Right now, there aren't many/any 360s in Japan. Place went bananas for Tales of Vesperia, they're practically sold out, and won't be getting any more in for a while. When they do come back in, there'll be a slight change: they'll be cheaper. A lot cheaper. Microsoft Japan have announced that - as was rumoured last week when Bic Camera accidentally jumped the gun - the 360's due for some price cuts. The Arcade 360 will have its price slashed by ¥8,000 to ¥19,800 (USD$182), which makes it significantly cheaper than the ¥25,000 Wii. The Pro and Elite will also be reduced, by ¥5,000 (from ¥34,800 to ¥29,800/USD$274) and ¥8,000 (from ¥47,800 to ¥39,800/USD$367) respectively.
In a Penny Arcade Expo interview posted over on Joystiq, The Behemoth's Dan Paladin and Tom Fulp talk Castle Crashers problems, making it very clear that they're working hard to release an online co-op fixing patch "as soon as possible."
"We're trying to get it out as soon as possible, because we know it's important to people" Paladin explained, saying that the main issue with Castle Crashers' online component is due to players' conflicting network conditions. But Paladin made it clear that they did all they could to work out potential network issues prior to launch saying that network problems "was something that never came up in testing." So, when will we see patch goodness? As soon as humanly possible, though truthfully, Fulp admitted that there "isn't any official time frame yet."
Check out the complete The Behemoth interview over at Joystiq to learn more about the Castle Crashers development process, how pricing XBLA games really works and learn a super secret strategy for unlocking a few new in-game characters.
features
Larger than all previous Mercenaries combined, the world of Mercenaries 2 is jam-packed with colorful characters and environments
Recruit other mercenaries to build your own private military company
of weapons, land-based vehicles and watercraft are available for you to use and blow the stuffing out of everything!
Play the main campaign with the help of your friends. Jump in and out of a game at any time
description
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™ is an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn world.
When a power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply he sparks an invasion that turns the country into a warzone. But for you, international crisis is all upside: You are a mercenary, and you profit from chaos. Mercenaries 2™ features a slew of potential clients, all willing to pay you to do their dirty work. These are world powers with deep pockets, deep grudges, and enough arms and ammo to start World War III. This is your kind of environment.
features
A classic series returns – The newest installment of the Tales RPG series keeping the established gameplay formula that fans love
Next Gen sights and sounds – First Tales RPG game with high-definition graphics, broadcast quality animation, and Dolby surround sound
Evolved real-time battle system – New refinements and additions to the trademark Tales real-time battle engine making for the most action-packed, dynamic RPG fighting ever
Fan favorite character designs – Characters designed by famous manga artist, Kosuke Fujishima, responsible for popular series’ Ah! My Goddess, Sakura Taisen and You’re Under Arrest
Immersive look and feel – Detailed environments, animation and an artistic style so good, it’s like playing a cartoon
Dramatic story – Gripping tale of a young hero on a quest for justice, trust and friendship filled with unexpected twists and turns at every step
A decade of Tales – The first game celebrating the Tales 10 year anniversary
description
A power struggle begins in a civilization dependant on an ancient technology, the blastia, and the Empire that controls it. The fates of two friends traveling separate paths intertwine in an epic adventure that threatens the existence of all. Tales of Vesperia marks the first Tales RPG release in HD with detail and graphics never before seen in the series. Now, real-time battles are more exciting than ever with over limits, the ability to unleash fatal strikes, combinations and burst artes. The next evolution of the revered role-playing series comes to the Xbox 360®.
Microsoft has announced price cuts in the Australian territory for a number of Xbox 360 peripherals, with some dropping as much as 40 per cent.
The Xbox 360 Headset and Universal Media Remote have fallen from AUD 49.95 to AUD 29.95, while the Wireless Racing Wheel is down from UAD 199.95 to AUD 149.95, reports iTWire.
Meanwhile the 120GB hard drive is down AUD 30 to AUD 199.95 and the Wireless Networking Adapter is down AUD 20 at AUD 149.95.
The peripherals cost reduction follows the new console SKU prices in the country, which are now AUD 349 for the Arcade, AUD 499 for the Pro and AUD 649 for the Elite consoles respectively.
Fable II is "the best, most complete game I've ever worked on," says mastermind Peter Molyneux, just as the RPG sequel is said to have now gone gold at Lionhead's Guildford HQ.
Speaking in an interview with CVG's paper cousin, Xbox World 360, Molyneux says he hasn't made "the same mistakes I made in the past," with the second Fable.
"Black & White, The Movies, Dungeon Keeper, pretty much every game I've ever done has had interesting features thrown in to the pot without worrying what the flavour was like," he said.
"I'd rate it a 9 out of 10," Molyneux added, when asked if he'd fulfilled his original vision with Fable II.
"It's the best, most complete game I've ever worked on. The look is perfect, the interface is fantastic. It's a role-playing game, but where are all the f***ing icons? Aren't you supposed to be cluttering the screen up with mini-maps and the like? Not us.
"RPGs are one of the most complex game types there are," added Molyneux. "But for me, the idea of being who I want to be and my character being different to yours, well, I think is one of the coolest genres of game."
Fable II is out on October 24. Look for the full interview in Xbox World 360 issue 70, on newsstands this Wednesday September 3 (and in subscriber's hands now).
Jeffrey Steefel, executive producer for Lord of the Rings: Online recently spoke to Eurogamer about the game's upcoming expansion and its future in the MMO market. One thing he mentions is the challenge of designing an MMO for consoles, which have a larger player base than PC games. He admits that UI development would be a huge issue, but also thinks MMOs could benefit from splitting tasks between various devices.
"Long term, for me, the real exciting vision is ... thinking about a game, a franchise, as this centralised content. There's this thing called Lord of the Rings that sits on a bunch of servers ... and whether you're on your PC, your console, your mobile device, those are all just access points, and they're all good at different things. ... The console is great for fast action, immediate activities. Combat, raids, things like that could be a lot of fun sitting on your couch. And some things that are necessary but slightly rote and boring, like managing your inventory or setting up for a raid, or some elements of crafting — those are things that you can do instead of playing Bejeweled when you're sitting on the train or on a break or whatever it happens to be."
1Up has a feature discussing where the line should be drawn when it comes to game addiction. The author speaks to researcher Neils Clark about some of the common characteristics of addiction, and how the high level of immersion in many modern games contributes to the mind's ability to drown out mundane tasks. We've discussed game addiction many times over the past several years. Quoting:
"If we're not all dribbling addicts, then why are we playing so much? Clark puts this down to a theory proposed by The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien — primary and secondary worlds. The primary world is our own real life. The secondary is the fictional world: literature, film, videogames, and so on. 'It used to be that the imagery and artistic intent had to be fully available before you could really "find" yourself in a written story,' Clark says. 'Immersion has progressed to the point where entering a world [inside a game] is almost automatic. At the point we're at, playing healthy not only means understanding immersion but [also] recognizing that these secondary worlds are designed to be more fulfilling than the primary. Learning to balance them is its own technology. It's something that humankind is in a process of developing, even if on a subconscious level for most gamers.'"
Agarest Senki, Compile Heart/RED's previously PS3-only tactics RPG (though it's a port of a PC game) is coming to the 360 as Agarest Senki Reappearance, according to retail sites. The 360 version will have more downloadable content (dungeons, items), more voices, and some extra illustrations and things. It's coming out on November 27 for 7,140 yen.
Thanks to info from Sazanami we know that Triangle Service, creator of Shooting Love (and Exzeal among others) wants to bring 2007's Shooting Love to the 360, and will do so once he can meet the platform's expectations/programming style.
After six great wars, darkness has once again fallen on this earth and it is up to the next generation of heroes to rescue their land from the clutches of evil and show their people the light.
Each of the four heroes are fighting for their own objectives, some of them are fighting for justice, some for their instincts and others for ascertaining their objectives.
This beautiful fighting game differs from games of the same genre by making use of RPG elements like having a large scale story mode. The characters are fully voiced, animated and are very expressive, you can see the look of concentration or fear on their faces when they launch special attacks or are about to be hit.
The game runs on high resolution screens in the arcades and is going to push the limits of your third generation consoles. With a network mode, you can fight matches with people from all over the world.
Other modes are:
Survival mode where you fight strings of battles until your HP bar depletes completely.
Time attack mode where you have to defeat a set number of enemies under a time constraint.
Practice mode where beginners learn how to launch special skills and attacks.
Gallery mode where you view the event CG and movies you have collected in the story mode.
The Asian version of the ultimate crossover between a fighter and an RPG is chosen as this week's special product. Battle Fantasia for Xbox360™ is sold at a bargain price of US$ 24.90 only.
features
Interact with the piñatas: Getting to know and understand the personalities and requirements of your piñatas is essential if you want them to stay happy and thrive
Interact with the characters: Decide how much help you want from the local guides, shopkeepers, and work force. Go it alone or get them involved—you choose
Watch them grow: Discover the secrets of more than 60 different candy-filled piñata animals to see them grow, change, fight, and even dance!
Anything can happen: Guide a constantly evolving, vibrant world to keep your piñata happy and protect them from dangers threatening to break them open
Maintain harmony: Maintaining harmony within a growing community isn’t always easy when rivalries, illness, injuries and even candy-spilling fights occur
description
Viva Piñata™ is a window to another world where wild-roaming, living piñata animals inhabit a growing, changing garden world. Take control of this environment and the piñata within it, influencing its contents to create your very own pet paradise.
Once you have resident piñatas, begin to personalize your loyal community. Piñatas can be individually named and given their own personally designed tag to put on display as a declaration of their home turf. The customization doesn’t end there. Make the colorful critters more distinctive by customizing them with all kinds of costumes and accessories.
Soul Calibur is a fighter that dwells not only on the action, but the story as well and to accentuate all the different scenes, the romantic, exciting and eerie moods, the producers make use of the OST.
Since the game is ultimately a game about three holy swords against the evil weapon, expect a lot of grandly orchestrated pieces that dwells on the heroic atmosphere.
The wielders of the Soul Caliburs are from different countries, e.g. Europe, Korean, China etc, to go with the image of these countries, there would be music of various styles in the double disc OST.
Rod Fergusson, manager of the Gears of War franchise at Epic Games, believes developers will soon be at the upper end of what the Xbox 360 can technically achieve.
He said Gears of War 2 had come surprisingly far during the two to three years since development wound down on the original.
"We're certainly approaching the upper end of what developers are able to do with it, but just looking at all the demos we saw today - ours and others - it's clear that all the games just keep improving, and keep pushing that bar," Fergusson told Gamasutra.
"It's a slow cycle; you only get a kick at it every couple years, and so it takes a while for people to see that progress. There will be games in development that won't ship until 2010, and I'm sure they'll look killer, just because, again, they'll have more time with [the console] and learn from mistakes and optimisations of others.
"So, I don't know; I think we're getting up there, but I still think there's room to grow," said Fergusson.
Gears of War 2 will be released exclusively for Xbox 360 on 7th November. Among the many improvements will be expanded online pursuits for two teams of five, plus loads more weapons, characters, abilities and even a more in-depth storyline.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 has debuted at the top of the UK software chart for the week ended August 30, according to data collected by Chart-Track.
Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit for the Nintendo Wii each dropped a place from last week to second and third places respectively. Carnival: Funfair Games, also for the Wii, came in fourth place, up from sixth last week and followed by Wii Play, which held onto fifth place.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games dropped two places to six, Big Beach Sports for the Wii came in at seven and Too Human, for the Xbox 360, broke into the charts at eight.
Closing off the charts in ninth place was Beijing 2008 and Wall-E in tenth place.
The full UK software chart for the week ended August 30 follows:
1. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
2. Mario Kart Wii
3. Wii Fit
4. Carnival: Funfair Games
5. Wii Play
6. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
7. Big Beach Sports
8. Too Human
9. Beijing 2008
10. Wall-E
Gears of War 2 is "85/90%" complete, series mastermind and PR pet Cliff Bleszinski has revealed.
The 360-exclusive sequel joins other first-party efforts Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, which is almost in the shops, and Fable II, which is (apparently) finished and 'gold'.
Speaking to Xbox World 360, Cliffy said, "We're basically at the 85/90% polish stage right now, doing some last minute optimisations.
"I boot the game up every morning and go through campaign mode, making sure it's all stitched together and batshit insane." Lovely.
Mr. B also made comment on Gears' now infamous grey colour palette, promising that the second is a least a bit more colourful.
"We kind of actively aimed for the de-saturated look, but its since become de riguer for this generation of games," said the chainsaw-gun man. "I think that's why something like Mirror's Edge has become kind of like an oasis in the desert of E3 - 'Look! There's a red crate! I love you!'
"We actually have a little more colour in Gears 2 - reds, oranges. Hopefully you've noticed. What I can tell you is that if there was a Gear 3 it'll be a total disco town: purples, pinks and greens everywhere!"
Gears number 2 is out on November 7. Read the fully interview with Bleszinski in Xbox World 360 issue 70, in shops tomorrow.
We've been in Olympic withdrawal in recent weeks, wishing that we could just once more see Michael Phelps win America's heart through wild gesticulation or try to deduce which one of the Croatian swimming team members is actually a dude (spoiler alert: all of them).
Now, you can recapture the glory with a new demo for Beijing 2008 that has just arrived on the 360, a sample of what has been called "the best Olympics game ever." Sure, that's a little like being the world's mightiest primordial dwarf, but it's also plenty endorsement for something that's completely free.
features
Unleash the Pain — Enjoy the satisfaction of deforming your opponent’s face by throwing a flurry of combos from all over the ring. Add insult to injury by bringing their defeated head home to display in your Trophy Room for the whole world to see.
Pick Up and Punch—With easy-to-use gameplay controls, string together haybreakers, face shots, and body blows until you find the right moment to drop the most nasty punch in your arsenal—the FaceBreaker.
Customized Boxers—Create boxing’s next legend using more than 60 image sliders, plus a full color palette and a closet full of costumes. From fat and bald to skinny and tall, your possibilities are endless.
Photo GameFace—Using real-life photos and images, upload your pretty face—or a face you love to hate—and share them online via EA SPORTS World.
With Friends Like These … —Twelve outlandish characters—each with unique attributes and special attacks—are ready to throw down in a moment’s notice. Do you have the guts to step in the ring against them all?
Brawl for It All—Throw your hat in the ring during the most extreme boxing tournament. Put your skills on display as you battle past every character, earning belts—and ultimate glory—along the way.
Couch Royale—Pass the controller and the trash talk as you and your friends pulverize each other in multiplayer bouts. With knockdowns carried over from bout to bout, fight a fair fight regardless of skill level.
description
Oh no. This isn’t your mama’s fighting game. This is FaceBreaker, an all-out, hit ‘em where it counts arcade boxing phenomenon from EA SPORTS Freestyle. Put your onions on the line by calling out the most disrespectful fighters around, and see if you have what it takes to dominate the most hazardous boxing video game since … never. Whether you’re a hard-as-nails fighting machine or laying the smack down for the first time, pound your most hated rivals into the canvas in FaceBreaker, where only the strong survive.
features
aka. Warriors Orochi 2
5 plot lines – four of them are continuations of the existing 4 plot lines from the last game, and a new one for Orochi is included this time.
Aside from the heroes from Sengoku and Sangoku periods, special characters from Japanese and Chinese myths enter the fray as well.
Dramatic mode – view the stories and various situations by enabling this mode.
Versus mode and survival mode – Versus mode supports a large range of battles, from all out war, shooting battles to speedy fights. Play against the computer in survival mode and test your skills.
Team battle system – To aid your falling comrades, launch combined special attacks.
description
The demon lord Orochi has been defeated a month ago by the sengoku and sangoku heroes he has abducted. The residents thought that an era of peace has finally come.
However, another wave of evil is brewing in the darkness. In this dystopic world, Orochi's underlings are competing against each other to become the strongest in order to succeed Orochi, and it is up to the Sengoku and Sangoku warriors to restore some order.
Wondering what awaits at the Tokyo Game Show? This should provide an insight. A list of how many titles for each genre and a list for how many games are coming to each platform has been released. Let's start with the game genres:
• Action: 90 titles
• RPG: 35 titles
• "Simulation": 22 titles
• Sports: 20 titles
• Adventure: 14 titles
• Shooting: 11 titles
• Racing: 3 titles
More aggressive US Xbox 360 pricing now probable, says analyst Colin Sebastian, while Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter agrees cuts might be needed to combat "stagnant demand".
Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian believes Microsoft is likely to cut the prices of its three Xbox 360 models in the US following the company's decision to do so in Japan from September 11.
"We believe the Japan announcement is a likely precursor to more aggressive pricing of the Xbox 360 in the US, and we continue to expect a lower $199 price point on the base Arcade sku (below the $249 Wii price point), as well as lower $299 and $399 prices for the 60GB and 120GB versions, respectively," Sebastian wrote in an investor note Tuesday.
In a separate note Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter also acknowledged the possibility of pre-holiday Xbox 360 price cuts in North America.
"Due to the relatively stagnant demand for Xbox 360, we may see additional price cuts for this system before the holidays (we note recent speculation of Xbox 360 price cuts on September 7, with the Arcade going to $199 from $279, the Pro going to $299 from $349, and the Elite going to $399 from $449," he wrote.
Sebastian also predicted a drop in hardware sales during August as "supplies remain spotty".
"Our checks through late August/early September indicate console hardware supplies are spotty, with Nintendo's Wii in strong demand, and the transition of the PS3 to a new 80GB sku creating some lag in supply. As previously discussed, we expect August NPD data to reflect lower hardware unit sales with Nintendo likely stocking units ahead of the holidays, Microsoft phasing out of the 20GB Xbox360, and the PS3 unit transition."
Realtime Worlds has broken the news to fans that there will be no more downloadable content for its excellent 360 crime-stopper Crackdown, despite player petitions pleading for more.
The news was dropped in a forum post by community manager Chris Dye, who said that the developer was too busy working on MMO APB to carry on supporting Crackdown.
"Unfortunately from a Realtime Worlds perspective there will not be any additional DLC for Crackdown; the company has moved onto our next Project, APB, and is 100% committed to that and other projects yet to be announced, and as such we are not in a position to work on any new Crackdown content," read the post.
Bad news then, not just because Crackdown is awesome but because its last DLC pack was some of the best free downloadable content we've ever seen. Give us a sequel, please.
Funcom has told Eurogamer that an Xbox 360 version of Age of Conan will definitely be released.
"The Xbox 360 version is still very much set to happen and we are working on it," said Erling Ellingsen, chief horn-blower for Funcom.
"However, there are no dates set, even though we aim for a 2009 release. Our big priority now is, of course, the PC version and fixing the issues with it and improving it for our current players."
Work began on the console MMO in December 2006, but was put to one side during the run up to the PC launch in May this year.
The plan was to follow with an Xbox 360 version of Age of Conan roughly 12 months later.
However, observers speculated that the amount of work needed to keep the PC community playing, plus the perils of the Xbox Live platform (certification for patches - eek!) meant Funcom may not bother with a console version after all.
Contrary to this, Age of Conan was shown being controlled by an Xbox 360 pad during Games Convention last month. This is the work of Blue Orb and clever PC application SwitchBlade, though.
Funcom is currently testing an upcoming PvP rewards patch for Age of Conan, which will offer the best battlers impressive equipment sold from specialist NPCs.
We have juicy rumor news coming straight out of PAX regarding a new set of 30 achievements worth a total of 750 Gamerscore for a little game called Halo 3. Yes sir, it's time for brand new Halo 3 achievement rumor news!
According to a post over on Ascendant Justice Forums, there will be a new set of 30 Halo 3 achievements that will be releasing in the near future and they even include screenshot proof (ninja-taken during PAX) to prove it. Content that may have something to do with that Halo 3 Mythic rumor we heard about the other day. The achievements, which look to be based on the Heroic, Legendary and (speculated) Mythic map packs, look rather legit seeing that the descriptions, achievement names AND off-screen photographic proof are supplied. But, as is customary with Bungie, we're in the dark regarding how they'll be implemented, whether or not the content has anything to do with the Mythic stuff or even the E3 stuff. That is if this is legit news. Enough speculation, take a looksy a the (rumored to be new) Halo 3 achievement names after the break.
Sources close to Rockstar North have told Eurogamer that downloadable Grand Theft Auto IV content is on track for a late November release.
Parent company Take-Two previously changed the date from autumn to some time between November 2008 and January 2009 - leaving our stockings at risk of being empty.
The content, which is "absolutely exclusive" to Xbox 360, will be made up of at least two episodes around 10 hours in length, complete with extra unlockable Achievements. Speculation on what form it will take has ranged from additional cities to developed side-missions with brand new stories to unravel. There's been no mention of what all this will cost.
According to an interview with Epic Games' senior producer Rod Fergusson, developers for the Xbox 360 may be reaching the outer edges of what is graphically possible with the console. In an interview with Gamasutra, the Gears of War / Gears of War 2 head says that recent advances and refinements are pushing the system further than expected, though he still believes there's some room to grow. In Fergusson's words: "I think we're certainly approaching the upper end of it, as far as what developers are able to do with it, but just looking at all the demos we saw today -- ours and others -- it's clear that all the games just keep improving, and keep pushing that bar." Of course, there's a long gap between pushing a system to its limits and starting to look around for its replacement, though since we all know another iteration of the Xbox is inevitable, none of this news should come as any surprise. They have a name for things like this... progress.
Kotaku notes that the suspected price cuts to the various Xbox 360 systems have been confirmed. Xbox Live's Major Nelson posted the new prices ($199 for the Arcade, $299 for the Pro, and $399 for the Elite) and pointed out a BusinessWeek story discussing the changes. The price cuts will take effect on September 5th.
It's 10 years since Rare turned out the original Banjo-Kazooie on N64, in a blummin' marvellous platformer that rivalled Mario 64 in the gameplay stakes while charming us with the Britsoft studio's irresistibly quirky humour.
To make the series relevant to today's discerning gamer, the duo's long-awaited return this November in Nuts & Bolts sees Rare jumping on the user-created content bandwagon, offering a blend of traditional platforming and custom vehicle creation, with a big emphasis on the online community.
We recently visited Rare to take an in-depth look at how the game was shaping up, which you can read all about in our detailed preview , and go further behind the scenes in our Eurogamer TV Special .
But we also made it out of Twycross with a good deal of exclusive, direct-feed footage captured from the latest build of the game, which you can check out below.
Vehicle Editor - This is, if you'll forgive us, the nuts and bolts of the new Banjo experience. Create and customise vehicles with an increasing range of parts as you progress through the game. And you can share your best blueprints with others over Xbox Live.
Showdown Town - Welcome to the hubworld of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. All of the game's areas are accessible from here, although you'll need a seriously pimped-out motor before you can reach everywhere.
Challenges - Nuts & Bolts is packed with mini-games that promise to give it that 'one more go' feeling, as you try a few more tweaks under the bonnet to beat your best scores.
Multiplayer - Arguably as big a draw as the single-player portion, Rare has exploited the current fad for user-created content with a range of games that will put your most ingenious vehicle designs to the test.
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is due out on Xbox 360 in November.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Interesting games that came out this week include the US versions of hot games such as Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice and Tales of Vesperia. So to those who owned NTSC U/C encoded systems or those who don't speak Japanese, here is your portal to these hit Japanese RPGs.
Aside from localized RPGs, some very popular Xbox360™ games came out. Fight dirty in Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, unlike the above mentioned Japanese RPGs, you are not located in a fantasy world where there is a path to justice, you are not fighting to become a hero, you are trying to benefit from chaos.
The other Xbox360™ game differs greatly from the above mentioned fiery actioner. Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is about creating an utopic world for pinata animals. Since rent has become expensive and very few people have the luxury of owning a garden the size of a forest, make use of your Xbox360™ portal to another world.
No matter how forgiving a person is, there must have been one or two people whom they love to hate. Face Breaker allows you to relieve this grudge and lower your stress levels. Disfigure your opponent's face through your powerful punches, but be careful not to mix up the virtual world with reality.
Your home consoles can make a lot of your wishes come true, not only can you own a paradise-like garden, now you can even own multiple Ferraris through your PlayStation3™. Ferrari Challenge allows you to join professional and amateur racers on the most famous race tracks around the world.
Get off your Ferraris and enter the Abyss to deplete the demon population as the queen's champion in Abyss Gate. Travel into the depths of the shadows to protect your country. Although menacing, shadows are not neccessarily a source of evil, in Blue Dragon Plus, a sequel to its highly popular Xbox360™ predecessor, you cast your shadow over your enemies as weapons.
