Report: Infinity Ward, two other studios working on 'Modern Warfare 3'

Studio Infinity Ward is reportedly getting some help from two studios to create the next installment in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting production is underway on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and assisting on the project will be the newly-formed Sledgehammer Games and longtime Activision development house Raven Software.

Modern Warfare 3 is slated to debut this November, as have recent titles from the Call of Duty library, the report says, citing "people familiar with the situation."

Sledgehammer Games -- a studio created by the developers behind Electronic Arts' Dead Space -- was working on a separate Call of Duty title, but has since delayed production to work on Modern Warfare 3, says the Times.

Raven Software -- best known for games such as Singularity and X-Men Legends -- has reportedly been brought in to work on the game's online multiplayer component, the franchise's most popular feature.

If true, this would mark the first Call of Duty title from Infinity Ward since the departures of studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella last March.

The turmoil at Infinity Ward has spawned several lawsuits from West and Zampella, Activision and a group of studio employees. Last month, Activision added rival publisher Electronic Arts to its lawsuit against West and Zampella, and is seeking $400 million.

Call of Duty has quickly become Activision's biggest brand, with last year's release of Call of Duty: Black Ops selling 8.4 million copies in the U.S. in its first month. Modern Warfare 2 -- the last game from Infinity Ward -- topped $1 billion in sales worldwide only two months after debuting in November 2009.

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Report: 'Angry Birds' will become animated series

Mikael Hed is CEO of Rovio Mobile, the Finland-based company that created the ridiculously popular mobile game -- in which players solve physics puzzles by flinging an armada of irritated avians at structures housing the porcine adversaries who stole their eggs.

According to C21media.net [subscription required], a British television-industry site, he said plans are under way for an animated series.

"We have been looking at that for quite a while, and that is definitely one of my personal big focus areas right now -- to work on broadcast content for 'Angry Birds,' " he told the site.

The addictive game has spent time as the number-one paid iPhone app in at least 60 countries. Launched originally on Apple's iOS operating system, "Angry Birds" expanded rapidly in 2010 and is now available on multiple platforms including Android, PC and Symbian and traditional gaming consoles.

An animated series would be a logical next step for the game, which has been a leader in a recent surge of casual games that have appealed to non-traditional gaming audiences. Well beyond app-store success, "Angry Birds" is on the brink of becoming a cultural phenomenon.

In addition to a successful spin-off game, "Angry Birds Seasons," Rovio offers a line of plush toys and iPhone covers inspired by the game.

And Rovio is partnering with classic gamemaker Mattel on a board game, due out in May, that will let players fling their angry birds in real life.

The game also spurred a viral video, from an Israeli comedy show, in which the birds and pigs embark upon an ill-fated effort to sign a peace treaty.

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The perks of owning 'Portal 2' for PlayStation 3, according to Valve

Valve Software has shed light on some of the features PlayStation 3 owners of the action puzzle game Portal 2 can expect when the game hits stores in April.

The PS3 version will include support for Valve's online service, Steam, which brings a host of options such as cross-platform chat and cross-platform play, meaning PS3 players can play with PC and Mac users.

It will also feature cloud-based storage of saved games for the PS3 as well as unlock a Steam Play copy of the game. Once players link their Steam and PlayStation Network accounts, they will be able to play on PS3 and then pick up where they left off on either a PC or Mac.

"We designed the Portal 2 PS3 experience to be very straightforward for gamers," said Portal 2 project lead Josh Weier in a statement. "PS3 gamers will be able to simply drop the Blu-ray disc in the PS3, link to their Steam account from inside the game, and all their Steam friends (on PC and Mac) will be visible and accessible for chat and game invites."

The game, which will also be available on Xbox 360, launches April 21.

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How to spend $1,000 on your Verizon iPhone without even trying

Over the recent holiday season, many people purchased Android, BlackBerry, and other smartphone models from Verizon.

In an apparent attempt to ease (or perhaps capitalize on) customer grousing, Verizon is offering to reduce the cost of switching to its iPhone 4. On Tuesday, Boy Genius Report noted that Verizon's iPhone 4 FAQ page now includes this item:

Q: I just purchased a new smartphone during the holiday season, but if I knew that iPhone 4 was going to be available soon I would have waited. What are my options now?

A: Current Verizon customers who purchased and activated new smartphones, feature phones or certified pre-owned phones between Nov. 26, 2010, and Jan. 10 2011, are eligible to receive up to a $200 Visa debit card when they purchase an iPhone 4 at full retail price by Feb. 28, 2011 and return their existing phone. Note: This offer is only available on consumer accounts with five lines or less, who are purchasing iPhone 4 through Verizon Wireless retail stores, telesales, or through verizonwireless.com.

