Gadgets and Video Games

Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg is thrilled with February’s NPD numbers, and for good reason. The Xbox 360 took the top spot in home console sales last month, despite not being a Wii. According to the NPD , it’s the first time this has happened since the Halo 3 launch in 2007. BioShock 2 seems to have had something to do with the boost, with the Xbox 360 version topping the software charts (and the PS3 version absent from the top ten). Other notable software milestones: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is now the third best-selling game of all time, and Just Dance seems to have made a better pact with Satan than even Dante’s Inferno did

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February NPD: Xbox 360 and BioShock 2 sales heat up

We’ve received a ton of emails asking how one might get up on the StarCraft 2 beta if they didn’t apply for access last year. Kotaku recently turned our attention to a possible solution, though … well, you’re not going to like it. More than 50 beta keys, most of which came in the form of coupons handed out at BlizzCon 2008, are now being auctioned off on eBay . The prices range from around $120 on the low end, averaging out at about $300, and reaching as high as $450.

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StarCraft 2 beta keys being auctioned for around $300

The first Far Cry may seem a bit ancient if you’ve never played it before, but Far Cry 2 is still a very viable source for securing your quota of fun. Each are 50 percent off on Steam this weekend — Far Cry for $5 and Far Cry 2: Fortune’s Edition for $10. If you’re wondering what all of the hullabaloo is about, this collection of words should help clear it up for you. Or you could just check out this image in our gallery. If you click through the images fast enough, it’s almost like you’re playing the game! Steam weekend deal: Far Cry series is half-off originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 06:00:00 EST.

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Steam weekend deal: Far Cry series is half-off

GameStop’s chief operating officer says the retailer must educate customers on the benefits of downloadable content for retail games. Speaking on a panel at the Game Business Law conference , J. Paul Raines said GameStop must embrace the growing trend of DLC if it hopes to survive in the category. “Downloadable content is a good thing because it enhances and extends games,” he told the panel. While the company doesn’t have a direct line to console customers seeking additional content, it does offer retail releases of some high-profile DLC .

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GameStop COO proclaims need for educating customers about DLC

PC gamers anxious to strap on a jetpack and hit the great blue yonder can finally do just that, as Capcom’s released a demo for Dark Void . The PC demo is available exclusively at File Planet and weighs in at one whole gigglebyte. Just make sure you clear your schedule for the day, because if our own experience is any indication, your download is going to take some time

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Dark Void demo takes flight on PC

[Reuters] We all know a brand-new Nintendo handheld is coming eventually, but in what seems like an effort to detract from the buzz surrounding such a device (and likely to get some of that buzz back on the latest DS revision, the DSi XL ), Nintendo has issued a statement regarding reported comments from Iwata on a new handheld — what we’ve affectionately dubbed the “DS2.” Charlie Scibetta, Nintendo of America’s senior director of corporate communications told Kotaku , “Mr. Iwata did not make any comments regarding the functions of Nintendo’s future hardware systems,” adding that Iwata’s statements as reported by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper were “misinterpreted.” As for those statements, it seems to be a given that Nintendo would add motion-sensing technology to its next handheld. Looking to ape the Wii’s success, the entire industry has moved in the direction of motion-based gaming — including Microsoft, with Project Natal , Sony, using the PlayStation Motion Controller , and Apple, a direct competitor in the portable market, chiefly with the IPod Touch.

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Nintendo: Iwata’s DS2 comments were ‘misinterpreted’

The Nintendo DS remains an ever-popular holiday gift. The newest model, the DSi , features a virtual storefront, accessible directly from the device, with numerous downloadable games and apps. With a Nintendo Points card, you can sweeten your DSi gift or brighten an existing DSi owner’s holiday. Here are our suggestions for how to spend your DSiWare points: The Casual Gamer | The Kids Corner | The Parent Trap Continue reading Buyer’s Guide: DSiWare Buyer’s Guide: DSiWare originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds

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Buyer’s Guide: DSiWare

When Microsoft rolled out Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm support for the Xbox 360, a number of users were less than impressed. Specifically, those with child Xbox Live accounts were not allowed to use any of the new applications. Outside the US, Microsoft has now released an update that allows child accounts to access these features, so long as parental permission is given. Major Nelson advises users to set each application to log in automatically upon first activation. Otherwise, those with child accounts will be prompted for parental permission every time the application is launched

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MS enables child accounts for 360 Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm

The unsinkable publisher Gameloft recently revealed that it is planning to ” significantly cut ” its development on Google’s Android platform. Gameloft finance director Alexandre de Rochefort added that “many others” in the industry have scaled back Android development as well. The reason, according to Rochefort, is the organization — or rather lack lack of organization — of its application store, the Android Market. Rochefort stated that the Android Market “is not as neatly done” as Apple’s App Store. Rochefort noted that Google hasn’t really gotten many Android users to buy products, saying, “On Android nobody is making significant revenue.” To put things in perspective, Rochefort said that Gameloft has sold 400 times as many games on the iPhone as on the Android platform.

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Gameloft pulling back on Android development

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