Aside from games, a couple of interesting soundtracks also came out. The challenge bemani games pose have amused and frustrated many people and the key to the games' success is in the music. Synthesized, by Fujimori Sota and Pop'n Music 16 Party is going to revitalize a lot of people via its energetic tunes.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
FaceBreaker ASIA US$ 44.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames US US$ 64.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames ASIA US$ 49.90
Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin JPN US$ 64.90
Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin ASIA US$ 59.90
Tales of Vesperia US US$ 64.90
Tales of Vesperia (English language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Tales of Vesperia [Premium Edition] US US$ 79.90
Vampire Rain: Altered Species US US$ 44.90
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise ASIA US$ 39.90
PlayStation3™
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice US US$ 54.90
FaceBreaker ASIA US$ 49.90
Ferrari Challenge US US$ 64.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames US US$ 64.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames ASIA US$ 49.90
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PlayStation3 the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Nintendo Wii™
Ferrari Challenge US US$ 54.90
Freddi Fish: Kelp Seed Mystery US US$ 24.90
Guitar Controller for Guitar Hero JPN US$ 79.90
Mario Super Sluggers US US$ 59.90
Pajama Sam: Don't Fear the Dark US US$ 24.90
Rainbow Pop JPN US$ 49.90
Spy Fox In Dry Cereal US US$ 24.90
Nintendo Wii™ Accessories
Wii Remote Control Strap (4 Color Set) JPN US$ 10.90
Wii Remote Control Strap (Blue) JPN US$ 4.90
Wii Remote Control Strap (Green) JPN US$ 4.90
Wii Remote Control Strap (Pink) JPN US$ 4.90
Wii Remote Control Strap (White) JPN US$ 4.90
PlayStation2™
Aammegami-Sama (Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII International (Ultimate Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
Drag-On Dragoon (Ultimate Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
Drag-On Dragoon 2: Love Red, Ambivalence Black (Ultimate Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
Ferrari Challenge US US$ 44.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames US US$ 44.90
Okami (Greatest Hits) US US$ 24.90
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection (PlayStation2 Big Hit) KOR US$ 38.90
TOCA Race Driver 3: Ultimate Racing Simulator (Best Price) JPN US$ 34.90
Zero no Tsukaima: Muma ga Tsumugu Yokaze no Gensoukyoku (Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™
Blue Dragon Plus JPN US$ 49.90
Chi's Sweet Home: Chi ga Ouchi ni Yatte Kita! JPN US$ 48.90
Digimon World Championship US US$ 34.90
Ferrari Challenge US US$ 34.90
From the Abyss US US$ 34.90
Houkago no Mystery Club: 26 no Tobira JPN US$ 39.90
MLB Power Pros 2008 US US$ 34.90
My Chinese Coach US US$ 34.90
N+ US US$ 24.90
Picto Image US US$ 24.90
The Quest Trio US US$ 24.90
Zettai Karen Children DS: Dai-4 no Children JPN US$ 52.90
Sony PSP™
Colin McRae Rally (Best Price) JPN US$ 29.90
N+ US US$ 24.90
TOCA Race Driver 2: Ultimate Racing Simulator (Best Price) JPN US$ 29.90
Wangan Midnight Portable (Genki the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Guides & Magazines
Arcadia Magazine [October 2008] JPN US$ 12.90
Aria the Origination Aoi Wakusei no el Cielo Material Collection JPN US$ 24.90
Dengeki Online Games Collaboration Vol.1 JPN US$ 22.90
Derby Stallion DS Perfect Capture Guide JPN US$ 25.90
Famitsu PSP + PS3 [October 2008] JPN US$ 10.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [October 2008] JPN US$ 16.50
Famitsu Xbox 360 [October 2008] JPN US$ 10.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum Upper Complete Guide JPN US$ 17.90
Fushigi Yuugi: Suzaku Ibun Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 38.90
Gundam Battle Universe Complete Guide JPN US$ 25.90
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Yumenoukihashi Guide Book JPN US$ 19.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Neverworld Online Data Book JPN US$ 27.90
Persona 4 Official Perfect Guide JPN US$ 37.90
Tales of Vesperia Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1029 (2008 09/12) JPN N/A
d20 Taiou Rule Book Worst Blade /D20 JPN US$ 54.90
Video Game related Soundtracks
Mar-jong Fight Club Special Music Collection JPN US$ 44.90
Pop'n Music 16 Party Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 38.90
Soul Calibur IV Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Vitamin X Character CD Ruby Disc - Nanakiyo (Shun Nanase & Kiyohiko Sendo) JPN US$ 23.90
Vitamin X Character CD Sapphire Disc - Gam (Goro Fumonji & Mizuki Madarame) JPN US$ 23.90
beatnation Records SYNTHESIZED / Sota Fujimori JPN US$ 39.90
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Infinite Undiscovery US US$ 64.90
Infinite Undiscovery JPN US$ 74.90
Rapala's Fishing Frenzy US US$ 44.90
Warhammer: Battle March US US$ 64.90
Warhammer: Battle March ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
Rapala's Fishing Frenzy US US$ 44.90
Nintendo Wii™
One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 - Nami ni Yureru Hihou JPN US$ 59.90
Rapala's Fishing Frenzy (w/ Fishing Pole) US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
D.Gray-man: Sousha no Shikaku JPN US$ 68.90
Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection JPN US$ 28.90
This is what we like to see in RTS games - massive damage. Dozens of small robots and airships firing hundreds of lasers at giant mechs and all sorts of carnage kicking off around that.
These are new 360 shots and, despite certain CVG staff members refusing to accept RTS games played on control pads, it's looking pretty bloody good.
Microsoft's pressed the go button on its big old screenshot machine and here are five new shots of Gears of War 2. They're not completely grey either...
Mr. Cliff Bleszinski recently revealed that the sequel's "85/90%" complete, and Epic's at the "polish stage right now, doing some last minute optimisations."
Sounds like it'll be ready for that November 7 release, then.
Intel is pulling out all the stops to get its Larrabee GPUs inside Microsoft's next-gen Xbox (Xbox 720) or another console, according to The Inquirer citing unnamed sources.
As rumours go this doesn't sound too off the mark. MS needs a graphics chip for the Xbox 720, and Intel, along with NVIDIA and AMD, will have suitable parts available. The bigger surprise would be that MS refused to even hear Intel's sales pitch.
But the Inq has gone further to say that Intel is doing everything it can to table an deal MS can't refuse, going so far as offering to do the engineering work on thermal design (hopefully ensuring we won't ever see a repeat of the RROD nightmare), and is even prepared to hand over the rights so that MS can get the chip manufactured at any fab it chooses.
The main motivation behind all this for Intel is developer support. The PC graphics card installed base is dominated by NV with around 60% and AMD with 30% (according to the Valve Hardware Survey), and it's just basic economics that games developers will devote most of their resources to design and test their new titles on these two families of cards.
According to an interview with The Wall Street Journal, a Microsoft exec noted that about 75% of hardware sales take place following a price cut below $200. What's more, GameStop (GME) has boosted its expectations for Xbox 360 sales following the price drop, telling BusinessWeek that it expects sales to jump "anywhere from 1.5 times to 3 times current levels" as a result.
But while MSFT expects to continue to outpace Sony's PS3 sales, Nintendo may already be untouchable. In an interview with BusinessWeek, Don Mattrick, senior vice-president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, said "I'm not at a point where I can say we're going to beat Nintendo."
Microsoft has said that it won't be passing on the price cuts in the US to its Xbox 360 console to the UK Pocket-lint has learnt.
"Pricing is handled on a region-by-region basis. We do not have a price drop in this region to announce", was the official word.
The news means that the Xbox 360 Arcade official price is now £48 more expensive in the UK than the US.
Well, Afrika certainly outperformed the Silicon Knights-developed import; the PlayStation 3 safari game nabbed the number two spot, behind another solid week by Rhythm Tengoku Gold. Too Human debuted at #17, higher than the week's other new Xbox 360 entry, Clannad.
In other news, the latest Fire Emblem for the DS rebounded after an off-week, with Square-Enix's Sigma Harmonics showing no signs of recovery. Oh, and some people bought Battlefield: Bad Company.
01. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 76,000 / 612,000
02. Afrika (PS3) - 38,000 / NEW
03. J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship (PS2) - 38,000 / 117,000
04. Fate/Tiger Colosseum Upper (PSP) - 34,000 / NEW
05. Wii Fit (Wii) - 31,000 / 2,578,000
06. Inazuma Eleven (DS) - 29,000 / 71,000
07. Battlefield: Bad Company (PS3) - 26,000 / NEW
08. Dragon Quest V (DS) - 23,000 / 1,148,000
09. Phantasy Star Portable (PSP) - 23,000 / 618,000
10. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 23,000 / 1,734,000
11. Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken (DS)
12. Daigasso! Band Brothers DX (DS)
13. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
14. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS)
15. Shinseiki Evangelion Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku DS with Asuka Hokan Keikaku (DS)
16. Sigma Harmonics (DS)
17. Too Human (X360)
18. Wii Sports (Wii)
19. To Love Ru Trouble: Waku Waku! Rinkangakkou-Hen (DS)
20. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (PS2)
21. DS Bimoji Training (DS)
22. Mario Kart DS (DS)
23. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 3 (PSP)
24. Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii)
25. Clannad (X360)
26. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn Nerae!? Ring x Bongole Returns (PS2)
27. Bokura wa Kaseki Holder (DS)
28. Wii Play (Wii)
29. Tokyo Majin Gakuen: Kenfuuchou (DS)
30. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
The new sales figures for Japan come along again from Media Create, same rank positions for all consoles, just changes in the figures as follows.
Nintendo DS Lite: 56,439
Playstation Portable: 41,664
Nintendo Wii: 35,755
Playstation 3: 9,775
Playstation 2: 8,810
Xbox 360: 3,124
DS lite is on top, up 500. PSP is 2nd, down 6,000. Next is the Wii, up 600. PS3 follows, increases by 755. PS2 is 5th, up 390 and Xbox 360 is down about 430.
For a limited time only (well, until the end of October) the Marketplace is running an ‘Extended Play Download Days’ promotion which is offering some pretty good savings on some of the more popular DLC. Game games included are Mass Effect, Lost Odyssey, Forza Motorsport 2, Oblivion, Guitar Hero 3, Beautiful Katamari.
The extent to which a game's sounds and music can affect a player's enjoyment is often overshadowed by other characteristics, such as graphics or gameplay. That said, I'm sure most players have had an experience where the audio really contributed to making the game great, whether it was an epic soundtrack, excellent narration, or just intuitive sound effects. Rock, Paper, Shotgun is running a feature discussing the state of game audio in today's market, discussing how far it has come, and where it's going.
"Games present some unusual problems, like the mix having to adjust itself to suit a situation created by the player, rather than the static vision of a single director. Game designers have to have a flexible attitude towards factors such as the amount of time spent listening to the same piece of music and the potential for sonic overload if too many game sounds are played simultaneously. ... CryTek's Florian Füsslin explained that Crysis' lavish soundscape was defined primarily by what information the player needs to hear. 'We often went for the concept "less is more" or let's better say "important things first." We used a pretty solid priority system which cuts quiet or unimportant sounds in an audio busy situation like combat. Together with the right mix we were able to provide a dense soundscape in all situations players might run into.'"
If you didn't see, Spencer found that KOF 98 UM is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. This is fantastic news, as KOF 98 UM is an excellent game. Buy it when it comes out, that's about all I can say
Lionhead has released six new screenshots showing off the character customisation in Fable II.
There's a lady with white dreadlocks, a beard-y pirate and - this being Lionhead - the customary man in a dress.
"As you know everyone starts in Fable II as either a little boy or a little girl and will grow up to adulthood," reads the blurb on the official site.
"You will change visually to reflect your choices and actions in the world of Albion but it doesn't end there...we now have so much more clothing (think masks, hats, ...) all of which can be dyed (in pretty much any color), plus we have make-up, jewelry, hairstyles and facial hair plus all the many different morphs (like strength, fatness, skin color etc...) which will mean that each hero will be very unique.
"Taking every single thing into account that will influence what you look like, our programmers calculated a number that goes well and truly into the billions."
features
Fish in 14 Tournament Events and complete various objectives as you attempt to fill your boat with the biggest and best fish
Gameplay focuses on the excitement of battling fish struggling against being caught.
Use an onboard GPS unit to discover exactly where the fish are biting all across the lake.
Angle for 20 of the most sought-after fish species including large-mouth bass, small-mouth bass, walleye, cat-fish, trout and more.
Three gameplay modes: tournament, open fishing and quick challenge
Fish with over 300 lures including authentically modeled, Rapala lures, each having unique properties, physically-modeled behaviors, and a range of different colors.
Over 500,000 acres of authentic fishing locations including Clear Lake California, Lake Okeechobee Florida, and the Potomac River in Maryland.
Incredibly rich and photo-realistic underwater environments showcase crisp details that surpass anything seen before in a fishing game.
description
With their hands on authentic gear in the game, players will feel like they are using an actual rod as they cast and reel in fish hooked on their lines. Players can battle for their favorite trophies as they angle against more than 20 species of fish, all within beautiful freshwater environments. The world’s top freshwater locations are magnificently represented here, and players will have their skills put to the test against some of the best trophy fish in the world.
features
Focus on armies and battles while de-emphasizing the tedious aspects of base and resource management
The easy to use, detailed custom map editor allows players to create custom battlefields
Command heroes and champions as they learn new tactics, unlock new abilities, command larger units, and challenge other Champions in duels to the death.
Try the dynamic campaign mode with an epic story of a brutal Chaos invasion, and multiple modes for both casual and competitive multiplayer action
description
Prepare for the Battle March invasion! Command the armies of the mighty Empire, the marauding hordes of Chaos, or the unruly Orcs and Goblins as they clash in a battle that will determine the fate of the world in Warhammer®: Battle March™. Experience the action and strategy of a real-time strategy game without the necessity of tedious resource management, with six fully playable armies (Empire, Chaos, Skaven, High Elves, Orcs and Goblins, and Dark Elves), plus additional controllable races, Champions and Heroes.
features
Be an Assassin: Master the skills, tactics, and weapons of history’s deadliest and most secretive clan of warriors.
Realistic and responsive environments: Crowds react to your moves and will either help or hinder you on your quests.
Action with a new dimension – total freedom: Eliminate your targets wherever, whenever, and however. Stalk your prey through richly detailed, historically accurate, open-ended environments.
Relive the epic times of the Crusades: Assassin’s Creed immerses you in the realistic and historical Holy Land of the 12th century, featuring life-like graphics, ambience, and the subtle, yet detailed nuances of a living world.
Intense action rooted in reality: Experience heavy action blended with fluid and precise animations. Use a wide range of medieval weapons, and face your enemies in realistic swordfight duels.
Next-gen gameplay: The proprietary engine developed from the ground up for the next-gen console allows organic game design featuring open gameplay, intuitive control scheme, realistic interaction with environment, and a fluid, yet sharp, combat mechanic.
description
Assassin’s Creed is the next-gen game developed by Ubisoft Montreal that will redefine the action genre. While other games claim to be next-gen with impressive graphics and physics, Assassin’s Creed merges technology, game design, theme, and emotions into a world where you instigate chaos and become a vulnerable, yet powerful, agent of change.
The setting is 1191 AD. The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart. You, Altair, intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict.
You are an Assassin, a warrior shrouded in secrecy and feared for your ruthlessness. Your actions can throw your immediate environment into chaos, and your existence will shape events during this pivotal moment in history.
Quite honestly, there's absolutely zero proof that Intel and Microsoft are yapping it up in regard to Larrabee, but considering just how logical it sounds, we couldn't help but pass along the latest whispers surrounding the two. According to those fabled "industry insiders," The Inquirer has it that Intel is currently on bended knee asking Microsoft to integrate Larrabee into the next-generation Xbox. If it were to land such a deal, developers would -- in essence -- be forced to develop for Larrabee given the need for console titles, which could then make things all the easier for Intel on the PC side. Like we said, this is all speculatory for now, but so long as the dots continue to connect, we'll at least give this one a fighting chance at materializing.
Fans of both of the Raven classics, Heretic and Hexen, have been trying for almost a decade to convince Raven Software to release engine source code for the games under the GPL, much like the DOOM engine on which both of them are based. Well, they finally did it! Source code is available at Sourceforge. Both of these games have had the source available for a while, but under a restrictive license that hindered ports and modifications. Now, thanks to dedicated fans, that's no longer a problem
VentureBeat has a lengthy story about the situation surrounding the Xbox 360's "Red Ring of Death." It starts with the developmental phases for the 360, looks at the marketing decisions that drove Microsoft to aim for a release ahead of the PS3, and talks with sources and engineers within Microsoft about what could have been done to prevent the problems. Quoting:
"Leading up to the launch in the fall of 2005, the number of defective units would soon grow to tens of thousands. Any other consumer electronics company would likely have postponed a launch with such low yields. But Microsoft had more money in the bank than anyone else. The decision this time would fall to Bach and Moore. The costs of launching with low yields -- where you take big losses on every product sold -- could bankrupt other companies. But Microsoft could afford to do so. Microsoft did delay the launch date from October until November. But some inside the company still believed returns would be out of control."
EA Redwood Shores' Dead Space seems to be one of the few games that has its release constantly moved forward. Shortly after news that the game's European debut was moved up to Oct. 24th, the company announced that the US launch date would be moved up to October 14th. Unfortunately, EA's Ben Swanson also said the game has been banned in China, Germany, and Japan. (Announcement here, sound toggle to the upper right of the page.)
GameSetWatch is running a feature about the evolution of game characters' physical presence. In many games, you can look down and not see your feet, or pass right through other players or NPCs. Other games rely on a believable model that can animate and collide with its surroundings. Tom Cross examines some of those scenarios, and also games that raise the bar for having a physical presence, such as the new Alone in the Dark.
"Edward Carnby's body is a distinct factor in everything that the player does. Your inventory is carried inside Carnby's leather jacket. To use, drop, or combine items, you must open it wide and look down at your own chest. The healing mechanic, too, reinforces the oft-forgotten fact that you have a body. To heal yourself, you must look at the parts of your body (arms, leg, chest) that are wounded, and then spray them with first-aid liquid. Likewise, when you equip an item, Edward reaches for it, palming it and then switching back to the stock third or first person view."
We turned on Too Human this morning (no, really) and found an auto update. Hoping it might have shortened the Valkyrie death sequence, we immediately unequipped all weapons and armor and ran naked (figuratively) into battle, only to be faced with the same 15.5-second consequence. We also thought the menu screen loaded faster, but that is all apparently just in our heads.
In a forum post this morning, Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack revealed that the update "fixed some connectivity issues and was done prior to release. It does not contain any balance or gameplay changes." Better luck next time.
The Guitar Hero: Aerosmith demo has launched on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 we're told.
The demo includes Sweet Emotion and Dream On by Aerosmith, as well as Walk this Way by Run DMC and I Hate Myself for Loving You by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
Say what you will about artist-themed Guitar Hero games, at least you're getting four free songs out of the deal.
Luke Smith over at Bungie lays out some of the new achievements coming to Halo 3 when the next patch and Assembly map hits.
Smith points out that the included list of achievements aren't all of the new ones coming with Title Update 2.
As folks have seen, these aren’t the only achievements we’re adding. But without proper context, there’s not a whole lot else we’re going to say. Stay tuned.
The update may slip as well, Smith points out, to closer to the Halo 3 one year anniversary. Now for those achievements which can be earned via the Legendary Maps and Halo 3 Campaign:
TELL US DAMMIT. here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Not sure!
This week, Tecmo turned down Square Enix's offer of a friendly takeover. Rather, the company is in talks to merge with Koei, making Tecmo-Koei a possibility — like Square Enix or Namco Bandai. Our question:
Piracy has been the main guilty party for everything going wrong in the PC gaming business. Still, there are some voices who disagree and claim that the issue has been significantly overblown.
According to Tom Jubert (Penumbra game writer), game developers should start blaming themselves more for various mishaps such as bad reviews, poor sales and overall failure of a certain game: “rampant piracy is no longer the catch-all excuse it's often employed as.”
Jubert's analysis (posted in an Edge blog) starts with a statement made by the CEO of Crytek: he claiemd that there were 20 illegal copies of Crysis for each legitimate one. However, the game writers says, the actual ratio is far less. According to data from GameShadow Metrics, an online service 5:1 in the US
To back up his statement, Jubert cites figures from GameShadow Metrics, an online service that automatically patches games and, thus, also detects modified .exe files. Thus, he concludes:
“Revenues on some PC titles may well be down by as much as 15% - 20% due to piracy, but I've yet to see evidence for any greater piracy related impact on the platform's decline. Meanwhile, online and casual products are popularly held as moving from strength to strength. At the end of the day, faltering sales must not be pinned solely to pirate activity. We must also blame increased competition from consoles, lack of platform support in the form of a major stakeholder, and the snowballing effect of declining exclusives.”
An 11-year-old Johnson Creek boy died from a gunshot wound Thursday at his home. Foul play is not suspected and the sheriff's department said this morning it appears the shooting was accidental.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, dispatchers received a report of the shooting in the town of Farmington at approximately 2:15 p.m. Thursday. The deceased person was Joshua J. Nimm, 11, of W5098 River Road, Johnson Creek.
Deputies, along with personnel from the Johnson Creek Police Department, Johnson Creek EMS and Fort Atkinson paramedics, all responded to the residence where the shooting occurred.
There, with his father, Nimm was located with a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead by the Jefferson County Coroner's office about 35 minutes later. The cause of death was ruled to be a single, .22 caliber gunshot wound to the head.
“We are ruling that it is an accidental shooting,” Jefferson County Detective Sgt. Larry Lee said. “The child was getting ready for school and decided to skip school. He was playing video games and we found out he had a .22 caliber rifle that belongs to him. He had access to the rifle and a magazine was kept somewhere else by his parents. He was familiar with the rifle and had been shooting it a couple of times a month - he lived out in the country, so that was nothing unusual.”
Lee said it appeared, following the department's investigation, that after playing a combat video game called “Halo,” Nimm took the gun and tried to recreate some of the things that had occurred in the game. With an automatic rifle, Lee said there can sometimes be confusion over whether it contains a magazine or not, and this confusion likely led to Nimm's death.
“He took the magazine out and forgot to eject a round that was in the chamber. He probably thought the gun was unloaded,” Lee said.
Lee said numerous people, including Nimm's parents, his school teachers and his bus driver, were all interviewed and stated he had shown no signs of depression or any differences in his personality recently.
“Dad came home in the afternoon and when he came in the house, the child was in the home and was deceased,” Lee said.
Lee said the incident shows the need for extreme safety with firearms.
“The safety issue with weapons is so important. People should always treat them like they are loaded,” he said.
Nimm was a student at Johnson Creek Middle School. Funeral arrangements are pending at Hafemeister Funeral Home in Watertown.
Xbox today announces a unique initiative that will enable entertainment fans to see some of the most anticipated new movies before their theatrical release.
The "Xbox LIVE Film Club" will be delivering a number of sneak preview screenings to a select group of Xbox fans in an exclusive setting, giving them the chance to see brand new movie titles before anyone else.
Commenting on the new programme and the films lined up, James Houlton Xbox LIVE Marketing Manager, Microsoft UK said: "We've got some truly compelling blockbuster titles and HD content on our Xbox LIVE Video Store service, with recent smashes Cloverfield, Stardust, Beowulf, The Kite Runner and I Am Legend all resonating extremely well with our audience. Now with the launch of the "Xbox Film Club", Xbox fans will be able to get the jump on their friends and see some of the biggest films of the year before anybody else."
But it's not just the lucky Xbox LIVE Film Club winners who get see great movies, as a raft of new films are being constantly added to LIVE Video Store. The past couple of weeks have seen the addition of No Country For Old Men,10,000BC,The Bucket List and crime classic Bullitt to name a few.
For more information on how to win the chance to get involved with the Xbox Film Club, head to www.xbox.com/filmclub
Microsoft knew it had flawed machines, but it did not delay its launch because it believed the quality problems would subside over time. With each new machine, the company figured it would ride the "learning curve," or continuously improve its production. Even though Microsoft's leaders knew their quality wasn't top notch, they did not ensure that resources were in place to handle returns and quickly debug bad consoles. There were plenty of warning signs, but the company chose to ignore them. The different parts of the business weren't aligned.
Microsoft's strategy depended on beating its rivals to market. It couldn't afford to stop and delay the launch in order to solve its quality problems, or so upper management believed. What Microsoft's leaders didn't realize was that getting to market first with a flawed machine would only win them a battle; and it risked the loss of the war.
"They got enamored with the idea of the Microsoft army rolling everything out at the same time," said one knowledgeable source who asked not to be identified.
The quality problem negated much of the advantage of going first, and it has delayed the company's plan to aggressively market the console and slash its prices. (Microsoft disputes this point; it cut the price of all three versions of its Xbox consoles by $50 to $79 on Wednesday. And the company believes it will sell more boxes than Sony will. But prices ought to be lower still during this stage of the console life cycle). That has stopped the company from reaching the broader market of consumers that Nintendo has won over. It has lowered its ambitions, hoping instead just to get a clear edge on third-placed Sony. The future profits that the company once hoped for are now likely to wind up in Nintendo's pockets.
"Fundamentally, their thinking shows that they are a software company at heart," said one veteran manufacturing executive. "They put something out and figure they can fix it with the next patch or come up with a bug fix."
One aspect of game design that many people point to when wailing about the lack of difficulty in many games these days is the save system. Older games, they argue, doled out saves like precious gems, and thus made the whole experience much more challenging. 'Where's the difficulty when you can save wherever and whenever you want?' However, as designer David Sirlin argues in a Gamasutra article, this is a false dichotomy: "We can allow the player to stop playing without excessive penalty and make a challenging game. It's just a matter of defining what 'saving' actually means." In short, there are plenty of examples of challenging games that don't punish the player for having other things going on in their life that don't allow for structuring a day around gaming:
A save system should allow the player to stop playing at any time, allow the player to pick up where he or she left off with as close to zero replaying as possible, and save as automatically and seamlessly as possible, so the player will not forget to do it.
Saving should be treated as one of the player's natural rights, not an earned privilege or a game mechanic around which to make strategic decisions.
The design space we have to create new games is so unthinkably large that we lose virtually nothing by restricting ourselves to designs with friendly save game systems that don't presume to override the real-life needs of players.
I usually wind up gaming on the fly — a little bit here, a little bit there — and the inability to save 'meaningful' progress quickly is one of those things that irks me. I sometimes resort to leaving my console on, wondering the whole time I'm out of the house if the damn thing is going to overheat and my house, possessions, and dog are going to go up in flames; I don't really need to be punished because I can't schedule my day around gaming. It's an interesting article and rebuttal to some of the 'difficulty discussions' that have been going on lately — Sirlin pretty successfully argues his point that making save systems that don't punish the player for having to put the game down aren't (necessarily) to blame for the lack of difficulty people are grousing about.
Independent London-based Beatnik Games has unveiled Plain Sight, a PC title created using Microsoft's XNA tools, which the developer also hopes to release on Xbox Live Arcade.
Due in early 2009, it's a simple multiplayer game where players control robot-like characters with swords. The idea is to chop opponents up, gain points, and then bank those points by blowing yourself up.
The better the score, the bigger the player; the bigger the player, the larger the death explosion; the larger the death explosion, the more people that die in the blast; the more people that die in the blast, the higher the multiplier applied to the score you bank. Simple.
Levels feature lots of jutting dark grey shapes and players are given a colour that trails from their robotic-bottoms as they jump around, and also temporarily dyes blocks of the level they touch, which makes finding others somewhat easier.
No price has been set, but Beatnik Games expects Plain Sight to cost around GBP 10, although if it ends up on XBLA then of course Microsoft sets the price.
The next Banjo-Kazooie game could expand upon the vehicle-building concept of upcoming sequel Nuts & Bolts - provided the new game goes down well with the public, Rare has told CVG.
"[Nuts & Bolts] is like an introduction to what we could do," senior animator Ellissa Miller told CVG. "If we went on and did some more then we could push it. If it was accepted and people enjoyed it then we could definitely push it in a much bigger direction. This is like an opening to a new type of gaming I guess."
Speaking to CVG this afternoon, Miller and lead technical artist Neill Harrison revealed that the Rare team has a few "crazy ideas" for more Banjo mechanic work, and it'll "probably" expand the building concept for future games.
