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Game Replay: HTC Vive delayed over breakthrough, Konami starts hiring
Game Replay: HTC Vive delayed over breakthrough, Konami starts hiring
Welcome to the Game Replay, the thrice-weekly look at the wider world of gaming by the staff of MacNN. In today's edition, HTC reveals the Vive VR headset is delayed over a 'technological breakthrough,' Konami starts hiring for its next Metal Gear game, Badland 2 ships, and a hacking collective threatens to disrupt online gaming services over the holidays.
HTC Vive delay to April 2016 caused through 'technological breakthrough'
HTC's virtual headset, the Vive, will include a "very big technological breakthrough" that has forced the release to be delayed from this month to April next year, the company has explained. Advised during the Vive Unbound developers forum, CEO Cher Wang told attendees that the change was major enough that it was worth missing out the original model and simply releasing the upgraded version, without forcing users to swap their systems months after the originally intended launch.
Engadgetreports that, while Wang did not disclose what the breakthrough was, discovered in its work with Valve Software, it will detail the major changes during a presentation at CES next month.
As for an eventual price for the device, HTC is still keeping quiet. Wang did suggest to the report that 80 percent of HTC engineers responded in a survey that a price provided to them was considered "affordable for them, based on their pay." It is noted that software engineers at HTC apparently earn between $1,500 and $1,700 per month, so the eventual price level could end up being relatively cheap for other consumers.
Konami searches for employees to create new Metal Gear game
Konami is preparing to produce a new release in the Metal Gear series, after getting rid of famed game developer and creator of the franchise Hideo Kojima. The publisher has put out a notice that it is recruiting developers for the new game, though it is unclear if Konami will be producing a follow-up to the latest release or a different kind of game entirely.
The advertisement states it is searching for "a wide range of highly-skilled game development professionals" for the title in Tokyo and Los Angeles, reportsThe Escapist. The qualifications in the notice are brief and generalized, suggesting this may involve hiring a large number of staff rather than bringing onboard a smaller number of recruits in key positions. The notice does mention the need for "experience in high-end game development," which could indicate the eventual game could be a full console release instead of a spin-off, like Metal Gear Acid.
This month, Kojima set up a new studio in partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment, repurposing the Kojima Productions name, though it is unclear how many of his previous employees under Konami have followed him to the new venture. The new hiring notice comes after close to a year of rocky relations between Konami and Kojima, which ended last week with Kojima's official departure from the company.
Frogmind Games ships Badland 2 on iOS
The critically-acclaimed and Apple Game of the Year-winning Badland has received a sequel this week, with a quiet launch on iOS. Badland 2 from Frogmind Games launches as a paid release on the App Store, with the game keeping many of the same core mechanics of the original with some new elements introduced for the first time.
Players must roll their character through hazardous levels, which this time counts liquids, flame throwers, frost magma, and volumetric burning light among the new items to avoid. This time, there is the option of gliding both left and right, rather than just in one direction, giving more freedom of movement and helping players get through obstacles more easily.
Hacking group takes credit for Xbox Live service disruption, promises more holiday attacks
Gamers expecting to play online this holiday season are already under attack by hackers. Emulating similar attacks that took place this time last year by Lizard Squad, another hacking collective known as Phantom Squad has already started to attack some gaming services, with threats to cause online disruption over the Christmas period.
A now-suspended Twitter account belonging to Phantom Squad made the threats, which was then followed by disruption to Xbox Live, something the group quickly claimed responsibility for, according toArs Technica. The PlayStation Network was then threatened as the next target of the group, along with criticism that both Sony and Microsoft receive millions of dollars from subscribers but "don't use that money to improve their security."
Last year, Lizard Squad took down both the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, rendering both services unusable for periods of time. The network issues for both services were exacerbated by the high numbers of new consoles going online for the first time, with firmware updates and game patches being requested in high numbers. Since last year's attacks, Lizard Squad has been investigated by the FBI, received some retribution from a rival group, and some members were also arrested for their roles.
It is unclear if Phantom Squad is made up of people affiliated with Lizard Squad, or if it is an independent group using the same attack techniques.
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Last edited by NewsPoster; Dec 21, 2015 at 01:31 AM.
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