So, what's the "full retail price?" According to Verizon Wireless, iPhone 4 prices start at $200 for the 16GB model. But that's the subsidized promotional price that comes with a new two-year contract.

Farther down in the FAQ, they note that the "iPhone 4 will also be available for purchase at full retail price: $649.99 for the 16GB model, and $749.99 for the 32GB model."

That's a pretty steep price tag. I doubt many customers would think getting a $200 rebate would sufficiently offset that expense.

But for any smartphone, the cost for the device is only the beginning. Data plan costs -- and their associated terms, limitations, and extra fees -- constitute most of what users pay over the life of the phone.

So far, Verizon has not revealed prices and terms for data plans for its iPhone 4. If some of the carrier's existing plans for other smartphones are applied to the iPhone 4, then it's likely that customers already on those plans would just be able to swap their phones.

However, if you'd need to switch to a new plan in order to use the iPhone 4, it's unclear whether early termination fees would apply. These can run as high as several hundred dollars, especially for recently purchased phones.

Verizon's advanced devices page notes that its early termination fees can run up to $350. Generally, early termination fees are higher the sooner after purchase that you cancel a contract -- which would be the case for Verizon smartphones purchased over the period covered by this rebate.

You could sell your current Verizon smartphone on eBay or Craigslist, and probably get more than $200 for it. But you'd still be stuck with your existing Verizon contract, which you may or may not be able to use with a Verizon iPhone4. And Verizon's $200 trade-in rebate requires that you return your old phone. So unless you sell your current phone for well over $200, this probably wouldn't be a good deal.

So here's the bottom line:

Say you bought a Motorola Droid Pro from Verizon on Dec. 24, 2010. You paid $180 for this device after a $100 mail-in rebate (which means that right now you're probably still waiting to receive that rebate debit card, even if you remembered to file the paperwork promptly).

But you really, really want a Verizon iPhone 4. So you select a package of talk, text, and data service that, with fees and taxes, ends up costing about $110 per month for 24 months.

When Verizon's iPhone 4 comes out, you swap in your phone and wait to get your $200 rebate card. In the meantime you're $650 out of pocket on the new phone.

If you're lucky, the iPhone 4 plan will cost no more than your current plan. But if you have to cancel your old contract and get a new one, you might have to pay another $350 for early termination.

So that's $930 in total device costs, minus $300 in total rebates due, for $630 in net device costs. Plus a possible ETF penalty of $350. That brings the total potential iPhone 4 swap cost to $980. And meanwhile, you're paying $110 per month or so for service. (The economics could be better for Verizon customers with family plans.)

Bottom line is: that $200 rebate probably won't really make this switch cheap, or even affordable, for most Verizon customers. Some people will still do it, of course -- and the phone-swap rebate might be enough to nudge some people over the edge into iPhone territory.

But I'm sure they'll still grouse about it.

The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Amy Gahran. Thanks to Lisa Williams of Placeblogger for suggesting this headline.

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Nintendo releases details about its hand-held, 3-D gaming system

The Nintendo 3DS, which displays three-dimensional images without the help of glasses, will go on sale March 27 in the United States and sell for $250, the company announced during simultaneous events in Amsterdam and New York.

The system will be released March 25 in Europe. European prices will vary according to the retailer.

The hand-held gadget turned heads when it was unveiled last summer at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

The Nintendo 3DS's hallmark feature is that it renders games in 3-D without requiring special glasses. It has two screens -- only one in 3-D -- and includes its own Wi-Fi connection and a camera that lets players create avatars using images of themselves.

The console will come with a new game called "Face Raiders" installed. The game takes advantage of the hand-held's 3-D camera, letting users take photos and add the images to a target shooting gallery.

In Amsterdam, Nintendo announced that a 3-D version of Capcom's "Super Street Fighter IV," and new versions of the long-running "Dead or Alive," "Resident Evil" and "Sims" series will be among the titles available.

The New York event also confirmed that a new offering from the popular "Madden NFL Football" franchise will offer a game on the console.

"In terms of game selection, there will truly be something for everyone," said Satoru Shibata, president of Nintendo of Europe.

"This isn't just the launch of another game device, but the start of a new entertainment era," he said.

At E3, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata showed off updates to the "Legend of Zelda" and "Mario Kart" series on the hand-held system. Other titles that have been spotted in online stores include the "Metal Gear" franchise as well as 3-D versions of classics like "Contra" and "Frogger."

Nintendo said it will offer more than 30 games this summer, developed by both the company and outsiders.