"[lead designer] Greg did have a few crazy ideas [for the next game]... I'll probably get in trouble if I mention them," added Harrison. "I think if [Nuts & Bolts] was successful we've definitely got a load of ideas for what we could do next with the same sort of concept but expand it out.
"But we're just trying to finish this one. People ask us what we're going to do next... I want to go on holiday!"
Sounds good to us. Stern platforming loyalists were getting all hot and sweaty over the vehicle building direction at first, but after a lengthy play session we're convinced it's a winner. Give us more please, Rare.
In the same interview the Rare two-some revealed that Nuts 'N Bolts, in fact, started as a traditional platformer.
"What we didn't want to do was to just do another Banjo Kazooie which was exactly the same and that's actually we started doing at the beginning," explained Harrison.
"We thought well, we'll just do another platform game as Banjo Kazooie. We did that for a bit and as gamers and as developers, it just felt a little bit stale. It felt like it didn't fit in today's market. With the 360, there's just so much more we can do, we thought we'd try something different."
The Nintendo DS is the top selling platform in Japan for the month of August, according to data from Enterbrain, as reported by Gamasutra.
Enterbrain reports that the DS sold 333,000 units, down by 29 per cent compared to the previous year's results. However, this is the first time the DS has been the top-seller in Japan for several months.
The PlayStation Portable was in second place with 292,000 units sold, The Wii was the best selling console at 181,000 units, while Namco Bandai's Tales of Vesperia boosted Xbox 360 sales to 45,000 units.
The best selling game of the month was Rhythm Tengoku Gold for the DS at 625,000 units. This was followed by Sega's Phantasy Star Portable for the PSP, selling 572,000 units.
EA has announced a drop of £20/€30 from the recommended retail price for the Rock Band Instrument Edition pack sold in Europe. This means the cost of the instrument bundle and game, which sold separately for a combined price of £180/€240, will go from the shocking price of $360 (when converted to American bucks), to the better-than-before price of $300.
EA also stated that the PS3, PS2 and Wii versions of the game will release this September on the continent. Hopefully, EA/MTV/Harmonix will work out better pricing for the sequel when it's eventually released in Europe ... or at least come up with a better excuse for the high price.
features
Battle system: Experience the seamless, real-time battle system that maintains a strategic, party-oriented format.
Multiple characters: Seventeen characters join the hero, Capell, each with a unique "Connect action" that allow you to take direct control.
Situational battles: The episodic "situational battles" urge you to think before you engage.
Engaging storyline: The twisting, 30-hour storyline was co-written by Ryo Mizuno, creator of Record of Lodoss War.
description
Mistaken for a renowned hero, Capell is thrust into a conflict to sever the chains that bind the moon to his world in INFINITE UNDISCOVERY™. Traverse a seamless, expansive world with a party formed from 18 characters. Rise against the wicked Order of Chains in fierce real-time combat, but beware … not all battles are won by force. The most obvious solution is rarely the right move. Shatter the chains and release the Order's grip on the world.
features
All–new play creator: Create new plays and use them in your playbooks in the first fully-featured play creator for a next generation football game. Create plays in-game to defend against unexpected plays from your opponent. Custom plays saved to your playbook are seamlessly imported into Madden NFL 09, and are available to share online.
Team-specific player grades: NFL Head Coach 09 introduces a whole new way of grading each player's size and athletic ability based on team philosophy. Drafting, trading, and free agency become a different experience with every team.
Live events: Enter into a brand new auction-like mini-game allowing you to make key decisions over free agents, trades, and hiring new assistant coaches. All of these events could involve counter offers from other teams that require instant responses or the risk of losing the opportunity.
Approval rating: Every decision you make from who you draft to how you react on the sideline will impact your approval rating with the media, fans, players, coaches, and your team owner.
Coach your team to victory with all of the excitement of game day from the sideline. Utilize game planning and assistant coaches' input to make the decisions that will define not only the game, but your career
description
In the NFL, the right coaching decisions combined with focused preparation can turn a last place team into a championship contender. NFL Head Coach 09 gives you the opportunity to make the decisions that can turn your NFL franchise into a champion. Do you have what it takes to be an NFL Head Coach?
features
Unleash the Pain — Enjoy the satisfaction of deforming your opponent’s face by throwing a flurry of combos from all over the ring. Add insult to injury by bringing their defeated head home to display in your Trophy Room for the whole world to see.
Pick Up and Punch—With easy-to-use gameplay controls, string together haybreakers, face shots, and body blows until you find the right moment to drop the most nasty punch in your arsenal—the FaceBreaker.
Customized Boxers—Create boxing’s next legend using more than 60 image sliders, plus a full color palette and a closet full of costumes. From fat and bald to skinny and tall, your possibilities are endless.
Photo GameFace—Using real-life photos and images, upload your pretty face—or a face you love to hate—and share them online via EA SPORTS World.
With Friends Like These … —Twelve outlandish characters—each with unique attributes and special attacks—are ready to throw down in a moment’s notice. Do you have the guts to step in the ring against them all?
Brawl for It All—Throw your hat in the ring during the most extreme boxing tournament. Put your skills on display as you battle past every character, earning belts—and ultimate glory—along the way.
Couch Royale—Pass the controller and the trash talk as you and your friends pulverize each other in multiplayer bouts. With knockdowns carried over from bout to bout, fight a fair fight regardless of skill level.
description
Oh no. This isn’t your mama’s fighting game. This is FaceBreaker, an all-out, hit ‘em where it counts arcade boxing phenomenon from EA SPORTS Freestyle. Put your onions on the line by calling out the most disrespectful fighters around, and see if you have what it takes to dominate the most hazardous boxing video game since … never. Whether you’re a hard-as-nails fighting machine or laying the smack down for the first time, pound your most hated rivals into the canvas in FaceBreaker, where only the strong survive.
features
Interact with the piñatas: Getting to know and understand the personalities and requirements of your piñatas is essential if you want them to stay happy and thrive
Interact with the characters: Decide how much help you want from the local guides, shopkeepers, and work force. Go it alone or get them involved—you choose
Watch them grow: Discover the secrets of more than 60 different candy-filled piñata animals to see them grow, change, fight, and even dance!
Anything can happen: Guide a constantly evolving, vibrant world to keep your piñata happy and protect them from dangers threatening to break them open
Maintain harmony: Maintaining harmony within a growing community isn’t always easy when rivalries, illness, injuries and even candy-spilling fights occur
description
Viva Piñata™ is a window to another world where wild-roaming, living piñata animals inhabit a growing, changing garden world. Take control of this environment and the piñata within it, influencing its contents to create your very own pet paradise.
Once you have resident piñatas, begin to personalize your loyal community. Piñatas can be individually named and given their own personally designed tag to put on display as a declaration of their home turf. The customization doesn’t end there. Make the colorful critters more distinctive by customizing them with all kinds of costumes and accessories.
features
Master the Art of War – Command the armies of the mighty Empire, the proud High Elves, the marauding hordes of Chaos, the malevolent Skaven, unruly Orcs & Goblins or the dreaded Dark Elves as they clash in a battle that will decide the fate of the Warhammer World
The War rages Online – Take the battle online through Xbox LIVE against opponents all over the world
Customize your Army – Easy to use game editor allows for complete customization of your armies’ unit colors, banners and battlefield maps.
Command Heroes and Champions – Heroes and Champions learn new tactics, unlock special abilities, command larger units, and engage in duels to the death.
Dynamic Single - Player Campaign – Play through a sweeping dramatic story of three epic factions in a brutal Chaos invasion
description
Suffused with corrupting magical energy, torn apart by battle and doomed to an eternity of war, the Warhammer world teeters upon the brink of utter annihilation. It is a grim, unforgiving world where every creature must strive for survival. It is a world where magic and superstition blot out all hope of a better future, where peace and enlightenment are not even distant dreams. Wars are fought with faith as much as steel, as bloodthirsty gods hunger for souls, while the lives of mortals are but brief flickers of light against an everlasting inferno of slaughter. It is a dark age, a bloody age, where the mighty rule and destroy the weak. It is an age for conquerors, sorcerers and heroes. These are the End Times.
Though humanity is the most populous race, mankind shares this world with a great many strange and dangerous creatures, and men are far from united against the perils they face. In the dark forests and gale-swept mountains, goblins dig their dank lairs, plotting their constant raids. Brutal Orcs - green-skinned brutes who thrive on war - sweep across nations in devastating invasions. Unseen by human eyes, beneath the surface the Under-Empire of the Skaven gnaws through the earth, its rat-like inhabitants harbouring dreams of domination and decay.
Yet, humanity is not without its allies. In their mountain strongholds the Dwarfs still cling on to their stubborn existence, though the empire they once built now lies shattered and overrun. In the midst of the Great Ocean, the High Elves live upon the mystical isle of Ulthuan, wreathed in enchantments, possessors of the most ancient magic and wisdom.
But amongst the chaos and destruction of ceaseless conflict, new armies join the fray. Both armies are sworn to destruction and revel in bloodshed and cruelty, but one uses grace and strategy, while the other is a relentless onslaught and slaughter. They are the Dark Elves and the Orcs and Goblins.
Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today confirmed that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game will be released globally Summer 2009, alongside the Warner Bros. Pictures' film based on J.K. Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book.
"We're excited about the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game in development and its high level of authenticity and playability," said Robert Nashak, Vice President EA Casual Studios. "We are creating an immersive game experience that Potter fans around the world will really enjoy playing as they fly and duel their way through the story of the film. The game will feature new Wii gestures and increased gameplay capabilities across all of the platforms."
"The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince game will be an excellent interactive extension of the film and all of the new action that comes with it," said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "EA is creating the Harry Potter video games that fans will love, and this game will deliver new gameplay elements and the magic players are looking forward to."
"We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with EA in collaborating on the videogames for all of the Harry Potter films," said Harry Potter film Producer David Heyman. "The visual look of the game for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is incredibly authentic to the film and will provide a truly compelling experience for everyone who plays."
In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron's romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.
Developed by EA's Bright Light Studio, the team behind the worldwide success of the Harry Potter library of games including the most recent game released in the summer of 2007, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is scheduled for release Summer 2009 for the Wii, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Nintendo DS, Windows PC, Macintosh and mobile devices.
Fraudsters have begun cold-calling householders to accuse them of copyright infringement online and threaten them with court action, an ISP has reported.
The development comes soon after the law firm Davenport Lyons won a widely-reported £16,000 default court award for a videogames firm from an alleged filesharer. Davenport Lyons followed up the default judgement by telling newspapers that it had identified 25,000 more targets that it would take to court if they did not pay a £300 settlement.
Small ADSL provider UKFSN received a support call yesterday from an elderly customer who was concerned after being contacted by a scammer on Tuesday.
Accused of illegally sharing music, UKFSN's subscriber was savvy enough to refuse to give any details, and turned the tables on the caller, demanding to know where they were calling from. When they refused to provide credentials he hung up.
UKFSN's Jason Clifford posted some details of the incident on a broadband forum. He told El Reg: "They told my customer they had proof he had been filesharing illegally. The important thing to remember is that no ISP would give out a phone number in a legal case."
Two enforcement patterns have been recently adopted by rights holders on an unprecedented scale as they intensify their battle against illegal filesharing in the UK.
Record and film industry bodies are calling on ISPs to work in partnership with them when they detect an infringing IP address. The "enforcement" action taken by compliant providers generally involves a warning letter or letters being sent to the customer the IP is associated with. The BPI has won government backing for a such an effort on a large scale to caution net users against sharing unlicensed music. Last week we reported on how Tiscali tried to comply with a request from the movie studio MGM and got it badly wrong.
At the grubbier end of the scale, Davenport Lyons works with infringement detection firms to monitor BitTorrent networks. It then approaches rights holders and offers to win cash from individuals on their behalf. The High Court will then rubber-stamp an order forcing ISPs to disclose the physical addresses of those concerned, and Davenport Lyons is then free to fire off letters demanding for £300 and threatening court action.
In either case, phone numbers are never disclosed.
Many observers, including Reg readers, predicted that fraudsters would seize on lawyers' highly-publicised efforts to extract cash from internet users. And lo, it has come to pass. Email phishers can't be far behind.
Pandemic Studio's Mercenaries 2: World in Flames has debuted at first place on the UK software sales chart for the week ended September 6, according to data from Chart-Track.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 was knocked down a place to number two, followed by Maxis' Spore - which made it's debut on the chart at number three after only a single day on sale.
Wii Fit dropped a place from last week to number four, pushing down Carnival: Funfair Games to fifth place. Mario Kart Wii dropped four places from last week to come in at number six, while Wii Play came in at seventh and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games came in at eighth.
Big Beach Sports secured a spot at number nine and closing off the chart at ten was Wall-E.
The UK software sales chart for the week ended September 6 follows:
1. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
2. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
3. Spore
4. Wii Fit
5. Carnival: Funfair Games
6. Mario Kart Wii
7. Wii Play
8. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
9. Big Beach Sports
10. Wall-E
Although it confirmed the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts release date a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft has now added that UK pre-orders will be rewarded with free access to the Xbox Live Arcade version of Banjo-Kazooie as well.
The XBLA game is due out "a couple of weeks" after the 14th November launch, but US gamers have already been told they will get it free if they pre-order - and that they will get it on 14th November, rather than having to wait for the regular release. Microsoft UK has confirmed we get the two-week head-start as well, although it has yet to announce participating retailers. We've been told to expect more details in the next week or so.
As followers of the series know, there's even more added incentive to consider adding the XBLA game to your collection, because it will unlock content in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - and vice versa, thanks to the dormant "Stop 'N' Swop" feature included in the original N64 Banjo-Kazooie and repurposed to add value to this long-awaited duo of Xbox 360 releases.
For more on Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & bolts, which mixes 3D platforming with racing and other gameplay styles thanks to a nifty vehicle-creation tool, check out our extensive Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts hands-on with single-player and multiplayer, and look out for another round of impressions later this week.
Ever fantasised over what the gun and bullet impact noises in Gears of War 2 would sound like? Neither have we, but Epic's released a six minute developer diary on just the subject anyway.
"Many people don't realize how much sound contributes to immersion in a game," says Gears celebrity designer Cliff Bleszinski, introducing the video, 'Touch of Sound'.
"This video reveals how much thought and effort Epic Games puts into the incredibly rich variety of sounds in Gears of War 2: from voice acting to musical score, sound effects and more."
Oh, and the new Lancer noise sounds lovely. Watch the video on Maxim.
Why buy one version of Metallica's new album when you can buy two? Metallica's (please-don't-suck) new album Death Magnetic will be available in its entirety as downloadable content for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock day alongside the CD release this Friday.
We've heard quite a bit of it from the Mission Metallica website, and yes, before you wonder we ARE going to see them play at the O2 Centre next Monday for £5 each.
"We've been working very closely with Metallica and we're extremely excited to offer Death Magnetic not only in its entirety, but also with the exclusive recordings of Suicide & Redemption as downloadable content to Guitar Hero fans," said Tim Riley, VP of Music Affairs for Activision Blizzard. "We're proud to be setting a new precedent for our two industries, making an entire new album available in two different mediums simultaneously."
Xbox Live users will needs to be loaded up with 1440 Points while it'll cost PSN players $17.99. We reckon about the price of the CD in real money.
Amazon have dropped the price of their 8GB memory Sticks for PSP down to an amazing $45, also 8GB Micro SD Cards are $27.79 finally 8GB SD Card for $21.20
Yesterday, we posted a suspicious rumor sourced from the VGChartz forums, one that foretold of an Xbox 360 relaunch. Said relaunch was to arrive with new, currently unannounced features, new exclusive game announcements, new free Xbox Originals, free puppies and kittens and a full service massage. Full service. It stank to high heaven of fanboy secretion, but, hey, you never know.
Well, in some cases you do know and the swift denial from G4 that it was somehow involved in a relaunch certainly helped.
Microsoft, however, has chosen not to go for flat out denial of the outlandish rumor, instead opting to not comment. "As always we don't comment on rumors or speculation," said a rep for the company. "We are launching the New Xbox Experience this fall," the response reminded us, adding that we'll be updated on the latest. Then there was a little smiley and that made us feel pretty good.
The XBLA incarnation of cult Ninja platformer N+ is due to receive another healthy dollop of DLC.
For a measly 200 MS Points, players can guide their agile stick figure avatars around 150 single player levels, 50 multiplayer 'race' levels and 25 'survival' multiplayer maps. Add to this the July DLC update (150 single player, 50 multiplayer) then throw in the built in level editor and N+ probably has enough levels.
Also out this week are 200 points worth of new boards for Buku Sudoku at something like one sixth of a point per puzzle - that's pretty much a metric plethora
Multiple unnamed sources have allegedly confirmed that Ensemble Studios will be shuttered upon completion of Halo Wars, reports Shacknews. Layoffs have reportedly struck staff not currently working on the project, while Microsoft, Ensemble's parent company, has supposedly offered incentives to those employees critical to the Halo-themed RTS, goading them to stick around. We'll hit you with an update as soon as we've got one. Update: Microsoft rather unsurprisingly told Big Download it had no comment about this story.
Publisher affirms rumors that it will dissolve Halo Wars dev upon game's completion; leadership team to form new studio that will "work on other projects with Microsoft Game Studios."
Confirmation has come fast in regard to rumors surfacing earlier today that Microsoft would be closing its internal developer Ensemble Studios upon the completion of sci-fi real-time strategy game Halo Wars. In a statement issued today, Microsoft confirmed that Ensemble will be shut down once the Xbox 360-exclusive RTS set in the best-selling Halo franchise ships out early next year.
"The team at Ensemble has made invaluable contributions to the games industry with their Age of Empires and Age of Mythology games and with the highly anticipated release of Halo Wars. This decision does not reflect at all on Ensemble’s talent or the quality of Halo Wars--in fact, many people who have had a chance to test drive Halo Wars agree that it is on track to being a fantastic game."
Though Microsoft will close the studio, Ensemble brass plan to soldier on. As part of today's statement, Microsoft said that Ensemble's "leadership team" will form a new development house, and has already entered into an agreement with the publisher to continue supporting Halo Wars post-launch, "as well as work on other projects with Microsoft Game Studios."
Commenting on the reason for the closure, Microsoft said, "This was a fiscally rooted decision that keeps MGS on its growth path. While the decision to dissolve Ensemble was not an easy one, Microsoft is working to place as many Ensemble employees who do not move to the newly formed studio into open positions within Microsoft as possible."
As noted earlier today, the Age of Empires brand has sold more than 20 million units since the first installment debuted on the PC in 1997. According to the NPD Group, Ages of Empires III for the PC has sold 1.15 million units in the US alone through July 2008, with The Warchiefs expansion tallying nearly 305,000 more. (The second expansion, Asian Dynasties, was developed by Rise of Nations creators Big Huge Games.)
Ensemble has been a Microsoft-owned studio since 2001.
Tired of Switching? Here is the solution. Talismoon HDMI Auto Switch lets you connect 3 HDMI devices to your screen and switches automatically to the device YOU want! For example, if no device is turned on and you power one on, it will automatically switch to it. Turn a second one on, and it will jump to that new device. Turn it off, it will go back to first one etc. No need to waste time finding the remote and switching back and forth all the time, the HDMI Auto Switch does the job for you
A small (easy to hide) and smart HDMI 1.3 switch that make old HDMI switches pointless! Excellent performance characteristics allows source devices to be used with HDMIT cables up to 15 meters away using AWG 28 HDMI cables at resolutions up to 1080P FULL HD!
This product is confirmed and tested to pass 1080p FULLHD and the new Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless audio formats found on Blu-ray.
Poor Vigilante 8 Arcade. The car combat game has gone from a sweet spot in June (where it could have been a cool oasis in the summer doldrums) to being all but finished in August and now, the game has hit yet another snag with a few obscure bugs in the Microsoft certification process. So now, Luxoflux is looking at more QA with Activision followed by a second certification attempt.
Don't get us wrong, we appreciate everyone taking the time to get it right. But we're entering that time of year when it would take something huge to wrest our attention from the torrent of retail releases, and we're just not sure Vigilante 8 has that kind of pull anymore. Here's hoping we see it soon.
features
Battle system: Experience the seamless, real-time battle system that maintains a strategic, party-oriented format.
Multiple characters: Seventeen characters join the hero, Capell, each with a unique "Connect action" that allow you to take direct control.
Situational battles: The episodic "situational battles" urge you to think before you engage.
Engaging storyline: The twisting, 30-hour storyline was co-written by Ryo Mizuno, creator of Record of Lodoss War.
description
Mistaken for a renowned hero, Capell is thrust into a conflict to sever the chains that bind the moon to his world in INFINITE UNDISCOVERY™. Traverse a seamless, expansive world with a party formed from 18 characters. Rise against the wicked Order of Chains in fierce real-time combat, but beware … not all battles are won by force. The most obvious solution is rarely the right move. Shatter the chains and release the Order's grip on the world.
LucasArts will be offering Xbox 360 and PS3 demos of the ground-manipulating Fracture next Thursday, 18th September, ahead of the full game's release on 10th October.
The samplers will serve up a tutorial introducing Terrain Formation, the big idea at the core of the third-person action game. This revolves around futuristic weaponry that, at its most basic level, instantly carves craters in, or sprouts hills from, the ground. Dun dun dun.
Unfortunately the tutorial, which we had a fiddle with back in June, spells all of this out rather too clearly, quashing any kind of early improvisation or experimentation. But the exciting potential remains, and not least because up to 12 of you can do all this to each other online.
Microsoft Corp. doubled sales of the Xbox 360 video game machine last weekend after cutting the price by as much as 29 percent to narrow Nintendo Co.'s lead.
Retailers reported a 100 percent increase in sales for all models compared with the previous weekend, Redmond, Washington- based Microsoft said in an e-mailed statement. Some models sold at six times the previous weekend's rate. The company didn't say how many were sold.
The Sept. 5 price cut gave Microsoft a model that costs less than Nintendo's market-leading Wii for the first time.
Made of ABS material, this plug and play lighting stand keeps your Xbox 360 console safe in place and at the same time customize it with the controllable light when connect to the USB port.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
The highlight of this week is doubtlessly the release of Square Enix's much anticipated RPG Infinite Undiscovery. Cut off the chains that bind the moon to this world and remove the corrupted source of power that is governing everyone's life.
Besides sheer force, strategy is just as important in battles and Warhammer emphasized this point. The brutality of war and the enemies are remarkable in this series, so think twice before you employ your forces. The complete Dawn of War Collection is released on the PC while the newer installment, Battle March, has made its debut on the Xbox360.
Firearms and equipment are also vital to obtaining a victory in violent struggles. In the action shooter Commando: Steel Disaster, you have a wide range of fire arms selection. Tap into your leadership talents and unlock missions, take down your arch-nemesis and soil his dream of world domination.
Since we are talking about shooters, Fantasy Zone, one of the most representative of Sega shooters has come out as a complete collection [ebten DX Pack and Standard versions]. The package contain a total of 10+ games, from home console versions, arcade versions to the spin off products. All in all, the package has revived the full glory of the game for your PlayStation2 console.
Aside from projectile weapons, bio weapons are just as destructive. The Earl of the Millenium in D.Gray-man is using such weapons in an attempt to take over the world. Get into Allen Walker's pair of shoes to stop his plans from coming to fruition, but beware of the mysterious clan Noah.
Another game which is spawned from best selling manga/anime series is One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1. Whenever the Makuwara pirates gets involved in something, there is always one single outcome: An action packed, fun filled comical adventure. Come on board with the crew and sail toward an unknown future.
Go to fresh water areas after you have got off board the pirate ship as the fishing competition is now in full swing. Activision's Rapala Fishing frenzy is providing you with professional fishing gear and a new perspective on fishing. Find the most sought after fish and participate in all 14 games as you tour around the American continent.
There are numerous ways to save the galaxy, besides taking up arms, you can blend into the Spore [US and JPN versions] environment as one of its creatures and discover the troubles the galaxy is experiencing.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Assassin's Creed (Platinum Hits) ASIA US$ 29.90
Atsumare! Viva Pinata 2: Garden wa Dai-Punch [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 59.90
Double Clutch JPN US$ 64.90
FaceBreaker US US$ 59.90
Infinite Undiscovery US US$ 64.90
Infinite Undiscovery JPN US$ 74.90
NFL Head Coach 2009 US US$ 64.90
Rapala's Fishing Frenzy US US$ 44.90
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise US US$ 44.90
Warhammer: Battle March US US$ 64.90
Warhammer: Battle March ASIA US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Console (60GB) JPN US$ 349.90
PlayStation3™
Double Clutch JPN US$ 64.90
FaceBreaker US US$ 59.90
Logicool Driving Force Wireless JPN US$ 129.90
NFL Head Coach 2009 US US$ 64.90
Rapala's Fishing Frenzy US US$ 44.90
Stranglehold JPN US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 - Nami ni Yureru Hihou JPN US$ 59.90
Puzzler Collection US US$ 24.90
Rapala's Fishing Frenzy US US$ 54.90
Rapala's Fishing Frenzy (w/ Fishing Pole) US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
D.Gray-man: Sousha no Shikaku JPN US$ 68.90
Saishu Shiken Kujira: Alive (Sweet so Sweet) JPN US$ 34.90
Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection JPN US$ 28.90
Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection [ebten DX Pack] JPN N/A
Nintendo DS™
DSVision Adapter Package JPN US$ 19.90
Gakken Mu Henshuubu Kanshuu: Choujou Genshou Research File JPN US$ 39.90
Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness US US$ 34.90
Hoshizora no Comic Garden JPN US$ 54.90
Hoshizora no Comic Garden [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Kesshoutou no teiou entei (DSVision) JPN US$ 29.90
Maboroshi no Pokemon Rugia Bakutan (DSVision) JPN US$ 29.90
Myuu to hadou no yuusha rukario Special Pack (DSVision) JPN US$ 42.90
Nintendo DS Lite (Pokemon Limited Edition) - 110V US US$ 169.90
Quiz Magic Academy DS JPN US$ 48.90
Serebi toki wo koeta souguu (DSVision) JPN US$ 29.90
Spore Creatures JPN US$ 48.90
Spore Creatures US US$ 34.90
Theresia: Dear Emile JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
10,000 B.C. JPN US$ 14.90
Cake Mania: Baker's Challenge US US$ 24.90
PC Games
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (DVD-ROM) US US$ 44.90
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky ASIA US$ 37.90
The Lost Crown: A Ghost-Hunting Adventure ASIA US$ 34.90
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War The Complete Collection (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
Guide Books and Magazines
Blue Dragon Plus Guide JPN US$ 16.90
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2 Complete Guide JPN US$ 22.90
D.Gray-man: Sousha no Shikaku Guide JPN US$ 17.90
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Infinite Undiscovery Player's Guide JPN US$ 21.90
Monster Farm DS 2: Yomigaeru! Master Breeder Densetsu Complete Guide JPN US$ 28.90
One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 - Nami ni Yureru Hihou Guide JPN US$ 16.90
Sigma Harmonics Official Guide Book JPN US$ 19.90
Spore Limited Edition Bundle: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 34.90
Spore: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Spore: The Evolution US US$ 24.90
Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi Complete Guide JPN US$ 31.90
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1030 (2008 09/19) JPN US$ 7.90
Video Game related
Fantasy Zone Complete Album JPN US$ 64.90
Neo Angelique Abyss Character Songs Vol.5 (~Toru Okawa, Daisuke Ono) JPN US$ 11.90
Oretachi Ni Tsubasa Ha Nai Drama Series Vol.2 Asuka Torai JPN US$ 20.90
Quiz Magic Academy IV Originial Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Rock'n Roll Never Die (Kira Kira Curtain Call Vocal Album) JPN US$ 28.90
Rockman 9 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week.
