Expand your Xbox 360 experience with downloadable content, rip music, and play an array of original Xbox games. 20 GB and detachable, the hard drive allows gamers to store their games, music, downloaded trailers, levels, demos and community-created content from Xbox Live Marketplace and more.
One of the more touted features of the upcoming New Xbox Experience is the ability to install games onto your hard drive (watch how to do it). In an effort to quantify the benefit, MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo has created three videos comparing the load times of running DVD vs. hard drive using Grand Theft Auto IV, Fable 2 and Gears of War 2. The difference is between 9 to 15 seconds for the first load, and presumably more "now loading" seconds scraped off other sections of each game.
While the verdict is out on whether or not it's worth your time to install (judging by Totilo's install times and our own, it seems to be a steady 1.7GB per minute), it's worth noting that, with installation, the console is noticeably quieter and is less likely to give you the feeling that it's about to explode.
Right, that's decided, then - Microsoft has fixed the price you will be paying for the Xbox 360 in the UK until the end of the economic downturn or until Microsoft need to start really shifting units again - whichever comes first.
After a series of UK price cuts - the most recent of which has left the Arcade model a shade cheaper than the Wii at £129.99 (approx $208 at current rates) - Microsoft UK's head of gaming and entertainment, Stephen McGill, says that the price will be fixed for some time to come.
"We're a great price now," said McGill, "I'm not dropping the price for many many years in the future I would suspect."
The eXtensible Visualization Platform TM (XVP) is a powerful, extensible and easy to use game development platform targeting a wide array of modern environments including Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, and Linux, as well as console gaming systems from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.
XVP allows designers, artists, engineers and producers to collaborate like never before. Throughout the entire product's development cycle, XVP's Workflow Communications enhance productivity while simplifying complex dependencies between members of the team.
It took no time at all but the New Xbox Experience has been leaked onto the internet. According to tipsters, someone who was invited to the NXE has made the update available in downloadable form online which -- like all other Xbox 360 dashboard updates -- has the ability to update any console with a USB thumb drive.
If you're thinking of grabbing the update, think again. According to Platform Nation using the leaked update disables Xbox Live on a console until November 19, the actual release of NXE. With Gears of War 2 just around the corner, you wouldn't want to take your console off the grid would you? While no reported bans have been handed down since the leak showed up it isn't hard to imagine Microsoft could take you offline for good. You've been warned.
You know it, you love it, Tell Us Dammit. No, rather TELL US DAMMIT. Yep! Time to learn about each other. 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 interesting 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. Sadness.
Question What is the longest you have gone without gaming?
We're sure that following whatever events that may have transpired last night, your avarice for zombie-related media is at an all-time high. After all, Halloween is arguably the official holiday of the undead, next to Zombie Abraham Lincoln Day, which is only observed in certain parts of Illinois. To slake your thirst for those shambling brain-eaters, we've posted the opening cinematic for Valve's upcoming co-op survival sim, Left 4 Dead, after the jump.
We should warn you, it may increase your anticipation for the title to a level that causes you to begin feverishly working on a time machine with which to jump to the game's November 18 release. If you don't have the funding or free time for such an ambitious project, you'd be wise to skip ahead.
It's touted as "a visual programming language for kids" in a Seattle Times blog post. Really, Boku is a game, the 360 controller is its input, and you can bet this Microsoft project seeks to tap the enormous enthusiasm for user-generated content seen in games like LittleBigPlanet. No release date has been set for Boku yet, but at Microsoft's Professional Developer's Conference this week, project lead Matthew MacLaurin indicated we'll get the chance to play it early next year. Whether that's a beta or full release was not specified.
(For some items such as Modchips, Flashcarts etc you will need to be logged in at Mr Modchips to view them, they are only viewable by members, all other products are viewable to everyone)
A great low price battery pack for the official Xbox 360 wireless controller
Not only does it features high power time with 12 hours of gameplay, but it also charge in only 3 hours.
Specifications :
- Fully compatible with all official Xbox 360 wireless controllers
- Mega power can supply continuously power to your controller for 12 hours!
- Quick charge function: full charge in 3 hours
- 168 hours stand by mode
A replacement audio visual lead for the XBOX 360 which allows connection to VGA supported devices and now with an optical out port for stunning audio to match your hi-definition display
- Supports VGA signal
- Supports D2/D3/D4 (up 1080i*1080P) technology
- Supports Audio stereo sound output function
- Supports Dolby Prologic system
- Supports CRT, LCD, HD TV system or monitor
- Supports surround receiver, integrated amplifier or all audio components
- High speed and efficient for signal transmit
- High quality 24K golden electroplate plug
- Supports high definition displayer system
The Cooling fan is easy to install and simply attaches onto the XBox 360. Discrete in appearance and offering quiet and safe operation, ideal for prolonged gaming sessions. Helps to reduce the temperature within the Xbox360 console Contains 2 cooling fans No need to add external power No modification to console required Connects using USB Port On/Off Switch
Core Cooler V2 is a high end version of XCM popular Core Cooler. Now compatible with all Xbox 360 and also coming with Twin Fans for double cooling power, it still features great lightning to add a custom look to your console.
Specifications :
XCM core cooler v2 can be used combine with XCM High Speed air cooler (more efficiency and cooling power) or independently. Unlike other brands of external fan, external Xbox 360 fan can only cool the temperature of the Xbox 360's outer surface but does not cool the temperature of the CPU/GPU, therefore making them useless to combat CPU/GPU overheating. XCM 360 core cooler directly cools down the temperature from the core (CPU and GPU) of 360 console.
The Whisper Max - with the new nitro switch, has more cooling options and tuning options than any xbox cooler available! The ultimate Xbox 360 cooling fan.
Specifications :
The new Whisper Max is a deluxe version of the standard original Whisper fan with additional features:
1) COOLING: Nitro switch allows you to change between 12v and 5v power, more than doubling your air output with the press of a single button! Suitable for use with "game mode" and "movie mode"
2) LIGHTING: One product, 3 colours. When you install your whisper, you can choose between Blue, Green, or Red lights, or not install any at all. You can even change colours later.
3) QUALITY: Ball bearing construction is higher quality, lasts longer.
The winners of the annual indie developer-friendly contest Dream-Build-Play were recently announced. After scouring the 350 titles that were submitted (including, we imagine, a great deal of groundbreaking Pong clones), Microsoft awarded the $40,000 grand prize to Singapore's Team Gambit, for their XNA Game Studio-borne entry, CarnyVale: Showtime (pictured above), an "acrobatic puzzle game" which includes a built-in level editor. In addition to the cash prize, Team Gambit will apparently have the opportunity to publish their title on Xbox Live Arcade.
Other submissions garnered cash prizes and XBLA invitations for their creators, including a side-scrolling action game titled Weapon of Choice, a martial arts sim named HurricaneX, and the self-explanatory, infinitely intriguing Battle Tennis. These finalists, as well as many other submissions for the contest, will be available on the Xbox Live Community Games Channel when the NXE is released on November 19.
Michael Abbott of the Brainy Gamer has a nice reminder of why we play RPGs (well, those of us who play RPGs), based on some of his undergraduates' writings on their experiences in Fallout 1 and 2. Michael notes that the exercise — writing autobiographies of their characters — is often used in theatre, but it never occurred to him that it would be useful for his students in his RPG seminar, until "we began discussing the characters they had created .... The sense of ownership they clearly felt, and their remarkably vivid descriptions of their experiences in the games, made the assignment a no-brainer." Which goes to one of the reasons why people make the investment in RPGs:
What we're really talking about is pretending. Make-believe. "Role-playing" may bless the activity with a marginally more acceptable moniker, but when we play RPGs we summon our most primitive urges - the ones we've had since we were children - and we tap into something about the human psyche that inclines toward empathy.
We love pretending because we possess an innate desire to understand (to know and to feel) what it would be like to be *this* man or *that* woman. To mold a character through our own choices and to walk in his shoes, with as many in-world consequences and as few real-world consequences as possible, 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.
We know all this, and we've known it for a long time...but sometimes it pays to stop and take a another look. Sometimes we're jolted into knowing something in a better way than we knew it before.
It's an interesting look at (a) an interesting pedagogical tool (I am so hoping I can teach seminars on RPGs one day) and (b) a reminder of why (some of us) love RPGs.
We treat them like a rare species, but really, women who game are not that uncommon. Recent polls have put the figure between 35 and 40 percent of women, a minority but not a scarcity. Negative Gamer's Chelsea — aka Nintendoll — spotted something elsewhere that set her teeth on edge, and she wants to set the record straight about the reasons women and girls game. Because in her view the experience risks getting cliquey and catty, like high school.
Female gamers separate into two groups, Chelsea says, that are pretty easy to understand. "Girl gamers" do it for the attention — "a feeling of security and control from her social circle" — while "female gamers" just want to have friends who share an interest in games. "Since these “gamer girls” get their self-esteem from the praise and adoration of men who play video games, they become dependent on video games as something far more than entertainment."
How does it get to that point?
Well, it’s a problem that many people suffer from that is completely unrelated to gaming: low self-esteem. These girls want to be part of what they see as an exclusive boy’s club. It is true that women are currently a minority in the gaming industry, which is why gaming men find girls who play video games more desirable. Girls who feel the need to be loved try to sneak their way into this “boy’s club” using video games as a pretense to say that they’re a “tomboy” or “just one of the guys.” But the reality is that it is not really for the “equality” that they constantly complain is absent, but for the feeling of superiority over other girls coupled with the adoration of the male gaming community.
And that's where it gets catty.
“Gamer girls” hate on each other because they feel threatened by each other. Another female in this “boy’s club” diffuses the overall attention that a girl will get. Therefore a “gamer girl” will rip into another female gamer to protect her status as the most important girl in this male-dominated social circle. This is not unique to the video game industry, I’ve seen it happen in other predominantly male territories such as tech schools and the local rock climbing gym I used to frequent.
How can dudes help? She doesn't say, and I don't want to get all womyn's-studies on you here. But I'd say that treating everyone who picks up a controller, male or female, like a gamer first is a good start.
Patronizing, condescending or leering behavior would definitely discourages an interest in gaming as a fun activity, and if they continue it'll be for the other reasons Chelsea described — attention seeking, social superiority, etc.
I know I foment a lot of the "OMG hot girls who game" stuff, but when you look at them — Jo Garcia and Grace Kim are demonstrably serious about what they do, and the cosplayers are definitely informed about the games they like. To me, that's even hotter, and you see it when you game with them seriously.
Cast your minds back a little under a year ago, and you may recall Microsoft having a little trouble with Xbox Live. Namely, it wasn't working. Which was strange, and strange for two reasons. Firstly, it's normally always working. And secondly, it didn't just stop working, it stopped working for weeks. Think it was down for weeks because Microsoft just didn't care? Well, we can tell you, somebody cared. Two people, in fact. One of them was Robbie Bach. And the other? Steve Ballmer.
Someone walking through the parking lot of my apartment complex and seeing a shattered DualShock laying on the ground probably thought someone had a little temper tantrum mixed in with his Bioshock last night. Actually, that's only half right. I wasn't mad at a game, but I was mad at the controller (of course, I'm not to blame). I'd spilled Dr. Pepper all over myself and some got in the left thumbstick. Suddenly I could not move to the right anymore. That's kind of important in a game like MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. It's kind of important in any game, actually. I tested it against my other controller, restarted the machine, let it dry out, nothing. So, $60 got me barely a day's worth of use of this controller. I said why not, heaved it over a row of apartments here and into the adjacent parking lot.
The weekday guys forgot to do a TUD and I know everyone likes weighing in, so I'll ask you here: What's the worst thing you've ever done to a piece of hardware, and why? Bonus points for details like people harmed/frightened by the act. Tell us everything about your rage! Tell us, dammit!
The Gears of War Action Figure Box Set comes with four action figures and their weapons. Twelve joints are installed into each of the figures so you can form all sorts of postures with them.
With two heroes, the leader of Delta Squad Marcus Fenix and Private Augustus Cole and two Locusts, Drone and Sniper, you can recreate a large number of memorable battle scenes in this critically acclaimed first person shooter.
UK retailer GAME is one of the official launch partners for Gears of War 2, due to go on sale November 7.
The company's Kingston upon Thames store in London is one of 20,000 retailers worldwide opening for the midnight launch of the Xbox 360 game, and will feature an appearance by comic book artist Liam Sharp and other Microsoft Game Studios staff giving away Gears 2 merchandise.
GameStop's launch event on Universal Studios Boulevard in Los Angles boasts a stronger development presence, with signings by Cliff Blezinski and voice actors John DiMaggio, Lester Speight and Carlos Ferro from the game, as well as Microsoft's Larry Hryb.
Best Buy's New York and Bellevue stores will also host events with Epic's Rod Fergusson and Gears 2 co-writer Joshua Ortega.
At its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles this week, Microsoft Research unveiled its project Boku, a PC and Xbox 360-based icon-driven tool designed to let users create their own games and using only an Xbox 360 controller.
The tool, which was itself created using XNA, appears to bridge the gulf between Microsoft's more complex XNA Game Studio language and the user-created content of games like Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet for PlayStation 3, which is governed by the game's stricter parameters.
Boku has been created to be compatible with both Xbox 360 and PC. Though it's not yet been announced when or how the project will be delivered to users, Gamasutra's sources have indicated that it's planned for an Xbox 360 release of some kind in 2009. (Coincidentally, Microsoft is about to open the Xbox Live Community Games download portal, which will showcase XNA-created titles of all kinds.)
Microsoft Research's page for the project says, "It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone." The programming language is completely icon-driven, with programs saved as logical lists of instructions -- in a manner that is vaguely reminiscent of Final Fantasy XII's Gambit system, which allowed for simple character A.I. programming.
However, Boku's rules will govern entire, original games, as it allows for more complex sets of rules -- for example, Boku has icons which cover concepts such as character movement and collision, item pick up, and control pad input.
VideoGamer.com today published an excerpt from an interview with Stephen McGill, Microsoft's head of gaming and entertainment in the U.K. When asked about any price cuts for the Xbox 360, he indicated that the price will not be reduced beyond the recent cuts for the foreseeable future.
"We're [at] a great price now. I'm not dropping the price for many many years in the future I would suspect," commented McGill. "It's great value. And I think the value not only comes from the price of the console but the content. With NXE launching and obviously that's free for everyone, and the portfolio. There isn't a better range of games and entertainment, basically fun, on any other platform, and we're incredibly affordable."
"I'm not going to speculate where it might go (the price of the Xbox 360) in five or ten years time, whatever. But we've obviously just reduced the price and that's because we can pass the costs reductions we have straight on to consumers," he continued. "That's the right thing to do, obviously from a business point of view it helps it sell even more. I think a lot of people have been waiting for it to become even more affordable and they're now seeing that benefit and buying it in their droves and we can now hopefully continue it through Christmas and beyond."
Sony recently confirmed that there will be no price cut for the PS3 for the Holiday 2008 season.
Electronic Arts has explained that forum moderators will not be able to ban people from playing EA games.
"Players who have been banned from EA Forums are not automatically banned from online access to their other EA games. Posting in EA Forums is enabled by an EA Nucleus account - but access to the forums and access to the games are separate," reads a publisher statement on GameCyte.
"Players can be banned if they breach the Terms of Service or Code of Conduct in a forum, game, or service. Each forum, game, and service is managed independently by customer support representatives responsible for that specific forum, game or service."
The publisher was responding to an EA moderator - supposedly community manager Aaron Kaufman - who told Red Alert 3 fans that game and forum accounts were linked, and that a ban for one meant a ban for the other.
Furthermore, this Master EA Account was said to be linked to all of the publisher's games requiring an online sign-in, resulting in an EA-wide ban for misbehaving on a forum.
The fate of the misguided EA forum moderator is undisclosed. Perhaps he is among the 600 losing jobs as EA cuts costs to combat diminishing retail demand.
So it's true - there really is a link between violence and video games. In an otherwise run of the mill article on how the next US President will have to deal with the issue of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the New York Times printed this little nugget:
One detainee is said to have been schooled in making detonators out of SEGA game cartridges.
Nobody at Kotaku (especially those who frequently travel overseas) has any idea if that is even possible, or why SEGA specifically, but the story seems to originate from the case of Hassan Bin Attash - a seventeen year old (at time of capture) detainee that several human rights organisations claim was tortured in Jordan before being held in Gitmo. Possibly, after a few months of waterboarding a weaponized copy of Toe Jam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron might seem more credible.
It's been a while since we've had a really good "video games make our children violent" study, and I was beginning to fear we've given up on the idea, but then the story "Violent video games linked to child aggression" showed up on CNN.com this morning and my fears were completely assuaged. The story is about a study conducted by Dr. Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., of Iowa State University, who studied three groups of children in both the United States and Japan to gage their violence levels three to six months after playing violent video games, versus children who did not play violent video games. The results may not surprise you at all.
The study found that children who played violent video games were more aggressive than those that did not, even taking into account children who were aggressive in the first place. The odd thing is the results were determined not so much through observation, though comments from parents and teachers were taken into account, but rather by asking the children about their own aggression levels.
Easy! Take a t-shirt and apply the Bape sub-label Baby Milo. That's eighty bucks already. You're almost half way there. Next, make it exclusive to the members-only online store Nigo's Favorite Shop. Finally, add Japanese import mark up and you've easily reached $175. The designs, featuring artwork from the Bape branded Nintendo DSs released earlier this year, may not be spectacular enough to warrant nearly two-hundred bucks in t-shirt purchases, but it's not outrageous for retailers to ask this much money.
How do I know this? The shirts went online yesterday and are already sold out.
Are you the type of gamer who thrives on the rich worlds of EVE Online or World of Warcraft, worlds made more realistic by the semi-real interactions with other flesh and blood gamers? 'Cause, man, I am so not. And neither is Wired's Clive Thompson, who writes today about the joys of playing solo, even in games that simulate, in a fashion, big open worlds filled with personalities like Fable II.
To some degree, I can chalk up my own disinterest in the tedium of massively multiplayer online games. Grinding away on "kill X number of Monster Y and report back" style missions just aren't my thing. But it's really the potential for social interaction that does these games in for me.
Obligation gaming, the guilt of not being available for a gaming session, regardless of the genre — I even hate feeling trapped by first-person shooter social calls — is what makes me a gaming shut-in. A virtual Man's Best Friend, like the one in Fable II is about all I can handle.
Thompson looks at it a bit differently, writing "The fact that I know I'm the only person actually alive makes the game seem all the more dreamlike, as if everything — those mountain ranges, those creepy beetles — really is taking place inside my head."
True, bots suck, as does being verbally berated online by little boys who have just discovered the F-word.
Even in a perfect world, though, where everyone else might be a gentlemanly good sport, I think I'd prefer to do most of my gaming alone. Am I the only one?
From the publisher: 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.
Game 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
May the Force be with You! Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is available as the weekly special, selling at a bargain price of US$ 29.90.
Supporting an English language system, this game is completely region free as it plays on both NTSC J and U/C systems as well as PAL ones.
As usually, this weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier) and this time limited to a maximum purchase of 1 unit per customer. As a small restriction, please also notice that you cannot use any further discount coupons along with this special offer.
features
Strategy for the next generation: Led by creative director Michael de Plater (Rome Total War), EndWar will redefine strategy gaming. Designed exclusively for next-gen consoles EndWar will create a theatre of war, immersing you in the drama of World War III in a way you never thought possible.
Fight For Your Nation: Pick a side US, Europe, Russia - the fate of the world is in your hands. If you don't step in to save your homeland, who will?
Command Your Army: Grow your army into the most powerful force on the planet. Your army is completely customizable, and experience breeds strength - your units grow more powerful with every campaign you fight.
Light Up The City of Lights: Tom Clancy's World War III won't be won by capturing remote deserts or grasslands but by striking countries in the heart. Paris, Moscow, Washington D.C. will all erupt in flames as you battle your way through the fully destructive playground.
A Whole New Kind of Massive: EndWar will be an online multiplayer experience unlike anything you've ever encountered. 16 player matchups? Try hundreds. 30 minute battles? Try persistent matchups lasting for months at a time. This isn't a skirmish, it's World War III.
Talk Your Way to Victory: Put the controller aside and start shouting commands. EndWar can be played almost entirely via voice command.
description
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein
2011 - 2014. The world enjoys an unprecedented era of peace as enhanced defense technology eliminates the threat of nuclear war. But can it last?
2020. Constant depletion of resources has international tensions at a breaking point. One spark will ignite what no one thought could happen...a third and final world war.
Introducing Tom Clancy's EndWar, the first new Clancy I.P. since the highly acclaimed Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell launched in 2002. EndWar will bring World War III to life in a way only Clancy can.
Coldly efficient...dangerous...the new Bond is the ultimate weapon in today's ruthless world of international espionage.
Blending first person shooting and third person action, Quantum of Solace the Game puts you in control of Bond's greatest weapon - his mind.
You must think like Bond and intelligently use the map and situation to your advantage. Confront enemies in a variety of ways: take them head on, fire from behind cover or sneak up silently and eliminate them with a variety of special takedown moves.
Based on Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace the Game puts you in the dangerous world of international espionage and intrigue.
Enter the glamourous and dangerous world of James Bond on your console:
Xbox360™
James Bond: Quantum of Solace ASIA US$ 59.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
James Bond: Quantum of Solace (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
The US versions are expected to arrive within this week, for a more concrete shipping schedule, please stay tuned to our daily news.
From the publisher: Join Alex the lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and their entire madcap Madagascar crew on a whole new action-packed journey to save the African savannah in the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa™ video game.
Your favorite characters from Madagascar return and you can play them all! In addition to Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman, you also get to play as the crafty penguins, the wacky King Julien and new hippo character Moto Moto!
Learn all the moves and choose which character is best for the situation at hand. Experience the characters, settings and situations established in Dreamworks Animation’s new Madagascar movie.
Unique new environments include the Watering Hole, a free roaming area that’s been expanded for the game, the volcano and the plane wreck. Master new and expanded tournament mini-games including twice as much multiplayer action as the first Madagascar!
Xbox360™
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa ASIA US$ 49.90
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 54.90
PlayStation3™
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 54.90
Nintendo Wii™
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 34.90
PC Games
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 24.90
Ubisoft's Far Cry 2 has topped the charts in the US and Germany.
All three SKUs hog the top three positions in Germany, with the PC version leading sales, while the US PC charts show the game has debuted at number one, holding back multiple Electronic Arts games.
The sequel hasn't done so well in Spain, as it enters the charts at seven, where sports title take up the majority of the top ten.
German Top Ten:
1. Far Cry 2 (PC)
2. Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360)
3. Far Cry 2 (PS3)
4. FIFA 09 (PS2)
5. Mario Kart DS (DS)
6. Midnight Club: Los Angeles (PS3)
7. Wii Fit (Wii)
8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3)
9. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
10. FIFA 09 (PS3)
Spanish Top Ten:
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3)
2. Fable II (Xbox 360)
3. FIFA 09 (PS2)
4. FIFA 09 (PS3)
5. MOTO GP 08 (PS3)
6. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Xbox 360)
7. Far Cry 2 (PS3)
8. Wii Fit (Wii)
9. Dead Space (PS3)
10. Wii Play (Wii)
US PC Top Ten:
1. Far Cry 2
2. Spore
3. Nancy Drew
4. World of Warcraft: Battle Chest
5. The Sims 2: Apartment Life Expansion Pack
6. Dead Space
7. The Sims 2: Double Deluxe
8. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
9. World Of Warcraft
10. Colonization
Data supplied by Media Control GfK International and NPD.
Bethesda's Fallout 3 has hit the top of the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC charts in the UK.
The game has outsold combined sales in the region of the original Fallout and its sequel, and spin-off titles Fallout Tactics and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
First week sales were also 57 per cent stronger than the first week performance of Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
According to data from GfK Chart-Track, 55 per cent of all sales were on the Microsoft format, 28 per cent on Sony's home console and 17 per cent for the PC.
The game knocked last week's number one Fable II off the top of the All Formats charts, and held off climbers FIFA 09 and Wii Fit, despite the latter enjoying its third biggest sales week since release.
Other new titles in the top forty this week include Activision's Bond tie-in Quantum of Solace at seven, EA's Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 at 15, MySims Kingdom at 25, More Touchmaster at 28 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year at 29.
The top ten All Formats sellers follow:
1. Fallout 3
2. FIFA 09
3. Wii Fit
4. Fable II
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
6. Far Cry 2
7. Quantum of Solace
8. LEGO Batman
9. Mario Kart Wii
10. Saints Row 2
Didn't get in on the Call of Duty: World at War beta action in mid-October? Well, you're in luck. Activision has gone and made the beta available to everyone via the Xbox Live Marketplace as of right now.
We're downloading it at this very moment to see if it's identical to the updated beta release rolled out on Oct. 20. It weighs in at just under 890MB, so, if you've got the space, download it and cast a "NO" vote on Nazis ... with a flame thrower.
CVG had a chat with Microsoft's head honcho on Xbox Live in Europe, Jerry Johnson, in which he revealed that half of the original feature set envisioned for the New Xbox Experience was "cut out" along the way. According to Johnson, we'll still see at least some of these features delivered via more frequent, seamless updates to the NXE.
Johnson told CVG that there's "still a lot of stuff we want to do" and that "half of the things we wanted to do, we cut out of the service." One of these things was "a Photo Party app that will be part of the platform," he revealed. Using it as an example of the face of updates to come, Johnson said, "The way it will be distributed is all of a sudden you'll see a slot on the dashboard and if you don't have it you click on it and it's going to download from the service onto your application part of the dashboard. Those are the type of things we're going to start doing."
The Primetime channel, which will house various multiplayer, social-focused, live "game shows," will be delivered in this manner in spring 2009, Johnson confirmed. It had originally been slated as part of the NXE launch, before joining the list of things that were nixed.
Warner has whipped up an Xbox Live demo for LEGO Batman.
While we know this contains mild cartoon violence (and phew thank you for the warning), Major Nelson's not giving anything else away about the demo - not even the size of the file.
We suspect the Joker's hand in all this. Partly because he's one of the famous Batman villains to be recreated in block LEGO fashion for the game, along with Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin, Catwoman, Clayface, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter and Killer Moth.
We also suspect that the demo will offer up the first level to play through, as previous LEGO games have followed the same formula.
LEGO Batman was released at the beginning of October and Traveller's Tales once again hit the plastic block on the head.
Head over to our LEGO Batman review to find out more.
Capcom's pegged the UK release of the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of Street Fighter IV for February 20, 2009.
The game's producer recently raised our hopes that SFIV would be released this side of Christmas, but that possibility has now been dashed - at least here in the UK. Still, it's nice to finally get a release date, we suppose.
The game's scheduled for launch one week before Dead Rising for Wii, which is due out on February 27, reports MCV.
February will also see the release of Bionic Commando and MotoGP Wii, on the 13th and 20th respectively, while March 13 should definitely be added to your diary as it's Resident Evil 5 release day!
So it should be a busy - and profitable - couple of months for the Japanese publisher.
Capcom's director of production Adam Boyes has said that online console gaming via the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade are still in their infancy.
The company recently canned its digital title Talisman - based on the Games Workshop table top game - with Boyes citing the difficulty of replicating the close social interaction users experience when playing board games.
"We looked at the other games on XBLA and PSN and realised that very few people were willing to sit and play a game for more than an hour. With a regular Talisman match coming in between three-to-five hours, this created an issue with how we would make the game fun and engaging for that whole time," offered Boyes, speaking to Giant Realm.
"This brings us one thing that we again failed to realise as PSN and XBLA were still in their infancy. Complex board games like Talisman live and die on the social interaction of people."
