'Call of Duty' soldiers battle villain Kevin Spacey

SAN FRANCISCO -- The newest installment to blockbuster video game "Call of Duty" hits the streets on Tuesday, pitting soldiers of the future against a Machiavellian villain played by actor Kevin Spacey.

Activision Publishing set out to reload the multi-billion-dollar franchise, bringing in studio Sledgehammer Games to put its spin on the title and taking advantage of advanced capabilities in new-generation PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.

"We've really approached this game differently," said Activision chief executive Eric Hirshberg. "We're shaking up the formula in several ways."

Sledgehammer modified mechanics of playing the military shooter game by adding "exoskeleton suits" that give characters super-soldier abilities.

A "riveting new story" was woven into the game, along with "an iconic new character" played by Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey.

Special gear was used to capture Spacey's movements, expressions and more to create a realistic virtual version of him playing the part of Jonathan Irons, a private military contractor intent on ruling the world.

"It's been a lot of fun working with the team to bring Jonathan Irons to life," the Academy Award-winning actor said in a release. "The technology is truly remarkable and unlike anything I've done before. I'm excited to see where this goes."

Spacey has been quoted saying "Call of Duty: Advance Warfare" is likely to become the first video game he ever plays.

Future soldiers

The game is set in the year 2054, when a private military corporation run by Spacey's character is the dominant power.

Players take on the roles of soldiers with advance combat abilities due to exoskeleton suits and other equipment.

"From the endless research and thousands of production designs, to our incredible focus on the narrative and amazing attention to detail - we're taking nothing for granted," said Sledgehammer co-founder and game director Glen Schofield.

"Call of Duty connects with the fans on such a deep level, and crafting a new vision for the next generation has been so inspiring for us."

Versions of "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" will be available at stores starting Tuesday priced at $60 each. Copies of the game have been tailored for the latest Sony and Microsoft consoles as well as for personal computers powered by Windows software.

Those who pre-ordered "Day Zero" editions get to start playing the game a day early, and enjoy some digital perks.

Activision promised players "a groundbreaking experience that's ripped-from-the-headlines-of-tomorrow."

Stories in the blockbuster "Call of Duty" military shooter franchise are inspired by historical events, according to Activision.

Dictator suit shot down
A California judge recently shot down a lawsuit filed by former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega after his likeness appeared in a "Call of Duty" video game.

State Judge William Fahey sided with video game publisher Activision Blizzard, dismissing a lawsuit that creators of the game had decried as "frivolous."

Activision had asked the judge in September to toss out the lawsuit on the grounds that giving a small part to a Noriega character in "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" was protected under the law as free speech.

The suit filed by Noriega two months earlier accused those behind the video game of exploiting his likeness without permission by making him a traitorous on-screen villain.

"This was an absurd lawsuit from the very beginning and we're gratified that in the end, a notorious criminal didn't win," said former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was part of the legal defense team.

Activision touted the ruling as a victory for "the 40 million dedicated members of our Call of Duty community."

Instalments of the game have featured Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy, and Noriega.

Hordes of excited gamers descended on shops across the globe a year ago for the launch of the previous installment of the game, "Call of Duty: Ghosts."

"Every year the launch of 'Call of Duty' is more than just another product launch; it's a cultural event that draws millions of people together from all over the world," said Activision chief marketing officer Tim Ellis.

The franchise has moved more than 100 million units since the original version was released in late 2003.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Microsoft offers gaming console in China at long last

SHANGHAI - US technology giant Microsoft on Monday launched its Xbox One game console in China, the first foreign company to enter the potentially massive market after the government lifted a 14-year ban.

The launch, which was delayed a week for reasons Microsoft did not reveal, comes as the US company faces a government investigation for alleged "monopoly actions" regarding other products like its flagship Windows operating system, used on the majority of computers in China.

In January China formally authorised the domestic sale of game consoles made in its first free trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, ending a ban in 2000 originally instituted due to worries over content. The FTZ was established exactly a year ago on Monday.

At a branch of Chinese electronics chain store Suning in downtown Shanghai, a salesman said the outlet sold more than 30 limited-edition consoles priced at 4,299 yuan ($699) after staying open past midnight. A more basic package retails for 3,699 yuan ($602) in China.

Buyers were lured by Kinect, which obeys motion and voice commands, but some expressed disappointment at the lack of available games in China -- only 10 for the launch.

Prices are also far higher than other markets like the United States, where the website price is $400 for the basic console and $500 with Kinect.

"The console price is too high, the first batch of games has no attraction, can we buy something more practical?" said Diu Dasu in a microblog posting.

Of the ten games, half are sport or racing titles. Others are aimed at younger players, like "Zoo Tycoon" and puzzle-solving game "Max: The Curse of Brotherhood".

