I'd say that I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I'll be honest, I spotted this 1697 sketch while looking through a UFO conspiracy site. And as far as I'm concerned, it's clearly an ink rendition of two Xbox 360 logos floating in the sky.
Developer Ensemble Studios has had a two part challenge: Make a solid RTS for consoles and make it in the Halo universe. No easy task by any means.
The result is the four-years-in-development Halo Wars, the last title from Ensemble. Microsoft is closing the Texas-based studio early next year. To create the title, Ensemble built Halo Wars from the ground up, setting out to make a RTS that pleases RTS players and Halo players.
Having heard from "sources", CVG are reporting that the next franchise to be given the Lego game treatment will be...well, whaddya know, Harry Potter.
And that's all they know. No further info given. Then again, being a Lego game, do you really need further info? They're all, largely, the same game. Running, jumping, shooting/punching, collecting Lego bits.
Just replace the IP, add a new theme song, then wonder aloud how long Traveller's Tales can get away with it before the buying public catches on.
To anyone and everyone hoping for Lego Blade Runner, Lego Kindergarten Cop or Lego The Italian Job, sorry. You'll have to maintain your silent vigils for a little while longer.
When you're finally able to grab a copy of Resident Evil 5 next year, you will find different goodies in the box depending on which console you buy it for.
Capcom has revealed a bunch of console-specific exclusive extras, giving multi-platform gamers a bit of a decision to make.
The PS3 version will come with a special making-of video feature, which was apparently made by Hollywood staff (so hopefully a little better made than some shaky cam footage in a dull motion capture studio).
On the other hand the 360 version will come in a metal case with a soundtrack CD included called the "Biohazard 5 Selection Track", according to Japanese translations of the official Capcom site.
The 360 extras will only come with an initial 'Delux Edition' allotment, and when they run out you'll just get the game on its own. Whereas the PS3's video comes on the same disc as the game, so expect that to be a permanent extra.
Capcom also revealed a special Limited Edition version of the game (pictured), which comes in an even fancier box, packing a 2GB USB memory stick, a 32-page art book, and a waist pouch that resembles one used in the game.
All very nice. Which version will you be opting for if you own both systems?
Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent press event in London, Wheelman creative director Simon Woodroffe revealed that Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV has changed what gamers expect from an open world action title.
"Our game was already quite different, but GTA 4 moved the bar in terms of what people expected from an open-world driving game," said Woodroffe. "Before GTA 4, open-world driving games generally had more accessible, more arcade-like, handling. Even the previous GTAs were like that. But GTA IV moved the bar towards realism - even super-realism, you know?
Woodroffe noted that this change from easy Arcade-style vehicle handling to something more realistic dramatically affected the feedback he was getting on his game.
"At first I found it fairly frustrating, in comparison with Wheelman, but it was different enough to make us say, 'Look, people obviously want a more realistic experience. They don't want to be given things for free'. They want to feel like the ultimate driving hero, but they don't want to feel like they're being given it for nothing - otherwise there's no sense of accomplishment," Woodroffe explained. "We started to get feedback from our focus testers, within weeks of GTA 4 coming out, that the basic driving was dropping in popularity. It had gone from being the most highly rated element, to one of the lowest on the list. And I'm looking at this and thinking, "There's only one reason for this. GTA 4 has changed gamers' expectations"."
He continued: "... our job is to be up-to-date with current expectations and to manage them well. I'm very big on choice, and I'm very big on design and control systems. All the physics stuff stays very close to me and the design team, so it was work for a few hours or so, and polishing things up for a week or two, to change the way Wheelman felt to be a little more realistic and a little more grounded, based upon the feedback we were getting, based upon the impact of GTA 4."
Woodroffe now feels that Wheelman has been adapted based on feedback from testers and is "right on the money in terms of what people expect from an open-world racer".
As someone who owns eight different video game consoles and spends as much as four hours a day "gaming," Rumen is all but a certified expert on today's video game market. Rumen knows something that no Wall Street analyst does - how today's video game audience thinks. He knows what games are on the cutting edge, and more importantly, what games and consoles are most playable and popular among his peers.]
Despite all of the uncertainty of 2008, video game sales have been booming.
U.S. sales of video game hardware, software, and accessories surged 36% in the first half of the year to $8.27 billion. That even outpaces the $6.1 billion grossed over the same period in 2007, which was a record year for the industry.
Indeed, the video game industry has acquired the reputation of being recession proof, and the statistics bear that out. In 2002, after the technology bubble burst, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 22%. Meanwhile, video gaming revenue climbed 43%.
And after a banner year in 2007, in which industry sales soared 50% to an all-time high of $18.85 billion, 2008 - even with all of its misgivings - is shaping up to be a new industry standard. Worldwide revenue is expected to exceed $57 billion in 2008, up 35% from the 2007 record of $41.9 billion.
With 267 million video games sold, an average of nine games per second were carried out of retail stores across the country last year. But as remarkable as that is, video games are flying off the shelves even faster in 2008, with sales up 41% in the first half of the year.
As the world’s leading format of entertainment, the video game industry had global sales of $41.9 billion in 2007 - double the total sales of 2002, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. At this rate, global sales will hit $68.3 billion by 2012. That’s a 10.3% annual increase over the next four years.
The Video Game Cheat Sheet
Video games have come a long way from the days of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Pong…
There are gun-toting shooter games like Call of Duty, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto. There are fantasy, or role-playing games (RPGs), like Spore and Final Fantasy, that allow players to reshape an imaginary world in their own image.
And now, with recent advances in motion and sensory technology, there are games like Guitar Hero, MarioKar, and Wii Fit, that allow players to become active participants in the games they play, and physically control the onscreen action.
Here’s a quick look at the games that have sold the most copies over the past 12 months, in order of sales to date. (Note that the sales figures are approximate, and that the release date is the first date the game was released globally.)
1. Call of Duty 4 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC (10 million copies sold-Released November 6, 2007)-Activision, now Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI)
2. Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 (8 million copies sold -Released September 25, 2007)-Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)
3. Grand Theft Auto 4 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC (6.5 million copies sold -Released April 29, 2008)-Take Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO)
4. Mario Kart Wii for the Wii (6.5 million copies sold -Released April 10, 2008)-Nintendo Co. Ltd. (NTDOY.PK)
5. Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii (6 million copies sold -Released November 1, 2007)-Nintendo
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii (5 million copies sold -Released January 31, 2008)-Nintendo
7. Wii Fit for the Wii (5 million copies sold -Release December 1, 2007 (in Japan, later elsewhere)-Nintendo
8. Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PlayStation 3 (3 million copies sold -Released June 12, 2008)-Konami Corp. (KNM)
These are the games that have proven most popular over the past year. It’s important to note that all except one, Wii Fit, are sequels to previous releases. This is important because it shows that gamers are most comfortable buying and playing updated releases of games they’ve enjoyed in the past.
Likewise, the newest installment of the popular John Madden NFL football series is a sure-fire seller every year.
Now you too can "bend light". The Electrotwister provides safe, cool, flexible accent lighting for any Xbox 360 mod installation. Safely route the light around corners to trace major components, or use as an underglow or other indirect lighting. The Electrotwister is cool to the touch and can fit almost anywhere!
Specifications :
The electrotwister is the most versatile lighting mod on the market today. It is a wire whose insulation glows brightly when powered by low voltage current. It requires no soldering, it is extremely easy to install. Can be used for highlighting details, or indirect lighting. It is recommended that you cover the cable with heatshrink or electrical tape in places that you don't need to see it glowing. A perfect mod for people who feel that typical case mods are limiting or too standardized.
1.5m of glowing blue cable
1 5v inverter
1 Energyser Y cable included
Please Note :
This is the second version of the electrotwister which works with Xboxes that have both 4 pin and 3 pin internal power plugs.
Here's the ultimate Xbox 360 replacement case you've been waiting for to make all of your friends jealous - the white XCM 360 Chameleon Case with HDMI port. Just as the name suggests the XCM 360 Chameleon Case actually changes colour, well the cool fitted Led's do!
The Chameleon Case is based on top selling XCM series of Xbox 360 case. A see through X shape is cut out of the top of the case, with a light system that changes between various different colors (in rotation).
An extra button allows you to select a specific color (Red, Purple ,Green , Yellow , Blue, Apple Green or Orange). and keep it static on screen.
Product Features :
Looks great in the dark!
Possibly the ultimate off the shelf case mod.
All tools to dismantle your machine included.
Fits the latest Xbox 360 with HDMI slot.
Just Scouting around Play asia tonight and found a load of Xbox 360 Games at Under 20 Dollars and Many that are region free, so are playable on any Xbox 360 Worldwide:
Sure, some studies have shown that excessive gaming can lead to less interest in things like studying and doing homework, but it turns out that, pretty unsurprisingly, playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band might actually lead children to want to learn... to rock out on real instruments, anyway. That's right, according to a truly shocking report in The Times of London, roughly half of the 3 to 18 year-olds in the UK have played a music game, and one fifth of them have been motivated by their playing to give a real instrument a try, which has led to 2.5 million new budding Ted Nugents (or Jared Letos) springing up. So it's true, the kids aren't exactly studying, but at least they're doing something that could maybe eventually lead to them standing up or... something. School's out forever, dude.
Each passing holiday season has become a critical, missed chance for Sony to catch up with the Xbox 360, and it's starting to become silly to say "maybe next year."
According to Microsoft reported retailer data, the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 3:1 in the US on Black Friday. Needless to say, aside from sales on that particular day, it's probably an indicator of complete 2008 holiday sales for these two competitors.
Of course, the notably absent data was regarding the Nintendo Wii's sales on Black Friday. But our guess is that if Microsoft toppled that giant, even for a day, they would have mentioned it (at the top of their lungs from the tallest mountain they could find).
[SOC] posted this crazy real life Lancer, like those found in Gears of War, on the AR15.com forums. You are seeing it right, that is a chainsaw bayonet attached to his assault rifle. We thought these were pretty cool, but this thing actually works. It can be seen on an AR15, pictured above, as well as a giant shotgun. We think the shotgun one would be better fitting for zombie hordes. Barney Fife seems strangely fitting for this picture. Check out a video of it in action after the break.
Further evidence has arisen supporting claims that Xbox 360 consoles boasting the latest hardware revision, the 65nm-chip-on-the-solder "Jasper," are making their way through retail channels. An X3F tipster forwarded the above image of a new system's "Storage Devices" screen, which indicates the presence of the 256MB on-board flash storage, designated "MU." Unlike the previous batch of Arcade systems, the new console reportedly did not include a 256MB external memory card.
With Microsoft remaining mum on the specifics of internal hardware changes, images (and videos) like the one above represent our best means of finding Jasper. Are you out there, buddy?
Following a tepid Black Friday sale this past weekend, Major Nelson has announced the Xbox Live Marketplace "Holiday Deal of the Week." Launching tomorrow, the weekly promotion will feature one discounted item for, well, one week during this month of December. First up, the Halo 3 "Legendary Map Pack" will be offered for 400 ($5) -- marked down 33% from 600 -- tomorrow, beginning 12 pm ET, through next Monday. (Can't these maps go free already -- like the Heroic pack? Sheesh.)
The month-long run of deals will only be available to Xbox Live Gold members and is open to all Xbox Live regions. Major plans to announce a new deal every Monday, with the item going on sale the following day (Tuesday) for a full week. What goods would you like to see propped in the bargain window?
It's been a long, strange trip for Ghostbusters: The Video Game, but we're one step closer to the end today as Atari announces a June 2009 multi-platform release for the eagerly anticipated title.
Atari confirmed the narrower release window today at the Atari Live showcase event in London, England, earlier today, with simultaneous releases planned for the PS3, PS2, Wii, DS, Xbox 360, and PC. For those of you not following the Ghostbusters game saga, the title was picked up for publishing by Atari back in October, after the Activision Blizzard dropped the title along with a whole slew of planned Sierra publications. We'll know whether or not we should be thanking Atari in about six months.
From the publisher: In LEGO® Batman™: The Videogame, play as Batman and his sidekick Robin as you build, drive, swing, and fight your way through Gotham City capturing escaped villains including The Joker, The Penguin, and Scarecrow and putting them back in Arkham Asylum where they belong.
Then jump into the story from the other side and play as Batman's foes! Enjoy the power you wield and battle Batman while spreading chaos throughout the city. There's no rest for the good (or the evil!).
Game Features:
Multiple characters: Fight for justice as Batman and Robin or create chaos as The Joker, Catwoman, and other villains, as you save or destroy Gotham City
Expansive environments: Rocket through sewers and bound across rooftops as you take the fight to the criminals across classic locations in Gotham City
Awesome vehicles: Fight on land, sea, and in the air using a number of powerful Batman, Robin, and villain-controlled vehicles, including the rocket-powered Batmobile, sleek Batboat, and stealthy Batwing
Super abilities: Master special superhero power suits and the new moves that come with them, using gadgets and weapons unique to each of the characters
Game rewards: Customize your characters, build and transform the game environment, and challenge yourself with multi-layered collectibles and rewards
The Lego battles continue into this week following Lego Indiana Jones. The Warner Brothers and Lego crossover title, Lego Batman is selling at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 19.90 only as a region free Xbox360™ Asian version.
The maximum amount of purchase is set to 1 unit per customer. You have to get your acts together soon, as we only have a very limited supply.
If you've been missing out on SFII Turbo HD Remix's amazing soundtrack because you're being hit by the New Xbox Experience's audio-killing HDMI bug, don't worry, Microsoft says a patch is coming.
features
Official Gears of War Toy
Motorized Chainsaw Sound and Vibration
Batteries required: 3 'C' (not included)
Length: approx. 36 inch
Height: approx. 12 inch
Limited availability
features
Platform: PC, PlayStation3, Xbox360
Pro-tips and strategies will teach you every combo, paired maneuver, and grapple.
Labeled maps reveal the location of every Light Seed and power plate.
Detailed walkthroughs will safeguard you through every puzzle and every trap.
In-depth explanations show you how each choice you make affects the outcome of each world. Interior
features
Enjoy the franchise's debut on next-generation consoles utilizing Ubisoft's proprietary Anvil engine, the same engine used to develop Assassins Creed
Utilize the Prince's old skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman's corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light
Escape to a fantasy world set in ancient Persia brought to life through masterful storytelling and sprawling environments and that rivals the blockbusters of Hollywood
For the first time in franchise history decide how the storyline unfolds by choosing the Prince's path in an open-ended game world
Wield the acrobatic and puzzle-solving power of the Prince's beautiful and powerful AI companion Elika as you explore the perils of ancient Persia
description
The critically acclaimed Prince of Persia franchise returns for the first time on next-generation platforms with an all-new epic journey.
Escape to experience the new fantasy world of ancient Persia. Masterful storytelling and sprawling environments deliver a brand new adventure that re-opens the Prince of Persia saga. Now you have the freedom to determine how the game evolves in this non-linear adventure. Players will decide how they unfold the storyline by choosing their path in the open-ended world.
In this strange land, your rogue warrior must utilize all of his skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman’s corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light. Also, history's greatest ally is revealed in the form of Elika, a dynamic AI companion who joins the Prince in his fight to save the world. Gifted with magical powers, she interacts with the player in combat, acrobatics and puzzle-solving, enabling the Prince to reach new heights of deadly high-flying artistry through special duo acrobatic moves or devastating fighting combo attacks.
This Arcade Pack includes a 256MB Memory card and a component Cable to save games and provide high-definition graph as well as standard TVs.
It can connect to your Windows XP or Windows Media Center PC,let you enjoy your movies with progressive scan DVD playback too.
With so many great games to choose from, finding the perfect gift for the game fan on your shopping list can be challenging. For the second year GameFly, the leading online video game rental service, is offering shoppers everywhere a guide to the fifteen top-rated and most popular new releases.
This year’s list is based on the rankings, ratings and GameQ’s of GameFly members, one of the most active gaming communities. Go to GameFly’s Web site (www.gamefly.com) for more information on these titles and take advantage of GameFly’s special holiday offer, $6.95 for the first month. GameFly is also offering up to 20 percent off on gift certificates.
ALL PLATFORMS
Gears of War 2 (XB360)
Fallout 3 (PS3, XB360)
Fable 2 (XB360)
Call of Duty: World at War (PS3, PS2, XB360, Wii, DS)
Resistance 2 (PS3)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, XB360)
Little Big Planet (PS3)
Rock Band 2 (PS3, PS2, XB360, Wii)
Guitar Hero World Tour (PS3, PS2, XB360, Wii)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
Left 4 Dead (XB360)
Far Cry 2 (PS3, XB360)
Saint's Row 2 (PS3, XB360)
Prince of Persia (PS3, XB360)
Chrono Trigger (DS)
XBOX 360
Gears of War 2
Call of Duty: World at War
Fallout 3
Fable 2
Left 4 Dead
PS3
Resistance 2
Little Big Planet
Metal Gear Solid 4
Fallout 3
Prince of Persia
Wii
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Guitar Hero World Tour
Mario Super Sluggers
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
LEGO Batman
NINTENDO DS
Chrono Trigger
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Kirby Super Star Ultra
Final Fantasy IV
PS2
Call of Duty: World at War - Final Fronts
Guitar Hero: World Tour
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Madden NFL 09
PSP
Star Ocean: First Departure
God of War: Chains of Olympus
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
LEGO Batman
Resistance 2, the sequel to the PlayStation 3 launch title, has debuted on the UK software sales chart in tenth place, with sales only reaching two-thirds of the original.
Meanwhile, Call of Duty: World at War continues to dominate the region and came in again at number one, despite unit sales falling a further 30 per cent, having dropped 51 per cent the previous week. Need for Speed: Undercover jumped two places from last week to come in fourth, while pushing FIFA 09 down a place to third.
Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii dropped to number four, while the company's DS title, Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training, climbed a place to number five. Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 moved up two places from last week to come in at number six.
Tomb Raider: Underworld also saw its sales rise, boosting the title from ninth to seventh place, as Wii Play also jumped to number eight from ten.
Activision's Guitar Hero: World Tour climbed up two positions from last week to come in at ninth place.
UK software sales chart follows:
01. Call of Duty: World at War
02. Need for Speed: Undercover
03. FIFA 09
04. Mario Kart Wii
05. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training
06. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
07. Tomb Raider: Underworld
08. Wii Play
09. Guitar Hero: World Tour
10. Resistance 2
Developer Funcom says recent job losses at the company haven't impacted the development of MMO Age of Conan for Xbox 360.
"Our aim is for this to not affect development of Age of Conan, or any of our other games, at all," product manager Erling Ellingsen told MTV Multiplayer.
"We are sticking firmly to our plans. The Xbox 360 version of the game is still in production, but as before we are not committing to any specific dates," he added.
Although he was only willing to call it a "rough estimate", Ellingsen previously told CVG that the 360 version of Age of Conan could be released around 12 months after the PC version, which launched this May.
Late last week, From Software shared a final Japanese release date for Ninja Blade, its highly anticipated Xbox 360-exclusive action title.
Over in Japan, 360 owners can look forward to the game on January 29. It will carry a price point of 7,140 yen, which while high by US standards is pretty reasonable for a high profile game in Japan.
Joining the game's release across the Pacific will be a soundtrack. Released through Gem Impact, with production by Norihiko Hibino, the soundtrack will arrive on February 4 at 3,045 yen. Fans will find a total of 27 tracks on 2 discs, along with bonuses like a color booklet and color picture labels for each disc.
As for a stateside release for the game, Microsoft has a tentative release planned for Q2 2009.
Castle Crashers developer The Behemoth has very nearly finished that patch to fix various multiplayer connection problems with the Xbox Live Arcade game.
This, we were told in September, would arrive "as fast as possible". Presumably they forgot to add "compared to a clumsy child".
"We're working with Microsoft to get the title update out as quickly as we can," The Behemoth told Xbox 360 Fanboy. "Sadly, we can't get into details about the certification process, but we've resolved the game's issues with data loss and networking in addition to other bugs.
"We can't really comment on the release yet as we're not allowed to talk about it because of Microsoft, but the update's release is definitely reaching the end of the process."
The Behemoth is thankful for and "honoured" by all the community support, however, and actually thinks you're all "awesome", which is nice.
The Behemoth is the same team behind Alien Hominid, and much of the visual style of that series carries over into Castle Crashers. But the two differ in gameplay; Castle Crashers is hackandslash, with a gentler learning curve, more bits to play with and a generally rounded assortment of goodies.
Oh yeah, about that patch! Fable II developers haven't forgotten the bug-ridden masses, and are now finalizing a patch that should wipe out most if not all issues keeping players from enjoying the game.
Better late than never I say. The patch, promised in late October, is now nearing finalization, and will offer sweeping fixes for the game's most nagging problems. Targeted for elimination are bugs affecting the Monk Quest, the Guild Cave chest, the unresponsive ship captain in the Spire, the empty furniture shop in Bowerstone, and much more. No longer will your child be chosen as an assassination target, allowing you to leave them at home secure in the knowledge that they and the children from all of your other families are safe and sound.
Hit the link for more details on the patch, as well as a slew of freshly minted Pub Games activation codes.
With its aggressive pursuit of the casual market, it makes sense that Microsoft would want one of the most popular types of casual games -- seek-and-find -- to be represented on Xbox Live Arcade. Fans of the genre will finally be able to get their squint on when TikGames brings newly-announced Interpol to the download service.
If you've been chomping at the bit to stare endlessly at messy rooms, you'll get your chance this Winter for 800 [Microsoft Points] ($10).
If you remix something once, you're edgy, willing to let two styles careen into each other and just ride the resulting wave to cash and fame. If you remix something twice? Well, that's just a bit too much for our conservative Baptist upbringing, unless you've got mad, Puff Daddy (P. Diddy?)-level skills ... or you work for Namco Bandai, apparently. The same team that crafted a bold, fresh take on Galaga this year with Galaga Legions says it's itching to take yet another bolder, fresher look at the franchise.
As producer Nobutaka Nakajima told Gamasutra, "Because there are so many different ways of taking the Galaga franchise and many different aspects that could be created into the core fundamentals of the game, we do want to look at Galaga again." Sounds great, but could you maybe remix a few other classic franchises before you get into a rut with one? Hint, hint.
Gabe Newell, Valve cofounder and managing director, has reportedly shared his feelings regarding data rights management. According to a LiveJournal post (via Gamepolitcs.com), Newell wrote, "most DRM strategies are just dumb."
Newell added, "The goal should be to create greater value for customers through service value (make it easy for me to play my games whenever and wherever I want to), not by decreasing the value of a product (maybe I'll be able to play my game and maybe I won't)."
"We really, really discourage other developers and publishers from using the broken DRM offerings, and in general there is a groundswell to abandon those approaches."
Following through on the philosophy of rewarding the legitimate consumer, Steam, Valve's digital distribution service, offers players constant inbuilt game updates and various community implemented features, such as friends lists.
Due to its rather restrictive nature, DRM has caused quite a controversy as of late. The highly-anticipated and critically-praised Spore has received much criticism due to it three-install limitation. Even though the unique simulator currently maintains an 8.3 average on game averaging site Gamestats.com, Spore has only garnered a one-point five out of five star rating from consumer web site Amazon.com. Several users from the web site's community shared their thoughts that Spore's DRM was draconian in nature.
Seriously, how many spare Xbox 360s does Benjamin Heckendorn have laying around? By our count, this is the third instance where the modder extraordinaire has shoved Microsoft's latest console into something that's theoretically playable on one's lap, and obviously, this one is the best one evar. Dubbed the Xbox 360 Portable, the unit is said to weigh almost as much as his sister's cat, and it differs from most other on-the-go 360s by featuring a removable standard Xbox 360 hard drive, two accessible memory card slots, no keyboard (use the chatpad!), an internal WiFi module and beveled edges for extra safety. We'd ask what crazy mod he's planning with all the free time coming up over the holiday break, but honestly, we'd prefer to be surprised.
Now that the New Xbox Experience has been mostly-successfully pushed out, with its avatars, new interface, and updated marketplace, Arcade owners with less than 128MB of storage have been left out in the cold -- and the big M's "solution" of free memory cards wasn't exactly ideal. That's changing, however -- a MS spokesperson confirmed to Xbox360 Fanboy that new Arcade units will contain 256MB of internal memory. So if you've been looking to pick up a new 360 Arcade, feel free to get your Netflix HD on as soon as every last cord is connected -- if you're a subscriber, that is.
Well, we certainly didn't see this coming. Gears of War 2 is finally on store shelves, and who do we see at the top of the Xbox Live play time pile? Master Chief. No, seriously! Halo 3 took the top of a list rounded out by Gears 2, Call of Duty: World at War, CoD 4 and GTA IV.
So, we honestly don't have an answer for you on this one, we can't imagine why. We're also flummoxed as to why Left 4 Dead is so darn low. Anyone for some late Tuesday hypothesizing?
You'd think that'd be a subjective question! But science, as always, is here to poop the party, presenting "evidence" that shows which FPS games currently on the market draw the biggest "response" from players.
The research, conducted by San Francisco firm Emsense , looked at eight games - Battlefield 2142, Call of Duty 3, F.E.A.R., Gears of War, GRAW 2, Resistance, Halo 2 and Half-Life 2 - in order to measure "engagement and emotional and cognitive responses to content". Or, in other words, how much players got into it.
To determine this, the researchers used "proprietary brain monitoring EEG and bio-sensing technology" while tracking players engaged in the first 90 minutes of each game, and ended up with over 300 hours worth of data/
Their findings? That "the most successful FPS titles encourage close combat, dangling emotions of reward to compel players into high-risk, adrenaline-pumping scenarios". Think Gears' chainsaw duels, placing satchel charges on tanks in CoD, that sort of thing.
This means that, if you buy into the data, you can certainly draw a correlation between our involvement - and subsequent enjoyment of an FPS- and reviews scores/retail success. Gears of War has chainsaws and blood splatters. Halo 2 & 3 have insta-kill plasma swords. Half-Life 2 has the worlds greatest crowbar. Etc etc.
Besides being a long living game, Space Invaders is a popular merchandise that crossed over the boundaries of the gaming industry into the household and fashion items such as cushions, T-shirts and headphones.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the popular title, a new line of apparel are released. Make your fashion statement, let your love for the game be known through your circle of friends. This is a one size fit all garment and is made from comfortable quality material.
Wear it at home for comfort or parade the streets in it. This T-shirt is suitable for multiple purposes and is available in several colors.
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary T-Shirt (Black) JPN US$ 19.90
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary T-Shirt (Blue) JPN US$ 19.90
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary T-Shirt (Pink) JPN US$ 19.90
Besides T-shirts, there are also a number of officially released Space Invaders headphones:
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Headphone Set (Black) JPN US$ 19.90
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Headphone Set (Pink) JPN US$ 19.90
High definition and durable version 1.3A HDMI cable for PS3 and Xbox 360. It - supports Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1/6.1 sound system and 1080i/1080p/full screen LCD/Plasma/TV system.
Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel has debuted at the top spot of the Japanese software chart according to data provided by Media Create.
The third title in the puzzle solving DS series sold 347,360 units, resoundingly beating out Konami's PlayStation 3 title Winning 11 2009 which came in second place with 168,405 units.
Animal Crossing: City Folk dropped two places from its debut last week to come in third, while Chrono Trigger for the DS fell to fourth place.
PlayStation Portable title Yu-Gi-Oh Tag Force 3 saw its first week on sale secure it a place at number five with 64,179 units sold, while Gundam vs. Gundam, also for Sony's handheld, dropped to sixth place from third last week.
Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe, for the DS, dropped one place to seventh, as new PSP titles dominated the latter positions in the top ten, starting with Silent Hill 3 at number eight with 53,966 units, Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin at nine with 45,809 units and Higurashi Daybreak at ten with 32,639 units.
Full Japanese software chart follows:
01. Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel (DS)
02. Winning 11 2009 (PS3)
03. Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)
04. Chrono Trigger DS (DS)
05. Yu-Gi-Oh Tag Force 3 (PSP)
06. Gundam vs. Gundam (PSP)
07. Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (DS)
08. Silent Hill 3 (PSP)
09. Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin (PSP)
10. Higurashi Daybreak (PSP)
Microsoft has served up the first batch of new clothes for Xbox Live Avatars.
They're free, and consist of a snowboarding coat, snowboarding gloves, snowboarding boots and a snowboarding hat. Yes the only things missing are some snowboarding trousers, but we went with the skinny Spandex-style black strides and were content with the ensemble.
Microsoft has previously promised regular and free clothing updates for Avatars, at least for the first few batches. The New Xbox Experience, which introduced Avatars, only launched mid-November, but we hope there are plenty of festive outfits planned for Christmas.
Because, let's be honest, the selection on there can be limiting. How were we, for example, supposed to match our curly hair and penchant for a costume or two? No fairy wings? And what about stubble?
You know the supposed Guitar Hero: World Tour keyboard that never materialized? If you were really looking forward to that, get ready to have your hopes dashed on another mystery instrument that will probably also never come to be. According to Harmonix, that extra port on the back of the updated drum kit -- which previously was said to be for a second kicker -- is actually for something that's totally not a second kicker. What exactly will fill that port, though, the company isn't saying. Speculation is rife about another nebulous keyboard peripheral, but if you ask us our money's on a high hat, or maybe that other fundamental aspect of the drumming experience yet to be captured in the silly plastic instrument game genre: the triangle.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Releases this week is a little calmer than last week, but still there is a number of sensational products. The true classic Chrono Trigger DS US version is released a week after the Japanese one.
For those who have played the game in the SNES era, you can now play it on your favourite portable system again and relive the fun, and for those who has never played it, you are missing out a lot and is in need of a quick remedy to that.
The decadently glamourous and dangerous place, Liberty City is expanding its territories into the PC landscape. While the English versions are out already, to allow more people to enjoy Grand Theft Auto 4, Simplified and Traditional Chinese versions are coming out within these few days. For more information, please see this special news entry.
Besides the ultra modern cities like Liberty City, ancient cities has its charm and its fair share of danger. Explore Persia in Prince of Persia on your third generation console. Neither the action nor the plot is linear this time round.
By exploiting the graphical capabilities of systems and the creativity of the script writers, the developers bring the hordes of monsters, landscape and plot alive before you.
While Prince of Persia weaves a labyrinth out of Ancient Persia, 428 Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de is an intricate network of plots that surrounds a case of kidnapping. Scoring a 40 out of 40 in Weekly Famitsu, this visual novel is a must see for all those who enjoys deep plots and have the tendency to delve into the bottom of things.
Enjoy some light hearted action after playing the nerve wreakingly exciting visual novel. Kaze no Kuronoa is a game for everyone. Explore the dream world and find out about nightmares. Jump, skip, run and throw, the simple controls and wholesome nature of the game ensures that your whole family can enjoy it.
Play a game of baseball with your family via Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5 [PlayStation3, PlayStation2 vers.] and your favourite baseball stars from the comfort of your living room. The newest data and records on this season's matches are all collected and incorporated to produce this game, giving you a feeling that the national matches are carrying on.
As 2008 approaches an end, Dragon Ball Z announced their last game, Infinite World on the PlayStation 2 platform. This game incorporates all the coolest elements of the series on the last generation platform and is a must have for all fans of this manga/anime converted fighter.
The simple and innovative controls and the smooth, cheerful pastel graphics won Loco Roco many fans when it first came out in 2006. Inheriting the interface, Loco Roco 2 [Asian & JPN vers.], the second installment of the rolling platform game comes with more songs and action. Roll and bounce through this holiday season as a cheerful blob.
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™
Fallout 3 JPN US$ 78.90
Naruto: The Broken Bond ASIA US$ 49.90
Prince of Persia ASIA US$ 49.90
Saints Row 2 JPN US$ 68.90
Sonic Unleashed US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Assassin's Creed (UBI the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Brain Challenge ASIA US$ 39.90
Prince of Persia ASIA US$ 59.90
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5 Kanzenban [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Saints Row 2 JPN US$ 64.90
The Eye of Judgment: Biolith Rebellion Set 3: Booster Pack US US$ 4.90
Nintendo Wii™
428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de JPN US$ 64.90
Cooking Mama 2: Taihen! Mama wa Ooisogashi!! JPN US$ 59.90
Hori Classic Controller (Light Blue) JPN US$ 29.90
Kaze no Klonoa: Door to Phantomile JPN US$ 49.90
Skate It US US$ 54.90
Ultimate Band US US$ 54.90
Wii Speak JPN US$ 39.90
PlayStation2™
Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World JPN US$ 64.90
Hisshou Pachinko * Pachi-Slot Kouryoku Series Vol. 11: Shinseiki Evangelion - Magokoro o, Kimi ni (Special Price) JPN US$ 34.90
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5 Kanzenban [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 68.90
Real Rode JPN US$ 68.90
Real Rode [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Tomadoi (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™
Age of Empires: Mythologies US US$ 34.90
All Star Cheer Squad US US$ 34.90
Blazer Drive JPN US$ 48.90
Boku to Sim no Machi Kingdom / MySims Kingdom JPN US$ 48.90
Chou!! Nep League DS JPN US$ 39.90
Chrono Trigger DS US US$ 44.90
Custom Battler Bomberman JPN US$ 48.90
Drawn to Life: Kamisama no Marionette JPN US$ 48.90
Eiyuu Senki Leavadein JPN US$ 48.90
Gokuhou!! Mecha Mote Iinchou: Mecha Mote Days, Hajime Masuwa! JPN US$ 54.90
Hajime no Ippo The Fighting! DS JPN US$ 48.90
Hello Kitty Daily US US$ 34.90
Hisshou Pachinko*Pachi-Slot Kouryaku Series DS Vol. 3: Shinseiki Evangelion - Yakusoku no Toki JPN US$ 48.90
Hisshou Pachinko*Pachi-Slot Kouryoku Series DS Vol. 1: Shinseiki Evangelion - Magokoro o, Kimi ni (Special Price) JPN US$ 29.90
Itouke no Shokutaku DS JPN US$ 39.90
Kageyama Hideo no Hanpuku Ondoku DS Eigo JPN US$ 39.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS: Mafia Daishuugou Bongole Festival JPN US$ 48.90
Kikiite Hajimaru: Eigo Kaiwa Training - KikiTore JPN US$ 39.90
Kirihara Shoten Kanshuu: Daigakusei Ryoku Kentei DS JPN US$ 39.90
Monster Lab ASIA US$ 29.90
Mori no Cafeteria DS: Oshare na Cafe Recipe JPN US$ 48.90
Motto Hayaku! Seikaku Ni! Suu Sense Keisan Ryuoku Up Training - SuuTore JPN US$ 39.90
Neopets Puzzle Adventure US US$ 34.90
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King ASIA US$ 29.90
Princess on Ice JPN US$ 48.90
Sally's Salon DS US US$ 34.90
Sekai no Gohan Shaberu! DS Oryouri Navi JPN US$ 39.90
Skate It US US$ 34.90
Ultimate Band US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DSi Accessories™
Fit Pouch DSi (Black) JPN US$ 12.90
Fit Pouch DSi (White) JPN US$ 12.90
Hard Pouch DSi (Black) JPN US$ 10.90
Hard Pouch DSi (White) JPN US$ 10.90
Sony PSP™
LocoRoco 2 JPN US$ 48.90
LocoRoco 2 ASIA US$ 42.90
Monster Hunter Pig Pouch JPN US$ 24.90
PlayGear Pocket Slim JPN US$ 19.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yakusoku (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
PC Game
EverQuest II: The Shadow Odyssey (DVD-ROM) US US$ 44.90
Fallout 3 (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
Guides & Magazines
Arcadia Magazine [January 2009] JPN N/A
Famitsu PSP + PS3 [January 2009] JPN US$ 10.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [January 2009] JPN US$ 16.50
Famitsu Xbox 360 [January 2009] JPN US$ 10.90
Fantasy Earth: Zero Armdedion Official Setting Sourcebook JPN US$ 32.90
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 37.90
Prince of Persia Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 34.90
Prince of Persia: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Ryuusei no Rockman 3 - Databook - Secret Satellite Server JPN US$ 8.90
Super Robot Taisen Z Perfect Bible JPN US$ 27.90
Super Robot Taisen Z The Complete Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1043 (2008 12/12) Special Issue JPN N/A
Video Game related Soundtracks
Devil May Cry 4 Original Soundtrack US US$ 15.97
Fable II Original Soundtrack US US$ 15.97
Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari No Ken Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 21.90
Halo Trilogy - The Complete Original Soundtracks US US$ 29.97
Place Of Period (Higurashi No Nakukoru Ni Kizuna Vol.2 Theme Song) (~Mio Isayama) JPN US$ 11.90
Too Human Original Soundtrack US US$ 15.97
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week:
PlayStation3™
Hakuna Matata (English / Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (PlayStation3 the Best) ASIA US$ 29.90
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (PlayStation3 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Nintendo Wii™
Samba De Amigo JPN US$ 49.90
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii JPN US$ 89.90
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Stick JPN US$ 79.90
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes JPN US$ 68.90
PlayStation2™
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories US US$ 34.90
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (w/ Soundtrack CD & Artbook) US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Personal Trainer: Cooking US US$ 24.90
PC Games
Grand Theft Auto IV (Simplified Chinese Version) (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label Extra won’t be coming home for Christmas. 5bp announced a last minute delay changing the Japanese release date from December 25 to a vague “this winter”.
Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Taichi Extra is sort of being delayed too. Ketsui, like Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label Extra, is slated for “this winter” instead of January 29. I said “sort of” being delayed above since 5bp never sent out a formal press release marking January 29 as the day Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Taichi Extra would be in stores. However, they sent out marketing materials to retailers which ran with the date. Not all is lost for Japan’s shmup crowd they have other games like Raiden IV, Otomedius Gorgeous, and soon in the future Shooting Love 200X to play. Meanwhile, the only Xbox 360 shooter we’re 100% sure that’s coming to North America in the future is R-Type Dimensions.
In the US we have been enjoying downloading videos over Xbox Live for about two years now. Parts of Europe and Canada got access to it last year, but not Japan. Considering the size of the user base it’s easy to understand why Microsoft hasn’t released the Video Marketplace over there either.
This year games like Tales of Vesperia made the Xbox 360 explode in Japan and Microsoft is having a change of heart. Sometime in 2009 the Xbox Live Video Marketplace will launch in Japan with movies and anime. No specific titles have been announced and even if Microsoft made a killer partnership with Aniplex it would mostly be meaningless since video content is region locked. Such a shame too since it would be fantastic to use Microsoft’s digital video rental service to watch films that aren’t coming out in the US.
DICE plans on keeping Mirror's Edge players on their toes next month with the January release of a downloadable Time Trial Map Pack, featuring seven new maps for your running enjoyment.
Players will be able to strive for the fastest times in nine races spread across the seven maps, all for the low price of $10 or 800 Microsoft fake monies. As an added bonus, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to download an additional map for free, because DICE loves them more.
“The freedom of movement and control in first person has been the most popular aspect of Mirror’s Edge so we decided to distil these down to their purest form for this map pack,” says Owen O’Brien, Senior Producer, DICE. “We deliberately chose a more abstract aesthetic that is still within our distinctive art style and then focused on flow and gameplay to create an experience and challenge very different from the main game.”
The Time Trial Map Pack will be available in late January for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC version of the game, which ships on January 13th in North America.
Lionhead has a title update for Fable II in testing and waiting for finalisation, and has said everything is "coming along nicely".
That's according to the community website, which has also supplied a list of bugs being addressed in the patch.
The Ritual/Monk's quest no longer presents an unresponsive Abbot if you run out of the region before he finishes talking, which is quite a rude thing to do. Still, part of the main quest and that, so even those with no manners ought to be able to continue.
Rescuing Charlie shouldn't prevent interactivity with objects any more, and the Guild Cave Chest should properly reward Limited Collector's Edition, website or Chicken Kickin' items.
The second part of the Spire quest should present a talkative ship's captain, and there will be less getting stuck during Bloodstone quests The Hero of Skill (Pirate King) and T.O.B.Y./Trouble in Bloodstone.
Brilliantly, your children are no longer chosen as assassination targets, and the Furniture Shop in Bowerstone now always has something for sale. In addition, there are a number of unspecified nips and tucks.
Lionhead recently unveiled a whole new island of content for Fable II, which will be here in just over a week, on 12th December.
Knothole Island will add lots more things to do and cost 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60).
Microsoft has said that the Xbox 360 had its biggest European sales month ever in November, with sales up 124 per cent.
Citing data from GfK Chart-Track, Microsoft claims the Xbox 360 outsold PlayStation 3 in the entire European region, with significant market gains in France, Spain and Italy.
While sales in November were up 124 per cent year-on-year, sales of rival consoles the Wii and PlayStation 3 were up 43 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively.
"November was a very significant milestone for Xbox – we sold the most consoles ever in our history in Europe, and are outselling PlayStation 3 week-on-week across Europe," said Chris Lewis, regional VP of Xbox in Europe.
"Since the reduction in the Xbox 360 ERP in September, bringing the entry-level price point for Xbox 360 down to GBP 129.99, consumers have responded enthusiastically to the Xbox 360 offering.
"Our strong partnerships with retail and with publishers have played a big role in this success – we are working closely with retail to ensure a steady supply of consoles throughout the Christmas season, and third-party games have been selling well on the Xbox 360 platform and providing great choice for consumers," he added.
The new Xbox360 Ghost Case is made of a new stronger and more durable plastic blend. It is more dense and doesn't have any issues with breakage during shipping or installation.
The new case is designed to be compatible with the new HDMI generation of consoles as well as the original case style.
The custom light kit has backwards compatible plugs to fit both the new and old style consoles so that nobody is left out when it comes to customizing without the hassle of having to order a generation specific case mod product.
This is truly a universal solution for all Xbox360 fans.
The Smooth As Silk full shells for Xbox 360 wireless controller have been colored using a special process that makes the surface extra smooth and very pleasant to use for gaming.
The white & black Smooth As Silk full shell for Xbox 360 wireless controller have been coloured using a special process that makes the surface extra smooth and very pleasant to use for gaming.
This is the white top with black bottom version
Includes A Blue light kit (optional installation) that requires simple soldering to be installed.
The CK3 Probe Add-on for the Xecuter Connectivity Kit 3 (Lite or Pro) is a tool that makes the process of extracting a key from a Lite-On drive totally solderless, without this tool the user would have to bridge the TX and RX points on the drive board with a soldering iron before they could use the CK3 to read from the drive. This tool is for those people that have never soldered before, but know how to read the key and don’t want to risk using a cheap iron on their drive and make a mistake, or also for tech guys in a hurry this tool makes the process just that little bit faster.
The CK3 Probe is extremely simple to use and there will be excellent step by step tutorials on the Team-Xecuter website. There are two LED's which indicate power to the CK3 Probe and also a successful connection to the TX point on the Lite-On drive. The package includes the CK3 Probe and the cable that will connect it to the CK3 Lite or Pro.
The N64 classic, Banjo-Kazooie, finally hit XBLA today, along with a new patch that fixes problems with the version release to a lucky few early.
The patch fixes some graphical issues, and a glitch that made some of the game's Notes disappear, essentially rendering the game impossible to complete (for the most hardened of completists). Unfortunately, you'll have to start the game over to bring the fix into effect.
Here's the official list of fixes:
The update addresses issues experienced by people playing in the 1080i and 1080p. Players will be able to enjoy the game in uncompromised 1080 loveliness.
It also addresses the Bottles Secret Puzzle glitch for all players starting the game afresh.
Finally, it also sorts out the one or two instances of strange leaderboard entries but as part of that, two of the leaderboards will need to be reset to make everything fair and square again...
The new version of XCM exclusive HDMI 1080i Cable for Xbox 360 without HDMI Port is available. Featuring now 1080p resolution, and still the same quality and built of the original version, it is definitely a must have for all non-HDMI Xbox 360 owners.
Connect your regular Xbox 360 (the version without HDMI port) to a HD TV or DVI monitor with a high resolution signal of 1080p thanks to XCM HDMI 1080p Cable for Xbox 360 without HDMI Port.
You can now enjoy the same resolutions than people with Xbox 360 Elite or newer HDMI Xbox 360 versions.
What's that, Xbox Silver members? Come again? Sorry, we Gold members had a hard time hearing you from the private Gold Member hydrofoil. Oh, you want a taste? A taste of the suite life? Well, ask and ye shall receive.
What's that? Oh! The sweet life! Sorry, the Bellini machine is making a terrible racket. Listen, we know you want a taste of Gold, and we think we might have something worked out for you, a little something we and Microsoft are calling "Friendship is Free." For the next month, you'll have free multiplayer access to A Kingdom for Keflings, Aegis Wing, Bomberman Live, Hardwood Hearts, Hardwood Spades, UNO, Small Arms and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.
We know, we know, we're being too generous. Our mothers tell us it's a fault in our character, but we like to think of it as just paying it forward.
You may have heard that we in America were going to have to wait a bit longer for the Resident Evil 5 demo than those in Japan, where it arrived this morning. But that's the thing about us Americans: We're unwilling to wait for anything we want, and we're exceedingly crafty. Those are actually two things, but you get the idea.
Our friends at Planet Xbox 360 have laid out all the steps you'll need to play the demo today, but be aware that it may not be for everybody, as this is a pretty elaborate process. See, that's the thing about us Americans: We can also be kind of lazy.
A next Metal Gear is ... apparently being teased by a barren and maddeningly cryptic page on the Kojima Productions website. The internet detectives among you have likely concluded that a green power icon can only signal one thing. (That the game will require electricity!)
Before you folks tear open that wound again, take note that we have no idea when this teaser was posted, what it implies or why Mr. Kojima takes so much sinister pleasure in taunting us. We'll let you know if Konami tells us what comes after that ellipsis. Oh dear, it's not an iPhone game, is it?
In his position at Atari, Phil Harrison – former Sony figurehead and outspoken Blu-ray backer – is using his intimidating height to see clear past the competition and straight into the future. What does Phil see? First: We can only imagine he sees an Atari more deserving that "best opportunity" in the industry praise from earlier this year. Second: Phil sees "a generation of kids being born today and probably already alive" that "will never buy a DVD, they will never buy a CD, and they will never buy a game in a box."
We know Atari's gambit is in online gaming, and we're sure Phil's dead-on in his assessment (we're surprised it's taken this long!) but now we'd just like to see how Atari is going to contribute to this new, disc-less media landscape. It's done with "huge-budget, single-player games," remember?
The Nintendo DSi is still the best-selling platform in Japan, with its camera-less predecessor similarly selling in the tens of thousands. But Sony's PlayStation 3 saw the biggest gains this week, thanks to Konami.
The developer-publisher's World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 sold over 168,000 copies in Japan last week, helping to double PS3 hardware sales to nearly 35,000 units. A pretty big improvement from its October lull.
Wii sales were also way up, by more than 14,000 units.
The full hardware sales tally from Nov. 24 to 30 was:
• Nintendo DSi - 87,185
• PSP - 55,090
• Wii - 49,848
• PlayStation 3 - 34,978
• Nintendo DS - 26,851
• Xbox 360 - 11,423
• PlayStation 2 - 5,628
An 18-year-old shot and killed by an Aurora, Colorado police officer Tuesday was wanted for stealing an Xbox 360 at gunpoint from an acquaintance, News 9 is reporting.
Police say Brandon Winn had offered to buy the 360 for $170, but when he met the man at an Aurora apartment, he pulled a gun and demanded the console.
Police were staking out Winn's house earlier this week when the shooting happened, according to an affidavit.
Denver police has been watching the house since Dec. 1, when an Aurora office showed up as back up, Winn ran from his home and pointed a gun at officers, police say. The Aurora office shot at Winn, hitting him in the torso. The teen was rushed to an area hospital where he later died.
Remember Exit? The Xbox Live Arcade puzzle/platformer where you saved people with Mr. Esc? Taito’s Exit series started on the PSP and there were two games in it. Exit got ported to Xbox Live Arcade and later to DS. Meanwhile, Exit 2 didn’t even get a release in the USA. No matter since Exit 2 is coming out as an Xbox Live Arcade game. The USK, Germany’s ESRB equivalent, just rated Exit 2 for the Xbox 360 along with the Xbox Live Arcade version of Space Invaders Extreme.
Taito seems keen on Xbox Live Arcade games these days. They also have Arkanoid Live in development, but unfortunately no Bust-A-Move Live… yet. Right now Taito is finishing Space Puzzle Bobble for the DS. Perhaps, if Space Puzzle Bobble is successful Taito will make an Xbox Live Arcade version in the future. Actually, Taito doesn’t need to give us Space Puzzle Bobble any Bust-A-Move game with online play would be fine with me.
Starbreeze has divulged details on Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena's unique multiplayer modes, including a poo-your-pants 'Pitch Black' game set, yes, in the dark.
Spilled in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine US, Riddick's new online modes include the obligatory 12-player deathmatch and capture the flag modes, as well as an interesting Butcher Bay Riot game that pitches three teams of four against each other.
Teams include guards, mercenaries and prisoners, each tasked with fighting their way to and activating a central power cell. Although each team apparently plays the same, the implementation of a Counter-Strike-style weapon purchase system sounds fun - and at least it's not Halo 3 with Vin Diesels.
As we mentioned though the most exciting mode revealed is Pitch Black, which puts combatants in a big dark arena and makes one of them a fast-moving, ultra blade-wielding Riddick - the others are just grunts with guns and flashlights. Good luck.
If the grunts can manage to spot and kill Riddick - who can see clearly in the dark, by the way - they can become Riddick in the next round. This is going to be shit scary, and you know it.
20 maps are planned for the final game, which is out early next year.
In its continuing and unyielding quest for world exclusives, Spike TV is adding another notch to its already pretty well-notched VGA belt with the "world premiere" of "The Lost and Damned," the first of two Xbox 360-exclusive DLC expansions for Grand Theft Auto IV.
There's not much more to glean from this press release – "The Lost and Damned" will provide "new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles; and a diverse soundtrack with additional music" – but we're imagining the actual reveal will be a little more ... revelatory. Find out December 14th at 9PM on Spike TV
The motion-sensing microphones for karaoke killer, Lips for the Xbox 360, will eventually work with Rock Band 2, Harmonix is saying.
“Microsoft and MTV Games are working together to ensure that consumers will be able to use the wireless mics from ‘Lips’ with ‘Rock Band 2’ after launch. More details on timing to come. Harmonix and MTV Games strive for all third-party controllers to work with the Rock Band games, fitting with Harmonix’ open-platform philosophy for controllers.”
The question now is, does that mean just microphone support or is Harmonix going to also build in a different play mechanic that will tap into the motion sensing? My money is on the first, but it's still nice.
And there was much rejoicing, as Roku and Xbox 360 owners that noticed a distinct lack of clarity in their Instant Watch streams should be seeing much better today. Netflix didn't say which lever was pushed / pulled to achieve the desired result, but thanks to work with "content distribution partners and key carriers" the dreaded one-dot should be long gone. The final report is yours, with boxee users the most recent to logon, anyone still enduring vintage VHS-quality video and lackluster HD, or enyoing the high quality promised land thanks to a newly unclogged series of tubes?
Now that the holiday game release assault has subsided, it's time to bring back the fun. That means weekend gaming in between bouts of visiting the post office and attempting to be social.
I've got a copy of Lips laying about that needs some experimenting with, plus some new Soulcalibur IV outfits to fiddle with. My "Sexy Hamburglar" Ivy costume still needs some tweaks, for example. I'll also be playing a little Left 4 Dead and regretting my ten dollar purchase of Golden Axe: Beast Rider. So much regret and so little time.
How's it looking in your neck of the woods? Any gaming goin' on?
Ben Heck] posted an interesting one-off project he built many months ago. Video game developer Infinity Ward approached him to build a large display that indicated what buttons on a controller were being pressed. They were planning on using it during player testing by recording the board and the monitor at the same time. They could then compare the two to see if there was any disconnect between the players input and the onscreen action. Infinity Ward is the developer behind games like Call of Duty 4.
[Ben] piggy-backed the switch connections and added an external port. He used a pair of octal buffer ICs to replicate the signals and activate the LEDs. The whole board is powered by the same 3.3V line that’s used by accessories like the chat pad. The triggers have three LEDs each and are lit using a resistor ladder. [Ben] comments that since this is a newer Xbox 360 controller, the active-low button scheme makes it fairly easy to work with.
Some guy who ran a six-figure game-copying operation from his home pleaded guilty and will do about a year in the slammer, mostly because he was also popped for drugs and child endangerment.
Wait, child endangerment? What the hell was this guy pirating, Vampire Rain: Altered Species? Legendary? Haze?