"If the people in your match aren't going to use their headsets, the social aspect of a board game gets completely drained and becomes a slog as you could be sitting there for five minutes waiting for your next turn," he added.
However, Boyes does agree that board and card games can succeed on PSN and XBLA, where gameplay isn't so time consuming, and Capcom is still open to bringing such product to the services.
"I think both board games and card games are great opportunities to create bite-sized experiences for the average XBLA and PSN player. I review hundreds of pitches and we will never close the door to developing a board game or card game that fits our user base."
The rights to create a game based on the Talisman board game have now reverted back to Games Workshop.
What does an Obama presidency mean for video games? 1UP asks the question in a lengthy analysis of Obama's relationship to gaming culture. Obama first entered our scene in December 2007 with comments presented to Common Sense Media on the topic of game violence legislation on his way to being dubbed the most "gamer-friendly" Democratic candidate. But the President-elect is better known for targeting youth voters with a $44.5K in-game ad campaign during the election season. (And apparently, it worked.)
Obama did urge us to "stop playing Game Boy" and put down the Wiimote (see screencap above -- from his Election Day ad), but the sentiments were geared toward encouragement rather than scorn. 66 percent of voters ages 18-29 (you know, gamers) supported Obama yesterday, according to CNN. Perhaps the next US President can show some love back by bringing Wii to the White House.
Rare has confirmed that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts' unclear text on standard definition televisions will not be fixed. The issue came to light following the release of the demo last week and now Rare states that the issue is "too expensive in terms of time, resources and money to alter."
SDTV haters aside, let's accept the fact that this is a serious oversight on par with Dead Rising's tiny text. Adding insult to injury, CVG points out that Xbox Live Arcade games must be playable, which includes text being readable, on a 14" SDTV. Too bad Microsoft doesn't seem to hold its first-party retail games to that strict standard.
A report by Verdict Research (via BBC) finds that UK game sales will surpass both music and video in 2008. Video game sales have been on a rampage in the region, with a report earlier this year by the Entertainment Retailers' Association (ERA) stating it had surpassed music sales. The Verdict report predicts a 42% growth in game sales this year to £4.64 billion, with sales of music and video combined at around £4.46 billion.
The ERA counters that the Verdict report is a bit misleading because it includes hardware sales. The organization is confident that game software sales of £1.7 billion will beat out music's (continually dropping sales of) £1.4 billion, but that video revenue will still be about £2.2 billion.
Well, apparently the Xbox Live Arcade delisting initiative hasn't been completely abandoned, because promogame Yaris has apparently vanished. Not just like "you can't find it for download" gone, either. No, it's more like "the game page has completely vanished, D.B. Sweeney in Fire In The Sky-style" gone.
We're trying to get an answer from Microsoft on what exactly happened, but we have to ask: If a driving game once referred to as "a festering turd" by X360 Magazine isn't safe from being deleted, who among us is?
A body believed to be of missing teen gamer Brandon Crisp was discovered this morning in the Barrie area, police say.
"At this point we believe it to be Brandon, and we're still obviously in the early stages of our investigation," Sgt. Dave Goodbrand told CTV. "It's not confirmed because nothing's confirmed until we have pathology, but we believe it to be Brandon."
Crisp's parents say he ran away from Barrie home in Canada on Oct. 14 after they took away his Xbox 360. He had been playing Call of Duty 4 and his grades were slipping, his parents told ABC.
After being told he would lose his gaming privileges the 15-year-old told his father that he was running away. He was last seen biking on a trail about 5:45 p.m. The reward for information about the missing boy had reached $41,776.
According to the brief television report the body of the missing boy was found on Fifth Line in the Barrie area.A blue-checkered jacket, tent, crackers and full bag of chips were found on the trail on Oct. 24. No other details were given and police have yet to confirm the information.
Grand Theft Auto IV for the PlayStation 3 has shot to the top of the Japanese software sales chart for the week ended November 2, according to data provided by Media Creat.
Rockstar's controversial title saw 133,000 unit sales in its first week on the PS3, which comes after weeks of the platform's flagging hardware sales. Square Enix's Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono for the Nintendo DS followed behind at number two with 80,000 units.
PS3 exclusive LittleBigPlanet debuted in third place with 52,000 units, with Pokemon Platinum for the DS coming in fourth at 47,000 units, and Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode, also for the DS, securing a place at number five with 40,000 units.
Rhythm Tengoku Gold, for the DS, took sixth place with 39,000 units, while Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 debuted at number seven with 34,000 units.
Closing off the Japanese software chart were a number of new portable titles, each with approximately 26,000 unit sales, including the DS titles Personal Trainer: Walking and Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu + , as well as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G for the PlayStation Portable in eighth, ninth and tenth places respectively.
Japanese software sales chart follows:
01. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
02. Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono (DS)
03. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
04. Pokémon Platinum (DS)
05. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS)
06. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
07. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360)
08. Personal Trainer: Walking (DS)
09. Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu + (DS)
10. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
Microsoft is ushering in the New Xbox Experience with A Kingdom for Keflings, the first Xbox 360 title to feature playable, in-game Avatars -- as GIANTS, no less. Developed by NinjaBee, who teased the game in June, the city-building sim supports 4-player Xbox Live multiplayer and "works perfectly with Xbox Live Party" (we should hope so!). While you can carry and assign jobs to Keflings (uh, the game's tiny, humanoid slaves), we have yet to confirm the ability to use Keflings to poke out other Avatars' eyes. But what an experience that would be!
A Kingdom for Keflings can be yours -- and your Avatar's -- for 800 [Microsoft Points] ($10) when it hits Xbox Live Arcade on November 19th.
Though Namco Bandai made Ace Combat 6 owners weep with its high-priced downloadable content, the company has now put out word that it has now knocked the price down to free on select downloads. This is to help promote the newly announced Platinum Hits version of Ace Combat 6 that comes at a price of $29.99.
The content made free is a mix of holiday themed planes and multiplayer maps. Here's a list of the content that you can now snag for free:
Microsoft and Sumthing Else Music Works are going to release the Fable II soundtrack on 25th November, both in shops and on iTunes.
The score, so important to the lengthy fairytale RPG, is the result of over 90 musicians' hard work, including the national symphony orchestra of Slovakia. This impresses us. Continue. Oh I appear to be talking to myself.
Hollywood music man Danny Elfman (Spider-Man, The Simpsons, Big Fish) composed the theme, while Lionhead familiar Russell Shaw filled in the rest. You can watch them in action over on Eurogamer TV, if you like.
"We had a lot of music to record, covering many different styles including chamber, Celtic, classic, quirky, pure pizzicato, atmospheric and dramatic," said Russell Shaw.
"Scripted moments have orchestral cues relevant to what is happening at that point in the story - sad, dramatic, mysterious, tension and danger. The final result is a very rich, Hollywood style score covering many genres."
The full track listing follows:
"Fable Theme" - Russell Shaw (Music Box Theme - Danny Elfman)
"Old Town" - Russell Shaw
"Bowerstone Cemetery" - Russell Shaw
"Bowerlake" - Russell Shaw
"Wraithmarsh" - Russell Shaw (Music Box Theme - Danny Elfman)
It looks like the new Quantum of Solace game for the Xbox 360 has a little something extra bundled in with the package: according to reports, an explosive 48 hour Xbox Live Gold trial membership card with a secret "Netflix code" on the back is included. Nobody seems particularly stunned to hear that the companies plan to aggressively push the streaming movie service when the NXE goes live on November 19th, though no other details of the trial have emerged yet. There does seem to be ferocious agreement, however, that it's at least somewhat possible trials will appear with other high-profile games, too.
Don't let the name fool you, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is actually a compilation disc of 40 varied titles from the glory days of Sega. The $30 bundle for Xbox 360 and PS3 releases in "spring 2009" and outputs in 720p.
As long as developer Backbone Entertainment keeps the quality high, this is looking like a must-have compilation for fans. [Until Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection PLUS. - Ed.]
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
Dr. Robotnik's MBM
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco II: The Tides of Time
E-SWAT
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe I
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shining in the Darkness
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
It seems Halo Wars is set to become the new Crackdown, with Microsoft enticing franchise fence sitters with goodies from Halo 3. The real-time strategy game set within Bungie's sprawling, hoop-filled universe will arrive this forthcoming February in both regular form and a Limited Collector's Edition. The latter should prove tempting even to those who prefer to see their aliens on the other side of a crosshair, as it will include early access to Halo 3's Mythic multiplayer map pack.
The three maps, named "Assembly," "Orbital" and "Sandbox," join Halo Wars: Genesis, a graphic novel by Phil Noto, Graeme Devine and Eric Nylund; a "unique" in-game Wraith vehicle; six leader cards (they "possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle," it says here) and a "Spirit of Fire" patch, which your mom can sew onto your favorite jacket. Just be sure to pay her back the $79.99 as well.
As part of today's quarterly financial wrap-up, Activision Blizzard struck a high note with the announcement that the Guitar Hero franchise has topped the NPD Group's software sales chart for the first nine months of 2008. This includes, of course, every permutation of the rhythm game series combined across all console platforms and Nintendo DS, with the exception of the newly released Guitar Hero World Tour.
In its report to shareholders, Blizzivision pointed out that Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero: On Tour, in particular, contributed most to its bottom line for Q2. With World Tour out in Q3 followed by the holiday release of GH: Decades for the DS, we could see a similar chart-topping performance for the franchise come the end of December.
A nine year old boy has been arrested in Japan for stealing his parents car to visit his grandmother. And how, pray, does a nine year old kid learn to drive?
"It's my first time driving" he said, "but I learned from watching dad and playing at the video arcade."
Police in Gifu prefecture received a call on Monday morning from an anxious pedestrian who had seen a car apparently with no driver - the little sod was sitting on th every edge of the seat, strainingto reach the pedals and peer over the steering wheel.
The real question of course is What game did he practice on? Knowing if there are junior GTA players on the loose could be a very different prospect to under-age Mario Kart re-enactors.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Hot titles came in torrents, mirroring the American election hype that has reached its climax yesterday. Same as the political atmosphere, the stream of this weeks' releases tend to be nerve wreakingly exciting.
Participate in the third World War that may end all wars and humanity in Tom Clancy's EndWar. But before a full world war could launch, spy activities must take place. As part of the promotional campaign for the new 007 film, James Bond: Quantum of Solace is out on your home consoles.
But sometimes technology may go awry, especially when they get fused with biology. Become the hero Sgt. Nathan Hale in Resistance 2 and fight both the Chimera, a set of war machines and the virus that threatens to turn you into the enemy of mankind.
You may have realized that your 3rd generation consoles are just as powerful as the famous spy's gadgets in his movies, these consoles make all sorts of mythological monsters come to life on your screen. Fight these swarming beasts for the survival of humanity in Legendary [PlayStation3™, Xbox360™ US, Asian versions, PC-Game].
Challenge your environment through sports instead of firearms in Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. The racer takes its participants to a tropical paradise for this season's races. The game blurs the line between virtual and reality by its accurate portrayal of the environment's physics. Take your mind off your current troubles and burst through the jungle.
Besides challenging the environment, try to live in harmony with it. Madagascar 2, the jungle adventure came out this week. Have fun with your madcap team of friends and strive to save the African savannah in this family adventure.
The newest Nintendo handheld console, NDSi's [black version, white version] debut this week heightens gamers' excitement. Aside from spotting cameras and a larger screen, the new console allows players to access an online shop so they could buy games on the go.
Following the hype aroused by the new portable systems, two new RPGs came out. Valkyrie Profile: Toga Seoumono deepens the title's universe by featuring the darkness and hatred born along with honour while Avalon Code features the birth of a new world.
Besides games, a number of interesting OSTs are also released. Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer Original Soundtrack will prepare you for the new hit horizontal shooter on the PlayStation3™.
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™
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Assassin's Creed (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Baja 1000 US US$ 44.90
Beautiful Katamari Damacy (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace ASIA US$ 59.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 64.90
Lost Odyssey (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 54.90
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa ASIA US$ 49.90
MotoGP 08 US US$ 64.90
Project Gotham Racing 4 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon ASIA US$ 44.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar ASIA US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Accessory Bundle - Wireless Controller + Play & Charge Kit (Red) ASIA US$ 59.90
Xbox 360 Hard Drive (60 GB) Live Pack ASIA US$ 99.90
Xbox 360 Value Pack JPN US$ 389.90
PlayStation3™
Baja 1000 US US$ 44.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 59.90
Legendary US US$ 64.90
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 54.90
MotoGP 08 US US$ 64.90
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift US US$ 64.90
Resistance 2 US US$ 64.90
Resistance 2 [Collector's Edition] US US$ 89.90
SingStar Vol. 2 US US$ 44.90
SingStar Vol. 2 Bundle (w/ 2 Microphones) US US$ 69.90
Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon ASIA US$ 44.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar ASIA US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™
All Star Cheer Squad US US$ 44.90
Baja 1000 US US$ 44.90
Ben 10: Alien Force US US$ 44.90
Build-A-Bear Workshop: The Fur Seasons Islands US US$ 44.90
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess US US$ 44.90
FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play US US$ 54.90
Go Diego Go! Great Dinosaur Rescue US US$ 44.90
Hunt for Blackbeards Booty US US$ 44.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 54.90
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 54.90
Monster Jam: Urban Assault US US$ 44.90
My Sims Kingdom US US$ 54.90
Nerf N-Strike (w/ Blaster) US US$ 69.90
Shrek's Carnival Craze US US$ 44.90
Twin Strike: Operation Thunder US US$ 34.90
PlayStation2™
Baja 1000 US US$ 34.90
Ben 10: Alien Force US US$ 34.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 44.90
MotoGP 08 US US$ 34.90
SingStar Country US US$ 34.90
SingStar Country (w/ 2 Microphones) US US$ 59.90
SingStar Legends US US$ 34.90
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga US US$ 24.90
Wrestle Angels: Survivor 2 JPN US$ 64.90
Wrestle Angels: Survivor 2 [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Zero no Tsukai: Maigo no Period to Ikusen no Symphony JPN US$ 68.90
Zero no Tsukai: Maigo no Period to Ikusen no Symphony [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Nintendo DS™
Akagawa Jirou Mystery: Tsuki no Hikari JPN US$ 39.90
Aruite Wakaru: Seikatsu Rhythm DS JPN US$ 58.90
Avalon Code JPN US$ 48.90
Bella Sara US US$ 34.90
Ben 10: Alien Force US US$ 34.90
Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer US US$ 34.90
Exit DS US US$ 24.90
Glory Days: Attack Hero JPN US$ 48.90
Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe JPN US$ 48.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace US US$ 34.90
Koisuru Purin! Koi wa Daibouken! Dr. Kanmi no Yabou!? JPN US$ 48.90
Liquid Crystal Protection Filter DSi JPN US$ 6.99
Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa US US$ 34.90
Monster Jam: Urban Assault US US$ 24.90
My Sims Kingdom US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DSi (Black) JPN US$ 299.00
Nintendo DSi (White) JPN US$ 299.00
Nostalgia no Kaze JPN US$ 58.90
Pingu no Waku Waku Carnival! JPN US$ 48.90
Screen Guard DSi JPN US$ 6.99
Seikatsu Rhythm Meter JPN US$ 19.90
Shrek's Carnival Craze US US$ 34.90
Shugo Chara! Amunonijiro Chara Change JPN US$ 52.90
Six Flags Fun Park US US$ 34.90
The Wonder Pets!: Save the Animals US US$ 24.90
Theresia US US$ 34.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar ASIA US$ 29.90
Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
Bleach: Soul Carnival (Chinese language Version) ASIA US$ 42.90
Data Communication & Charge USB Cable JPN US$ 5.99
Data Communication & Charge USB Winding Cable JPN US$ 7.99
Hard Pouch Portable 3 (Silver) JPN US$ 9.99
Hard Pouch Portable 3 (White) JPN US$ 9.99
Monster Jam: Urban Assault US US$ 34.90
Neverland Card Battles US US$ 34.90
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga US US$ 34.90
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga ASIA US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™ UMD Movies
28 Days Later JPN US$ 9.90
AVP2 Aliens Vs. Predator JPN US$ 9.90
Alien JPN US$ 9.90
Alien 2 JPN US$ 9.90
Alien vs. Predator JPN US$ 9.90
Behind Enemy Lines JPN US$ 9.90
Daredevil JPN US$ 9.90
Die Hard JPN US$ 9.90
Die Hard 2 JPN US$ 9.90
Die Hard 3 JPN US$ 9.90
Die Hard 4.0 JPN US$ 9.90
Dodgeball JPN US$ 9.90
Elektra JPN US$ 9.90
Fantastic 4 JPN US$ 9.90
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer JPN US$ 9.90
Garfield The Movie JPN US$ 9.90
I, Robot JPN US$ 9.90
Ice Age JPN US$ 9.90
Independence Day JPN US$ 9.90
Kingdom of Heaven JPN US$ 9.90
Predator JPN US$ 9.90
Robots JPN US$ 9.90
Speed JPN US$ 9.90
The Day After Tomorrow JPN US$ 9.90
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen JPN US$ 9.90
X-MEN JPN US$ 9.90
X-MEN 2 JPN US$ 9.90
PC Games
Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile ASIA US$ 34.90
Bella Sara (DVD-ROM) US US$ 24.90
Deer Hunter Tournament US US$ 24.90
Exodus from the Earth ASIA US$ 34.90
FIFA Manager 09 ASIA US$ 39.90
MotoGP 08 US US$ 44.90
WWII Battle Tanks: T-34 vs. Tiger ASIA US$ 34.90
Game Guides, Magazines and Calendars
Arushaado FF Replay Tokei Shikake no Hakaishin JPN US$ 29.90
BioShock Signature Series Guide (PS3 Version) US US$ 19.90
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia / Akumajou Dracula: Ubawareta Kokuin Official Complete Guide JPN US$ 19.90
Comic Calendar 2009: BLEACH JPN US$ 29.90
Comic Calendar 2009: D.Gray-Man JPN US$ 21.90
Comic Calendar 2009: Gintama JPN US$ 31.90
Comic Calendar 2009: Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn! JPN US$ 26.90
Comic Calendar 2009: Masuda Kousuke Gekijou Gag Manga Biyori JPN US$ 34.90
Comic Calendar 2009: Naruto JPN US$ 29.90
Comic Calendar 2009: One Piece JPN US$ 32.90
Comic Calendar 2009: To Love JPN US$ 32.90
Gin no Express Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 38.90
Hakushaku to Yousei Calendar Book 2009 JPN US$ 29.90
James Bond: Quantum of Solace Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Tom Clancy's End War: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1039 (2008 11/14) JPN US$ 7.90
Video Game Related Soundtrack
Bleach Original Soundtrack Vol. 3 JPN US$ 29.90
Kimi no Yusha Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Naru Otori (Oretachi Ni Tsubasa Ha Nai Drama Series Vol.4) JPN US$ 20.90
Project Soul The Primary Sound Box - Soul Edge - Soul Calibur I & II [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 47.90
Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer Original Soundtrack Complete Edition ASIA US$ 14.90
Shining Force Exa Drama CD JPN US$ 29.90
Nijiiro Change (Shugo Chara Amu No Nijiiro Chara Change Intro Theme) JPN US$ 11.90
Valkyrie Profile: Toga Wo Seou Mono Arrange Album JPN US$ 29.90
Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 26.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week
Xbox360™
Call of Duty: World at War ASIA US$ 59.90
Call of Duty: World at War US US$ 64.90
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
Gears of War 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Gears of War 2 US US$ 64.90
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 69.90
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
Legendary ASIA US$ 49.90
Mirror's Edge ASIA US$ 49.90
Mirror's Edge US US$ 64.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 54.90
SOCOM: Confrontation ASIA US$ 39.90
SOCOM: Confrontation (w/ Headset) ASIA US$ 64.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
Call of Duty: World at War ASIA US$ 59.90
Call of Duty: World at War US US$ 64.90
Derby Time Online JPN US$ 59.90
Mirror's Edge ASIA US$ 49.90
Mirror's Edge US US$ 64.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm US US$ 64.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 54.90
Resistance 2 JPN US$ 64.90
Resistance 2 ASIA US$ 59.90
Samurai Dou 3 ASIA US$ 64.90
Samurai Dou 3 JPN US$ 69.90
Valkyria Chronicles US US$ 64.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard JPN US$ 54.90
Illvelo Wii JPN US$ 49.90
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World US US$ 44.90
PlayStation2™
Eternal Poison US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
KORG DS-10 Synthesizer US US$ 44.90
Ryuusei no RockMan 3: Black Ace JPN US$ 48.90
Ryuusei no RockMan 3: Red Joker JPN US$ 48.90
PC Games
Call of Duty: World at War (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Call of Duty: World at War (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack US US$ 44.90
PDC World Championship Darts 2008 was released on 26/09/2008 in the UK for the PSP.
PDC World Championship Darts 2008, PSP features in full;
* 4 Game Modes - Exhibition. Tournament, Career and Party Games
* Three levels of difficulty/throwing mechanisms - Amateur, Professional and Master
* Wireless multi player and game sharing! Allows for 2 individual PSP Systems to communicate with each other and play an Exhibition Match
* Featuring 16 PDC Champions : Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Peter Manley, Wayne Mardle, Dennis Priestley, Adrian Lewis, Alan Warriner-Little, John Part, Colin Lloyd, Mark Dudbridge, Roland Scholten, Ronnie Baxter, Terry Jenkins, Kevin Painter, Andy Hamilton, Andy Jenkins
* Commentary from the TV’s voice of darts Sid Waddell and top level match referee Bruce Spendley
* Computer opponents play off the real life averages and playing styles of the Pros
* Games stats displayed in-game, at the end of a match and stored as high scores and trivia
* In depth career mode based around the 7 major tournaments in the PDC calendar
* Custom Pictures – Import your own pictures via your Memory Stick Duo and assign them to a profile
* Custom Playlists – Create your own custom playlist by selecting MP3 tracks from your Memory Stick Duo
To celebrate the release of the game, we will be giving away a PSP and a copy of PDC World Championship Darts 2008 to a lucky DCEmu member, curiosity of Oxygen Games. Also we will be giving away a copy of the game to 2 Runners up. That at total of £220 worth of prizes!!
This contest is available to (residents of the UK and Ireland only).
To enter this contest all you have to do is to post a reply to this news post and answer the following question:
What's the Best Score you have ever had in Darts? (3 darts)
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 Wednesday the 26th of November 2008.
If you want to post a reply to this post but do not qualify for the contest e.g. live outside the UK and Ireland, please post "I'm not entering the contest" thanks
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). 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.
Thanks to Nintendo's financial results briefing, we have some solid European sales figures. And the results? Pretty much what everyone thought, Wii is kicking ass, PS3 selling a little better than the Xbox 360 for most of the year, until the recent Xbox 360 price cuts.
system at acidmods has redesigned the 360 controller to only have analogues on the top without face buttons so looks really minimalist and has used mini joys on the back to replace the face buttons and directional pad. looks really minimalist and is the ultimate controller as no need to move hands off the buttons so have full control at all times.
Another round of weekly data reading for console sales in Japan and there are changes and a new entry in the ranks:
Nintendo DSi: 171,925
Playstation Portable: 50,358
Playstation 3: 39,587
Nintendo Wii: 23,123
Nintendo DS Lite: 16,369
Playstation 2: 6,714
Xbox 360: 6,119
Nintendo's new DSi debuts at first place. The PSP comes next in 2nd, down roughly 10,000 units from last week. Playstation shoots into 3rd place, up by 35,000. The Wii comes next, down by 1,100. The old DS Lite slides further down by 5,400. PS2 is 6th place, down about 160. Finally, last in line again is the Xbox 360, down 1,700 units.
Capcom's let loose a Street Fighter IV gameplay video featuring new boss Seth.
Famitsu recently confirmed that the freakish looking blue coloured charatcer, who has a strange device embedded in his stomach, will be a playable character in the home version of SFIV (he wasn't in the arcade version).
You should definitely check out this video of him making mince meat of the likes of Crimson Viper, M. Bison and Guile.
Rare has declined to rule out the possibility of N64 classics Banjo-Kazooie and the sequel releasing on Wii's Virtual Console, despite their imminent arrival on XBLA.
When asked, once again, of the likelihood that Banjo's original outings would appear on Nintendo's download service, a Rare rep said: "No immediate plans to put Kazooie or Tooie on Virtual Console, as you might expect now that they're both due out on Xbox Live Arcade."
Not the reply we want, but it's not a straight "no chance" either which, to us, leaves room for hope. Hope that Rare isn't just leading us on - flirtatiously rubbing our inner thighs before running off and leaving us high and dry.
The original Banjo-Kazooie will arrive on XBLA on November 26, with Banjo-Tooie to follow early next year.
Ghostbusters has not been canned. Ghostbusters is coming out next year. Don't thank us, thank Atari.
"Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a fantastic addition to Atari's global line-up in 2009," said Phil Harrison, President of Atari's parent company, Infogrames. "The title has built considerable anticipation and excitement among game fans for its high quality action and all-out mayhem. There's no more thrilling Ghostbusting experience to be had, short of building your own proton pack."
Just in case you need a top-up, here's some official blurb:
Ghostbusters: The Video Game was penned by original Ghostbusters writers Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites members of the original cast for the first time in 20 years.
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson lend their voices and in-game likenesses to the original story set two years after Ghostbusters II, with Manhattan once again overrun by ghosts and supernatural forces.
The game also features performances from fan favourites such as William Atherton (Walter Peck), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz) and Brian Doyle-Murray (portraying Mayor Jock Mulligan).
Ghostbusters is coming to PS3, PS2, 360, PC, Wii and DS. Basically you will be playing it when it comes out. Or at least be near someone who is.
You know who likes the smell of victory in the morning? The British Army, that's who - and now the Ministry Of Defence is pumping research pounds into creating a Virtual Battlefield complete with Virtual Smells so soldiers can sample that smell - alongside the bouquet of bullets, the whiff of weaponry and the perfume of the paramilitary - without having to step into harm's way.
The MOD already uses modified videogames to train ground troops but researcher have just invested £20,000 to investigate whether adding the sense of smell to a game experience can significantly enhance its realism and hence its value as a training aid.
"Smell is so closely linked to emotion and memory," says Professor Bob Jones of Birmingham University, "it's something that we need to take seriously."
If the research proves effective, it may not be long before games consoles adopt the technology.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the games companies are looking for an inexpensive version for the domestic market," said Jones.
"I think it could be translated into the computer games market in two-and-a-half years."
Just imagine - by 2011 you could be playing Gears of War 4 with two little Microsoft-branded plugs up your nostrils. I bet that armor really starts to stink after a couple of hours out in the field.
Speaking with 1UP, Rare's Mark Betteridge was asked about the chances of us seeing more Rare games on Xbox Live Arcade now that the original Banjo Kazooie is up for download. Surprisingly/fortunately, Betteridge did not beat around the bush:
Sure! It's something that we've been looking at. It's all about building a platform where we can do that stuff without impacting the newer things here. It would be great if we could get Killer Instinct coin-op on there.
Canadian retailer Future Shop is to cancel the promotional activities planned for tonight's Gear of War 2 launch at its Toronto and Vancouver stores as a mark of respect for the family of Brandon Crisp, the missing boy who's body was discovered in Barrie this week.
The company had planned midnight launch parties for the game's release. Stores in both cities will still be open at midnight, but the celebrations will not now be taking place. Future Shop issued the following statement through their PR agency.