The company already has announced that the 3DS will go on sale in Japan next month for about $300. The console will be available in black and aqua blue. The 3-D effect is adjustable, letting players turn it off or slide it to full 3-D, as well as stopping somewhere between the two.

The 3DS will let gamers play with friends, or even strangers, with interactive features called Spot Pass and Street Pass.

Street Pass exchanges game information not just with friends, but people you pass on the street.

"To be clear, no such transfer will occur unless you want them to," said Nintendo Europe marketing director Laurent Fischer.

Unlike rivals Sony and Microsoft, which launched respectively their Move and Kinect motion-control systems in 2010, Nintendo didn't roll out a major advance to its Wii console, which paved the way for that gaming genre.

But the promise of the 3DS still helped Nintendo create one of the biggest splashes at E3, the video-game industry's glitzy annual coming-out party.

Many reviewers who have spent time with the game believe its 3-D capabilities have the potential to significantly change the experience of hand-held gaming.

The company did not address a warning it issued last month, saying children younger than 6 shouldn't play with the 3DS because it could harm their eyesight.

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Nintendo releases details about its hand-held, 3-D gaming system

The Nintendo 3DS, which displays three-dimensional images without the help of glasses, will go on sale March 27 in the United States and sell for $250, the company announced during simultaneous events in Amsterdam and New York.

The system will be released March 25 in Europe. European prices will vary according to the retailer.

The hand-held gadget turned heads when it was unveiled last summer at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

The Nintendo 3DS's hallmark feature is that it renders games in 3-D without requiring special glasses. It has two screens -- only one in 3-D -- and includes its own Wi-Fi connection and a camera that lets players create avatars using images of themselves.

The console will come with a new game called "Face Raiders" installed. The game takes advantage of the hand-held's 3-D camera, letting users take photos and add the images to a target shooting gallery.

In Amsterdam, Nintendo announced that a 3-D version of Capcom's "Super Street Fighter IV," and new versions of the long-running "Dead or Alive," "Resident Evil" and "Sims" series will be among the titles available.

The New York event also confirmed that a new offering from the popular "Madden NFL Football" franchise will offer a game on the console.

"In terms of game selection, there will truly be something for everyone," said Satoru Shibata, president of Nintendo of Europe.

"This isn't just the launch of another game device, but the start of a new entertainment era," he said.

At E3, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata showed off updates to the "Legend of Zelda" and "Mario Kart" series on the hand-held system. Other titles that have been spotted in online stores include the "Metal Gear" franchise as well as 3-D versions of classics like "Contra" and "Frogger."

Nintendo said it will offer more than 30 games this summer, developed by both the company and outsiders.

The company already has announced that the 3DS will go on sale in Japan next month for about $300. The console will be available in black and aqua blue. The 3-D effect is adjustable, letting players turn it off or slide it to full 3-D, as well as stopping somewhere between the two.

The 3DS will let gamers play with friends, or even strangers, with interactive features called Spot Pass and Street Pass.

Street Pass exchanges game information not just with friends, but people you pass on the street.

"To be clear, no such transfer will occur unless you want them to," said Nintendo Europe marketing director Laurent Fischer.

Unlike rivals Sony and Microsoft, which launched respectively their Move and Kinect motion-control systems in 2010, Nintendo didn't roll out a major advance to its Wii console, which paved the way for that gaming genre.

But the promise of the 3DS still helped Nintendo create one of the biggest splashes at E3, the video-game industry's glitzy annual coming-out party.

Many reviewers who have spent time with the game believe its 3-D capabilities have the potential to significantly change the experience of hand-held gaming.

The company did not address a warning it issued last month, saying children younger than 6 shouldn't play with the 3DS because it could harm their eyesight.

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Nintendo 3DS launching March 27 for $250

Nintendo plans on launching its 3DS -- the handheld video game system featuring 3-D technology with no glasses -- on March 27, the company revealed at a press event Tuesday.

According to updates from the event on Nintendo's official Twitter feed, the handheld will sell for $249.99.

Thirty games will be available for the 3DS between the device's launch and this June's Electronic Entertainment Expo, the company says.

The 3DS will include an Activity Log to track which games users have played and for how long, as well as a Mii Maker that creates a Mii avatar based off a photo taken with the 3DS camera. Users can also import avatars created on the Wii using an SD card.

The device will also include an updated version of Friend Codes. Users will have only one code they share with friends, and is not software dependent.

We'll have more details on the 3DS from today's event as they become available.

Update at 11:08 a.m. ET: Nintendo has released an official statement with more details on 3DS, including features and the list of titles slated to hit shelves in the coming months.