One Khuong Van Truong, of San Jose, pleaded guilty in superior court to counterfeiting more than 11,000 video games, 4,000 DVDs, and 300 audio CDs (I mean, really, they had to get him for CDs?) The ESA helpfully stepped in and valued the pirated games at about $420,000, saying he likely made a ton of dough each month selling them online. No doubt this guy was a criminal, but you know, "street value" declarations are pure propaganda. Receipts or GTFO.
Truong's sentencing is Feb. 3. A radio station says he might only get a year. He better keep his trap shut and his head down, I hear that guys who endanger children by selling pirated video games are constant targets in the pen.
Ah, yes. TUD. T-U-D. That does not stand for "Tress Under Distress," but "Tell Us Dammit." Rather, TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works:
We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, 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. Hooray!
Question: This holiday season what games are you buying for other people? Hit us with your gift ideas, but do please leave out names, be vague and whatnot.
Two Mesa, Arizona boys have admitted to local law enforcement that they strangled a four month old cat with a video game controller and stoned it to death. Who's to blame? Grand Theft Auto.
Yes, GTA even kills kittens. That's according to Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio who, according to a local news report talked about the connection. “This game allows players to kill cops and rape women," Arpaio explained. "It’s little wonder why they perpetrated such violence against that little animal.”
The report states that the two boys, ages six and seven, strung up the kitten with what appears to be a PlayStation 2 controller after playing an unspecified entry in the Grand Theft Auto series. The boys will not be charged with animal cruelty due to their age. And I'm off to drink!
Microsoft sprung a surprise at Tokyo Game Show when they announced Space Invaders Extreme would get an Xbox Live Arcade port. Great, but what if you already have a copy of Space Invaders Extreme? According to the ESRB, Space Invaders Extreme for the Xbox 360 is Space Invaders Extreme plus Space Invaders.
“This is an arcade-style game in which players eliminate rows of alien space ships in order to clear game boards. The game includes the original version of Space Invaders, as well as new stages, bosses, and alien types.”
Classic Space Invaders would be a sweet addition if there are separate online leaderboards for it. The thought of “new stages” is tantalizing, but this is likely a reference to the content already created for the DS/PSP release of Space Invaders Extreme that makes it different from classic Space Invaders.
Q Entertainment will finally release Meteos Wars on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday, after the puzzler missed its original October launch window.
Meteos Wars continues what the DS title started so admirably back in 2005.
The idea is to create vertical or horizontal lines of three or more matching alien symbols, which fall from the top of the screen. Once completed, these lines turn into rockets and shoot toward the top of the screen, taking all above symbols with them. Complete more lines while this is going on and the rocket speeds up. But fail, like I did with my original description, and they'll run out of steam and sink back down.
Meteos Wars, as we told you before, costs 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60) and can be played either on your own, or with a friend - online or on the same console.
Microsoft Game Studios boss Phil Spencer may "break the bank" at E3 next year by talking about Xbox 360 titles further than five or six months away.
"I came out of an E3 planning meeting just about an hour ago and we were looking at some of the plans for the future and things that we might want to tease," Spencer told Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb in a podcast.
"[It's] very exciting, because there's a lot of stuff on the docket and maybe we'll break the bank a little bit and talk about things that are further out, which will hopefully get the community excited."
Spencer said there had been "some pressure" to do so, but was careful not to spoil any of the surprises.
Microsoft delivered one of the strongest platform holder conferences at E3 this year, thanks to the New Xbox Experience and the unforeseen Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360 announcement.
The company has so far been secretive about plans for 2009, however, although Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST are already talking points.
Spencer had just been to see the former, and said everything was hunky dory at developer Ensemble, which is to close after Halo Wars ships. Contrary to popular belief, the real-time strategy game will apparently feature a lot of storytelling and video cut-scenes; good for those "into the Halo fiction", said Spencer.
He also looked back at the catalogue of first-party Xbox 360 success stories, which recently include Fable II and Gears of War 2. The latter, he said, is "pushing 3 million" sales. Not bad for a series that didn't exist until this generation.
Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: World at War has achieved its fourth consecutive week at the top of ELSPA/GfK-ChartTrack All Formats Top 40 Chart, fending off advances from a range of new entries.
No new entry lands higher than No.22, which goes to the PC version of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV. Nintendo and Ubisoft’s latest releases, Animal Crossing: Let’s Go To The City and Prince Of Persia came in at No.26 and No.30 respectively, despite the anticipation surrounding each title.
Despite failing to enter the Top 40 upon release, Sonic Unleashed finally makes it into the charts at No.33, while the final new entry, Sony’s SingStar ABBA, appears at No.40.
Several titles rose significantly through the chart: WWE SmackDown Vs RAW 2009, up from No.22 to No.14; Far Cry 2, up from No.28 to No.17; and Fable II, up from No.35 to No.19.
Nintendo continues to fare particularly well in the Top 40, with four titles in the Top 10, including Mario Kart Wii in second place, Brain Training in fourth, and Wii Fit and Wii Play in eighth and ninth respectively.
The GfK ChartTrack UK All Formats Top 10 for this week in full:
1. Call of Duty: World at War
2. Mario Kart Wii
3. FIFA 09
4. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training
5. Need For Speed: Undercover
6. Tomb Raider: Underworld
7. Fallout 3
8. Wii Fit
9. Wii Play
10. Guitar Hero: World Tour
features
Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon redefines the series for next-gen—increasing the size, scale and scope of Crypto's arsenal of alien weaponry, mental abilities and destruction
Manipulate or destroy anything in the world, creating disaster movie inspired level of destruction and mayhem
Go anywhere at anytime via an open world mission structure—Explore 5 open world environments without ever leaving the game world, or take on a variety of side missions and mini-games
Next-gen graphics, detailed destruction, new weapons, new mental abilities, expanded UFO capabilities, customized upgrades and co-op and competitive multiplayer gameplay
description
Destroy All Humans!® Path of the Furon™ takes players on a journey of Destruction and Enlightenment in the Funked Out '70's. The newest installment in the acclaimed franchise, redefines the brand's irreverent Sci-Fi action gaming experience for the next-generation Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 system with new weapons and mental abilities, high-fidelity destruction and expanded open-world gameplay.
In Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon, players will pick up where prequel Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed leaves off, controlling Crypto in the Funked out 1970's when mysterious new enemy attacks Earth, sweeping Crypto up in a conspiracy that unravels his groovy new way of life and threatens the very survival of the Furon race. Players will take Crypto on a journey of Enlightenment and Destruction as he gains new powers from an alien Kung Fu Master in order to take on his most difficult enemy yet - his own kind.
features
Enjoy the franchise's debut on next-generation consoles utilizing Ubisoft's proprietary Anvil engine, the same engine used to develop Assassins Creed
Utilize the Prince's old skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman's corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light
Escape to a fantasy world set in ancient Persia brought to life through masterful storytelling and sprawling environments and that rivals the blockbusters of Hollywood
For the first time in franchise history decide how the storyline unfolds by choosing the Prince's path in an open-ended game world
Wield the acrobatic and puzzle-solving power of the Prince's beautiful and powerful AI companion Elika as you explore the perils of ancient Persia
description
The critically acclaimed Prince of Persia franchise returns for the first time on next-generation platforms with an all-new epic journey.
Escape to experience the new fantasy world of ancient Persia. Masterful storytelling and sprawling environments deliver a brand new adventure that re-opens the Prince of Persia saga. Now you have the freedom to determine how the game evolves in this non-linear adventure. Players will decide how they unfold the storyline by choosing their path in the open-ended world.
In this strange land, your rogue warrior must utilize all of his skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman’s corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light. Also, history's greatest ally is revealed in the form of Elika, a dynamic AI companion who joins the Prince in his fight to save the world. Gifted with magical powers, she interacts with the player in combat, acrobatics and puzzle-solving, enabling the Prince to reach new heights of deadly high-flying artistry through special duo acrobatic moves or devastating fighting combo attacks.
The HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) released a statement on Friday reporting that counterfeit consoles and power adapters are being sold online from Asia-based websites, fooling customers into thinking they are getting the supposed gaming units cheaper than retail outlets. The HMRC has already seized hundreds of the counterfeit devices and discovered that they are supplied with "potentially dangerous power adapters." Most of what they found was fake versions of the Nintendo DS and DS Lite, claiming to be "genuine Nintendo products," selling for almost half the original cost.
And while it’s easy to slip in a "save a few bucks" frame of mind during the holiday season, often when deals are too good to be true, then they probably are. HMRC’s Head of Intellectual Property rights Pamela Rogers says that consumers should be vigilant, to buy from a respected, well-known website and to check all the facts before purchasing a product, especially from sites located overseas.
"At best, these consoles would have led to disappointment on Christmas morning; at worst, they could have caused serious harm or injury," she said in a press release. "Counterfeit goods also cause considerable damage the UK economy by undermining genuine UK retailers and small businesses who are honest and abide by the rules."
Mike Rawlinson, managing director for the trade body of the UK game’s industry ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association), agrees, saying that more needs to be done to end the damaging counterfeit games market, as fake goods not only defrauds tax payers, but puts the children at risk. "This is an issue that affects all retail businesses, particularly at Christmas, and more needs to be done to work together to mitigate the risks posed by fake goods. We are also continuing to work very closely with Trading Standards Officers on this important safety issue and we also want to thank them for their diligence."
While Rawlinson thanked the HMRC for alerting all ports for incoming counterfeit goods, Nintendo verified that the consoles in question were in fact fake DS and DS Lite consoles. Nintendo also said that the power adapters supplied with the fake units were potentially dangerous since they were not electronically tested to meet strict UK safety standards.
Recently consumers slammed Nintendo for the company’s strict policy regarding the Wii Speak microphone. Originally, Nintendo announced that only one activation was allowed for the device, leaving it utterly useless in the used-games market or if consumers lost the activation code after buying a new console. But even though the company caved in and said it would provide additional activation codes if needed, game piracy, the used-games market and counterfeit hardware fueled the company’s original decision.
This holiday season, it would be wise to steer away from "killer deals" online or schemes that offer free consoles after completing numerous surveys. While many respectable websites my be legit on their holiday discounts, the internet is also littered with scam artists intent on persuading un-educated consumers into shelling out money for products that may eventually cost more than the original product, perhaps even cost lives.
We are told that the video game business is bucking the trend of other industries suffering through the global financial woes, and many companies are finding a way to avoid the cur of piracy with an easy solution.
Check through the current top sales of video games, taking Australia as an example. At November 30 the five top selling games were.
1. Wii Play with Remote - Nintendo Wii
2. Wii Fit – Nintendo Wii
3. Mario Kart with Wheel – Nintendo Wii
4. Resistance 2 – PS3
5. Singstar ABBA – PS2
See a trend? Sure the top three are games for the Wii, but more importantly, four of the top 5 have some sort of peripheral hardware associated with the game. This trend continues when you break it down across platforms – at least at the console level.
Guitar Hero: World Tour and its associated microphone, guitar and drum peripherals hold down two of the top ten Nintendo Wii sales chart positions, features in both PS2 and PS3 top ten and along with the Karaoke game, Lips (and its microphones) also appears in the Xbox 360 top ten.
Nintendo have released a bundled pack with Animal Crossing for the Wii, with the Wii Speak peripheral. I think they have cottoned on to it, avoid game piracy by packaging your software with a new piece of hardware, whether the game actually needs it or not.
Actually, there doesn’t need to be an actual gaming peripheral as part of the offering, even ‘normal’ games can be more attractive at the sales counters given the right trimmings. Sure there are special editions (usually limited, or costing another 50 percent) for most blockbuster releases today, but what about good old in box goodies, like we used to get?
I believe there is still a place for the odd cloth map in an RPG, or stickers, key rings, extra content discs or similar items that make opening the retail box more attractive.
Digital distribution will ultimately take over, as it almost has for music, but until then game publishers will need to look to other, more tangible ways to elicit the honest dollar from an otherwise tempted wallet.
More than 3 million copies of Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War 2 have now been sold.
That's according to Mark Rein, the vice president of Epic Games. He told Eurogamer, "Microsoft confirmed to me this afternoon that Gears of War 2 sell-through surpassed 3 million units as of last week."
The original Gears, released in November 2006, was also a huge hit - but it was 10 weeks before sales reached the 3 million mark.
Gears of War 2 was released on 7th November, so it's taken just a month for the sequel to hit the same target. The news isn't altogether surprising when you consider that 2 million copies of the game were sold during the opening weekend alone.
Microsoft's usually not accustomed to leaving the release dates of Halo titles unspecified -- without a firm launch window, how would Peter Moore have known what to tattoo upon his rippling biceps? That's why we were surprised the drop date for Ensemble Studio's spartan-filled RTS entry, Halo Wars, had remained a vague "first half of 2009" for quite some time -- until now. Microsoft has finally solidified the game's U.S. release date: March 3, 2009.
Interestingly enough, we won't be the first region to strategically duke it out with the Covenant -- the game is dropping in Japan on Feb. 26, and in Africa, Europe and the Middle East the day after. Don't get too jealous, though, only the North American version allows you to command your troops to teabag your fallen foes en masse. We think it's worth the wait.
In Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway you join Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division in Operation Market Garden as they fight to open the infamous Hell’s Highway in a daring bid for a quick end to the war.
The classic authentic, squad-based combat series explodes on next-generation hardware, offering unprecedented graphics and features.
Game Features:
Get orders from HQ, go on patrol, spot the enemy, and set up a devastating ambush. For the first time, finding the enemy before they find you is part of the challenge
As the squad leader, interact with and get to know your brothers
Players can use or command combined arms teams—machine gun crews create intense fire, bazooka crews destroy buildings and tanks
Hit the dirt and get prone, rip grenades from your chest, and hurl them at your enemies
Team up with your friends online or in your living room and find out if you have what it takes to become fire-team leaders
The trend of hit region free Xbox360™ games as weekly specials continues with Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. The game is available at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 17.90 only.
The maximum amount of purchase is set to 1 unit per customer. You have to get your acts together soon, as we only have a very limited supply.
Valve has issued a server-side fix to stop cheaters from taking advantage of Left 4 Dead exploits on the Xbox 360. Reported cheats allowed players to spawn infinite items and enemies in online games.
A follow-up statement from Valve says that the fix has already been deployed to address cheats on dedicated Xbox Live servers, which accounts for the majority of co-op and versus mode play.
It expects to deploy a title update "in the coming days" for Xbox 360 owners playing on user-hosted servers or via system link. Thanks, Valve!
Peter Molyneux has hinted that Fable II could be made available as a full digital release on Xbox 360.
The Lionhead Studios boss refused to confirm any concrete plans, but told GamesIndustry.biz: "I think it would be a great thing for this studio to work on."
Pressed on whether there were already plans for the critically-acclaimed RPG to be made available over Microsoft's Live service, Molyneux said: "I can't say anything else on it – I would be killed to death."
Microsoft, which already offers full original Xbox titles for download via its Marketplace service, has never formally revealed intentions to make full retail 360 titles available, but industry watchers have long predicted this could happen later in the console's lifecycle.
Molyneux's enthusiasm for a digital release comes after the success of the original Fable, which was made available for download on 360 earlier this year as part of the Xbox Originals range.
"It did really, really well," he revealed. "It was one of the highest selling, if not the highest selling, [Xbox Originals title]. I didn't track that exactly, but I know a lot of people got very excited about it when it came out."
Fable II released in Europe on October 24 and topped the UK charts after its opening weekend.
However, slowing sales, a crowded marketplace and tough economic conditions prompted UK retailer Gamestation to slash the price of the game by more than half its RRP to GBP 19.57 at the end of last month.
"Any way that more people can play it, the better," insisted Molyneux. "Normally I'd feel quite emotional about that, but at the moment I just think it's a reflection of where we are when people will struggle to spend any money at Christmas at the moment."
He added: "It's hard to see any products that aren't being discounted and it seems like retailers in this country are focusing on different products every week. If this hadn't been this time last year, I don't think it would have happened."
Okay, get this. CVG is reporting that the new issue of EGM features a Gears of War 3 rumor. Come on, that's just silly. Everyone knows that Cliff and the gang have "never announced" a trilogy. (Why do it now?) Besides, suggesting that Gears of War 3 will be released during holiday 2010 is just a little too obvious -- don't you think? Gears 1 in 2006. The sequel in 2008. And part three in 2010? No way. Everyone knows you're supposed to wait three years between the second and third games.
And what's this about Gears 3 featuring a "five-player co-op" mode? Ridiculous. There's no way Marcus and Dom's relationship has room for a third wheel, let alone a fourth and fifth. Move along. Nothing to see here.
You've got to love ELSPA. Not content with recently getting the 'boob job pirate' put behind bars, the publisher association has confirmed its latest victory - busting a massive games copying factory in the West Midlands.
According to the organisation, it was a £1 million racket, from which 30,000 illegally copied games, films and music DVDs were seized in a recent raid.
Slightly less impressive sounding, West Midlands police and members of Sandwell Council's Trading Standards Department also stormed "a market stall and a residential property" as part of the swoop.
Seven computers attached to 35 DVD re-writers, three printers, 19 hard drives, 15 Xbox 360s, two Wiis and a number of circumvention devices for chipping consoles were recovered alongside the pirated games and movies. We think ELSPA could've been more specific with that list.
"Piracy, like that of any other entertainment industry, costs us dear," said John Hillier, who heads up ELSPA's crime unit. "When a pirate sells illegally copied games they undermine the viability, value and creativity of our industry. The worst-case scenario is that pirate activity could cost the jobs of some of the UK's outstanding creative talent and that would be a catastrophe."
ELSPA advised punters to avoid dodgy games and hardware by sticking to reputable dealers in the run up to Christmas, before sending out a chilling message to pirates still operating under the radar.
