Apple is not providing a live video feed.  Many eager fans are losing connections to the user streamed video and live blogs, if you are having trouble with any of the following live blogs, have no fear, we will be providing updates at DDGameWorld.com, feel free to bookmark us now.  (press CTRL D).

Live Blogs: (Update: gizmodo is down, your best bet is MobileCrunch or MacWorld)

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/live-from-apples-iPad-2-event/
http://live.gizmodo.com/
http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/03/02/apples-iPad-2-event-live-update/
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/01/live-blog-apple-iPad-2-event/

Live UPDATES*:

09:52 PST: Almost Ready to go, everyone is seated.  Pixar’s John Lasseter has been spotted.

09:55PST: I think Apple thinks everyone is a Beatles fan.  Make it stop!

09:58 PST: 2 minutes!

10:00PST: Please silence your phones, (those watching live video from cell phones may lose your connections now.)

10:03PST: Steve Jobs is on stage!

Apple sold over 15 million iPads in 2010, generating over 9.5 billion in revenues for the company.

90% Market Share

65,000 unique ipad apps are available.

100 unique Android tablet apps.  (DDGameWorld translates the facts: Apple iPad: WIN, Android Tablet: DNF)

New genre in computing is born: “POST-PC Device”

So far, they’ve dropped “revolutionary”, “magic”, and “game changer”

And here it comes… the iPad 2!!! …

• Dual Core Processors, Up to 2x faster CPU (a5)
• Front and Rear Cameras
• Gyroscope
• 1/3thinner (13.4mm -> 8mm), thinner than the iPhone 4
• 1.5lbs-> 1.3 lbs
• Comes in white (ships white on day one, audience laughs)
• 10 hour battery life
• Price point remains at $799USD with 5 of 6 models priced less (see pic below)
• March 11 in the US, March 25 in many others

• HDMI mirrored output
• Up to 1080 P
• Works with all apps
• Supports rotation
• No setup or config
• 

Polyeurethane ($39) and Leather ($69) will ship in multiple colours and feature a magnetic holder that wakes and sleeps the ipad when used.  The cover folds back to create a stand for the pad.

And that folks is the iPad2, Scott Forstall takes the stage to talk tech and performance and the upgrades expected in 4.3 to benefit iPad 1 & 2.

iOS4.3 with improved javascript, Safari, and Facetime between all apple OS devices ships March 11 (FREE).

Steve Jobs returns to the stage.  Audience approves: New iMovie for iPAD and , wait for it, GARAGE BAND for iPad!!!

Garageband is getting alot of “facetime”, it is fully featured and jam packed with instruments.  Touch and pressure sensitive control allows users to create music on any instrument.

Steve Jobs; “A lot of folks in this tablet market are rushing in, looking at this as the next PC. hardware and software are done by different companies, talking about speeds just as they would with PCs. Every bone in our body says this is not the right approach”

Jobs thanks the build team, family and friends and that’s a wrap folks. There is a whole new world of possibilities for iOS gaming and we are left, after this launch, pretty excited. Being in Canada, it’s going to be an excruciating long wait until 26Mar11 or however long it takes to get our hand on one.

The app comes with all the standard features of other Kindle apps, as well as the ability to browse, buy, read, annotate and sync books across devices, and two minor features that are not available in any other app: personalized shopping recommendations and the ability to send book recommendations to friends.

As of late December, Microsoft has reported selling approximately 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 units. For some perspective, Mashable has reported that Google has around 300,000 Android devices are activated daily, and 3 million iPhone 4 devices were sold in its first three weeks on the market.

The Kindle app for Windows Phone 7 is now available in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Features of Kindle for Windows Phone 7 include:

*Kindle’s Worry-Free Archive automatically backs up your Kindle library on Amazon, so your books can be re-downloaded wirelessly anytime.

*Integrated shopping experience allows you to shop without leaving the app.

*Send an email to a friend with a link to the book you’re reading or to any book in your library without leaving the app.

FOR MORE DLC NEWS AND INFO YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @The_GeekJock

Related articles

• Amazon Kindle for Windows Phone 7 now available (downloadsquad.switched.com)
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• Amazon Kindle Optimized for Android and Windows Tablets (webpronews.com)

Our first bit of news from the new year finds cloud gaming service OnLive will now be integrated into all HDTV, phone, tablet and blu-ray players made by Vizio.

The company is currently at CES in Las Vegas, where they will be demonstrating the HDTV integration at CES, with the promise of rolling out hardware before the end of 2011.