The dual-screen handheld features a lower touchscreen and an upper 3-D screen with a slider to adjust the 3-D effects. It also includes an inside camera and two outside cameras to take 3-D photos, as well as built in motion and gyro sensors.

The 3DS will also add a Circle Pad for 360-degree motion. This should make titles such as Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV remake for the device a bit easier to control.

The device will be available in either Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue and will come pre-loaded with a handful of games such as Face Raiders, which takes advantage of the 3DS cameras.

A Nintendo eShop will debut with the handheld, and include a Virtual Console for classic games, similar to what the Wii offers. Nintendo says users will be able to download older games from their Game Boy and Game Boy Color libraries.

Among the more interesting features is the 3DS' ability to double as a pedometer. Players collect coins based on the number of steps taken, and can use them to collect content in compatible games or applications, Nintendo says.

The 3DS will add a pair of new applications to make sharing data and connecting to the Web easier. The StreetPass lets users exchange such as high scores or Mii characters by simply passing by another person with a 3DS. The SpotPass allows users to easily connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots.

First-party titles such as Pilotwings Resort, nintendogs + cats and submarine adventure Steel Diver are expected to arrive with the launch of 3DS. Also, third-party publisher Ubisoft has confirmed they will launch 8 games along with the 3DS, including versions of their Rabbids, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell franchises.

Here's a complete list of titles expected to launch soon for 3DS. We'll keep you posted on which ones appear at launch (publishers in bold).

Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Star Fox 64 3D
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Mario Kart
Animal Crossing
Paper Mario

Atlus
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked

Capcom
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Electronic Arts
Madden NFL Football
The Sims 3

Konami
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D

LucasArts
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

Namco Bandai
Ridge Racer 3D
Dual Pen Sports

Sega
Super Monkey Ball 3D
Thor: God of Thunder
CRUSH 3D

Square Enix
Bust-A-Move Universe

Tecmo Koei
Samurai Warriors Chronicles
Dead or Alive Dimensions

Ubisoft
Asphalt 3D
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Shadow Wars
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D
Rayman 3D
Rabbids Travel in Time
Driver Renegade
James Noir's Hollywood Crimes

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Apple net income soars 78% in holiday quarter

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple said Tuesday that its net income for the most recent quarter rose 78% as holiday shoppers snapped up more iPads than analysts predicted.
The results sent shares climbing in after-hours trading. Earlier, shares slipped more than 2% in regular trading as investors focused on news that CEO Steve Jobs will take another medical leave of absence. Jobs has survived a rare form of pancreatic cancer and had a liver transplant in 2009.


STOCK: Apple falls; does Jobs' leave merit a pounding?
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STEPPING AWAY: Apple CEO will take medical leave

Net income for Apple's fiscal first quarter rose to $6 billion, or $6.43 per share, up from $3.4 billion, or $3.67 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast $5.41 per share for the quarter, which ended Dec. 25.

Revenue climbed 71% to $26.7 billion, more than the $24.3 billion analysts expected. It was $15.7 billion in the same quarter a year earlier.

Apple sold 7.3 million iPads during the quarter, about a million more than analysts were expecting. The iPad, a touch-screen tablet computer with no keyboard, first went on sale in April and was one of the hottest gifts over the holidays.

Apple sold 16.2 million iPhones, an 86% increase from a year ago. Sales of Mac computers rose 23% to 4.13 million laptops and desktops.

Apple sold 19.5 million iPods, a 7% drop from a year earlier. However, people spent more on average on the devices — revenue from iPods edged up 1%.

The Cupertino, California-based company said 62% of its revenue came from outside the U.S. In the Asia-Pacific segment, which includes China, Apple said revenue almost tripled. Apple said its four stores in China had, on average, highest traffic and highest revenue out of its 321 worldwide stores

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WallWizard motorized HDTV mounts get control app for iPhone and iPad

WallWizard has a bunch of different mount styles and you can get them in motorized or manual adjustable versions. The motorized mounts are cool because you can move the TV for the best viewing angles no matter where you are sitting in the room without having to walk across the room to move the thing by hand.
Even cooler than motorized adjustability along on the mounts that WallWizard offers is that the mounts are the first in the industry to come with apps for the iPhone and iPad that allow you to control the mounts. The app is about $10 on the app store and uses a USB WiFi/Bluetooth control module that sells for another $158.98 on top of the price of the mount. The mounts themselves range in price from $149 to $399 depending on the style you want.²

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Why Apple won't ditch the iPad, iPhone home button