Future Shop and our vendor partner have decided to cancel promotional activities prior to the midnight release of Gears of War 2 in Toronto and Vancouver out of respect for the family and friends of Brandon Crisp. The game will still be available to the thousands of customers anticipating this release at Future Shop stores across the country at midnight on November 7, 2008. All stores in Quebec and Sudbury, Ontario will offer the game at 8:00 a.m.
And it’s not from Japan! Microsoft threw an Xbox Invitational event in Korea and publishers flocked to showcase their games. Activision brought Spider Man: Web of Shadows and Call of Duty: World at War to the show. Capcom displayed Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV. Microsoft hauled a load of Halo Wars information which seemed to be one of the highlights and this makes sense given Korea’s love with Starcraft.
Local publishers showed off their wares too. Cyberfront Korea carried Moss’ Raiden IV and Barunson Creative had a demo of a Korean English training game. It’s called Speak Out and it has sixty scenarios where players can practice speaking English by using a headset. More can be added via downloadable content. You can compare your voice to a native speaker, take daily tests, and play some mini-games. I’m quite curious to see what the achivements are going to be for this! Speak Out isn’t the first locally developed Korean Xbox 360 game either, but it’s always interesting to see what local markets are doing.
Much like the typing speed question I asked over the summer, this question is designed to pit you head-to-head against one another to see who has the biggest e-wang (so to speak). All you need to do is follow this link to test your internet connection speed.
The big AAA holiday games are starting to hit store. Let's talk about that! Because today, today is 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, 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. Waka waka.
Question: Are you a patient game buyer? Meaning, do you always buy new games (or hardware, for that matter) on the first day or are you able to wait the hype out?
If you got GTAIV on or just after its release, managed to rack up a 100% completion percentage and got one of those "return within seven days" emails, congratulations. You were one of the first people to "complete" the game, and earned yourself a prize. If you took the time to read that email, you'd have noticed that Rockstar warned it could take up to 120 days for your prize - a "key" to Liberty City - to arrive, depending on how many they had to make. Guess they had to make a ton of them, because they're only now, in November, shipping out to the winners. Reader MastaKwaa was one of the lucky ones, and his just turned up in the mail. If you're a fellow winner, yours will be there soon, and will look like this. If you weren't a winner, here's what you could have got yourself if you were a winner, and not a loser.
Having just completed Resistance 2, for work purposes, I'll be taking a little break from gaming, recharging the batteries for... an upcoming Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts review. I'll tell you what we played last night though, me and the boys at the monthly LA Geek Night: Mirror's Edge, Wii Music and a bit of Fable II. We also played a little bit of John Carpenter's The Thing — the movie, that is — as those in my circle without access to the New Xbox Experience wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
I may try to sneak in some Left 4 Dead demo time — and probably some processor and video card overclocking attempts — but otherwise, it's going to be Jiggie collecting for me. What are you playing this weekend?
Avatars? Microsoft is retroactively adding them into the revised Xbox 360 dashboard coming in just two weeks. And when the avatar feature goes public you just know users are going to recreate celebrities and video game characters with it. When Impress Watch got their hands on the NXE they sort of did. The avatar they created bares some resemblance to a famous Koopa stomping plumber. Sure, it’s far from a perfect replica, but if you were planning to make Mario as your avatar it looks like the necessary parts will be there.
Why does Square Enix keep revisiting old franchises and selling polished classics? People buy them. This sales chart is a slide from Square Enix’s second quarter financial briefing of fiscal year 2009, a quarter when Square Enix released more new properties than any other quarter since the merger. Four brand new and entirely unattached games to any existing Square Enix series were introduced in Japan: Song Summoner, Nanashi no Game, Sigma Harmonics and Infinite Undiscovery. Sales of Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride for the DS dwarfed all of them tallied together. Sales data for Song Summoner, an iPod game, was not released.
Actually, Infinite Undiscovery sold fairly well worldwide. Tri-Ace’s Xbox 360 game was on par with Final Fantasy Tactics A2 in North America and it just came out in September. However, even critically acclaimed games like the World Ends With You, which came out in North America this April, have a hard time standing up to legacy games like Final Fantasy IV. Since remakes cost less to develop and sell like hotcakes slides like these are a convincing argument for an executive board to stay on the remake train instead of developing new properties. Of course, Square Enix is still trying to make new properties. The Last Remnant comes out in just a few weeks.
The elections are over, but the worldwide excitement is prolonged by the churning of the Gears of War. Gamers have probably marked today on their calendars ever since the game was announced. To those who have preordered the game, you'll have your whole system flooded by adrenaline soon, and to those who are still skeptical, let us persuade you to join your peers.
From the publisher: Gears of War® 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history.
Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde.
Gears of War 2 is developed by Epic Games exclusively for Xbox 360®. Continue the story of Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero, as he leads Delta Squad on a series of perilous and adrenaline-pumping missions. Gears of War 2 blends a best-in-class third-person shooter with unsurpassed high-definition visuals, all layered on top of an engaging story of survival, loss, and retribution.
Gears of War 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Gears of War 2 US US$ 64.90
Bear witness to the graphical excellence of the game, the destruction of war and the hordes of Locusts you are coming up against:
Plan your war strategies by reading up on the official game guide. The book is available for US$ 19.90 only.
The other guide, Gears of War 2: Last Stand Edition Strategy Guide is available for US$ 34.90 only. The book is currently available for preorder and is coming on Monday next week.
The Original Soundtrack is coming in November 25th, it is available for preorder for US$ 15.97 only.
For those who have missed the first game, you can get the Platinum Edition of Gears of War at Play-Asia.com:
Xbox360™
Gears of War (2-disc Edition) US US$ 44.90
Gears of War (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Gears of War (Platinum Collection) ASIA US$ 29.90
PC Game
Gears of War (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 36.90
Coming simultaneously with the Standard Editions are the Limited Editions which contains even more goodies.
The package comes codes that allow players to download 5 bonus maps and a golden Lancer Assault Rifle through Xbox Live.
A hardcover artbook and behind-the-scenes footage are included in the box, immerse deeper into the War by gaining a fuller knowledge about it.
Preserving the hint of sentimental atmosphere in the game, the package comes with a keepsake photo of Dominic and Maria Santiago. Keep everything safe in a steel DVD case, carefully printed with the signature weapon of the series, the Lancer Assault Rifle to its most exacting standards.
We only have a very limited amount of the Limited Editions and they are running out fast, to avoid dissapointment, place your order now.
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] ASIA N/A
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
The gears are moving and there is nothing which can stop the war now that Marcus Fenix and his men have stepped out of the TV screen into the real world.
Recreate your favorite battle scene with Neca's set of action figures and line them up in the best formation against the Locust soldier Theron Guard.
Aside from the leaders of both sides, the set comes with Dominic Santiago, Marcus's right hand man and Damon Baird, the brains of the team. With muscles, brains and great leadership, there is nothing between you and victory.
Everything is made to perfection in this set, including the accessories and the weapons. Every teeth on the saw chain of the Lancer Rifle gleamed in a sinister red, with it in hand, Marcus is going to strike horror into any hostile forces against you.
Gears of War Series 2 Action Figure Box Set is coming out along with the game, get involved in the war effort for US$ 54.90 only.
To those who already have part of a set, for example, a figure of Marcus Fenix or Damon Baird and want to get the figures they have missed out, or want to form their own team of Locusts, you can get them separately. The set of individual action figures comes with the same characters that are featured in the set, and an extra helmetless Theron guard.
Gears of War Series 2 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Damon Baird US US$ 19.90
Gears of War Series 2 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Dominic Santiago US US$ 19.90
Gears of War Series 2 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Marcus Fenix US US$ 19.90
Gears of War Series 2 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Theron Guard (Without Helmet) US US$ 19.90
Gears of War Series 2 Pre-Painted Action Figure: Theron Sentinel (Helmet) US US$ 19.90
If you are fond with warfare of a bigger scale, let Marcus Fenix, lead your team across the territories of your home to fight the invasion of Locusts.
Standing at 12 inches tall, he is certainly a role model of a formidable soldier and an awe inspiring figure for many Gears of War enthusiast.
Crafted completely to scale, the action figure spots multiple points of articulation that allows it to perform acts that its game counterpart is capable of. Aside from being completely loyal to the leader's game image, the figure emits sounds as you push a button.
Marcus Fenix's action figure comes with the two handy weapons the Delta Squad leader is wielding with ease, one of them is his hand gun and the other is the lancer saw blade.
Employ the services of the model military man Marcus Fenix for US$ 29.90 only.
Gears of War Pre-Painted 12" Action Figure: Marcus Fenix US US$ 29.90
We acknowledge that a number of you might be sick of Gamerscore Blog's weekly previews of the New Xbox Experience, but we assure you -- this one is worth checking out. Examined in the latest sneak peek is the Xbox Live Party system, which lets you congregate with seven of your online acquaintences, allowing you to participate in an eight-Avatar chatroom. You can also fire off an invite to everyone in your party with the push of a button, allowing your outfit to move between games with the greatest of ease (we hope). A video preview of this feature is included after the jump.
Also previewed is the oft-promised photo sharing feature, now heralded as the "Photo Party". This feature will allow users to share photos from a disc, camera or USB drive with their fellow partygoers, who can discuss and rate the images (hopefully, a filter for dong-related JPEGs will be implemented to thwart our more devious cohorts). Not mentioned in the preview is the supposed delay of the photo sharing feature -- could it now possibly be on-track for the NXE's Nov. 19 launch?
The transnational character of gaming is one that opens up a wide range of opportunities for the industry, but comes with a number of pitfalls as well — and, as Mathew McCurley argues at the Escapist, has far-reaching negative consequences, especially in term of content. Trying to navigate the tricky waters of censorship and varied expectations of what is OK (and what's not) in a variety of countries can mean developers play it safe in an attempt to ensure that their game will reach a wider audience:
The videogame industry will never stop pushing boundaries. It can't - gamers have an insatiable demand for more visceral experiences and will continue to flock to games that provide them. The problem, however, is the potentially heavy cost of taking risks on a global scale. The companies that have been most fearless about creating controversial games are the ones with the money to fight those battles, backed by publishers like EA who assume some of the risk. Smaller teams may find ways of breaking the boundaries in other content-neutral ways, like Jonathan Blow's Braid, which approaches storytelling through creative game mechanics. But the uncertainty that shrouds the ratings processes all over the world is a giant red flag for all but the most courageous game companies.
Of course, this ignores many of the good points of a more international scene, and I can't imagine there's a good way to get around this (short of trying to create an isolationist industry, which is unreasonable from several fronts). But it's certainly an interesting problem to ponder.
description
Look Death in the Eye and Bare Your Teeth
The next chapter in one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history is about to unfold. Six months have passed, and humanity’s desperate struggle for survival continues on both epic and personal levels. BradyGames’ official Signature Series guide leads you through every Locust encounter, every gripping battle, from start to finish!
Developed On-Site at Epic Games!
Created with direct input from the game designers at Epic while on-site in their own studio. This guide is the only source for tactics, data, and insight straight from the pros!
Exhaustive Campaign Coverage
Custom tailored to how players approach the game, our walkthrough guides you through all five campaign acts. We provide exactly the information you need - when you need it. We break down each chapter into its individual encounters, outline enemy presence at a glance, and supply in-depth tactics when you want more detail.
Detailed Single-Player and Multiplayer Maps
Our maps depict every area in the game. We pinpoint mission objectives, collectible locations, weapons and ammo, and more! Multiplayer maps provide mode-specific callouts, illustrate team strategies, and identify enemy paths and chokepoints!
Unprecedented Multiplayer Content
We give you the level maps and then take you further. Maximize your combat effectiveness with multiplayer-specific weapon stats, along with pickup location and cycle data. Lock down any match with enemy spawn points and specialized tactics for each game mode and map. Dominate team play with role-based strategies and expanded coverage of the addictive new Horde mode!
That’s Not All!
Complete Achievement Reference
Co-Op Campaign Strategy
Every War Journal Collectible
Expert Combat Training
Character and Enemy Bios
Developer Tips and Tricks
Double-Sided Foldout!
Exclusive two-sided banner not available anywhere else!
features
Strategy for the next generation: Led by creative director Michael de Plater (Rome Total War), EndWar will redefine strategy gaming. Designed exclusively for next-gen consoles EndWar will create a theatre of war, immersing you in the drama of World War III in a way you never thought possible.
Fight For Your Nation: Pick a side US, Europe, Russia - the fate of the world is in your hands. If you don't step in to save your homeland, who will?
Command Your Army: Grow your army into the most powerful force on the planet. Your army is completely customizable, and experience breeds strength - your units grow more powerful with every campaign you fight.
Light Up The City of Lights: Tom Clancy's World War III won't be won by capturing remote deserts or grasslands but by striking countries in the heart. Paris, Moscow, Washington D.C. will all erupt in flames as you battle your way through the fully destructive playground.
A Whole New Kind of Massive: EndWar will be an online multiplayer experience unlike anything you've ever encountered. 16 player matchups? Try hundreds. 30 minute battles? Try persistent matchups lasting for months at a time. This isn't a skirmish, it's World War III.
Talk Your Way to Victory: Put the controller aside and start shouting commands. EndWar can be played almost entirely via voice command.
description
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein
2011 - 2014. The world enjoys an unprecedented era of peace as enhanced defense technology eliminates the threat of nuclear war. But can it last?
2020. Constant depletion of resources has international tensions at a breaking point. One spark will ignite what no one thought could happen...a third and final world war.
Introducing Tom Clancy's EndWar, the first new Clancy I.P. since the highly acclaimed Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell launched in 2002. EndWar will bring World War III to life in a way only Clancy can.
features
Protect America's top leadership
Assume the role of an elite agent on Inauguration Day in Washington D.C
The tactical first person action takes place among famous landmarks and everywhere in between, including both Marine One and Air Force One
description
Protect America's top leadership in Secret Service. Assume the role of an elite agent on Inauguration Day in Washington D.C. An extremist assault has been launched against the capitol - security has been compromised and it is unclear who is friend or foe. There is no time for negotiation as you are thrust out of the shadows and into the line of fire in order to protect the nation's leaders. The tactical first person action takes place among famous landmarks and everywhere in between, including both Marine One and Air Force One.
features
This new game lets you try to name the film after watching an old-school, eight-bit-style animation of a famous scene
This is a "six degrees of separation" challenge in which you must link together a series of clues to guess the answer
In this game, test your power of observation as you try to determine which of two similar movie stills match a particular movie
Movie fans in France, Italy, German, Spain, and the U.K. have even more to love, with content from some of their favorite local films included in versions of the game sold in their countries
description
Scene It? ® Box Office Smash for Xbox 360 brings movie and trivia fans together for a game that provides hours of laughter. Challenge your friends and family to see whose movie knowledge reigns supreme while you relive some of your favorite moments from the silver screen
With all-new questions, more high-definition (HD) movie clips, and several new puzzle types, you have a trivia game overflowing with images plus audio and video clips from hundreds of films you know and love
features
The largest and most comprehensive Namco Museum™ collection to date will keep you and your friends entertained for hours
No downloading necessary! Now you can get your XBLA fix and play the critically-acclaimed and visually-spectacular Pac-Man® Championship Edition™ and the underground drilling classic, DIG DUG®
Show off your high score worldwide and compete for the #1 spot
In their first console debut, 3 beloved games arrive with a new twist, a fresh new look and fun gameplay - DIG DUG Arrangement, Galaga® Arrangement and PAC-MAN Arrangement
Get nostalgic and play more than 20 retro favorites such as Dig Dug® II, Pole Position®, Pac-Mania® and Rolling Thunder®
description
XBLA, Classic and Re-Invented Arcade Favorites are now all in one package for the Xbox 360!
features
Modern military firepower confronts the tooth and claw of legend in a massive, blockbuster experience with spectacular run and gun firefights and battles
Skyscrapers fall and your world crumbles around you. See London burn to the ground and witness New York torn apart in spectacular supernatural destruction
Werewolves scale vertical walls in an effort to find a path to you, and beware, for they will use environmental objects to gain an advantage
Take on enemies from the size of a child all the way up to spectacular titan creatures tens of stories tall
description
All creatures of ancient myth, legend and lore are real. They've just been sealed away for thousands of years inside Pandora's box, waiting ... for you ... in Legendary. When a thief named Deckard is hired to steal an ancient artifact, he unwittingly triggers a war between man and myth.
Griffons rule the skies, werewolves tear the innocent limb from limb, and cities are held under siege as creatures we'd dismissed as imaginings of our ancestors prove to be very real and very angry for being held prisoner for untold millennia. As the only person able to return these creatures to the box, Deckard finds that he must work with a shadowy secret society to save civilization before it is torn apart by tooth and claw.
features
For the first time on next-gen, take control of the new Bond. Employ all of your Bond skills in high-octane combat, chaotic gun fights and precise stealth takedowns
First person shooting with third person over combat allows you to adjust your gameplay to meet each challange. Hide behind cover, fire from protected positions and use suppressing fire to distract enemies
Advanced AI systems allow enemies react to you in intelligent and tactical ways. Think quick, because they'll seek cover and outflank you
Utilizing the likenesses and voices of actors from both films including Daniel Craig and Judi Dench, the game immerses you in the story of how Bond becomes the ultimate 00 agent. Each mission will take you through exotic locations such as Casino Royale in Montenegro, the canals of Venice, the countryside of Madagascar, the deserts of Bolivia and the streets of Austria
Bond goes online with standard 12-player multiplayer modes plus unique Bond modes such as "Bond VS" which pits you against other opponents in an intense race to complete objectives, and "Golden Gun" mode, which allows players to perform one hit kills using the coveted Golden Gun
description
BOND IS BACK!
Coldly efficient...dangerous...the new Bond is the ultimate weapon in today's ruthless world of international espionage. Blending first person shooting and third person action, Quantum of Solace the Game puts you in control of Bond's greatest weapon - his mind. You must think like Bond and intelligently use the map and situation to your advantage. Confront enemies in a variety of ways: take them head on, fire from behind cover or sneak up silently and eliminate them with a variety of special takedown moves. Based on Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace the Game puts you in the dangerous world of international espionage and intrigue.
description
The player’s goal in HISTORY Civil War: Secret Missions is to disrupt the armies of both the North and the South by any means necessary, including conducting train raids, stealing ironclad ships, stopping enemy supply lines, destroying enemy artillery and more. All events are drawn from the real life actions of famous partisans, scouts and rangers - fight as a member of Mosby’s Rangers, Sheridan’s Scouts and Grant’s Secret Service and receive your mission commands from famous generals including Robert E. Lee, “Stonewall” Jackson, and Ulysses Grant.
The action in HISTORY Civil War: Secret Mission accurately reflects the guerrilla tactics of the time period. Weapons include the shotgun, the pepperbox revolver and the coffee mill gun, and there is heavy reliance on scouts and naval warfare http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-33va.html
features
Material: Polystone
Scale: 1/4
Size: 483mm x 203mm x 267mm
Weight: approx. 12.5 kg
Licenced by Eidos, designed by Sideshow Collectibles
Hand painted, Hand numbered
Strictly Limited
description
The Premium Format Lara Croft figure captures every curve of the sexiest archaeologist to ever grace your screen. Lara is outfitted as she appears in Legend, the entire costume captured in expertly tailored fabrics. The figure is cast in heavy-weight polystone and hand-painted to exacting standards, and is complete with a rubble and ruin environmental display base. Each figure is individually hand-numbered, and packed in a durable foam interior and beautiful color box.
features
State of the art WIRELESS guitar controller with the new neck slider and authentic drum kit controller, with wired microphone deliver the most authentic band experience
Compose, record, edit, and share your own music online. Download and play community-created content for free!
Rock out solo, with another guitarist or a band. Kick it up with 4 vs. 4 Battle of the Bands play
Create your own rocker, choose from your favorite Guitar Hero® icons or take the stage as the biggest rock stars around
Enjoy a massive soundtrack, with all master tracks and no covers!
description
Share the Experience! Guitar Hero® World Tour combines exhilarating guitar game play with cooperative band elements.
Publishing juggernaut Activision recently partnered up with the United Service Organization, a non-profit group whose sole purpose is to boost the morale of those currently serving in the armed forces, to give the gift of gaming to a bunch of people who have really earned it. At a launch event for Call of Duty: World at War at a Washington D.C. GameStop, customers will be able to play the title online with active servicemen and servicewomen -- in addition, for every copy of World at War purchased at the event, Activision will donate $10 to the USO. On top of all that, Activision will also donate $100,000 worth of Guitar Hero III to military bases across the globe.
This rather altruistic showing might just be exactly what Activision needed to win back the heart of the gaming community in the wake of a few upsetting comments recently made by CEO Bobby Kotick. We're a forgiving lot, aren't we, guys?
Wow if this is what XNA can do then im well impressed, take a look at this screeny:
In the distant future, our planet has been conquered by aliens. What's left of human race is called Rebellion and we are fighting for what was once ours.
Rebellion is 3D shooter where you fight against enemy units inside aircraft, gunboats, rocket turrets...
I started this project at the beginning of 2008 and I plan to release demo at the end of 2008.
If you ran out and picked up WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 today with dreams of creating dozens of Superstars, you might be in for a surprise. Currently, the only way to drag your created Superstars from their low-30 overall rating to something that can contend with the WWE heavyweights is to take each one of them through the game's Career Mode and spend hours earning attribute points. Needless to say, if you're looking to make 30 great Superstars, that's going to take some time.
However, THQ has just announced that a downloadable patch is in the works.
"The patch will allow fans of the leading fighting videogame franchise to give all of their created Superstars full attributes after completing the new Career Mode one time through," a statement from the company reads. "Given the overall popularity of the Create-A-Superstar feature and the fans' ongoing demand for more flexibility, this new patch will greatly enhance the player's ability to fully customize many created Superstars at the same time."
The bad news? All THQ would say about the patch's release date is that it'll be before Jan. 31, 2009. Hope you weren't in a hurry to create your biker gang/sewing circle.
Autopsy results show that Brandon Crisp died of chest injuries sustained in a fall, likely from from a tree, and that foul play is not suspected in his death. The 15-year-old from Barrie, Ont. went missing Oct. 13 after an argument with his parents over his confiscated Xbox 360.
The story continues to bring out experts and notable persons to make some sort of commentaryon "video game addiction" which is what Brandon's father says is partly, or at least proximately, responsible for this tragedy. In a Canadian Press story, Vance Wallace, lead designer of Tomb Raider: Underworld, makes the common sense declaration that yes, games should be enjoyed in moderation, the same as anything else consumed for pleasure. Wallace also said the scapegoating of games is a reaction that predates even video games.
"I think that video games are the new Jazz music or TV," he told the CP at Festival Arcadia, described as Canada's premier gaming event.
"Whenever there's something that's understood by one generation and not understood by another, it becomes a scapegoat for people and they just say 'Oh that's obviously the problem."'
Elsewhere, the games-addiction storyline is still accepted at face value, which is a great message to send to parents who lack an understanding of video games and might overhear chatter that a cool title is engineered for a 420-hour experience. Says the Globe and Mail of Toronto:
Stephen Kline, a researcher with Simon Fraser University who has studied youth and compulsive gaming, said the sad ending to Brandon's life will make it difficult for parents to act if they see their children growing increasingly preoccupied with gaming.
“Coming out of this, I think a lot of parents will say, ‘Well, what can I do? I can't take the game away. I think my kid will do a bump,” he said. “There's a deep lack of information about what to do.”
I'm not sold on "addiction" here. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist; does mean it should be or should have been professionally diagnosed. Why can't this just be a case of a typically messed-up teenager who did something rash, and instead of it ending with hugs and a good cry, his parents are bearing the anguish of his decision forever? When I was 15 I was obsessed with the idea of becoming a professional baseball player and had a screaming match with mother when she told me that was never gonna happen. Doesn't mean I was addicted to the thought or the game, and I didn't run away to play it, but I was definitely in my own world.
Microsoft's Gears of War 2 for the Xbox 360 has beaten Sony's PS3 hope LittleBigPlanet to the top of the All Formats charts in the UK.
Both titles are exclusive to their respective formats, and LittleBigPlanet even benefited from a sales head-start – being released on November 5, two days before Gears' November 7 release.
But data from GfK Chart-Track shows Epic's highly-anticipated shooter entered the charts at number one, enjoying the third-best week-one sales for a 360 title, behind GTA IV and Halo 3.
LittleBigPlanet was originally due for release October 24, but was delayed globally while Sony removed part of the games soundtrack.
The Media Molecule-developed title debuted at number four in the chart, beating THQ's newly-released WWE Smackdown Vs RAW 2009 at five.
Nintendo's Professor Layton and the Curious Village entered the charts at number six, while Guitar Hero: World Tour broke the top twenty at 17.
Sony's other PlayStation 3 exclusive MotorStorm: Pacific Rift didn't perform strongly in its first week, only entering the charts at number 29, just ahead of Ubisoft's new Tom Clancy franchise, EndWar, at 30.
The full top ten for the UK follows:
1. Gears of War 2
2. FIFA 09
3. Fallout 3
4. LittleBigPlanet
5. WWE Smackdown Vs RAW 2009
6. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
7. Mario Kart Wii
8. Quantum of Solace
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
10. Wii Fit
Rare has about-turned and decided to fix the problem with text that occurs when Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is played on a standard definition telly.
"We would like to assure you that, contrary to earlier reports, we are aware of the issue and currently working on a title update to be released within the next 30 days that will fix it for those with standard definition TVs," Rare Community manager George Kelion told MundoRare.
"We're committed to ensuring all fans of the franchise are able to have the best experience possible with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts."
Kelion had previously told us a fix was "simply something that's too expensive in terms of time, resources and money to alter".
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will be released to the public this Friday.
Head over to Eurogamer's Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts review for our verdict.
Behind the jump, there are photos of a Tubgirl Xbox 360 faceplate. I am warning you, it's horrible and, obviously, NSFW. You don't want to see it. If you don't know what Tubgirl is, believe me when I say that in this case, ignorance really is bliss. But if you really must see the faceplate, which was a gift made by request for Cliffy B., the brains behind Gears of War 2 (and 1 for that matter), I'll show it to you. OK, well, there isn't much else to say, so here it is, you sickos.
The #1 fighting game franchise in the world upholds its commitment to providing gamers with the definitive simulation of live WWE programming.
Featuring added depth and realism, along with a first-ever co-op storyline, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 enables players to come together and experience the virtual world of the WWE. On your own, you’re great, but together, you’re unstoppable.
Game Features:
TAG TEAM EXPLOSION: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 unleashes a brand new tag team match. Build momentum and attributes as a team, destroy opponents with high-impact double teams, pull off new bone-crunching tag team finishers and get the "hot tag" for the win.
ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA: Pave the way to WWE's biggest event of the year through WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009's new story mode, which features the franchise's first-ever co-op storyline.
CREATE-A-FINISHER: Construct the most devastating moves ever unleashed in a WWE ring with this brand new interface. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 lets players customize all aspects of created Superstars—even their very own finishing moves.
NEW ONLINE FUNCTIONALITY: Extend the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 gameplay experience with downloadable content and much more.
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is available on a number of platforms:
Xbox360™
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 64.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 59.90
Nintendo DS™
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 34.90
Disney Sing It is a new video-based karaoke game featuring a mix of popular fan-faves and the hottest new Disney talents.
The first game in this rockin' new franchise features songs and videos from Hollywood Records artists, Disney Channel Original Series, and Disney Channel Original Movies.
Players can belt it out to some of today's chart topping tunes and have a blast along with their friends and Disney stars!
