gaming

A new report today supposedly confirms that Ouya, the company behind the Android-based gaming console, has been bought by Razer, a San Diego-based company best known for its hardware and accessories aimed at serious gamers. We first learned that Ouya was looking to sell the company in late April when a report claimed the company was struggling to manage its debt after less than stellar hardware reviews for its product.
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Google has officially unveiled its plans to take on Amazon-owned video game streaming site Twitch, confirming earlier rumors that the company was working on a game streaming service of its own. The site, called YouTube Gaming, was finally announced today (via TechCrunch).

YouTube Gaming will feature… (Read More)

Back in March, Facebook made much noise with its unveiling of Facebook Messenger Platform, a way through which developers can integrate their third-party apps into the company’s popular Messenger app, creating new uses and features for the messaging service. Now, the platform is seeing its first Android game in the form of Doodle Draw.

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The Android-based OUYA gaming system never panned out quite like everyone expected. After receiving $8.5 million in funding via Kickstater, the device received mixed reviews and never caught on with the average consumer. Now, Forbes reports that OUYA is in desperate need of a buyer. According to the report, investment bank Mesa Global, which also handled Songza’s sale to Google, has been brought in to manage the sale of OUYA.

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According to a report from The Daily Dot, Google is preparing to relaunch the live streaming platform aspect of YouTube with a renewed focus on gaming. YouTube is reportedly looking to take on popular streaming service Twitch and focus on esports and gaming with the refreshed YouTube Live. Google infamously attempted to acquire Twitch last year, but failed as Amazon ended up buying the platform.

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As part of the Game Developers Conference taking place this week in San Francisco, Google is hosting its own Developer Day and updating its AdMob platform and introducing a new Nearby Connections API for developers.

Using the Nearby Connections API, developers will be able to build a connection between Android phones or tablets and Android TV into games. The Android phone or tablet will display on-screen controls, and game playback will be displayed on Android TV creating a console-like experience without a separate controller.
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Today at HTC’s event in Barcelona, Spain, the Taiwanese company announced its “Vive” virtual reality headset made in collaboration with one of the most well-known leaders of the PC gaming industry: Valve. 
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Google has finally made a PlayStation 4 version of its YouTube app available for download. The app can be downloaded for free via the PlayStation Store and enables features that most YouTubers/gamers have been waiting for…

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[protected-iframe id=”3e51c3dc54c1ee6367e316f1acb920fe-22427743-8994189″ info=”https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/concept96ltd/buzzb-a-chromecast-game-for-friends-and-family/widget/video.html” width=”800″ height=”600″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

In what must be one of the smallest Kickstarter campaigns ever, a team of British developers called Concept96 is seeking just £1000 ($1600) to turn Chromecast into a multiplayer games platform. The first planned app is a quiz game, described in the rather charmingly amateurish video above: Buzzb.

The target market is ‘casual gaming’ for those who wouldn’t spend the money to buy a conventional games console but would enjoy occasional games on a device they already own … 
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Kamcord, the mobile gameplay recording platform that offers developers an easy way to implement cross-platform gameplay recording and sharing features, is today announcing its next big push in mobile gaming: competitions.

The company realized that its SDK provides a lot of unique opportunities for app developers interested in hosting competitions or tournament-style contests, so it’s now working with some to host competitive gaming events in their apps. First up: SEGA. 
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Not all Android games are created equally. Some file downloads are massive and well over a gigabyte in size, while others only require a few megabytes to get you up and running. The most perplexing thing about mobile games is that some titles require a connection to the internet, even after you’ve installed the game to your device.

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NVIDIA is reportedly working on a new Android-based gaming platform capable of running PC-level games, according to BBC News. The unannounced device will be powered by the chip maker’s new Tegra K1 processor and it will be able to stream games to televisions via an HDMI-out port and a “budget-priced” controller accessory. In addition to being able to connect to a TV, NVIDIA’s new rig will support mobile gaming and native Android apps, similar to the company’s existing Shield system.