Vizio has claimed that their HDTVs will give users access to OnLive games as simple as flipping channels, while the VIA Plus range of Blu-ray players, tablets and phones will also offer service – alongside Vizio internet apps.

“Today’s OnLive/Vizio announcement marks a major milestone: for the first time in the history of videogames, consumers will be able to enjoy premium videogames directly on a TV, no console or computer needed,” offered Steve Perlman, CEO of OnLive.

“Vizio’s innovative and cutting-edge technologies are ideally aligned to complement OnLive’s vision for the future of entertainment and together we look forward to providing a wealth of rich-media, interactive content to consumers this year.”

“Consumer adoption and feedback on VIA has been phenomenal, and we’re excited to work with OnLive to bring instant gaming direct to our products,” added Matthew McRae, chief technology officer at Vizio.

OnLive is currently available on PC and MAc, as well as being accessible via a MicroConsole ($99), which plugs directly into your TV hardware.

“Besides having on demand access to top movies, TV shows, and music, VIA Plus users will also be able to enjoy the unparalleled convenience of playing the latest hit gaming titles with the freedom to switch games much like you change the channel.”

Essentially, we now have the power to do what Hotel on-demand services have been charging us to do for years.

Or maybe this is bigger news than I can comprehend right now. My brain is either still on vacation or has suffered significant atrophy over the holidays.

FOR MORE DLC NEWS AND INFO YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @The_GeekJock

Related articles

• Vizio and Archos unveil tablet offerings (v3.co.uk)
• Vizio Jumps Into The Android Game With VIA Phone And Tablet (androidpolice.com)
• Vizio’s Via Tablet and Smartphone Run Android For Cheap [Tablets] (gizmodo.com)
• Vizio confirms Android-based tablet, smartphone (electronista.com)
• Vizio Intros Android Tablet, Smartphone (informationweek.com)

All of this has made our job of choosing the best of 2010 even harder.  With bloodshot eyes and bleeding thumbs, we are pleased to provide to you, our loyal readers, part one of the DDGameWorld best DLC of 2010 list.

Best Digital Download Multiplayer – 2010

Monday Night Combat, Uber Entertainment

MNC is a lofty accomplishment that provided gamers with the most bang for their buck by providing a full featured FPS shooter that rivaled the biggest franchises in the game world.  It’s tactical release captured players falling out from Battlefield 2 and well before MoH or CoD.   A game filled with innovation and design originality.  This is the first ever combination tower defense and squad shooter.  It is a  highly polished production with excellent ongoing support from the developers.  MNC’s only downfall is like that of many new multiplayer game innovations, it’s a great game – when people are playing it.

Ambitious as it is, few games can keep their audiences from Halo, CoD, MoH and BF franchises.   That said, UBER Entertainment is still keeping the game fresh with frequent updates and fine tuning, so there is still plenty of Monday Night Action left for fans.

Best Digital Download RPG Action – 2010

DeathSpank, Hothead Games

This is the best action rpg game we have seen in awhile.  DeathSpank incorporated a fantastic alotment of whimsical writing – courtesy of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilber – with a standard gameplay format that is familiar to any dungeon conquest fan.  What made DeathSpank stand out is the attention to writing, it’s superb audio quality and amount of content delivered within the confines of a digital download price point. In addition to all the above mentioned, it is the combination of all the little things that made DeathSpank stand out. The game features a vast inventory of items, weapons and clothing. Gilbert provides laugh out loud descriptions for literally all of them. Little nuances like this, allow the player to be continually drawn into the charming and crazy world of heroic hyperbole at every point of the game.

Plus props to the developers and Gilbert for putting animals in the game called Swamp Donkeys.

Best quotes:

“I need demon poops, Just use this Special hammer to beat the crap out of demons…. Literally”

——

Orphan: I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.
DeathSpank: I’m not a stranger. I’m DeathSpank! Now get in the bag…
Orphan: Aren’t you supposed to give me candy first?
DeathSpank: There’s candy in the bag.
Orphan: Oh, no. I’m not falling for that again.

——

DeathSpank: I have a fever… and the only prescription is more sidequests!

——

Need we say more...

Best Digital Download Platformer – 2010

Ilomilo, Southend Interactive

IloMilo is a the sleeper hit of the year, launched exclusively for the Xbox Live Market Place.  It is a 3D based platformer featuring stunning art, design and music.  The game has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike and it has been referred to, more often, as art than game.

