, DICE laid out plans for how it hopes to improve the game across multiple platforms.

First, DICE said it plans to release an update next week for the PS4 version of Battlefield 4 that will address frequent crashes on the platform. Specific details will be shared later. On Xbox 360, DICE said a general update is currently undergoing final testing and will be released soon.

Lastly, a new title update for the PC version of Battlefield 4 aims to fix a number of remaining issues. "We will have more details on the contents of this update and a rough timing estimate at a later date," DICE said.

Battlefield 4 launched on October 29 for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, before coming to PS4 last week as a launch title. The military FPS will be released this Friday, November 22, for Xbox One.

Source: http://www.gamespot.com

Are Android 'TV sticks' eating into Apple's tablet market share?

The trade in bootleg USB videos and Android-based media players is booming in Asia.

FORTUNE -- One of the mysteries of the tablet wars -- where Android tablet shipments have been advancing rapidly on Apple's (AAPL) iPad -- is what exactly all those Android tablets are doing.

The answer may be that a lot of them aren't tablets at all. They may instead be so-called Android TV sticks and boxes -- typically dongle-like devices that plug into a TV and are used primarily, according to a report out of Singapore, as vehicles for bootleg videos.

"Pirated bootleg movie DVDs used to be quite easy to buy here in Asia," writes jnaina, a long-time contributor to Investor Village's Apple Sanityboard. When pressure from Hollywood led to government crackdowns on bootleg DVDs, the pirates moved to USB drives and Android TV sticks.

"In Singapore," jnaina writes, "you can go to the (in)famous Sim Lim tower and buy these Android based media players. The vendors will throw in about 20+ movies high-quality movies on a USB drive as part of the deal. Most of these Android TV sticks cost around US$100. Once the buyer has finished watching the initial freebie movies that were given as part of the purchase, they can go back to the vendor and buy additional movies that are downloaded to an USB stick for about USD$2 per movie.

"These Android TV boxes typically run Android 4.2 and have Google Play installed. The Android TV Boxes even register as an Android Tablet during the activation process, but these devices are not used for web surfing, emails or any sort of productivity applications. They are strictly used as media players, and for some free Android games."

That would explain a lot.

For an Apple-centric take on how these devices might be distorting market share measurements, see Daniel Eran Dilger's The curious case of IDC, Gartner & Strategy Analytics' PC, phone & tablet data on Apple posted Saturday on AppleInsider.com.

Candy Crush maker looks beyond mega hit

Candy Crush addicts have downloaded the mobile game 500 million times over the past year but its creator is already thinking about how to replicate that success.

Source: http://money.cnn.com

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The best science and technology pictures of the week

1. Airborne this way

Lady Gaga demonstrates the Volantis prototype , which she called the world's first "flying dress",to promote her new album. (AP)

2. Eye on the storm

Typhoon Haiyan from the International Space Station (ISS) in a picture taken by astronaut Karen Nyberg.The storm caused widespread devastation in the Philippines. (Nasa/Reuters)

Source: http://www.bbc.com

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