Author: Unknown // Category:
We could be seeing the Xbox 720 as soon as April 26, if a tweet from the Associate Editor of gaming specialist CVG is to be believed.
Rob Crossley cites a “trusted source” claiming that the next-generation Xbox 720 launch event is due to occur on April 26, backing up other April reveal rumours.
“The next Xbox event is scheduled for April 26th, I’ve been told by someone I trust. Microsoft may change date, obvs, but diarise tentatively,” tweeted Crossley.
Said to be caught off guard by the recent Sony PS4 reveal last week, Microsoft could be changing its launch plans for its next-gen console.
Supposedly, an events company linked to Microsoft snapped up the domain name “XboxEvent.com”, leading to further speculation about an upcoming Xbox 720 launch.
Microsoft has also been quietly gathering up domain names linked to “Xbox Gold” in past weeks, including XboxGold.org, Xbox-Gold.com, and web addresses like XboxGold.cn, XboxGold.eu, XboxGold.au and XboxGold.asia. Understandably, this has sparked the rumours that the next Xbox console could be called Xbox Gold, but it could just be Microsoft protecting the brand of its online gaming service, Xbox Live Gold.
Xbox 720 Rumours
Like the Sony PS4, the next-gen Xbox is due to hit stores come this year’s Christmas period, but Microsoft has been tight lipped about what the upcoming console will offer its fans.
According to alleged leaked patent filings, the Xbox 720 will feature an eight-core processor with 8GB of RAM, with a fixed hard drive dissimilar to the modular HDD design used in the Xbox 360.
The latest Xbox 720 rumours suggest the device will feature the newly remodelled Kinect 2 motion gaming peripheral, and two separate CPUs for dedicated gaming and multimedia processing. It could also integrate the long rumoured Xbox TV service as well as 3D technology.
Although Microsoft has yet to offer any confirmation as to the existence of the Xbox 720 console, recent reports suggest the next-gen console will launch alongside new Microsoft Xbox 720 IPs, including an all new entertainment system.
Author: Unknown // Category:
Microsoft Xbox
The eagerly awaited Xbox 720 launch eventwill see console manufacturer Microsoft announce a new exclusive content partnership with EA, latest reports have suggested.
Tipped to follow hot on the heels of bitter rival Sony and the recent PS4 release dateconfirmation, Microsoft has been rumoured to host an Xbox 720 release dateannouncement on April 26, an event that will reportedly see the computer giant unveil a new EA partnership.
Whilst it is currently unclear what the terms of the exclusivity partnership will be, gaming outlet CVG has cited “two sources who wished to remain anonymous,” in suggesting that “EA has secured a partnership with the Xbox firm.” It is claimed that this partnership will see the leading developer take to the stage of the Xbox 720 unveiling next month.
Although EA was one of the few top tier publishers not to demonstrate new content alongside the recent unveiled PS4, the Activision, Ubisoft and Capcom rival will support Sony’s next-gen gamer with franchise hits such as FIFA, Madden and Tiger Woods expected to span both current and next-gen console to capitalise on both markets.
Offering speculative insight into the nature of the Xbox 720 EA exclusivity deal, one of the unnamed insider sources has suggested the deal could see the eagerly awaited Battlefield 4 release land solely for Microsoft’s next-generation console.
Adding further backing to the latest EA themed Xbox 720 rumours, Electronics Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen has spoken out on why the company did not showcase any next-gen content during Sony’s recent New York based PS4 launch event.
“It was more about timing of our own slate as well as trying to maintain a good balance of power will all the parties out there and choosing when to unveil certain pieces of software,” Jorgensen said at a recent Mogan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference.
He teasingly added: “I’d say, between now and E3, you are going to see a lot of stuff, and we are going to choose with our marketing teams when to announce.
“At the end of the day we are very excited about Sony’s platform. We feel there’s a huge opportunity there. The technical power on the platform is going to allow us to do a substantial amount of things that have never been done before.”
Speaking on next-gen content, he added: “I have seen the new Battlefield, and it is just stunning. It is amazing what the imagination of the game developers are allowed to do with that much power.”
Author: Unknown // Category:
The world’s first Android-based gaming console, Ouya, started life as an overwhelmingly successful Kickstartercampaign. Since then, the Ouya team has been busy adding support for new content and new devices, like Ethernet and XMBC support. Last month, the Ouya team announced that they’ll begin shipping the first consoles to Kickstarter backers on March 28, with a full launch slated for June.
Now, Ouya is saying they’ll also be throwing a party on March 28 to help celebrate the release of the first Android-based consoles into the wild.