Beautiful?, yes, fun to play?, absolutely!  The game is addicting and fun.  The action gamer in you may eventually want to poke your eyes out due to the nauseatingly happy music in this game.  Should this happen to you, I recommend immediately switching to our next game in the list. …

Best Digital Download Button Masher – 2010

Shank, Klei Entertainment

Coming from Vancouver`s Klei Entertainment, Shank delivers bloody violence in a simplistic gameplay model that gamers can often crave.  The most notable achievement in Shank is the incredible art and animation.

I would liken the gameplay experience to a combination of watching an awesome, late night, cartoon on Adult Swim while mashing buttons on your controller to achieve the satisfaction of pure violence.  Klei CEO, Jamie Cheng described the game as an “ode to Double Dragon with a Tarantino film feel to it.”

While some critics flag this game for lack of depth, I applaud it it for its simplicity.   Every once in awhile, you gotta take a break and just let the demons out (with a chainsaw).

Best Digital Download Puzzle Game – 2010

Babo Crash HD (iPhone, Android, iPad), Playbrains

With so many huge titles dominating the Top 10 AppStore list, it is difficult to find the true gems.  With so many AppStore customers being so careful not to cross the devastating $0.99 pricepoint unless they know other people are playing the game, many titles reach the top simply based on following the crowd.

For great game design, Babo Crash HD gets the highest marks for addictive puzzle action.  Reviewed by one source as `Bejewelled on Steroids`, we even tried this game out against its rival Bejewelled 3 and found it no contest.

A content companion to Playbrain`s popular action shooter from Steam and Xbox Live Babo Crash, Babo Crash is a match 3 drop puzzle game that features appearances from the Babo Game Characters.  Paired with a compelling soundtrack, multiple game modes to suit your playing style this game has great mass appeal and something for everyone.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we announce the winner of theBest Digital Download Game 2010 Award!

Prism3D (HyperBees Ltd.)

Prism3D is a simple game in concept:  the player must guide a bouncing ball along a track made of blocks to the finish line by tilting the phone to make the ball move left, right forward or, backward.  If the ball falls off the edge of the track 3 times the player must restart the level. Each bounce gives the player points and certain blocks offer more points, some blocks take points away, some blocks can push the ball in different directions, some blocks collapse when landed on,  and so on. What sets this game apart is the complexity of the levels, the addicting points based leaderboard, and a map editor to allow players to create their own courses to bounce along. The myriad of block types and the fact that the higher point blocks are more difficult to get to makes Prism 3D a fun and challenging game.

Graviturn (Team Graviturn)

Another game with a very simply concept:  tilt the screen to make all the red circles fall off the screen (any edge of the screen counts).  However the game eventually introduces green circles that cannot leave the screen unless the player wants to start the level over.  This simple concept leads to some incredibly challenging levels that verge on the impossible.  This is a great game for people on the go as each level can be finished fairly quickly (until one reaches the more difficult levels).  Again online leaderboards offer some competitive spirit into the mix.

Newton (Badlogic Games)

The player must guide a bullet fired from a yellow spaceship to a hole positioned somewhere on the map.   The bullet can only fire in a straight line but the bullet can bounce off certain objects to provide new trajectories, certain objects pull the bullet towards it while other objects push the bullet away.  Most of these objects (except for the bullet) can be maneuvered around the level by touching and dragging them creating a fun and at times frantic puzzle shooter.  Newton also features a map editor and one’s own creations can be uploaded online for other players to enjoy.

LightUp (ChickenBrick Studios)

Another simple concept:  the player drags his or her finger over the grey squares to turn all the grey squares blue.   Sounds easy enough, the catch?  The puzzle must be solved in one go and in one line.  In other words, once a square is turned blue the player cannot drag his or her finger along that square to finish the puzzle.   Once a square is blue it locks that square out of play.  As the puzzles get more difficult it becomes increasingly easy to leave a few stranded grey squares requiring a level restart.  LightUp is surprisingly addictive and a great puzzle game for when one is on the move.

Speedx 3D (HyperBees)

Speedx 3D is a fast paced 3D racing game that has the player hurtling down a track while avoiding obstacles by tilting his or her phone left or right.  Certain coloured tracks will offer lives and  power-ups. The star of this game is the track itself, which moves and uncurls itself from a tunnel to a flat surface to a tube the player rides along the outside of.  Though Speedx is not the most original game on this list the graphics look great, the music is perfect, online leaderboards offer some competition, and the game is just fun to play.   Also Speedx 3D offers a stereoscopic mode, so get out those old blue and red 3D glasses because it’s race time.

Android specific games may be slow to come out but if what has been created so far is any indication it seems that Android users can expect a bright future for innovative, addictive, and fun games.  The games listed here are not all of the high quality games offered on the Android Market but these games highlight the variety of experiences Android gamers can have.  So if you are an Android user, and you think that the iPhone has all the fun, remember that there are some great games for your phone ready for you to try.