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Typically when a consumer electronic is a hit, it’s eventually rewarded with a follow up. While we probably wouldn’t label NVIDIA’s Shield a runaway success, it managed to make a few waves in world of gaming. So we’re not too surprised to see what looks like a sequel to the chip maker’s Android-powered gaming device passing through the FCC. Listed as the “P2570” (the originally Shield was the P2450) this device bears a strong resemblance to its possible predecessor.

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Google is about to launch a new Android TV platform at its upcoming Google I/O conference in June, according to a new report from GigaOM. The report claims the new platform will be a revamped vision of what Google already has with its Google TV platform and will focus mainly on online content and Android gaming rather than integrating with existing pay TV services:

Android TV won’t be another device, but rather a platform that manufacturers of TVs and set-top boxes can use to bring streaming services to the television. In that way, it is similar to Google TV, the platform the company unveiled at its 2010 Google I/O conference. But while Google TV was focused on marrying existing pay TV services with apps, Android TV will at least initially be all about online media services and Android-based video games.

Google has apparently been making deals with partners in the lead up to launching the new platform, some of which are said to include Netflix and Hulu Plus as well as hardware partners that will build and sell the Android TV devices. The report also shared some details on the Android TV UI:
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Samsung is reportedly developing its own VR headset, a device that will be similar in many ways to the Oculus Rift, for use with its flagship Galaxy smartphones and tablets (via Engadget). This headset is apparently separate from the “Galaxy Glass” project that is slated to be unveiled later this year.

The VR headset is being described as a peripheral, as opposed to a stand-alone product, and will require a connection to a Samsung device in order to function.
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Two of Valve’s most recognizable games are now available for the Android-powered NVIDIA Shield, after being teased last week to several online publications. The above crowbar — a tool that is used throughout Half-Life 2 — was sent to AndroidPolice‘s Michael Crider, depicting both an NVIDIA Shield device and the lambda, which represents the Half-Life series.

Besides Half-Life 2, Valve also released Portal for Android today. Both games are on sale at the Play Store for $9.99, though they are only compatible with the NVIDIA Shield.
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The Kickstarter-funded, Android-based Ouya debuted last year to some so-so reviews, but gaming console isn’t giving up just yet. Ouya, which retails for $99 for an 8GB unit, is making the limited edition, white 16GB unit now a permanent addition to the lineup and making it black according to TechCrunch.

Ouya will maintain the $129 price tag for the storage-increased model, but both versions will see some iteration to the hardware…

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As Samsung works to capture more of the Android gaming market with the release of a new controller, a new analytics study shows Android gaming is on the rise. Apple may be considered the dominant leader in the mobile gaming category and it remains steadily in the driver’s seat, but 2013 indicated the Play Store is moving up fast.

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As the world prepares for the arrival of the XBOX One and Playstation 4, NVIDIA’s CEO reminds us that Android still has a role to play in the future of gaming. Speaking on an investor call, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang pointed at the company’s Shield gaming product as its means of growing the Android gaming ecosystem.

“Shield is our initiative to cultivate the gaming marketplace for Android,” Huang said, as quoted by ZDNet. “We believe that Android is going to be a very important platform for gaming in the future, and to do so we have to create devices that enable great gaming to happen on Android.”

Speaking to that tune, Huang called Android the “most versatile operating system that we’ve ever known.” NVIDIA hopes that the Shield, the small Android tablet connected to a game controller will continue to stare down the portable gaming hardware released by Nintendo and Sony. A recently released software update added more functionality for the device to run games via larger screens including televisions, making it something more in lines with standard living room gaming machines. NVIDIA obviously hopes that it can push developers to build gaming experiences designed specifically for its Tegra platform.

With Qualcomm seemingly dominant in the mobile space, Huang’s comments about Android and gaming may be correct, but the question remains whether or not the Shield is the right product to capitalize Android and its gaming future.

via ZDNet