Only those who backed Ouya last summer will be allowed entrance into this swank West Coast shindig, however. According to IGN, The party will be held at the Bay Area offices of fuseproject, a company founded by Yves Behar, the designer of Ouya.
Ouya quickly tore through it’s Kickstarter campaign in July last year, earning $8.5 million by the time the buzzer sounded just a month later. Excitement for the product was so high that the team blew past their $950,000 goal, raising over $1 million in the first day alone.
“Parts are in the factory and assembly lines are buzzing. We’ll gradually ramp up production as we make sure things are working,” reads the official blog post which notes that “tens of thousands” of early adopters will be ready to play games right away.
When production goes into full force in June, Ouyas will be available in Best Buy, GameStop and Target stores. The company is also taking pre-orders on their Website, though Kickstarter backers will be receiving their consoles first, rightfully so.
Ouya has also signed up more than 500 games which will be available for the Android-based console. These games cover a wide variety of genres and will be developed by independent and well-known game makers alike. NAMCO and Square Enix, for instance, have committed to writing games for the console. So too has Adam Saltsman (of Canabalt fame) and the developers from Tripwire Interactive.
The Ouya console is indeed quite a bit different from any other console ever made, from its tiny size and open architecture (the startup encourages hacking) to it’s streaming content and game store.
For instance, one of the key aspects of Ouya is the amount of free and free-to-try games. Every game will be free-to-try; gamers only pay for games they already enjoy, which is much better than renting a game first, then buying it after.
Ouya has also partnered with content providers such as VEVO, iheartradio, TuneIn, Plex, and XBMC. Each of these services will be up and ready to roll when the new consoles arrive later this month.
Finally, Ouya’s size and price are what differentiate the Android-based console from any other. The new SonyPlayStation 4 or Xbox 720 (if that’s what it will be called) are likely to be much larger and much more expensive than the Ouya’s tiny, cup-shaped design.
It’s for these reasons and more that much of today’s gaming has moved from the console and television to mobile and the web. Ouya plans to bring these games back to the livingroom, and with an open platform, no licensing fees and a vibrant community, it very well could be able to.
Author: Unknown // Category:
Author: Unknown // Category:
Release name: The.Walking.Dead.Survival.Instinct-RELOADED | Size: 4.84 GB | Publisher: Activision | Developer: Terminal Reality | Genre: FPS | Release Date: 19.03.2013
Description:
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is a first-person action survival game that brings to life the authentic, heart-stopping horrors of the AMC Emmy® award-winning TV series The Walking Dead. In the game, players assume the role of the mysterious, crossbow-wielding survivor Daryl Dixon, brought to life by TV series star Norman Reedus, alongside his overbearing brother Merle, voiced by costar Michael Rooker. Join them on a haunting, unforgiving quest across the Georgia countryside.
Tread carefully in the post-apocalyptic world as you scavenge for weapons and supplies.
Play as Daryl, alongside his brother Merle, in an unforgiving prelude to the TV series!
Avoid attracting walker herds
Use wit to stay alive during encounters with the undead
Help survivors, but don’t trust everyone.
Minimum System Requirement:
OS:Windows® XP SP3/Windows Vista®/Windows® 7/ Windows® 8
Processor:Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 @ 2.00 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ @ 2.0 GHz processor or better
Memory:2 GB RAM
Graphics:AMD Radeon HD 4670 512MB or Nvidia Geforce 8800 GT 512MB or better
DirectX®:9.0c
Hard Drive:9 GB HD space
Sound:DirectX® 9.0C or later.
Download :-
Author: Unknown // Category:
What Is Graph Search?
Graph Search is Facebook’s latest revision to the search feature that helps users find connections to people and places that have always existed in the graph.
In a sense, it’s a clean interface into the breadth of Facebook data that people have entered into Facebook, but contextualized to each user.
Walkthrough of Facebook Graph Search
Let’s start with a search about one of my favorite foods—bacon!
In the screenshot below, you can see a search for “bacon” in the old Facebook search format. Search results provide a listing of Pages, People and Places with the search term “bacon.”
A search query for “bacon” in the existing, original Facebook Search format.
This is helpful if you’re looking for something that includes “bacon” in the title of the Page, a person/profile or a place. But it doesn’t give you any insight into all of the other places on Facebook where there may be relevant social context to bacon. Who likes it? Who has commented on it? What else can the social graph tell us about friends and bacon? The original Facebook search does nothing for you if you want to know these things.
This is dumb search, in essence, not unlike what we experienced with the first search engines in the late 1990s.
