News

At retail, the big games are still selling (even if nothing else is)
At retail, the big games are still selling (even if nothing else is)
Examining the state of the U.S. video game retail industry in September reveals doom and gloom as usual, though the biggest games are still doing fine. Is the "middle market" truly dead, or is everyone waiting for new consoles?
Oct. 15, 2012
U.S. retailers drop Xbox 360 prices to compete with Wii U
U.S. retailers drop Xbox 360 prices to compete with Wii U
In the weeks leading up to the Wii U's launch in November, major U.S. retailers have dropped the price of a number of Xbox 360 bundles in hopes of selling more units during the busy holiday season.
Oct. 15, 2012
How XCOM enables players to tell their own stories
How XCOM enables players to tell their own stories
Firaxis producer Garth DeAngelis talks about how the team built in unique opportunities for emergent storytelling in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and the power the player's internal narrative can hold.
Oct. 15, 2012
Updated Google console makes Android developers' lives easier
Updated Google console makes Android developers' lives easier
Google has finally made its new, improved Google Play Developer Console available to everyone, bringing with it a streamlined interface and new analytics allowing you to track user ratings granularly.
Oct. 15, 2012
Steam Greenlight voters still favor horror, hype
Steam Greenlight voters still favor horror, hype
Twenty-one more independent games will be distributed on Valve's Steam distribution service thanks to fan feedback through its Steam Greenlight initiative, and the list -- included here -- comes with few surprises.
Oct. 15, 2012
The problem with player expectations and MMOs
The problem with player expectations and MMOs
"A lot of the hype is actually generated by the players... if you don't sell a million copies it's suddenly, 'Oh, you're a failure. I don't care about that game anymore.'" - Funcom creative director Craig Morrison
Oct. 15, 2012
In-depth: Angle-based SSAO
In-depth: Angle-based SSAO
In this reprinted #altdevblogaday opinion piece, game programmer Simon Yeung shares the results from his implementations of angle-based SSAO, or Screen Space Ambient Occlusion.
Oct. 15, 2012
Two days remain to enter 2013 IGF's Main Competition
Two days remain to enter 2013 IGF's Main Competition
Organizers are reminding that submissions for the 2013 Independent Games Festival Main Competition, which reveals winners at GDC 2013 in San Francisco next March, will close in just two days.
Oct. 15, 2012
Hackers and crackers invited to decode an 'unbreakable' secret message
Hackers and crackers invited to decode an 'unbreakable' secret message
Wannabe code-crackers have a fresh challenge to rise to, if DeTron has its way. The encryption company ran a full page ad in the New York Times late last week challenging code breakers, hackers and cryptographers to crack a message encrypted by Quantum Direct Key (QDK) – a personal identification encryption technology aimed at eliminating multiple passwords for cloud services and web apps.
Oct. 15, 2012
ISF issues cybersecurity Benchmark as a Service
ISF issues cybersecurity Benchmark as a Service
In an effort to make the evaluation of security resilience and risk reduction strategies more accessible, the Information Security Forum (ISF) has launched a “Benchmark as a Service” (BaaS) tool, for real-time benchmarking via the cloud.
Oct. 15, 2012
TD Bank lost customer data – six months ago
TD Bank lost customer data – six months ago
The first public indication of the loss appeared on the California Attorney General website, with the publication of a sample ‘notification’ letter now being sent to the bank’s affected customers.
Oct. 15, 2012
ENISA summarizes risks and opportunities of IT consumerization
ENISA summarizes risks and opportunities of IT consumerization
The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) has summarized both the risks and opportunities in the ‘consumerization of IT’, the business trend that includes BYOD.
Oct. 15, 2012