"Anyone in Sandwell who is either trading in counterfeit goods, or even thinking of doing so, should beware - you could be next to receive an early morning call," said Sandwell Council's Deputy Trading Standards manager Bob Charnley in no uncertain terms.
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
Ace modder Benjamin J Heckendorn (aka "Benheck") has found -- and immediately dissected -- an Xbox 360 Jasper. As widely reported, it was inside an Arcade unit. In the following story, he not only details what he finds inside, but will also clue you in on how you too can find this model on store shelves. Read on for the exclusive Engadget look at the guts and the glory!
This was a FDOU team Xbox 360, manufactured on 10-22-08, lot # 0842X.
For starters the Jasper does indeed have a large amount of on-board memory. With NXE installed, the system shows an "MU" having 214MB free. It'll be interesting to see if the 60GB Pro Jaspers have this... I would bet yes, having NXE on-board would be handy, but as we all know it still runs even with your hard drive removed.
Just three weeks after the – by all accounts, very successful – launch of the New Xbox Experience, Microsoft is ready to trumpet some statistics related to the new interface. To help us navigate this panoply of numbers, Microsoft lent us the services of one Mr. Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, who served as our tour guide through the press release.
First, with 14 million folks suddenly using an entirely new interface designed to make content easier to find, you'd wonder how successful it is in that regard. Well, glad you asked! Microsoft reports that Marketplace downloads of TV episodes were up 30% and movie downloads an impressive 49% the week after the NXE launch. This is in spite of competition from Netflix's ample on-demand offerings in both areas. Wondering how many folks are using Netflix? Yeah, so were we ... Greenberg told us they're not providing that data just yet, but we wouldn't be surprised to hear them noting that as a success during next month's CES.
The Resident Evil 5 demo's online co-op mode is no longer accessible outside of Japan, reports X3F. While our friends have not verified the mode's status inside Japan, X3F confirms that users outside of Japan are auto-magically signed out of Xbox Live upon launching the demo, which is, officially, only available in Japan. But a workaround makes the content accessible worldwide, and a built-in English language option further fuels the temptation. C'mon, everybody else is doing it ...
It seems, though, that Microsoft is now filtering IP addresses that connect to the demo's servers, apparently denying any that don't originate from Japan. Stopping short of redirecting your Xbox Live connection through a proxy server (note: it may sound like we know what we're talking about -- but we really have no idea), demo players outside of Japan will have to settle for offline play until the official releases hit their regions. Look at it this way: it beats being banned. http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/10/re...taken-offline/
Twenty-eight million is an exceptionally large number. If one were to attempt to count up to it, it would take them the better part of an extremely tedious year. Thankfully, the folks at Harmonix have been keeping track of their DLC sales for their flagship rhythm series, Rock Band, finding that the 345 tracks currently available on the Music Store have been collectively downloaded 28 million times. That's a whole lot of bandwidth.
To add some perspective to that astronomical sum, the last sales figures we heard from Harmonix stated Rock Band DLC had reached 6 million downloads in March -- around the time the in-game Music Store was launched. Some may chalk this sales success up to the addition of the Store, or the fact that there's been new tracks every week for the past year, or perhaps the release of Rock Band 2 -- but we know the truth. It was the groundbreaking Jimmy Buffett track pack that served as the true catalyst for this download explosion.
Ubisoft is deploying new downloadable content tomorrow for Tom Clancy's EndWar (via IGN). The Escalation Pack includes four new maps, three new unit upgrades, and 10 new Achievements and Trophies for Xbox Live and PS3, respectively. The pack will be 800 ($9.99) and will be released simultaneously for both consoles.
Additionally, a free title update is also due out tomorrow (only for Xbox 360; the PS3 patch is expected sometime in 2009). Beyond the usual connectivity, leaderboard and bug fixes, the update will raise the maximum player cap from 4 to 8, making possible 4-on-4 games in both Skirmish and Theater of War modes.
Ah, Xbox Originals. Striving to bring you the finest specimens of the original Xbox's back catalog as full downloads for 360. Or, as it turns out, a seemingly random assortment of games that aren't exactly classics.
Next Monday, December 15, this league of extraordinarily inconsistent games welcomes two new members: Sega Soccer Slam and Raze's Hell. The arcade-style soccer game by Visual Concepts (now 2K Sports) and Artech Studios' darkly humorous action game can be yours for 1200 ($15) each. They're both solid games, actually, but with the wealth of superb new releases bombarding us from every direction, they're more "rainy day" material than anything.
Okay, get this. CVG is reporting that the new issue of EGM features a Gears of War 3 rumor. Come on, that's just silly. Everyone knows that Cliff and the gang have "never announced" a trilogy. (Why do it now?) Besides, suggesting that Gears of War 3 will be released during holiday 2010 is just a little too obvious -- don't you think? Gears 1 in 2006. The sequel in 2008. And part three in 2010? No way. Everyone knows you're supposed to wait three years between the second and third games.
And what's this about Gears 3 featuring a "five-player co-op" mode? Ridiculous. There's no way Marcus and Dom's relationship has room for a third wheel, let alone a fourth and fifth. Move along. Nothing to see here.
The moment you've all been anxiously anticipating is finally here! The winners of X-Play's "Best of 2008" awards have finally been announced -- though perhaps a bit prematurely, as Calvin Tucker's Redneck Jamboree won't be hitting store shelves 'til next week. Fable 2 took the gold in the "Game of the Year" category, beating out Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, Left 4 Dead and Resistance 2.
X-Play made some solid choices for the winners of other categories -- The World Ends With You took home "Best Handheld Game", Rock Band 2 clinched the "Best Music/Rhythm Game" category, MGS4 won "Best Action/Adventure Game", and Fallout 3 beat out Fable 2 in the "Best RPG" category. So, for those playing along at home, Fable 2 is the best game that came out this year -- but not the best RPG. Can someone whip up a Venn diagram to try and explain this one to us?
Most players like to think of their 360 and PS3 as safe havens from the scurrilous tricksters who like to mold PC games to their own will with all manner of hacks and mods. Apparently, though, their vile influence has seeped into the the 360 version of Left 4 Dead. Yes kids ... the console version. We don't know how they're doing it (witchcraft?) and frankly, we don't want to know.
The Ars Technica piece about the issues includes terrifying details like witches spawning in the safe room and giant player characters. (We're told there's also human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together and mass hysteria.) Witness the horror for yourself right after the jump.
Update: Valve just wrote us to say that the problem has apparently been fixed. "Valve has released a server-side fix to deny the recently reported cheats on all dedicated Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 servers. The fix is designed to halt the cheating behavior on the dedicated servers, which accounts for the majority of the co-op and Versus modes of play. A title update for those playing on user-hosted servers and/or via system link will be released in the coming days."
With Microsoft sporting a cheaper console and the need to upgrade all new Xbox 360s to the New Xbox Experience come Christmas morning, it seems that a repeat of last year's Live crash is imminent.
Not so, says Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360.
"We’ve built a lot of infrastructure, a lot of behind the curtain no one sees," he said. "This is something that Microsoft is good at.
"We are well prepared for the type of growth we expect this holiday."
And if things do go sideways, Greenberg promises that Microsoft will be prepared.
"We will have people standing by, more people on hand than we've ever had before," he said. "Knock on wood we will hopefully not have any issues."
Maybe. Just maybe. Speaking with Gamesindustry.biz, the Lionhead boss got surprisingly lippy about his dream of seeing Fable II become a wholly-digital download for the Xbox 360.
"I think it would be a great thing for this studio to work on", he told them. Bypassing the retail sector entirely, so developers and publishers could keep all the profits for themselves? Well of course it would be a great thing, Pete!
Microsoft may not be looking at further price cuts for their console as the country tip-toes through this recession, but they're looking at ways to make their console attractive to thrift-minded families.
"I don't think anyone anticipated the current economic situation," Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360 said. "We are fortunate to be able to lower our price on our products, offer a great value at a time when consumers are being much more picky. People are staying home more, people are making more family purchases than the past, devices that can deliver a variety of entertainment.
"I think that's benefited us tremendously, the fact that the Arcade (Xbox 360) is even cheaper than the Wii has helped us. We will continue to take our great price and add more value to it."
Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like that increased value could come from a drop in the price of Xbox Live, one of the few mainstays of the console that hasn't been reduced in price since its launch.
Greenberg calls Xbox Live Gold, which costs about $8 a month, an "upsale experience" and doesn't seem to think that gamers will be seeing a drop in its price anytime soon.
"I think we have seen people are willing to pay for the premium experience," he said. "When they compare Live, even to Home, there is still a huge gap."
And Greenberg isn't a big fan of Sony's Home service, set to launch it's open beta tomorrow.
"What Home to me feels like is Second Life for hardcore gamers," he said, "it doesn’t feel like it broadens the experience and invites people in. When they unveiled it, it seemed innovative. I think what's happened is now here we are a couple of years later and we feel beyond that.
"It feels like 2005 tech in 2008. I'm not sure that’s what people want."
On December 10th 1993, id Software introduced a title that would change the face of gaming as we knew it. Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of the revolutionary FPS, Doom.
Crafted lovingly by gaming legends John Carmack, John Romero, and a host of other people, some of who weren't named John, Doom is credited with pioneering networked multiplayer PC gaming, immersive 3D graphics, and the ability for players to create and share their own custom-built expansions. The game is estimated to have been downloaded by over 10 million players over the first two years of release, with ports spanning 16 PC platforms and 11 different console gaming systems, not including source ports.
It's been a rocky road, what with the controversy over the title's satanic imagery and violence and one of the most horribly movie adaptations this side of Uwe Boll, but fifteen years and multiple sequels later, Doom still remains one of the most important franchises in the history of gaming. Here's to another 15 years of hell on Mars!
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Christmas comes in approximately another two weeks, for those who still can't find something for their family and friends, its time to really start looking. Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories, for example, is a wonderful game for the whole family to enjoy.
Other interesting games which are suitable for parties that came out this week include the massive fighting festival Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes. Heat up this winter season with a series of punches and kicks on your Nintendo Wii™.
Transform your home into a game arcade by getting the Cross Generation of Heroes fighting stick for more fun.
Take your bike out for a ride in the the grand SBK-08 Superbike World Championship. Make use of the networking facilities of your PlayStation3 and invite everyone you know to the races. With the large amount of game modes, you are sure to be able to find the one that suits your abilities best.
The tarnished American Dream is now open to the Chinese speaking community. Grand Theft Auto IV came out as Simplified and Traditional Chinese versions this week. Use this holiday season as a chance to reflect on what it really takes to make dreams come true.
Singing is a common activity in parties. ABBA Singstar is one game that everyone could all join in. Through Mama Mia the movie, ABBA's classics reached a new height in popularity amongs people of all ages. Sick of Christmas Carols, try some other songs and discover the musical talents within your family.
Spend a Fairy tale Christmas with Chocobo in the new Mahou no Ehon game. Choco is going to save the world by going into the picture books created by Cid and rid it from strange happenings. With Chocobo, will the characters in Cid's world reach their "And they live happily ever after"?
A number of cute RPGs are released, all ready for the season. Besides Chocobo's Mahou no ehon, Falcom's sweetly light fantasy RPG Zwei!! on PSP. Journey through the world with the siblings Pipiro and Pokuru and share their wonderful adventures as well as the sweets and snacks they will find along the way.
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 [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 59.90
Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon ASIA US$ 49.90
Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon US US$ 54.90
Disney's Bolt ASIA US$ 44.90
High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance ASIA US$ 49.90
Mirror's Edge JPN US$ 78.90
Prince of Persia US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Hakuna Matata (English / Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Minna no Golf 5 (PlayStation3 the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Mirror's Edge JPN US$ 78.90
Prince of Persia US US$ 64.90
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (PlayStation3 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (Reprint) ASIA US$ 29.90
SBK-08 Superbike World Championship ASIA US$ 59.90
SingStar ABBA US US$ 44.90
Virtua Fighter 5 (Sega the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Wall-E JPN US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™
Argos no Senshi: Muscle Impact JPN US$ 64.90
Cooking Mama: Minna to Issho ni Oryouri Taikai! (Dream Age Collection Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii de Asobu) JPN US$ 39.90
FaceBreaker K.O. Party JPN US$ 59.90
Family Party: 30 Great Games US US$ 24.90
Iron Chef: American Supreme Cuisine US US$ 44.90
Major Wii: Perfect Closer JPN US$ 68.90
Mushroom Men: Spore Wars US US$ 54.90
Ocean Commander US US$ 24.90
Samba De Amigo JPN US$ 49.90
Taiko Drum Controller JPN US$ 59.90
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii JPN US$ 99.90
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Stick JPN US$ 79.90
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes JPN US$ 69.90
Wall-E JPN US$ 59.90
Yattaman Wii: Bikkuridokkiri Machine de Mou Race da Koron JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation2™
Galaxy Angel II: Mugen Kairou no Kagi (Broccoli Best Quality) JPN US$ 34.90
Hakarena Heart (Russel Games Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories US US$ 34.90
SingStar ABBA US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™
Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon: 1-2 Pack JPN US$ 69.90
Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon: Majo to Shoujo to 5-Jin no Yuusha JPN US$ 48.90
Chou Kaseki Monster Battle: Gekitotsu Galaxy JPN US$ 44.90
Compact Pouch DSi (Light Blue) JPN US$ 9.99
Compact Pouch DSi (Pink) JPN US$ 9.99
Cooking Mama (Dream Age Collection Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Elebits: Adventures of Kai & Zero JPN US$ 54.90
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi US US$ 34.90
Penguin no Mondai JPN US$ 54.90
Personal Trainer: Cooking US US$ 24.90
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King US US$ 34.90
Rekishi Adventure: Quiz San Goku Shi Tsuu DS JPN US$ 39.90
Rekishi Gunzou Presents: Monoshiri San Goku Shi JPN US$ 39.90
Souhashiki Gadget Robo JPN US$ 48.90
The Tale of Despereaux US US$ 34.90
Wall-E JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
Sarugetchu: SaruSaru Daisakusen (Chinese language Version) (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 26.90
Sarugetchu: SaruSaru Daisakusen (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Zwei !! JPN US$ 52.90
echochrome: Mugen Kairou (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
PC Game
Grand Theft Auto IV (Simplified Chinese Version) (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (Traditional Chinese Version) (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
Imagine: Champion Rider ASIA US$ 24.90
Prince of Persia (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 42.90
Guides, Magazines & Calendars
Avalon Code Official Complete Guide JPN US$ 29.90
Bokujou Monogatari: Waku Waku Animal March The Complete Guide JPN US$ 22.90
Comic Special Calendar 2009: Fullmetal Alchemist JPN US$ 29.90
Comic Special Calendar 2009: Higurashi no Nako Koro JPN US$ 29.90
Comic Special Calendar 2009: Kingdom Hearts JPN US$ 19.90
Comic Special Calendar 2009: Sekirei JPN US$ 29.90
Comic Special Calendar 2009: Soul Eater JPN US$ 29.90
Comic Special Calendar 2009: Working!! JPN US$ 26.90
Kodansha Character Calendar 2009: Cheese Sweet Home - Desktop JPN US$ 29.90
Kodansha Character Calendar 2009: Cheese Sweet Home - Wall Hanging JPN US$ 32.90
Kodansha Character Calendar 2009: Nodame Cantabile JPN US$ 28.90
Kodansha Character Calendar 2009: Shugo Chara JPN US$ 39.90
Mutuality: Clamp Works In Code Geass JPN US$ 29.90
Nostalgia no Kaze Official Complete Guide JPN US$ 25.90
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 The Official Strategy Guide US US$ 19.90
Tanaka Kunihiko Art Collection Book JPN US$ 79.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1044 (2008 12/19) JPN US$ 7.90
Video Game Related Soundtracks
Bleach The Movie Fade to Black Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 29.90
Colorful Days (The Idolm@ster Master New Series 765 Pro Theme) JPN US$ 11.90
Colorful Days (The Idolm@ster Master New Series 765 Pro Theme) [CD+DVD Limited Edition] JPN US$ 17.90
GuitarFreaks V5 & DrumMania V5 Rock to Infinity Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 38.90
Original Voice Drama True Fortune Vol.2 JPN US$ 28.90
Over Master (The Idolm@ster Master New Series 961 Pro Theme) JPN US$ 11.90
Over Master (The Idolm@ster Master New Series 961 Pro Theme) [CD+DVD Limited Edition] JPN US$ 17.90
Super Robot Taisen Z Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 36.90
Tales of Heart Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 29.90
The Last Remnant Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week, as you can see, there are a lot of Japanese releases in the pre-Christmas week:
Nintendo Wii™
Bleach: Versus Crusade JPN US$ 64.90
Let's Tap JPN US$ 48.90
PlayStation2™
ADK Tamashii JPN US$ 49.90
Fate/Unlimited Codes JPN US$ 68.90
Fate/Unlimited Codes [SP Box] JPN US$ 119.90
Gundam Musou 2 JPN US$ 64.90
Gundam Musou 2 [Treasure Box] JPN US$ 119.90
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (w/ Soundtrack CD & Artbook) US US$ 44.90
beatmania IIDX 15 DJ Troopers JPN US$ 68.90
beatmania IIDX 15 DJ Troopers [Konamistyle Special Edition - Complete] JPN US$ 179.90
beatmania IIDX 15 DJ Troopers [Konamistyle Special Edition] JPN US$ 149.90
Nintendo DS™
Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis JPN US$ 54.90
Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis [Konamistyle Special Edition] JPN US$ 149.90
Ragnarok Online DS JPN US$ 58.90
Tales of Hearts (Anime Movie Edition) JPN US$ 59.90
Tales of Hearts (CG Movie Edition) JPN US$ 59.90
Tales of Hearts DS Lite Accessory Set JPN US$ 19.90
Sony PSP™
Dissidia: Final Fantasy JPN US$ 58.90
Dissidia: Final Fantasy ASIA US$ 54.90
Dissidia: Final Fantasy (20th Anniversary Limited Pack) JPN US$ 349.90
Warning: No noobs are allowed to buy this modchip! The modchip comes blank, totally blank -- and it meant for modders, or people that like reading
InFeCtuS is the first versatile modchip ever released in the market, created to work with many different consoles.