Disney movies are known for their feel-good elements, the cheerful plots, endearing characters and music. Disney Sing it is perfect for a party or karaoke night, sing with your friends in solos, duets and even teams, the game provides voice lessons that you can attend whenever you like.
The party game is compatible with these systems:
Xbox360™
Disney Sing It (Bundle with Microphone) ASIA US$ 59.90
Disney Sing It (Bundle with Microphone) US US$ 69.90
PlayStation3™
Disney Sing It (Bundle with Microphone) US US$ 69.90
Nintendo Wii™
Disney Sing It US US$ 44.90
Disney Sing It (Bundle with Microphone) US US$ 69.90
PlayStation2™
Disney Sing It US US$ 34.90
Disney Sing It (Bundle with Microphone) US US$ 59.90
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says he's "not sure" if Grand Theft Auto IV's highly lauded downloadable content will be out this year.
Speaking to Variety's Cut-Scene blog during GTA IV's Japanese press rounds, Houser says that Rockstar hopes to announce something "in the next few weeks".
"It's going well," the creative VP told the site. "But we don't know a date. We hope to be announcing that in the next few weeks.
"We're still figuring out a few things. We're more focused on quality than dates, always have been. But the development is going really good. It's shaping up to be something we're very proud of. That was our goal".
Houser didn't offer details on what, other than the date, Rockstar will be announcing in the coming weeks but he says he wants to give people a rough idea on what to expect, "so their expectations are roughly in line".
"We don't want them to imagine it's this enormous thing that it can never be," he said.
"Doing a big digital launch is something we've never done before. It's virgin territory, but at the same time, we feel very exposed because there's no case history. No one ever came out with major DLC for a major game like this before."
THE ULTIMATE GEARS OF WAR 2 COLLECTIBLE
LIMITED EDITION EMBOSSED HARDCOVER STRATEGY GUIDE
Everything from our Signature Series guide - and more - packaged in a premium hardcover binding.
EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO XBOX 360 LIVE STRATEGY VIDEOS
Special code inside allows you to access our strategy videos, available only through this Limited Edition package.
NUMBERED LITHOGRAPHIC ART
Be one of the few lucky gearheads to own this gorgeously macabre limited edition art. This is your only chance to get this 5x7 lithograph.
BONUS CONTENT
Excerpt from the GoW2 Comic, including artist comps and a look behind the scenes.
SIGNATURE SERIES GUIDE INCLUDES:
Exhaustive Campaign Coverage
Custom tailored to how players approach the game, our walkthrough guides you through all five campaign acts. We provide exactly the information you need - when you need it. We break down each chapter into its individual encounters, outline enemy presence at a glance, and supply in-depth tactics when you want more detail.
Detailed Single-Player and Multiplayer Maps
Our maps depict every area in the game. We pinpoint mission objectives, collectible locations, weapons and ammo, and more! Multiplayer maps provide mode-specific callouts, illustrate team strategies, and identify enemy paths and chokepoints!
Unprecedented Multiplayer Content
We give you the level maps and then take you further. Maximize your combat effectiveness with multiplayer-specific weapon stats, along with pickup location and cycle data. Lock down any match with enemy spawn points and specialized tactics for each game mode and map. Dominate team play with role-based strategies and expanded coverage of the addictive new Horde mode!
That’s Not All!
Complete Achievement Reference
Co-Op Campaign Strategy
Every War Journal Collectible
Expert Combat Training
Character and Enemy Bios
Developer Tips and Tricks
Double-Sided Foldout!
Exclusive two-sided banner not available anywhere else!
EA has coughed up first details on what it's calling Dead Space 'premium upgrade packs', which will be released in Europe on both XBM and PSN on November 13. US PS3 owners have to wait until the packs ship worldwide on November 20.
Here's the full list of upgrade packs and what they include:
Astronaut Pack: Download the Astronaut Suit and Weapon Skin Pack, featuring an amazing Astronaut Suit and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper! -- $3.00 / 240 MS points
Big Gun Pack: Download the Steam Punk Force Gun, the ultimate in Necromorph-killing destruction. -- $1.00 / 80 MS points
Heavy Damage Pack: Download the Heavy Damage Weapon pack featuring a cool new look and massive firepower for the Plasma Cutter, Contact Beam, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper. -- $3.00 / 240 MS points
Hot Rod Pack: Download the Hot Rod Weapon Skin Pack, featuring awesome flame graphics for the Flamethrower and Pulse Rifle. -- $1.00 / 80 MS points
Military Pack: Download the Military Weapon Pack for a new look and enhanced power for all 7 Dead Space weapons. -- $4.00 / 320 MS points
Pedestrian Pack: Download the Pedestrian Weapon Skin Pack, featuring a fresh new look for the Contact Beam, Plasma Cutter, and Ripper. -- $1.50 / 120 MS points
Scorpion Pack: Download the Scorpion Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun, all decorated in an awesome red Scorpion Skin. -- $4.00 / 320 MS points
Scorpion Weapon Pack: Download the Scorpion Weapon Pack featuring a faster death-dealing Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun in awesome red skins. -- $2.25 / 180 MS points
Speed Kills Pack: Download the Speed Kills Weapon Pack! Includes faster-firing Force Gun, Line Gun, and Plasma Cutter. -- $2.25 / 180 MS points
Tank Pack: Download the Tank Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Flamethrower, Force Gun, and Line Gun, all covered in Unitology script. -- $4.00 / 320 MS points
The UK enjoyed software sales growth of 15 per cent for the three months ended September 30, beating marginal growth in the US of 8 per cent and a decline in Japan of 21 per cent.
Total global sales for the period evened out at 1 per cent, according to data from Top Global Markets, the alliance of NPD, GfK Chart-Track and Enterbrain, formed in August this year.
"Taking into consideration the marked differences between the three territories, the UK market in particular is gearing up for a best-ever Q4 performance overall, even under the well-documented financial climate," commented Dorian Bloch, business group director of GfK Chart-Track Limited.
"We fully expect UK consumers to drive sales for the full year to unprecedented heights, especially considering the line-up of exciting single and multi-format new franchises currently hitting the market, not to mention the evergreen portfolio of Nintendo-published Wii and DS titles which have done such a great job of expanding the market to a far more mainstream consumer."
Console software sales in the UK was up 26 per cent, but portable sales declined 1 per cent. Growth in the US was more even, with console software up 6 per cent, and portable growth up 10 per cent. Only the US market grew compared to the same period last year, by 3 per cent.
Japanese sales were down 33 per cent for console software, and 13 per cent in the handheld market.
"Japan did experience sales declines in both software categories, but it is important to keep in mind that not only is Japan a more mature market than the US and UK, but 2007 was a banner year for the Japanese software market, with the titles released in the third quarter of 2008 not being as highly anticipated as those released during the same time period in 2007," added Ricky K Tanimoto, global marketing analyst at Enterbrain.
Tanimoto observed that the market in Japan is not likely to be affected by the current global economic downturn, with the PSP 3000 and the DSi expected to drive sales in Q4.
Anita Frazier, analyst for NPD added that the US market "is on solid ground" for the next quarter, ending in December.
Xbox exec Don Mattrick has claimed that he created avatars way back in 1991.
I'm claiming to have invented avatars," the senior VP of the Xbox business told OXM in an interview about the upcoming 'New Xbox Experience'.
""I did 4D Sports Boxing! Do you know what 4D Boxing was? Hey, you should be writing this! That was me. C'mon! It's human, it's in 3D, it has a face... it was genuinely the first time there was something human-shaped in 3D! Look it up!"
While Mattrick's comments perhaps seem a little tongue in cheek, his company Distinctive Software did develop 4D Sports Boxing in 1991, and it does appear it may have been the first game to feature controllable human figures in 3D.
We assume he wants to put the point across because of the growing role of avatars in gaming, and because he's keen to stress that MS isn't simply copying someone else.
According to fellow Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg Microsoft's avatars "aren't exactly a new concept, but what is unique about them is integrating them so completely with our social network, and even integrating them into our games. Across the whole network - so you can use them in and out of games as your persona".
Anyway, whoever created avatars isn't really the point. The fact is, avatars look set to play an increasingly big role in gaming in the coming years. Aside from Nintendo's existing Mii characters and Microsoft's upcoming avatars, Sony's virtual world Home will also be heavily centred around avatars.
Personally it's all about the quality of gaming and not the amount of options you have for customising a 3D virtual representation of yourself, but if you like that type of thing there's plenty of it on the way for you.
Downloadable content as a weapon against second-hand resales is, nothing new, but Epic's Mike Capps has heard other ideas for how it can be used with devastating effect. If you hated the idea of DLC weapons in Bad Company, well, you're really going to hate this.
“I’ve talked to some developers who are saying ‘If you want to fight the final boss you go online and pay USD 20, but if you bought the retail version you got it for free’. We don’t make any money when someone rents it, and we don’t make any money when someone buys it used - way more than twice as many people played Gears than bought it.”
That would reduce everything but a retail sale to a demo, in my view. This doesn't sound like Capps specifically advocating such a bastard-ass move. But these two sides — developers and retailer/resellers — need to arrive at some sort of truce or else the only ones who'll get screwed are the gamers.
I can't imagine the Amazon and Metacritic reviews for such a game. It would make the Spore DRM backlash look like a polite disagreement. Seriously, games industry, you want to start spewing douchewater like the RIAA, go for it. They can tell you what it's done for their sales.
Ubisoft just announced that Far Cry 2 has achieved a million sales worldwide in under three weeks across Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Even with the holiday wallet onslaught (and recession) in full effect, it's encouraging to see a quality title that could have slipped through the cracks compete at retail.
The Africa-set Far Cry 2, developed by Ubisoft Montreal, has met with solid reviews from the gaming press and our very own Afrikaner, who greeted the news of the game's achievement with, "YES! Good job, world."
We're barely surviving 2008's consumerism climax and already publishers are dangling their 2009 wares in front of us. Alright, Square Enix, we'll play your despicable game, if only to take our minds off the current gaming glut. Square Enix's North American (and heavily subtitled) lineup for Q1 2009 is as follows:
Star Ocean: Second Evolution (PSP / 6 Jan.): Being the remastered portable version of the interstellar -- and considered by some to be just plain stellar -- sequel. Features new voice work, new cutscenes and people crying in space.
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS / 17 Feb.): Being the hitherto unlocalized entry in the venerable RPG series. Yes, Dragon Ball Z guy designed these characters too.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope (Xbox 360 / 3 Mar.): Being tri-Ace's long-awaited continuation of the science-fiction franchise. The subtitle implies that this is a big deal for the Xbox 360 in Japan.
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (DS / 17 Mar.): Being the third instalment in the respected Valkyrie Profile series. If you're looking for an explanation of the title, we're afraid you're plume out of luck.
With two different storage mediums in hand, the fine folks at Eurogamer have done what any gadget-loving geek would and should do: pit them against each other and fill numerous tables with the numerical results. The scintillating statfest concerns the loading times of Xbox 360 games, most of which seem to show a notable, albeit unimpressive, improvement when installed to the hard drive via the New Xbox Experience.
Interestingly, it's The Orange Box's Half-Life 2 component which benefits the most out of all the test subjects, with initial loading time cut down from 44.5 seconds (wow, really?) to 25.5 quiet, whoosh-less seconds. Another notable game is shoot-teh-alienz epic, Halo 3 -- it actually fares worse when installed to the hard drive. Which is just as well, really, since we'd rather have the drive noise drown out the 13-year-olds killing us. Repeatedly.
One of the most feel-good stories of the year has got to be the unholy alliance between NPD/GfK/Enterbrain, that lets us see - every three months, at least - what the biggest-selling games are not in the US, Europe or Japan, but in the world. Last time we checked, the best-seller was GTA IV. This time around, for the quarter running from July-September? It's Madden. Madden, followed by daylight.
1. Madden 09 - 2.994 million
2. Wii Fit - 2.089 million
3. Force Unleashed - 1.738 million
4. Pokemon Platinum - 1.482 million
5. Mario Kart Wii - 1.468 million
What's even more interesting than the raw numbers is the percentage of those final tallies US sales comprise. For Madden, of the 2.994 million, 2.958 were in the US. Proving, in case Americans were unaware, how few people outside North America give a rat's arse about American Football. Yet for Wii Fit and Mario Kart, US numbers accounted for barely half of total sales: 1.283 million of 2.089 million for Wii Fit, and 856,000 of 1.468 million for Mario Kart Wii.
"Digital Marketing" experts Clickz have a theory - casual games are becoming the dominant form of gameplay and are killing the console market deader than a particularly dead doornail.
"We are entering a future that many in the game industry are still denying and fighting against," says Clickz's Kevin Carney, "We are watching the icon of gaming, the console, quickly and ungraciously bow to the internet."
You see, it is not just any old casual gaming - it is web-based casual gaming with an advertising-based revenue model. "Here's the beauty of this transition: advertisers are the prime movers. Online games are typically funded through advertising revenue," continues Carney.
Step into the world of Too Human, the epic action-game for Xbox 360™ from famed developer Silicon Knights®. As the Cybernetic God Baldur, you get thrust into the midst of an ongoing battle that threatens the existence of mankind.
An ancient machine presence has forced the God’s hand. In the first of a three part trilogy, Baldur is charged with defending mankind from an onslaught of monstrous war machines bent on eradication of human life.
Game Features:
The excitement of an action game is combined with the creative economy features and social experiences of a typical RPG
With a wide array of weapons, armors, cybernetic implants, and skills, players have an unprecedented level of customization with their characters
Using a sophisticated blend of seamless melee and high-tech weapons combat, players have the power to vanquish foes near and far
Experience the full excitement of combat through a dynamically driven presentation system that portrays the combat with cinematic quality
Perform Baldur's elaborate and complex combat maneuvers, and chain together rapid-fire attacks and combos with ease
Conquer the world alone or with friends in advanced, online two-player co-op gameplay through the Xbox LIVE service
Too Human, chosen as our weekly special is selling at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 19.90 only.
features
Call of Duty 4 Technology – Built using the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War utilizes a bedrock of technology that delivers jaw-dropping visuals, while empowering players to employ elements like fire to affect the dynamics of the battlefield.
Coordinated Assault and Support – For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op, bringing fresh meaning to the “No One Fights Alone” mantra. Call of Duty: World at War co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution.
New Theaters of Operation – Players fight as U.S. Marines and Russian soldiers facing enemies – some new to the Call of Duty franchise – that employ lethal new tactics and know no fear, no mercy, nor the rules of war.
Innovative Multiplayer – Multiplayer builds from the success of Call of Duty delivering a persistent online experience for more squad based interaction. New development with party systems allows an intimacy with squad based combat never before seen in Call of Duty.
Cinematic Quality Graphics and Sound – Treyarch’s award-winning sound department returns with effects that add to the already immersive cinematic intensity of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine.
description
Building on the Call of Duty 4 engine, Call of Duty: World at War thrusts players into the ruthless and gritty chaos of WWII combat like never been before, and challenges them to band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles of WWII that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and South Pacific fronts. The title re-defines WWII games by offering an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through all new cooperative gameplay.
features
Move yourself: String together an amazing arsenal of wall-runs, leaps, vaults and more, in fluid, acrobatic movements that turns every level of the urban environment to your advantage and salvation.
Immerse yourself: In first person every breath, every collision, every impact is acutely felt. Heights create real vertigo, movements flow naturally, collisions and bullet impacts create genuine fear and adrenaline.
Challenge yourself: Fight or flight. Your speed and agility allow you not only to evade, capture and perform daring escapes, but also to disable and disarm unwary opponents, in a mix of chase, puzzles, strategy and intense combat.
Free Yourself: Runner vision allows you to see the city as they do. See the flow. Rooftops become pathways and conduits, opportunities and escape routes. The flow is what keeps you running – what keeps you alive.
description
In a city where information is heavily monitored, agile couriers called Runners transport sensitive data away from prying eyes. In this seemingly utopian paradise, a crime has been committed, your sister has been framed and now you are being hunted. You are a Runner called Faith - and this innovative first-person action adventure is your story.
Mirror’s Edge™ delivers you straight into the shoes of this unique heroine as she traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat and fast paced chases. With a never before seen sense of movement and perspective, you will be drawn into Faith’s world. A world that is visceral, immediate, and very dangerous.
Live or die? Soar or plummet? One thing is certain, in this city you will learn how to run.
From the makers of the groundbreaking Battlefield franchise, Mirror’s Edge is an action-adventure experience unlike any other.
features
It’s Always Better With Someone Else – Fight your way through three campaigns solo, or join forces with your friends or one of nine, in-game commanders, each with unique personalities and play styles, in missions designed from the ground for co-op play.
Star-Studded Storytelling – Command & Conquer’s trademark live-action videos return in HD, with over 60 minutes of footage featuring the largest cast in the history of the Command & Conquer franchise.
Command the Seas, Conquer the World – Experience Gameplay³ as for the first time in the series, waging war on the water will be every bit as important as dominating by land and air. Gain strategic advantages by controlling resources in the seas and mounting three-pronged attacks from all directions.
Ready your Man Cannons! – Armored War Bears, and Anime-inspired psychic school girls join your favorite Red Alert units like Sonic Dolphins, Tesla Troopers, Attack Dogs, and the ever popular Tanya.
A New Threat From the East - The deadly Empire of the Rising Sun is a technological terror, with designs influenced by a mixture of anime, science-fiction, martial arts and robot culture. The Empire’s futuristic units can transform into alternate forms, and they specialize in naval warfare.
CommandStick 2.0 - Improving on the CommandStick interface first pioneered in Command & Conquer 3 Kane’s Wrath, 360 owners will get an unparalleled console RTS experience, with controls designed for 360 gamers, accessible to gamers of all skill levels.
description
The desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.
Capcom announced a release date for Dead Rising: Zombie no Ikenie, better known as Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop here, will come out on February 19 in Japan. This version of Dead Rising breaks down the Xbox 360 game into a series of missions and utilizes the control scheme from Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition.
You can point at the screen with the remote to aim and shoot at zombies. However, if you’re expecting the same experience you’re going to be sorely disappointed. As it’s been mentioned many times before Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop doesn’t pile the screen with zombies like the Xbox 360 game so you get a totally different kind of game. Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop is more like a light gun game than Dead Rising. Actually, Capcom should have gone with a straight light gun spin off or Dead Rising Snap. Both could have worked and prevented inevitable comparisons to the original game.
Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop costs 7,340 yen ($75) in Japan, but I don’t expect Capcom USA to sell the game for that much. Retailers in the USA are currently pricing Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop at $39.99.
In addition to the 2 million copies of Gears of War 2 that flew off the shelves over the weekend, LIVE was pretty active as well. More than 1.5 million people signed into "Gears of War 2" during the weekend, racking up a total 15 million gameplay hours and helping set a new record for concurrent LIVE players. These players also collectively unlocked more than 19 million GoW2 Achievements.
I’ve gotten a few messages and seen some forum threads pop up on console bannings so I thought I’d post and let folks know what’s up. In our our continued effort to keep gameplay safe and secure for our community of more than 14 million members, Microsoft has taken action against a small percentage of Xbox 360 consoles that have been illegally modified in order to play pirated games. You should know that modifying your Xbox 360 console is also a violation of the Xbox LIVE terms of use, will void your warranty and result in a ban from Xbox LIVE. The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive, both from manufacturers and the local companies that support them. We will continue to employ and bolster anti-piracy security measures to counter piracy in the gaming industry and improve security in the Xbox LIVE community.
The Elite and Pro editions of the console have experienced the biggest price reductions, dropping AU$100 each with the Elite now retailing at AU$549 and the Pro going for AU$499. The Arcade version has taken a further cut too, dropping from AU$350 to AU$300.
The price cuts come after the benchmark pricecut made 6 months ago; where the 360 Arcade became the cheapest TV Console in the territory. Microsoft says that the Xbox 360 Arcade continues to be the best-selling console in the region.
According to the Austrlian arm of retail giant GAME, the Wii retails for around AU$399 and the 40GB PS3 sells at AU$699.
Microsoft's UK head of gaming, Stephen McGill, had recently said that the 360 will not see a drop in price for "many years" in the UK.
One Australian dollar is worth around $0.66 [US] and £0.43 at the time of writing.
Microsoft appears to be preparing three more games for the budget Xbox Live Arcade Hits range.
Halved in price to 400 MS Points (GBP 3.40 / EUR 4.80) will be Worms, Feeding Frenzy and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, according to the list on the official US Xbox website.
However, we've had a scout around the Live service and can find no mention of the games in the XBLA Hits section.
Of the three, Worms will attract the most attention. This version recycles the classical formula of old, which, if you can stomach it, still holds plenty of local head-to-head charm. Head over to our Worms XBLA review for more.
Reviews of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 suggest a faithful port with online battles, while critiques of Feeding Frenzy paint a dismal picture.
Our picks of the rest of the Xbox Live Arcade Hits are DOOM, Marble Blast Ultra, and Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords.
All, except the latter, cost 400 Microsoft Points (GBP 3.40 / EUR 4.80). Puzzle Quest began at a higher price point, and therefore halves to 800 MS Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60).
We've asked Microsoft for further clarification on dates.
We speculated in our review of the new iPod touch that Apple had designs on more than just consumption of music and video, and now an interview with company VP of iPod and iPhone product marketing Greg Joswiak all but confirms that sights are set on the gaming market. In a conversation with T3, Joswiak boasts that the devices are breaking through as a viable alternative to established handhelds (such as the PSP or DS) due mostly in part to competitive software pricing and the company's content delivery system. While much of the interview focuses on iPod sales figures, it does delve into more detailed comparisons of platforms, with Joswiak stating, "The 3D graphic power here [iPod touch] is significantly greater than what you have here [picks up Nintendo DS]. So this allows people to do significantly higher quality games." While it's not unusual to hear Apple's honchos hyping their products like they just skipped across some water to heal a few lepers, it is a new trend to see the company aggressively going after gaming platform mainstays so directly. With Sony and Nintendo just getting up to speed on non-traditional content delivery, Apple may find an edge come holiday season with casual gamers -- the real question is whether the hardcore will bite.
Just as China declares internet addiction a "mental disorder," 22 year-old Hu Ange from Sichuan Province is now trying to claim insanity after being sentenced to death for poisoning his parents and spending their money on online games. Back in March 2007, Hu's parents gave him 50,000 yuan (US$7,353) to support his seafood business — he spent all the money on online game Legend. Flash forward to July 14, 2007 when he purchased 20 packs of tetramine and poisoned his father the following morning. His father was saved thanks to emergency treatment. Days later on July 20, he bought 45 more packs of tetramine and served them with mixed beef on July 24, poisoning both his parents at lunch. Hu did not respond to his dying mother's pleas for help, because he was in his room playing Legend. If poisoning one's parents on multiple occasions wasn't nutty enough, this wacko's gotta drag gaming into it.
A new Kirby title from Nintendo has knocked Grand Theft Auto IV off the top of the charts in Japan.
According to data from Media Create, Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe sold 266,000 units in its first week of sale.
Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV, published by Capcom in the region, was the fifth highest seller in the market, shifting a further 36,000 copies.
Sony's LittleBigPlanet, released last week and entering the charts at number four, dropped down to tenth place with 17,000 copies sold.
The full top ten for Japan, week ended November 9, follows:
01. Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (DS)
02. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
03. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS)
04. Pokémon Platinum (DS)
05. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
06. Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono (DS)
07. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
08. Personal Trainer: Walking (DS)
09. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III (PS3)
10. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
A new piece of Halo 3 Recon artwork has emerged in the form of US mag Game Informer's forthcoming cover, which hits the shops next week.
The mag promises "10 pages packed full of info and screenshots straight from Bungie," and hopefully - unlike Halo 3 - it won't just be a load of multiplayer stuff to tease us even more than we already have.
Bungie has previously referred to the standalone expansion as its "Frozen Throne" (in reference to Blizzard's content-packed Warcraft III expansion) and said it's "not viewing this as a full game."
A single-player campaign following the antics of a hard-nut Orbital Drop Shock Trooper as well as new maps and multiplayer content are promised.
Look out for the details hitting the internet soon then.
360 hasn't been doing too badly in Japan lately, having recently outsold PS3 for six weeks running. And The Last Remnant could be the game to give the platform that extra kick it needs in the Far East.
The Square Enix RPG has score a massive 38/40 in Famitsu magazine scoring 10, 10, 9 and 9 from its four reviewers (via NeoGAF).
Full translations of the review are yet to filter through, but from that score we're guessing they like it. And Square expects our western brains to like it too.
"Our goal with The Last Remnant was always to make a game that would be welcomed by a global audience," said producer Nobuyuki Ueda recently.
"Our fans across Europe have been very supportive towards us, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to play the game at the same time as fans in Japan. We hope they'll enjoy playing The Last Remnant as much as we have enjoyed making it," he added.
The game's due out worldwide on 360 on November 20.
From the publisher: Enter a snowboarding world of total freedom. You can create your own experience in this game, and choose when, where, how and with whom you want to ride.
Developed in close collaboration with Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White – the most successful snowboarder in the history of the sport – Shaun White Snowboarding is the next-gen game that redefines the action sports genre.
Game Features:
Choose how you ride in open-world mountains across the globe. Conquer the extreme peak conditions, create your own paths in the back country, or compete with fellow riders in the terrain park.
Play in a world where your friends are always around. Do you own runs on mountains populated by real gamers, or join your friends for a quick session from anywhere in the mountains
Have fun with your friends on and off the board: Throw snowballs, hike to access secret spots, film your friends doing crazy tricks. You can also upload your videos online to share with the world
Express yourself through tricks, riding styles, and highly customizable avatars both in single-player and in the online world. Use the intuitive dual analog control to pull off a huge variety of tricks that express your style
Snow board in your living room on one of these consoles:
Xbox360™
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 64.90
Shaun White Snowboarding ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 64.90
Shaun White Snowboarding ASIA US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 44.90
PC Game
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 34.90
All products on preorder are expected to arrive during the next few days, so please check back often for a more concrete shipping schedule.
features
Call of Duty 4 Technology – Built using the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War utilizes a bedrock of technology that delivers jaw-dropping visuals, while empowering players to employ elements like fire to affect the dynamics of the battlefield.
Coordinated Assault and Support – For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op, bringing fresh meaning to the “No One Fights Alone” mantra. Call of Duty: World at War co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution.
New Theaters of Operation – Players fight as U.S. Marines and Russian soldiers facing enemies – some new to the Call of Duty franchise – that employ lethal new tactics and know no fear, no mercy, nor the rules of war.
Innovative Multiplayer – Multiplayer builds from the success of Call of Duty delivering a persistent online experience for more squad based interaction. New development with party systems allows an intimacy with squad based combat never before seen in Call of Duty.
Cinematic Quality Graphics and Sound – Treyarch’s award-winning sound department returns with effects that add to the already immersive cinematic intensity of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine.
description
Building on the Call of Duty 4 engine, Call of Duty: World at War thrusts players into the ruthless and gritty chaos of WWII combat like never been before, and challenges them to band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles of WWII that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and South Pacific fronts. The title re-defines WWII games by offering an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through all new cooperative gameplay.
features
Even after you reach the top of the WWE, you must be prepared defend your title against the Superstars of Raw, SmackDown, and ECW, as well as your friends and fierce online competition! You may hold the gold now, but if you want to keep it then you need this guide!
Learn their strengths and weaknesses, from the match types in which they dominate to the best way to set up their signature and finishing moves.
Guide the biggest names in WWE along the Road to WresleMania or lead the company as the General Manager where you make the roster, set up matches, and even create the company's Highlight Reel!
Not everyone is available immediately! To learn how to unlock your favorite Superstars and their special Abilities, just look inside!
Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS
features
Official Gears of War Figure
4 different kinds
Damon Baird, Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago & Theron Guard
Height: approx. 19cm
Limited availability
description
The gears are moving and there is nothing which can stop the war now that Marcus Fenix and his men have stepped out of the TV screen into the real world.
Recreate your favorite battle scene with Neca's set of action figures and line them up in the best formation against the Locust soldier Theron Guard.
Aside from the leaders of both sides, the set comes with Dominic Santiago, Marcus's right hand man and Damon Baird, the brains of the team. With muscles, brains and great leadership, there is nothing between you and victory.
Everything is made to perfection in this set, including the accessories and the weapons. Every teeth on the saw chain of the Lancer Rifle gleamed in a sinister red, with it in hand, Marcus is going to strike horror into any hostile forces against you.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
As the holiday season draws nearer and nearer, game developers push their products out, resulting in a flood of games in our warehouses.
Not only are there a lot of games, but most of them are block busters. Call of Duty: World At War allows players to participate in WWII, one of the largest scale wars that inspired gamers and developers alike.
Go from WWII to WWIII in Command and Conquer 3: Red Alert. Technology goes astray in this episode and everything goes beyond you wildest fancies. In an attempt to bring glory to your motherland, you travelled to a different time dimension, from this point onwards, you need to show whoever crosses your path that you are the boss!.
Aside from battling earthly forces, you can battle Locusts in Gears of War 2 that is threatening to overtake humanity. Please see this special report on the shipping status of the game and its related products.
Mankind is frequently under attack, the theme of technology against humans is a popular theme. Ryuusei no Rockman 3 [Black Ace and Red Joker] is a game based on such themes. Transform your armor and weapons in this hot DS release and eradicate the errors made by humans.
Sometimes freedom, or a sense of freedom need not be won over bloodshed. Shaun White Snowboarding and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift are games where speed is the liberating agent. Tear all chains that ties you to reality by accelerating down snowy slopes or storming through muddy paths.
Mirror's Edge combines liberating speeds with intense combat. Instead of pitting technology or aliens at you, you fall prey to hostile organizations that seeks to get their hands on, or destroy whatever secrets you are bearing. These people will stop at nothing, so run while you can.
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 takes away the speed factor and increased the combat elements by multi-fold. With its co-op story mode, you can take down any opponents with a friend. On your own, you are great, together, you are unstoppable.
The struggles are nothing less spectacular in the Japanese games. Localized for English speaking audiences, the engaging story and innovative strategic battle system in Valkyrie Chronicles are made available for the rest of the world.
Globalization opened up the Ninja industry for all highly qualified people to join in. Admire how seamlessly you can launch your ninja moves on your PlayStation3 in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm [Limited and Standard Editions].
Besides Ninja, you can be a Samurai in Samurai Dou 3 [Asian & JPN versions]. Freedom of play is one of the main attractions of the game, you can stay loyal to a cause or betray your employers. Everything is up to you in this game, just bear in mind what effects your actions will have on the land, as the state's future rests within your hands.
Another hot game that launches today is World of WarCraft : Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack. Please see this special news on details with regards to the game and its related products.
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™
Call of Duty: World at War ASIA US$ 59.90
Call of Duty: World at War US US$ 64.90
Call of Duty: World at War [Collector's Edition] US US$ 89.90
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
Disney Sing It (Bundle with Microphone) ASIA US$ 59.90
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 74.90
Gears of War 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Gears of War 2 US US$ 64.90
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] ASIA N/A
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] US N/A
Guitar Hero World Tour ASIA US$ 59.90
History Channel Civil War: Secret Missions US US$ 54.90
Legendary US US$ 64.90
Mirror's Edge ASIA US$ 49.90
Namco Museum Virtual Arcade US US$ 34.90
Scene It? Box Office Smash US US$ 44.90
Scene It? Box Office Smash (Controller Bundle) US US$ 79.90
Secret Service: Ultimate Sacrifice US US$ 44.90
Shaun White Snowboarding ASIA US$ 49.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar US US$ 64.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 ASIA US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Hard Drive (60 GB) Live Pack JPN US$ 129.90
PlayStation3™
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War (PlayStation3 the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Call of Duty: World at War ASIA US$ 59.90
Call of Duty: World at War US US$ 64.90
Derby Time Online JPN US$ 59.90
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 74.90
Guitar Hero World Tour ASIA US$ 59.90
History Channel Civil War: Secret Missions US US$ 54.90
Mahjong Taikai IV (Koei the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Major League Baseball 2K8 JPN US$ 59.90
Mirror's Edge ASIA US$ 49.90
MotorStorm 2 ASIA US$ 59.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm US US$ 64.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
Resistance 2 ASIA US$ 59.90
Resistance 2 JPN US$ 64.90
SOCOM: Confrontation ASIA US$ 39.90
SOCOM: Confrontation (w/ Headset) ASIA US$ 64.90
Samurai Dou 3 JPN US$ 69.90
Samurai Dou 3 ASIA US$ 64.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar US US$ 64.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar (Headset Bundle) ASIA US$ 79.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar (Headset Bundle) US N/A
Valkyria Chronicles US US$ 64.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 64.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 [Collector's Edition] US N/A
Nintendo Wii™
Blob: Colorful na Kibou JPN US$ 59.90
Call of Duty: World at War US US$ 54.90
FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play JPN US$ 59.90
Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard JPN US$ 54.90
Goosebumps HorrorLand US US$ 44.90
Illvelo Wii JPN US$ 49.90
Jinsei Game Wii EX JPN US$ 59.90
Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors US US$ 54.90
Movie Games US US$ 34.90
New Unou Kids Wii JPN US$ 49.90
Petz Sports US US$ 44.90
Remote Control Pocket (Black) JPN US$ 7.99
Remote Control Pocket (Blue) JPN US$ 7.99
Remote Control Pocket (White) JPN US$ 7.99
Sangokushi XI with Power-Up Kit (Koei the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Star Wars Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels US US$ 54.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World US US$ 34.90
Goosebumps HorrorLand US US$ 34.90
Major League Baseball 2K8 JPN US$ 49.90
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis US US$ 24.90
NHL 09 US US$ 34.90
Nobunaga no Yabou: Kakushin (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Sangokushi XI with Power-Up Kit (Koei the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Sengoku Musou 2 Empires (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 28.90
WinBack 2: Project Poseidon (Koei Selection Series) JPN US$ 19.90
Nintendo DS™
Call of Duty: World at War US US$ 34.90
DS Nishimura Kyotaro Suspense 2 Shin Tantei Series: Kanezawa kankan gokkan no kyoukoku fukushuu no kage JPN US$ 39.90
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell US US$ 34.90
Dragon Ball Origins US US$ 34.90
Elminage DS Remix: Yami no Fuo to Kamigami no Yubiwa JPN US$ 48.90
Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren DS 2 - Sabaku no Majou JPN US$ 48.90
Goosebumps HorrorLand US US$ 34.90
Ikatan: Ikamono Tantei JPN US$ 48.90
Imagine Interior Designer US US$ 34.90
Imagine Wedding Designer US US$ 34.90
Juggler DS JPN US$ 48.90
KORG DS-10 Synthesizer US US$ 44.90
Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors US US$ 34.90
My Baby Boy US US$ 34.90
My Baby Girl US US$ 34.90
New Unou Kids DS JPN US$ 39.90
Nobunaga no Yabou DS (Koei the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Petz Dogz Pack US US$ 34.90
Princess on Ice US US$ 34.90
Rhythm de Cooking JPN US$ 48.90
Ryuusei no RockMan 3: Black Ace JPN US$ 48.90
Ryuusei no RockMan 3: Red Joker JPN US$ 48.90
Shaun White Snowboarding ASIA US$ 29.90
Star Wars Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance US US$ 39.90
Taisen!! Ka to Chan no Kororonpe! JPN US$ 39.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar US US$ 34.90
Tongari Boushi no Mahou no 365 Nichi JPN US$ 48.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 34.90
Zero Kara Hajimeru: Otona no 5-Kokugo Nyuumon JPN US$ 39.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories
DS Card Case x 4 (Chic) JPN US$ 3.99
DS Card Case x 4 (Fine) JPN US$ 3.99
Dr. Slump Carrying Case (Arale) JPN US$ 9.90
Dr. Slump Carrying Case (Suppaman) JPN US$ 9.90
Dr. Slump Custom Hard Cover (Arale) JPN US$ 12.90
Dr. Slump Custom Hard Cover (Suppaman) JPN US$ 12.90
Dr. Slump Soft Card Case (Arale) JPN US$ 7.90
Dr. Slump Soft Card Case (Suppaman) JPN US$ 7.90
Ryuusei no RockMan 3 Noise Kaizou Gear Progress Stage (5pcs Pack) JPN US$ 2.99
Sony PSP™
Chuumon Shiyouze! Oretachi no Sekai JPN US$ 48.90
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 48.90
Guilty Gear: Judgment (Arc System Works Best Selection) JPN US$ 29.90
Guilty Gear: Judgment (Arc System Works Best Selection) ASIA US$ 24.90
Sangokushi VIII (Koei the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Sengoku Efuda Yuugi: Hototogisu Ran JPN US$ 48.90
Tom Clancy's EndWar US US$ 44.90
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 US US$ 44.90
Zero Pilot: Daisanji Sekai Taisen 1946 JPN US$ 48.90
Dreamcast™
Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles US$ 39.99
PC Game
Call of Duty: World at War (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Call of Duty: World at War (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
Call of Duty: World at War (DVD-ROM) [Collector's Edition] US US$ 79.90
Football Manager 2009 ASIA US$ 44.90
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack US US$ 44.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Gears of War 2 Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Gears of War 2: Last Stand Edition Strategy Guide US US$ 34.90
Hyper Hobby [December 2008] JPN US$ 16.90
MJ4 Capture Guide JPN US$ 22.90
Macross Ace Frontier Complete Guide JPN US$ 27.90
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters Complete Guide JPN US$ 27.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Resistance 2 Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Ryuusei no RockMan 3 Perfect Guide JPN US$ 13.90
Sengoku Efuda Yuugi: Hototogisu Ran Official Handbook JPN US$ 22.90
Star Wars Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duel and Jedi Alliance: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Tales of Vesperia Perfect Guide JPN US$ 31.90
Valkyria Chronicles Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Signature Series Guide US US$ 17.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1040 (2008 11/21) JPN US$ 7.90
Video Game related Soundtracks
Blob - Colorful Na Kibou CM Song (~Akihito Tanaka) JPN US$ 9.90
Original Voice Drama True Fortune Vol.1 JPN US$ 28.90
Quiz Magic Academy 5 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Tongari Bouchi To Mahou No 365 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 30.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week, as you can see, there are quite a lot of them:
Xbox360™
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts ASIA US$ 39.90
Left 4 Dead ASIA US$ 49.90
Left 4 Dead US US$ 64.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe ASIA US$ 49.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe [Collector's Edition] US US$ 79.90
Naruto: The Broken Bond ASIA US$ 49.90
Naruto: The Broken Bond US US$ 64.90
Need for Speed Undercover ASIA US$ 44.90
Otomedius Gorgeous JPN US$ 64.90
Otomedius Gorgeous + Hyper Stick Pro Otomedius Gorgeous Ver. [Konamistyle Limited Edition] JPN N/A
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 54.90
The Last Remnant US US$ 64.90
The Last Remnant (English language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
The Last Remnant (Japanese language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Tomb Raider Underworld US US$ 64.90
Tomb Raider Underworld ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe US US$ 64.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe [Collector's Edition] US US$ 79.90
Need for Speed Undercover US US$ 64.90
Need for Speed Undercover ASIA US$ 49.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 54.90
Tomb Raider Underworld ASIA US$ 59.90
Tomb Raider Underworld US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Animal Crossing: City Folk JPN US$ 59.90
Animal Crossing: City Folk US US$ 54.90
Animal Crossing: City Folk (w/ Wii Speak) JPN US$ 79.90
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World US US$ 44.90
PlayStation2™
Eternal Poison US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Chrono Trigger JPN US$ 48.90
Luminous Arc 2 US US$ 44.90
Metal Slug 7 US US$ 34.90
Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam ASIA US$ 42.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam JPN US$ 48.90
Prinny: Ore ga Shujinkou de Iinsuka? JPN US$ 48.90
PC Games
EverQuest II: The Shadow Odyssey (DVD-ROM) US US$ 44.90
Left 4 Dead (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
During a presentation at the BMO Capital Markets Conference in New York City today, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick gave an update on the release date of “Grand Theft Auto IV“’s downloadable content, saying that it might shift to Spring 2009.
He said, “It’s close to being complete. That said, it may move into the second quarter. Downloadable content is a big undertaking. It is important to be really special.”
As for “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars,” Zelnick said that the DS game is no longer guaranteed to be released by the end of first quarter of the 2009 fiscal year, which is January 31, 2009. It is now promised to be released in the first half of the fiscal year, which ends in April.
In the study boys (12-15) were asked to play two different video games at home in the evening. The boys’ heart rate was registered, among other parameters. It turned out that the heart rate variability was affected to a higher degree when the boys were playing games focusing on violence compared with games without violent features. Differences in heart rate variability were registered both while the boys were playing the games and when they were sleeping that night. The boys themselves did not feel that they had slept poorly after having played violent games.
The results show that the autonomous nerve system, and thereby central physiological systems in the body, can be affected when you play violent games without your being aware of it. It is too early to draw conclusions about what the long-term significance of this sort of influence might be. What is important about this study is that the researchers have found a way, on the one hand, to study what happens physiologically when you play video or computer games and, on the other hand, to discern the effects of various types of games.
It is hoped that it will be possible to use the method to enhance our knowledge of what mechanisms could lie behind the association that has previously been suggested between violent games and aggressive behavior.
The researchers, from Stockholm University, Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, also hope the method can be used to study how individuals are affected by playing often and for long periods, which can take the form of so-called game addiction.
An article on this research was recently published electronically in the scientific journal Acta Paediatrica.
This research on the effects of video games is funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS) and the Oscar and Maria Ekman Philanthropic Fund.
Microsoft has announced that it expects sales of the Xbox 360 worldwide to pass that of the original Xbox - around 25 million units - by the end of November.
However, according to Mindy Mount, corporate VP and CFO of the company's Entertainment and Devices division, this is "still only a start," with the Xbox 360 a "big driver" of growth in the interactive entertainment business.
"So far we've done a great job appealing to the core gamers," she said at the BMO Market Capitals conference in New York, "And by the end of this month we expect our global installed base to reach 25 million units, surpassing that of the first Xbox.
"It's a great milestone for us, but still only a start when you consider that history shows three-quarters of a console's sales come at a price of USD 199 or lower. We hit that sweet spot in September, making our Arcade model USD 50 cheaper than the Wii and half the price of a PlayStation 3.
She also revealed that the console's price cut had resulted in a huge impact on sales worldwide: "In the US in September our console sales rose 42 per cent month over month, and in Europe they rose 62 per cent," she said. "In Japan we've had over a 500 per cent increase in sales."
Mount also discussed the economic situation, and echoed many others in her belief that while the videogames industry wasn't "recession-proof" it would hold up well.
"Certainly consumers are pulling in their purse strings a little bit, and you can't help when you read the newspapers or listen to the news but hear about companies taking down their forecasts and reducing their headcount," she said. "But we think that the whole entertainment industry, the interactive entertainment business, is poised to weather the storm a lot better than other businesses.
"If you take a look at history and the last recession we had in the US in 2001, the interactive business grew about 43 per cent that year. It's not to suggest that videogames are recession-proof, but what I think we are saying is a couple of things.
"One of them is that even in hard times people want entertainment more than ever before, and videogames offer great value for the money. But also a lot of what the interactive entertainment business is driven by is the cycle of platforms, where you are with the platform, where you are with price points and the titles that are out in the market today.
"Just a month ago NPD said it expects the sales of videogames hardware, software and accessories to rise 23 per cent in 2008 to USD 22 billion, and certainly Xbox is a big driver of that growth thanks to a combination of our new, lower price points, our blockbuster Holiday line-up and industry-leading online service Xbox Live."
Microsoft has invited a further 10,000 people to the New Xbox Experience preview program.
This will be the third and final batch to join in, before the Xbox Live overhaul becomes available to the masses on 19th November.
To stand a chance at being picked, you will have had to fill out a Connect Program Survey. And unfortunately there's no way of signing up now if you missed the boat first time around.
But if you did do the homework, you may have received an email early this morning welcoming you to NXE. Major Nelson says there will be an update later this evening to sort everything out.
The New Xbox Experience adds all sorts of new toys, such as customisable Mii-style avatars, a redesigned Dashboard navigation system, and a grouping system where parties of friends can stay together whilst changing games or watching films or maybe just chatting.
Rather less exciting is news that Zapper, a distinctly average Xbox 1 game, will be arriving on Xbox Originals on Monday. Save the 1200 Microsoft Points (GBP 10.20 / EUR 14.40) for something else.
Nintendo has trampled its competition with respect to hardware sales in the US for October, according to the latest data from NPD.
The Wii was the most popular platform by some distance, selling 803,000 units while the DS was a comfortable second on 491,000 - giving Nintendo a combined sales total of almost 1.3 million hardware units sold.
The Xbox 360 was third on 371,000, followed by the PlayStation Portable in fourth and PlayStation 3 in fifth on 193,000 and 190,000 units respectively. The PlayStation 2 was last, selling 136,000 consoles.
But despite brisk sales of the Nintendo platforms, hardware revenues in the US grew by just 5 per cent to USD 494.74 million, while the sales of accessories fell by 8 per cent to USD 120.19 million.
But NPD analyst Anita Frazier pointed out that the way the weeks fell in the calendar wasn't kind to October: "Keeping in mind that September was a five-week month while October had four, the sales pace increased 33 per cent," she said.
"The greater supply of Wii hardware at retail is evident in the sales figures for the month with the Wii enjoying its best sales month outside of last November and December.
"The price reduction on the Xbox 360 is paying dividends at retail as the platform realised a 7 per cent unit sales increase over September."
The hardware sales breakdown is as follows:
1. Nintendo Wii: 803,000
2. Nintendo DS: 491,000
3. Xbox 360: 370,000
4. PlayStation Portable: 193,000
5. PlayStation 3: 190,000
6. PlayStation 2: 136,000
Following the release of October's US sales data by NPD, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have all responded by releasing statements on their respective performance.
As usual Nintendo had the most to shout about on the hardware side of things, dominating with the Wii and DS, although Microsoft underlined the performance of the Xbox 360 compared with the PlayStation 3 following its price cut.
Microsoft also had reason to cheer on the software front with the best-selling title being a platform exclusive, while Sony focused on the steady year-on-year growth of the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network.
The key points from each company is as follows:
Nintendo
Wii and DS sales bring lifetime US numbers for the platforms to 13.35 million and 23.02 million respectively.
Hardware sales were up almost 26 per cent over October, and accounted for over 59 per cent of total hardware sales in the month.
Lifetime sales of Wii Fit - second in the software chart - has now hit 2.83 million.
"Nintendo provides consumers with the best value not only among video games, but also among most entertainment options," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive VP of sales and marketing. "Nintendo also provides an incomparable range of experiences that everyone can enjoy, whether you've been playing for years or are just getting into videogames."
Microsoft
The Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 by nearly 2-to-1 in October, as the price cut boosts sales by around 33 per cent per week over September.
Fable II sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide since launch, while Gears of War 2 sold over 2 million in its first weekend. 1.5 million people played Gears 2 on the first weekend, logging 15 million hours of gameplay.
The Xbox 360's attach rate is now 8.1, with USD 244 million spent on Xbox 360 titles in October.
Third party sales share is now 57 per cent on the Xbox 360, with USD 171 million in October and a generation to-date figure of USD 4.5 billion.
Sony
The PlayStation brand generate USD 369 million in October in total.
PS3 hardware was up 90 per cent year-on-year, while PS3 software jumped almost 200 per cent in the same time frame.
PlayStation Network registration has grown by 166 per cent since January, with over 14 million accounts now registered worldwide and 270 million pieces of data downloaded.
Total PlayStation hardware revenue was USD 131 million - up 19 per cent - while software revenue was USD 209 million, up 23 per cent since last year.
The Killers will be pushing out a three-song downloadable track pack in Guitar Hero World Tour to coincide with the release of the band's new album, Day & Age. The album and track pack will be available November 25. World Tour will see the singles "Human" and "Losing Touch" as well as the song "Mr. Brightside" from the band's debut album.
The track pack will set you back 440 Microsoft Points or $5.49 on the PlayStation Network. Each song will also be made available as singles for 160 Microsoft Points or $1.99. The Wii will also receive these downloads at a price of 200 Wii Points each.
It's the weekly reading for the latest figures for console sales in Japan again as follows:
Nintendo DSi: 104,897
Playstation Portable: 43,726
Nintendo Wii: 24,726
Playstation 3: 18,354
Xbox 360: 12,759
Nintendo DS Lite: 8,381
Playstation 2: 5,743
DSi maintains top rank, down roughly 66,000. PSP comes next, down 7,000. Wii is 3rd, up 1,600. PS3 goes down by 23,000. Xbox 360 goes up by 6,000. DS Lite slides further down the ranks and takes sales cut by half (8,000). Last in line is the old PS2, down 400. Figures from M-Create.
Were it even slightly informative, we would have made the title of this post "Why You've Always Got to Close With the DeLorean." This week, Criterion revealed the next in a series of DLC that they'll be dropping into Burnout Paradise: the "Toy Car" pack. The nine cars appear to be Paradise Models that have been retooled to resemble ... well, Hot Wheels.
Cool? Sure, it is. But is it cool on the level with a time-travelling relic of the 80s? Well, no. That's why (you guessed it) you've always got to close with the DeLorean.
Following October's sales boost, Xbox 360 is now poised to do in three years what its predecessor, Xbox, failed to do in its four short years in production. "By the end of this month, we expect our global installed base to reach 25 million units, surpassing that of the first Xbox," declared Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division CFO Mindy Mount at yesterday's BMO Capital Market conference in New York. Mount was confident that this milestone was "only the start," though, since historically, more than 75 percent of a console's total sales come after its price has dropped to $199 or below.
And here's the part where we all say: Great, kid. Don't get cocky.
You know that song, "Live Like You Were Dying?" You know what near-death activity you won't find in there between "Rocky Mountain climbin'" and going "2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu?" "Turning forgettable Frogger 2 rip-off Zapper into an Xbox Original." Likewise, "playing Zapper" or "ever thinking about Zapper" are also conspicuously absent. In fact, we'd wager that you could gather the bucket lists of every member of humanity and never see Zapper mentioned once.
This is why we should have been consulted before a single member of humanity was tasked with spending one nanosecond of their time turning Zapper into a 1200-point Xbox Original. Then we could have advised them that they'd be better off wadding all that time into a big chrono-ball, putting it in a rocket and shooting it into the sun.
If this post reads a bit breathless, it's because I was just playing Left 4 Dead on the Xbox 360. Yikes! So many zombies! Playing through Valve's latest is going to take up the majority of my weekend, the moments not spent poolside or playing Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which the FedEx man also dropped off earlier today. Expect a double shot of review text from me Monday and Tuesday on both. Luke may be chiming in with some feedback on the PC version of Left 4 Dead as soon as Steam gets around to making it available.
I may also squeeze in a bit more Dead Space, but want to keep the scaring the bejeezus out of myself to a respectable minimum. What gaming plans do you have for the weekend? Let us know in the comments.
We interrupt the fun and merriment to inform you that late last night, Major Nelson confirmed what a lot of people were reporting in message boards, forums (and to our tips) — there's some spotty connectivity issues in Xbox Live.
In the past few hours, the Xbox Operations Center noticed that large number of members were disconnected from Xbox LIVE, some more than once. Our Engineering teams are actively working to determine the root cause of this issue and to prevent it from happening again. If you are disconnected, you should be able to reconnect after a few minutes. Thanks for your patience as we work quickly to solve the issue.
Also, Xbox Live's status as per the official Xbox site:
Users may experience issues connecting to Xbox LIVE. If you are disconnected, please try again in a few minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
So let's talk. Let's 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, 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. Oh ho ho.
Question: What's the most reliable gaming hardware you've ever owned? (Note: Don't tell us your *least* reliable one — we'll do that in a future TUD.)
It's all fun and games using 'Piracy' to describe copyright infringement when you want to reframe the debate and equate the sharing of intellectual property with aquatic larceny, but what happens when your actual ship-based armed robbers yo-ho-ho into view? What then, Mr cognitive linguistics smartypants?
The holiday games market is under threat this year from actual, proper Somali pirates who are preying upon cargo ships off the Horn of Africa and beyond. Sadly, this lot seem to be eschewing Cornish accents and peg legs in favor of AK-47s and huge ex-Soviet trawler ships.
Shipping firms are now faced with the choice of braving pirate-infested waters or taking costly detours that can delay goods by several weeks.
"Despite all the publicity over piracy it will really hit home when consumers in the West find they haven't got their Nintendo gifts this Christmas," said Sam Dawson of the International Transport Workers' Federation.
Well, it's obvious than fandoms aren't all fun and games, but Peter Parrish warns that fanaticism could be downright dangerous for the industry at large — just imagine a world where unchecked fandom desires dictate how future games are going to play out. Using the example of the apparently large and vociferous Sonic fandom, Parrish points towards what he sees as a devolving series based on the whims of the 'fan-artist' and 'fan-author.' Oh, but it doesn't stop there:
You may not particularly care about Sonic, but the problem reaches beyond a solitary blue hedgehog. Visible pockets of fans can easily be mistaken for commercial opportunities, and developers are always under pressure to follow the money. Consider a future where Valve paid heed to the most unbalanced aspects of fandom. In this grim world, the Portal sequel is 12 hours of twee comedy songs played by a sexualized companion cube - where the end of every torturous utterance rhymes with "cake" or "triumph." Half-Life 2: Episode 3 becomes an extended anime-style romance between Gordon and Alyx (while her creepy dad watches), and Left 4 Dead is a tale of four hardy neck-beards battling a legion of flying ninja-monkey-zombie-pirate-samurai.
My first instinct is to say 'Oh, come on' — of course passionate fanbases with money to spend may have some sway, but I have a hard time seeing developers trawling through hundreds of pages of badly written fanfiction in order to cater to the whims of excitable fans. We could also argue about what constitutes the 'most unbalanced aspects' of fandom. Fanaticism doesn't appeal to all of us, but I really think there are bigger fish to fry in the industry than fanatics who have access to a tablet and a word processor.
A British-based anti-piracy group is seeking tougher copyright legislation that would require Internet service providers to turn over the names of suspected pirates to movie studios without requiring a court order. In a statement, John Lovelock, head of the semi-official Federation Against Software Theft (FAST), appeared to acknowledge that his group regarded such legislation as ideal but possibly beyond attainment. Under it he said, "personal data relating to a given IP address may be given to the rights holder on request, without a court order being needed, which is arguably gold plating." Lovelock appeared to suggest that an accommodation between copyright owners and ISPs, under which the ISPs would turn over information about suspected pirates upon request, is unlikely. "A voluntary approach would be the easiest solution but experience has shown that such an approach may well not work, as it is dependent on a full consensus [among all ISPs] being achieved," he said, noting some ISPs would be unwilling to alienate their customers.
LucasArts has released the first costume pack for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation owners, the download gives gamers the option to play through The Force Unleashed "disguised" as new characters. Here's a list of the characters in the pack:
Hooded Combat Gear
General Starkiller
Sith Assassin
Imperial Commando
Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker
Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi
Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker
Darth Sion
Ki-Adi-Mundi
Kit Fisto
The character pack has a price of 400 Microsoft points (US $5.00). The company also announced that it has released new pics and themes for download.
