11/12, 1:32pm
Suit claims Blizzard made $26 million on extra security
Blizzard is facing a class-action lawsuit over its sale of authenticators. Benjamin Bell is suing both Blizzard and corporate parent Activision Blizzard for making $26 million by "deceptively and unfairly" charging for the $6.50 keychain, which gives the entire Battle.net system a second layer of security, and to stop the company from requiring its users to sign up for a Battle.net account in order to play games such as World of Warcraft and Diablo II.
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05/25, 5:50am
Activision-Blizzard also addresses security concerns
Diablo III will get its first patch next week, according to Activision-Blizzard community manager 'Nethaera'. The incoming client-side patch will fix a number of bugs, including one that breaks the game, as well as a number of alterations to class skills to balance gameplay. Security concerns and the real-money auction house were also discussed in the forum post.
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11/11, 9:25am
COD MW3 sells more in one day than any format
Activision managed to stay out in front for all-time entertainment records as it confirmed Friday that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had become the best-selling entertainment launch ever. With about 6.5 million copies trading on the November 8 intro, the game will have made about $400 million in revenue just on the first day, passing by any other form of entertainment. The launch was topping a record Activision had set itself, when Black Ops launched and made $360 million in one day.
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07/19, 10:50am
Turtle Beach, Activision to ship new headsets
Gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach teamed with publisher Activision on upcoming, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3-themed gaming headsets for Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3, and PCs. They include the virtual 7.1-channel, programmable XP500-based Ear Force Delta that adds the custom paint, travel case and unique sound presets. The Ear Force Bravo uses the PX3 as the base design and has the same settings as the Delta, but only brings wireless stereo support.
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06/29, 3:20pm
MySpace now settling on 35m sale to Specific
(Update: Justin Timberlake is involved) MySpace's imminent sale has now been finalized as a new leak confirmed a deal has been struck. Ad producer Specific Media has agreed to buy the social network for $35 million. Under the terms seen by AllThingsD, current owner News Corp would have a "less than five percent" stake but cut the 400-person staff count in half.
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06/28, 10:05am
Sale also expected this week
Myspace is rumored to be cutting up to 300 employees from its workforce over the next few weeks. TechCrunch reports that 150 employees will receive pink slips tomorrow and probably another 150 will be shown the door over the next few weeks. This comes as the struggling company could have a new owner as soon as tomorrow.
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06/02, 12:30pm
Owner teaches tricks, shapes toy's personality
Activision announced that it has partnered with Sega Toys to develop Wappy Dog, a robotic toy puppy that "learns" from interactions with its owner. Wappy has touch sensors and responds to commands entered using the Nintendo DS. How the player interacts with the toy affects the toy's responses - what the company calls its "personality and happiness" - as well as how quickly new tricks are unlocked.
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04/08, 4:35pm
Rob Saunders and Nick Grange said to be new hires
Apple is reportedly hiring several PR executives from several gaming companies, including Nintendo and Activision. Unnamed sources have told MCV that Rob Saunders, Nintendo UK's former head of PR, departed his position to fill a newly created position at Apple. The executive is said to be coming on board to work with PR for gaming content on the iOS platform.
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06/19, 1:25pm
Editorial tackles web gaming
With E3 just finished, it's time for the market to start evaluating game companies. But as EA, Ubisoft, Activision, and others continue to get all the headlines, social-gaming companies don't get the kind of respect their bigger competitors do. This may have to change with larger platform supporters, including non-traditional Apple, as they may be ignoring an untapped market.
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06/08, 11:10am
DJ Hero 2 adds MC element
Activision today unveiled the first details of DJ Hero 2 in the run-up to E3 and included new controller options in the mix. The game now has a microphone to handle vocals for relevant tracks. Two-player mode is more important and includes DJ battles among other modes; to match, Activision is creating a Party Bundle pack that carries two turntables and a microphone.
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06/07, 8:45am
New Guitar Hero game gets new controllers
Activision's upcoming Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock will get a new set of guitar controllers with replaceable bodies. Unlike the current designs, where some of the circuitry is in the body and impossible to replace, all of the electronics are now in the fretboard and neck. The decision lets Activision offer replaceable bodies, including an exclusive to GameStop, without having to sell a completely new and more expensive instrument.
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07/29, 12:00pm
DJ Hero Renegade Turntable
Activision today provided more details of its controller and bundle for the limited-run version of DJ Hero, now called the Renegade Edition. The special version will have a black turntable with special gold-effect sliders and other trim. A special hard case doubles as a stand for the turntable itself, bringing up the controller to standing height. CDs from Eminem and Jay-Z will also come with the bundle and offer some tracks that haven't been released before.
