It’s getting close to Christmas, and there are many video games slated for release over the next month. Perhaps you know someone who would be happy to receive one of these games this holiday season.
Here are November’s releases, from GameTrailers.com and GameStop:
- “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” Nov. 4, for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PC, and PS3, regular edition costs $60.
- “Moshi Monsters Katsuma Unleashed,” Nov. 5 for Nintendo 3DS, $30.
- “XCOM: Enemy Within,” Nov. 5 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, $40.
- “Ben 10: Omniverse 2,” Nov. 5 for Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox 360 and PS3, up to $40.
- “Power Rangers Megaforce,” Nov. 5 for 3DS, $40.
- “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collection,” Nov. 5 for PS3 and Xbox 360, $40.
- “The Guided Fate Paradox,” Nov 5 for PS3, $50.
- “Ys: Memories of Celceta,” Nov. 6 for PSVita, $40.
- “Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!”, Nov. 12 for PS3, 3DS and Wii U, $40.
- “Farming Simulator,” Nov. 12 for PS3 and Xbox 360, $10.
- “Frozen: Olaf’s Quest,” Nov. 12 for Nintendo DS and 3DS, $30.
- “Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition,” Nov. 12 for PC, PS3, PS4, PSVita, Xbox 360, up to $60.
- “NBA 2K14,” Nov. 12 for PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, $60.
- “Ratchet & Crank: Into the Nexus,” Nov. 12 for PS3, $30.
- “SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow,” Nov. 12 for PC, $30.
- “Transformers: Ultimate Autobots Edition,” Nov. 12 for Nintendo DS, $25.
- “Transformers: Ultimate Battle Edition,” Nov. 12 for Wii, $30.
- “Angry Birds: Star Wars,” Nov. 15 for PS4, $50.
- “Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games,” Nov. 15 for Wii U, $50.
- “Need for Speed: Rivals,” Nov. 19 for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4, $60.
- “AquaPazza,” Nov. 19 for PS3, $30.
- “BandFuze: Rock Legends,” Nov. 19 for PS3 and Xbox 360, $70.
- Barbie Dreamhouse Party,” Nov. 19 for Wii, Wii U, DS and 3DS, up to $40.
- “Fighter Within,” Nov. 19 for Xbox One, $60.
- “Mario Party Island Tour,” Nov. 22 for 3DS, $40.
- “The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds,” Nov. 22 for 3DS, $40.
- “LEGO Marvel Super Heroes,” Nov. 26 for PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, up to $60.
Bits & Pieces
- Last week, Google announced its latest smartphone, the Nexus 5, which will be the first to be released with the latest Android 4.4 OS code-named KitKat. The phone has a nearly 5-inch high-def display and is available unlocked for $349.
- Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime recently told CNET why the company won’t release Mario or other iconic games for smartphones, and it’s not a surprise. “When the consumer wants to play Mario, Zelda and Pokemon, they have to purchase our hardware to do so,” he said. “And that preserves our overall financial model.”
- Sorry, fans of Oculus Rift, the virtual reality accessory, will come only for Android mobile OS and PCs, but not for gaming consoles, new or existing. However, the company says consoles will be supported through a tethering workaround. Watch out for lags!
- Samsung Electronics shipped a record 88.4 million smartphones in the third quarter — a 55 percent surge over the same period the previous year — to take its global market share above 35 percent, while rival Apple’s slice thinned, research data showed last week. Apple posted a 26 percent spike in shipments over the same period to 33.8 million units. But that failed to keep pace with the industry’s overall 45 percent growth and the Apple’s market share dipped from 15.6 percent to 13.4 percent.
- Despite those numbers, Apple is still king of the hill when it comes to generating revenue from smartphone apps. According to data from App Annie Market Index report, Google Play Store downloads are 25 percent higher than downloads from Apple’s App Store, but Apple continues to generate more than two times the app revenue of Google’s Play Store.
- Tiger Woods might be out of EA games, but the golf pro is shopping around for a new gaming company.
- The Canadian Avalanche Centre announced last week that smartphone apps are not an adequate replacement for true avalanche transceivers, which broadcast a 457 kHz signal to indicate where a person is buried under the snow. Smartphones send out WiFi and Bluetooth signals, which are weakened by passing through snow and other debris.
Maria Welych, who was technology editor at The Post-Standard for five years, is director of marketing and public relations at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].
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