Major Nelson popped on sometime last night to declare that Xbox Live's connectivity problems had been resolved, then almost immediately was hammered with comments saying in effect, no it hasn't, so he pulled back the all-clear. I know I couldn't connect at all last night, and as of 7:30 am Crecente time I still can't. And, yes, I tested the connection. Oh, the official Xbox Live status? Nonexistent, apparently. See above. (Then again, it does show me as still owning an original Xbox.)
Would someone please tell us WTF is going on, because half as many people who can connect say they can't. The New Xbox Experience hits this week, so for certain Microsoft's called everyone in this weekend and made them miserable in search of a fix. Let's just hope they can slap enough duct tape and baling twine on the servers to survive Wednesday. I'll keep my eyes peeled and update here in case they can get it repaired today. Lord, one hopes so.
Update: I too am in the NXE beta, but I still have no access. It's not the router because I can get into PSN. In fact, I'm racing in Motorstorm right now. Still can't get in as of 10:30 am MST.
I'm an archive junkie — I consider it a side-effect of my profession, since we spend half our lives in temperature-controlled buildings with lots of old stuff. So I watch the growth of the video game archives across the globe with no small measure of excitement — not only does my little historian heart go pitter-patter at the fact that people are being so proactive in figuring out how to preserve our beloved medium for future generations, but it means a couple more places to poke my head in when I have a good excuse. The recent announcement of the UK National Video Game Archive has led to some fruitful discussion on how to preserve games — not just in terms of the hardware, but also as a culture. Which, of course, is a hell of a lot harder than making sure books don't rot:
Newman also cited the vast variety of game formats as a major challenge to archiving and to displaying games in an attractive way. "There have been attempts to curate exhibitions of video games in the past, and they have been hit and miss affairs," he notes.
"Where you're dealing with coin-op games, you're usually fairly safe because they are designed to be approachable 'pick up and play' experiences," he continues, "but many pride themselves on the tens — even hundreds — of hours of gameplay they offer and on the complexity of their branching narratives and structures."
"How do you take a 150-plus-hour game that may take all sorts of different storylines depending on choices you make or your proficiency as a player, and show it to somebody who's never seen it before and may not have much experience of games?"
The Archive hasn't quite reached the point of answering that question. "This is not a brick-and-mortar building — not yet, anyway," Newman points out. Right now, the group is focusing on research and collection of games and gaming hardware, across several decades and myriad platforms.
Well, even if they can't answer the question yet, at least they're trying. Other archivists are struggling with many of the same questions, like 'How do we preserve MMOs?', but it's really cool to see how a variety of institutions are attempting to deal with this. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how all these archives continue to develop and grow.
Fresh from the "Study finds violent video games do X to kids" pile, we now find — shock — playing them results in "a greater variation in Heart Rate Variability." This isn't straight out one's pulse quickening. HRV is "the oscillation in the interval between consecutive heartbeats" — more or less, a measure of minute changes in heart rate.
The research concludes that violent video games can have effects on your body's autonomous systems, without you even being aware of it. In this instance, kids who played violent games had a greater HRV during sleep but still reported they'd slept fine. Makes sense. Games can have effects on your voluntary systems beyond your control, too. Like Dead Space making you shit your pants.
There's debate on whether HRV means anything, but the researchers indicate they're going to use this research to study links between violent video games and aggression and, of course, "video game addiction."
Screenshots have emerged showing supposed Gears of War 2 downloadable content, with multiplayer maps not available in the retail version.
The eight screenshots which you can see on this page appeared on various forums this morning, showing a multiplayer match on an unrecognisable map with glowing immulsion.
Microsoft expectedly isn't saying anything, but with Epic's long history of awesome DLC it probably isn't far-fetched to put money on these being real.
Why didn't any of the launch maps have the yellow stuff in them, anyway? It's not as if (potential spoiler) you're not walking past it for a third of the single-player campaign...
Microsoft will be giving away over a million MS Points this week - and all you have to do to be in with a chance is use the New Xbox Experience to download Marketplace content.
Specifically, gamers from the US, Canada, Singapore and the UK (over 18) will stand a shot at 46 prizes, the star attraction of which is a whopping 500,000 MS Points (GBP 4250).
After that, there are five lots of 50,000 MS Points (GBP 425), ten batches of 10,000 MS Points (GBP 85), and 30 lumps of 5000 MS Points (GBP 42.50).
To enter, all you have to do is download a film, a telly show, a full Xbox Live Arcade game, an Xbox Originals game or a game add-on.
The sweepstake runs from 2pm (GMT) Wednesday 19th November (New Xbox Experience launch), to early morning on Monday 24th November.
There are a maximum of ten entries per Xbox Live profile, and registration involves downloading the "NXE Download and Win" gamer picture.
You could buy lots of horse armour with that money.
Xbox Live has suffered connection issues over the weekend, with the service down for maintenance this morning only days before the launch of the New Xbox Experience.
Over the weekend many users reported being disconnected from the multiplayer and online service, while the Major Nelson blog tried to keep users up to date on the problems with multiple postings.
The service has maintenance scheduled for 10 am GMT today.
"As a result, Xbox Live and the My Xbox section of Xbox.com will be unavailable, and the Xbox forums will be in read only mode (you won’t be able to post.) The remainder of Xbox.com will be available with limited interruptions," wrote Larry Hyrb on the site.
"This service maintenance is in preparation for the new Xbox experience which will be available this Wednesday."
The New Xbox Experience is a completely new front-end for the popular Xbox live service, and introduces Avatar's as well as other new features to the Xbox 360's online community.
features
Go Deep Undercover - Race into an action-packed story of pursuit and betrayal. Take on jobs and compete in races to prove yourself as you infiltrate and take down an international crime syndicate.
Highway Battle - Fight off the cops and others as you take down your prey in high-speed, high stake multi-car chases. New and vastly improved AI mechanics mean more aggressive and intelligent cops focused on taking you out fast and by any means necessary.
Own the Open World - Tear across the massive highway system and discover the open world of the Gulf Coast Tri-Cities area, with three unique cities connected by an extensive highway system.
Heroic Driving Engine - An all-new game engine lets you pull off amazing moves for the ultimate driving edge.
description
You never thought it would turn out like this—an all-out chase where you’re the hunted. And the hunter. Now you must get behind the wheel and risk everything to infiltrate a ruthless international crime syndicate and take them down. The man you’re after is a maniac behind the wheel, and he’s driving like his life depends on escape, which maybe it does. He’s the one with all the answers you need, you will track him down. Needless to say, that fleet of police cruisers in your rearview mirror won’t make things any easier. It will take all of your experience—and every ounce of skill—to outrun the law, take down the enemy, and unlock the truth that puts an end to this chase once and for all.
features
Kombat forces friends to fight, worlds to collide and unlikely alliances to be forged. Mortal Kombat warriors and DC Universe heroes engage in battle for the first time on the Xbox 360® computer entertainment system
Each character has specific moves to take down opponents in his or her own signature style. In addition each character will feature distinct finishing moves, tapping into the true Mortal Kombat experience
For the first time in Mortal Kombat history, players can face off with two all-new fighting mechanics, Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat. Freefall Kombat allows players to battle in mid-air while falling from one arena into the next. Klose Kombat gives the player a brutal up-close view of the fight
Players choose their storyline experience with either the Mortal Kombat or DC Universe. The unique storyline intertwines both the Mortal Kombat and DC Universes and characters into an exclusive dynamic fighting adventure
Players will face off in various iconic arenas like Metropolis and Gotham City from the DC Universe side and Hell and Graveyard from the Mortal Kombat side, as well as several never-before-seen combo arenas that blend the two universes together!
Players will have the ability to choose sides, challenge friends and take the fight online!
description
For the first time ever Scorpion, Sub-Zero and the Mortal Kombat warriors battle with Batman, Superman and other popular DC Universe Super Heroes. Choose your side and challenge your opponents with a new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat along with dynamic multi-tiered environments. Plus, pick your favorite character from MK or DCU and pursue a fighting adventure in the new single player mode with an intertwined storyline and two unique perspectives.
PES 2009 is the latest installment of the award-winning Pro Evolution Soccer Series, which is known by millions of fans for its superior gameplay and incredible realism. For PES 2009, Konami is already planning a raft of extensive new additions that will further bridge the gap between PES and the real thing. The new game has undergone a stunning graphical update to ensure its players look and move even more like their real-life counterparts. Similarly, all-new options allow users to tailor the game to their own tastes, while new moves, innovative new control elements and key online elements will further the realism of the new game.
features
If you can imagine it, you can build it in the Mumbo's Motors easy-to-use workshop. Then put your creation to the test as you take on Grunty in your quest for Spiral Mountain. Unlike other games, where you progressively pick up new skills or abilities at points pre-determined by the game’s creator, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts puts the power of improving Banjo's abilities into your hands as you build vehicles that allow Banjo to progress through the game. Vehicle parts include a wide variety of body panels, engines, wheels, wings, propellers, fuel, and weapons, plus many more weird and wonderful gadgets such as floaters, Mumbo Bombos, and the versatile sticky ball, from which you can design and create anything from a simple object-carrying truck to a space-age flying saucer. Once you've designed your creation, give it the finishing touch by painting it and choosing a suitable name before Banjo jumps in and pilots it into action
With more than 100 contraption parts and unlimited combinations possible, no two players will have the same experience in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. By exploring the vast game worlds, discovering hidden secrets, and solving puzzles to win rewards, you will continually find more and more ways to customize and improve your contraptions, creating an unprecedented level of user-generated content for a 3-D platform adventure game
Don't worry if you aren’t the world’s greatest inventor or want to skip the workshop and get straight to the action, because Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts comes with a fully loaded experience right out of the box. Pre-built vehicles are included so you can jump right in and get started, with many more contraptions available for purchase throughout the adventure using the in-game currency system of musical notes
Two of Rare's most beloved characters return from retirement, making their debut on Xbox 360. To win the deed to their homeland and prevent the evil witch Gruntilda from developing it into tower blocks and malls, Banjo and his best friend Kazooie battle over land, sea, and air against their longtime rival. Familiar faces such as Mumbo Jumbo, Bottles, Captain Blubber, and the Jinjos are also back to lend a hand, along with an equally colorful cast of new friends and foes. Look out for Trophy Thomas, Piddles, Lord of the Games, and Grunty's mechanically menacing army of Gruntbots
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts offers complete single-player and multiplayer experiences. Play through the adventure alone in the single-player campaign, or play with friends in competitive or cooperative challenges on your own or in teams
Xbox 360 is the home to the best entertainment experiences for everyone. With Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Xbox 360 continues to build its impressive lineup of content that appeals to people of all ages and types
description
Famed game developer Rare Ltd. is reviving one of its most beloved and successful franchises exclusively on Xbox 360® with the third installment of the Banjo-Kazooie series. Banjo-Kazooie®: Nuts & Bolts® embraces new and old fans alike, as the famous bear and bird duo return in stunning high definition for an unique adventure of epic proportions. The Lord of the Games (aka LOG) is tired of the petty squabbling between Banjo and the evil witch Gruntilda (aka Grunty) over the years, and has arranged a showdown to decide the rightful owner of Spiral Mountain. Claiming to have created every video game ever made, LOG has built the game worlds in which the contest’s challenges take place. Banjo must complete LOG’s challenges to win, while Grunty tries to stop him using every method her devious mind can muster.
Throughout your adventure, create your own abilities by building vehicles for Banjo to pilot over land, water, and air. Vehicle parts, which range from simple devices such as engines and wheels to more unusual equipment such as springs and egg guns, are earned and collected throughout the game. Use your imagination to combine parts in any order to create whatever vehicle you choose. LOG's challenges have one goal, but your choice of vehicle and tactics will determine how you get there. By exploring worlds and solving puzzles, you will be rewarded with more advanced and diverse vehicle parts in your quest to defeat Grunty once and for all.
With the power of Xbox 360® and Xbox LIVE®, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts brings an entirely new experience to the console and takes the franchise to a whole new level of enjoyment. High-definition graphics, user-created content, and online gameplay are just three of the many advances people of all ages and skill levels will discover as they embark on their adventure.
features
It’s Always Better With Someone Else – Fight your way through three campaigns solo, or join forces with your friends or one of nine, in-game commanders, each with unique personalities and play styles, in missions designed from the ground for co-op play.
Star-Studded Storytelling – Command & Conquer’s trademark live-action videos return in HD, with over 60 minutes of footage featuring the largest cast in the history of the Command & Conquer franchise.
Command the Seas, Conquer the World – Experience Gameplay³ as for the first time in the series, waging war on the water will be every bit as important as dominating by land and air. Gain strategic advantages by controlling resources in the seas and mounting three-pronged attacks from all directions.
Ready your Man Cannons! – Armored War Bears, and Anime-inspired psychic school girls join your favorite Red Alert units like Sonic Dolphins, Tesla Troopers, Attack Dogs, and the ever popular Tanya.
A New Threat From the East - The deadly Empire of the Rising Sun is a technological terror, with designs influenced by a mixture of anime, science-fiction, martial arts and robot culture. The Empire’s futuristic units can transform into alternate forms, and they specialize in naval warfare.
CommandStick 2.0 - Improving on the CommandStick interface first pioneered in Command & Conquer 3 Kane’s Wrath, 360 owners will get an unparalleled console RTS experience, with controls designed for 360 gamers, accessible to gamers of all skill levels.
description
The desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.
features
Move yourself: String together an amazing arsenal of wall-runs, leaps, vaults and more, in fluid, acrobatic movements that turns every level of the urban environment to your advantage and salvation.
Immerse yourself: In first person every breath, every collision, every impact is acutely felt. Heights create real vertigo, movements flow naturally, collisions and bullet impacts create genuine fear and adrenaline.
Challenge yourself: Fight or flight. Your speed and agility allow you not only to evade, capture and perform daring escapes, but also to disable and disarm unwary opponents, in a mix of chase, puzzles, strategy and intense combat.
Free Yourself: Runner vision allows you to see the city as they do. See the flow. Rooftops become pathways and conduits, opportunities and escape routes. The flow is what keeps you running – what keeps you alive.
description
In a city where information is heavily monitored, agile couriers called Runners transport sensitive data away from prying eyes. In this seemingly utopian paradise, a crime has been committed, your sister has been framed and now you are being hunted. You are a Runner called Faith - and this innovative first-person action adventure is your story.
Mirror’s Edge™ delivers you straight into the shoes of this unique heroine as she traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat and fast paced chases. With a never before seen sense of movement and perspective, you will be drawn into Faith’s world. A world that is visceral, immediate, and very dangerous.
Live or die? Soar or plummet? One thing is certain, in this city you will learn how to run.
From the makers of the groundbreaking Battlefield franchise, Mirror’s Edge is an action-adventure experience unlike any other.
features
Choose how you ride in open-world mountains accross the globe. Conquer the extreme peak conditions, create your own paths in the back country, or compete with fellow riders in the terrain park
Play in a world where your friends are always around. Do you own runs on mountains populated by real gamers, or join your friends for a quick session from anywhere in the mountains
Have fun with your friends on and off the board: Throw snowballs, hike to access secret spots, film your friends doing crazy tricks. You can also upload your videos online to share with the world
Express yourself through tricks, riding styles, and highly customizable avatars both in single-player and in the online world. Use the intuitive dual analog control to pull off a huge variety of tricks that express your style
description
Enter a snowboarding world of total freedom. You can create your own experience in this game, and choose when, where, how and with whom you want to ride.
Developed in close collaboration with Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White – the most successful snowboarder in the history of the sport – Shaun White Snowboarding is the next-gen game that redefines the action sports genre.
features
A complete walkthrough, leading players through every mission.
AREA MAPS: Detailed maps calling out items, weapons, critical locations, and more!
WEAPON LISTING: In-depth listing of all weapons with expert tactics on how best to use them
MULTIPLAYER COVERAGE: Extensive multiplayer coverage with strategies for solo and team-based gameplay
UNLOCKABLES: All unlockables revealed!
Signature Series guide features bonus foldout and more!
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PC
Microsoft's new Xbox Experience dashboard doesn't officially launch until Wednesday the 19th. But if you signed up for the preview (and who didn't?) with a valid console ID then it's available now according to Major Nelson. What's more, Netflix has confirmed its Xbox 360 launch details: more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes and 300 streaming HD titles. Remember, streaming is free for Netflix members who are also Xbox Live Gold members. The HD video streams will be limited to SD audio, however -- multi-channel audio is in the works as are additional HD titles. Now get outta here kid, NXE awaits.
Microsoft will have sold 25 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide by the end of the month, the company said this morning
"The future of home entertainment is Xbox 360 - it's on demand, it's high definition, it's always social, it's all in one place," said Xbox boss Don Mattrick.
“With the New Xbox Experience we will reach the next generation of Xbox owners, 25 million and beyond. We are at a watershed moment, backed by the largest entertainment brands, with an incredible line-up of entertainment unmatched in any industry."
25 million units puts Xbox 360 above the total number of original Xboxes sold during that console's four-year lifespan, and Microsoft is keen to point out that it achieved this in three years.
Meanwhile, Sony has sold "nearly 17 million" PlayStation 3 consoles in its first two years on sale, and Nintendo has sold around 35 million Wiis.
This July at E3 Don Mattrick said, "I'm willing to declare here today that Xbox 360 will sell more consoles worldwide this generation than PS3."
Tomorrow Microsoft reboots the Xbox 360 interface with the launch of New Xbox Experience, which introduces a party system, the option to install games to hard disk and personal Avatars among other things.
Speaking to Eurogamer recently, Xbox Live product unit manager Jerry Johnson said that NXE was a way of making Xbox 360 more attractive to people who happen by.
"When this is turned on in the household, the other person who walks by is going to see things and understand how to do some of these things," he said. "So I think it's taking that hardcore and almost making them evangelists just by the fact they're using this UI."
Epic's Rod Fergusson has acknowledged that "longer-than-ideal wait times" are being experienced by those in Gears of War 2's multiplayer matchmaking. He explains the issue is complicated and that there "isn't any one problem" causing the extended waits. The company is currently working with Microsoft to resolve the issue and hopes to have an update soon.
In the meantime, Fergusson has some helpful suggestions for those plagued with issues:
If you're stuck in a matchmaking loop where it keeps restarting, try a different list. It's a "possible population issue."
Issues seem to be "heightened" for parties of one and four. He recommends having a friend if you're flying solo.
Having a group of five pretty much alleviates all issues.
Or, if you're feeling obstinate that the system should work as intended, you can always pass the time with some reading material. We've been catching up on our 19th-century English literature. Vanity Fair is quite good.
And the details just keep coming fromGame Informer's Halo 3 Recon article. First, we learned the game is going to clock in around three to five hours. Now, from someone who apparently read the article even more closely, we hear that the action will be open-world, a big change from the highly linear Halos (Haloes?) past.
We don't mean to argue semantics, but seriously guys? A three- to five-hour open-world game? We have an open world that would take us three to five hours to explore. It's called our house.
In preparation for the NXE launch this Wednesday, Xbox.com and the Xbox forums will go offline for about four hours starting at 12:01AM Pacific today, Nov. 18.
According to Major Nelson, this will "NOT" affect Xbox Live and service should remain (relatively) reliable. If things do go wrong with the Live service, be sure to leave little love letters to Microsoft in the comments below.
Still obsessing over sales statistics, Gamasutra has crafted a report on 2008's five top-selling games in the US -- so far. Though some figures are approximated, there's assurance that "the maximum possible error in each figure should not affect the rankings." All consoles considered, the rankings are as follows:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (3.5 million, estimated)
Mario Kart (3.4 million)
Grand Theft Auto IV (3.2 million, estimated)
Wii Play (3 million)
Wii Fit (2.8 million)
Be sure to check out the report for further details, several of which are likely to fuel the fanboy fires for, oh, the next fifteen minutes at least. We look forward to entertaining your "Wii games don't sell," "GTA IV is overrated" and "Wii Play is just a controller in disguise" arguments. We do not, however, want anything to do with your "Why isn't Golden Axe: Beast Rider on there?" madness.
Call of Duty: World at War has charged to the top of the UK all-formats chart this week, becoming the third fastest-selling game ever in the region.
The shooter beat off competition from World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King (in at two), which became the fastest-selling PC game in the UK of all time - a record previously held by Championship Manager 4.
But apparently football management games still draw the crowds. Football Manager 2009 enters the chart at three, proving that strategically placed adverts between big televised football matches pay dividends.
Last week's leader, Gears of War 2, falls to four - the spot previously held by Sony's system seller, LittleBigPlanet. That game, unfortunately, tumbled all the way down to 19. Oh dear.
And there were similar stories for other high profile releases, as Wii Music bucks the trend and enters at 16; sitting behind three other platform stalwarts: Mario Kart Wii, Wii Play and Wii Fit.
Perhaps more shocking, however, was a first-week entry for DICE eye-catcher Mirror's Edge at 20.
Their struggles make the rest of the top 10 spots all the more valuable. FIFA 09 sold well to take five, followed by Guitar Hero World Tour up from 17 to six, thanks to the arrival of the instrument bundles.
Bizarrely, to us at least, charming DS adventure Professor Layton and the Curious Village managed to drop just one spot to seven, ahead of Mario Kart Wii at eight, PES 2009 at nine, and WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2009 at 10.
Other big movers and shakers this week were Fallout 3 down from three to 14, Quantum of Solace down from eight to 18, Far Cry 2 down from 14 to 26, and Fable II down from 16 to 27.
Quickly: LEGO Indiana Jones managed to burst back into the list at 21, as did Viva Piñata, albeit at 37.
This week waves goodbye to Saints Row 2, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Dead Space.
(Update: As a few of you have noticed, the chart this week is also noteworthy for the absence of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which came out on Friday. Poor old Rare made 15th in the Xbox 360 chart, but couldn't dent the top 40, which you can see below. Ouch.)
Call of Duty: World at War (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (PC)
Football Manager 2009 (PC, PSP)
Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)
FIFA 09 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Guitar Hero: World Tour (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PS2)
Wii Play (Wii)
Wii Fit (Wii)
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
Fallout 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
Wii Music (Wii)
LEGO Batman (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Quantum of Solace (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Mirror's Edge (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
LEGO Indiana Jones (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Carnival: Funfair Games (Wii)
Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Wii)
Kung Fu Panda (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Xbox 360, PS3)
Far Cry 2 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Fable II (Xbox 360)
More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima (DS)
Ben 10: Protector of Earth (Wii, DS, PS2, PSP)
MySims Kingdom (Wii, DS)
Disney's High School Musical 3: Senior Year DANCE! (Wii, PS2)
Some background: reckless driving and young deaths on Australian roads are a fairly big problem here. We've got lots of long roads, lots of kids with big cars, and a culture of people driving big cars fast. It's been a problem in Australian society for decades, but since games are around these days, they're becoming a convenient scapegoat amongst those who should really know better (ie the police). Having armed himself with a German report on the subject, Superintendent Dave Evans of the NSW Police has told the Daily Telegraph:
Video games can have a negative impact on young drivers because it increases their complacency and their indulgence in risk-taking behaviour. In games you race, you crash and it is a matter of pressing the buttons and off you go again. In real life it doesn't work that way, you can be killed.
Do any of you kids really think that real life driving comes with Gran Turismo crash modelling?
When Guitar Hero III was released in 2007, it sold 1.39 million copies across the various platforms in its first week on sale. That generated $115 million for Activision. When Guitar Hero World Tour launched in 2008, it sold 534,000 copies in its first seven days. That "only" generated $67 million. That's got to be disappointing for Activision. Sure, you can point to the fact the complete GHWT package is prohibitively expensive in these troubled economic times, but you didn't need to buy the whole pack. Indeed, so many people own a previous Guitar Hero a lot of people could just buy the disc. So what gives? Who knows. Rock Band's probably got a lot to do with it, but I'd never overlook the fact that more casual gamers - and a lot of Guitar Hero owners are just that - don't stomach annual updates as easily as us suckers do.
Bad idea or not, there were plenty of people at both Microsoft and Ensemble Studios who thought making a Halo MMO was a good idea. So many, in fact, that prior to the game's cancellation, it had actually been given the green light to enter full-blown production, and it was only "some reorganization at Microsoft" that killed the project off.
Ensemble has been wanting to make an MMO for a long time. That was in production for a long time. The Halo IP was a great IP to launch an MMO with. Microsoft... hasn't had the best track record with those.
Microsoft is about “democratize game development” by introducing Community Games as part of the New Xbox Experience launching this Wednesday. The program gives indie console developers a chance to get their XNA coded games into market via digital distribution and bypass expensive ESRB ratings. Community Games creators, like Xbox Live Arcade developers, earn royalties, split with Microsoft, with each sale.
The Community Games platform is an exciting frontier for developers holding on tight to a dream, but the indie market is difficult to navigate. Only a few indie developers rise to fame. John Baez, a founding member of The Behemoth, is one of them and we pulled him aside to discuss the Community Games initiative and his post Castle Crashers plans.
One of Yu Suzuki’s legacies is gently fading into the shadows. Outrun was big in the arcades, but Sega’s racing series barely made a splash when Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast came out on three consoles. But, all is not over for Outrun, maybe.
The OFLC just turned up a rating for Outrun Online Arcade originating from Sega’s Japan office. I haven’t been able to find an arcade game under that name or any other Outrun title for that matter. So, could this be something new? Maybe an Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation 3 port of an old Outrun game? Sega seems to have a tendency of looking back at their legacy titles with all of the Genesis collections on the market nowadays…
Everyone's got their favourite console, and usually that choice goes arm-in-arm with the games they grew up with.
Some machines were better than others, but what's really important is what gave rise to today's enormous gaming landscape.
Raise a glass, then, to 10 landmark home gaming machines. Some were smash hits, others were dismal failures - but they've all earned a proud place in history.
1. Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K
A singularly British machine (it was Sir Clive Sinclair's finest hour), its graphical and sound limitations made it, on paper, more a computer than a gaming platform. Everyone still bangs on about copying its cassette-based games and the horrible loading noises, but that's doing its great legacy a huge disservice.
It clocked up well over 10,000 games during its long history - it was the first home to the likes of Manic Miner, Dizzy and Rebelstar, and received ports of most of the major arcade titles at the time. Never mind that its keyboard felt like zombie skin - the thing was relatively easy to program for, and as such was something of a training ground for many of today's big developers and unrepentant geeks. Hell, people are still making games for it even today.
2. Mattel Intellivision
In 1980, the Atari 2600 reigned supreme - which inevitably inspired a slew of other technology companies to seek a piece of home videogaming pie.
Perhaps the most successful was Mattel's 'intelligent television', with its infamously hyperbolic ("the closest thing to the real thing") ad campaign that shouted about its technical superiority over the incumbent Atari machine.
The Intellivision sold an impressive 3 million units, despite a games library of just 125, before becoming one of the major casualties of the 1983 videogame crash.
While the history books give it less space than its major rival, it's notable as being the first 16-bit home games machine, the first with 16-way directional controller, the first with real-time voices (so long as you had the Intellivoice add-on) and the first with downloadable games - which vanished when you turned the thing off, as it lacked writeable storage.
3. Sega Dreamcast
The turn of the 21st century does, of course, belong to the PlayStation 2, but Sega's final console was the first of that sixth-generation of home gaming systems, and to this day inspires unbelievable loyalty amongst its fanbase.