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07/14, 1:30pm
Guitar Hero 5 controller
This new guitar controller for the latest in the popular series will be bundled with Guitar Hero 5. The changes compared to current guitars range from subtle visual ones such as a red faceplate and white pick guard to fake chrome on the tuning pegs, to more substantial and functional ones that can’t be seen, such as a new digital touch pad. Compared to the slider of the guitar that shipped with Guitar Hero World Tour, the new one sends digital versus analog values for better accuracy and quicker response.
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07/08, 11:35am
Sony Downs PS3 Price Talk
Sony chief Sir Howard Stringer on Wednesday dismissed pressure on his company to drop the price of the PlayStation 3 when the subject was presented at the Allen & Co conference. Responding to implications by Activision CEO Bobby Kotick that his game development firm might stop developing for the PS3 if its price remains too high, Stringer said it was simply the "nature of business" for companies to put pressure on each other and that it wouldn't necessarily push Sony to cut prices.
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06/01, 2:00pm
Acti Details TH Ride Board
Activision today provided fuller details of the Tony Hawk Ride controller. The board sits on the floor and is fully aware both of pressure on the board as well as movement on its sides; users can lean on the board for manuals and other such moves while using a free foot to "push" the board or assist in tricks. It can further recognize spins on the board itself for reverts or other rotation-based moves.
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05/29, 4:25pm
Limited edition DJ Hero
A limited edition version of the upcoming DJ Hero video game will include exclusive greatest hits CDs from rappers Jay-Z and Eminem, along with an advanced version of the turntable controller, USA Today said on Friday. How the controller differs from the standard unit was not detailed, however. An offshoot of the highly popular Guitar Hero franchise from developer Activision, the limited edition game will also have a DJ stand and metal traveling case for the turntable.
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05/15, 10:15am
Tony Hawk Ride Controller
Activision today teased that one of its central non-music games at E3, Tony Hawk Ride, will have its own controller. The game will center on a skateboard-shaped foot controller that, much like a Wii Balance Board, will have players lean as they would on a real board for at least basic control. Although the full controls haven't been explained, a set of side buttons will ease navigating through regular menus and may ultimately be used on combination with balancing to perform tricks.
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05/07, 12:35pm
DJ Hero, Band Hero coming
Video game publisher Activision announced on Thursday it will launch three new music games, with the turntable controller pictured designed to work with DJ Hero. That title, along with Guitar Hero and Band Hero, are due for a release sometime this fall. DJ Hero will include hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance music genres and, as Activision calls it, feature some of the "world's most exciting artists and DJs." It's not clear whether the DJ controller will allow scratching in addition to its button controls.
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03/03, 8:50pm
Court rejects Gibson suit
A California court has dismissed Gibson Guitar's lawsuit against Activision over the input devices used in the Guitar Hero game. The gaming company was sued for violating the "'405 Patent" which covers a system for generating and controlling a simulated musical concert experience, although the claims are geared for using real guitars as input for applications such as in-store demos. The court's strongly worded filing claims that Gibson's arguments "border on the frivolous."
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07/31, 4:15pm
Logitech does Guitar Hero
Software publisher Activision and peripheral maker Logitech today announced a joint venture to make premium controllers shaped like instruments for the next installment in the popular video game franchise, dubbed Guitar Hero World Tour. The game is expected to debut this fall, and will be available for the all the popular gaming consoles, including Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and 3, as well as the Nintendo Wii.
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06/23, 10:00am
Beatles Guitar Hero Rumor
The Beatles are close to securing a deal that would see their first digital music releases through music games rather than direct downloads from iTunes or or similar stores, says the Financial Times. The UK business paper claims sources who say that the pop rock group may have deals "in a matter of weeks" that bring songs to Guitar Hero maker Activision as well as to Rock Band co-creator MTV Games. While no specifics are mentioned, the deal suggests a Beatles-themed title and alludes to the possibility of making Beatles songs available as downloadable content.
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03/12, 4:45pm
Gibson vs. Guitar Hero
Activision's popular Guitar Hero rhythm games are breaking the law, charges legendary guitar maker Gibson. The company has publicly accused Activision of infringing on a patent from 1999, which involves technology simulating a musical performance; in Guitar Hero, one or two players strum along on a simplified guitar, in time to on-screen notes. Reuters notes that Activision denies any wrongdoing, and is in fact asking the US District Court for Central California to render Gibson's patent invalid.
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