PlayStation3™
Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation2™
Capcom vs SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 & Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future Value Pack JPN US$ 29.90
Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition & Vampire DarkStalkers Collection Value Pack JPN US$ 29.90
Nintendo DS™
Dragon Ball DS JPN US$ 48.90
Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena JPN US$ 48.90
Neo Angelique Special JPN US$ 48.90
Neo Angelique Special [Premium Box] JPN US$ 64.90
Samurai Dou Portable JPN US$ 39.90
Not content with consistently topping Xbox Live's most played list, Infinity Wards seems to want to snap Live in half this weekend, confirming half price DLC and double XP for Call of Duty 4.
It's slicing 400 points off the price of the Variety Map Pack, so you can grab it for just 400 points on September 12-14 only - it goes back up to 800 points next week. Get it if you haven't already...
And double XP, as previously confirmed, means rapid ranking-up in half the time.
This is all going down on Xbox Live only, but it'll be PS3 gamers' turn next. "Don't worry PS3 players, because we'll be doing the same for you guys; but due to schedule conflicts we couldn't do them back to back so the PS3 weekend will be closer to Sept the 18th (I'll have a dedicated post for our PS3 users on that event), but you can expect some of the same benefits and festivities," says IW on its official site.
Anyway, have some spare controller batteries ready for the weekend...
Rare has vigorously denied suggestions that its Avatars for Xbox 360 are a deliberate attempt to copy Nintendo's popular Mii template, claiming that it began work on the project before Wii had launched.
Speaking to Eurogamer TV for today's show, head of art Lee Musgrave revealed that it was only after Microsoft had seen the original concepts for customisable in-game characters that it decided to put Avatars at the centre of the New Xbox Experience, the forthcoming dashboard overhaul due to launch this autumn.
Musgrave said: "It was an idea we had, even before Miis were part of the gaming scene, of putting these characters that you have an affinity with, not necessarily as part of the Xbox dash, but somewhere in the Xbox that you would play multiple games with, that you would have multiple experiences with that same character."
Seeking to hammer home the point that any similarity between Avatars and Miis was purely coincidental, producer Chris Sutherland added: "We had a project up and running that had Avatars in them and the aim was always to have this component where you were able to customise your character and apply clothing to them."
And just in case there was any remaining confusion, Musgrave assured us that "Microsoft did not turn up one day in a speeding car and say, 'They've got Miis - do something!' It wasn't like that at all; it was something that fell into place over a period of time." More likely a private jet anyway.
The lovely chaps at Rare also told us there was some confusion early on as to what form the Avatars should take. "Should these things be little animals, should they be quirky characters, should they be Spore-like creatures, should they be ultra-real humans? We landed in the place that we have from the overriding theme that is approachability," said Musgrave.
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- Native Toolbox support soon
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Essential hacks, tricks and secrets for Microsoft's supposedly closed system
1. Connect your Xbox 360 to two screens at once
2. Play your own music in original Xbox games
3. It can write its own blog
4. Play Xbox 360 games online for free - without a Live account
5. Interact with your Xbox 360 music
6. Connect your Xbox 360 to a wireless network without an official adaptor
7. Play music from your iPod
8. Reset your Xbox 360 video settings
9. Play any media file, plus online videos on your Xbox 360
10. Use any HDMI cable and still get digital surround sound
* How come Guilty Gear 2is an Xbox 360 exclusive? This game looks like it could be a PlayStation 3 title too.
* Daisuke Ishiwatari: It was easier for a small-and-mid-sized developer like us to develop a game for XBOX360 than PS3. Also, since the main feature of the game is the network battle, XBOX 360 with organized network infrastructure was considered more suitable for the game.
This GG2 was the first title that we took the overseas development into consideration and since Xbox 360 had been widely used especially in the U.S., we wanted to challenge the system.
Xbox Product Manager Germany Boris Schneider-Johne states in a utmost interesting interview with Golem.de that this [quicker load times when playing games from HDD] won't be the case for the majority of 360 games.
"We now allow the customer to install games on their hard drive. This is optional, you don't have to do it. But if I do it, these games will load faster because a DVD-drive with seek operation does have load times every now and then. There are prominent examples, for instance: Project Gotham Racing 3, one of the first games for the Xbox 360. There the load times have been very long; those are going to get reduced immensely. Recent games are already optimized; there the gain is relatively small."
Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, says his unit hasn't seen a slowdown in consumer spending in the face of the economic downturn.
Bach went on to add that the Xbox business has been doing very well. He said that the videogame industry moves on new release cycles rather than economic ones and predicted a strong holiday shopping season for Xbox.
Adweek has just released their Digital Hot List - a yearly list of top digital destinations for advertisers - and right up there with the big boys like Google, Facebook, and...Stardoll, is Microsoft's Xbox Live service. Measuring statistics such as year over year growth, pages viewed per users, and time spent on pages, along with factors like ad innovation and cultural influence, Adweek has ranked Xbox Live as number 7 on its list, falling neatly between YouTube and The Huffington Post.
While Mistwalker's Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 didn't tear up the sales charts and reverse Microsoft's fortunes in Japan, it did have a more than respectable 80,000 unit opening week. Blue Dragon Plus for the Nintendo DS didn't fare quite as well, with a limp showing of just 21,000 units sold through. Granted Blue Dragon for the 360 bowed in December, giving it the holiday sales boost, but we doubt Mistwalker and AQ Interactive are popping the Cristal.
It's Nintendo whose likely celebrating this week, as Rhythm Tengoku Gold continues its sales chart dominance, with Wii Fit creeping further up the Media Create sales charts. Only two titles appear in the top ten that aren't on Nintendo hardware: Afrika and J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship.
01. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 55,000 / 668,000
02. Wii Fit (Wii) - 32,000 / 2,609,000
03. Blue Dragon Plus (DS) - 21,000 / NEW
04. Afrika (PS3) - 19,000 / 57,000
05. J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship (PS2) - 18,000 / 136,000
06. Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken (DS) - 17,000 / 222,000
07. Dragon Quest V (DS) - 15,000 / 1,164,000
08. Daigasso! Band Brothers DX (DS) - 15,000 / 326,000
09. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 14,000 / 1,748,000
10. Inazuma Eleven (DS) - 14,000 / 85,000
The Multiplayer blog spoke with Tadashi Iguchi, one of the developers for the recent Pac-man and Galaga remakes, about the decision to bring new life to old classics and whether today's games will receive similar treatment twenty years down the road.
"'I think more than half of the games you see today with huge budgets and such a "realistic" focus will be either stale or forgotten in 20 years,' he said. 'On the other hand, the masterpieces of the '80s will definitely be enjoyed far into the future. The reason for this is simple — many of these classic titles have unique and fascinating mechanics that can't be diminished by the advancement of technology.'"
The demo version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was released a few weeks ago for download through Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. Now, LucasArts has announced that the game shattered records for the number of downloads on Xbox Live, taking only eight days to reach 1 million. The full version is due out next Tuesday, and LucasArts will be holding a launch party in San Fransisco on Monday night to celebrate. The game is part of a multimedia project which includes a best-selling book, a comic, action figures, and other tie-ins. According to Eurogamer's interview with producer Cameron Suey, previous Star Wars games suffered from a "lack of ambition." Suey also shows off some of the gameplay in a video. A video walkthrough of the PS2 and PSP versions is available at Kotaku. The game will not be available for PC. Early reviews for the game are good, but not great, and developers recently mentioned that George Lucas himself provided input on the project.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Kieron Gillen has combined and updated a series of guides he wrote for getting into the development of game mods. He provides a detailed explanation of the process from concept to reality as well as a look at some of the obstacles you're likely to run into. Quoting:
"First thing is that it really is work, and should be planned as such. As I've said earlier, you really need to be aware you have to sacrifice other elements of your life to get it done. If you just rely on your free time, the Mod will fail. You may find it helpful to actually time-table periods when you can do stuff, in the same way you would book a regular evening class. If every night you put aside a limited amount of time to do work, you'll make steady progress. This is considerably healthier than the boom/bust approach which most modders will follow. But - y'know - most people on your team will move on a cycle of massive productivity followed by long fallow periods."
The latest results from NPD have revealed that sales of videogames hardware in the US grew by just 3 per cent in August year-on-year, from USD 384.6 million to USD 394.5 million.
That list was headed, once again, by the Nintendo DS, which sold 518,300 units, followed by Nintendo's other console, the Wii, on 453,000 units.
The PlayStation Portable was third on 253,000 units, while the Xbox 360 just beat the PlayStation 3 into fourth - the pair sold 195,200 and 185,400 respectively.
The PlayStation 2 was last with 144,100, although retailers in the US have apparently reported rocketing Xbox 360 sales since the new price points came into force last week.
Meanwhile, sales of videogame accessories were up 13 per cent, from USD 121.1 million to USD 137.3 million.
The hardware sales list is as follows:
1. Nintendo DS: 518,300
2. Nintendo Wii: 453,000
3. PlayStation Portable: 253,000
4. Xbox 360: 195,200
5. PlayStation 3: 185,400
6. PlayStation 2: 144,100
Well, it's another round of data for Japan's weekly console sales again. Today, they maintain same postions like last time but all see a drop like two weeks ago:
Nintendo DS Lite: 51,412
Playstation Portable: 34,462
Nintendo Wii: 33,128
Playstation 3: 8,317
Playstation 2: 7,948
Xbox 360: 1,044
DS lite is down roughly 5,000. PSP drops 7,200. Wii goes down 2,000. PS3 reduces in sales by 1,600, PS2 is down 900 and Xbox 360 is down 1,080.
UK retail chain Woolworths looks poised to cut the price of Xbox 360, following a similar move by Microsoft in the US.
The Arcade Xbox 360 will drop to GBP 129.99, the Premium unit to GBP 169.99, and the Elite console to 229.99, according to scans from the upcoming Woolworts catalogue, photographed by Engadget.
The three Xbox 360 consoles currently sell for GBP 159.99, GBP 199.99 and GBP 259.99 respectively. In comparison, a Wii console retails for GBP 179.99 with a copy of Wii Sports.
However, it is not yet clear whether this is a Woolworths-lead or Microsoft-bossed initiative.
The recent Xbox 360 price-cut to USD 199 in the US caused sales spikes of between 100 and 600 per cent.
Both Microsoft and Woolworths have been contacted for comment.
According to our main homeboys / homegirls at GameDaily, Microsoft has confirmed that it's dropping the price of that big, delicious Xbox 360 hard drive from the dizzingly high $179 to a totally thrifty $149. According to a Redmond rep: "We reduced the price of the Xbox 360 120 GB Hard Drive to $149 in conjunction with the recent Xbox 360 console price drop. We believe this offers consumers even greater value when selecting accessories that meet their individual gaming and entertainment needs." Hey, no need to explain -- we like things to be cheaper.
In contrast to yesterday's North American game charts for August, the latest software sales figures out of Japan aren't lead by Madden (and don't feature Too Human, nor will they ever). Instead, Nintendo's superb Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Rhythm Heaven when it launches here) beat out even the mighty Wii Fit to claim top spot.
Ludwig should be pleased to see that Arika is in there at a respectable No. 4 and, just to save you the counting, yes, six of the top 10 games for the week are on Nintendo DS. Here's the full list, with weekly and life-to-date sales accounted for:
1. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Rhythm Heaven) – DS – 55,276 / 668,000
2. Wii Fit – Wii – 31,970 / 2,609,000
3. Blue Dragon Plus – DS – 21,174 / New
4. Afrika – PS3 – 18,567 / 57,000
5. J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship – PS2 – 18,342 / 136,000
6. Fire Emblem: New Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light – DS – 17,349 / 222,000
7. Dragon Quest V – DS – 15,454 / 1,164,000
8. Daigasso! Band Brothers DX – DS – 14,688 / 326,000
9. Mario Kart Wii – Wii – 14,207 / 1,748,000
10. Inazuma Eleven – DS – 13,803 / 85,000
Oh Sonic. For years we've followed your adventures as a rubber-armed, lumbering Werehog with childish wonderment. Wait. A. Second. You're not Sonic! He's the zippy little blue guy in the really cool, actually Sonic the Hedgehog looking first half of the new Sonic Unleashed trailer we've got after the break. You're ... you're a monster. You probably ate him.
What. That's Sonic? And you play as him like this at night? Why? We see ... no one knows. Great. Well, we'll just have to set our system clocks ahead 12 hours every time we play. It's ... not tied to the system clock? Then we'll just skip those levels. Please tell us you can skip those levels.
Remember all those new features Eden is working into the PS3 release of Alone in the Dark? Oh, or how, upon announcing them, the developer also said they'd be arriving as a patch for the Xbox 360 version? Now the tune has hit a sour note, according to MTV Multiplayer.
Game designer Emile Morel says that Eden is, "Trying to do a patch," but that "it's technically complicated," saying that, if anything, the control and camera fixes will be implemented; don't expect the new subway chase sequence in the PS3 release to show up. There's evidently also an issue with the actual estimated size of the patch not sitting too well with Microsoft.
So now it's not only a case of if the patch will happen but when. Morel says that the decision to patch or not to patch might actually depend on the success of the PS3 version, and that the team probably won't get around to working on it until the release for Sony's machine goes gold.
Microsoft's own Gamerscore Blog is kicking off what it hopes will be a weekly series of New Xbox Experience primers leading up to the new dash's "late fall" release. For the first installment, the crew chose to focus on the newly revamped Games Played tracker, and what exactly makes it worthy of being part of a new experience.
As it's explained, selecting your Gamercard now displays a series of subsequent Games Played "slides" behind it, which you can fan through. The first card focuses on every game you've ever fired up on your console. It displays your current Gamerscore and the maximum possible Gamerscore you could hope to earn by unlocking every Achievement in every game you've played. Similarly, it displays the current number of Achievements you've unlocked out of the total number available in all the games you've played.
Subsequent slides focus specifically on single games, with similar Gamerscore and Achievement tallies just for them. Your most recent Achievements in each game are also displayed. The Gamerscore team says that if you've played 500 games, there will be 500 individual Games Played slides; let's hope there's an equally clever system for quickly sorting through them all.
The latest (free!) downloadable update to Criterion's car-crumpling crashtravaganza, Burnout Paradise, has been scheduled to arrive next week on September 18th -- sans two wheels. The Burnout Bikes pack (hands-on impressions here) adds 38 new against-the-clock race events, a customizable day/night cycle, dynamic weather effects, 70 new Freeburn challenges and ... oh yes, motorcycles.
We hope other folks in the industry are learning a thing or two from Criterion's robust support of Burnout Paradise. Oh, sure, we like the freeness of it all, but what we're really saying is that we want downloadable motorcycles for everything. Yes, including Too Human.
(Note: We're checking if this applies to both platforms. There's no mention of either in the announcement.)
A story by Dow Jones speculates that the slowing sales of GTA IV may hurt Take-Two's chances of getting a good buyout deal from EA. The two companies are currently in behind-closed-doors negotiations following several months of failed hostile takeover bids by EA for the GTA publisher.
GTA IV came out of the gate strong when it premiered in April, earning $500 million in its first week and going on to sell 8.5 million units so far. However, August NPD data shows the game has slipped to the 46th best-selling game spot for the month, which is another notch down the ladder from its 45th place in July.
features
With 2K Sports' classic default controls, a player’s first game will be as enjoyable as their one-thousandth
Pre-game intros, menus, new crowd animations, game summary replays, and brand new commentary
Form a team of up to 6 separate consoles to challenge other teams made of up to 6 consoles for the first-ever NHL 12-console play!
description
Do you long for the days when hockey video games didn’t require an engineering degree to master? 2K Sports has listened to the masses by bringing the fun back to hockey video games with an intuitive control scheme, hard-hitting action.
Developed by award-winning Visual Concepts studios, NHL 2K9 brings a totally rebuilt NHL experience to life with a brand-new in-game presentation system, as well as fresh player animations and controls that fans will enjoy from the moment they play their first game, until well after they become a seasoned veteran. Further adding to an unmatched level of fun and celebrating the NHL’s uniqueness are an all-new Zamboni™ mini-game, playoff beards, a new fighting engine and more! Complete with new commentary, a user-friendly franchise mode and upgraded online features, NHL 2K9 brings the fun back to game consoles!
features
Official Kingdom Hearts Art Trading Figure
Great collectible for all Kingdom Hearts fans
Shipped randomly
6 different characters
Axel, Jack Sparrow, Minnie Mouse, Pete, Sora & Ursula
Please order a box of 8 pieces to receive a factory sealed container
Size: approx. 11 - 18cm
Limited availability
description
Various characters in the hugely popular Kingdom Hearts video game series appeared as figures.
With a plot that combined Disney characters and the quintessential Final Fantasy series, Kingdom Hearts is a great hit.
All Figures are carefully crafted with expressive faces, and if you collected them all, you can play with them like chess pieces.
Line up for vol. 3:
Sora – A hero chosen by the keyblade
Ursula – The Witch of Atlantica
Pete – Mickey's eternal enemy
Minnie – The queen who protects the castle when her king is absent
Axel – A wind from dancing flames
Jack Sparrow – A lone wolf pirate
All orders are shipped randomly, please make sure to order 6pcs to get a factory sealed container.
features
Command a Zoid army – Take control of a fleet of giant biomechanical life forms that blend the assets of beast and machine to create fierce weapons of war.
Advanced military tactics – Facing armies that far outnumber you means optimizing your tactical advantages. Mastering the concentrated fire tactic, managing the scan gauge and support tactics, and utilizing the Electromagnetic Pulse System will be crucial to your survival.
First-class customization – Take your units to the next level with upgrades, including melee weapons, rockets, rifles, machine guns, shotguns, cannons, and more. Choose your color or download new skins with stat boosts for your Zoids.
description
When war broke out between the world's two main superpowers, the Guylos Empire and the Republic of Helic, the effects rippled across the globe, dragging other nations into the fight. Two such nations were Maroll and Jamil. After a mysterious explosion at one of Maroll's military bases, two covert ops teams are sent into Jamil territory, their exact mission details never disclosed. Somehow, the events of the present are inextricably linked to the past--to the final days of the war, ten years ago...
The HDMI Selector is a slim version,which fully support 1080P HDTV .It can amplifier and equalizer function extend longer HDMI Cable,still support DTC, Dobby, 7.1 Channel audio. It has Remote/Auto detect functions available too.Plug and Play, installs in seconds .
Time for, that's right, TELL US DAMMIT. here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Not sure!
Something playing games is physical — especially if you playing a marathon session.
Question: Ever got a gaming-related injury? If so, what? How?
VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi recently published an exhaustive history of the manufacturing issues that have surrounded the Xbox 360, resulting in still unknown numbers of defective consoles and a $1 billion price tag for Microsoft's games division. Hypersensitive readers who pined for the day when we could all just "move on" from the story weren't the only invested parties who took issue with the exposé. One of Microsoft's own contract employees was fired for his participation in the story.
Robert Delaware, a Microsoft game tester employed by temp agency Excell Data, was let go on Wednesday and is expected to face civil charges from his former employer, according to an update from VentureBeat.
Honestly, I'm at a loss. There's no shortage of incomplete games gathering dust on my shelves — The Last Guy, Soulcalibur IV, Super Mario Galaxy (I know!) and Killer7 — things that I really should cross of the list. And I stupidly slept on the id Super Pack deal from last weekend. But I'm feeling unmotivated, probably due to LA's overcast skies and the obligation to complete Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise. Any recommendations? I've got some cash burning a hole my in pocket.
Other than that, I'm setting my weekend to Take It Easy, factor ten. What are you playing this weekend?
Fuel Depot 360 is a 3D space shooter. As the name implies, it is my entry into the Xbox 360 Community Games project.
The goal of the game is to protect the 10 fuel pods from the incoming pirate ships. Your fighter is armed with a variety of weapons to help you succeed. As you progress the pirates get smarter, faster and more aggressive.
This version is a 5 level demo.
The game supports only the Xbox 360 controller (no keyboard or mouse) and, as mentioned, was written specifically for the Xbox 360.
A lot of people don’t know this, but I’m a great fan of FPS. Maybe not that good of a player anymore (ah, Duke Nukem 3D LAN parties… good times), but a fan nonetheless. I mean, I didn’t get my hands on Wolfenstein 3D Linux for nothing!
In any case, I’m afraid I have some bad news to FPS players all around. Severity, the announced FPS by famous Doom and Wolfenstein 3D co-creator, John Romero, has been cancelled. Romero told to “ThatGamingSite” that:
Yeah…….. the game was cancelled a while ago. I’m never going to announce a game that i’m not actually working on again.
Sorry!”
Severity was announced back in December of 2006, and although several videos eventually made it to youtube, news about the development of the project stopped all of a sudden early 2008. Now we know why, I’m afraid.
I’m somewhat sad about this, actually. The videos looked quite nice.
Here's the first look at the new Street Fighter controllers from Madcatz, these designs are still subject to change, but they look very impressive, but lets see if the build quality matches.
HDRL is running an analysis of loot systems in modern games. They talk about how in-game rewards, formerly the domain of RPGs and adventure games with powerups, have expanded to exist in every genre, as achievements and unlockable bonuses have become standard fare.
"For the majority of gamers, once the novelty is gone, they move on. To keep players interested, rewards are required. ... The Diablo series is a perfect example of the theory in effect. Just as in the story of the donkey and the carrot, a game's rewards cannot be too frequent, nor can it be too infrequent. If rewards are too frequent, they lose value in the eyes of the player, and they lose interest. If the rewards are too infrequent, the player loses sight of the carrot, and likely loses motivation to keep playing."
When the official announcement finally came last week that Rock Band 2 would release today on Xbox 360, one little bullet point on the press release about an additional 20 free DLC songs nagged us. Looking at the back of the Rock Band 2 manual now, we still have no idea what the DLC is, but we do know how we're going to get it. Going to the site listed in the image above currently gives this message: "Please check back in a few days for the opportunity to enter your Registration Code and sign up to receive the Bonus Downloadable Tracks." We've been told by Harmonix the tracks will release later this year.
Also, while we're on the subject, transferring the original Rock Band tracks to the sequel is really as simple as purchasing the license. No muss, no extra fuss.
Things have been fairly aggressive between the two presidential nominees as of late, perhaps largely due to a certain comment involving a farm animal and mouth-based cosmetics. That's why we were so glad to see them squash the beef in a recent Saints Row 2 advertisement (posted after the break), combining forces to wreak havoc across Stilwater (much to the chagrin of their respective campaign staffs, we imagine). We're also glad to see that the character customization in THQ and Volition's crime-riddled sandbox is so versatile. We've already begun planning our own presidential nominee superteams for when the game comes out -- we've always wondered what Roosevelt and Dewey would look like in a gang war.
The "highly anticipated" re-release of 3D Realms' Duke Nukem 3D received a release date on last night's exclusive-rich episode of GameTrailers TV. The revamped 1996 shooter will be parking its bricks in the XBLA toilet on Sept. 24, complete with eight-player co-op and Blinx-esque Braid-esque rewind capabilities. Also, it apparently has the ability to actually be released, giving it a leg up on the other Nukem title that's currently in production. No word yet on how many Micro-bucks it'll run the discerning, alien-hating 360 owner. http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/13/du...ction-sept-24/
It's a well-known fact that the big three console manufacturers - Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft - all want your money. Once you fork out a few hundred notes for a console, they have you in their mighty grip, and bleed you dry with their capitalist agendas. In some cases, this can be as much as £300 over the next five years, not including essentials they don't include with the console. It's similar to hidden bank charges, except Watchdog's Nicky Campbell won't be fighting your corner - he'll be kicking your a*se at Halo instead.
Before we begin tearing apart consoles for their economic crimes, the SKUs (Stock-keeping Unit) tested are the standard ones - the basic Wii bundle (with Wii Sports), the 60GB Premium Xbox 360 package, and the latest 80GB PlayStation 3 with DualShock. Prices are the RRP, but you can knock off a few quid here and there if you shop around.
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Electricity Costs
Like any appliance, consoles will use up different amounts of power, and the difference between them is staggering. The Wii, the simpleton of the bunch, will use up to ten times less power than its high-definition competitors, with the PS3 requiring the most electricity. They weren't messing around when they said this is the most powerful generation yet. Nuclear power station peripherals are yet to be confirmed.
Wii - 12.41 kWh - £1.98 a year
Xbox 360 - 120.45 kWh - £19.21 a year
PS3 - 204.40 kWh - £32.60 a year
The Wii is hands down the cheapest, but the PS3 will make those energy price rises your worst nightmare. Figures are based on playing a game from a disc (standby and movie playback differ) for two hours per day for a year. (Figures obtained from sust-it.net.)
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Controllers
You'll be screwed without them, and charitably each console comes boxed with one. If you want to play with your mates then your wallet will have to take a gut punch, and in the case of recharging them, selling its kidney on the wallet black market.
PS3 - Technically there are no added extras, however early adopters missed out on the now-standard rumbling DualShock 3. This will set you back £40.
Wii - Comes with a Wii remote and Nunchuk, however an additional remote costs £30, and Nunchuk £15. That's £45 for one additional control set.
