Episode 679: E3 Waning

A lot is going on with Twitch, as the company continues to be terribly run. Microsoft is also making sure the Activison-Blizzard acquisition goes through, and Resident Evil 4 is fun.

The news includes:

  • Life By You is coming for Sims 4, with early access confirmed for 2023
  • Respawn opens third studio as it targets 10-15 year lifespan for Apex Legends
  • Ghostwire: Tokyo is getting an expanded campaign, a roguelite mode, and a dodge button
  • Microsoft confirms it won’t have a show floor presence at E3 2023

Let us know what you think.

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In this long episode of Gaming Podcast, the show runs long because of the tons of entries made to win a Steam code of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Paul gets upset at Jonah for a topic about the Wii U, while Dan is delighted to say the F-word again. The latest Gaming Flashback is about the oldest coin-op arcade game from 1971, Galaxy Game.

The news includes the following items:

  • Sony drops 3D support, saying customers rejected it
  • Oddworld creator to EA: “F— you very much”
  • Wii U launch developer complains of lackluster CPU
  • Mists of Pandaria sales below expectations according to analyst firm
  • Microsoft enhances security at Xbox offices to stop next-gen leak

Finally, Paul eulogizes Nintendo Power, which is closing its doors after 24 years.

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Reportedly we’re going to see smaller 45 nanometer cell processors in 2009 which leads to similar cost savings as we saw in the Xbox 360 hardware. Cost savings appear on the manufacturing side, of course, along with less power consumed by the processor leading to less heat generated by the console.

The Xbox 360 was able to benefit from chip reduction when for stability and overall heat issues, although the stability is still out for debate at the moment. The concept is fairly simple to understand; heat causes problems in closed systems with few fans and a high degree of complex components. Reduce the heat means reducing the overall need to cool and get air flow into the hot little box.

Console hardware is owned by a broad audience, not all of which understand technology and its ability to boil an egg. Consumers toss consoles and their power supplies in closed cases within their entertainment system and restrict air flow further. Any reduction in heat is a good thing for the console developer.

(more…)

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The Japanese government has not allowed PlayStation Network to be activated for Japanese gamers yet due to security concerns, and now an expert is advising Australia to follow suit.

Professor Bill Caelli told newspaper The Australian, “Why is it that in the IT industry enterprises certify themselves?” said Caelli, noting that PSN didn’t have the same restrictions, and added that the public has “no way of assessing the assurances given by the owners of the (PSN) system themselves”.

Reportedly, Australian privacy commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has been in contact with Sony, and has not judged yet whether Sony has given them enough information to restore PSN. His investigation will be an ongoing one as well, even after PSN is restored.

When it was discovered user information had been stolen during the PSN breach, the Australian federal government announced plans for a law forcing companies to disclose privacy breaches, although it was unclear when it might come into effect. Privacy minister Brendan O’Connor had stated:

“Sony isn’t alone. We’ve seen serious privacy-related incidents in recent months involving other large companies. All companies that collect customers’ personal information must ensure that the information is safe and secure from misuse.”

We’ll stay on this story as it develops.