Hardware shortages, mediocre marketing, the lack of EA's otherwise omnipresent sports games and Sega's bad rep off the back of the preceding Saturn and 32X consoles meant it couldn't compete with the PS2's eventual blitzkrieg.
It was a pioneer of online gaming, however - the shining light of the modem age. Its MMO Phantasy Star Universe still runs to this day. It even had a web browser and supported keyboards (the latter was also memorably employed in bonkers spelling-shooter The Typing of the Dead).
The Dreamcast might be long off the shelves, but its scene continues to thrive - which is at least partly due to the crazy ease of running pirated and homebrew games on it.
4. Nintendo Gameboy Advance
The heyday of pre-3D home gaming in your hand. While Nintendo's portable consoles' huge success tends to rely on the kiddie market, the third-gen Gameboy really hit all the right beats for nostalgics and the hardcore.
Gorgeous remakes of classic Marios and Zeldas made it seem like the NES/SNES golden years never ended, while new sequels to beloved series kept 2D gaming very much alive in an age obsessed with 3D. The GBA still lives to this day, its design simplicity and lack of gimmickry lending it an appeal its follow-up, the DS, never quite managed.
5. Atari 2600
The flagship of the first big home console boom, the Atari 2600 popularised the idea of games appearing on swappable cartridges (the more costly forerunner to today's CDs and DVDs) rather than being built-in to the hardware. In 1977, home gaming was Pong, Pong and more Pong: the Atari (as it was simply known to most) changed all that, reinvigorating the market with ports of arcade darlings such as Space Invaders.
The Atari was everywhere in the early 80s, and it spawned a raft of competitors - including Nintendo's first console, the NES/Famicom. The 2600 both partly caused and was primary victim of the 1983 videogaming crash, but you could still buy one new as late as 1992.
6. 386/486 IBM compatible
PCs had been around for years, but it was the early 90s 386 and 486 processors that really defined the system as the thinking man's gaming platform.
This was the age of Doom, of Monkey Island, of Sim City, of Civilization... PC gaming never looked back, and the level of invention and intelligence birthed in those crucial years still continues in today's thriving indie and mod scene.
7. Nintendo Entertainment System
The Phoenix from the ashes of the 1983 crash that almost killed home gaming. The NES (or Famicom, as it was known in its home Japan) was held aloft by a fantastic port of the arcade smash Donkey Kong, but it was the likes of Super Mario Bros and lightgun classic Duck Hunt that booted it into the public consciousness.
Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Castlevania and Mega Man (amongst a raft of others) all began life on the NES, and its classic controller remains the essential template for today's gamepads. The NES might not have been the great innovator of the machines that preceded it, but it's the major root of today's consoles. History would be entirely different without it.
8. Sony PlayStation
Sony's first console would be the best-selling home console of all time, were it not for its even more successful follow-up, the still-popular PS2. Incredibly, it began life as a planned CD-ROM add-on for Nintendo's then-ubiquitous SNES, but contract arguments saw Sony go it alone.
Its CD-ROM drive, a technology Nintendo remained resistant to with its competing, cartridge-based N64, was one of the major causes for its success. Loading times may have suffered for it, but discs were dramatically cheaper to manufacture than cartridges, which were fast proving a turn-off to third party manufacturers.
Couple with that the PS's shift into being the first major 3D home console and the fact it soon proved remarkably easy to pirate its games, and you have yourself a landmark machine that eventually cropped up in most every gamer's home.
9. Amiga 500
Before the IBM compatible (the template upon which today's PCs are still based) became dominant, the Amiga series was the main name in home computing.
Its graphics and sound were ahead of the competition, it was astonishingly versatile at creating graphics and music (even Andy Warhol was a fan), and many of today's big game names - including EA, Rockstar, Peter Molyneux and Will Wright - cut their teeth on the platform. The 500 may have been the baby of the bunch, but it remained the best-selling.
10. Nintendo 64
Far from Nintendo's biggest commercial success - it was quite the flop compared to the SNES that preceded it or today's Wii - but, like the rival PlayStation, it was one of the major blueprints for modern console gaming.
The Nintendo 64 pioneered the shift from 2D to 3D, the likes of Mario 64 and The Ocarina of Time proving that the third dimension meant so much more than simply graphics, while the analogue stick and four controller ports gave rise to Goldeneye, one of the main parents of the first-person shooter deathmatches that dominate today. Nintendo might have dropped the ball with the N64's tiny catalogue of games, but it did define the future.
Netflix has pulled all content by Sony-owned Columbia Pictures from the on-demand New Xbox Experience film streaming service.
The movie rental company blames licensing problems, although other Netflix-enabled streaming platforms such as PCs and TVs are unaffected.
"As watching instantly becomes a more prominent part of the Netflix service, our goal is to have all of our streaming content licensed for all of our partner devices," Netflix told MTV Multiplayer. "We're doing well in this area, but it will take some time before we fully achieve that goal."
"Today, titles regularly come in and out of license and there is a natural ebb and flow to what we have on license at any given point in time. In the case of Xbox 360, a few hundred titles are temporarily unavailable to be streamed via the Xbox game console."
Among those "few hundred" are films such as Superbad and the entire Karate Kid trilogy.
Of course, the Netflix streaming service is only available in the US, so none of this affects us. Unfortunately, there are also no plans for a similar operation here.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will be released on 26th November via Xbox Live Arcade.
That's according to Capcom's blog, anyway, which jokes that the game "could be just a few days away" under a massive screenshot that says "Coming Nov 26 to Xbox LIVE Arcade".
SSFII Turbo HD Remix is a 1080p remake of Capcom's classic beat-'em-up featuring reworked art, online multiplayer and more fan service an air-con buffet.
There's no word on the PlayStation Network release, but that may be more to do with the rest of the blog post, which is promoting an NXE "Branded Destination Experience".
Based on our dabblings with New Xbox Experience, that means it's got a few shuffly panels detailing the game and offering easy access to trailers, picture packs, themes and other downloadables, with a spiffy image in the background.
As for its PSN release, the obvious candidate is 27th November, since PSN updates drop on Thursdays, but we'll check with Capcom. Let's hope the game doesn't fall foul of the usual European delay for localisation.
(Update: Hrm. Capcom officially said "no comment" when we asked about the PSN date. Hopefully we'll hear more soon.)
Epic has made fixing Gears of War 2's skill-based matchmaking its top priority, and hopes to have a solution soon.
"We're aware that some folks are experiencing longer-than-ideal wait times while using the skill-based public matchmaking in Gears 2 multiplayer," said senior producer Rod Fergusson on the official forums.
"We're working on some solutions but it's a complicated issue as there isn't any one problem; it's a combination of factors. Clearly, scale is one of them as we've had millions of successful matches played online so far, [but] a small percentage of players are having issues, which is unacceptable.
"We're working closely with Microsoft to address the matchmaking issues, I promise you that it is our number one priority, and we hope to have an update soon," he said.
Until then, he suggested a few workarounds. Trying different playlists can reduce delays, as can having at least two people in the party before matchmaking; a full team of five, incidentally, is the fastest way.
Re-inviting the nine other people in the game immediately after one finishes is also a top tip from Fergusson, although this will turn the match into a private affair. There's benefits to this, such as being able to pick maps and modes, although the outcome will not be recorded or ranked.
He suggests double-checking the NAT settings with your router, too.
Still, little of this seems to have put people off playing Gears of War 2, which continues to attract the most unique users on Xbox Live according to Major Nelson's charts.
Fergusson added that there have been 3 million ranked multiplayer matches played and over 1 million screenshots uploaded to the official website.
And from those stats he has worked out that Horde is the most popular multiplayer mode, River is the map of choice, and the Gnasher weapon has notched-up the most kills.
The Logitech?Cordless Headset for XBOX brings cordless freedom to Internet-based PC calling. Move freely, or relax in comfort while you converse. The lightweight headset adjusts for a comfortable fit on either ear, and recharges quickly between uses. When not in use with your PC, the headset can also be used with Bluetooth?enabled mobile phones* for convenient, hands-free conversation.
PEGI, the Pan European Games Information system, is to introduce its traffic light system to games packaging in mainland Europe this spring.
While age rating symbols have not yet been finalised, the current imagery depicting a spider, fist, syringe and other artwork, will be expanded upon to include descriptive text.
Age ratings will be coloured rather than the current black and white, but the mock-up image first unveiled last month will be tweaked to avoid copyright issues with PEGI's UK rival, the British Board of Film Classification.
"PEGI has agreed those changes and they will be implemented as part of the PEGI system in the new year, probably in the spring by the time the information has been transmitted to all publishers and incorporated as part of the approvals process for the format holders," detailed Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, to GamesIndustry.biz.
However, whether the new traffic light system will be used in the UK is still up in the air and will not become clear until the government finishes reviewing information submitted following the end of the consultation on age ratings, first initiated as part of the Byron review.
"Whether they will appear on boxes in the UK will depend on the outcome of this consultation period and the decision made by the UK government in the new year," said Rawlinson.
"The introduction of traffic light colours and changes to the descriptors have been approved, they are now being worked through with lawyers to ensure they do not infringe any existing trademarks and can be adopted smoothly," added ELSPA
Copyright is a sticky issue for the age ratings system. The BBFC, which specifically rates games in the UK, uses colour-coded symbols already, and is currently watching PEGI for violation of its established imagery.
"We have challenged a number of organisations who have come up with symbols that look very close to BBFC symbols," said David Cooke, director of the BBFC.
"There are legal restraints on what's called 'passing off', so we'll have to see what they look like. It's about making sure our protections are honoured and partly a matter of making sure that things aren't made more confusing for the public."
Over the past four months, ELSPA and PEGI have publicly attacked the BBFC as incapable of rating videogames, as all three organisations prepared evidence and research for the government's consultation period, which ends today.
However, the government hasn't given a time frame for any conclusions on who will manage the future of games ratings in the UK, with a decision expected in the first quarter of next year.
This year the PC gaming market is worth over $20 billion, that figure will rise to $34 billion before 2012, and since 2005 there has been more gaming PCs shipped than the Wii, PS3 and 360 combined.
This is the conclusion of a study from research group JPR. In the group's latest report - called The PC Gaming Market - JPR calculates that there are three classes of PC gaming machines and together, from Q3 2005 until Q3 2008, 196 million of these units were shipped. The study also estimated by comparison that 74.7m PS3s, Wiis and 360s have been shipped worldwide.
The research, however, does not include sales of Nintendo DS units nor PSPs, which together have sold around 125m units worldwide. Nevertheless, due in part to the mushrooming Asian market, the study believes that "the PC gaming market is bigger, worth more money, growing faster, and has better technology than the console market."
The study can be found in the latest edition of JPR's subscription-based newsletter, Techwatch.
While last night's story from USA Today is all well and good, we prefer to get our news about the upcoming The Lost and Damned DLC for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV directly from Rockstar itself. Why? Because the Rockstar official press release is free from any journalistic meanderings, and it comes with nice, lovely, giant-sized screenshots of the content and a nice white logo we can put on top of all of it. Completely loving the whole biker gang vibe these shots are giving off. Makes me want to hop on a hog myself, and then quickly hop off before I kill myself. Hit the jump for a gallery of the new screens.
Microsoft has told MCV that Xbox 360 has cruised past seven million sales in Europe.
The firm told MCV this week that the combination of Xbox 360’s September price cut and blanket Q4 marketing had seen the console’s unit sales accelerate across EMEA.
The company last released a European sales figure for Xbox 360 in June, when it told MCV that it had shifted five million units in EMEA.
Now that number has grown by two million – having been greatly affected by September’s price reduction, which saw the 360 Arcade SKU reduced to just £129.99 (€179.99).
VP of strategic marketing for Xbox in EMEA David Gosen told MCV:
“We’re in a position now where we’ve sold over seven million consoles in EMEA, which puts us in a fantastic place versus PlayStation 3.
“It’s the combination of elements that put us in a fantastically strong position. We have 360 degrees of entertainment. At the moment, momentum is fantastic, we’ve got real traction in all European markets.
“When you look at what we’ve got coming, just in the next three or four weeks, that gives us the confidence that this will be the best ever Christmas in the history of Xbox. “
If you wouldn't mind looking up from that avatar creation screen for a second -- yes, we're aware of how much that t-shirt selection means about you as a person -- you might notice that your Xbox 360 is dead. At least, a few hapless souls on the Xbox forums seem to think NXE is to blame for such atrocities. Numerous folks are reporting variously bad red ring configurations, random freezing and a huge pile of blockbuster titles that won't just play themselves. The biggest problem is that Microsoft isn't universally treating problems caused by NXE as an "oh, our bad" sort of situation, and at least from anecdotes we're seeing has charged quite a few folks $100 to fix their freshly-out-warranty Xbox 360s -- not to mention separating them for weeks from their precious murder simulators.
Bungie has explained why load times increase when Halo 3 is installed to an Xbox 360 hard drive.
The problem revolves around the game using a small free-space partition on the hard drive, according to caching clever-clogs Mat Noguchi on the Bungie website.
When Halo 3 runs on DVD, maps are cached to the partition to speed up load times, and subsequently deleted if another game is played. And because Halo 3 launched after the HDD option was announced, the game still tries to cache the maps.
The result: the hard drive reading and duplicating files and moving them somewhere else, which takes time. Less time, incidentally, than another device - the DVD drive - reading the files while the hard drive copies them.
"While anything is possible, it would be a significant undertaking to try and retroactively patch/update Halo 3 to be optimised to take advantage of the HDD install features of NXE," concludes Noguchi.
"The risks of doing that and the resources required have to be carefully considered against what could really be a rather insignificant change to the player experience.
"For now our team is focused on making great games for the future like Halo 3: Recon and other unannounced projects but we will continue to monitor this situation," he added.
Last week's Media Create chart topper, Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe, holds on to the top spot amid plenty of new competition. Way of the Samurai 3 and Resistance 2 both debuted strong, kicking former top ten PlayStation 3 titles LittleBigPlanet and Grand Theft Auto IV out of the top ten.
The PS3 has another new game appearing on the chart, as FIFA 09 sells enough to land at #18. Pokémon Platinum creeps ever closer to the 2 million mark and DS Nishimura Kyotaro Suspense 2 Shin Tantei Series: Kanezawa kankan gokkan no kyoukoku fukushuu no kage brings extra long titles from Tecmo back to the forefront.
The rest of Japan's best sellers for the week of Nov. 10 to 16 are after the break.
01. Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (DS) - 97,000 / 363,000
02. Way of the Samurai 3 (PS3) - 81,000 / NEW
03. Tongari Boushi no Mahou no 365 Nichi (DS) - 72,000 / NEW
04. Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren DS 2 - Sabaku no Majou (DS) - 34,000 / NEW
05. Resistance 2 (PS3) - 34,000 / NEW
06. DS Nishimura Kyotaro Suspense 2 Shin Tantei Series: Kanezawa kankan gokkan no kyoukoku fukushuu no kage (DS) - 33,000 / NEW
07. Ryuusei no RockMan 3: Black Ace (DS) - 33,000 / NEW
08. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 30,000 / 1,159,000
09. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS) - 30,000 / 183,000
10. Pokémon Platinum (DS) - 27,000 / 1,917,000
11. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
12. Wii Fit (Wii)
13. Ryuusei no RockMan 3: Red Joker (DS)
14. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III (PS3)
15. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (The Best) (PSP)
16. Family Ski & Snowboard (Wii)
17. Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono (DS)
18. FIFA 09 (PS3)
19. Wii Music (Wii)
20. Aruite Wakaru: Seikatsu Rhythm DS (DS)
21. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
22. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
23. Shape Boxing: Wii de Enjoy! Diet (Wii)
24. Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2 (PSP)
25. Wii Sports (Wii)
26. Animal Crossing Wild World (DS)
27. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special (PS2)
28. Inazuma Eleven (DS)
29. Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu + (DS)
30. Avalon Code (DS)
By now it’s sadly common experience, hearing racist, homophobic, even anti-Semitic slurs during online games. Often it’s for no apparent reason other than as a term of abuse used against competitors, that packs more of a punch than your standard four-letter word. But a couple months back, I had a different experience, and I’m sure it’s no more uncommon for others, too. In a game of Castle Crashers — cooperative multiplayer — this guy I was playing with completely proffered some rather ugly opinions of African-Americans, and needlessly heaped racial slurs on the foes we were battling.
First off, the guy knew I was a weekend editor at Kotaku. Secondly, I’m not black. But what troubled me most was not his behavior but my reaction to it. It was worse than being told a racist joke at a party under the assumption you’d laugh along because you’re white. I continued to play a game with the guy, quite passively letting the comment go lest I be the one to make things too awkward. And I beat myself up about it later for not calling this guy out on the spot, or at minimum, quitting the game.
Turns out, according to a couple psychologists I spoke to, that would have been the wrong reaction.
“Ignore it completely,” was one of two suggestions of Dr. Stuart Twemlow, , professor of psychiatry at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry in Houston. The other was a more subtle call-out of the remark — interpret it and ask if the guy’s doing it to get an advantage. Since this is cooperative multiplayer, maybe something like “Does that help you play this game better?”
Because in a perverse way, that’s what you’re dealing with here. Psychologists call this behavior “paradoxing,” and it’s a classic attempt to gain the upper hand, to become dominant in certain settings. Competitively, it’s to frustrate and anger you and take you out of your game. Cooperatively, it’s to establish aggression and therefore take the decision-making and the leadership. As I recall, this guy had played Castle Crashers a lot longer than I had, and was taking it somewhat seriously.
“When you act very unexpectedly, and when that person is caught up in what you’re doing, they lose their orientation,” Twemlow said. “And in that little window, you can control their mind. It’s an intervention to unseat you,” Twemlow said, even in a cooperative environment, where the intent is more to establish control of how the game proceeds. “And one advantage they have is the anonymity of being online. It’s so open and yet a person feels anonymous enough to say the most outrageous things, practically to your face.
“And the reason for doing that is because it exposes your weakness. It means you really want to win.” Twemlow said. “And that means you’re not a good player, because an expert player would never say that winning is the be all and end all.”
Not every situation needs psychological hand-holding. It’s not uncommon to see some ad-hoc self-policing, or a collectively expressed rebuke — booting, often backed or preceded by their own swear words — when the worst offenders start ruining a multiplayer match. Strength in numbers there. This is more about dealing with a sociopath in a one-on-one setting.
“You’re not going to change the way this person thinks, so getting into a confrontation is not going to work,” said Sue Barnes, associate director of the Lab for Social Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology, who studies online behavior and social media.
So the key for anyone provoked by this kind of baiting would not be so much in the reaction as in the preparation. Know that it’s coming, and because, in my case, this was cooperative multiplayer where I was invited by the same person who ended up spewing the invective, my guard was down. But I’d be naive to think ugly language is new enough to be called a trend in online play. If anything, it’s getting worse, and we should expect to see it all the time, especially among those we truly don’t know. Part of the shock, the experts said, is that you feel because you share an interest in the game you know the person better than you actually do. He’s still no different from any other stranger in public of whom you have no expectations, and would gladly avoid.
If you do feel compelled to speak up — especially if you’re a person of color, or the actual object of hate speech’s intent — Barnes suggests another query. She notes that much of the racism and bigoted language, especially as expressed by much younger gamers, isn’t the product of a very self-aware person. And they’d be insecure about having a mirror held up to their behavior. “So, you could try asking, ‘What if I told you I was black?’ ”
It’s a valid question even if you’re not. And the person might get so caught up in wondering why you had said that, if you aren’t, that you’ve paradoxed him out of his offensive state.
ScrewAttack put together another of their always-great Top 10 lists, this time focusing on games that need to be brought back.
After giving Capcom the props for revisiting games like Bionic Commando and of course Street Fighter, he mentions a few things I'd personally like to see (like Starfox!), as well as a bunch of choices from the Capcom stable, including Power Stone, Strider, and... I won't give away their #1 choice.
But really? People want that? We had no idea! Anyway, tell us, what games do YOU think Capcom should revisit?
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
The flood continues to wash into our warehouse. Some of the games form stunning contrast with the jolly, colorful Christmas Season.
Reflecting the people's needs for some fast paced action to vent their frustrations, Left 4 Dead drops players off in a nightmarish world and have them face off with the most bizzarre of enemies.
Less Bizzarre but just as exciting is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the two of the most popular franchises in the US entertainment worlds crossovered and joint forces with each other to give you a fighting adventure that will blow all your troubles away.
Playing is part of the creative experience in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Join the bear and bird team as they travel across the mischievously designed game worlds to win the place as a successor to Spiral mountain. But beware, as your opponent, the witch Grunty will do all she can to stop you.
Hunting and being hunted are big parts of adventures in Need for Speed Undercover. Go against and far beyond the speed limit, wrestle secrets from your reckless prey and maneuvre your way out of the clutches of the police force.
Bring your favourite team of soccer players to your living room through PES 2009. The gap between virtual reality and the actual world is seamlessly bridged, letting you feel the ball against the sole of your spikes.
Eternal Poison and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World are crossing the ocean to English speaking audiences. Carefully translated and properly localized, these two strategic and action RPGs will transport you to fantasy worlds that unfolds extravagantly before your eyes, granting you a brief escape from the gloom.
Fly the skies in Otomedious Gorgeous. Rain bullets and energy balls at your opponents. Loyal to the arcade game, the Xbox360 rendition features the familiar faces and music. See how lethal shooting action and feminine cuteness are combined as one in this shooter.
After Infinite Undiscovery, Square Enix starts another RPG series. Last Remnant is a cross platform project that is available on both PlayStation3 and Xbox360.
While the PlayStation3 version is still unannounced as of yet, the Xbox360 version is right on time for Christmas. Revel in the imagination of Square Enix's game developers as you wait for the next episode in the Final Fantasy series.
Revise your Gundam history this Christmas via Gundam vs Gundam. All memorable action scenes and vocals throughout the series, from the first Gundam to the latest 00 are combined into one UMD. Step into your mobile suit and show the world your prowesses as a pilot. Alone or with friends, this mecha action will provide you hours of blood pounding excitement.
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™
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts ASIA US$ 39.90
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts US US$ 44.90
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 US US$ 64.90
Left 4 Dead ASIA US$ 49.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames JPN US$ 74.90
Mirror's Edge US US$ 64.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe ASIA US$ 49.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe US US$ 64.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe [Collector's Edition] US US$ 79.90
Need for Speed Undercover ASIA US$ 49.90
Need for Speed Undercover (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 44.90
Otomedius Gorgeous JPN US$ 68.90
Otomedius Gorgeous + Hyper Stick Pro Otomedius Gorgeous Ver. [Konamistyle Limited Edition] JPN US$ 389.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 54.90
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 64.90
The Last Remnant JPN US$ 78.90
Xbox 360 The Last Remnant Premium Pack JPN US$ 444.90
PlayStation3™
Alone in the Dark: Inferno ASIA US$ 49.90
Aquanaut's Holiday (English/Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Disney's Bolt US US$ 54.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames JPN US$ 74.90
Mirror's Edge US US$ 64.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe US US$ 64.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe [Collector's Edition] US N/A
MotorStorm 2 JPN US$ 59.90
Need for Speed Undercover ASIA US$ 49.90
Need for Speed Undercover (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 54.90
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 64.90
Shaun White Snowboarding ASIA US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™
Animal Crossing: City Folk JPN US$ 59.90
Animal Crossing: City Folk (w/ Wii Speak) JPN US$ 79.90
Big League Sports US US$ 44.90
Bolt US US$ 54.90
Bratz Kidz: Slumber Party US US$ 44.90
FaceBreaker K.O. Party US US$ 44.90
Guinness World Records: The Videogame US US$ 44.90
Hasbro Family Game Night US US$ 44.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Kindan no Yami no Delta JPN US$ 68.90
Logicool Wireless Keyboard JPN US$ 59.90
MLB Superstars US US$ 34.90
Monkey Mischief US US$ 44.90
Monster Lab US US$ 49.90
Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor Wii US US$ 34.90
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party US US$ 54.90
Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (Double Pack) (Best Price!) JPN US$ 39.90
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 54.90
Sugoro Chronicle: Migite ni Ken o Hidarite ni Saikoro o JPN US$ 59.90
Sugoro Chronicle: Migite ni Ken o Hidarite ni Saikoro o [Variety Pack] JPN US$ 79.90
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World US US$ 44.90
PlayStation2™
Call of Duty: World at War Final Fronts US US$ 44.90
Dokapon Kingdom (Sting the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Eternal Poison US US$ 44.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Kindan no Yami no Delta JPN US$ 68.90
Koihime Musou JPN US$ 68.90
Koihime Musou [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate: The Shield of AIGIS JPN US$ 68.90
Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate: The Shield of AIGIS [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 99.90
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames JPN US$ 59.90
Monster Lab US US$ 34.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Into the Inferno US US$ 24.90
Candy Factory US US$ 24.90
Chrono Trigger JPN US$ 48.90
Disney's Bolt US US$ 34.90
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess US US$ 34.90
Game Cleaning Cloth DS JPN US$ 4.99
Guinness World Records: The Videogame US US$ 34.90
Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams US US$ 34.90
Iron Chef: American Supreme Cuisine US US$ 34.90
Itsuma Demo Dev to Umou Unayo: DS Recording Diet JPN US$ 39.90
Monster Lab US US$ 34.90
National Geographic: Panda US US$ 34.90
Ninja Town US US$ 34.90
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia US US$ 34.90
Populous DS US US$ 34.90
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party US US$ 34.90
Real Soccer 2009 US US$ 34.90
Saka-Tsuku DS: Touch and Direct JPN US$ 48.90
Shaun White Snowboarding US US$ 34.90
Tomb Raider Underworld ASIA US$ 32.90
Tomyka Hero: Rescue Force DS JPN US$ 48.90
Zombie Bar-B-Que US US$ 24.90
Sony PSP™
All Star Yakyuken 2 Portable JPN US$ 37.90
Clank & Ratchet: Maru Hi Mission * Ignition JPN US$ 48.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam ASIA US$ 42.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam JPN US$ 48.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam (PSP Pack) JPN US$ 349.90
Need for Speed Undercover ASIA US$ 42.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 US US$ 34.90
Prinny: Ore ga Shujinkou de Iinsuka? JPN US$ 48.90
Prinny: Ore ga Shujinkou de Iinsuka? ASIA US$ 42.90
Sony PSP™ Accessories
Attachment Set Portable (Black) JPN US$ 4.99
Attachment Set Portable (White) JPN US$ 4.99
Clear Case Portable 3 (Crystal) JPN US$ 9.99
Flat Pouch Portable (Black) JPN US$ 6.99
Flat Pouch Portable (White) JPN US$ 6.99
PC Games
High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance! (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 24.90
James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
Left 4 Dead (DVD-ROM) ASIA N/A
Need for Speed Undercover (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Tomb Raider Underworld (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Animal Crossing: City Folk: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Avalon Code The Complete Guide JPN US$ 22.90
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Call of Duty: World at War Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Culdcept DS Official Perfect Guide JPN US$ 23.90
Knights in the Nightmare The Complete Guide JPN US$ 32.90
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Need for Speed: Undercover: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Saka-Tsuku DS: Touch and Direct Playing Manual JPN US$ 16.90
Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono Final Guide JPN US$ 21.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1041 (2008 11/28) JPN US$ 7.90
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Official Strategy Guide US US$ 24.90
Video Game Related Soundtracks
Ishinomori Shotaro Sakuhin Shudaika Collection JPN US$ 34.90
Nekketsu Kouha Kunio Kun Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 47.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week:
Xbox360™
Agarest Senki: Rapier Lance JPN US$ 64.90
Agarest Senki: Rapier Lance ASIA US$ 44.90
Guitar Hero World Tour (Band Kit) ASIA US$ 289.90
Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Bundle) ASIA US$ 129.90
Naruto: The Broken Bond ASIA US$ 49.90
Naruto: The Broken Bond US US$ 64.90
Tomb Raider Underworld ASIA US$ 49.90
Tomb Raider Underworld US US$ 64.90
World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 ASIA US$ 49.90
World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 JPN US$ 79.90
PlayStation3™
Guitar Hero World Tour (Band Kit) ASIA US$ 289.90
Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Bundle) ASIA US$ 129.90
Tomb Raider Underworld ASIA US$ 59.90
Tomb Raider Underworld US US$ 64.90
World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 ASIA US$ 49.90
World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 JPN US$ 79.90
Nintendo Wii™
Animal Crossing: City Folk US US$ 54.90
Castlevania: Judgment US US$ 54.90
Naruto Shippuuden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX 3 JPN US$ 64.90
Nintendo DS™
Chrono Trigger DS US US$ 44.90
Luminous Arc 2 US US$ 44.90
Metal Slug 7 US US$ 34.90
Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki Set JPN US$ 89.90
Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin JPN US$ 48.90
Patapon 2: Don-Chaka ASIA US$ 42.90
Patapon 2: Don-Chaka JPN US$ 48.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX: Tag Force 3 JPN US$ 48.90
PC Game
EverQuest II: The Shadow Odyssey (DVD-ROM) US US$ 44.90
This High Speed F1000 HDTV HDMI Cable is made by Nitrogen(N2) Gas-Injected Dielectric and single large size OCC,has 24K gold contract.Adopt ultra high-density quad-layer shielding.The double layer of aluminized Mylar foil and dense copper braiding provide ultimate rejection of RF and EM interference.It use flat design,flexible for easy routing and installation.Resistant to temperature extremes.
