Monopoly Board Game Gets a Cat Token Thanks to the Internet

Leave it to the Internet to bring its obsession with cats to the classic board game of Monopoly.

Hasbro, the published or the Monopoly board game, started a campaign last month on its Facebook page to vote out one of the old game pieces and introduce a new one. The token to get removed from the game was the iron, a token that had existed since the original patent was submitted in 1935.

And the winner to take its place? A cat.

Oh, Internet. Why are we not surprised?

The other options were a diamond ring, guitar, helicopter and a robot. The last one was probably the only one with a real shot against the cat, but seeing as LOL Cats are still a prominent meme on the Web, the outcome was inevitable.

The cat token is expected to replace the iron in mid to late 2013, so if you want to get the last run of the retiring piece, you may want to head out to the stores soon.

It could have been worse. A strip of bacon could have been put up as a suggestion and then we all know what would have happened.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

PlayStation Home Arcade brings parts of Sony's Second Life-esque world to PlayStation Vita

You like the games in Sony's PlayStation 3-based social network, Home, but not the endless Quincying? We can fully respect that, and we're glad to tell you that Sony's doing something specifically catered to your wants, fictional person -- today, PlayStation Home Arcade launches on the PlayStation Vita, bringing arcade games from the network to Vita with none of the awkward virtual dancing found on PS3. The software previously popped up on the Vita's store, but Sony wasn't saying a word at the time -- and now we know why. To access PlayStation Home Arcade, grab the free download from the Vita's PlayStation Store gateway; we're not seeing it pop up in the store just yet, but keep your eyes peeled! When it is available, to access the games, open up the application and download away -- they range from free to $1.49. For a full list of titles and the official word from Sony, head past the break. For a horrifying demonstration of Quincying, watch this.

[Source: Engadget]

Great Offers on MoneyGaming

MoneyGaming was launched by Game Account International in 2011 and has since become host to a suite of over 300 games. Along with casino classics such as Black Jack and Roulette players can also enjoy a huge selection of bingo, slot and instant win games. All games on the MoneyGaming website run on Adobe Flash so customers can begin playing them instantly without the need to download or install any software.

The graphics and animations provided by the WagerWorks and Aristocrat software platforms are bright and impressive. Their exceptional quality of gaming earned MoneyGaming's parent company the EGR Magazine award for the Top Game Developer Company in 2011. In addition to this the website is attractive and the layout is easy to navigate, meaning players will quickly find whatever they are looking for.

Popular slot machines such as Rainbow Riches, Kitty Glitter and Cleopatra slots are all available along with some new famous names including GhostBusters, which boasts four frequent mystery features and two bonus games. MoneyGaming’s slots collection is extensive and growing fast, with the company regularly adding new slots games. Both free to play and real money games are featured on the website with mega jackpots regularly exceeding £2 million.

Along with the games MoneyGaming also offers their customers some great promotional offers. Currently new players who sign up to the website with the simple registration process will benefit from a £300 Welcome Package. First deposits will be matched up to £150 with a 50% match on second deposits up to £75. Another £75 sprint bonus can also be redeemed after playing real cash games. In addition to this MoneyGaming has also introduced a loyalty bonus scheme for cash game players. This extra boost to your player account balance can really help to stretch those winnings.

Nintendo says it won't cut Wii U price, despite slow sales

It's no secret the Wii U isn't selling too well. Many claim the console has confused 'casual' gamers with its tablet-style controller. And as a sign of how it's struggling, Nintendo has slashed its outlook on Wii U sales for the March quarter. But it won't drop the price, it's said in a stout defence of its strategy.

"With Wii U, we have taken a rather resolute stance in pricing it below its manufacturing cost, so we are not planning to perform a markdown," the company said, BGR reports.

Just in case there was any doubt, the Nintendo spokesperson spelled it out. "I would like to make this point absolutely clear. We are putting our lessons from Nintendo 3DS to good use, as I have already publicly stated. However, given that it has now become clear that we have not yet fully communicated the value of our product, we will try to do so before the lineup is enhanced and at the same time work to enrich the software lineup which could make consumers understand the appeal of Wii U."

So that's that. Got it?

Nintendo cut the price of the 3DS after launch, so it's not one to blindly stick to its guns. And the Wii U only went on sale a couple of months ago, so a price drop so soon would show Nintendo had very little confidence in the console. It would also annoy anyone who paid full whack such a short time ago. So I can see why Nintendo is keen to avoid slashing the price.