Facebook’s Graph Search
Now let’s walk through a Graph Search for bacon. Here’s what you see when you use a semantic search for “bacon” on Facebook.
Facebook Graph Search results for “bacon.”
Note that I’m provided with suggestions related to the search term I’ve entered. You can get to the Facebook Page for bacon, the Interest, the People who like bacon, My Friends who like bacon, photos of bacon, web searches of bacon and bacon wrapped water chestnuts.
Who knew?
To navigate to one of the semantic search options, you can use the tab key to go a level deeper to find the people or Pages that you want.
This is really Facebook’s first foray into what is known as semantic search. Put simply,semantic search is a concept referring to technologies that make a search respond to what the user enters to try to better understand what the user wants to know.
Think of it as interaction between the search technology and the user to provide better search results. Search engines have done this for several years now when they fill out your search box for you and provide suggested keywords. It’s employing technology to get you closer to your answer without your direct intervention.
Semantic search is a relatively new technology, so you have to accept this as an ongoing evolution and not a revolution. Semantic search is getting better every day, but has a long way to go to be precise based on your interests and behaviors.
Search for Facebook Interest Pages
Here’s a look at the bacon Interest Page to see if there are any changes. Sure enough, there are. You get additional information on the interest provided byWikipedia. OK, that’s useful.
Screenshot of the bacon Interest Page.
Additionally, you can immediately see who among my friends likes bacon, as well as photos that are captioned with the word bacon. This was discoverable before, but not nearly as easily. Overall, the Interest Page layout is different and improved in order to make social context clearer to the user.
You may notice as well that at the top of the screen, the URL carries a ?sid=0.002…code. The implication here is that Facebook is tracking how people use Graph Search in order to improve the product.
Note the code at the end of the URL for this search.
Additionally, the Interest Page includes posts by friends about bacon and Related Pages, which are in the screenshot below. It’s interesting that these posts are not individually mined by Facebook and made searchable, although I suspect that’s a forthcoming feature for Facebook’s Graph Search.
Finally, wistful posts from my friends about bacon. People just love bacon.
Search with the “Friends Who Like” Option
Continuing on in the semantic search, there’s an option in the Search Bar for “My Friends who like bacon.”
In the screenshot below, you’ll see a long list of my surely cholesterol-challengedFriends who like bacon.
My friends who like bacon, provided by Facebook’s Graph Search.
You’ll see a long list with the ability to refine your search on the right side of the screen. This appears to be sorted by the number of friends and subscribers for these items.
At the top of the list is Brian Carter, a fellow author and speaker. Interesting that I don’t interact with him all that much, but he’s at the top of my list. I’d have expected this to be sorted by the number of interactions we’ve had rather than social reach. But that’s something Facebook can tweak later.
In the right-hand sidebar, you can narrow your search further to find specifically who you’re looking for. Additionally, at the bottom right of the screen is a link to “More Pages they like.”
Curiosity kills me, so I decide to take a gander at that one. Not a lot of surprises here. As you can see, I have supportive friends who like my book, Austin, eating healthy and technology. Yep. Sounds about right.
This is a handy tool to identify Pages you should like. Interestingly, these are not sorted by the number of Page likes, but rather the number of friends who like each Page.
Pages liked by my male friends who also like bacon.
If I go back to the top of the screen and click the search box, I get another level of friends who enjoy bacon. Now Facebook’s semantic search technology combines your groups and affiliations with your search term, in this case “bacon.” Presumably this is to give you the best opportunity to find people with intersecting interests and commonalities. Clever.
I use the feature to find a friend or two in each category. I wouldn’t necessarily call this “intelligent,” but if it were hooked up to Siri on my iPhone, I’d be simultaneously amazed and creeped out by now.
Next level of Facebook’s semantic Graph Search—suggesting I look at people from my groups and past affiliations who also like bacon.
In the “bacon” search results in the image below, you’ll notice “Photos of Bacon.” When you click the search box here, you are again presented with additional semantic options. In this case it’s “Photos of Bacon taken in Austin, Texas.”
Facebook’s Graph Search providing another level of semantic context beyond Photos of Bacon.
This is designed to get you closer to the search result you want. It reads from your profile to see your location. In this case I’m in Austin, TX and Graph Search tries to match your search term to something that is likely relevant to you.
There are not a lot of options here for this semantic search of Photos of Bacon, but remember this is a new technology that will improve over time and will include more data as time goes on.
Search to Find a Local Business
Are you hungry for lunch and craving a hot dog? Let’s use Facebook to find something.
A search for “hot dogs” gives the following results:
A Facebook Page for a local Austin restaurant
A restaurant in Lesage, WV
The Place Page
The Hot Dogs Interest Page
Hot Dogs from Baja California
A search for “hot dogs” yields disappointing local results.
