Hasta La Gadget!

Console gaming is big business; there’s no doubt about it. But the industry actually saw a pretty steep decline in sales last month. Research firm NPD Group reported that total US video game sales hit $848.3 million during September. While that might seem like a respectable number, that’s down 24% from the same time last year, which was over $1 billion.

By category, hardware sales (consoles, etc.) took the steepest loss, with a 39% slump to $210.9 million. Software sales (games, etc.) were down 18% from $609.7 million last year to $497.4 million this year. Accessories fell by 11% to $139.9 million. So, it seems the past year hasn’t been a good one for gaming companies.

However, Microsoft was quick to toot their horn, claiming that last month was the 21st consecutive month that the Xbox led the console race by selling 270,000 Xbox 360 units and owning 49% of the console market share, making that the 19th month in a row that Microsoft owned at least 40% of the console market share.

However, Nintendo‘s upcoming Wii U console will soon be the newest and hottest console on the market, and if the launch goes well, it could end Microsoft’s streak. The Wii U may also bring the gaming industry out of its slump and encourage more gamers to buy its products. We’re guessing that the lack in new hardware was the reason consumers weren’t spending much on gaming products in the first place.

[via CNET]

Gaming sales down 24% from a year ago is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nintendo’s top dog Satoru Iwata recently sat down with some of his R&D crew to talk about designing the Wii U, and unfortunately, a console was sacrificed in the process. The discussion focuses on what changes they’ve made this time ’round, including the new multi-core CPU and GPU module, and how they fitted more cooling gear in a body smaller than the Wii as a result. In addition to some nice teardown pics for illustrative purposes, they muse on moving to HD, part testing, case design and how the GamePad is more of a companion than a controller. We don’t want to spoil the whole bit, so head to the source link for the full transcript, or check out the gallery below if you just want the visuals.

Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo

Satoru Iwata talks Wii U design, guts a console for context originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Product 3 LLC, the company behind the original iControlPad, has successfully funded a successor: folks, meet the iControlPad 2. While there isn’t much to its name, the sequel boasts a handy QWERTY keypad along with an optional swivel-mount that you can attach to any smartphone. It works over either microUSB or Bluetooth, and true to its open-source roots, is said to support the Ouya, the Raspberry Pi and pretty much any other device you can throw at it. What’s more, it can be programmed to control almost any app via its support for touchscreen mapping. There’s still room for additional backers, so you could try to get a raw version for $69 or a boxed edition for $75 if you manage to pre-order in time. Let’s just hope the sequel doesn’t experience the same delays as its older sibling, especially given the $150,000-plus the company earned in its Kickstarter campaign.

[Thanks, Craig]

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Peripherals

iControlPad 2 gets funded, adds QWERTY keypad and smartphone mount originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you remember classic games such as Wing Commander and Privateer from the 90s, then you might be happy to hear that the designer from both games is making a triumphant return by working on a new space-based MMO called Star Citizen. Legendary game designer Chris Roberts spent the last several years producing movies like Lord of War, Lucky Number Slevin, and The Punisher.

Roberts says that Star Citizen will “change the way people perceive games for the PC” and it will “breathe new life into space combat games.” The game will feature a sandbox world like most MMOs, but it will also have an offline single-player mode like we saw in Wing Commander. There will also be support for user-generated content and various modding tools.

Star Citizen will be set in a futuristic style, but will resemble the Roman Empire in some ways. It will focus around the idea of “citizenship”, which must be earned through various civic duties and military service in the game. Roberts says that Star Citizen “is meant to be everything you ever dreamed you could have in a Space-Sim.”

The game is also said to have “10 times the details” of current mainstream titles on the market, which is why Roberts is only offering the game on PC. He mentions that PC gamers like being on the cutting edge, so he plans on giving dedicated PC gamers their fair share of awesome graphics.

The game has already been under development for the past year. However, in order to move on with further development, the company is looking for $2 million in crowd-funded donations. The first 200,000 backers who give at least $30 will be able to play an early alpha version of Star Citizen, which should be ready sometime next year. When the game finally does release to the public, it will be available for $60 with no additional monthly fees.

[via Ars Technica]

Wing Commander designer returning with new space MMO is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Rovio has kept up on its word about giving us some more details on the Stars Wars-themed Angry Birds sequel that was teased on Friday. Rovio has officially announced Angry Birds Star Wars, and it’ll be available for download on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac on November 8 — exactly one month from now.

Rovio included a short teaser trailer with the announcement this morning that extends on the animated GIF we were teased with on Friday that had a darkened figure with a robe on holding a light saber. Obviously, we knew what it was about right away, but the trailer still doesn’t give us a lot of details other than the fact that the game is launching on November 8.

However, the trailer does show off the fact that the light saber is what looks to be a slingshot. We’re not really sure how a light saber slingshot will play into this new installment, or what special powers a light saber slingshot will provide, but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t excited to find out.

In the description of the YouTube trailer, Rovio also announced that they’ll “have a whole host of toys, animations and other Angry Birds Star Wars goodness to enjoy”. They also mention to follow their Tumblr blog and to check back “every day” because it’s “just the beginning.” May the birds be with you!

Angry Birds Star Wars coming November 8 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.