Related articles

• 8 Ways to Improve Google Android [Android] (gizmodo.com)
• Top 10 features in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) (zdnet.com)
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“A principal growth driver has been downloads for extra content, which includes microtransactions for free to play games. This would include Playfish, map packs for 360 and PS3 games.”

Astonishingly, the FIFA Ultimate Team virtual collectable card game that has been placed in the last three iterations of the football franchise, has been a substantial provider.

“There’s really no limit to the card packs that you can purchase. We’ve seen people paying $500, 800, 1000 on digital trading cards so they can get the best possible line up of teams.
“This has driven net digital revenue of FIFA from $15 million for FIFA 09 to $31 million for FIFA 10. We don’t know where the number’s going to end up for FIFA 11, but we do know that we’ve sold more packaged goods units.”

The fact that DLC was responsible for adding an additional $15 million to the bottom line, in just one year, is a staggering statistic. Brown went on to add that Battlefield Bad Company 2 had generated around $30 million in digital sales, with full game downloads – primarily PC products – also contributing significantly.

Brown also highlighted that fact that currently, they are seeing an increased propensity for gamers to purchase titles online through digital distribution, especially for first person shooters like Battlefield Bad Company 2.

In just two years, EA revenues derived from digital have gone from $430 million to $750 million- with PC purchases as the major provider and consoles and mobile roughly equal.

Brown claimed that EA was determined to “more closely match the 40/60 per cent digital/packaged goods split that we see in the worldwide market today.”
“Overall we’re growing our digital business by more than 30 per cent per annum,” he revealed. “In the first half of fiscal 11 we grew our total digital revenue by 35 per cent year over year. We’re actually taking share in digital revenue over all.”

Despite EA taking a 74 drop in its share price over the last three years, clearly these statistic point to a digital-led future for EA, and for the gaming industry as a whole; where it’s not unrealistic that in the span of ten years we may see revenue splits that reverse to 60% digital 40% retail.

For more DLC news and info you can follow me on Twitter @The_GeekJock

Source via GamesIndustry.Biz

Related articles

• Battlefield Bad Company 2 Map Pack 7 released; SPECACT pack for PC released (news.bigdownload.com)
• Game Biz Tips Atoms To Bits: EA Makes More From FIFA Downloads Than Discs (paidcontent.org)
• EA’s loss narrows, but it still needs bigger hits (venturebeat.com)

The BBC’s programming can be found in the video section of the PlayStation Store right now, and unfortunately Canada misses out once again. At least for now.

Bring on the HOLY GRAIL!

For more DLC news and info you can follow me on Twitter @The_GeekJock

Source (joystiq.com)

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SONY’s SNAP Developer Program is currently in its Beta phase.  SNAP, which stands for Sony’s Networked Application Platform, is based on the same framework from the GNUstep community, whose origin dates back to the OpenStep standard developed by NeXT Computer Inc (now Apple Computer Inc.).

Sony Dash, Sony's new desk or bedside table accessory is more than just an alarm clock as it runs "Apps" that users can download from the SONY Store.

So, Sony is basing its next generation CE development platform on the same format that gave rise to OSX and iOS.   As it is unlikely that they can licence directly from Apple,  this is the next best thing when it comes to developing consumer apps.  It will be interesting to see if this is enough to attract the developers of hundreds of thousands of apps to begin porting apps for SONY CE (Consumer Electronics).

The greatest challenge will be creating the same type of community environment enjoyed by Apple app developers.   The Cocos2D Community is one such example of a support infrastructure that has allowed start up developers to make best selling games for the Apple AppStore.

The SNAP Program is endeavoring to be different with what SONY claims to be a more modern approach;

The GNUstep core libraries strictly adhere to the OpenStep standard and OPENSTEP implementation.   They consider changes and additions to their API only under the following circumstances:

• They add methods and classes, either from Cocoa or their own extensions, if they add substantial value and don’t interfere with OpenStep and/or Cocoa compatibility.
• They generally don’t remove things unless there is a clearly better implementation in newer Cocoa API
• Where there is a real problem with a change, they will attempt find a technically superior work-around.  In rare cases, this might involve a change in the original OpenStep API

We depart somewhat from the GNUstep adherence in that our goal is to thoroughly modernize the framework and optimize it to target modern consumer electronic (CE) devices.  These modern conveniences include such features as touch displays and 3D graphics.

