Blog Archives

Ouya Unveils $60 Subscription Plan for Whole Game Library

ouya-all-access-pass-headerIt’s been quite a long time since we’ve heard anything from the little $99 Android-based console that started a new industry for cheap consoles in the living room. If you had any interest in the Ouya, how quiet they’ve been since launch would be a cause for concern.

However, the folks at Ouya have come up with a new plan to inject some life into the console. They’ve announced plans for a 12-month subscription to their game library for $60 per year.

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Crytek Denies Bankruptcy Reports While More Reports of Trouble Crop Up

crytek-logoA German gaming magazine says that Crytek, developer of the Crysis series and makers of the CryEngine, is on the verge of bankruptcy after a disastrous launch of their Xbox One launch exclusive, Ryse: Son of Rome.

However, this report has come as news to the folks at Crytek who denied that there is a problem with cash flows at the German developer. All this while more reports come out indicating that the current situation at Crytek is very dire.

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PlayStation Now Rental Prices Are Higher Than Retail

playstation-now-headerIn the run up to the open beta of PlayStation Now that is scheduled to launch in July, PS Now users in the closed beta have noticed a major change as Sony gets geared up for that milestone. Sony has added prices to the PS Now menus and those prices have potential customers up in arms.

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How Steam is Striking Gold with the Summer Adventure

steam-summer-adventure-headerWhen Steam launched the 2014 edition of the Steam Summer Sale, it came with a new wrinkle that no one saw coming. No, I’m not talking about the four packs of Community Picks. This time out, Steam introduced the Summer Adventure to the sale. While it looks like a little competition between users for prizes, it’s actually another quiet way for Valve to make a few dollars more from Steam.

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GameTrailers Bought by Defy Media, Half of Staff Reportedly Laid Off

gametrailers-logo-headerLast week was a busy week for employees of the gaming arm of Viacom Media. On Monday, right as E3 was getting started with the E3 media briefings, Defy Media bought Viacom’s gaming-focused websites, including GameTrailers. Defy ended the week by laying off a number of GameTrailers staff one day after E3 came to a close.

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E3 2014: Sony Reveals Pricing of PlayStation Now

playstation-now-headerWhile we’ve heard plenty of good things about the PlayStation Now services and gotten a look at some of the games but one key component of PS Now that hadn’t been revealed during the closed beta was the pricing model. With the announcement of the PlayStation Now open beta starting on July 31st, Sony took the opportunity to reveal the prices of renting games on the service and it may not endear them to many gamers.

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Nintendo to Start YouTube Affiliate Program to Take Some, Not All, of Fan Channels’ Money

nintendo-bannerNintendo has had a hell of a time figuring out how this whole YouTube thing works. Last year, they started cracking down on Let’s Play videos on YouTube by using the video website’s ContentID system to claim revenue from those videos. They also claimed that they were dropping story mode from the upcoming Super Smash Bros. on Wii U because the cutscenes would end up on the internet so it defeated the purpose.

Now, Nintendo, in their great benevolence, have decided to meet Nintendo fans halfway. Rather than take all the ad revenue from the people who help promote their games on YouTube, Nintendo has announced a new YouTube affiliate program that will see both parties splitting the ad revenue.

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CVG, The World’s First Gaming Mag, Facing Closure

cvg-headerJust as the gaming industry grows with record revenues at the launch of a new console generation, the old guard of the gaming media whithers and dies. A BBC report says that CVG’s publishers, Future, are examining the future of the CVG brand and may shut the magazine down.

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YouTube Reportedly to Buy Twitch For $1 Billion

twitch-tv-logo-headerIf you can’t beat them, buy them. While YouTube has tried their hand at live streaming, they aren’t as big as live streaming powerhouse Twitch. So how do you fight back? You buy them.

YouTube has dipped into Google’s massive pockets and reportedly come up with $1 billion to buy Twitch in what would be the online video site’s largest acquisition.

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EA Cancelling Multiplayer for Over 50 Games on June 30th

ea-logo-headerWith the shutting down of GameSpy’s multiplayer servers at the end of June, we knew a number of old games would be put out of their misery. It looks like the back catalogue of EA will be among the hardest hit by the closure of GameSpy’s multiplayer services with over fifty titles seeing the multiplayer portion of the games closed permanently.

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