So far absent are first-person shooter games like the popular "Call of Duty" series, although Microsoft says it has more than 70 titles in the pipeline to bring to China.

Under the rules of the FTZ, games must pass inspection by cultural authorities, who conceivably could censor content they deem to be obscene, violent or politically sensitive.

Microsoft still beats rivals like Japan's Sony, which makes the PlayStation console, and Nintendo's Wii into the Chinese market.

A joint venture of Sony and Chinese tourism and cultural firm Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group is planning to start operations in the FTZ from December.

Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella last week visited China for the first time since taking the post in February, in what Chinese state media portrayed as an attempt to appease regulators over the investigation.

The head of China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which is carrying out the investigation, met Nadella on Thursday and urged Microsoft to "cooperate" in the probe, China Industry and Commerce News reported.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Microsoft to sell Xbox One in China in September

SHANGHAI - Microsoft will later this year start offering its Xbox One game console with a local partner in China, where such devices were banned for more than a decade.

"Today marks a monumental day for Xbox, as together with our partner BesTV New Media Co., we announced we will bring Xbox One to China in September of this year," Microsoft vice president Yusuf Mehdi wrote in a blog post.

"Launching Xbox One in China is a significant milestone for us and for the industry."

In January China formally authorised the domestic sale of game consoles made in its first free trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, potentially opening up a lucrative market to players such as Microsoft and Japan's Sony and Nintendo.

The relaxation of a decade-long ban -- despite which the devices are widely available -- does not apply to console imports. But Microsoft and BesTV set up a $237 million joint venture in the FTZ last year to produce home entertainment equipment.

BesTV, a subsidiary of state-owned Shanghai Media Group, confirmed the timeframe for the launch in a statement, adding it will work with Microsoft to develop video games with Chinese characteristics.

The companies said Xbox One will be the first of its kind to officially launch in China, a country with nearly 500 million game players, although they did not reveal the pricing.

China's game revenue jumped 38 percent year-on-year to 83.2 billion yuan ($13.7 billion) in 2013, according to one industry estimate, although the market was dominated by online computer games.

Despite the announcement, Shanghai-listed BesTV ended down 0.35 percent at 33.83 yuan in Shanghai trading on Wednesday. 

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Microsoft hopes 'Titanfall' can boost Xbox One

WASHINGTON -- Tech titan Microsoft -- which has struggled to keep pace with Sony and its PlayStation 4 -- is pinning its hopes on a new action video game, ironically named "Titanfall."

The highly anticipated game for the new generation Xbox One console lands this week in a major global release, with Microsoft is betting it will keep the company in the forefront of the battle for the living room and home entertainment.

"The challenge is finding the 'killer game,'" says Avi Greengart of research firm Current Analysis. "Titanfall appears to be the first must-have, first-person mutliplayer game that takes real advantage of the Xbox One's additional horsepower."

Technology analyst Rob Enderle at Enderle Group said the new game -- featuring elite assault pilots and heavily-armored, 24-foot (six-meter) titans -- will be a critical test for Microsoft.

"Titanfall is really the big title for Xbox One," he said. "Game consoles live and die on blockbusters, so it is really important that the audience likes this game."

The game is produced by Respawn Entertainment, using designers of the "Call of Duty" blockbuster series, and distributed by Electronic Arts exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox and PC platforms. It carries a US price tag of $60.

Set in the near future on a distant war-torn part of space called "the frontier," Titanfall drops players in the middle of a conflict between the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation and the Frontier Militia.

The main characters are the titans, described as "descendants of present-day fledgling military exoskeletons," and the pilots, who have varying degrees of certification.

Players can shift back and forth between pilot and titan, change tactics on the fly and attack or escape depending on the situation, according to the producers.

The release comes with Microsoft's Xbox One in intense battle with Sony and Nintendo's Wii U to be at the heart of digital home entertainment and consoles under pressure to prove their worth as people increasingly turn to smartphones or tablets for games and videos.

Microsoft and Sony both had strong holiday sales after the release of their new-generation consoles last year. But so far in 2014 PS4 has been leading, according to the research firm NPD.

Empire strikes back

Greengart said Microsoft is trying to show Xbox One has momentum, and Titanfall may help.

"It's not available on Sony, so this gives Microsoft a much-needed shot in the arm just as Sony has announced a nice spike in sales after PS4 went on sale in Japan," Greengart told AFP.

Microsoft doesn't want to be seen as left behind, he explained. "If consumers think one platform that has legs, sometimes it becomes so. Right now it looks like Sony has pulled ahead."

Titanfall is being released Tuesday in the Americas, Russia and parts of Asia, and on Thursday in India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and most of Europe. The release will be Friday in Britain, Ireland and Portugal.