Hopefully you've managed to upgrade yourself to the New Xbox Experience already!
Some people are reporting having trouble logging on to Xbox.com to sign the new Terms of Use. If that includes you, try signing this through your Xbox 360 console instead. That is probably your quickest and easiest route back to Premium Creators Club membership status.
We've also got a new area just for Xbox LIVE Community Games over on the Xbox.com forums. This will be where we can send those earnest voices that don't necessarily want to make a game, but simply want to offer their opinions on the games created. Each Community Game will have its own thread created once it is available through Marketplace.
On Creators Club we've opened up the last piece of the site to the Creators -- the "My Business" portion of your profile is now live. If you're selling a Community Game or plan to sell one you need to give us your information there so we know where to send the check!
This is a pretty incredible day for all of us. We've managed to do something that no one has really done before. We've opened up the console and given independent game developers a chance to sell their work to the millions of Xbox LIVE gamers.
Our creators have submitted more than 30 different games that you can download now through the Community Games channel on the New Xbox Experience. Each game has something incredible to offer and speaks to the potential that waits beyond today. We really can't wait to see what happens next! http://blogs.msdn.com/xna/archive/20...-business.aspx
A recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has revealed that video game console usage across America stands at approximately 16 billion kilowatt-hours per year—which is roughly the amount consumed by the entire city of San Diego. This is only a rough estimation, but there is no doubt that many of us waste a significant amount of energy when we leave our consoles running for hours on end. Even Energy Star has recognized the problem and begun setting standards on energy consumption for these devices. Obviously, the short-term solution to the problem would be to save your game and shut off the system when you are done—but it's a bad habit that is hard to break. So, my question is: do you leave your game console running when you are not playing?
Square Enix's new Los Angeles studio is still hiring, but they now have a small core staff of coders. To ease the new kids gently into the world of Squeenix development, the new studio is going to focus on downloadable games.
"We started the in-house development team a couple of months ago and we're starting with downloadable content because the team is still small," explained the studio's US president John Yamamoto. "All formats – Xbox Live, WiiWare, PlayStation Network – are all viable formats for us"
The LA studio will also be investigating middleware solutions, after successfully using the Unreal Engine 3 for The Last Remnant. "I want to [...] evaluate lots of middleware," said Yamamoto, "because western middleware is much more advanced compared to Japanese middleware. So we will study and feed back information to Square Enix in Japan."
features
Play state-of-the-art wireless instruments including a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, authentic drum kit and microphone
This revolutionary new feature incorporates a full complement of tools to create digital music from scratch utilizing the drum kit and guitar controller while offering the opportunity to play compositions in-game
Rock out in solo career mode or battle against other full bands head-to-head online for the first time ever
Customize your own rocker, select one of your favorite Guitar Hero characters or choose one of the guest artists appearing in-game
It's the most expansive and diverse on-disc track selection in a music game with over 85 master tracks!
description
When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of axe shredders, drummers and fearless frontmen will be born with Activision's Guitar Hero® World Tour. The latest installment from the number one best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding the signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience combining the most advanced wireless instruments with new revolutionary online and offline gameplay modes, including online Band Career and eight-player "Battle of the Bands," which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online for the first time ever. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar, an authentic electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit, and share their original rock 'n' roll anthems.
Box contents
Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar
Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Drum
Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Microphone
features
Reach new heights with the broadest range of acrobatic abilities and utilize objects within the environment to uncover new paths to explore
Discover ancient mysteries of the underworld hidden within the coast of Thailand, frozen islands of the Arctic Sea, the jungles of Mexico, and more
Each level is an elaborate multi-stage puzzle masked within an interactive environmental playground offering more flexibility over how the area is solved
Choose to pacify or kill, target multiple enemies at once with the new dual-target system, and shoot with one hand while suspended with the other
Utilize the latest technology in Laras upgraded inventory to navigate the world
description
A new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail resulting in breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.
Step into the skin of the pretty pilot and shoot your opponents down. Konami is bringing the arcade game, and much better, the cockpit of a fighter craft to your living room.
The KonamiStyle Special Edition comes with a stylishly designed control stick designed to match the original arcade feeling, with touch pad support and of the profiles of all the pretty pilots printed on the front.
Slip the game disk into your Xbox360 and plug the control stick to the machine and you are all set to do war to all your challenging opponents out there.
As a special edition, this package comes with a set of six tin badges, pin these accessories to your shirt or bags to show your loyalty towards your favourite pilot.
A limited number of Otomedius Gorgeous + Hyper Stick Pro Otomedius Gorgeous Ver. have arrived ttoday, available as long as supplies last for a collector price of US$ 389.90 only.
features
Co-op redefined: This new action title from Valve, creators of the Counter-Strike and Half-Life games, promises to redefine the co-operative genre as those titles did for multiplayer and single player action games.
A.I. technology: The advanced artificial intelligence drives both friendly and unfriendly creatures to dynamically create intense single-player, co-op, and multiplayer experiences every time the game is played.
Expansive environments: Battle across twenty different maps with ten distinct weapons across four sprawling campaigns.
Online matchmaking: The matchmaking, stats, rankings, and awards system drive collaborative play.
Designer's Commentary mode: Activate this mode for a unique "behind the scenes" look at the development of the game.
description
Set in a modern day survival-horror universe, the co-operative gameplay of Left 4 Dead™ casts four "Survivors" in an epic struggle against hordes of swarming zombies and terrifying "Boss Infected" mutants.
The Survivor Co-op Game Mode is played out across four sprawling campaigns, set in urban and rural environments. The team of four Survivors may be comprised of one to four human players, allowing for single player and multiplayer co-op games.
The next-generation A.I. technology of all non-player Survivor and zombie characters is a pool of systems used to procedurally generate a unique experience by monitoring the players' experiences and tailoring the pacing and difficulty of action for each game. This makes for a different experience each time the game is played.
In the Left 4 Dead Vs. Mode, play as a Survivor or as one of four types of "Boss Infected." Each of the "Boss Infected" possesses an exceptional mutant ability -- such as a 50-foot tongue lasso or a giant belly full of explosive methane gas -- instead of traditional firearms.
features
Two wireless interactive microphones. Featuring stylish interactive motion sensors and lights, the microphones respond to singers’ actions and can be used as percussion accompaniments. With the freedom and encouragement provided by the high-quality wireless microphones, everyone can live their singing dreams in style.
The best music. “Lips” will include a diverse selection of songs, including your favorite blasts from the past such as “Bust a Move” by Young MC, as well as new songs from breakout artists such as “Mercy” by Duffy and “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John.
Sing your music collection. “Lips” allows people to customize their experience with the songs that matter most to them by singing along with friends to the music from their personal collection.
Play along. Using the standard Xbox 360 controller, up to two people will be able to join the fun and choose from a variety of percussion accompaniment to play along with the music in “Lips.” By placing control of various tambourines, claps and of course the ubiquitous cowbell at the fingertips of anyone with a controller, “Lips” creates a social entertainment experience for friends, co-workers and kids alike.
Constant flow of new music. From the songs that will come with the game, to your own music collection and the ability to download new tracks from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, “Lips” will continually provide new music to bring people together and keep the party going.
description
Microsoft Corp. is taking a whole new stage with “Lips,” an all-new music franchise exclusively for Xbox 360. “Lips” is the only singing game that offers wireless motion-sensitive microphones and the ability to sing from your own music collection of DRM-free songs.* Start channeling your favorite pop star because it’s you, your friends and most important your music that turns “Lips,” the new singing game for Xbox 360, into the world’s ultimate party experience this holiday season.
Keiichi Yano, celebrated developer behind some of the industry’s most beloved rhythm games, brings his vision of collaborative and social musical entertainment to “Lips.” The first and only singing game that offers interactive motion-sensitive microphones to make your party rock all night long, “Lips” encourages players to toss apprehensions out the window and join the party.
features
Introducing true-to-life styles of play for every Division I team, including authentic team ratings and scouting reports from the creators of the annual Blue Ribbon™ College Basketball Yearbook
Choose pre-game strategies that reinforce your style of play and then keep an eye on the all-new Game Tempo Meter to make adjustments on the fly
Use all 94 feet to push the ball or apply full court pressure to force turnovers to speed the game up, walk the ball up the floor and initiate a half-court set or use a balanced attack to take advantage of what your opponent gives you. Set the tempo and play your game to put yourself in a position to come out on top
Over 1,000 new animation sequences deliver a more responsive, intelligent experience. Apply pressure defense with new full-court presses and traps. Plus, quicker players now get up and down the floor faster and make better decisions running lanes and driving to the rim
Your school's coach is with you every step of the way. Listen to real NCAA® Coaches on the sidelines providing real time feedback, helping you play at your ideal tempo
Force your defender to step up and guess what you'll do next. Trigger the turbo button and use the right analog stick for bold, responsive ball-handling moves to fake out your defender and create scoring opportunities
New risk reward system to lock in your check on defense. Get in tight on a strong shooting guard to take away his shot, or play back to keep a quick point guard from blowing by you
Introducing an accessible in game play-calling system that pushes on-court visualization to guide you through the play.
New two-man game mechanic enables you to control both the ball handler and screener simultaneously. Set screens and run two man plays, with on-screen instructions to guide you
Dramatically more authentic with classic and alternate team uniforms, Dick Vitale and Brad Nessler calling the action, and Erin Andrews reporting from the sidelines. Choose from new arenas, including Ford Field, home of the 2009 NCAA Final Four®
Wait and watch for rival users to log on and then challenge them to a spirited match-up in new Rival Challenge Mode. Plus, edit and share roster files through EA Locker 3.0
Participate in major tournaments like the Pre and Post season NIT, EA SPORTS Maui Invitational or new ones like the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, Anaheim Classic and Old Spice Classic
Featuring a new recruiting database, a Dynasty Yearbook to review previous seasons and create-a-coach that enables you to set the playing style of your school
College basketball pops to life with lively crowds, loud bands, mascots, cheerleaders, and student sections
description
Replicate your school's style of play, set the tempo and win with NCAA® Basketball 09. Whether your school pushes the ball in transition, runs a half-court offense that utilizes the clock and limits possessions or features a balanced attack that combines transition offense with set plays, NCAA Basketball 09 rewards the strategic player by emphasizing team specific styles of play.
College basketball springs to life in NCAA Basketball 09 with frenzied crowds, authentic commentary from Dick Vitale, Brad Nessler and Erin Andrews and now featuring NCAA Division I coaches in-game for the first time. Each coach will provide real time instruction and feedback, helping players control the tempo by executing their team's offense and defense to perfection.
New features like Pick and Roll Control, Defensive Lockdown Control, Signature Playcalling and Quickstrike Ankle-Breakers provide ultimate control on the court
NCAA Basketball 09 features a new gameplay engine with over 1,000 new animation sequences that deliver a more responsive, intelligent experience. The new animation system and improved AI enable gamers to apply pressure defense with new full-court presses and traps. Plus, quicker players get up and down the floor faster and make better decisions running lanes and driving to the rim.
Bethesda has confirmed that it's "working on" patches to fix a number of issues discovered in all three versions of Fallout 3.
While Fallout 3 has made a great start sales wise, numerous users have been left with a sour taste in their mouth after running into technical issues with the game.
Complaints on the game's official forums report crashes, lock-ups and graphical glitches, particularly with the PS3 version. But Bethesda assures players that a fix is on the way.
"We are currently working on a patch for all three platforms," wrote a Bethesda community manager. "When I've got more details, I'll let everyone know."
A brief and vague statement then, but at least we know for sure that Bethesda's on the case. Have you been one of the unlucky people to suffer from problems with the game? Fingers crossed it'll all be sorted soon.
The weeklyreading for console sale in Japan come again with the following results:
Nintendo DSi: 85,327
Playstation Portable: 38,153
Nintendo Wii: 26,787
Playstation 3: 17,448
Xbox 360: 7,983
Playstation 2: 5,421
Nintendo DS Lite: 3,559
First in line is the DSi, takes a tumble roughly by 19,000 units. PSP is next, down 5,000. The Wii is 3rd, goes up by 2,000. PS3 comes 4th, down 900. Xbox 360 is 5th, drops 5,000. PS2 is next and is down just 300. Finally is the DS Lite, with 5,000 taken off from last time. All in all, just another week of slow sales. Figures from M-Create.
features
Race into an action-packed story of pursuit and betrayal. Take on jobs and compete in races to prove yourself as you infiltrate and take down an international crime syndicate
An all-new game engine featuring cutting-edge physics and improved AI designed to push players and the cars to limits with adrenaline filled action driving maneuvers
Fight off the cops and others as you take down your prey in high-speed, high stake multi-car chases. New and vastly improved AI mechanics mean more aggressive and intelligent cops focused on taking you out fast and by any means necessary
Tear across the massive highway system and discover the open world of the Gulf Coast Tri-Cities area, with three unique cities connected by an extensive highway system
In addition to the classic sprint and circuit race modes, Need for Speed Undercover features an all new exclusive multiplayer mode, Cops N’ Robbers. This visceral team-based mode supports up to 8 players and pits two teams of 4 players against each other. Robbers must pick up the money and take it to the drop-off point while the cops attempt to prevent the drop-off. Each game consists of two rounds giving the players the chance to play as the Cops and as the Robbers
Over 55 licensed cars are available featuring performance tuning that enables the player to dynamically adjust the vehicles to create the vehicles that can accommodate all action driving scenarios. Some of the cars include the Mercedes CL55, Audi R8, Porsche 911 GT2 and the Mitsubishi EVO X
description
The Chase is on! Need for Speed Undercover has players racing down highways, evading cops and hunting down rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an international crime syndicate. The new game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new ‘Heroic Driving Engine’ - a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour.
Need for Speed Undercover also utilizes Hollywood style filming and production techniques as well as the acting talent of Maggie Q and Christina Milian to create a rich, cinematic experience.
This stunning mix of gameplay and live-action movies will immerse gamers in the world of the Tri-City Bay Area. The city’s open-world environment features over 80 miles of roads, including an enormous highway system that sets the stage for heart-pounding highway battles. These high-speed, high-stake chase sequences will push players to the limit as they fight off cops and opponents while whipping through traffic at 180 miles per hour.
An intelligent new A.I. mechanic delivers a realistic and high-energy action driving experience. Going back to the franchise’s roots, Need for Speed Undercover features more aggressive and intelligent cops whose sole purpose is to take down the player quickly and by any means necessary.
Created by Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, Rock Band is the ultimate platform for gamers to experience music, giving players the chance to rock out in the shoes of the biggest guitarists, bassists, drummers and singers of all time – as a solo superstar or as part of a hard rocking band. Built on unprecedented deals with top record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band spans all genres of rock and includes many master recordings from legendary artists.
Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 is a standalone software product that allows owners of Rock Band Special Edition and Rock Band 2 Special Edition or Rock Band (1 or 2) peripherals to keep the party going with more hit songs from the pantheon of rock music, hand-picked with care by Harmonix.
features
Starring in your very own B-movie: You're in the Movies gives players, who can be anything from an action hero to a silent film star, a choice of fun and kitschy scripts in different genres. B-list actors often can't be picky, but now you can feel free to pick a genre, pick a script, and get to work becoming the star you were always meant to be.
Casting call: Up to four people at a time can bask in the spotlight and play starring roles. But rest assured, even your greatest fans will have fun watching from the sidelines! A top-notch director guides actors through their roles with simple instructions and immediate feedback; in fact, the director even rates actors on their physical performance in mini-games. This exciting scoring system will also keep all you A-listers from getting too lazy.
Take the director's chair: Jump into Director Mode and cut a trailer for the movie you just made. Getting the distribution deal is great, but unless you have a great trailer, no one will see your movie. Lock yourself in the edit room and get to work.
The miracle of technology: The Xbox LIVE Vision camera captures player movements using a green screen type of technology. You're in the Movies allows players' best and most hilarious performances to be documented, saved, shared, and relived.
description
You're in the Movies brings the cool factor to kitsch as you live out your dreams of becoming a scream queen, zombie, or kung fu fighter. Premiering exclusively on Xbox 360® this holiday season, it's the first and only game of its kind to transport players into a magical world of cinema mixed with the hilarious world of improvisation. Using the Xbox LIVE Vision camera, players' actions are captured and placed into short, riotous films that highlight the unique and often dubious acting talents of friends and family. Performances never end up on the cutting room floor and are never the same. With You're in the Movies, you're about to be a star—if only straight to DVD. Get ready for your close-up.
features
Platform: PC and X-Box 360
Walkthrough: Step by step walkthrough of each area including tips to play as Infected!
Exclusive Maps: Maps of every level will keep the action rolling with locations of ammo piles and first aid kits.
Gameplay Essentials: Coverage on movement, ranged/melee combat, and healing!
Achievements: Complete list of all Xbox 360 Achievements!
features
Complete Strategy Guide
Detailed labeled maps
Locations of every collectable
Strategy for every building and every enemy encounter
In-dept DICE Studio Profile Paired with Exciting Behind the Scenes Info
30+ pages of behind the scenes content
Stunning concept art
Revealing interviews with the developers of your favorite DICE titles
Photo tour of the DICE Studio
Beautifully labeled maps detailing every hidden package, foothold, and leap of faith
Pro-tips and strategy to help you complete every Xbox 360 Achievement and PlayStation 3 Trophy
Locate every package and follow the quickest route to the drop off point
Become the master of your environment with multiple strategies for every enemy encounter–the choice is yours Interior
features
Platform: PC, PlayStation3, Xbox360
The perfect companion for newcomers and experts alike
Hi-res “google Earth”-styled maps in never experienced quality
New “supervisual” approach for the Walktrough chapter. Tricky passages are covered in dedicated, illustrative sections. This reduces the need for the reader to search for and interpret text instructions
Features comprehensive step-by-step guidance, revealing the location of every treasure
All-inclusive Extras chapter helps discover all collectibles and other bonus features
Detailed information about the cast, a Synopsis and an Art section peppered with reams of exclusive artwork turn this guide into a coveted collectors’ item.
Digital, hi-res screenshots to illustrate playing tactics
You probably recall that two days ago, when the new Xbox Experience launched, sadly, about 300 Sony Pictures films were unavailable for Netflix Watch Instantly on NXE, thus quashing your hopes of streaming The Karate Kid series. At the time, it seemed possible that missing titles were due to the fact that Xbox 360 manufacturer Microsoft and Sony are direct competitors. Well, according to a Sony spokesperson, the problem isn't specific to the Xbox, nor is their beef competition-related in any way. Sony also says it is in talks with the several "relevant parties" to work out these vague licensing issues, though there was no word on when the issue would be resolved. We really do hope it's soon because we're dying to see how everything turns out with the Cobra Kai.
According to a long thread at the AVForums, several Xbox 360 users are losing all sound after upgrading to the New Xbox Experience. Apparently, the problem only appears in HDMI-connected systems. but there has been one report of someone having the same problem using a SCART connector. Fortunately, there seems to be a fix
We've known for some time that Microsoft has been planning additional clothing and accessories to differentiate (and bizarre-ify) your New Xbox Experience Avatar. In fact, on Wednesday, MS announced that new Avatar content will be rolled out bi-monthly for six months. Today we know that, at least for now, it will be free.
Germany's Xbox product manager, Boris Schneider-Johne, told dreisechzig.net that the early offerings will be free of charge. After that? "What's going to happen as of spring is yet to be announced," he said. We do know that for-pay and sponsored Avatar goodies are definitely on Microsoft's mind, as evidenced in remarks made by Xbox Live chief John Schappert in August.
Reps from the UK PR firm for Eidos have confirmed that they're asking publications not to release any reviews for Tomb Raider: Underworld below an 8/10 until Monday. The firm says they're doing so at the request of Eidos, which is trying to manage the scores for as long as it can. The game is currently sporting a 78 on Metacritic.
Really Eidos? Really? You didn't lose enough goodwill being blamed for getting the world's most popular video games journalist fired and bringing a respected games portal to its knees? (Yes, we know you denied any involvement. This sort of thing certainly makes that seem credible.) You thought maybe journalists would keep this quiet because you were buds? Because they were worried about not getting advance copies of Just Cause 2?
Note to Eidos: Stop being evil. That is all.
[Update: The head of Barrington Harvey, the UK PR firm, is playing defense, with director Simon Byron saying, "Any site, be it Gamespot or whoever, is entirely within their rights to post whatever score they want and no-one is under any sort of obligation to delay any review." It should be noted that "being obligated to" and "being asked to under penalty of being blacklisted" are two very different things. Not that we think that happened, of course.]
So many games, so little time. But do you ever wonder what happens to the also-rans? The non-AAA titles and the ones that don't have the huge marketing budgets behind them? Or even those that do, but just.. don't work? The answer, according to market analysts EEDAR, is not very much.
EEDAR offer a service to games publishers where they run the numbers on games in development and try to predict how they will perform. The success rates make sobering reading for any game developer.
There's a copy of Castlevania Judgment and Metal Slug 7 at Kotaku Towers West both with my name on it. My name just happens to be on a Post-It preceded by "Review these ASAP or you're fired - Brian" so that's my weekend right there. What Brian doesn't know is that I'll be playing Left 4 Dead until my eyes bleed this weekend, with me thumbing my nose at him and his "due dates." Boy, I hope he doesn't read this post or the jig is up. I've also got some exciting Meat Bun things to pre-launch and a mouse carcass to dispose of.
Welcome to the good life! How's your world lookin'? Got some gaming that needs to get done this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
The researchers at Electronic Entertainment Design and...Research have been looking at console game sales patterns. Looking at how long it takes a game to enter "price protection", which is a term used for when a publisher - having noticed a game isn't selling very well - lowers the wholesale cost of a game so that retailers can keep it on the shelves at full price, even when the public are ignoring it. What they've found is that this practice occurs for 7.5% of 360 games. And 9.09% of PS3 games. But the Wii? It happens for 15.1% of titles.
The path to Netflix-enhanced glory hasn't been entirely trouble free for everyone, this time it's posters on AVForum noticing a distinct lack of audio on Xbox 360s connected to their HDTV by HDMI. So far suggested solutions for the afflicted include plugging in the hard drive while the system is on, or waiting several minutes before switching the monitor to HDMI, and repeating them every time the system is started. It's not the first time we've heard of UK-centric HDMI weirdness, any of you hearing a whole lot of nothing while gaming (that's not attributable to hard drive installs)?
Following yesterday's news in USA Today, Rockstar has officially announced the first of two DLC episodes for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV, titled "The Lost and Damned." The first high-res screens of the episode are out, along with a bare minimum of new details.
In addition to what yesterday's report contained – that players will control a new lead character, Johnny Klebitz, a biker with Liberty City motorcycle club The Lost – today's announcement confirms that the episode will contain "new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City," along with new vehicles, weapons, multiplayer modes, and music.
The episode arrives via Xbox Live Marketplace on Feb. 17, and (obviously) requires the original GTA IV to play. We've been wondering if a Gold account will be required as well, but Rockstar's announcement merely mentions an Xbox Live account as a prerequisite for download. So ... let's hear your theories on the plot.
Today, a videogame adaptation of Terminator Salvation was announced that will launch alongside its silver screen counterpart in May of next year. Titled Terminator Salvation -- The Videogame (who would have thought?), you'll take on the role of John Connor as you fight against the overwhelming and vastly superior forces of Skynet. The game is being developed by GRIN Studios, however the press release makes no mention of what platforms the game will launch on.
"Terminator Salvation -- The Videogame allows players to battle for survival against Skynet enemies utilizing an incredibly fluid and realistic control set," said President of Halcyon Games Cos Lazouras. "The player will be led through a visceral story with extremely polished production values to create a fully interactive Terminator experience."
The new release title (Nov 19) on XBOX Live Community Games: Biology Battle!
Biology Battle is a unique take on the classic space shooter genre. Take control of medical nano-bots during its mission inside of its target cell.
The game takes the best aspects of the “shmup” genre, including 360 degree movement and firing, and revolutionizes the action with a truly HD experience, so players can fight off an onslaught of enemies with precision and clarity. Biology Battle’s full version includes single player modes and 10 brand new multiplayer versus games, including Turrets, Survival, Lasso, WireCycle, and Frog Hop. Also, the competitive players can compete online for the highest score.
Biology Battle is about avoiding the cell’s defenses, and survive long enough to complete your mission. And then? Well, let’s just say it gets a bit nastier...
Diehard Final Fantasy XI players who've not been beckoned away from Vana'diel by the siren call of World of Warcraft or Warhammer Online will be pleased to know that three "scenario expansions" for Square Enix's MMO were recently announced at VanaFest, a FFXI fan event in Japan. The three add-ons will be downloadable from the PlayOnline Viewer over the course of 2009, each going for "around $10.00."
The expansions won't be adding any new locales to Vana'diel's geography, but will attempt to "deepen the storylines running through pre-existing areas by ushering in all-new plots and intrigues." The three scenarios are titled A Crystalline Prophecy - Ode of Life Bestowing (which will be available next Spring), A Moogle Kupo d'Etat - Evil in Small Doses and A Shantotto Ascension - The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born (which will be available in the months following the first expansion).
File this one under: “Wow, that’s even possible?” xbox-scene hacker [RDC] has been hard at work converting his Xbox 360 to slot loading. To start, He removed the slot loading drive from a blueberry iMac G3. The loading mechanism is the top half of the drive. He split this off and married it to the reading mechanism in the Xbox’s Hitachi drive. The difficult part came with getting the drive to properly signal when it had a disc. He put together a custom circuit to do the detection and has a thorough description of how he solved the problem.
After a couple of notable birthdays this week, and now the reflection comes to its triumphant conclusion: Yesterday, the grandpappy of the big three, the Xbox 360, marked three years in existence.
By now, we should hope you know the drill: Has it been a good 36 months for you? What do you hope for in the next 12? What are you afraid of? Well, besides, you know, the obvious.