Xbox 360 - There is no rechargeable option out of the box - a Play & Charge kit retails for £15, and additional wireless controllers are £30 a pop. That's £60 for two charge kits and an extra wireless pad. However you can save by getting a Wired controller for £25.
The PS3 is hands down the cheapest, however the others differ according to what you buy. Getting the full set for both - Nunchuks (Wii) and wireless with recharge packs (Xbox) - makes the 360 £15 more expensive. On the other hand you don’t need a Nunchuk for most Wii games, and you can just use cheap rechargeable batteries or wired controllers for your 360.
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Television Cables
Confusion sets in at this point, where many gamers are left stranded behind their television, adopting the foetal position and shaking in bewilderment. All consoles come with connection cables, but the quality varies immensely, even between standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD). From plain awful to crystal clear the cables rank composite (SD), RGB (SD), component (SD / HD), and HDMI (HD). Considering there are more HD sets than before, cables are as vital as anything else on this list.
Xbox 360 - Comes with component for HD out of the box, also doubling up as composite cables for those with normal tellies. While there are better SD and HD options, these options will do you just fine.
Wii - Comes with a composite cable. While it looks bad, on a standard definition set it is passable, but you should get either an RGB or component cable. You need component for the best resolution on HDTV sets. They each cost £20.
PS3 - Just a composite cable; no HD option in the box. Your gorgeous new HD console will look like it's being played back through an '80s VCR. You need a component or HDMI cable, stat. That's £20, thank you very much.
While all three consoles could have better cables, the 360 offers you a near-perfect solution out of the box that gives you decent HD and SD connections. The Wii could do with an upgrade, while the PS3 needs one. What's cheaper, a HDMI cable or cataract surgery? You be the judge.
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Connecting to the internet
If there is one big leap this generation, it's that each console feeds on byte-sized information from the World Wide Web. If you want to get the most from your new pride and joy, you need to connect to the internet.
PS3 - Comes with both Wi-Fi receiver and LAN port for both wireless and wired connections. Perfect.
Wii - Wi-Fi receiver only. If you want to connect via LAN port, you can buy one for £20.
Xbox 360 - Ethernet port only. If you want to get a plug in Wi-Fi receiver, it'll set you back £60.
While they all have a base covered, the PS3 hits a home run by being as flexible as an Olympian gymnast. Considering many households own a wireless router, paying £60 to have the privilege to do so takes the metaphorical biscuit. Bridge your internet connection to your 360 and spend that £60 on a pick-and-mix.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Additions
These are the little added extras that most people would purchase in their console's lifetime. Not surprisingly, Microsoft pushes these little additions.
Xbox Live subscription - While the Wii and PS3 online services are free, full Gold membership costs £40 a year on the 360. Without it, you cannot play online with others or access certain content.
Keyboard - The Wii and PS3 have full USB keyboard support for text input, whereas the 360 keypad costs £25. Alternatively, you can spend an entire hour entering a message via the d-pad.
Downloadable Content - This is subjective, as many games offer additional content that perhaps should be in the full product, but are not on the disc. But when games such as Beautiful Katamari (360) ask you to pay to unlock things already on the disc, it reinforces the point that you have to be a millionaire playboy to get the most out of everything.
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Quantitative Total
So when it boils down to it, which console is the most expensive? Brushing aside the base package, games and optional extras, the initial investment is about the same for all three systems. However the on-going running costs of electricity and subscriptions might find your Xbox 360 finding a new home on eBay. If you plan to keep it for the next five years, it could cost as much as £295, compared to Wii's paltry upkeep of £10. The PlayStation 3 isn't economically friendly either, coming in at £163. Eep.
Initial investment -
Wii - £65 (television cable upgrade, extra Wii remote and Nunchuk)
Xbox 360 - £60 (extra wireless controller, two Play & Charge kits)
PS3 - £60 (television cable upgrade, additional DualShock 3 controller)
On-going investment (per year) -
Wii - £1.98 (electricity)
PS3 - £32.60 (electricity)
Xbox 360 - £59.21 (electricity, Live subscription)
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Summary
It should be noted that these are all optional costs - you don't need to buy another controller, to purchase a Live subscription or run your console every day for the next few years. But many people do, and if you are thinking of getting a new system for yourself or someone else these little costs add up to something fierce. The Xbox 360 is the worst for those hidden costs, although the others aren't exactly innocent either. When you consider this doesn't include what you actually bought it for - the games - it shows that this hobby is a costly thing indeed.
The reviews for Rock Band 2 acknowledge that the game doesn't do anything radically new, but the improvements are enough to justify its existence. For those who don't have friends living close by, being able to play World Tour mode online will certainly be a vast improvement on the original's main method of solo gameplay. The game doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it sure does put some sweet rims on it.
Giant Bomb (5/5): "... With its large library of licensed master recordings and vastly improved approach to multiplayer play, Rock Band 2 is a terrific value at both ends. It's both a must-own for fans of the genre and a great place for new players to get started."
GamePro (5/5): "It's more Rock Band and that is not a bad thing at all. With a new setlist of songs and more features, it's a no-brainer for anyone who loved the first Rock Band."
OXM (90/100): "The game's true enhancements come in areas that are arguably more important than playing dress-up. This time, there's no guitar career or drum career; there is only the Tour. The Tour is whatever you want it to be - a solo path through the venues of the world (on any or all instruments - switch between them at will), or a shot at stardom with up to three friends, whether they're in the room or across the country (thanks to the brilliant and long overdue Xbox Live support for co-op careers)."
IGN (90/100): "Rock Band 2 improves in several areas over the original. The track list is better, the difficulty has been bumped up, it's more accessible, all previously released DLC works from the get-go, and Battle of the Bands is a brilliant online mode. But there's no getting around the fact that almost nothing was done to the main mode, World Tour. This is still the primary feature of Rock Band and yet it seems to have been neglected. It's hard to notice the newness when there's a big chunk of game that is just the same as it ever was."
On September 30th, a new limited edition Red wireless Xbox 360 controller and play and charge kit bundle will be available across The States. The bundle will be on sale for $65 and the unique features of this compared to the blue and pink colors is that it is a "Limited Edition red finish, with newly designed black accents." Ooh, black accents !" http://thejoypad.blogspot.com/2008/0...oller-and.html
High Street retailer Woolworths has said that it will not comment on recent scans on the internet allegedly from the company's Christmas catalogue, and showing a price cut for all three Xbox 360 SKUs.
Images appeared last Friday which suggest the Microsoft console will be repriced in the UK at GBP 129.99 for the Arcade unit, 169.99 for the Premium unit and 229.99 for the Xbox 360 Elite.
However, the company said that it is working with various drafts of its latest Big Red Book, which all contain different prices, products and descriptions.
"Woolworths will not comment directly on the speculation that has appeared on various gaming websites as it is commercially sensitive information," said the company in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz.
"The Christmas 2008 Woolworths Big Red Book is not released until the first week of October and, until that date, remains a confidential document.
"There are several draft editions in existence, with prices, products and descriptions varying dependent on the draft," said the retailer.
If such a price cut is looming, it is not yet known whether it will be an official cut by Microsoft, or a retail-led initiative.
Microsoft recently slashed the price of the console in the US, prompting a huge spike in sales.
Atari has coughed up a few new details on Race Pro, the fancy sim racer it recently picked up the rights to publish.
The full game will launch sometime in January 2009 but there's a playable demo planned for release just before Chrisatmas.
This trial will give you a look at both online multiplayer and single player racing. Don't forget to download it between sessions of Gears 2 and Banjo, eh?
Titles for both Nintendo and PC platforms have dominated the Spanish and German software sales chart for the week ended September 7, according to data provided by Media-Control GfK International.
PC titles occupied five of the top ten places in German software sales chart, with EA Maxis' Spore coming in at number one and followed by The Sims 2: Apartment Life at number two.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky secured fourth place, while the Settlers: Rise of an Empire came in at six and Spore Galactic Edition at eight.
The Spanish chart was more centred around Nintendo titles and saw Wii Fit take the first place, followed by Wii Play at number two. The Sims 2: Apartment Life came in third, while Mario Kart Wii and the DS title Cooking Guide: Can't decide what to eat? came in fourth and fifth places respectively.
Spore came in at number six, Super Smash Bros Brawl at seven and Beijing 2008, for the PlayStation 3, at eight.
Closing the Spanish chart was Brain Training for the DS and Grand Theft Auto IV for the PS3.
The German software sales chart follows:
1. Spore (PC)
2. The Sims 2: Apartment Life (PC)
3. Wii Fit (Wii)
4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky (PC)
5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
6. The Settlers - Rise of an Empire (PC)
7. Spore Galactic Edition (PC)
8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Wii)
9. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
10. Wii Play (Wii)
The Spanish software sales chart follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Wii Play (Wii)
3. The Sims 2: Apartment Life (PC)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
5. Cooking Guide: Can't decide what to eat? (DS)
6. Spore (PC)
7. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii)
8. Beijing 2008 (PS3)
9. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
10: Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
Another price cut for the Xbox 360, from Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, will have an ERP of £169/€239 (compared to the PS3 which is £299 for the 80GB model). The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a 120GB hard drive, will have an ERP of £229/€299. The Xbox 360 Arcade console,will have an ERP of £129/€179 (compared to the Wii which is £179).
The Xbox 360 has been slowly losing ground to the PS3 for a while in Europe (and alot to the Wii). Will this change MS fortunes in Europe?
Connect multiple consoles with AV signal to any AV devices and switch easily between sources without having to plug or unplug any cable. You can connect up to 3 consoles or devices at the same time!
- Manual select function
- 3 ports of AV input
- 1 port of AV output
- Supports AV cable
- Up to 3 consoles or AV devices can be connected
features
The core powers of the Force can be upgraded throughout the game
Interact with familiar characters such as Darth Vader and new adversaries such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians
The game debuts Pixelux's Digital Molecular Matter system that incorporates the physical properties of items in the environment, making wood break like wood, and glass to shatter like glass
Use Force push, grip, repulse, and lightning in powerful combinations
description
The saga continues in Star Wars™: The Force Unleashed, casting players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and unveiling new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. Set in the era between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope, players must assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi, and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny
features
Walkthrough: Extensive walkthrough of every level including locations of items.
Maps: Detailed area maps to get you to your objectives
Use the Force: Complete appendices with full analysis of every weapon, item, Force power, and enemy
Bonus Content: Huge pullout poster of exclusive art, exclusive art section, developer interviews, and more!
TNA Wrestling™ is the exclusive Total Nonstop Action Wrestling game based on the top-rated weekly television show, TNA Impact! Enter the signature six-sided ring and prepare for all of the high-flying slams and takedowns with more than 20 TNA stars like Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. Or, build the ultimate wrestler with custom appearance, moves and style to deliver the hard-hitting, adrenaline pumping action seen only in TNA Wrestling!
EA SPORTS™ welcomes you to the future of sports gaming with NHL®09. Building on NHL 08 - winner of 7 Sports Game of the Year awards - EA SPORTS continues to evolve the NHL franchise with innovative control enhancements, added depth and accessibility.
NHL 09 brings Be A Pro to the ice, allowing gamers to step on the ice as themselves through a dynamic camera angle. In Be A Pro Mode you will earn your own hockey card as you progress from the AHL to the NHL.
features
Official Final Fantasy XII Weapon Set
Conformer
Death Penalty
Dragon Claw
Fairy Tale
Hardedge
Length: approx. 80mm - 130mm
Limited avalibility
features
All previously purchased Rock Band download tracks will immediately load into your Rock Band 2 song list, with no need to re-purchase or re-download
The biggest and most diverse soundtrack ever features some of rock's most prolific acts, comprised entirely of master recordings
The new and dynamic online modes will connect the entire Rock Band community in more ways than ever before both locally and globally
Get ready for new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality, and innovative new designs, all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments
description
Rock Band 2 builds upon its foundation as the first music game to introduce co-operative band gameplay, multiple instruments, a robust online multiplayer experience, an unrivaled offering of downloadable content, and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, and authenticity
Mercenaries 2 has retained the top spot of the UK software sales chart for the week ended September 13, according to data provided by Chart-Track.
This was followed by Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 and Spore, which both held onto their positions at number two and three respectively.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games climbed the chart to fourth place, from eighth, pushing Wii Fit down to number five. Meanwhile Mario Kart Wii held onto its position at number six, followed by Carnival: Funfair Games at seven.
Guitar Hero: On Tour surged back into the top ten of the chart at number eight, up from 18, while TNA Impact! debuted at number nine.
Closing the chart in tenth place was Wii Play, down three places from last week.
The UK software sales chart follows:
1. Mercenaries 2: World In Flames
2. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
3. Spore
4. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
5. Wii Fit
6. Mario Kart Wii
7. Carnival: Funfair Games
8. Guitar Hero: On Tour
9. TNA Impact!
10. Wii Play
Ex-Xbox head Peter Moore has revealed how Microsoft was "completely fixated on Sony" with its Xbox Strategy.
Speaking in the second part of an interview with The Guardian, Moore revealed that Nintendo wasn't even considered when discussing console strategies with Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer (and now Wii's at the top).
"In January (2003) I flew up [to Redmond] and had lunch with Steve Ballmer and you don't say no to Ballmer," Moore said, discussing his route into Xbox. "We had a great lunch and he convinced me that Microsoft was going to take on Sony; so I get to put on my suit of armour, get on my horse and take on Sony again - but with a little bit more money this time!"
It was a classic "build or buy" conversation, said the now EA Sport boss. "Xbox had launched but it was an aggressive black box for shooters, and how do we evolve that, how do we build the next Xbox, how do we get after Sony?
"Interestingly, we were just completely fixated on Sony," Moore revealed. "Nintendo didn't even come into the conversation. But Steve was very compelling, particularly when you're one-on-one with him in his office - we talked about what we'd done to compete with Sony, where I felt their weaknesses were."
Microsoft had "a little bit of a concern" with Sony, Moore added. "We wanted to keep them out of the living room, from a software and services perspective," he said.
"He wanted my attitude, he didn't care what I'd achieved at Sega, he wanted to know how I was going to win for Microsoft, how we were going to take on Sony, how would we compete with - or acquire - Nintendo. Those were the conversations in those days."
And now Microsoft's out there chasing Nintendo's mainstream success. We won't point out the irony - that'd be mean.
CITY shops have been caught out selling knives and ultra-violent video games to underage children.
An undercover “mystery shopper” exercise by Plymouth’s Trading Standards officers saw two 16-year-old buyers test out 34 shops.
Two out of 25 stores were happy to hand over knives to the youngsters while five out of nine shops had no problem selling “18+ rated” video games like Grand Theft Auto 4, to the teens.
Councillor Michael Leaves, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Environmental Regulation, called the carrying of knives by young people a “a plague”.
Under the Video Recordings Act and the Criminal Justice Act, stores are obligated to ask for proof of age before handing over restricted items.
It was the first time the city council’s trading standards team have targeted games sales and only the second time knife sales have been tested. Last year, out of 23 stores tested, only one failed.
Cllr Leaves said: “It’s vital for shops not to sell youngsters knives and I find it very disappointing that any in Plymouth have done so.
“As for violent video games, I believe they must have a detrimental influence on any children who play them and I would not be at all surprised if there was not a connection with the knife crime issue. Everyone who sells these games must take extra care to ensure they only sell them to those who can legally buy them.”
Lynda Braddock, Trading Standards officer, said the new targeting of games came in light of the “Byron review”.
In March this year TV child psychologist Dr Tanya Byron produced a Government-commissioned review of the impact of violent adult games on children.
She recommended reforming the classification system for video games with one set of symbols on the front of all boxes which are the same as those for film.
Lynda Braddock, who led the operation, said: “The statistics for knife sales are encouraging but it’s still disappointing to find some shops not on board with this issue especially bearing in mind the media coverage on knife crime in recent months.
“And we’re disappointed that the games sellers concerned don’t seem to have taken their training on board or recognised the fact that these games are given a high age rating for a reason.”
The trading officers targeted games which stated they contained violence, including the much publicised Grand Theft Auto 4, which carries a warning about “strong violence, very strong language, sex and drugs references.” Other games targeted included Hitman and Saints Row.
Ms Braddock said: “Games are becoming more and more violent and more and more interactive. Youngsters are using them for four or more hours a day, living the life of a gangster.
“You must lose your shock factor if you’re continuously killing people – and then get rewarded for being violent.”
The two test buyers – a girl and a boy – were also able to buy a 9” to 10” kitchen knife in one store and a pack of four steak knives in another.
Ms Braddock said each of the stores would now be investigated and interviewed to determine what sanctions would be taken. They range from a warning letter, explaining they will be monitored in the coming months, up to the maximum penalty – a six-month prison sentence and/or a £5,000 fine.
mcgrew writes with news that a study done by the Pew Internet & American Life Project has found game playing is all but universal among teens, and it provides a "significant amount of social interaction and potential for civic engagement." 97% of teens responding to the survey said they played games (75% played weekly or more often), and roughly two-thirds of teens use games as a social experience. The full report (PDF) and the questionnaire with answer data (PDF) are both available for viewing. From the report: "Youth who take part in social interaction related to the game, such as commenting on websites or contributing to discussion boards, are more engaged civically and politically. Youth who play games where they are part of guilds are not more civically engaged than youth who play games alone."
Gamasutra is running a story about how the "hard" modes in games can be designed to include difficulty, but not frustration. They give some examples of the changes made to several games as their difficulty settings are increased, and they discuss some of the simple options, such as increasing the number of required button presses, or increasing the relevant numbers by an arbitrary amount (a boss on easy may hit you for 10 damage, whereas a boss on hard may act the same but hit you for 100 damage). They also talk about maintaining the "illusion of fairness." Quoting:
"Bungie's Halo series is often praised for its excellent execution of difficult play in the form of its Legendary mode. Not surprisingly, the team took a very well-thought out approach to introducing and tuning difficult play. Halo 3 gameplay designer Francois Boucher-Genesse explains that it's not just a case of one formula fits all. 'It's not like we just cranked every enemy's health by 200% and called it Legendary,' he said. 'There was a good amount of custom changes made per mission as well. In that sense we encourage players with previous Halo experience to play at least on Heroic, since they get to see the game in its full scale
With Call of Duty: World at War set to hit store shelves this November, Activision has been making plans to monetize the online component of the game. "Infinity Ward-developed CoD4 has paid downloadable maps available on digital storefronts, but with CoD5, developed by Activision studio Treyarch, downloadable content will be a considerably bigger priority. Griffith added that Activision 'plans to increase online monetization' with CoD5, offering '3x the amount of content available for download and premium content called Day One Advantage.'" Activision also announced that for Call of Duty 6 they will be going back to Infinity Ward for development, the company who developed the first, second, and fourth offerings in the series. Treyarch made the third and fifth installments.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 has outsold Nintendo's Wii in Japan, according to figures from Enterbrain.
Following a new price point, the introduction of a bigger hard-drive and the release of Square Enix's Infinite Undiscovery, the console sold 28,681 units for the week ended September 14, according to a report by Andriasang.com.
Nintendo's Wii shifted 27,057 units, and the PlayStation 3 just 8050 units.
As with the price cuts announced for Europe yesterday, all three Xbox 360 SKUs have been reduced in price.
The Arcade unit retails for JPY 19,800, the Premium model for JPY 29,800 and the Elite for JPY 39,800.
Sales of the Microsoft console have now reached 717,275 units in Japan.
Id Software has had to rethink the way the content's presented in Rage because of DVD size restrictions on Xbox 360.
The original idea had been to spread the game across five-to-six wasteland environments, according to lead designer Tim Willits. But DVD restrictions have meant that's been turned into two larger areas; one for each of the two Xbox 360 discs.
"The PC is limitless in the amount of data you can put on it. The PS3 has about 25GB. But the Xbox 360 roughly has 6 to 8 GB of data. We're hoping we can squeeze the game down to two discs for the 360 version," Willits told 1UP.
"I wouldn't say the overall story was changed in any way in order to fit on the Xbox 360 version," Willits said, "but how the player experiences Rage's story has been altered."
Willits previously told Eurogamer that Xbox 360 was the "primary target" for Rage, which echoed comments made by fellow id Software colleague John Carmack that it was easier to realise the potential of the Xbox 360 hardware - though PS3 has its own advantages.
Rage is post-apocalyptic first-person action game with driving elements, set for release in late 2009 or in early 2010. Head over to our August preview of Rage for much more information.
For the last ten years, we've heard the promise of 3D shutter glasses, which when combined with the proper video card drivers and a good display, can trick your brain into thinking that your 2D monitor is creating 3D images. Unfortunately the glasses never really took off, partly because there were rendering problems with many popular 3D games but mostly because monitors didn't support high enough refresh rates to display games without giving people crushing headaches. Nvidia thinks they've solved both problems--the software works much better, and there are a surprising number of supported 120Hz-capable TVs and monitors that ameliorate the headache factor. Maximum PC has a hands-on with Nvidia's new tech, plus details about Nvidia's planned hardware solution
Ah, how easily phrases can be misconstrued when you're not absolutely precise in what you say. While the intarwebz have been ablaze with speculation about the elusive "new peripheral" on the forthcoming Guitar Hero: World Tour title, Neversoft project director Brian Bright has delivered a copious amount of non-potable water to the scene in the form of this sobering news. There actually won't be any new "instrument," per se; rather, the PS3 version of the game will include a MIDI import feature that gives PC-using musicians the ability to import rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, keyboards and drum tracks in as a GH Tunes song. For undisclosed "hardware reasons," the Xbox 360 version can only handle the skins. Eh, 2 stars.
At this year's Austin Game Developer's Conference, sci-fi author Bruce Sterling gave a keynote speech about the gaming industry — looking back from the year 2043. GameSetWatch has a summary of the speech, and the full transcript is also available.
"So do people make games for this platform? Sure. Not the sort that were built for flat glass screens. We don't do those anymore, cumbersome, like a covered wagon. We don't pretend a glass screen is a window into another virtual worlds. The idea sounds silly, it's all the same world. It's always been the same world, it just changes. What we do is hang the towel [his metaphor for cheap, ubiquitous, unremarkable computers in the future] up in midair and gaze through it. And all the light that hits the far side passes through it except that the image is tagged and altered. We don't call it augmented reality, because we think reality is real, but you can still have fun with a game interface is that is everything you see."
Tom Willits of id Software took some time recently to speak about storytelling as it relates to id's previous games, and how it will be a part of their upcoming shooter, Rage. He also dispelled rumors that Rage would suffer content cuts due to Xbox hardware limitations. Unfortunately, he called into question whether mods will be a possibility for the game, saying that the issue is still under consideration.
PALE, overweight couch potatoes. That's the stereotype of avid online computer gamers, but these joystick junkies are actually in better than average physical condition, a new US survey suggests, although they may be less healthy mentally.
Researchers at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the Palo Alto Research Center, also in California, and the University of Delaware in Newark, quizzed 7000 players of the role-playing game EverQuest II about their physical and mental health. Participants were offered a specially created virtual weapon as an incentive - the "Greatstaff of the Sun Serpent". The researchers then combined the survey responses with statistics about players' online activities and playing habits.
The results suggest that adult gamers have an average body mass index of 25.2, compared to the overall American average of 28. The average gamer also engages in vigorous exercise once or twice a week, which the researchers say is more than most Americans. The reasons for this are not obvious, although the team suggest it may be because more educated, wealthier people are attracted to computer games, and these people also tend to take better care of their health.
"Average gamers engage in vigorous exercise once or twice a week"The downside, however, was that the gamers reported more cases of depression and substance abuse than their compatriots. "They may be drawn to use the game to help deal with emotional distress," says team member Scott Caplan of the University of Delaware.
The work also suggested that young men do not dominate such games, as they are often assumed to: there were more players in their thirties than in their twenties, and older players tended to spend more time in the game. Furthermore, although fewer women played the game, those who did typically played for longer than men (Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol 13, p 993).
Mark Griffiths at Nottingham Trent University, UK, has found that most gamers simply exhibit healthy enthusiasm for their hobby rather than obsessive addiction, and says the new results sound about right. But he adds that since the research only studied one multiplayer online game, its conclusions may not be true for single-player console games. "They involve very different psychologies," he says.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Interesting games are coming in from both US and Japan this week. First of all, the highly anticipated Star Wars The Force Unleashed has arrived. Sick of being a savior? Play the secret apprentice of the Darth Vader and help your mentor take over the galaxy.
Go and "catch'em all!" in the Pokemon Platinum. Aside from the powerful Palkia, Dialga and Giratina, lots more lengendary pokemon are going to make appearances. Based on the hugely popular "Diamond Pearl" this upgraded version will come with an immense amount of new elements that is going to leave players dazzled.
Trusty Bell [JPN & ASN versions] is a game that mixes the grace of Chopin's compositions with the excitement of RPGs. The magical world of Chopin's final dream is of course very intriguing, but the adorably designed, endearing characters themselves and the friendship between them are huge attractions too.
Leaving the dream world behind, its time to face a harsher reality. The battles are continuing in Warhammer and this time the war for world domination is going on in the internet via Warhammer Online. Join realms and declare war on others. Learn of the epic nature of war through brutality and violence.
Allowing you the same level of freedom of gameplay is Samurai Dou [JPN & ASN versions]. As a stray Samurai, you have the skills and guts, all you need is a person or a family for whom you can employ your powers.
Unlike the highly romanticized games or films that features deadly loyal retainers, your sense of loyalty can be compromised any minute. Walk the true path of the Samurai and take your fate within your own hands.
Battles don't stay within the feudal times or the internet, they are lasting for decades. Travel 10 years into the future in Kateikyou Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena and investigate the accidents that involve the virtual training room. As a powerful mafia group, the Bongoles have enemies everywhere, and there is only one way to ensure the family's standing in the underworld: Power.
Excitement need not come with death. In the wrestler TNA Impact! you can get involved in close range combat. Make all your slam downs and tackles count in this adrenaline pumping sports game. Aside from wrestling, you can engage in ice hockey.
Brought to you by the award winning sports game developer EA Sports, NHL 09 is upgraded with new depth and enhancements.
Fights need not be brutal just like Yakuza need not be villains. Execute a smooth chain of attacks in Hyper Street Fighter II and Capcom vs SNK 2. As for fans of Yakuza heroes, Kiryuu Kazuma is back in the US version of Yakuza 2, ready stop the spiralling chaos from spilling all over Japan.