They still have to come up with a decent windowing framework and build a competitive developer environment.   In fact, while writing this post, DDGameWorld learned that the SNAP program is now on hold, stating that developers should wait for further information.

Related articles

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• Sony SNAP connected-device app framework frozen (slashgear.com)
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• Sony Adopts Objective-C and GNUstep Frameworks (apple.slashdot.org)

Last month we broke the news that Cedemo was launching a video game barcode scanner app for the iPhone and Android SmartPhones. The App initially launched only un the UK and France but has just been released in the North American market.

The free app allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions on-the-go by delivering video game details and media, with the scan of any barcode or through the integrated search feature. Compatible with all iPhones running iOS 4.0+ and Android devices, the app is free to download from the App Store and Android market.

By scanning a video game barcode or using the search feature consumers can retrieve information and media for over 20,000 games across all major platforms dating back to 1999, including videos, trailers, screenshots, exclusive content, ratings and more.

Other useful features include a Top 10 list of the latest videos for the hottest games, an “Oldies” list highlighting some of the best classics, random videos generated with a “shake” of your phone, and the ability to share game media with Facebook friends.

Cedemo also kicked off a contest today in celebration of the application’s launch. One grand-prize winner will be randomly chosen to receive a pair of ezVision Video Glasses and ten additional contestants will win a video game of their choice. To enter, just download the app, “Like” the official Cedemo Facebook page, scan a game and share the video with your Facebook friends, all by following the on-screen instructions. Users may submit additional entries for each game video they scan and “share” with Facebook friends.

To download the free Cedemo Video Game Barcode Scanner app, visit the Android Market from your Android device, or the Apple App Store for iPhone users at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cedemo-video-game-barcode/id391359052?mt=8

For more DLC news and info you can follow me on Twitter @The_GeekJock

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Images via Games Press

“Sword and Sworcery,” coming out for iphone, ipad, and ipod Touch.  A joint effort between Superbrothers and Capy “Sword and Sworcery” is a 2D pixel art adventure game that does away with tutorials in favour of focusing on atmosphere, mood, and player exploration of the gameworld.  The visuals and sound are exceptional and I for one cannot wait to explore the world of  “Sword and Sworcery.”

“Dyad” is a philosophical puzzle, shooter, racer hybrid that has players control a ball of light with arms (tentacles?) that can “latch” onto objects on a track to propel itself forward.  I got a chance to play this game on Day 2 of Gamercamp and controlling the ball of light that flies down the track is simple but the strategy involved to get to the end of the track before time runs out becomes increasingly complex, challenging, and rewarding.

Other games presented at Gamercamp:

An example of the unique innovations on display at Gamercamp. Normative’s CityState takes games outside and uses GPS for a ARG (alternative reality game).

“CityState”:  a hybrid realty based game that has players competing for control of different parts of a city.  Featuring radar functionality.  Little detail was given on “Citystate” so it is difficult to classify it or even describe how the game plays.  This one is definitely an early work in progress.

“The Depths to which I sink”: a puzzle game from Big Pants Games that uses 3-D tech to allow for depth of movement.  The player controls a ball that must smash windows situated at differing depths while avoiding obstacles.

“Zombie Dots”: a simple browser based game from Form and Method has the player play as a red dot (a Zombie) or a blue dot (a survivor).  Each dot moves along a grid and can push gray dots (crates) to together to form barriers to help with survival or push gray dots apart to break barriers in order to eat the survivors.

Cephalopods Co-op Cottage Defence from Spooky Squid Games was a real crowd pleaser, it was available for demo on a stand-up, coin-op arcade unit and featured an innovative co-op play mechanic.

“In this game, players must strike a balance between offensive and defensive roles, each taking turns using the hammer to fix barricades or the shotgun to destroy incoming squidy things. While the shotgun and hammer have complementary strengths and weaknesses there’s only one of each, so the players must both agree to trade successfully. Knowing when to stick together, when to split up and when to trade tools is essential to getting a high score.” – (Source: 2011 Independent Games Festival)

DDGW’s Game To Watch For – They Bleed Pixels

Being developed by Spooky Squid Games (see above) and music produced by the Electric Playground’s Shaun Hatton (aka DJ Finish Him), is a fast-paced, gothic, low-fi pixel art, platforming beat’em up that will be coming to the Xbox Live Indie Marketplace.

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• Gamercamp 2010 (dorkshelf.com)
• Dork Shelf and GamerCamp Present JOY STICK HEROES: THE WIZARD & THE LAST STARFIGHTER DOUBLE BILL (dorkshelf.com)
• Interview with Ryan Creighton of Untold Entertainment (dorkshelf.com)