Even with challenges facing the console games sector, there have been notable recent successes including "Grand Theft Auto V," "Battlefield 4" "Just Dance 2014" and the latest installment of the "Call of Duty" franchise.

"Despite the growth of mobile games, a tremendous number of consumers are willing to spend serious money on the hardware and the gaming experience," Greengart said.

"But is this the last generation of consoles? That's the big question."

Greengart said Microsoft and others have failed so far to bring gaming into the "ecosystem" that will encourage consumers to use the full range of products including phones and tablets.

"Neither Microsoft nor Sony nor Nintendo have done a good job of bridging the living room with their mobile assets," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Xbox One makes hot debut as console war revs up

SAN FRANCISCO - Gamers in more than a dozen countries started snapping up new-generation Xbox One consoles Friday as Microsoft battled Sony to be at the heart of Internet age home entertainment.

Keenly-awaited Xbox One consoles launched in more than a dozen countries including Australia, France, Britain, Brazil and the United States as day dawned in respective time zones.

Xbox fans queued at consumer electronics shops to be among the first to get their hands on Microsoft's beefed up system that extends beyond gaming to online films, music, social networking and more.

A man in New Zealand, 24-year-old Dan Livingstone, became the first person in the world to officially own an Xbox One. He said he was immediately retreating for five days to play with it.

International time zones meant New Zealand was the first country to launch the console.

Australia was next in the global roll out. The distinctive Sydney Tower turned Xbox One green and another 3D projection beamed onto the water beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the midnight launch.

In California, people were also eager to get one of their own.

"It's a big upgrade; a big change," said 23-year-old Jonathan Guerrero, who staked out a spot at the front of the line at a Best Buy electronics shop in Northern California 13 hours before the consoles went on sale a minute into Friday.

"You are jumping from okay to super great."

Hassan Ali, 34, said he queued to get an Xbox One because he has an ideal television for the rich graphics pumped out by the console. He described his set as a 3-D, high-definition, smart television with a 65-inch screen.

"It's kind of amazing that you can look at the game and it looks like real life," said 34-year-old Ali, who told of loving video games since his first Sega device in 1985.

Sony last week unleashed its new champion in the long-running console war, getting a slight jump on Microsoft heading into the prime holiday shopping season.

The Xbox One, successor to the Xbox 360, the top-selling console in North America, will debut at a price of $500 while Sony's PS4 is priced at $400.

Sony said it sold more than a million PS4 consoles in the 24 hours after its release on November 15.

Analysts said that it remained to be seen which of the new-generation consoles will prove more popular, noting that the lower price plays in favor of the PS4.

"If history has anything to say about it, core gamers tend to favor Sony," said Brian Blau, research director at analyst firm Gartner.

"There is nothing I've seen to say that one platform is going to have an advantage over the other."

Both consoles boast upgrades which provide richer graphics and more immersive game play than their predecessors. Social features of online play have also been enhanced, along with the ability to share with friends.

Microsoft touts the Xbox One console as a home entertainment hub that goes far beyond games.

The beefed-up hardware allows for instant switching between games, television, and Internet browsing. Microsoft-owned Skype was integrated for online group video calls.

Kinect motion and sound sensing accessories accompanying the consoles recognize users; respond instantly to commands spoken in natural language, and even detect a person's pulse.

"This is the beginning of a new generation of games and entertainment and a new generation of smart TV," Microsoft entertainment unit executive Yusuf Mehdi said when Xbox One was unveiled.

Microsoft has put its hardware and software mastery to effective use, bringing game controllers, tablets, smartphones, voice, and gesture together in the Xbox One.

In a move that might irk gamers, neither Xbox One or PS4 are compatible with titles designed for play on earlier versions of consoles.

Mehdi was not worried about the booming popularity of play on smartphones and tablet computers, saying it has increased the appetite for interactive entertainment in what has grown to a $93 billion industry, including sales of software and hardware for consoles, PCs and handheld devices.

Gartner forecast that the console segment of the video game market will grow from $44 billion this year to $49 billion, while that of mobile games will climb from about $13 billion to $17 billion.

"Microsoft and Sony have greatly improved products," Blau said.

"The key for them is getting developers to build compelling games and applications that take advantage of all the wonderful resources that come in those boxes."

Microsoft and Sony both worked hard with blockbuster game makers to have titles ready to hit the market with the new consoles.

While much is made of rivalry between Microsoft and Sony the evolution of consoles into digital home entertainment systems means competition from devices such as Roku boxes or even Google's inexpensive Chromecast gadget for easily streaming Internet content to television screens.

The stakes in the console game are heightened for Microsoft because Xbox has been a hit while the US-based technology colossus has seen other forays into consumer electronics flop.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com