Last, but definitely not least is Dragon Ball DS, relive the adventures of Goku and Buruma via your Nintendo DS. Go through the plot in an interactive way. Complete incorporated into the DS card are comic elements and exciting fights, bring this classic title with you wherever you are.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
NHL 09 US US$ 64.90
NHL 2K9 US US$ 64.90
Rock Band 2 US US$ 64.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed US US$ 64.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed ASIA US$ 54.90
TNA Impact! US US$ 64.90
Unreal Tournament III JPN US$ 64.90
Zoids Assault US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Def Jam Icon (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
Fight Night Round 3 (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
GI Jockey 4 2008 JPN US$ 69.90
NHL 09 US US$ 64.90
NHL 2K9 US US$ 64.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed US US$ 64.90
TNA Impact! US US$ 64.90
Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume ASIA US$ 59.90
Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume JPN US$ 64.90
Unreal Tournament III JPN US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Active Life: Outdoor Challenge US US$ 79.90
Biohazard Umbrella Chronicles (Best Price) JPN US$ 34.90
Cabela's Legendary Adventures US US$ 44.90
GI Jockey Wii 2008 JPN US$ 59.90
Hell's Kitchen US US$ 44.90
Kidz Sports: Crazy Golf US US$ 24.90
Kororinpa (Hudson the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
NHL 2K9 US US$ 54.90
Nintendo Wi-Fi Network Adapter JPN US$ 89.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed US US$ 59.90
The Price is Right US US$ 44.90
PlayStation2™
Cabela's Legendary Adventures US US$ 34.90
Capcom vs SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 & Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future Value Pack JPN US$ 29.90
Def Jam Fight for NY (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
GI Jockey 4 2008 JPN US$ 64.90
GI Jockey 4 2008 & Winning Post 7 2008 [Twin Pack] JPN US$ 109.90
GI Jockey 4 2008 & Winning Post 7 2008 [Twin Pack] JPN US$ 119.90
Heart no Kuni no Alice JPN US$ 64.90
Hokuouki JPN US$ 64.90
Hokuouki [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition & Vampire DarkStalkers Collection Value Pack JPN US$ 29.90
Medal of Honor: Vanguard (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
NHL 2K9 US US$ 24.90
Odin Sphere (Greatest Hits) US US$ 24.90
SSX3 (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
Speed Racer: The Video Game US US$ 24.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed US US$ 44.90
TNA Impact! US US$ 44.90
Yakuza 2 US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Air Traffic Chaos US US$ 24.90
Bratz Ponyz 2 US US$ 34.90
Dragon Ball DS JPN US$ 48.90
Hell's Kitchen US US$ 34.90
Illumi Slight: Hikari no Puzzle JPN US$ 39.90
Lock's Quest: Contruction Combat US US$ 34.90
Long Vacation: Iruka to Watashi JPN US$ 39.90
Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir US US$ 24.90
Ochishi Keiji: Keiji-San, Watashi ga Arimashita JPN US$ 48.90
Pokemon Platinum JPN US$ 48.90
Rain Drops US US$ 24.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed US US$ 39.90
The Price is Right US US$ 34.90
Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise US US$ 34.90
Yajuu Keiji: Tokyo Douji Tahatsu Tero o Chinatsu Seyo! JPN US$ 48.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories
Card Pocket 3 Pocket Monsters (Giratina, Dialga & Palkia) JPN US$ 4.99
Nintendo DS Lite (Pokemon Limited Edition) - 110V US US$ 169.90
Smart Pouch Lite (Pocket Monster: Darkrai) JPN N/A
Smart Pouch Lite (Pocket Monster: Dialga) JPN N/A
Smart Pouch Lite (Pocket Monster: Palkia) JPN US$ 12.90
Sony PSP™
Cabela's Legendary Adventures US US$ 34.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena JPN US$ 48.90
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G Hunter Leather Cover (premium black) JPN US$ 29.90
Neo Angelique Special JPN US$ 48.90
Neo Angelique Special [Premium Box] JPN US$ 64.90
Samurai Dou Portable ASIA US$ 36.90
Samurai Dou Portable JPN US$ 39.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed ASIA US$ 39.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed US US$ 44.90
PC Games
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2009 (DVD-ROM) US US$ 24.90
Gothic 3 ASIA US$ 34.90
Imperium Romanum: Emperor Expansion ASIA US$ 29.90
Stronghold Crusader Extreme (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 46.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Disgaea Compilation US US$ 14.90
Dragon Ball DS Adventure Bible JPN US$ 15.90
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena Guide JPN US$ 14.90
Sengoku Basara X Official Anthology Comics JPN US$ 14.90
Siren: New Translation Official Guide Book JPN US$ 27.90
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Summon Night 2 Perfect Bible JPN US$ 27.90
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Atlas US US$ 19.90
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Guide and Atlas Bundle US US$ 34.90
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 24.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1031 (2008 09/26) JPN N/A
Video Game Soundtracks
Contrast / Katsuya Saeki Kichiku Megane Character Song CD JPN US$ 23.90
Dokidoki Majo Shinpan 2 Drama CD JPN US$ 29.90
Haruka Naru Toki No Naka De 4 - Hosikage No Uta JPN US$ 29.90
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Infinite Undiscovery (English language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Infinite Undiscovery (Japanese language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Lego Batman ASIA US$ 49.90
Lego Batman US US$ 59.90
PlayStation3™
Aquanaut's Holiday JPN US$ 59.90
Lego Batman US US$ 59.90
X Edge JPN US$ 79.90
X Edge ASIA US$ 76.90
Nintendo Wii™
Disaster: Day of Crisis JPN US$ 64.90
Lego Batman US US$ 59.90
Soul Eater: Monotone Princess JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Dance Dance Revolution X US US$ 44.90
Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix Max 2 Tokumori JPN US$ 64.90
Super Robot Taisen Z JPN US$ 74.90
Super Robot Taisen Z ASIA US$ 69.90
Nintendo DS™
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen US US$ 44.90
Knights in the Nightmare JPN US$ 58.90
Knights in the Nightmare [DHE Series Special Pack] JPN US$ 79.90
Lego Batman US US$ 34.90
World Destruction: Michibi Kareshi Ishi JPN US$ 59.90
World Destruction: Michibi Kareshi Ishi [ebten DX Pack] JPN US$ 129.90
Sony PSP™
Lego Batman US US$ 34.90
Mana-Khemia: Gakuen no Renkinjutsu Shitachi Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Mana-Khemia: Gakuen no Renkinjutsu Shitachi Portable [Premium Box] JPN US$ 69.90
Soldier Collection (PC Engine Best Collection) JPN US$ 29.90
Yggdra Union US US$ 44.90
Activision has fired out a new Call of Duty: World at War co-op movie, which you can check out right here.
Creative lead Rich Farrelly recently told us of the game's online mode: "We recognise that CoD 4 is a great multiplayer game. We would not want to take that engine and then remove things from it.
"We're not going to keep in game types, for instance, that don't fit in with our game setting. But the philosophy of map building, the way the perk system works - that's a great foundation. And then on top of that we'll build new perks, speciality perks, and vehicles."
Read the rest of the interview here and check out the co-op footage here.
Ubisoft has announced the ship date for its next installment in the Prince of Persia franchise. The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC title will ship on December 2. This will coincide with the DS Prince of Persia game, subtitled The Fallen King, which is a separate and distinct release from what the consoles and PC will receive.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz on the eve of the price cuts, GAME, HMV, Woolworths and independent stores have all agreed that the system now appeals to a much wider range of consumers.
"The timing is excellent, and we'll work closely with Microsoft to give customers all the product and advice they need in the run up to Christmas," offered Tricia Brennan, MD of Game UK.
"This is great news for our customers. With these new price points and the wide variety of mass market and core games in the pipeline, the 360 is appealing to a wider range of customers than ever before."
Woolworths - the retail group that was controversially linked with leaked news of price cuts before Microsoft made any official announcement - summed up the latest offer: "Lower prices are good news for our customers and good news for sales. The new Xbox 360 price points will generate a huge amount of interest in the console and its software."
HMV Games' commercial manager Jonathan Hayes hopes the system will be able to repeat the sales success of last year, when the console flew off shelves with the release of Halo 3.
"Naturally, we expect the drop in price to create further demand for the product and to drive sales," he said. "Having offered such a great deal with Halo 3 last year, part of Microsoft's thinking this year must be to see how they can create another compelling offer in the run up to Christmas."
That's right! You can download it now! We'll be asking your help to put this baby through her paces as we lead up to the official release later this year. It is your input that makes us stronger, faster and better.
If you do find any bugs or just have a suggestion on ways we can make XNA Game Studio 3.0 more awesome head over to Microsoft Connect to submit them to us.
Xbox 360 Changes:
* Xbox 360 project templates (You will not be able to develop on the Xbox 360 until our final release. We felt this was important to include so that you could get projects converted over and look at the system, even if you are not able to run the games, yet).
* Support for the Big Button Pad.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 outsold Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PS3 in Japan during the week ended September 14, Famitsu reports.
According to an MCV translation of the report, weekly Xbox 360 sales hit 28,681 units, a massive jump on the 843 units shifted a week earlier (Media Create data pegged prior week 360 sales at 1044). In comparison, Nintendo moved 27,057 Wii units and Sony sold just 8,050 PS3s.
A number of reasons were cited for the hike in Xbox 360 sales, including a recent price cut to the entire range of 360 models, the launch of a 60GB unit, and renewed stock following widespread shortages.
The release of Square Enix's Infinite Undiscovery, which reportedly sold 86,708 copies in its debut week, also contributed to the system's weekly hardware victory.
It looks like next week could be a busy time for 360 fans, with an industry insider claiming that Microsoft is due to make several announcements next week.
On Monday, a well place industry source informed us that Microsoft is planning to hold an event here in Europe next week, where - among other things - it was expected to announce a 360 price cut for Europe and new titles from Bungie and Rare.
Following yesterday's price cut announcement and denials from Microsoft that it's planning to hold an event at all, we checked with our source again to see what's what, with interesting results.
Our source assured us that despite the price cut announcement yesterday, the event is definitely due to go ahead next week, and that Microsoft will make lots of announcements.
Microsoft's Phil Spencer has told GamesIndustry.biz that Rare is a studio central to the vision and future of the Xbox 360 business.
The executive's statement comes in response to former Xbox boss Peter Moore's comments to The Guardian where he said the studio's skillsets "were from a different time and a different place and were not applicable in today's market."
"Rare is a great studio that continuously delivers high-quality, award-winning titles for the Xbox platform and will continue to do so in the future," stated the newly appointed head of Microsoft Game Studios.
"Rare plays a strategic role in delivering games and platform experiences that will help the Xbox achieve our long-term strategy of expanding the customer base to a mainstream audience."
The Neo Light Console Jacket customize your Xbox 360 console while protecting it against dust and scratches. With its 2 great looking design that glow in the dark it is the perfect add on for the Xbox 360!
So, a top-secret document has popped up over at the Cheap Ass Gamer forums from a reliable source, detailing some Xbox 360 name changes. Unfortunately, we have no idea what those names mean for us, since they're fairly idiotic, could just be internal code names, and could be fake altogether. We're trying not to believe Microsoft is going to hit the market with the Xbox Lean, Xbox Granite and Xbox Pure, unless the "Lean" is actually slimmed down, and the "Pure" version is truly the purest of all Xboxes. HEXUS has a theory that these could be names for that 65nm unified-chip Valhalla Xboxen due for the end of the year, which may actually be feasible, but implications that the Pure could be a full-on sequel to the 360 seem preposterous at best.
1Up reports on comments by Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Game Studios, which indicated that several different teams are working on Halo projects at the moment. Quoting:
"When GamesIndustry.biz then pointed out that it puts the Age of Empires franchise in a similar position as Halo after Bungie departed from their partnership with Microsoft, that's when Spencer dropped this intriguing tidbit: 'Well, there's more than one team building Halo games right now. There are more than two or three teams building Halo things right now. Some of them we will own, some of them we won't. It's never been, for me, about who you own or don't own — it's about working with the best creative talent in the industry,' he said."
New sales date for console sales in Japan are in as usual, with a change in ranking:
Nintendo DS Lite: 63,859
Playstation Portable: 30,156
Nintendo Wii: 29,686
Xbox 360: 28,188
Playstation 3: 8,053
Playstation 2: 7,669
DS lite goes up roughly 12,000 while PSP slips 3,400. Wii sinks lower down by 4,00 while the Xbox 360 shoots up in sales by 27,000, overtaking both the PS3 (down about 250) and PS2 (down 300).
The slow performance of home consoles in Asian markets outside of Japan shouldn't be just blamed on piracy, according to Nexon CEO Joonmo Kwon.
Kwon is optimistic that there could be a credible console market in countries such as Korea, provided console manufacturers and publishers take the time to understand the specific demands of the separate regions.
"It's true that the issue of piracy has had adverse effects on the development of the console game market in Asia to a certain extent," offered Kwon in an exclusive interview published today.
"However, as you can see by the consistent growth of the music and movie industries in most Asian territories despite such intellectual property issues, you can't really blame the underdevelopment of the console market solely on piracy."
Kwon detailed the performance of the three home consoles, noting that sales expectations for the Wii were lower than anticipated and that PS3 and Xbox 360 figures only make up a fraction of global sales.
"Microsoft's Xbox 360, which boasts sales of 15 million units worldwide, has only sold 150,000 units in Korea in the past two years," he said.
"Sony's PlayStation 3, which has sold 5.5 million units worldwide, has only sold 50,000 units during the past year in Korea. And the Nintendo Wii, which initially was expected to sell more than 100,000 units in the first month after it was released only sold about 40,000 units for almost two months - and the situation isn't much different in other parts of Asia, except of course for Japan.
"However, despite those numbers, the results aren't all discouraging when you consider that these numbers indicate that there is at least a possibility of a console game market in Asia, where online games traditionally had been completely dominant," he added.
Other encouraging signs are similar to growth areas in the Western market – the increased uptake of handheld consoles and a broadening of the demographic to include female consumers.
"You could even say that the situation is pretty much optimistic in general - the new trend has greatly contributed to the expansion of the game user demographics, capturing wider age ranges, not to mention female groups too," said Kwon.
However, if publishers really want success in Asian markets, Kwon believes they must cater to the local demands, and that means increasing online services in regions that expect such features as standard.
"In almost all parts of Asia, excluding Japan, online games have been leading the market growth since the very early stages of the games industry, which is something that indicates users have a strong preference and attachment for the common characteristics and typical features of online games.
"So for the console game industry to succeed in Asia, unlike in North America or Europe, it's extremely important to set strategies that are specifically suitable for the local market,” said Kwon. “Most Asian gamers are far more used to and attracted by interactive games via network connections, and they've long been enjoying the unique convenience that online games offer - such as being able to download and play a wide variety of games for free with a single account from any PC."
He added: "Games which require specific consoles and extra hardware devices, or are stored in a cartridge or CD/DVD-ROM, are purchasable mostly at offline stores and a new boxed product needs to be purchased for each new game that a person wants to play - all of those things simply make console games less appealing to gamers in Asia."
The full interview with Joonmo Kwon can be read here.
Codemasters is preparing more Xbox 360 and PS3 content for Race Driver: GRID, which will be available to download sometime this autumn.
Inside the upcoming 8 Ball pack will a selection of new cars: McLaren F1 GTR, TVR Cerbera Speed 12, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, Honda S2000, Nissan GT-R (S-G2008), VW Nardo, Pontiac Firebird Trans AM and Volvo C30.
We know what a Ford Escort looks like, and a Volvo from the 1980s, but these are beyond us. Apparently Top Gear liked one of them or something. And we quite like Top Gear. Sometimes. [Is it wrong to fancy that little one who nearly blew up - Dep Ed]
All eight of the cars will be available in Race Day mode and can be revved around online - where there will also be a couple of additional events to try. No specifics, unfortunately.
The 8 Ball pack on Xbox 360 will also offer additional Achievements; four, to be precise, totalling 100 Gamerpoints.
Prices are to be announced, as are PC plans. This isn't the only DLC on the way, either, as Codemasters has V8 Supercars poised for the next batch.
Bad news for anyone who wants a new version of Cobra Triangle. It seems that Rare isn't looking to bring back any more of its classic franchises "at the moment," according to Senior Animator Elissa Miller. In an interview with Britain's 360 Gamer (re-reported by CVG), Miller explained "we've always got to have a reason to revive a franchise, we don't do games just for the sake of them." Fair enough, but really, if you just wanted to make a new Snake, Rattle 'n' Roll just for the sake of making it, well, we wouldn't really mind.
Everybody's favorite Mega Man -- who's not actually a man, but, in fact, a robotic boy with an insatiable lust for power and a proficiency for murderous kleptomania -- will kick off his throwback, comeback tour in North America later this month. Capcom has confirmed that Mega Man 9 will leap through Wiiware's shutter next week, on September 22nd, with the PlayStation Network version following on September 25th (for $9.99). Xbox Live Arcade will have to make do with October 1st.
Whichever version you end up buying, there's no question that you'll end up dying. But hey, since it's for everlasting peace, it's for a worthy cause
Swordfish Studio "sources" tell GI.biz that the rumor of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand's cancellation is not true. The site reports "sources close" to the studio say the game is currently having its bugs fixed, and that it is still expected to release this holiday.
GI.biz goes on to note that the "studio is confident of a secure future in the industry." We'll have to wait and see if that future lies with Activision-Blizzard, though, as the publisher is still reviewing the status of several Sierra/Vivendi properties.
The not-so-mythical Halo 3 Title Update 2 is coming September 23, confirms Bungie. The update will be automatically downloaded, although some people may need to reset their Xbox 360's cache. Updates will include a new ranking system, some "invasive" changes to the playlists, new achievements and a visual overhaul to Bungie.net, which is slowly being rolled out now with more to come next Wednesday.
As for the achievements, which haven't yet been explained (we're willing to bet "Poor Yorick" has something to do with skulls ...), Smith notes that one achievement will be withheld until September 25, which happens to be Halo 3's birthday.
Should be a fun weekend, considering this week has been a five-day slice of Hell on Earth, as we alternate bashing our heads against the wall, then drinking ourselves into oblivion to numb the pain. In the in-between, we hope to squeeze in a few minutes of gaming time, actually getting around to that Team Fortress 2 Heavy Update we've been promising ourselves. We were hoping a certain horror game might arrive via the FedEx man today at Kotaku Towers West, but as private delivery company's are wont to do, we plan on being left high and dry. At least there's wild consumerism in the face of increasing economic troubles to keep us occupied!
Anyway, hope everyone's enjoying their schadenfreude! What are you playing this weekend?
Next weekend the Rockstar's development team is hopping on Xbox Live to take on all comers in Grand Theft Auto IV.
The special Xbox Live Weekend runs from Friday, September 26 through Sunday, September 28 in the United States and Canada and is only open to Xbox LIVE Gold members.
Members of the team will be online between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday to hand out ass-whoopings. There will also be a sweepstakes, which anyone can enter by registering online at www.xbox.com/causechaos before midnight on Sept. 28. You can also register by downloading the free GTA IV Live Weekend Gamer pic before the deadline. Prize packs include Rockstar gear and an Xbox 360 Elite with a 12-month Live Gold subscription card.
Another contest, held on Rockstar Games webportal Social Club, will hand out prizes to some of those who sign on to their web accounts anytime between today and September 28. Those prizes include a home entertainment system worth more than $6,000, a GTA-branded Xbox 360 and other GTA merch. Hit up the Social Club for more details on that.
We know many of you are very opinionated about the upcoming Avatars in the new Xbox experience. For this week's inside look, Major Nelson has created a video to show how simple it is to create your online persona. Want to just pick any look and jump into a game? Fine - It's easy! Want to really get into it and create a detailed Avatar? Go for it - This video will show you how.
I'm not completely positive how true this is, but most of the things GilZ sends my way are true. He was correct about the new price drops, new HDMI models, new Elites, and now a picture sent to us with clearly visible text, in what appears to be either the 360's new name or the next xbox's final name. "XBOXPure" is what looks to be the final choice in this document.
The tech-savvy consumer may find that the days or weeks following the price cut may not be an opportune moment to buy, and the reasoning is Jasper.
Jasper, a codename given to an upcoming Xbox 360 hardware revision, will provide - we hope - a cooler, quieter and more reliable Xbox 360 console. The revision isn't the Xbox 360's first, either. Since its launch in November 2005, Microsoft has upgraded the Xbox 360's innards on numerous occasions. The trouble is, it never tells us when, or what to expect.
The Jasper revision is the most significant Xbox 360 update thus far, as it introduces the first Xbox 360 console with both a 65nm CPU and a 65nm GPU. The Xbox 360's highly-publicised failure rate - synonymous with the RRoD (Red Ring of Death) - is thought to be caused by overheating, a problem directly related to both the GPU and CPU. Jasper, then, should all but eliminate overheating problems.
Widespread reports have suggested that Jasper will appear in late August or early September 2008 - but that's right about now, so where is it? Well, even if Jasper-based consoles are sitting in Microsoft's factories, they won't filter through to retail until previous stock has been shifted.
Ahoy! It's Friday, time to pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink and chat. That's right, time for Tell Us Dammit — rather, TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Who knows!
The Star Wars saga will continue in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.
As its name implies, The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. Paired with the powerful Havok Physics™ system, these new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consoles. DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioural-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behaviour on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.
Game Features:
During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.
Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible:
The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.
The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.
In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.
Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk and the floral Felucia, the junk planet Raxus Prime, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility.
The Force Unleashed is LucasArts' first internally developed title for next-generation consoles, and it represents the first in-game collaboration of talents and technology between LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic, two companies now finally under one roof at the new Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco's Presidio district.
The Force Unleashed debuts Digital Molecular Matter from Pixelux and euphoria behavioral simulation from NaturalMotion Ltd.
LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of The Force Unleashed, encompassing a full line of toys and game-based action figures from Hasbro, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey and Palace Press.
Meet the Cast
The Star Wars Saga will continue in 2008 with LucasArts' biggest-ever video game event. Set during the "dark times" between Episodes III and IV, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed portrays the previously untold story of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice -- and now you can put a face to that mysterious character as well as the major supporting cast members as LucasArts unveils the actors set to star in The Force Unleashed.
Senior regional director of Microsoft UK Neil Thompson has told MCV that the recent price cuts are the opening gambit in a peak season which will see "tens of millions" spent on marketing the Xbox brand.
"We've been talking to all of our retail partners about what we're doing at Christmas and we've been very bold and ambitious about how successful we think we can be.
"On marketing we'll spend tens of millions - we're going to engage in a very bold promotional push from now until Christmas."
Thompson also ruled out shortages of the console as sales begin to climb - stating that there will be plenty to go around:
"I have been very bullish on supply for the UK market," he added.
We know many of you are very opinionated about the upcoming Avatars in the new Xbox experience. For this week's inside look, Major Nelson has created a video to show how simple it is to create your online persona. Want to just pick any look and jump into a game? Fine - It's easy! Want to really get into it and create a detailed Avatar? Go for it - This video will show you how.
Activision has begun suing individual pirates of console games. Edge Online is reporting that they are going after a New York resident for allegedly copying Call of Duty 3 for the Xbox 360 and other games, seeking $30,000 to $150,000 in damages for each infringement. GamePolitics has also uncovered six other lawsuits with settlements between $1,000 and $100,000, in five of which the defendant was unrepresented."
Activision's lawyers specifically told GamePolitics that the lawsuit wasn't targeting file-sharers, so they probably mean that the alleged pirate was reproducing and distributing physical copies of the game.
We imagine that Activision Blizzard has more green cash money than a number of medium-sized countries thanks to their ownership of some ridiculously profitable franchises. While the skeptical industry analyst might expect them to sit on their surplus, or perhaps swim through it Scrooge McDuck style, a recent announcement from Activision revealed that they're using said wealth to provide faux-rockers with a pretty terrific pre-order bonus for Guitar Hero: World Tour -- an extra guitar peripheral.
As far as we can tell, the offer is only extended to those living (and purchasing rhythm games) in the UK, and is limited to pre-orders of the GH:WT bundle (currently retailing for £150 in most online stores). While it's scientific fact that the modern gaming enthusiast already owns approximately seven guitar peripherals, newcomers to the rockstar simulation genre will now be able to play with a full band without incurring any pesky fees for an extra axe. Would-be bassists, rejoice!
Well, the talk on difficulty in games keeps coming — Gamasutra has an interesting essay up that's a slightly different take on the problem of challenging players while not making the game inaccessible to everyone but the patient, dedicated hardcore contingent. Designer Daniel Boutros examines a number of ways in which games have tackled the difficulty question, and what games have done it well. Save/checkpoint issues also come up:
The truth is, wider checkpointing tests patience and memory as much as it does skill, which can frustrate and put off players. Call of Duty 2 had the best checkpointing implementation I experienced in the new generation, which was expanded even further with Call of Duty 4. Not only was each intensely exhilarating section in veteran mode beatable within 5-10 minutes (in Call of Duty 2, specifically), players would also get save-able checkpoints which appear before and after a cut-scene, saving players from classic tedium moments such as the "Look at all dat juice" scene from Gears of War.
This infamous portion of Gears of War placed players against a group of the tough Theron Guard enemies as they laid siege to a pumping station. Dying in battle restarted the player a long walk back before the action began, replaying a verbal scene in which one of the characters utters the immortal line, "Look at all dat juice." Repeating this became annoying after a while.
It's a nice, non-whiny take on the difficulty of designing for difficulty, and some solutions that have panned out well for designers and players alike.
I cant be the only one who has more than 1 console or access to many consoles. This week Star Wars Unleashed was released on PS3, PS2, PSP, DS, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and even other platforms, but out of the major platforms which system would be the best to buy it for ?
What makes my mouth water is the Wii version and the talk of using the Wiimote as a light sabre, this alone makes the Wii the favourite but is it as good as it says?
For graphics the PS3, 360 and PSP should be the sweetest to watch it on, whilst the DS with the Stylus should make for a very different gameplay aspect.
So for all of you who have played the game or are going to buy it, which console version is the one to buy ?
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was released in the UK on Friday (18/09/08) and is available for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, NDS, PSP, PS2, and PC (what no Dreamcast version?)
To celebrate this new instalment in the Star Wars universe, we will be giving away not 1, not 2, but 3 copies of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the PSP (courtesy of LucasArts), to 3 lucky DCEmu members.
To enter this contest all you have to do is to post a reply to this news post and answer this question:
Which of the 7 Star Wars films is your favourite?
