Monthly Archives: October 2015
PS4 Sales Still Outpacing PS2, Closing in on 30 Million
Sony has released its financial report for the three months ending September 30, 2015, revealing PS4 sales continue to soar.
4 million consoles were sold in the three months before Sony's recently-announced price cuts came into effect, up from 3.3 million units in the same period last year. This brings the lifetime total to 29.3 million - by comparison, star-performer the PS2 had only managed 24.99 million in the same timeframe, though the original Wii managed 34.55 million.
As a result of this overperformance, the company has now raised the number of PS4 consoles it expects to sell this year from 16.5 million to 17.5 million. Last year it sold 14.8 million.
Notably, the company also flagged “an increase in PlayStation 4 software sales”, though PS3 game sales are naturally starting to dwindle.
Russia Plans Moon Landing in 2029
Russia is planning a manned mission to the Moon in 2029.
The head of Roscomsos Energia, Vladimir Solntsev, spoke on Tuesday about the planned mission, saying “A manned flight to the moon and lunar landing is planned for 2029.”
The plan, according to Reuters, sees the Moscow-built spacecraft perform its first scheduled flight in 2021. After that, a docking mission to the International Space Station will be carried out in 2023, followed by an unmanned mission to the Moon in 2025.
Around two weeks ago, the European Space Agency expressed interest in joining Russia’s plan to colonize the Moon by offering key technical data for a different mission in 2020.
UK Deals: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim under £3
The Elder Scrolls V 5: Skyrim (PC) is an amazing £2.84 on CDKeys when you use the 5% discount code.
Evolve is £14.85 on Amazon.
Yamaha Creates Humanoid Motorcycle-Driving Robot
Yamaha revealed its autonomous motorcycle-riding humanoid robot called Motobot during the Tokyo Motor Show currently taking place in Japan.
The announcement video demonstrates the cyborg-looking robot operating a motorcycle, equipped with training wheels, up to 102 kilometers per hour. The robot successfully corners, swerves and uses the throttle and clutch. No Top Gun-esque wheelies yet.
Motobot’s robotic voiceover in the video addresses multiple MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, saying “I was created to surpass you. But I'm not sure I can even beat the five-year-old you. I am improving my skills everyday. Perhaps if I learned everything about you, I would be able to catch up. The way you ride is both beautiful and exciting. I am not human but there has to be something that only I am capable of. I am Motobot. I was created to surpass you.”
Nintendo’s New Membership Program is Called My Nintendo
During a meeting with investors, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima detailed the Japanese game makers new membership program, called My Nintendo.
Buy and play Nintendo games to earn points for rewards.
My Nintendo will have several functions. Members can manage their friend list across Nintendo hardware and smart devices. My Nintendo will also serve as the company's new loyalty program. Users can track and earn redeemable points by purchasing and -- unlike with Club Nintendo -- for playing games. Points can be redeemed for digital content, original merchandise, and discount coupons. Through the service, members can also receive updates from game characters, access add-on content, or personalized offers.
Nintendo Account Transfers Game Data between Mobile, Console Games
Members of Nintendo's new service called Nintendo Account will be able to transfer game data between mobile games and console games via a cloud-based data service.
President Tatsumi Kimishima offered news about the service during today’s Nintendo investors meeting, The Wall Street Journal reports.
However, it’s not yet clear if game data refers to game save data. Earlier this year, former president Satoru Iwata revealed that members can access the program across multiple devices using one common ID. This includes Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, the new NX, smartphones and PCs.
Nintendo Announces First Official Mobile Game
During an investor meeting today, Nintendo announced that its first smartphone project in partnership with DeNA will be titled Miitomo.
According to a translation by The Wall Street Journal, Miitomo "will be free to play, with attractive add-ons that people can pay for," while other smartphone games "will be pay-to-download," according to new Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima.
In Miitomo, according to WSJ, it "Looks like Miis go ahead and communicate with other Miis without your knowledge. This will help people who are hesitant to talk about themselves to communicate with others, and reveal a side of your friends you never knew." Players "will design their own avatars, or Miis, to communicate with other users." And Nintendo executive Shinya Takahashi added that Nintendo "will find ways to encourage people who are hesitant to talk to share things about themselves."
Nintendo Has Shipped Over 20 Million Amiibo Worldwide
During its investor briefing today in Kyoto, Nintendo revealed it has shipped 21.1 million amiibo worldwide, a number that's up significantly from the already impressive 14.7 million it reported in June. Of the total amiibo sold, 66% went to North America, 11% to Japan, and 20% to Europe, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Of those 21 million amiibo, 400,000 have been Yarn Yoshi amiibo, associated with Yoshi's Woolly World. The Yarn Yoshi amiibo was only just made available in the US on October 16.
As for the recently released Animal Crossing amiibo cards, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima said "Nintendo can’t keep up with demand." Kimishima apologized and promised new shipments would begin today.
If You’re Seriously Considering Flying to France to See Star Wars Early, Here’s How to Do It
Last month, we learned that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released in France on December 16 -- two full days before most of the world. If you're literally considering flying to France to see it early, here's the best deal we've seen yet.
French airline Air France has announced its new "Flight and Cinema" offer, which includes a free Star Wars: The Force Awakens ticket with specific flights to Paris. The best part? They include arranged travel from the airport to the theater.
All flights must take place on December 15, and only certain flights are eligible. The trip must be booked before December 10.
Unlocked: Halo 5 Reactions (SPOILER WARNING)
DOWNLOAD UNLOCKED 218 (AUDIO VERSION)
**WARNING: HALO 5 SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR HALO 5 SPOILERS, SKIP AHEAD TO THE 1:11:00 MARK ON THE AUDIO OR 1:10:24 ON THE VIDEO.**
Halo 5: Guardians is finally here, and we have very strong – and in some cases unexpected – reactions to it. We spend the first 1:11:00 of the show in full spoiler mode, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly of Halo 5. So if you haven't finished the Halo 5 campaign yet or otherwise don't want to hear Halo 5 spoilers, skip ahead to 1:11:00. In other news, we discuss the just-announced release date for the New Xbox One Experience Dashboard and Xbox 360 backwards compatibility, some good news for Rock Band fans, and more!