I think critics are right when they say the Wii U is confusing for the average punter, especially after the simplicity of the original Wii. But I think maybe the age of consoles is on its way out, with the threat from far cheaper games for mobiles and tablets. Let's see how the PS4 shapes up when Sony lifts the curtain on it in a couple of weeks.

[Source: CNET]

PlayStation 4 gets closer as Sony teases 20 February reveal

The new PlayStation 4 could explode onto the scene in three weeks. Sony invites us to "see the future" at an event on 20 February, potentially gazumping the rival Xbox 720.

If the event this month does see the launch of the long-awaited follow-up to the PlayStation 3, then Sony will beat Microsoft to the punch by unveiling its next generation console ahead of the rumoured Xbox 720.

The PlayStation launch will reveal what the hardware looks like, whether there's an exciting new way of controlling games, and the line-up of exclusive titles. But we almost certainly won't get our hands on the PS4 until much later in the year. In the meantime, hit play below to see Sony's tantalising teaser:

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new console will be powered by processor built by AMD, instead of the current Cell chip made by Nvidia -- which could cause problems with your current games on the new console.

Much has changed in the world of gaming since the current generation of games consoles first appeared in 2006. Casual and mobile gaming and online games have eaten into the market for traditional games consoles and hardware. Sony has has to address the changing market with the PS4, and reports say the new console will feature more social gubbins.

One thing Sony is keeping is the optical disk drive, as Sony feels online downloading of games isn't ready for a mass audience, with some countries saddled with broadband connections that can't handle the required file sizes.

[Source: CNET]

The Walking Dead is 50% Off on Steam Today

If you’ve been waiting for a solid chance to get The Walking Dead, and the previous sales weren’t timed quite right for you wallet, Steam is giving you another chance today. The Walking Dead is available, in its full first season form, for 50% off its typical price.

Pencils down, it’s now $12.49.

I personally loved every bit of The Walking Dead. It was a game that rocked my expectations, and Telltale delivered something stocked with great characters, tough decisions and an odd sense of depression. If you’d like to look at the flip side of the coin, though, our own Eric Frederiksen was not such a fan of the game.

The Steam version of The Walking Dead works on both PCs and Macs. Buy it now if you’ve been waiting for a nice price cut.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Grand Theft Auto V Delayed, Release Date Revealed

Rockstar has delayed the release date of Grand Theft Auto V out of May of 2013. Instead, the open world blockbuster bound title will release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 17th, 2013.

A PC version, unfortunately, was not announced. My first thought when I head about the delay this morning was that Rockstar was planning to release a PC version alongside the console edition, but that’s not the case. Instead, in the body of the email that announced the new launch date, Rockstar explained the delay with this:

The September release date moves the launch back from its original projected release window of spring 2013 in order to allow additional development time. The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world Rockstar Games has yet created, Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game’s three lead characters, playing all sides of the game’s interwoven story.

“Additional development time” could account for just about anything. Perhaps the game wasn’t testing well, or perhaps it was a little more bug-riddled than Rockstar likes. Regardless, the four month delay from May to September should be enough to get the job done.

Of course, this now makes Grand Theft Auto V a massive contender in the holiday season for games. Rockstar hasn’t released a game in the fall portion of the calendar since before Red Dead Redemption, and the solitude they’ve found in May has lead to huge sales. Now, gamers will be picking between Grand Theft Auto V and the whole slew of holiday games set to launch near it.

What will you choose?

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

How good is the iPad for gaming?

The iPad Mini has been around for a while now and whether you love it or hate it there are some areas in which it excels - despite the late Steve Jobs’ aversion to creating such a tablet. Android lovers will claim that the iPad Mini is only popular because of Apple fan-boys but anyone who enjoys gaming on a tablet, whether for the casino games like Roulette at Ladbrokes or casual games like Bejewelled, will tell you that the iPad is excellent when it comes to gaming.

The iPad mini is Apple’s corner of the 7-inch tablet market, and although it hasn’t blown competitors out of the water, they have certainly matched expectations. The 1024 x 768p resolution is ideal for gaming, as the smaller screen means the graphics are more precise. Combined with the dual core A5 CPU chip, gaming on the iPad mini has slightly better specifications than its main rival, the Nexus 7.