You may only post your answer once, and duplicate entries will be disqualified from the contest. This contest is only open to residents of the UK and Ireland (sorry to all our members outside of that region).
This contest will close on the Friday the 26th of September 2008.
Winners will be chosen randomly from qualified posts and contacted via PM on the DCEmu forums and E-mail. If a winner does not respond within a week a new winner will be picked at random from the other entrants. No purchase necessary. One online entry per person (one e-mail address per person/address). You must be 16 years of age or older to enter. Entry constitutes agreement by winners to be publicized and permission to use each winner's name for the purposes of promotion of the Contest without further compensation. Contest void where prohibited. Odds of winning dependent on number of entrants.
logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. NINTENDO DS, Wii AND THE Wii LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
May the Force be with you!!!!!
Update: If you want to post a reply to this post but do not qualify for the contest e.g. live outsite the UK and Ireland, please post "I'm not entering the contest" thanks
Microsoft has boasted of ‘strong momentum’ following last week’s UK price cuts – and announced that it has broken the six million sales mark in Europe.
The platform holder brought the entry-level SRP for the Arcade console down to £129.99 on Friday, with the standard 60GB 360 priced at £169.99 - leaving it with two consoles under Wii's bargain £179.99 pricetag.
The company also cut the price of its 120GB Elite to £229.99.
Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said: “We’re very excited that more consumers in Europe are joining the ever-growing Xbox 360 community.
We’re now the best-value next-gen console on the market with an entry-level ERP of £129.99, and consumers have clearly responded to that offering.
“We’re supporting this momentum by putting launch-level investment into a European advertising campaign, launching this week, which shows how Xbox 360 is changing the way consumers experience entertainment. With the New Xbox Experience on the horizon, and great titles like Lips, Scene It?; You’re In The Movies, Fable 2, and more, there’s never been a better time to jump in to all that Xbox 360 offers.”
Talk to the world or just chat with family and friends on Xbox Live. Use the Xbox 360 headset to strategize with teammates on Xbox Live or in select games that support voice command features.
Survival action game Hydrophobia has been running silent and deep since it was unveiled over a year ago for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Recently, Sony's "semi official" Euro blog ThreeSpeech did a three-part piece on the game. Now, PS3 Attitude has an interview with the developers at Blade Interactive, revealing that the game already has a location all set for the sequel. Could we kindly get a release date for the first one?
Whereas the first Hydrophobia takes place on a sinking ship, The Queen of the World (loosely based on the Freedom Ship), the sequel will occur in a "drowned Boston." We'll now have to wait and see if the first game is any good before we commit our excitement to a sequel taking place in PAX's 2010 East Coast location.
Lines you're likely to hear from this week's Xbox Live Arcade release, Duke Nukem 3D:
"What are you waiting for? Christmas?"
"It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum"
"I ain't afraid of no quake!"
"What are you? Some bottom-feeding, scum sucking algae eater?"
"Hmm, that's one "Doomed" Space Marine."
"I should have known those alien maggots booby trapped the sub."
"And I thought 10 guns was hard to carry!"
"Damn! I'm looking good!"
"Nobody jacks with our Independence!"
"I can't wait to play myself in Duke Nukem Forever, coming Fall 1998."
Killing alien scum will cost you 800 ($10).
Armored Core: For Answer is a high speed mecha action game that combines political and economic strife with all-out warfare. To bring you the most exhilarating gaming experience and to imprint the grand tragedy of war into your hearts, it utilizes the full graphical and audio capacity of your third generation consoles. Go to war with your very own customized mecha and take on opponents that are kilometers in size!
Decades after nations disintegrated, the world is turned into a massive ruin, companies that rule the world with their economic power built their sanctuary in the only unpolluted realm: the skies. But even this paradise falls as the war escalates on Earth beneath it, and no one is able to escape from their turmoils.
What are you fighting for? The future? To protect your loved ones? To destroy your enemies? The nation?
Open your eyes to the truth, for the answer exists only within you.
features
Spectacular action: Perform wild aerial jumps and more than 80 amazing airborne tricks
Detailed environments: Drive in seven real-world locations including Wyoming, Italy, and New Mexico, with more than 30 different tracks
Customization: Build your ATV ride and modify it throughout the game
Multiplayer: Race online in multiplayer mode for up to 16 players
description
The action sports off-road racing game Pure has been developed by Disney Interactive Studios' award-winning development team, Black Rock Studio, in Brighton, England. Pure takes off-road racing to a new level. Featuring vertigo-inducing massive aerial jumps and spectacular airborne tricks in photo-realistic real-world locations all over the globe, Pure delivers heart-pounding action unique to the genre. Experience pure adrenaline and emotion as you execute incredible aerial tricks and death-defying massive jumps.
features
Be familiar with the “Gachi” button, by timing your opponents attacks and pressing the gachi button in time, you can guard yourself from combo attacks.
By combining the direction pad and the gachi button presses, launch combo attacks against your opponents.
Launch skills and special character attacks at the expense of your MP gage
Press onto your attack button without releasing it to charge up your attacks, the longer you charge, the more powerful your attacks are.
When you are at a close range to your opponents, you can pick them up and throw them into the air. When you are caught by your opponents, on the other hand, make use of your timing and gachi button to escape from their grips.
Catch yourself by timing your gatchi button presses when your opponents threw you into the air.
description
After six great wars, darkness has once again fallen on this earth and it is up to the next generation of heroes to rescue their land from the clutches of evil and show their people the light. Each of the four heroes are fighting for their own objectives, some of them are fighting for justice, some for their instincts and others for ascertaining their objectives.
This beautiful fighting game differs from games of the same genre by making use of RPG elements like having a large scale story mode. The characters are fully voiced, animated and are very expressive, you can see the look of concentration or fear on their faces when they launch special attacks or are about to be hit. The game runs on high resolution screens in the arcades and is going to push the limits of your third generation consoles. With a network mode, you can fight matches with people from all over the world.
Ian Hudson (forum name PURE_DEV) is a member of the Black Rock studio development team (Environment Designer) and is willing to answer any questions you have about Pure, Black Rock Studio or game development in general.
Ian started out in the games industry in 1996 working as level designer for Acclaim Studios London. He moved on to Climax Racing (the former name of Black Rock studio) in 2000 shortly before Acclaim went under and is currently working for Black Rock studio since the Disney acquisition in 2006. For 12 years he has been designing game worlds and racing tracks for various platforms from the N64 through to the 360. Games that he has worked on include Forsaken, The Italian Job, ATV Offroad Fury 3, ATV Offroad Fury PSP and PURE.
If you have a question you would like to ask, post it here (via comments) and "PURE_DEV" will answer.
There will be a launch event of PURE on Leicester Square, London, on Wednesday the 24th of September. This event is open for everyone, and you will be able to try out the game and get the best PURE experience throughout the day. The event will run from 8am until 4pm.
Pure will be available for the PC, PS3 and X360 this Autumn/Fall
features
Get orders from HQ, go on patrol, spot the enemy, and set up a devastating ambush. For the first time, finding the enemy before they find you is part of the challenge
As the squad leader, interact with and get to know your brothers
Players can use or command combined arms teams—machine gun crews create intense fire, bazooka crews destroy buildings and tanks
Hit the dirt and get prone, rip grenades from your chest, and hurl them at your enemies
Team up with your friends online or in your living room and find out if you have what it takes to become fire-team leaders
description
In Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway you join Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division in Operation Market Garden as they fight to open the infamous Hell’s Highway in a daring bid for a quick end to the war. The classic authentic, squad-based combat series explodes on next-generation hardware, offering unprecedented graphics and features.
features
Multiple characters: Fight for justice as Batman and Robin or create chaos as The Joker, Catwoman, and other villains, as you save or destroy Gotham City
Expansive environments: Rocket through sewers and bound across rooftops as you take the fight to the criminals across classic locations in Gotham City
Awesome vehicles: Fight on land, sea, and in the air using a number of powerful Batman, Robin, and villain-controlled vehicles, including the rocket-powered Batmobile, sleek Batboat, and stealthy Batwing
Super abilities: Master special superhero power suits and the new moves that come with them, using gadgets and weapons unique to each of the characters
Game rewards: Customize your characters, build and transform the game environment, and challenge yourself with multi-layered collectibles and rewards
description
In LEGO® Batman™: The Videogame, play as Batman and his sidekick Robin as you build, drive, swing, and fight your way through Gotham City capturing escaped villains including The Joker, The Penguin, and Scarecrow and putting them back in Arkham Asylum where they belong. Then jump into the story from the other side and play as Batman's foes! Enjoy the power you wield and battle Batman while spreading chaos throughout the city. There's no rest for the good (or the evil!).
G.rev has put up some Senko no Ronde Duo screens on the official site after the AM show. Check now, because this link will likely disappear, as they call it a 'temporary' site, showing screens that are from a 15% complete build. Very interestingly, they call it the "Jamma version," indicating firstly that they're no longer using Naomi as the main platform for one thing, and that there is another version, for another (most likely referring to a 360 port?). Thanks to Rid for the link.
In my browsing, I noticed a couple more odd Western games being released in Japan. I've been covering this for a while, so why not?
First there's Cyberfront, part of the trend of dating sim companies to release U.S. games - the company is bringing MLB 2k8 for PS2/3, and 360. Multi-platform! Crazy. But Japan loves baseball, so this isn't the oddest pickup.
This I found even odder. Bethesda has a small publishing outfit in Japan - and it's through this that 2K has released Bully for both PS2 and 360. Not the Wii version! The product description makes multiple references to GTA, reminding readers that the same company makes that game...while also making sure to mention that this is an "American school comedy." Odd positioning. Check the official site for the trailer, which is simply subtitled.
Each month the NPD Group releases data about sales in the U.S. videogame industry, including a closely watched list of the top 10 selling software titles. Unfortunately for market data mavens, the top 10 provides only a tiny window into the larger market.
When dozens of games are released each month across no fewer than six console and handheld platforms, there simply aren't enough data points to see how games are selling on each platform.
However, in coordination with the NPD Group, Gamasutra has exclusive data on the top 5 titles for each of the current-generation consoles.
While these are simply additional small windows on the market and not the type of broad view that a top 100 or even top 20 might provide, they do help illuminate what kind of software is selling on which platforms.
With Ensemble now disbanded, Gamasutra reveals one of its big projects that never saw the light of day: a Halo MMO. According to various reports, it appears that the game was in development for some time during 2006 and 2007 before being canceled. Seen above, a shot of the UI and an action pose of a Spartan duel-wielding. The design, from what little we can see of it, borrows a lot from World of Warcraft's simplicity and (judging by the dual-wield screenshot) hokeyness.
We understand there are reasons for cancellations, but this seems like a money printer on par with Pokémon and Blizzard's aforementioned MMO, regardless of quality. As Microsoft's Phil Spencer recently mentioned to GamesIndustry.biz, there are "more than two or three teams" working on Halo projects at the moment, so the MMO concept might not be entirely dead.
Xbox Live is going down! On Monday, September 29th at 12:01 AM, the Xbox Live service will be coming down for maintenance that could last up to 24 hours, according to Microsoft's Larry Hryb. The outage will affect the Xbox Live and My Xbox sections of the of Xbox.com as well, and forums will be set to read only for the duration. It's all in preparation for the impending launch of The New Xbox Experience, but only in preparation for it, so don't expect to hop back online when the service goes up and get to work crafting your shiny new avatar. Enjoy the old Xbox experience while you still can!
Among the many games killed, sold-off or in some sort of nebulous video game purgatory is frightening shooter Ghostbusters.
The game made a splash earlier this year with some demo time at a few events, some wayward promotional lanyards and even a bit of time in my house, but since hitting everyone's radar Ghostbusters has essentially vanished.
Now we hear that among the publishers looking to snatch up the game is Atari which hopes to not only publish the game but make it the crown jewel of their turn-around.
Emails to Phil Harrison (and hassling of the gaggle of clone Harrison running around the tower) have netted us exactly nothing. The official words from Activision are "no comment" so take this one with a grain of salt until things find a bit more solid ground.
While I knew that 99.99% of women would rather play video games than sleep with me, the results of a poll conducted by women's website PoshMama.com for E for All discovered that many of them would rather play games than sleep period. The website polled 120 women, and then dug some interesting statistics out of the 71% of women who tested gaming-positive. For instance, many of the women admitted to playing video games when they should be doing more important things, such as sleeping (more than 33%), on the phone (32%), or while at work (20%). A whopping 53% admitted that gaming had made them late for family and social gatherings.
Hit the jump for more results from the E for All / PoshMama survey. Just keep one thing in mind - this is a poll from a women's exclusive website, meaning at least 50% of the respondents are men claiming to be women who think men are icky and want to experience a more feminine touch.
Mega-publisher Activision Blizzard has revealed that Crash: Mind Over Mutant will hit retail on October 31st, and The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon will arrive on November 21st.
Both titles had disappeared off release schedules following the merger between Vivendi and Activision, but it has now been confirmed that both titles will be out before Christmas.
The publisher has also listed Crash and Spyro as coming out under the Sierra label.
Crash: Mind Over Mutant will be released on DS, PS2, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360, whist The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon will appear on DS, PS2, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.
A list of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts' achievements has leaked onto the internet, revealing all sorts of spoilerific nuggets if info.
First up is word that the game appears to have 131 Jiggies and at least five 'worlds' to be explored.
There's also a gym in the hub world, Showdown Town, where you can "train" Banjo, so those hoping for a more traditional platforming experience might not be jipped yet.
The Achievements list also gives further explanation on how the revamped Stop 'n' Swop feature, which was originally planned for the N64 games, transfers data between Banjo XBLA and Nuts & Bolts.
By playing Banjo XBLA it looks like you unlock a "Stop 'n' Swop crate" that needs to be taken to Mumbos Motors, no doubt unlocking special vehicle parts.
We also like Rare's participation in the never-ending Sony dig with a "Massive Damage" achievement.
Spore has maintained its position and gained in the German and Spanish software sales charts respectively for the week ended September 14, as Mercenaries 2: World in Flames fails to gain traction, according to data provided by Media-Control GfK International.
The German chart was topped by EA's sim-everything title, Spore, followed by Wii Fit in second place and Mario Kart Wii in third. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky for the PC debuted on the chart in fourth place, preceding The Sims 2: Apartment Life also for the PC at number five.
In sixth place came Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for the Nintendo DS, in seventh place came The Settlers - Rise of an Empire for the PC and in eighth place came the PlayStation 2 title Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3.
Closing off the German software chart was Dr Kawashimas More Brain Training for the DS at nine and Wii Play at ten.
The Spanish Software sales chart saw Wii Fit come in at number one, Wii Play at number two and The Sims 2: Apartment Life for the PC at number three. Mario Kart Wii came in fourth place, while Spore secured fifth place, up one position from last week.
Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? for the Nintendo DS came in at number six, as Mercenaries 2: World in Flames for the PlayStation 3 debuted in the top ten at number seven.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii, Grand Theft Auto IV for the PS3 and the DS title Dr Kawashimas Brain Training took eighth, ninth and tenth place respectively.
The German software sales chart follows:
1. Spore (PC)
2. Wii Fit (Wii)
3. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky (PC)
5. The Sims 2: Apartment Life (PC)
6. Dr Kawashimas Brain Training (DS)
7. The Settlers - Rise of an Empire (PC)
8. Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3 (PS2)
9. Dr Kawashimas More Brain Training (DS)
10. Wii Play (Wii)
The Spanish software sales chart follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Wii Play (Wii)
3. The Sims 2: Apartment Life (PC)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
5. Spore (PC)
6. Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? (DS)
7. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3)
8. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
9. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
10. Dr Kawashimas Brain Training (DS)
Official Toshiba-Samsung Xbox 360 DVD drive, version MS28!
Tested for CD reading and eject function, this is the best drive for Xbox 360. As Microsoft Xbox 360 requires a key from your board for the drive to work, you will have to flash the drive with this key for it to function.
Tired of Switching? Here is the solution. Talismoon HDMI Auto Switch lets you connect 3 HDMI devices to your screen and switches automatically to the device YOU want! For example, if no device is turned on and you power one on, it will automatically switch to it. Turn a second one on, and it will jump to that new device. Turn it off, it will go back to first one etc. No need to waste time finding the remote and switching back and forth all the time, the HDMI Auto Switch does the job for you
A small (easy to hide) and smart HDMI 1.3 switch that make old HDMI switches pointless! Excellent performance characteristics allows source devices to be used with HDMIT cables up to 15 meters away using AWG 28 HDMI cables at resolutions up to 1080P FULL HD!
This product is confirmed and tested to pass 1080p FULLHD and the new Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless audio formats found on Blu-ray.
Today marks the long awaited arrival of “TU2” for Halo 3. Despite plenty of rumors to the contrary, this update is not ushering in a new “BR spread,” nor does it incorporate enemy AI and campaign components to the Forge map editor. However, beyond the behind-the-scenes technical implications, there are two major components for fans to note.
New Achievements!
The most exciting piece of the update for many of you is the addition of TEN brand new achievements to Halo 3. We’ve covered these in detail in prior weekly updates but in case you’re just joining us, you forgot, or you’re just too lazy to go back and read… here’s the full list:
* Vidmaster Challenge: Lightswitch (0 points) – Get to the rank of Lieutenant in any playlist in the new EXP progression system.
* Vidmaster Challenge: 7 on 7 (0 points) – Enter into any ranked or social playlist with 7 EXP on the 7th of the month.
* Vidmaster Challenge: Annual (0 points) – After 9/25/08, complete Halo on 4-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron, and everyone in Ghosts.
* Double Double (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get two Double Kills during any ranked or social match.
* Poor Yorick (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get 3 Oddball melee kills during any ranked or social match.
* Came…From…Behind (50 points) – On a Legendary map, get 3 assassinations during any ranked or social match.
* Defend This (50 points) – On a Legendary map, get a flag melee kill during any ranked or social match.
* Flag Dropped (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get 2 flag carrier kills during any ranked or social match.
* Road Rage (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get 5 Warthog chaingun kills during any ranked or social match.
* Look Both Ways (50 points) – On a Legendary map, get a Splatter Spree during any ranked or social match.
The second quarter has come and gone, and while our XBLA download queues have be left decidedly Peggle-free, PopCap's Greg Canessa remains adamant that the addictive puzzler is still on its way. In a recent interview, the PopCap exec blamed the game's tardiness on the addition of further polish and improvements, including 4-player local and online multiplayer over Xbox Live. Goodbye, free time!
Canessa also let slip Peggle's XBLA pricing of 800 Microsoft Points ($10), and while a firm release date for the title still remains up in the air, puzzle addicts can rest a little easier knowing that their addiction-of-choice is still expected to drop like so many colored pegs sometime before the year is out.
Because we know you want them, here's a trio of new Far Cry 2 videos we recorded using our own skills from the Xbox 360 version.
You can see the first batch of Far Cry 2 videos we captured in our hands-on impressions here, which go into detail on how we're surprised to find Ubisoft's sequel isn't, in fact, a quick imitation, but it's one of the most exciting FPS games of the year.
CVG's country cousin PC Gamer published the first review, which you can read about here. Look for the full game in the shops on October 24.
LucasArts has revealed that the latest Star Wars title - The Force Unleashed - has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first five days on sale across all platforms.
The title was released on September 16 in North America, September 17 in Australia and South-East Asia, and September 19 in Europe, and the strong demand so far has prompted the publisher to order more copies to be manufactured.
4.3 million units were initially shipped to the various territories, but the Krome Studios-developed game looks set to become the most popular Star Wars title to date.
"The record-setting sales of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed shows the undiminished power of Star Wars and its popularity across all media types, including videogames," said Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts. "We're blown away by the response to the game."
Banjo-Kazooie, the classic Rare N64 platformer, will be downloadable on Xbox Live Arcade for 1,200 MSP ($15) on November 26, Microsoft has confirmed.
Don't feel like waiting that long? Gamers who pre-order the upcoming Xbox 360 title Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will get a code good for a free download of the original two weeks before the game is available to the masses on XBLA.
Banjo-Kazooie and Nuts & Bolts will feature a "Stop n Swop" element, originally conceived by Rare in the N64 days, that will allow players to unlock extra content in the newest game by playing the original. Rare and Microsoft also confirmed that Banjo-Tooie, the second game in the franchise, will be coming to XBLA in early 2009.
Check IGN's Xbox Live channel tomorrow for a full preview of the XBLA version of Banjo-Kazooie.
Senator Barack Obama has won the unofficial US election poll on Xbox Live by a margin of 12 per cent.
Nearly 100,000 people took part - more than the combined samples from recent Gallup, NBC and CNN polls.
Obama received 43 per cent of the vote, while rival John McCain registered 31 per cent. A further 13 per cent of voters picked other candidates, and 13 per cent said they were undecided.
The poll was held as part of Microsoft's Rock the Vote initiative, which kicked off on 25th August. Since then more than 55,000 voter registration forms have been downloaded via Xbox Live and Xbox.com.
Users also downloaded nearly 25,000 videos of the Democratic and Republican conventions.
features
Conquer the toughest terrain Mother Nature has to offer in the definitive off-road endurance challenge
Overpower hill-climb, circuit, and rally races on the path to Baja supremacy
Harness the horsepower of over 40 elite Trophy Trucks, 4x4’s and Buggies across eight varied vehicle classes
Stunning vistas, sheer cliffs, and towering mountains fill over 100 square miles of drive-to-horizon landscape
Suspension, torque and horsepo wer are perfectly balanced to create the ultimate edge-of-control racing experience
Fine-tune the roar of your off-road machine with over 200 authentic vehicle parts
Power past the competition in 4-player split screen and 8-player online racing
description
From the core founding members of the MX vs. ATV franchise comes the ultimate off-road racing experience: BAJA™. Conquer the toughest terrain Mother Nature has to offer and build the ultimate off-road vehicle in the most realistic, edge-of-control racing game ever created. Combining the best elements of the real-world sport with the right balance of arcade fun, BAJA transports players to the epic open worlds and unforgiving terrain found at the pinnacle of off-road racing. Stunning visuals, vertical environments, and unpredictable terrain are crossed in over 100 square miles of drive-to-horizon landscape. Master hill-climb, circuit, and rally races to earn career sponsorships on the path to off-road supremacy. Harness the horsepower of elite Trophy Trucks, 4x4’s and Buggies to finally compete in the definitive off-road endurance challenge, the Baja
Pokemon Platinum for the Nintendo DS has held onto the top spot of the Japanese software sales chart for the week ended September 21, by selling 315,000 units according to data provided by Media Create.
DS title Dragonball DS debuted on the chart at number two, selling 72,000 and preceding Rhythm Tengoku Gold also for the DS at 63,000 units. Namco Bandai's Trusty Bell for the PlayStation 3 broke into the chart with 34,000 units, followed by Quiz Magic Academy for the DS, which sold 29,000 units and secured a spot at number five.
Wii Fit held onto its position from last week at six with 28,000 units, the PlayStation Portable title Hitman Reborn debuted at seven with 25,000 and Shinobido PSP also debuted, taking eighth place at 17,000 units.
One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 for the Nintendo Wii dropped five places from last week to ninth, with 15,000 sold, and Mario Kart Wii dropped two places to ten at 14,000 units.
The Japanese software sales charts follows:
1. Pokemon Platinum (DS)
2. Dragonball DS (DS)
3. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
4. Trusty Bell (PS3)
5. Quiz Magic Academy (DS)
6. Wii Fit (Wii)
7. Hitman Reborn (PSP)
8. Shinobido PSP (PSP)
9. One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 (Wii)
10. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
A Rock Band 2 advertisement in Xbox Live has given the first indication of when the Xbox 360 will receive its major interface overhaul.
The ad says simply, "Check out the New Xbox Experience coming in November!"
It also adds, "Coming in November, playing Rock Band 2 and meeting up with your band mates on your Xbox 360 will be better than ever thanks to the New Xbox Experience."
The front end revamp - which will introduce Avatars, the Prime Time interactive channel, a new party system and a radically different look to the 360 - was previously only scheduled for "later this fall". Microsoft has said it will launch simultaneously in the US and key European territories.
Xbox Live is reporting, "High action and deep mystery await players in this new Halo 3 campaign experience. Prepare to drop!" -- looks like that mystery is solved. Additionally, Joystiq tipster Kyle C has found a date hidden in the teaser for Tuesday January 6, 2009 – see the photographic evidence after the break.
A video has emerged on the internet showing the intro from Banjo-Kazooie Xbox Live Arcade. And what do you know? All those references to Nintendo have been removed.
As well as getting us all excited, the footage - which leaked onto YouTube this morning - reveals that all references to Nintendo (who published the original) and N64 have been removed from the game.
As we revealed previously, early versions of Banjo XBLA which we saw back in July had all Nintendo and N64 logos intact. The new version, as you can see in the video below, features the updated Rare logo and complete removal of the N64 logo in the intro video.
We can also reveal that the big Nintendo logo on Mumbo's xylophone has been replaced with 'Microsoft Game Studios'. All of the Nintendo contributors in Banjo's credits can't be happy.
As revealed yesterday, the XBLA game is out on November 26, followed by Banjo-Tooie early next year.
It'll be interesting to see how port house 4J Studios replaces TipTup in the two games, who is now a totally Nintendo-owned character...
We received an interesting tip that we thought we'd share with the group. Windows expert and all-around bon vivant Paul Thurrott recently previewed Microsoft's new Arc mouse on his personal blog, detailing the device with a handful of photos. In the final shot of the series, what appear to be two Xboxes side-by-side can be seen in the lower right-hand corner... but one of those consoles looks thinner than the other. The appearance of what might be a slimmer Xbox 360 has (needless to say) sparked a debate amongst our editors here. Some say it's nothing -- a matter of angle -- while others argue that this could be just the scenario in which you'd see a leak of a new form factor. Either way, you can't simply brush off the differences here, and a little Photoshop matching on our end proved that these edges are decidedly different in angle. So we put it to the Engadget reader: is this a sign of things to come, or just our imaginations running wild?
Update: And we have our answer! Paul Thurrott has gone to the trouble of detailing just exactly what's going on here, and it is an angle issue. Needless to say, we've got a lot of deflated dreams and lightened pockets in the office today.
The Florida Supreme Court has approved Judge Dava Tunis' recommendations for the permanent disbarment of John B. "Jack" Thompson, with no leave to reapply and $43,675.35 in disciplinary costs. The ruling is a step up from the enhanced disbarment that had been suggested by the prosecution, which would have forbidden him from reapplying for ten years. Thompson has 30 days to appeal the ruling before the disbarment is permanent. Thompson responds to the ruling.
