Topic of the Week: Marketing is ruining games.

a) Halo 4 and the Mountain Dew/Doritos gate.
b) Halo 4 gives you points for more playtime.
c) Purchasing review scores. (Although this is believed to be fake).
d) Season Pass this, season pass that. Buy half a game and get the rest later.
e) Half finshed games like Black Ops Declassified. Also remember the Rockster PS3 exclusive Agent?

Tech/Hardware News:

Disney buys Lucasfilm, announces plans to cash in on Star Wars

Apple

• Management Shakeup
  • Scott Forstall fired over iOS Maps and Siri fails
  • Retail chief John Browett fired
  • Jony Ive takes control of user experience on both iOS and OS X – Say goodbye to faux stitched leather and green felt interfaces.
• New Products
  • iPad mini
    • 7.9” 1024 x 768 non-retina display
    • 16 GB starting at $329
  • 4th-Gen iPad
    • New A6X processor
    • Lightning port
• 13” MBP with Retina
• Ultra-thin (at the edges) iMac design (May be delyed until 2013)
  • Fusion drive
• HTC-Apple settle patent dispute; Samsung wants to know more.

Google

Microsoft

• Windows 8 Launched.
• Surface with Windows RT.
• Windows chief Steven Sinofsky leaving.

Phillips release USB powered monitor.

Samsung Galaxy S3 sells 30 million units in 157 days.

Gaming News:

Sony Playstation 3 has sold over 70 million units.
Hacker group “The Three Musketeers” publish PS3 crypto keys. Link
New PS3 updates removes folding@home support.

Wii U Released

New Xbox 360 Dashboard + SmartGlass

Halo 4 makes $220 Million in opening 24 hours. Black Ops 2 smashes it and makes $500 Million in 24 Hours.

Battlefield is 10. 1942 now free on Origin.

Grand Theft Auto V second trailer released.

Steam for Linux reaches beta.

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