For those who love a flutter at the online casinos, the iPad mini is the one to go for. Live casinos are now available on iPads thanks to companies like Ladbrokes.com, who have recently launched their exciting array of tablet games and slots. Roulette is currently one of the favoured games as it is ideal for playing on the train during the commute, or whilst waiting for friends. Because of the immersive viewing offered by the iPad mini, less time-consuming games like roulette become more enthralling and can bring the feel of live casinos and dealers direct to your tablet. The superfast dual core A5 chip (same as that of the iPad 2 and iPhone 4) combined with the fluidity of Apple’s iOS 6 makes the gaming experience of this tablet a joy to behold. Despite people suggesting that the larger iPads are better for graphics, the mini’s minimal weight – only 308g – means that when playing your favourite casino game, your wrists will not ache from the weight over time. Whether holding through the centre or by the corners you can sit for hours on end while travelling or simply sitting in your favourite chair, and not think the tablet cumbersome and awkward as happens with the full-sized iPads. Although the placement of the speakers means that, when held horizontally, the sound can be muffled, and the placement of the headphone jack means the cable can occasionally droop across the screen, the iPad mini is easy to handle and draws you seamlessly into your gaming experience regardless of its size.

For serious gamers we think this is the ideal tablet and starting at £269 it’s a reasonable price for the amount of technology you’re getting. The next thing we’re waiting for from Apple now are expandable memory options.

Buy a Year of PlayStation Plus, Get Three Extra Months Free

Sony’s added a little extra pep to the offering that is the premium PlayStation Plus package. From now until March 4th, 2013, gamers can score an extra three months on their subscription if they buy a full year of PS Plus.

“What’s PS Plus?” Well, Sony’s standard online network is free. You can play games, download movies and software and talk with others as part of the free entry point when you buy either a PlayStation 3 or PS Vita.

PS Plus adds an extra layer of discounts and free games to the PlayStation experience. So, for instance, being a PS Plus member means you can download and play Gravity Rush on the PS Vita for no additional charge. The same goes for games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Darksiders, inFamous 2 and Retro City Rampage.

PS Plus costs $49.99 for a year and $17.99 for three months. This deal, obviously gives you a nearly $68 value for $50.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

NVIDIA's GeForce Experience gaming tune-up reaches open beta

NVIDIA wants to take the mystery out of gaming performance through itsGeForce Experience. It's been hard to appreciate that when the app has been in closed testing for well over a month, however -- so it's good news that the company just recently opened the beta program to everyone. Along with bringing faster and better-looking graphics to the PC gaming masses, the public version widens the optimizations to include Core 2 processors, 2,560 x 1,440 displays and games like Far Cry 3 and Mechwarrior Online. There's no word yet on when the app will reach its finished form, although we hope it's sooner rather than later when Project Shield's remote PC game streaming will depend on GeForce Experience to run. For now, players running Windows can grab the beta at the source link

[Source: Engadget]

Temple Run 2 for Android now available in Google Play

Temple Run 2, the highly anticipated sequel to one of the biggest games ever, is now available in Google Play. It has all the twists and turns (and monkeys) of the original, but it's been completely redone with great new graphics, new environments, and even bigger monkeys! It's free to download (of course you can spend money via in-app purchases if that's your thing) and you can grab it at the link to the left.

I've not sat down and really played it yet, so holler if there's something we should take a look at. Of course, we'll spend some quality time sliding and jumping, then give this one a proper look. Hit the break for the official trailer.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

GameStick Kickstarter adds new indie dev-targeted tier, trades $250 for six months of 100% revenue

The PlayJam folks are taking another cue from the Android-powered Ouya with their own GameStick, today adding a dev-focused $250 tier to the already successful Kickstarter campaign. The twist with GameStick's dev tier is its aimed at indies, and it offers a six month window of 100 percent revenue on any games released before July 2013 (in addition to a GameStick bundle, of course). The dev version costs quite a bit more than the usual $79 asking price, but guaranteeing full revenue near launch may be a worthy tradeoff for developers looking to cash-in on early adopters (the industry standard is a 70 / 30 split, with game devs taking the larger share). Sadly, you won't get the unit any earlier than the general public; PlayJam's putting an April window on launch. The deal's only available to 250 developers -- or at least the first 250 people to buy in -- so interested parties may want to act quickly.

[Source: Engadget]