Presumably hoping to build on that price cut momentum, Microsoft has launched into its biggest 360 ad attack ever, according to Edge Online. The "Live Your Moment" campaign will extend to billboards, print, TV and every medium in between. In fact, in a little thing we in the biz like to call "media synergy," you can see the first TV ad online right after the break. Welcome to the future.
We at Joystiq would love to be excited about the new campaign, which takes you inside the brain of 360 players, but as the last remaining members of the Herman's Head International Fan Club, we feel like we should be stand-offish, if only on principle.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
New games continue to pour into our warehouse and like last week, many of these releases are highly anticipated products.
The adrenaline pumping racer Pure [Xbox360™ & PC Games] is one of them. Instead of fueling your excitement with the sense of speed itself, the game includes a lot of tricks such as aerial jumps. Experience the deadly fun from the comfort of your living room.
Another racer for your Xbox360 is BAJA: Edge of control where you conquer austere environments such as desserts as you speed your way to victory.
Aside from racers, classical squad based combat actioner Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway has come out for your 3rd generation consoles in full glory, completed with stunning visual and audio effects that pushes the limits of your system.
Crossovers are in vogue today and Japanese game developers are taking advantage of that. Super Robot Taisen Z [Japan & Asian versions] and X Edge [Japanese and Asian versions] bring mecha and RPG characters from different series together respectively and have them combine forces to fight a greater evil.
The animation and gaming industry have always been intricately linked. Mecha from popular series such as Gundam shows up in Super Robot Taisen while the Soul Eater cast starred in their own game Soul Eater: Monotone Princess. Experience the hip and stylish elements of this anime turned action game.
September marks the start of a new term for a lot of students, while the novice death angels from the academy have took on dangerous field work, the students from Mana Khemia [Standard & Limited Editions] have started learning the basics of alchemy.
Create items out of raw materials you gathered during field work, build a sound network of friendship with your club members and avoid getting bad grades. This is what going to school is all about.
Autumn is on its tracks along with the start of school, but it's still not too late to have an oceanic adventure. Become a journalist in Aquanaut's Holiday [Japan & Asian versions] and investigate upon a case of a missing marine biologist. Ride on a submarine and explore spots such as sunken shrines and pirate ships. Figure out what the missing person has gone through that leads to his disappearance.
Get back to land from the ocean and submerge into your nightmare in Knights in the Nightmare [Standard & Limited Edition]. Instead of relying fully on tactical gameplay, the game system allows a level of real time control, increasing the level of excitement experienced.
Prior to Knights in the Nightmare, the artists of the game has worked on Yggdra Union, a popular strategic game that has quite a following in Japan. For those who don't speak Japanese, Atlus have localized it for English speaking gamers.
Aside from the classic strategic game, the mecha action Armored Core: For Answer [Xbox360™ & PlayStation3™] has also been localized and released by UBI Soft.
Most games tend to picture you as a world savior, but in World Destruction, you will be entrusted with the burden of ending the world, namely, destroy it completely. But while you are thrust into this mess, you may realize that the world was indeed quite beautiful.
After having fun destroying the world, change game softwares and parody as super heroes. The comedic actioner Lego Batman is teamed together with Lego Robin and are all set to fight crimes in Lego Gotham City.
Save the world is the theme of many games, even in Koei's romance simulators. Fight against thanatos, save the world, but most importantly, get the man of your dreams in Neo Angelique Special [Standard & Limited Editions].
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Armored Core: For Answer US US$ 64.90
Baja: Edge of Control ASIA US$ 49.90
Battle Fantasia US US$ 54.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway ASIA US$ 49.90
Infinite Undiscovery (English language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Infinite Undiscovery (Japanese language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Janline JPN US$ 39.90
Lego Batman US US$ 59.90
Madden NFL 09 JPN US$ 64.90
Pure US US$ 64.90
Pure ASIA US$ 49.90
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Aquanaut's Holiday JPN US$ 59.90
Aquanaut's Holiday ASIA US$ 54.90
Armored Core: For Answer US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway ASIA US$ 59.90
Headset 3 JPN US$ 29.90
Lego Batman US US$ 59.90
Madden NFL 09 JPN US$ 64.90
Pure US US$ 64.90
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty ASIA US$ 29.90
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 JPN US$ 64.90
X Edge JPN US$ 79.90
X Edge ASIA US$ 76.90
Nintendo Wii™
Bomberman JPN US$ 49.90
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party 2 (Bundle w/ Mat) US US$ 89.90
Disaster: Day of Crisis JPN US$ 64.90
Igor US US$ 44.90
Lego Batman US US$ 59.90
Sim City Creator JPN US$ 59.90
Simple 2000 Series Wii Vol. 1: The Table Game JPN US$ 24.90
Soul Eater: Monotone Princess JPN US$ 59.90
TNA Impact! US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Angel Profile (Best Hit) JPN US$ 34.90
Daisenryaku: Dai Toua Kouboushi - Tora Tora Tora Ware Kishuu Ni Seikou Seri JPN US$ 64.90
Dance Dance Revolution X US US$ 44.90
Dance Dance Revolution X (w/ Dancing Mat) US US$ 79.90
Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix Max 2 Tokumori JPN US$ 64.90
Lego Batman US US$ 34.90
Nogizaka Sunkou no Himitsu Cosplay, Hajime Mashita JPN US$ 64.90
Nogizaka Sunkou no Himitsu Cosplay, Hajime Mashita [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Secret of Evangelion (Best Hit) JPN US$ 34.90
Sengoku Basara 2 (Best Price!) JPN US$ 19.90
Soul Cradle: Sekai o Kurau Mono (The Best Price) JPN US$ 34.90
Sugar + Spice! Anoko no Suteki na Nanimokamo JPN US$ 64.90
Sugar + Spice! Anoko no Suteki na Nanimokamo [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 95.00
Super Robot Taisen Z ASIA US$ 69.90
Super Robot Taisen Z JPN US$ 74.90
True Fortune JPN US$ 64.90
Nintendo DS™
Chokkan! Asonde Relaxuma JPN US$ 48.90
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen US US$ 44.90
Gabu*Gabu Planet JPN US$ 48.90
Guitar Hero: On Tour JPN US$ 59.90
Igor US US$ 34.90
Knights in the Nightmare JPN US$ 58.90
Knights in the Nightmare [DHE Series Special Pack] JPN US$ 79.90
Kumatanchi JPN US$ 48.90
Lego Batman US US$ 34.90
Princess Maker 4 DS Special Edition JPN US$ 48.90
Red Bull BC One US US$ 24.90
Sakai Burai Kaiji: Death or Survival JPN US$ 48.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 44: The Gal Mahjong JPN US$ 28.90
U-Can Pen Ji Training DS JPN US$ 29.90
Umiuru to Sudoku Shiyo! JPN US$ 39.90
World Destruction: Michibi Kareshi Ishi JPN US$ 59.90
World Destruction: Michibi Kareshi Ishi [ebten DX Pack] JPN US$ 129.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories
Hello Kitty Mobile Game Case (Black) JPN US$ 14.90
Hello Kitty Mobile Game Case (Red) JPN US$ 14.90
Hello Kitty Mobile Game Case (White) JPN US$ 14.90
Sony PSP™
B-Boy US US$ 34.90
Daisenryaku: Dai Toua Kouboushi - Tora Tora Tora Ware Kishuu Ni Seikou Seri JPN US$ 48.90
Mana-Khemia: Gakuen no Renkinjutsu Shitachi Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Mana-Khemia: Gakuen no Renkinjutsu Shitachi Portable [Premium Box] JPN US$ 69.90
Patapon (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 24.90
Patapon (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Pipe Mania ASIA US$ 29.90
Princess Maker 5 Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Princess Maker 5 Portable [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
Soldier Collection (PC Engine Best Collection) JPN US$ 29.90
Yggdra Union US US$ 44.90
PC Game
Crysis Warhead (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
Dracula 3: Path of the Dragon ASIA US$ 34.90
Hell's Kitchen ASIA US$ 29.90
Lego Batman (DVD-ROM) US US$ 34.90
Pure US US$ 54.90
Sinking Island ASIA US$ 34.90
Magazines and Guides
Drastic Killer Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 40.90
Famitsu DS + Wii [November 2008] JPN US$ 9.90
Hobby Japan [November 2008] JPN US$ 14.90
Lineage II Memorial JPN US$ 23.90
Lord of Vermilion Official Guide Book JPN US$ 26.90
Monster Hunter Festival 2008 Memorial DVD Book JPN US$ 13.90
Neo Angelique Special Perfect Guide JPN US$ 24.90
Tokyo Majin Gakuen: Kenfuuchou Complete Guide JPN US$ 28.90
V-Jump [November 2008] JPN US$ 8.90
Wario Land Shake It!: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1032 (2008 10/03) JPN US$ 7.90
Zero no Tsukaima: Knight of Twin Moon Illustration Book JPN US$ 27.90
Video Game Soundtracks
Bleach Beat Collection 4th Session 3 JPN US$ 13.90
Crest of Z's Toshin No Monsho (Super Robot Taisen Z Intro Theme) (~JAM Project) JPN US$ 11.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum Upper Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Knights in the Nightmare Perfect Audio Collection Plus JPN US$ 29.90
Memories Off 6: Trial Wave Personal Collection 1 Candy Love (~Ririsu Tomine) JPN US$ 13.90
Memories Off 6: Trial Wave Personal Collection 2 Blue Moon (~Chloe Kagamigawa) JPN US$ 13.90
Memories Off 6: Trial Wave Personal Collection 2 Mind Loop (~Chisa Hakozaki) JPN US$ 13.90
Nana Best Album (~Nana) JPN US$ 28.90
Neo Angelique Abyss Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 30.90
PixelJunk Eden Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 21.90
Sigma Harmonics Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Siren 2 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Tales of Series Piano Selection JPN US$ 29.90
Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
The Idolm@ster Master Box 4 [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 95.90
X Edge Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Yuu Kobayashi's Monthly Fumiaki Kobayashi Radio CD October Issue (~Yuu Kobayashi) JPN US$ 32.90
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Raiden IV JPN US$ 64.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming ASIA US$ 59.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Baja: Edge of Control US US$ 64.90
Buzz Quiz TV (w/ 4 Wireless Buzzers) US US$ 79.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming ASIA US$ 59.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility US US$ 59.90
Samba De Amigo US US$ 44.90
Wario Land: Shake It! US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special JPN US$ 64.90
Nintendo DS™
Disgaea DS US US$ 34.90
Kirby: Super Star Ultra US US$ 39.90
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure US US$ 34.90
Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood US US$ 39.90
Time Hollow US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist JPN US$ 48.90
Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 95.00
To Love Ru Trouble: Doki Doki! Rinkaigakkou-Hen JPN US$ 48.90
To Love Ru Trouble: Doki Doki! Rinkaigakkou-Hen [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 74.90
While SanDisk has made no official announcements, their 16GB MicroSD cards are popping up for sale at various internet retailers (at various prices, we might add). Ranging from $80 to $220 (we'd go with the $80), prices will settle with more availability. But we're pretty excited to toss an iPhone's worth of flash storage into any fancy smartphone we like. Plus, whenever we pop a tiny MicroSD card into one of our gadgets, it always feels like we're in the future.
Look, I know that Hawaii is a very laid-back sort of place. Bright sunshine, sandy beaches, news reporters who wear Hawaiian shirts on broadcast television even when not covering a luau, but it can be taken too far. For instance, if you are driving a city bus filled with passengers on a busy street in Honolulu, it's probably not a good idea to break out the PSP and play a couple rounds of Hot Shots Golf.
"With two hands… at times, while he was driving in traffic, yes,” (bus passenger Denita) Waltz said. "And also at the stoplights, and at that point I was very scared."
The driver, an 18-year veteran with The Bus, has been suspended without pay pending further investigation. Not sure what further investigating they need to do here, really. What game he was playing? His high score? Does that affect putting people's lives in danger?
With the economy on the ropes and a recession running around like death at the masquerade, it seems inevitable that we're going to be dealing with question eventually, so let's get to it now.
NPR argued yesterday that video games could serve as the mass opiate of this generation's great depression. In the 30s that role was served by nickle movies, but today's audience can perhaps get more bang for their buck, more distraction for their dollar with a game.
So which one will best help people to forget their worldly woes?
The Playstation 3 has theoretical future-proofing in the bag and includes a bunch of built in features that make using it for other purposes (without additional cost) a breeze and of course it has a Blu-ray player. Then again it's the most expensive, and blu-ray movies aren't exactly cheap either.
The Wii is the family friendliest of the bunch, the one most likely to attract reticent non-gamers to it's fold. Of course most of its games aren't as deep and it isn't the cheapest on the market anymore.
The Xbox 360 has the biggest selection of consoles, including the cheapest on the market. It also has the biggest selection of cheap downloadable titles and robust video on demand support, soon to be amplified by Netflix. But tapping into all of the 360's potential features means buying expensive add-ons, like the harddrive.
The arcade. Yes, the arcade. While they are almost non-existent in the U.S. and the likelihood that someone is going to suddenly invest in opening them up, especially now, is crazy, I think arcades are really the closest example of what happened in the 30s with movies. You don't need a television, you don't even need electricity, you just need a quarter and the time to play.
Creative Assembly - the team behind the Total War series - have told Eurogamer that they've not only been talking about a console version of the acclaimed strategy series "a lot over the years", but that they'd "love to do it". Coming on the heels of Ensemble's turn to a console game, then closure, dyed-in-the-wool PC gamers will no doubt be reacting with a mix of rage and rage. Of course, there are plenty of obstacles in their way, limited console lifespans and the complexity of the PC versions the primary two amongst many. As a long-time devotee of the Total War series, I'm hoping this outpouring of intent is harmless, akin to me saying "I'd love to buy a private jet, fill it with plastic balls (ala a ball pit) and order the pilot to make with the barrel rolls". It'd be awesome, but it's never going to happen.
BREAKING NEWS. If you are not sitting down, grab a seat. And if you are already sitting, you might want to stand up. A new US report shows that girls between 9 and 12 years old are becoming more interested in video games, while girls aged 13 and 14 years old are also listening music on *gasp* portable digital music players and using cell phones for talking/texting. But isn't that true of boys of that age as well? Pretty sure neither trend is unique of females...
MTV Multiplayer cornered Banjo-Kazooie creator – and de facto Rare defender – Gregg Mayles in San Francisco recently and asked him to not only comment on those things Peter Moore told the Guardian last week, but also to comment on those Killer Instinct 3 rumors. Ostensibly catching his breath in between all the body blows, Mayles avoided mentioning Moore by name, instead saying, "I don't take much notice about what people say about our games I work on," continuing, "We've always been seen as a bit, I don't know, willing to take a chance on doing something different and trying to come up with new experience."
As long as a Banjo-Kazooie update is on the table, Multiplayer asked about the possibility of another Killer Instinct installment. Without saying "no" Mayles handily shot down the speculation, explaining, "... what we're not gonna do is just say 'okay, there's this kind of vocal, fairly small vocal minority of real die-hard fans out there that want to see [Killer Instinct], so therefore, we should be doing [Killer Instinct].'" Hear that, small vocal minority? You can keep screaming but Rare can't hear you. Maybe with Banjo coming to Xbox Live Arcade, you guys could start asking for a similar treatment for fellow Nintendo 64-alumnus Killer Instinct. That's better than nothing, right?
Wow, another week files by and another round of new console sale figures come again from Japan with the following changes:
Nintendo DS Lite: 61,242
Nintendo Wii: 29,921
Playstation Portable: 28,674
Xbox 360: 13,777
Playstation 3: 8,156
Playstation 2: 7,720
The DS Lite stays on top, down slightly by about 2,600. The Wii overtakes the PSP (which goes down by 2,000), though sales just increase by 300. The Xbox 360 stays in 4th place, sales down more than half by about 14,500. PS3 and PS2 come up last in line, both virtually unchanged (up 103, 89 respectively). In short, all consoles aside from the DS Lite aren't doing so well for sales right now.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has dominated the European software sales charts for the week ended September 21, taking up three places of the top ten in Spain and four in Germany.
The data, provided my Media-Control Gfk International, shows Lucas Arts' title take the top spot in Spain on the PlayStation 3, followed by the PC-MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning at number two.
Wii Fit comes in third, with The Force Unleashed for the Xbox 360 coming in fourth and Wii Play in fifth. The Wii version of The Force Unleashed came in sixth, Mario Kart Wii came in seventh and The Sims 2: Apartment Life for the PC came in eighth.
Closing off the Spanish chart was the DS title Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames for the PS3 at nine and ten respectively.
Warhammer Online topped the German software sales chart, preceding The Force Unleashed for the PS3 in second place and Crysis for the PC in third.
The Collectors Edition of Warhammer Online came in at number four, while the Xbox 360 version of the Force Unleashed came in at number five and Spore for the PC at number six.
The Force Unleased for the Wii came in seventh, followed by Mario Kart Wii at eighth, Wii Fit at ninth and the PlayStation 2 version of The Force Unleashed at tenth.
Spanish software sales chart follows:
1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
2. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
3. Wii Fit (Wii)
4. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360)
5. Wii Play (Wii)
6. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)
7. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
8. The Sims 2: Apartment Life (PC)
9. Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? (DS)
10. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3)
German software sales chart follows:
1. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
3. Crysis (PC)
4. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collectors Edition (PC)
5. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360)
6. Spore (PC)
7. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)
8. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
9. Wii Fit (Wii)
10. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2)
Check out the original N64 Banjo Kazooie running on Xbox 360 in all its high-res, colourful glory. Oh, the memories.
It's out on XBLA on November 26, although MS has confirmed that you can nab it two weeks early if you pre-order the latest title, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.
"Those who pre-order Banjo's latest adventure at participating retailers not only get Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts but also receive a complimentary code to redeem Banjo-Kazooie on Xbox LIVE Arcade nearly 2 weeks prior to launch and exclusive goodies in Stop N' Swop before anyone else," says MS.
In case you didn't know: "The 'Stop N' Swop' is a feature rewards players' accomplishments in the Xbox Live Arcade game by unlocking extra content and features in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts."
Bungie has said the reference to 'Maddie' in the teaser trailer for the studio's next Halo project is an "unfortunate coincidence" to that of missing five year-old Madeleine McCann.
The trailer appeared at the end of a countdown yesterday, and fans combing the short CGI promotion for information came across the line, "Maddie, where are you?"
This prompted plenty of speculation that it was a reference to Madeleine McCann, the child whose 2007 disappearance sparked a worldwide media campaign.
"This is an unfortunate coincidence but there is no connection between Bungie's game and the tragic disappearance of that little girl," wrote Brian Jarrard, community voice at Bungie, on a Halo fansite.
Writing in the official Bungie forums, the studio's Luke Smith has also stated there is no connection between the game and real-world events.
"As always, all of the characters in our games are fictional. Any similarities between real life and the characters in our games are purely coincidental," wrote Smith.
"That said, this is both an unfortunate and unintended coincidence."
Eurogamer has contacted Bungie and Microsoft for comment.
Gamasutra did an in-depth interview with Yoshi Ono, producer of Street Fighter IV, about trying to bring the series back to the quality and popularity of the '90s. Ono also talks about broadening the market to include casual players, who were slowly driven away from the game by the increased focus on competitive play. Quoting:
"If you think about chess for instance, a kid and a grandfather can play the same game, with the same ruleset, and understand what's going on. I think through our competitive spirit back then; we were always out to out-complicate each other, and make our systems deeper and deeper. It was ok then because there was a wide player base who understood how to play these games, but that's not true anymore. What we're trying to do with Street Fighter IV is bring them back in. There's not a whole lot of other fighting games out there to compare it to, but hopefully, if we play our cards right and get people back in to the genre, we can blossom the genre itself again and spread things out and get it back to the way it was."
Newly released figures show that the "Summer of Arcade" wasn't just a windfall for gamers; it made Microsoft some serious scratch. MS reports that it saw a 58% increase in Arcade title purchases during the five-week "event," amounting to a 67% increase in revenue generated by XBLA in August – a new monthly record for the service. The company itself acknowledges that the quality of the titles was crucial to the gains. "The reason for all of this success? The games were really good," it said in a press release.
Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten, promises that, "The focus on quality games doesn't stop with the Summer of Arcade." So ... we're due for a "Fall and Winter of Arcade," then? Whitten called out upcoming XBLA releases such as Portal: Still Alive, South Park, and R-Type Dimensions as examples of a new wave of potential Arcade hits. "We have plenty more great titles coming out in the next few months and beyond that we think will continue to fuel this incredible momentum," he said. Wait, back up ... did he mean the R-Type Dimensions that hasn't been officially announced yet?
"It seems to me that the folks who create and publish a game shouldn't stop receiving income from further sales." That's the word from Bungie audio director Marty O'Donnell, who obviously feels that game developers and publishers should realize residual income from used game sales, much like we imagine the vehicle, book, and toothbrush industries do today ... in Bizarro World.
The sound guru also believes that used game sales had a "big" impact on Halo, though he admits that "complaining about sales when you have a multi-million seller is somewhat difficult to justify." That it is. While it's interesting to see that not everyone is doing backflips over pre-owned sales, we can't help but wonder if O'Donnell envisions a future where companies are allowed to double dip with online auctions, or if a Spartan will pay a visit to our neighborhood garage sale looking for his fair share.
Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog crew has delivered another in its series of glimpses inside the forthcoming New Xbox Experience. This week's update – sadly sans-video – focuses in on the Friends Channel and what MS is calling "Themes 2.0" – 3D UI make-overs that extend beyond simple wallpaper by bringing themed elements into the interface itself.
It's fitting that both NXE elements are in the spotlight together, since one (the themes) directly affects the other (the friends list). You can browse the latest batch of related screens in the gallery below, and read some insider highlights of how this changes the Xbox Experience at the Gamerscore Blog.
Despite having her franchise rebooted a la Batman Begins, it saddens us to see acrobatic archeologist Lara Croft give in to her old, animal-killing habits. Sure, there's a modicum of guilty pleasure to be derived from watching her kick tigers in the face, but the above shark-slaying video simply lacks ... finesse. If watching the lithe leading lady go all Richard Dreyfuss on the wonders of the deep is something you find upsetting, we'd advise you to skip to the video after the break, where she runs around Mexico sticking poles in holes.
Pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink. No. Pour yourself two or three drinks. It's time for TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Who knows!
Question: What is your biggest gaming get? What is the best deal you've got on a game purchase?
Only a Game has an interesting musing up on who's winning — or potentially will win — the battle for the 'hardcore' market share. Nintendo is rather clearly running away with the so-called 'casual' market, but that still leaves room for Sony and Microsoft. Chris Bateman takes the opinion that Sony has managed to squander the biggest market lead in the history of gaming, but that doesn't mean it's easy sailing for Microsoft:
The battle is far from over, and Sony have more up their sleeve right now than Microsoft appear to be able to muster, but by stealing hardcore loyalty from their market rivals, Microsoft has gained an edge that could allow them to give Sony a seriously bloody nose this time around. But if it came to 360 versus Wii in a battle for the mass market, Microsoft should save their warchest and call it quits – it may be the hardcore gamer’s ideal machine right now, but even in a dream scenario the 360’s installed base is probably going to top out at about 40 million (not coincidentally, roughly the size of the installed base of Sony’s hardcore-friendly PSP handheld).
The Wii might not have the legs to beat Sony’s 140 million PS2’s, since that was the consequence of a convergence between gamer hobbyist and mass market support which doesn’t exist now that the console manufacturers have torn the market dynamic into two very different halves, but with a good tailwind it could match or exceed the 75 million DS handhelds Nintendo have sold. I suspect it will outsell the 360 by 2:1, perhaps 3:1.
And the PS3? It’s final unit sales may depend more on the uptake of the Blu-ray format than anything else, so at least it will help Sony with the promotion of their media format, even while it teaches the multinational the lesson the N64 taught Nintendo: you still have to be nice to people when you get to the top, as it’s a long way down...
I'm still irritated with Sony for a variety of reasons, most tied to the lead up to the PS3 release, but Bateman points out some PS3 features that may broaden its mass market appeal (e.g., Blu-ray). I'm am so not looking forward to whatever these companies have to dish out the next 'next-gen' release time around, which hopefully won't be for a while. In any case, the essay is worth a read — an interesting analysis of what is and what may be happening.
While the games themselves weren't exactly brimming with story the Street Fighter franchise does have an intricate and developed lore behind it. The latest trailer for Street Fighter IV outlines the where some of our favorite heroes disappeared to after the events in Street Fighter II. Watching the video just gets us more and more excited to play Street Fighter IV and considering it will include cut-scenes of the same caliber we're down-right-fierce with anticipation. That's right, we went there.
To help all users who visit our Sites we are asking for the DCEmu Public to help us gather as many links for each console and a little bit of info about the site in question.
It Should start like this, for example heres our site that covers xbox360
Description - DCEmus Site that covers all things xbox360 such as Emulators, Homebrew, Development, Hacking, Gaming and Hardware News with discussion forums too.
Please add as many xbox360 sites to the list as you know
This is my 5th site today updated and the fixes to the forum feeds on the right hand side will be most welcome im sure. Ive also addded a new feed with the latest 60 Xbox360 News items, now theres always a chance to catch up on news missed.
Back to work still got a ton of sites to finish updating, lets hope we have real homebrew on the 360 soon, xna is good and that but we need the real thing
You've soldiered through the entirety of the recent XBLA re-release of Duke Nukem 3D, taking special care to fulfill the game's unique achievement requirements. You receive the standard reward for your hard work and dedication, a 200 point boost to your already impressive Gamerscore -- though you quickly realize with glee that 3D Realms has provided an additional prize for your feat: Two new screenshots for a game that is never, ever, ever coming out.
Yes, unlocking every achievement in Duke Nukem 3D reveals two new screenshots for the title's oft-delayed follow-up in the art gallery. Though some may consider it a stretch to call screenshots from the Duke's supposedly upcoming title "art", we find any sign of life for the highly-quotable shooter utterly refreshing.
Newly released figures show that the "Summer of Arcade" wasn't just a windfall for gamers; it made Microsoft some serious scratch. MS reports that it saw a 58% increase in Arcade title purchases during the five-week "event," amounting to a 67% increase in revenue generated by XBLA in August – a new monthly record for the service. The co
