Motorola Announces RAZR XT910 Developer Edition with Unlocked Bootloader

A while ago, Motorola announced plans to start unlocking bootloaders on devices "where operator and channel partners will allow it" sometime in 2011. While it's clear now (with that deadline behind us) that operators remain opposed to subsidizing sales of devices with unlockable bootloaders, Motorola is now moving forward with what would seem like an alternative means to a similar end, starting with creation of a Developer Edition XT910 device for Europe. The Developer Edition XT910 is similar to to the normal XT910, but includes an unlockable bootloader and is sold with no warranty - the device is currently available for preorder for €499.00. This is essentially the RAZR we've reviewed already but with GSM/WCDMA air interfaces and no LTE connectivity. 

Customers stateside will have to wait for a corresponding unlockable developer device which ostensibly will mirror the XT912 shipping on Verizon Wireless with CDMA2000 1x/EVDO and LTE air interfaces. Hopefully Motorola's plans to launch Developer Edition devices doesn't mean that it has failed to reach an agreement with carrier partners to enable currently shipping devices to be unlocked.

Source: Motorola Blog, Motorola Dev. Devices, XT910

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6waves Lolapps Buys Mobile Games Developer Escalation Studios

Social gaming company 6waves Lolapps (6L) this morning announced its acquisition of Dallas-based Escalation Studios, a mobile games development firm.Three months ago, 6L already moved to buy Beijing-based social gaming company Smartron5, but apparently they felt there was still some mobile gaming expertise missing.]]>

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L.A. Noire Developer Team Bondi Shuttered

Should a sequel to Rockstar Games’ latest offering ever appear, it won’t come from the original developer. Team Bondi, the studio that labored on L.A. Noire since 2005, has been liquidated, according to documents filed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Team Bondi went into administration on August 30, after the Sydney-based studio filed a notification of discharge. This move followed months of swelling controversy surrounding L.A. Noire’s development. In June, former Team Bondi employees claimed that at least 100 employees had been left off the game’s credit roll. Developers who worked on the game then spoke up, saying they had worked 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week, in “praise-free” conditions.

Develop reports that some Team Bondi assets and staff will be transferred to another Sydney production studio, Kennedy Miller Mitchell.

L.A. Noire was released in May to critical acclaim and solid sales. It is scheduled to be released on PC next month. Anandtech has contacted Rockstar regarding their plans to support L.A. Noire following Team Bondi’s dissolution.

Sources: Develop, Gamasutra

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Developer Build of Dead Island Accidentally Released on Steam

An unfinished version of Dead Island, the tropical co-op zombie title from Techland, was mistakenly released on Steam in North America. According to Develop, the game’s publisher, Deep Silver, plans on replacing the developer-only version with proper retail code as soon as possible.

Sleuths on Steam and Dead Island forums uncovered code suggesting that the software was actually a pre-release console build:

< X b o x L i v e S u b m i s s i o n P r o j e c t V e r s i o n = " 2 . 0 . 5 0 3 3 0 . 0 " x m l n s = " h t t p : / / w w w . x b o x l i v e . c o m / x l a s t " >

< G a m e C o n f i g P r o j e c t n a m e = " D e a d I s l a n d D i s c X b o x 3 6 0 " t i t l e N a m e = " D e a d I s l a n d D i s c X b o x 3 6 0 " p r o j e c t V e r s i o n = " 1 . 0 0 . 0 9 3 4 . 0 " s c h e m a V e r s i o n = " 1 . 0 8 . 0 0 0 0 . 0 " v a l i d a t e A g a i n s t = " . . \ . . \ . . \ . . \ . . \ U s e r s \ t e c h l a n d \ A p p D a t a \ L o c a l \ M i c r o s o f t \ X b o x L i v e \ 4 B 4 D 0 7 D F . p a r t n e r \ . . \ . . \ 4 B 4 D 0 7 D F . p a r t n e r \ . . \ . . \ 4 B 4 D 0 7 D F . p a r t n e r \ . . \ . . \ 4 B 4 D 0 7 D F . p a r t n e r \ D e a d I s l a n d . x l a s t " c l a s s i f i c a t i o n = " B a s e G a m e " t i t l e I d = " 0 x 4 B 4 D 0 7 D F " m u l t i p l a y e r = " t r u e " t i t l e T y p e = " 1 " a r n = " 0 x 5 5 E 2 C 5 D 2 F 1 4 A F 9 " >

Other errors and undefined variables in the code could explain the vast array of bugs and multiplayer connectivity issues, as well as the ability to clip through environments with the press of a button. Deep Silver hopes to address a whole host of problems (which have been catalogued by Destructoid) with its day-one patch.

If you have been eagerly awaiting Dead Island ever since its clever debut trailer released in February, you may want to wait a little longer.

Source: Develop

 

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