It’s curious why these particular search results for “hot dogs” come up, and none of the thousands of other places between Austin and Lesage, WV. Do hot dog restaurants not market themselves on Facebook? Doubtful. And if you’re a marketer for a company selling hot dogs, how do you get on this list? Can you even break into Graph Search?
I’m surprised that chains that sell hot dogs, such as Sonic or Dairy Queen, are not listed here while Hillbilly Hot Dogs is. This isn’t terribly impressive, but I’ll chalk this up to necessary cleanup for the Graph Search beta.
Let’s investigate the only viable option for me here—Frank Hot Dogs. The first thing that jumps out is the redesigned Facebook Page that really looks more like a Yelp orGoogle local business listing. Address, website and map are all prominently displayed, as is the social context of my friend who likes Frank.
Frank Hot Dogs in Austin, TX.
Below the fold is also a listing of other local businesses near Frank, where you can presumably walk off your lunch. Notice in the image below that the listings in the “Places Near Frank” are sorted by the number of likes each local business has.
It’s interesting that social proof (in the form of a like) is used to build out your choices, even though Frank is in downtown Austin and is surrounded by other options.
Places near Frank Hot Dogs.
Search for Hot Topics and What Friends Are Saying
One final scenario here—let’s look at how Graph Search can help us find conversations on Facebook that would interest us.
Apple has been in the news a lot lately with earnings announcements, popular products and conjecture about the company as a stock investment.
Here’s what Facebook has to offer for a search of “Apple”: an Interest, a Sponsored app (interesting), Applebee’s, Apple for Education (?), the Apple Store and Apple as a Place.
Here’s a Graph Search for “Apple.”
When you click Apple, Inc., you get a new set of semantic results. This is significantly better—as I have friends who work at Apple, I was expecting to see that. But it’s several levels down and requires you to go through several steps to find it.
So usability is an issue, and in the efforts to create something “semantic,” Facebook might have made it somewhat difficult to navigate, at least today.
Also note that there is no mention of status updates or comments that people have made about Apple. I’d really like to see that in one place.
You need to go through several steps before you find out what your friends are saying about Apple.
Facebook Graph Search—What Do We Know?
1. It’s a better interface into a lot of data that we’ve been able to access for a while. Facebook is making it easier and is using it to help users discover commonalities with friends and discover places to visit.
2. In several places, results show that Page likes are a proxy for “wisdom of the crowd,” and are given preferential treatment over those not as fortunate. This is important for marketers—Facebook considers likes to be valuable social validation and a driver for recommendations. Contrast that to Yelp, where a large number of positive reviews are considered to be premium social capital.
3. It’s clear that Facebook regards Pages with more fans to be more important than those without. Watch for this trend to continue and for Facebook to make social search more data-driven.
4. Page likes are “link-building” in the context of Facebook. Today you have tooptimize your content for feedback to show up in the news feed, but that could very well extend to mobile devices and social search on Facebook and possibly beyond.
5. Brand-building is going to be tougher in a few years than it is today. It will only get harder over time, so there’s a case to be made for action to be taken now to build an active and engaged audience on Facebook while it is relatively inexpensive and easy.
6. Status update and comment content is largely untapped as a data resource in this version of Graph Search. It’s a huge opportunity that will certainly make Graph Search a richer experience for users.
7. For businesses seeking leads and customers, Facebook is taking its first steps to capture and calculate how its local listings and discoverability features result in sales. Attributing Facebook actions to more leads, sales and profit is an important theme for Facebook moving forward. Graph Search can and will ultimately help with that.
8. Finally, any person who changes privacy settings to Private is going to be largely undiscoverable in Graph Search. That may not be a big deal today, but could become one as Graph Search becomes a richer and more important part of the Facebook experience.
Summary
Facebook has taken the next step in evolving beyond social into social-driven search. Is it going to replace Google anytime soon? No, but that isn’t the question to ask today. Facebook is taking steps to make social relevant in the context of search—and that’s a long-term project.
This first version is promising, but has a long way to go to meet its full potential.
The takeaway for marketers is that the basics really haven’t changed significantly. You need to host a thriving and growing community on Facebook to take full advantage of how the industry evolves. You need more fans, more comments and more social engagement. That’s always been the case. But we haven’t known where the industry is heading necessarily.
Graph Search is a window into the future, but a largely unrealized vision today that will take time to emerge. Think about how Facebook will improve the overall user experience using data in the Graph in the future.
Author: Unknown // Category:
