In a past quarterly letter to its shareholders, Netflix hinted about their plans to launch a new “profiles” feature that would allow multiple users, all with their own watching preferences. Now it’s official. The feature will launch this summer, according to Vice President of Product Innovation Todd Yellin.

“You and your wife might have very different tastes,” Yellin said. “Why can’t you have a profile, and she has a profile?” The new feature will allow different individuals using a single account to have their own profile. This will allow Netflix to give users recommendations based on what they are viewing. So there won’t be any mix up, and this will also allow Netflix to have a better look at user viewing habits.

At E3, Yellin used an iPad to show that the service will be simple to use. It will be a one touch choice between profiles. And it will be age locked, so profiles for children will get them to Netflix’s kid hub only.

The service is currently being tested and is expected to be available by the end of August. This might not be a huge deal for those with only one or two users in their household, but for families, this could really be a welcome feature. What do you think?

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For those that aren’t aware, E3 is going on right now — which means we finally are getting new details about the latest and greatest gaming consoles coming out to the market. With that in mind, we’ve now learned that the Xbox One will arrive this November in 21 markets, and will cost $499 in the United States.

For those keeping score, that’s $100 more than the debut price of the Xbox 360 in 2005.Besides the new pricing, Microsoft also showed off quite a few gameplay trailers and promised to give us more detailed specs for the Xbox One later at E3.

Here’s the full line up of games that have been announced for the Xbox One:

• Battlefield 4 (arriving first on Xbox One)
• Crimson Dragon
• Dead Rising 3
• Forza 5
• Halo
• Killer Instinct
• Max the Curse of Brotherhood
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
• Minecraft: Xbox One Edition
• Project Spark
• Quantum Break
• Ryse: Son of Rome
• Sunset Overdrive
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Titanfall
• Below
• World of Tanks

With the Xbox One at $499 and Wii U at $299 — is it possible that the PS4 will hit somewhere in the middle, around say $399? I hope so, though I wouldn’t be surprised if the PS4 is closer in price to Microsoft’s Xbox.

This evening, Sony will have its E3 conference event, at which time we will likely learn more about how much it will cost versus the Xbox One. Also for those interested, Microsoft revealed yet another redesign for the Xbox 360, this time with the design mimicking the Xbox One.What do you think of the Xbox One’s pricing point based on the features we currently expect from the device? Interested or not?

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The E3 event, which has been scheduled to be held from June 11 to June 13, is strictly press and industry-centric. People who attend the event are required to have some professional connection to the industry. But the guys behind OUYA seem to believe that it is wise (and it indeed is) to include the players themselves while doing their marketing.

They will be showing off their Android-based console in a parking lot outside the LA Convention Center. And they will be providing equipment and free food among other stuff to developers for making sure that their booth attracts a lot of people with plenty of games.

Developer’s Best Friend (that’s apparently a job title) Kellee Santiago says, “OUYA will be present for all three days of the event, and we’ll provide everything you’ll need to put on a killer game demo. OUYA console…check, controllers…check, TV…check. We’ll also make sure that you’re fed and have plenty to drink while you’re onsite because hydration and nutrition are key.”

As we reported earlier, the device’s launch has been delayed by the company due to higher demand, and also to make sure that the console arrives without any hardware issues.

So, who all are headed to E3 for taking a peek at OUYA?

[Source]

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The launch price will be reportedly between $350 and $450 with the release planned for November 23. Technical details include DirectX11 support, Unreal Engine 4, 2GB of RAM (560MB for OS), Radeon HD 6770 graphics, and some pre-installed software. I imagine that last bit will be similar to some of the “channels” that we have on the current Nintendo Wii.

There are still “multiple versions” of the console with various developers, so the design has not yet been finalized. The touchscreen controller is definitely in there, but the trigger buttons won’t be analog. There’s also word of some inclusion of the Wii Vitality Sensor. The UI on the Wii U will be customizable in some way and, catching up with Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo will be offering some sort of achievements system.

Ubisoft’s planned games include Rayman Legends, The Avengers, Assassin’s Creed 3 (running at 60fps at 1080p), Just Dance 4, and Killer Freaks from Outer Space. EA, Valve and Crytek are all working on Wii U titles. Valve specifically is working on Portal ports and a digital distribution platform.

Chalk this up to rumor for now, but Nintendo should be making some formal announcements at E3 next month.

[Source]

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Nintendo introduced its new game controller, codenamed “Wii U” at the E3 gaming expo this week. The device has an impressive design with its large 6.2-inch touch screen, dual analog sticks, countless buttons and will utilize a new 25GB proprietary data disc format.

Nintendo’s game controller is light as air and users will never feel their hands numb as happens with other heavy game controllers. Playing games is a comfortable experience due to the impressive ergonomics.

Another amazing feature of Wii U is the possibility to change the viewpoint and see immediate in-game surroundings thus gaining a better understanding of the game.

The Wii U is the first Nintendo console whose games are visually on the level with the Xbox 360 and PS3 (or at least close to it).