Infectus developed this modchip with an OPEN concept, they used a core reprogrammable board, a 512kb flash on board and an USB interface for the PC communication.
Specs:
The hardware has a very high quality component design:
- The core of INFECTUS is the new ACTEL ProASIC3 FAMILY, the new family after the famous APA075 used in the past in many PS2 projects.
- We used a 512Kb parallel flash SSTSF040, with a high transfer rate and performance.
- Finally, we have got a REAL USB2.0 processor. This high quality component can manage the communication between ACTEL and PC (mini usb connector).
- All of the chip PLD/FLASH/USB parts are 100% reprogrammable via USB communication.
- For security reasons, all of the applications stored in the flash are AES 128-bit encrypted, to protect our work against chinese market!
- The project is produced in Europe with the last technology of BSDL testing.
X360 CPU TIME ATTACK ADDON is a little PCB that is studied to be fitted exactly on the PADS of INFECTUS1 and INFECTUS2.
With this PCB all can do the X360 CPU TIME ATTACK that allow to downgrade X360 DASHBOARD. A new era of X360 scene is opened!!
The possible features of DOWNGRADE are:
1- Installation of alternatives X360 DASHBOARDS
2- UNBANN XBOX360
3- Find and change keys of X360 drivers (so recover broken or damaged consoles)
more soon...
This is a great addon tool to work with the extractor. No soldering to get your dvd information from your lite-on. with the spear and the new software you just open the unit, hold it down on a single point on the lite-on drive. That is it, your information is now grabbed. No soldering needed!
This cable is designed to reduce installation time of INFECTUS readers Samsung (Hitachi Version Available). Although the installation is faster, this remains very difficult and only recommended for professional installers.
features
New story inspired by action-packed TV show from the film
Plays as Bolt or Penny
Bolt's special powers: laser vision, super strength, and sonic bark
Penny's abilities & gadgets: computer hacking skills, acrobatics, motorized wheel bar
Play as Rhino on special missions
Five environments set in exciting, international locates: China, Russia, Italy, and more
Defeat the evil Calico and save the world!
Cinematic camera unique for movie-based platforming game
description
Ka-Woof! Unleash your inner superbark and take on the heroic personas of Bolt and Penny from the high-action television series within the upcoming film, Walt Disney Pictures Bolt. Dig your paws into the cinematic took of the game and experience a mix of intrigue, combat, action and platform-style game play.
Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel has held onto the top spot of the Japanese software charts, according to data provided by Media Create.
The puzzle solving DS title sold 87,100 units, closely followed by the PlayStation 2 title Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World, which debuted on the chart in second place with 76,500 units.
Nintendo's Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Wii came in third place with 75,600 units, while Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe, for the DS, hit 60,200 units in fourth place and Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 on the PlayStation 3 secured fifth place with 42,400 units.
DS title Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode took sixth place with 37,900 units, Pokemon Platinum came in seventh with 37,300 units, as debut Wii title, 428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de, by Sega came in eighth with 34,000 units.
Bethesda's hit post-apocalyptic RPG, Fallout 3, also debuted on the chart for the Xbox 360, claiming ninth place with 30,600 units.
Rhythm Tengoku Gold, for the DS, closed the chart off at ten with 29,600 units, bringing the title's total sales up to 1,244,100 units.
Japanese software sales chart follows:
01. Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel (DS)
02. Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World (PS2)
03. Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)
04. Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (DS)
05. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3)
06. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS)
07. Pokémon Platinum (DS)
08. 428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de (Wii)
09. Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)
10. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
Microsoft has clamped down on overseas Xbox Live users getting their hands on the Japan-only Resident Evil 5 demo, disabling online co-op for anyone outside of Japan.
The highly sort after demo hit the Japanese XBL Marketplace last week, and expectedly Western Xbox Live users have been scrambling to get their hands on it by making dodgy Japanese Gamertags.
In an attempt to stop the West getting at the full demo, Microsoft has begun tracking the IP of those playing Resi 5 and blocked Japan outsiders from playing co-op games online.
Why Microsoft and Capcom are so determined to stop us from playing the demo is anyone's guess, especially considering it has a global release date in March.
Capcom has said that Europe will be getting the demo - which is already in full English - "a bit later". We're probably looking at early 09 then.
Microsoft has released a bunch of super interesting stats for the New Xbox Experience update, which streamed onto Xbox 360s worldwide last month.
Apparently since the revamp Xbox Live friend requests have been boosted 33% and movie downloads are up 49%.
More interesting numbers direct from The Major, below...
If LIVE were a U.S. city, it would be the largest city with over 14-million members. The equivalent of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago combined.
Since the New Xbox Experience launched on Nov. 19 the number of new friends added per Xbox LIVE member has risen by 33%.
Xbox LIVE is not just games: With more than 45 global network and studio partners, and Netflix in the U.S., we offer more than 30,000 movies, TV episodes and music videos in both high and standard definition.
In the past year the average number of unique visitors to Xbox LIVE each day has risen 66%
Movie downloads increased 49% and TV episode downloads were up 30% the week after launch
Xbox LIVE Arcade sales almost tripled in the first week after the New Xbox Experience launched
Avatar-specific titles like A Kingdom for Keflings registered the second-best first week of performance ever
UNO which was updated to include in-game Avatars, saw a 650% increase in sales in just one day
Xbox Live won't crash again this Christmas as it did last year, Xbox group product manager Aaron Greenberg has promised.
Speaking to Kotaku, the Xbox man said that even with all of the new, cheaper consoles downloading the New Xbox Experience on Christmas day, Microsoft will be prepared.
"We've built a lot of infrastructure, a lot of behind the curtain no one sees," he said. "This is something that Microsoft is good at. We are well prepared for the type of growth we expect this holiday.
"We will have people standing by, more people on hand than we've ever had before," he said. "Knock on wood we will hopefully not have any issues."
EA spent much of 2008 pursuing an acquisition of Take-Two Interactive, but will EA become the hunted in 2009? That's the speculation that is flying after the "Heard on the Street" column in Wednesday's edition of The Wall Street Journal speculated that the Walt Disney Company might be preparing to bid on EA.
The column comes after Disney CFO Tom Skaggs said a "strategic and attractive" purchase could be a possibility rather than developing more in-house games. Financial sites such as The Motley Fool jumped on the speculation. EA's stock is certainly low enough to be attractive; it closed on Thursday at $17, slightly above its 52-week low of $15.50. EA's 52-week high was $60.35. The company currently has a market capitalization of under $6 billion.
While there are certainly strategic aspects of the deal that would make sense (EA works closely with Disney's ESPN on many sports games), it does bring up interesting questions. Would there be a culture class between Disney and EA? Does Disney understand the videogame market? Would this spur other major conglomerates in a bidding war for EA? 2009 could be very interesting, indeed.
features
Official Star Wars Figure
Licensed Collectible
Superior Construction
Length: approx. 130mm
Limited availability
description
Hold the force in the palm of your hand with a Star Wars Scaled Replica. Crafted from durable machines and die-cast metals, the Darth Vader Lightsaber Scaled Replica is officially authorized by Lucasfilm Ltd.
features
Official Final Fantasy Trading Figure
5 different characters: Aerith Gainsborough, Tidus, Rikku, Balthier & Fran
Shipped randomly
Please order a box of 9 pieces to receive factory sealed container
Limited availability
description
Final Fantasy Trading Arts features the cute side of the top RPG series' characters, a side of them commonly hidden from the audience, but generously displayed in this set.
Adorably super deformed, the volume includes Aerith, Tidus, Riku, Fran and Balthlier. You are now another step closer to completing your collection of Trading Arts.
While Riku and Aerith looks as candid and sweetly pretty as ever, Tidus displayed his boyish charm. Fran tries to retain some sort of calm coolness while Balthier is as dandy as always.
features
Experience layered, primal storylines based on the legendary tale re-imagined
Dedicate deeds to the gods to win their favor. Their powers shape your future and the fate of the world itself
Fight alongside Hercules, Achilles and Pan with other fable heroes, each gifted with their own extraordinary powers
Travel to unique island environments filled with strange and wondrous denizens
Battle awesome mythological foes and gargantuan monsters
Develop and upgrade multiple weapons and specialized killing techniques
Unleash deadly force with finishing moves, parries, team combos and more
Revolutionary dialogue system dictates choice, upgrades and story with unprecedented speed and depth
Breaktrough real-time combat system with dynamic animations and visual damage modeling
Visual character leveling and inventory management in real time
description
In Rise of the Argonauts you take on the role of Jason, King of Iolcus and powerful, battle-hardened warrior. As the story begins you have everything - a prosperous kingdom, the respect of your citizens and the love of Alceme, your beautiful bride to be. This charmed existence ends when Alceme is killed by an assassin s arrow on your wedding day.
Overcome with grief you vow to do anything to restore her. You hear of the Legendary Golden Fleece, on the lost Isle of Tartarus, which is said to bring the dead back to life. In order reunite with your beloved you must now prepare for the greatest voyage of all.
Sales of the Nintendo DSi on its home turf were way up this week after dipping into "just awesome enough" territory the week prior. Nintendo moved another 126K, according to Media Create.
Wii was up. PSP was down. PS3 was down. Nintendo DS Lite was down. Xbox 360 was down. PS2 was up. Look, that's all the color you're gonna get, guys. Sorry. Writing about hardware and software sales all day is mind-numbing. I'm going to go look at pictures of puppies or something while you enjoy this week's hardware chart.
• Nintendo DSi - 126,648
• Wii - 56,702
• PSP - 54,782
• PlayStation 3 - 30,309
• Nintendo DS - 12,096
• Xbox 360 - 9,988
• PlayStation 2 - 5,743
Gears of War 2, Lips, and Banjo-Kazooie are out the door and Halo Wars won’t be coming until March. So, what will Microsoft bring to Xbox 360 owners between now and Halo Wars?
Maybe Ninja Blade.
From Software will have their “dramatic action game” ready for Japan on January 29. Microsoft will be publish it in other regions sort of like how they handled Tenchu Z and Project Sylpheed. An official date has not been announced, but Gamestop says Ninja Blade will be in stores on February 3. While this is just a retail rumor it’s plausible since February 3 is a few days after Ninja Blade launches in Japan.
Ninja Blade is an entirely different beast from Ninja Gaiden. Unfortunately, the two games sound a little too much alike. Ninja Gaiden is known for its brutal difficulty and in the future Ninja Blade will be remembered for its sluggish enemies, mutant spiders, and quick time events.
The Xbox 360 has a software attach rate of 8.1 titles, according to Microsoft, with third-party games generating more revenue at retail for publishers than the Wii and PlayStation 3 combined.
That's according to Microsoft, in a month where third-party game sales on Xbox 360 topped USD 298 million.
"We've created the optimal line-up of experiences this holiday season for families seeking lasting entertainment value, particularly during rough economic times in the US and abroad," commented Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
"We have the largest library of games, TV and movie content and the most expansive and rewarding social experiences. We're confident Xbox 360 will continue to drive record sales around the world this holiday and beyond."
Total software sales for the console in November reached USD 408 million, according to Microsoft.
The Xbox 360 sold 836,000 units in November, with Gears of War 2 one of the best-selling games for the system.
Microsoft has released a free premium Xbox Live theme to help you get into the festive spirit of things.
You'll find the free theme if you head on over to Themes And Gamer Pics and browse through the downloads (there aren't that many to be honest).
If you've yet to shell out a few hundred points for a premium theme, it'll be well worth the effort and give you an idea of what they look like.
We reckon the Christmassy theme is a job well done. Hopefully there are plans for spring, summer and autumn ones too. Here's a quick movie that gives you idea.
Remember it's free before you start complaining about the lack of Banjo or Master Chief in Christmas clobber, chucking iceballs at Cliffy B.
UPDATE: Microsoft's also released a rather festive snow globe on the Spotlight channel. It's started appearing in the US, but apparently other regions might have to wait until the respective teams press go. From Major Nelson:
"Earlier this week, we delivered the free Holiday Theme for Xbox LIVE members, If you missed go ahead and grab it but keep an eye out for the Xbox LIVE Holiday Snow Globe, which has just released in many regions. When you launch the snow globe, it will automatically populate with your friends avatars. You can shake the globe with A or press X to stir in another random set of friends. You don't have to download it, it will just appear in the Spotlight channel* when you are connected to Xbox LIVE. With Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa just around the corner, this will give you a chance to enjoy a little Holiday spirit with your Xbox LIVE friends in very NXE way."
Though Valve likely somewhat cannibalized the Team Fortress 2 fan base with the release of its own, equally excellent Left 4 Dead, there's still pretty fervent interest in big changes and small tweaks coming to the game. The company recently detailed a few of them, like rechargeable cloaking for Spies and the ability to upgrade dispensers and teleporters to level 3.
Valve also revealed that it's working on a Scout expansion next, as well as "a massive Xbox 360 update, which will include pretty much everything shipped on the PC in the last year. " Sadly, there's still no date on the upgrade.
Developer Funcom has told GamesIndustry.biz that the console version of MMO Age of Conan and its next online project, The Secret World, are both still on track.
The company laid off support staff in the US last month, but CEO Trond Arne Aas is confident there are no redundancies on the cards for Europe, as it begins recruitment for studios in Oslo and Beijing.
"The need for QA is normally reduced when the first six months of a live product is over and this is the case for Funcom as well," said the CEO, in an interview published today.
"The changes in the US Customer Service operations are partly a result of certain functions being moved to Europe as well as adjustments to reflect the current subscriber levels. Improvements in the game have also led to less demand for Customer Service personnel, something we are of course very happy about."
While Age of Conan on PC remains a priority for the firm, the developer is also beginning projects in the casual market, as well as continuing to push Age of Conan on the Xbox 360 and develop its next ambitious MMO title, The Secret World.
"We had high expectations when we first set out to do a console version of Age of Conan, and these remain high," said Arne Aas. "Even though Age of Conan is an MMO that is especially suited to the console platform, there is a lot of work to be done in terms of tailoring it for the Xbox 360 console. "The Xbox 360 game will also contain most, if not all of the content and improvements that have been made to the PC version of the game," he added.
The evolution of Age of Conan since launch has been useful for the team working on The Secret World, influencing design and providing improved technical assistance, said Arne Aas.
"The development of The Secret World continues and we are expanding the development team at a steady pace.
"This is a very exciting project for us, and the team working on it has been able to draw on the innovations of Age of Conan for quite some time now – especially from a technological standpoint."
But for the immediate future, the expansion to Age of Conan is the number one priority for Funcom.
"The work with improving and expanding Age of Conan continues with relentless force, and we look forward to introducing a number of great updates in the months ahead," he said. "We are also putting a lot of effort into our launches in Russia and Poland, and we look forward to working more with the Asian markets."
Amazon UK have got a special offer going with Xbox360s at the moment, heres the details:
Get the Xbox 360 Wireless Entertainment Pack, which contains an Xbox 360 wireless controller plus the games LEGO: Indiana Jones (Xbox 360) and Kung Fu Panda (Xbox 360), for £20 when you buy it together with any Xbox 360 console listed below that's sold by Amazon.co.uk
Don't stop yet. Check out the following additional offers.
Game for £10: Add an extra selected game to you order for just £10. Choose from hot titles including Fable II or Far Cry 2. This offer is subject to availability whilst promotional stocks last. Amazon.co.uk must be the seller of all the qualifying items in your basket, and you must enter promotional code XBXGME10 at checkout to receive the discount on your selected game. Here's how (additional terms and conditions apply).
Free HDMI Cable: If you buy the Xbox 360 Arcade Console or the Xbox 360 Console (60 GB Hard Drive) you can add the selected HDMI cable to your order for free. This offer is subject to availability whilst promotional stocks last. Amazon.co.uk must be the seller of all the qualifying items in your basket, and the discount will be applied at checkout.
Still holding out for new Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare maps and playlists? We're sorry to be the ones to tell you this, but there aren't anymore maps or playlists. None. Go home, kid. Over at the official Xbox forums, Infinity Ward community manager Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling rather strongly suggested that the development team has moved on from COD4 and is gearing up for its next project, whatever that may be.
Bowling also discussed the issue of balance, perception and DLC. In his words, "If you include [the maps] out of box (shipped with game for no extra cost) then it's just ignored and people demand more. If you instead, decide to get the game out and then worry about beefing up the map selection via DLC, people say ... 'this should have been included in the shipped game.'"
We hear ya buddy, now how about six more COD4 map packs?
The reviews season may be winding down for us, but there's still plenty of obligation gaming to be done. That's why I'll be playing Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia this weekend.
Yep, hand me a late pass, if you must, but I'm finally getting around to finishing this one for the reader-requested review. I also have to run out and pick up Gears of War 2, but for a totally different reason. Sad to admit that I've yet to even play the first, but it sounds like I'll be focusing solely on multiplayer for preparation for... something.
Oh! And I gotta try out those new Team Fortress 2 changes. What are you playing this weekend?