(ArsTechnica) -- Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 4.3, has gained new four- and five-finger multitouch gestures for the iPad, which have great potential to replace some functionality of the device's "home" button.
The rumor mill now suggests that these new gestures are designed to make it possible to eliminate the home button from the iPad altogether, and perhaps also on the iPhone and iPod touch. We don't see Apple going this route, however -- at the very least not in the near term.
Boy Genius Report got the ball rolling by citing a source claiming that Apple is already testing iPads and iPhones without home buttons. It also reported that "it's possible we will see this new change materialize with the next-generation iPad and iPhone devices set to launch this year."
There are at least a couple reasons why Apple dropping the home button won't happen this year, though. One reason is that the new multitouch gestures introduced in iOS 4.3 beta are still being tested for compatibility and are considered a developer "preview" of new functionality.
According to a note that accompanied the beta release:
"This beta release contains a preview of new Multi-Touch gestures for iPad. You can use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen; swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar; and swipe left or right between apps. We are providing this preview before releasing them to the public to understand how these gestures work with your apps. Test them and give us your feedback on the Apple Developer Forums."
This suggests that the new gestures may not even be ready for release in iOS 4.3. It's possible that these gestures won't be available to end users until later versions of iOS are released.
Another reason it is unlikely to happen this year is that new products are probably just a few months away from shipping, and likely to begin production in just a couple weeks, and have had their designs locked in for some time now. It's doubtful Apple would ship the iPad with such a radical change in user interaction without thoroughly testing that the multitouch gestures work as well as (or better than) the various home button clicks.
As for these gestures replacing the home button on the iPhone or iPod Touch, it's worth noting that these gestures are currently only available on the iPad. Using four or five fingers on an iPhone would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible -- the iPad just has more room to make such gestures comfortable to use. Having to use four or five fingers at a time would also rule out one-handed operation.
Still, there are some reasons Apple may never ditch the hardware button. Having the gestures available in addition to using the home button is definitely cool, but a hardware home button works even when multifinger gestures are impractical or impossible.
For instance, Daring Fireball notes that a user may not have four or five fingers on a hand to use. Additionally, some features, including accessing search or taking screen shots, don't appear to have multitouch equivalents. Other features that rely on the home button, such as recovery mode or a hard reset, would likely be impossible without a hardware button.

Apple might indeed be testing prototypes without home buttons, but that is no guarantee that a button-free iDevice will be released to the public. For the reasons cited above, we don't see Apple ditching the hardware home button anytime soon -- if ever.

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iPhone 5/iPad 2 To Be GSM/CDMA, More

In my experience interviewing people to enter the company, note that many mistakes, this is not critical for worse, is not scolded, for me is a little instruction, what not to do a job. I like helping people and if I despair when I see something, maybe some time I was that and I see reflected in what I did not like me, the person who told me, I appreciate that I have opened many doors, in my young age and started preparing, I am now image consultant, my goal is not to fix the problems for people, because I'm not God, but if I can get you to modify some things that are bad for you and me if I want to be motivated to look cute with goals and dreams, with this I say, if I could do it no matter if you were young or old, ugly, fat or thin, everyone is entitled to be made, everyone do something with effort and dedication has to be something positive. Returning to the interview makes me angry especially when the crisis say that justification does not like working, another case is when you're so beautiful you can lie, the truth is also very uncomfortable to see your subject, comes with the breast or the jealous boyfriend or girlfriend jealous, when you go to a job interview is serious, where you should forget one of the house of the problems, try to separate it because if not the future there will be many problems, most likely that you will refuse the job or settled. Being on time is essential, it is painful to see when a person is hired and that he saw the potential, oh disappointment late for work, I will never forget the excuse that the girl had a dollar for the truck and others, always being true is best, in all aspects of life, a good presentation is essential if our work is presentable office there to go to have a chance for an office that does not mean you have to wear expensive clothes or cosmetics expensive and outlandish things, it means that you must have a natural makeup, a good blow dry and ready to use serious colors black trousers and blouses or shirts and shoes clean presentable believe me a good image leads you to success, do not confuse beauty of having a good image, a lie that only the beautiful have opportunities to remember that there are people that if you need a job well done, by persons responsible clean presentable, if you're one of those people I invite you to change your life to have an order to have a responsibility life, there is time for all for fun to spend to work, we must think of yourself, loving exercise and indulge and have a spiritual relationship and family is essential for success, think big, to dream, find hard-working people successful and that can take us by the hand, start down with humility, to be one day above the same with humility, and above all, I invite you to take your head and ignore the word crisis removes all the negative things all that you destroyed if you apply a few words in your mind, change your life, mine is if I want.

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