The touch screen is not as impressive, however and viewing angles are rather narrow, thefore gamers should stay near the center to see clear images. The pixel density is quite satisfying but lack of multi-touch limits the controller’s capabilities.

All in all, Nintendo’s Wii U is a well designed game controller that will absorb players into the games they play and take them to a whole new gaming world.

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The new titles will include massive multi-player online titles (MMO) like Pocket Legends, the world’s largest mobile 3D MMO, and the soon to be launched sci-fi MMO, Star Legends, which is also from Spacetime Studios. Sony Ericsson revealed that Minecraft, the indie PC game from Swedish developer Mojang, will go mobile on the Xperia Play. One of the most popular indie PC games of all time, Minecraft involves building constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world.

“As Xperia™ PLAY becomes available to Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S., the portfolio of great games continues to grow and we are delighted to announce 20 new games optimized for Xperia PLAY,” said Steve Walker, Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “By building on the open Android ecosystem, we’re providing a brilliant opportunity for developers and game publishers to bring their best titles to new audiences and fantastic new experiences for Xperia PLAY owners. Keep watching this space.”

Sony Ericsson also confirmed that new games from their stable of classic PlayStation 1 titles will be coming to Xperia PLAY shortly.  Sony Ericsson will also be supporting new developers with an initiative called “stand out from the crowd” that draws in developers who are struggling to find an audience in the sea of thousands of apps to develop a game for Xperia PLAY.
The new games announced today will be released in the coming months. We’ll keep you posted.

New Games Coming Soon on Xperia PLAY:

·         Pocket Legends by Spacetime Studios

·         Star Legends: The Black Star Chronicles by Spacetime Studios

·         Eternal Legacy by Gameloft

·         Guns ’n’Glory 2 by HandyGames

·         Dungeon Hunter 2 by Gameloft

·         Pocket RPG by Crescent Moon Games

·         D.A.R.K. developed by Gamelab

·         Samurai II: Vengeance by MADFINGER Games

·         Vendetta Online by Guild Software

·         Order & Chaos – Gameloft

·         Happy Vikings by Handy Games

·         A Ball Game by Trendy Entertainment

·         Lumines by Connect2Media

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Platform producer Hideo Konna says that the handheld gamer is in its “final shape,” but Reggie Fils-Aime is quick to say that the final design isn’t quite there. This leads us to believe that some minor changes may be in the works, but there shouldn’t be anything major.  What if we want a bigger screen? They’re not denying the possibility of a Nintendo 3DS XL, but they’re not exactly confirming it either.

Nintendo 3DS Specifications

DIMENSIONS (when closed)
5.3 inches x 2.9 inches x 0.8 inches

WEIGHT
8 ounces

TOP SCREEN
3.52 inch widescreen display / 800×240 resolution (400 pixels for each eye during 3D gameplay)

BOTTOM SCREEN
3.02 inch touch-screen display / 320×240 resolution

CAMERAS
Three cameras, two on outer casing, one above top screen / 640×480 resolution (0.3 megapixel)

STORAGE MEDIUM
Cartridge slot for both 3DS and DS cards (3DS cards have a 2GB capacity “at launch”, suggesting larger sizes to come) / SD memory card slot

WIRELESS
2.4ghz / 802.11 wi-fi / Can communicate with other consoles or internet when in sleep mode / wireless can be switched off to preserve battery life

CONTROLS / INPUT
Touch-screen / D-pad / 360-degree “Slide Pad” (the analog stick) / motion sensor / gyro sensor / 3D “depth slider” can reduce (or even disable) 3D effects in games

STYLUS
4-inch stylus (when full extended)

AUDIO
Stereo speakers (includes stereo headphone out jack)

BATTERY
Lithium ion battery (lifespan details TBA)

PARENTAL CONTROLS
The 3DS will include parental controls

[Via Wired]

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Chief Operating Officer of Capcom, Haruhiro Tsujimoto, says that his company is greatly anticipating a downloadable software service for the most successful portable gaming device on the planet. Notes Tsujimoto, “What we’re looking forward to is the offering of a new business model. Nintendo has been in the hardware business for a long time and I believe they are looking closely at Apple’s recent success.”

And why wouldn’t they? As of March this year, Apple has claimed 5 percent of the market share of mobile gaming in just one year and only looks to be getting started. To fend off possibly their most intimidating competitor to date, Nintendo is expected to revamp their existing DSiWare service. DSiWare has not by any stretch been a failure for Nintendo, though a simpler means for developers to upload and distribute their apps is expected with a service that may have already been spotted weeks earlier.

Nintendo recently secured a trademark on the name “3DSWare”, and while there is no confirmation that this is in fact the very same app store concept that Tsujimoto was referring to, one must believe where there is smoke, there is fire. Nintendo often keeps things simple, and aren’t known for going out of their way to keep their intentions hidden from the public. What remains unclear is just what type of software Nintendo would make available and, as usual, a pricing model.

Speculation may be for a limited time only, with Nintendo expected to make announcements that cover any and all things 3DS at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo. E3 is set to fire up on June 15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

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