There's a good possibility you felt some sense of jealously when eying RDC's meticulously modded Xbox 360, and now you can act on said envy thanks to the supreme convenience of the online auction house known as eBay. That's right kids -- the slot loading Xbox 360 that was shown here just under a month ago is now on the auction block, and the $250 minimum bid means that you're paying a ridiculously small premium for all the blood, sweat and tears that were undoubtedly poured into this creation. Of course, that figure is apt to head skyward in a hurry, but maybe that would encourage you to get off your keister and craft one yourself. No time like the present to beef up that weakening DIY muscle.
A recent offer on the official Guitar Hero: World Tour site has had us scratching our heads all day (much to the chagrin of our dandruff-covered keyboards). The oddly-worded promotion states that if you purchase (or have purchased) the 360 or PS3 versions of the Complete Guitar Game bundle of GH:WT before the end of the year, you'll be able to "choose five free downloadable tracks." The promotional site is currently adorned with a banner asking potential downloaders to "check back soon".
We're confused as to why they're only extending the offer to purchasers of the $90 Complete Guitar Game bundle, which only includes a wireless guitar and the game disc, and not to owners of the $190 full band kit or standalone game -- perhaps its a measure to boost sales of the guitar bundle? We also don't know why Wii World Tour-ers are excluded from the deal. Also, from what pool will we be "choosing" our five free downloadable tracks? The pre-existing DLC? A new batch of track packs? The complete discography of Michael Bolton? Hopefully we'll know more when the promotion goes live.
If you've already gotten your hands on Pandemic Studios' largely unsung Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, then logic would dictate that you've already done blowed it up a great many times. Still, it's been our experience that one can never have too many explosions, which is why we've been looking forward to the Mercs 2 "Blow It Up Again" DLC pack that EA has been hinting at for some time. You know, the one with the president-elect and the Tina Fey-impersonating governor in it.
Well, the wait for said DLC is officially over for PS3 owners -- it's available to download on the PSN right this hot second. Fret not, Three-Sixtyites; it'll land on the Marketplace this coming Tuesday, December 16. In addition to the new political havoc-wreakers, the pack adds four new game types, and based off of the trailer for the DLC which we've posted after the break, it includes a veritable cornucopia of detonations -- and all for the low, low price of free.
The latest episode of Electric Playground brought with it a shocking (yet somewhat believable) report -- they claimed to have learned from an unspecified source that Electronic Arts is canceling the development of new titles in the Need for Speed series. When they asked for a comment from EA, a spokesperson responded with a statement that neither confirmed nor denied the report.
We tend to handle rumors without named sources with a bit more trepidation than others, but the cancellation of EA's 14-year-old racing franchise isn't completely outside the realm of possibilities. After all, the gaming industry juggernaut has sailed through fairer economic waters, and the latest installment in the supposedly canceled series, Need for Speed: Undercover, currently holds a Metacritic rating of 65 -- which also happens to be the exact number of people who purchased the game. We'll let you know when we hear more.
Gamasutra's Paul Hyman has a gloom and doom look at the used games market and why publishers are very unhappy with the situation; the comments section is surprisingly lively, and it's worth a look.
While GameStop (the main player in the used game market) management declined to comment, but several industry types (like David Braben of Frontier) put in their two cents. On how the used game market is bad!!!!!! for the industry at large, Braben had this to say:
"... [We] don't see anything from the used-game sales, which is one reason why the price of new games throughout the industry remains artificially high," he says. "I mean, the industry has to make all its money from the first sale since we don't get a penny from the subsequent dozen or so sales of that same game."
The used-game market may also be negatively affecting the quality of games, he notes. "Five years ago, a great game would have sold for a longer period of time than for a bad game — which was essentially our incentive to make great games."
"But no longer. Now publishers and developers just see revenue the initial few weeks regardless of the game's quality and then gamers start buying used copies which generates money that goes into GameStop's pocket, nobody else's."
It does sound pretty whiny (as one analyst notes, "... publishers want their cake and eat it too. They want the used games business."), and as many people note, the used car that gets trotted out isn't particularly apt. Being a fan of good used bookstores, I wonder what book publishers think about that particular resale market (since this is hardly exclusive to the game industry).
A Missouri State student came back to his dorm to find his Xbox 360 stolen. Realizing the controller still connected when turned it on, he set out to find the console. And he did.
This is probably the only set of circumstances in which this would work — 360 stolen, thief lives 30 feet away, that's only gonna happen in a college dorm. But credit to Ryan Ketsenberg for using some critical thinking and old fashioned sleuthing to get his stuff back and bust a thief.
According to The Standard (newspaper of Missouri State):
Ketsenburg, who lives in Hutchens House, said that after his Xbox was stolen, he turned on his wireless Xbox controller and found that it was still connecting to his Xbox. Based on this discovery, Ketsenburg said he realized that his Xbox must be nearby, he said.
The controller connected to the Xbox on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of Hutchens but not on the third floor and seventh floor, so through process of elimination, Ketsenburg said he figured out that the stolen Xbox must be on the fifth floor.
Following the controller's signal, Ketsenburg said he was able to pinpoint the room where his Xbox was stolen.
The Xbox 360 wireless controller has a 30-foot range, according to the Xbox Web site. When looking for his Xbox, Ketsenburg said the light-emitting diodes of the controller flashed when he was out of range.
The 5th floor resident assistant checked the alleged room where the stolen Xbox was and was able to find the Xbox, Ketsenburg said.
Best part? They recovered the console before the thief got home to notice it was now missing from his dorm. Payback's a bitch!
Ketsenberg said his hard drive was formatted, so he's really upset about that. But then again, he got his console back. And he's not the one who's (presumably) getting kicked out of school.
Entertainment retailer Zavvi has dropped the price of the Xbox 360 Arcade unit to GBP 97.64 in the UK.
The chain, which is facing supply issues following the collapse of distribution business EUK, is also selling the Premium Xbox 360 for GBP 127.22 and the Elite 120GB unit for GBP 195.73.
PlayStation 3 hardware is also benefiting from a price cut and an additional reduction in VAT, now carrying a price tag of GBP 264.
The company has 125 stores in the UK, but is still unable to offer products via its website, and in-store staff have stopped selling gift cards to customers.
"Due to this ongoing situation we are currently unable to provide the high level of service we aim to deliver to our customers, and have temporarily suspended taking online orders until the supply situation is resolved," said the retailer of its ongoing supply problems.
Generally, DLC is an honest and reasonable way to expand the longevity of a title. But "A": Gears of War 2 is barely a month old. Who's thinking about longevity at this point? (Hint: the one guy whose job is to see the future -- and no one else.) And "B": The game has sold more than 3 million copies. Is it reasonable to assume Epic is posing above a curbed-stomped economy? (Yeah, at least Cliff is.) So this brings us to "C": Being honest. Three new maps that didn't quite make the deadline for last month's "re-emergence" day? Three new maps for 800 [Microsoft Points] ($10)? Is that good business? Is that the holiday spirit?
Maybe it's us. Maybe we're the ones feeling Scroogey with our wallets. But how can Epic try to sell us more maps when online matchmaking is still broken? We suggest you preview the Combustible Map Pack before you buy. There's an image gallery below, and map descriptions and a video preview after the break. Let us know what you decide.
Combustible Map Pack official map descriptions:
Flood is a very tight map that's made extra snug when the environmental hazard of Imulsion begins creeping up around the edges. As the playing field closes in, the firefight will intensify as combat is forced to the center of the map. Teams skilled at flanking their opponents will have a powerful edge.
Gold Rush takes place in an old Imulsion refinery that now serves as a hotly contested battleground. Players must survive heavy crossfire as they infiltrate the factory and navigate multiple tiers. Breakable glass allows for a clean shot at those who make a dash for the Longshot rifle while bolder players make their run for the heavy weapon. In the right hands, the Mortar can be devastating on this map, so keep those smoke grenades armed as the concussive effect comes in very handy.
Fuel Station is situated in a desolate area marked by an abandoned fossil fuel station. The team that secures and controls the station is likely to be the side that wins the match. An especially strategic location on this map is the rooftop, as there are only two points of entry -- the main elevator and a staircase on the back side of the building. Heavy weaponry is situated right in front, which presents a high risk to reward ratio in this level. Lugging the Mulcher around, deploying it and revving it up can keep an entire team at bay, and unleashing hell from the rooftops is always an excellent tactic.
After his parents took away Halo 3, Daniel Petric shot them both, killing his mother, according to the prosecution in this 17-year-old's murder trial.
Daniel Petric was caught with Halo 3 on his way into the house after sneaking out to buy the game. His father then took it, placing the game in a lockbox—the same lockbox in which he stored his 9mm handgun.
Somehow, Petric retrieved his game and the gun from the lockbox. And according to his father, Petric entered the living room with a chilling request.
Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you.
At that point, he was said to shoot both of his parents in the head, killing his mother.
Petric's lawyers gave an opening statement mentioning that he'd suffered from a severe staph infection and found himself homebound to games and television for a year.
As of late, video games seem inundated with tragedy.
Now here's a policy that will win over the children.
Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson says youngsters should be encouraged to play more on computer consoles like Xboxes. He reckons even violent games can be educational and increase intelligence.
Mr Watson, who is in charge of encouraging new technology across Government, said: "Basically, I think playing games is a good thing.
"I'd rather my boy be playing on his Wii than passively watching telly.
"Most games are educational. They make you think, focus, challenge and change - 500 years ago a medium that did this would be called art."
Mr Watson revealed his three-year-old son learned to count using a Telly Tubbies game. And he said a friend's eight-year-old learned how to make bronze - by mixing copper and tin - after playing Runequest.
He added: "Even the fun stuff has serious real-world applications."
But the remarks clash with Government attempts to cut childhood obesity. Ministers want parents to stop children playing on consoles.
Former sports minister Richard Caborn said: "We all have a role to play in encouraging young people to get out from behind their computer games and playing sport." Figures this week showed a quarter of five-year-olds are overweight or obese. That rises to a third by the age of 11.
ARE COMPUTER GAMES GOOD FOR KIDS?
YES says KEVIN LYNCH Mirror Technology Expert
While conventional wisdom used to say that staring at a screen for hours was bad for your eyes, there's evidence to suggest gaming can improve your visual skills and actually "sharpen the mind".
A recent study by the US government's National Institute of Health, found regular players of shootem-ups like Half-Life and Medal of Honour were better at spotting details in busy, confusing scenes and could cope with more distractions than average.
And researchers found that doctors who spent at least three hours a week playing video games made 37 per cent fewer mistakes.
On top of this, the Nintendo Wii is a great way for kids to keep fit and active.
There is also now a positive sociable side to modern gaming with the likes of Xbox Live and Sony's PS3 Network allowing you to play against pals and make new friends. And the likes of Singstar and Rockband actively encourage you to gather some mates and have a singsong!
Screens creating obese children
NO says HEATHER WELFORD Childcare & Parenting Author
No One would deny that these games can be fun.
And some may even be educational.
But the risk is that children play them at the expense of interaction with real people - especially parents and friends.
It's preposterous to claim that children need these games to develop properly. Sitting at the table eating a meal will help to develop their co-ordination skills just as well and a three-year-old can learn to count by playing simple games with mum and dad.
There is plenty of research to show that children are spending too long in front of computer and TV screens and missing out on active playtime outside - the rise in childhood obesity is testament to that.
The research I have seen shows children are now starting school with shorter concentration spans, poor social skills and language delay. At least partly to blame is parents relying on computers to entertain youngsters.
Microsoft long ago fessed up that the Xbox 360 was capable of scratching discs, and it even offered a (somewhat limited) exchange program for damaged games, but some recently unsealed documents from an ongoing lawsuit now suggest that the company was well aware of the issue for about as long as the console has been around. According to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Microsoft first discovered the problem in September or October of 2005, and it even went so far as to send a "team of engineers" to stores across the US to determine the best course of action. Apparently, they came up with three options, two of which proved to be impractical, and one of which (installing small bumpers in each and every console) proved to be too expensive, leading Microsoft to offer the disc exchange instead. What's more, the documents apparently also revealed that some Microsoft employees thought that the warning labels on the console were insufficient, and that the company has received complaints about the problem from more than 55,000 customers as of April 30th of this year. No word on any movement just yet in the lawsuits themselves just yet but one of them, filed back in July of 2007, is seeking class-action status on behalf of everyone that's bought an Xbox 360
Sales of the top six videogames in the UK have remained flat in the run up to Christmas, as Activision's Call of Duty: World at War holds the number one spot for the fifth week running.
Sales of the latest shooter are only up two per cent compared to last week, while the number two game, Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii, saw sales rise one per cent. There is a gap of 27,000 units between the two releases.
Outside of the top ten a number of titles have seen a massive jump in sales due to discounting and bundles, including LEGO Indiana Jones which increased by 31 per cent and climbed from 13 to 11.
Sega's Sonic Unleashed leapt from 33 to number 12 with sales up 87 per cent, Bond tie-in Quantum of Solace increased 53 per cent from 27 to 13, and Sony's LittleBigPlanet climbed from 29 to 16, with sales up 58 per cent.
Pandemic has released a free content update for Mercenaries 2 today, featuring four new gameplay modes - "Urban Rampage, Death Race, Arms Race and Mercs Blitz", according to an admin post on the official forum - and some "patriotic characters".
We're not really sure what any of that means. You can watch a trailer that might explain things, but it's mostly heavy metal music and things exploding. The content pack is called Blow It Up Again.
Or you could ask a PS3 owner - Sony's machine got the DLC update last Friday. There's no mention of it being made available to PC Mercs 2 players.
Note that the pack is "free throughout the rest of the year", meaning Pandemic could choose to charge for it or remove it soon, so grab it while you can.
Microsoft employees knew of a disc damaging fault in the Xbox 360 before putting the console on the market, a recently unsealed document involved in an ongoing lawsuit suggests.
The US class-action lawsuit, launched in July 2007, demands compensation from the software giant for a design flaw in the Xbox 360 that results in damaged discs when the machine is tilted.
According to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the document, a declaration by Microsoft's program manager Hiroo Umeno, suggests the company knew that discs could be damaged when the Xbox 360 was reoriented.
"This is ... information that we as a team, optical disc drive team, knew about," said Umeno. "When we first discovered the problem in September or October (2005), when we got a first report of disc movement, we knew this is what's causing the problem."
Grand Theft Auto IV on the PC has topped the German software sales chart for the week ended December 7, according to data provided by Media-Control GfK International.
Rockstar's title was followed by Mario Kart Wii in second place, and the PlayStation 2 game, SingStar Schlager, in third place. Mario Kart DS came in fourth, while Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training took fifth place and World of Warcraft's latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, secured a spot at number six.
Wii Play took seventh place, while PS2 titles Need for Speed Undercover and SingStar Abba came in at numbers eight and nine respectively. Wii Fit closed off the region's chart at number ten.
The top of the Spanish chart was dominated by Wii titles, with Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii and Wii fit taking first, second and third places. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 came in fourth, fifth and sixth place on the PS2, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 respectively.
Need for Speed Undercover, for the PS3, came in at number seven, while Call of Duty: World at War secured a spot at number eight and FIFA 09 on the PS2 took number nine.
Pokemon Ranger 2: Shadows of Almia, for the DS, brought the Spanish chart to a close at number ten.
Full German chart follows:
01. Grand Theft Auto IV (PC)
02. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
03. SingStar Schlager (PS2)
04. Maro Kart DS (DS)
05. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
06. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (PC)
07. Wii Play (Wii)
08. Need for Speed Undercover (PS2)
09. SingStar Abba (PS2)
10. Wii Fit (Wii)
Full Spanish chart follows:
01. Wii Play (Wii)
02. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
03. Wii Fit (Wii)
04. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS2)
05. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PSP)
06. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3)
07. Need for Speed Undercover (PS3)
08. Call of Duty: World at War (PS3)
09. FIFA 09 (PS2)
10. Pokemon Ranger 2: Shadows of Almia (DS)
French-speaking people have PlayerAdvance.org and Dev-Fr.org. Spanish-speaking people have ZonaDevicio. But what about the German-speaking ones? Up until now, there hasn't been a homebrew developer's forum in German.
A few days ago, I founded Dev-Szene.de which is meant to be a forum for technical discussion for homebrew developers of all systems that speak German. At the moment, there hasn't been any promotion for the site, so don't expect too much activity yet. I hope this will change during the next months.
If you speak German, go and register at Dev-Szene.de!
Purveyor of video game psychedelia, Jeff Minter, has his follow-up to Space Giraffe – a retooling of Llamasoft classic, Gridrunner++ (shown) – "nearly finished," according to an interview with Eurogamer. The only problem: he hasn't heard from Microsoft for months.
"We sent it off to [Microsoft] months ago, but they've just not said anything – we're just waiting for them," Minter said. "Basically I'm going to carry on with the PC version of it if I don't hear from them soon, because they're just sitting on the demo we sent them three or four months ago. We haven't heard a thing."
We're eager to give Minter's latest a shot, but Microsoft may not be rushing to make that happen given the sales performance and scattershot review scores of Space Giraffe.
An apparently infamous British mom, imprisoned for having her daughter kidnapped to claim the reward money, received a PS3 in her cell for being a model prisoner, the Sunday Mirror reports.
Karen Matthews, 33, has been categorized as an enhanced prisoner because of her behavior at the New Hall Prison in Wakefield, West Yorks, landing not only a loaner PS3, but a DVD player and television in her cell.
Despite the gaming action, it sounds like Matthews isn't the most popular inmate at the prison, at least according to another inmate.
"She is extremely unpopular with other cons and is kept apart from them. There is an obvious fear that she will be a target for other criminals who want to get her back for what she did to her little girl."
Matthews, who has seven children by five different fathers, was branded the worst mother in Britain after it emerged in court that she routinely neglected her children and blew her benefits cash on drink.
Yikes, I wonder who gets the Wii at that prison?
