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Press Start: Xbox One has the advantage says analyst, Rockstar revives Agent, and more(Guardian Web Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) A selection of links, hand-picked by the Guardian games writers. Xbox One may have "a 2-3x unit advantage" at launch over PS4 – analyst | VG247 Unexpected news from the exciting world of analysis: Robert W. Baird and company analyst Colin Sebastian has stated in his latest investor's note that Xbox One seems to be riding the momentum train at retail. Along with topics covering upcoming financial releases such as EA, Take-Two and Activision, Sebastian noted that gutting the DRM policy on the new Microsoft console has done wonders for the upcoming system. "Despite losing the headline battle at E3, Microsoft's Xbox One appears to be regaining some momentum, in part due to the used and online policy tweaks," he wrote. "Importantly, our supply chain checks suggest Microsoft may have the benefit of a 2-3x unit advantage at launch compared to Sony's PS4." Has Microsoft's about-turn really been so successful? Stewart Gilra, CEO of UK developer Just Add Water, had a one word response to this story on Twitter: "bullshit". Whatever, Gamescom has just become even more vital... Nintendo hits two-year stock high with Animal Crossing success | GameSpot.com Finally, some good news for the big N: Nintendo's share price has hit a two-year high, Bloomberg reports, with stock at the Japanese publisher jumping four per cent today. Stock for Nintendo closed at ¥14,050 (approximately $141/£92) a share in the Tokyo stock exchange, the highest for the company since July 2011. Analysts said that Animal Crossing: New Leaf helped contribute to Nintendo's fortunes, with the company further buoyed with speculation that China might soon lift its ban on handheld consoles. That China story is interesting – the removal of the 13-year-ban depends on manufacturers constructing handheld devices in the new Shanghai free trade zone. More here. Rockstar's Agent Might Not Be Dead, Take-Two Interactive Files New Trademarks | Siliconera Hmmm, what could this mean? First revealed in 2009, Agent was announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive from Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games. Agent was described as an espionage game set during the Cold War. After the initial announcement, Rockstar and Take-Two haven't said much about the title, but confirmed it was in development two years ago. Perhaps, Agent is making progress because Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, registered two trademarks for Agent. Both trademarks are for use with video games, computer games, online video games, and various printed materials such as manuals and guide books. Could it be that Rockstar North is planning to re-awaken this project after work ends on GTA V? Said to be inspired by cool seventies conspiracy flicks like Parallax View and the Conversation, it has the Houser brothers written all over it. Eidos Montreal GM resigns | GamesIndustry International Stephane D'Astous departs, citing irreconcilable differences with Square Enix management, lack of leadership, courage, and communication. Eidos Montreal has lost the only general manager it's ever known. Stephane D'Astous resigned from the Thief studio last Friday, the developer told GamesIndustry International today. "Since last year's financial short-coming performance of Square Enix Europe, we (HQ London and GM Eidos-Montreal) have had growing and divergent opinions on what needed to be done to correct the situation," D'Astous said. "The lack of leadership, lack of courage and the lack of communication were so evident, that I wasn't able to conduct my job correctly. I realised that our differences were irreconcilable, and that the best decision was unfortunately to part ways." Box Office Epic Fail: Dissecting the Summer Casualties | Variety This article is about how Hollywood is saturating the peak season with mega-budget blockbusters – too many for the audience to cope with. Yeah it's about film, but I think there are important lessons here for the games industry: "There's eventually going to be a big meltdown," Spielberg forecast. "There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen of these mega-budgeted movies go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm again." The games industry has gone in exactly the same direction as the US film business – big budget Triple A smashes, smaller indie projects and very little inbetween. The problem is, as the budgets rise, so do the stakes – especially when everyone else is playing the same game. Hollywood is now paying the price and several big releases have dive-bombed at the box office. With the pressure to score big during the first wave of next-gen console releases, a similar situation could easily occur here. Aaahhh, Don't Do That To A Vita Screen! | Kotaku Don't like costly gadgets being abused? Look away now... Peripheral and accessory company Hori have a new line of Vita screen protectors, and to demonstrate their toughness, they did the only thing a product like this asks for: they tried to scratch the shit out of the handheld's glorious screen. Ouch. You can follow Press Start at Pinboard. (c) 2013 Guardian Newspapers Limited. |