We covered a number of game-related topics this past week at TG Daily, including DX11 support for DiRT 2, the launch of EVE Online: Dominion, EA’s Medal of Honor redeployment and a suicide-bombing “javelin glitch” in CoD: Modern Warfare 2.
EA and Dice delay Bad Company 2 PC beta ??
Electronic Arts and Dice Studios officially postponed the PC beta of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 until early 2010. EA spokesperson Gordon Van Dyke explained that the beta had been delayed to provide the studio with more “planning time” for the implementation of “optimizations.” ??
Call of Duty franchise exceeds $3 billion in sales ?
Activision announced that its ubiquitous Call of Duty franchise exceeded a staggering $3 billion in global retail sales. The popular franchise reportedly offloaded over 55 million units, with Modern Warfare 2 shattering previous records by ringing up $550 million in sales over a five-day period.??
Microsoft tells gamers to ditch their TV remotes ??
A top Microsoft executive claimed that Project Natal is poised to take over the role of traditional television remotes. According to Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten, the increased proliferation of video content requires a new, more versatile controller.??
Codemasters optimize DiRT 2 with DX11 support ??
Codemasters launched an optimized version of DiRT 2 for DX11 enabled GPUs. The upgraded version of the game now supports a number of ATI graphics cards, including the Radeon HD 5970, 5870, 5850, 5770 and 5750. ??
Dominion invades EVE Online
??CCP successfully deployed EVE Online: Dominion. The latest expansion of the popular MMO offers players several new features, including Doomsday devices, a fleet finder utility and a re-designed browser.??
EA shifts focus to online and mobile gaming ??
EA CEO John Riccitiello stated that his company envisioned a future where its online and mobile games are just “as critical” as Madden NFL and other console titles. Riccitiello explained that EA plans to shift its focus to building core franchises, while simultaneously reducing the number of titles it releases.??
Video game industry caught in downward spiral
??Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter dubbed 2009 a “horrible year” for public video game companies.
“Although a small rebound to sales growth in September sent a signal that the console cycle is not quite dead yet, investor confidence remained shaken when October sales again reverted to a year-over year double-digit decline,” Pachter explained in an industry note obtained by TG Daily.
??XBL threatens ban over MW2 javelin glitch ??
The Director of Xbox Live Policy and Enforcement threatened to ban players who deliberately exploit a suicide-bombing “javelin glitch” in CoD: Modern Warfare 2.
“While Infinity Ward works on getting the MW2 glitch fixed, people we catch using it will receive suspensions from Live,” Stephen Toulouse (Stepto) warned over Twitter. ?
EA redeploys Medal of Honor to Afghanistan
??Electronic Arts ordered its Medal of Honor franchise to report for duty in war-torn Afghanistan. The new first-person shooter game – expected in 2010 – will introduce a relatively unknown entity known as the Tier 1 Operator. ??