Evil Shannon mum Karen Matthews gets Playstation as a rewards
Personally i would hang the bitch, how anyone could drug their own child and claim she had been abducted etc is beyond me, lets hope the goverment steps in and takes the console back. Too many damn doogooders in the world.
Race at breakneck speeds through the streets of modern-day L.A. recreated in stunning detail. Drive the hottest range of real-world tuners, muscle cars, exotics and superbikes on the streets today.
Customize your vehicle with the best after-market performance parts and custom kits. Illegal street racing with no track, no load times, no rules: Welcome to the Midnight Club.
Tear at the bonds of reality and liberate yourself through speed. Midnight Club: Los Angeles for Xbox360™ is now available at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 14.90 only.
Although it is NTSC J encoded, the game plays on Japanese/Asian as well as PAL consoles and spots and multi-language sytems. The languages it supports are: English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
The maximum amount of purchase is set to 1 unit per customer. You have to get your acts together soon, as we only have a very limited supply.
While going through some of Riemer's terrain tutorials, I decided to create a few game components based on his work. This was a nice exercise in seeing how components and HLSL can work together. I thought I'd share the result with you guys. The zip file contains all the source and media.
Have fun with these! And a big THANK YOU to Riemer!
Following the filing of a class action lawsuit revolving around scratched Xbox 360 discs, Microsoft said Tuesday that only a very small amount of users have experienced the problem.
"While we have had some users contact us with concerns about scratched discs, it is much less than 1 percent of the total Xbox 360 user base," a Microsoft spokesperson told Edge in a statement.
The rep continued, "Xbox 360 is designed so that it will not damage a game disc as long as the console is not moved while the disc is spinning. Too much movement of any game console, not just Xbox 360, can cause scratches on a disc."
Speaking in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK, the Last Remnant director said he's crossing his fingers that his next project will be on the Xbox 360.
"It's been the team's first time working with Xbox 360 and the Unreal Engine," he said. "In both cases the experience has been a positive one. In fact, as we've only just finished work on Last Remnant I don't even know what my next project is going to be at Square Enix. However, I'm very much hoping it'll be for Xbox 360 as it's been a lot easier to work with than PlayStation 3."
The new Prince of Persia is Amazon's Deal of the Day, retailing at a $40 price that we could climb a wall and flip backwards over. The fine frugal folks at CheapAssGamer noticed the deal, which as the name implies, is only available today.
Amazon also shows no favoritism, as the $40 price applies to both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the "magical" adventure.
Microsoft has just released another free clothes pack for Xbox 360 Avatars, filling your console wardrobe with all sorts of formal wear to get dappered up for Christmas.
The new clothing items - which you can see below - will be indicated the next time you sign in by a big yellow star. So go on then, go play dress up.
1UP has pummeled new details out of Namco Bandai and The Mark of Kri devs at BottleRocket concerning the upcoming Splatterhouse remake, which will bloody up the Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime next year. Among the finer points spilled include a return of many of the series' weapons, including the 2-by-4 and meat cleaver, while Rick's arsenal has been expanded to include multiple weapon classes and "a few surprises."
Speaking of the original, while Namco believes the source material's graphics are "best left to nostalgia," the team notes that they have tried to remain faithful to the series' 80s horror movie vibe. Even so, the devs admit that gore is what the game "is going to be all about," promising that players will have "a very messy good time." It's amazing what you can do with that little 'M' on the box. Still, we wonder if the title will come with a disclaimer warning kids that inevitably get hold of Spatterhouse that lumber is absolutely not to be used in this manner.
When it comes to the much anticipated Ghostbusters game, Atari's Phil Harrison – somehow it still sounds wrong – clearly wants Activision to know what it lost when it cut the game (and several others) loose earlier this year. Speaking to MCV, he called out Activision-Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, on the decision.
"What Bobby, perhaps unhelpfully said, was that those games were franchises which wouldn't make $100m of revenue and generate sequels," Harrison said of Blizzivision's choice to offload Ghostbusters. "If that's his benchmark, then fine – and we'd love to aspire to the same benchmarks. But you know what? I would love to turn Ghostbusters into a $100m franchise, just to prove him wrong."
That may not happen, but given the hype and fan following – not to mention the fact that it's coming out on at least five platforms – Activision might yet kick itself when the sales numbers are tallied.
In a conference call today following the release of Take-Two's quarterly report, CFO Lainie Goldstein revealed the GTA franchise brought in $710 million so far this year. According to GameDaily, that aforementioned chunk of ducats would account for about 60% of the company's publishing sales. In Q4, GTA brought in $40 million, which is about 17% of the company's sales.
So ... yeah. The newsflash is GTA makes lots of money for Take-Two, which clearly is a huge shock to us all. Guess it's a good thing the company locked down the Rockstar talent then, huh?
Gears of War 2 continues slipping down Xbox Live's activity chart, according to Major Nelson's latest report. For the week of Dec. 8, Marcus and company are at the #4 spot, behind top dawgs Halo 3, CoD: World at War and Call of Duty 4.
Feel free to let the theories fly as to why the mega-hit title, which holds most of its value in the multiplayer, has slid so fast. Perhaps the new maps and matchmaking server tweaks will bring players back in the coming weeks?
This week's Media Create sales chart has a Nintendo flavored frosting, with the first ten games on the list for either the Wii or Nintendo DS. And only two of them are new games.
Taking the top spot is Taiko no Tatsujin Wii the follow up to Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken for the Nintendo DS — which, almost coincidentally, returns to the charts at #30. Konmi's Penguin no Mondai represents the only other debut to chart in the top ten.
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom didn't perform as well, landing at #16, falling behind the Gamecube-to-Wii remake Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. That's gotta sting.
01. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Wii) - 106,000 / NEW
02. Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii) - 98,000 / 587,000
03. Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (DS) - 94,000 / 629,000
04. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS) - 94,000 / 342,000
05. Penguin no Mondai (DS) - 59,000 / NEW
06. Professor Layton and The Final Time Journey (DS) - 58,000 / 492,000
07. Pokémon Platinum (DS) - 58,000 / 2,066,000
08. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 45,000 / 1,289,000
09. Wii Fit (Wii) - 43,000 / 2,917,000
10. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 34,000 / 1,938,000
11. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 (PS3)
12. Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World (PS2)
13. Tamagotchi Kira Kira Omisecchi (DS)
14. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii)
15. Chrono Trigger DS (DS)
16. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (Wii)
17. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III (PS3)
18. Tongari Boushi to Mahou no 365 Nichi (DS)
19. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (The Best) (PSP)
20. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
21. Wii Sports (Wii)
22. Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin (PSP)
23. Kenka Banchou 3: Zenkoku Seiha (PSP)
24. Wii Music (Wii)
25. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam (PSP)
26. 428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de (Wii)
27. Wii Play (Wii)
28. Mario Kart DS (DS)
29. Inazuma Eleven (DS)
30. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS)
Defense attorneys for 17-year-old Daniel Petric, who stands accused of killing his mother and shooting his father in the head, argued yesterday that the teen's video game addiction directly led to the incident.
In order to support Petric's insanity plea, his lawyers spent Tuesday building up his video game addiction, with his sister testifying that he became addicting following being housebound due to a staph infection following a serious skiing accident. Another character witness, Daniel's 17-year-old friend Jonathan Johnson, explained that Petric was so obsessed with the Halo games that he would spend large amounts of time at Johnson's house playing them. One marathon session took place a week before the shooting, during a time when Petric's father had kicked him out of the house over an argument following the fight.
In effect it was a rather weak defense. Not only did it show no direct correlation between playing the game and shooting his parents, it served to stress the fact that the relationship between Petric and his father had been stressed before the shooting occurred. Furthermore, when Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Tony Cillo cross-examined Johnson, asking him if he believed Halo 3 was the reason Petric shot his parents, the teen answered, "No."
It was also revealed that Daniel Petric told adolescent forensic psychologist Steven Neuhas during a pre-trial mental health evaluation that he had thought about killing his parents during the weeks leading up to the crime. Between that and his attempt to make the crime scene look like a murder-suicide between his parents, I very much doubt the insanity plea is going to hold any water.
With Daniel having waived the right to a trial by jury, it is now up to County Common Pleas Judge James Burge to render a verdict, which will be announced on January 7th.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
The Big day has come. Dissidia Final Fantasy has come along with the tsunami of wonderfully addictive Japanese games. For information on the fighting party between the generations of Final Fantasy heroes, please see this special news. And for the rest of the goodies, read on!
Borrowing heavily from mythical elements throughout the world, combined with a challenging battle system as well as beautiful character designs, the Persona or Shin Megami Tensei series has recieved an immense rise in popularity in the recent years.
Translated, localized and released this week is the US version of Persona 4. Taking place in rural Japan, the game transforms Shintoist gods such as Izanagi and Susanao into your Persona. Coming with an Art Book and Original Soundtrack CD, immerse in the dazzling murder mystery of Persona 4.
Besides Persona 4, a number of highly popular Japanese games came out in these 7 days, as mentioned in the preview last week. Christmas is a time for parties and the DJ game Beatmania IIDX 15 DJ Troopers is one of them.
Instead of the glamour in the last installment, the theme of this game is battle. Blast on the notes and cues as they fall from the sky like an air raid and train your reflexes as well as your sense of rhythm.
Bleach Versus Crusade tests your sense of timing like the DJ game as it is essential when you launch your strings of combos. Fighting back to back, you can take on anyone, including the strongest hollows in the Arrancur arc.
Fate Unlimited Codes combines the speed factor of 2D fighters with 3D graphics. The fight for the holy grail is getting more intense than ever, the full force of the servants as well as their masters are unleashed in this installment.
Saber has a costume change, instead of the blue uniform she wears in the anime, she wears a lily white armored dress that shows off her patrician grace. The people who buy the SP Box version will even recieve an action figure of the servant in said dress.
With the same emphasis on chivalry as Saber is Tales of Hearts. Rescue people's hearts and dreams by defeating the contamination with the endearing cast of characters. With an Anime Movie Edition and a CG version, players have the choice of seeing the characters in "real-life" graphics and traditional 2D animations.
Also on the Nintendo DS is the party RPG Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis. With a 108 characters you can enlist into your guild, this game boasts a cast of colorful character designs. Rescue the world from the ambitions of the One King through team work.
Gundam Musou 2, the second installment to the hack and slash mecha action is available for gamers to enjoy. There are whole galores of Gundams waiting to be selected and drive into the all-out action. Besides famous mechas that appeared in the series, original Gundams specially designed for the game also shows up.
ADK has achieved a cult status in the gamers community for their products are usually extremely unique. Although not as well known as some other developers, some gamers call this team the "legendary brand". Selecting 5 games which are most representative of the developers' style, SNK compiled them into the ADK Tamashii.
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™
Fable II JPN US$ 68.90
Fable II [First Print Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Gundam Musou 2 JPN US$ 78.90
Gundam Musou 2 ASIA US$ 69.90
Gundam Musou 2 [Treasure Box] JPN US$ 149.90
Lego Batman JPN US$ 64.90
Need for Speed Undercover JPN US$ 69.90
Prince of Persia JPN US$ 74.90
Rise of the Argonauts ASIA US$ 49.90
Warriors Orochi 2 ASIA US$ 54.90
PlayStation3™
Armored Core: For Answer (PlayStation3 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Gundam Musou 2 ASIA US$ 69.90
Gundam Musou 2 JPN US$ 78.90
Gundam Musou 2 [Treasure Box] JPN US$ 149.90
Lego Batman JPN US$ 64.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
Need for Speed Undercover JPN US$ 69.90
Rise of the Argonauts ASIA US$ 59.90
Sonic Unleashed ASIA US$ 49.90
The Godfather: The Don's Edition (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
USB AC Adaptor JPN US$ 34.90
Wireless Keypad JPN US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™
Bleach: Versus Crusade JPN US$ 69.90
Dance Dance Revolution: Furu Furu Party JPN US$ 59.90
Dance Dance Revolution: Furu Furu Party (Bundle w/ Mat) JPN US$ 89.90
Disney TH!NK: Haya Oshi Quiz JPN US$ 44.90
Elebits (Konami the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Exar Stick JPN US$ 69.90
Karaoke Joysound Wii JPN US$ 64.90
Karaoke Joysound Wii USB Microphone JPN US$ 34.90
Let's Tap JPN US$ 54.90
Need for Speed Undercover JPN US$ 59.90
Sonic World Adventure JPN US$ 59.90
Swing Golf Pangya 2nd Shot! (Tecmo the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
PlayStation2™
ADK Tamashii JPN US$ 54.90
EA Sports Rugby 08 (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 24.90
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 59.90
Fate/Unlimited Codes JPN US$ 68.90
Fate/Unlimited Codes [SP Box] JPN US$ 119.90
Gundam Musou 2 JPN US$ 69.90
Gundam Musou 2 [Treasure Box] JPN US$ 139.90
Hisshou Pachinko*Pachi-Slot Kouryaku Series Vol. 13: Neon Genesis Evangelion - Yakusoku no Toki JPN US$ 54.90
Itsuka, Todoku, Ano Sora ni (Russel Game Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Kagero 2: Dark Illusion (PlayStation2 the Best Reprint) JPN US$ 24.90
Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn! Dream Hyper Battle (Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Need for Speed Undercover JPN US$ 64.90
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (w/ Soundtrack CD & Artbook) US US$ 44.90
Yukinkoto Daisenpuu: Saiyuki to Koyukino Hie Hie Daisoudou JPN US$ 59.90
beatmania IIDX 15 DJ Troopers JPN US$ 74.90
beatmania IIDX 15 DJ Troopers [Konamistyle Special Edition - Complete] JPN US$ 189.90
beatmania IIDX 15 DJ Troopers [Konamistyle Special Edition] JPN US$ 159.90
Nintendo DS™
Bokujou Monogatari: Youkoso Kaze no Bazaar e JPN US$ 48.90
DSVision Pokemon Premium Set 2GB [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 49.90
Edogawa Ranpo no Kaijin Nijuu Mensou DS JPN US$ 48.90
Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis JPN US$ 58.90
Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis [Konamistyle Special Edition] JPN US$ 149.90
Kirarin * Revolution: Atsumete Change! Kurukira Coorde JPN US$ 52.90
Lego Batman JPN US$ 48.90
Minna de Dokusho: Keatai Shousetsu Desu JPN US$ 39.90
Momotarou Dentetsu: 20-Shuunen JPN US$ 52.90
Nakayoshi All-Stars: Mezase Gakuen Idol JPN US$ 48.90
Ochaken no Daibouken 2: Yume Ippai no Omocha Hako JPN US$ 48.90
Osawari Tantei: Osawa Rina - Season 2 1/2 (Good Price) JPN US$ 28.90
Power Pro Kun Pocket 11 JPN US$ 54.90
Princess Ballerina: Yumemiru 4-Jin no Primadonna JPN US$ 48.90
Ragnarok Online DS JPN US$ 58.90
Slingo Quest US US$ 24.90
Space Puzzle Bobble JPN US$ 44.90
Takahashi Shoten Kanshuu: Saihinshutsu! SPI Perfect Mondaishuu DS 2010 Nendohan JPN US$ 34.90
Tales of Hearts (Anime Movie Edition) JPN US$ 62.90
Tales of Hearts (CG Movie Edition) JPN US$ 62.90
Toudou Ryuunosuke Tantei Nikki: Kohakuiro no Yuigon JPN US$ 39.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories
Card Folder + Touch Pen (Black) JPN US$ 7.90
Card Folder + Touch Pen (Blue) JPN US$ 7.90
Card Folder + Touch Pen (Natural) JPN US$ 7.90
Dress-up Hard Cover DS Lite (Giratina & Shaymin) JPN US$ 6.99
Dress-up Hard Cover DS Lite (Giratina & Shugo) JPN US$ 6.99
Expand! Mascot Touch Pen DS Plus (Giratina Origin Form) JPN US$ 4.99
Expand! Mascot Touch Pen DS Plus (Glion) JPN US$ 4.99
Expand! Mascot Touch Pen DS Plus (Pikachu Udekumi) JPN US$ 4.99
Expand! Mascot Touch Pen DS Plus (Shaymin Sky Form) JPN US$ 4.99
Hard Cover DS Lite (Clear Black) JPN US$ 4.99
Hard Cover DS Lite (Clear Pink) JPN US$ 4.99
Protect Case DSi (Clear) JPN US$ 9.90
Smart Case DSi (Black) JPN US$ 18.90
Smart Case DSi (White) JPN US$ 18.90
Tales of Hearts DS Lite Accessory Set JPN US$ 19.90
Touch Pen Leash DSi (Black) JPN US$ 5.99
Touch Pen Leash DSi (White) JPN US$ 5.99
Zip Cover DSi (Black) JPN US$ 15.90
Zip Cover DSi (White) JPN US$ 15.90
Sony PSP™
Crimson Room Rebirth JPN US$ 34.90
Dissidia: Final Fantasy JPN US$ 64.90
Dissidia: Final Fantasy ASIA US$ 54.90
Dissidia: Final Fantasy (20th Anniversary Limited Pack) JPN US$ 369.90
Hiiro no Kakera Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Hiiro no Kakera Portable [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
Need for Speed Undercover JPN US$ 48.90
Otsugea Uranai na Desu. JPN US$ 39.90
Saikyou Shogi Bonanza JPN US$ 38.90
Samurai Shodown Anthology ASIA US$ 42.90
Solfege: Sweet Harmony JPN US$ 58.90
Solfege: Sweet Harmony [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Star Wars: The Clone Wars JPN US$ 16.90
Ultimate Board Game Collection ASIA US$ 14.90
PC Games
Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
PES Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 ASIA US$ 34.90
Prince of Persia (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Shaun White Snowboarding (DVD-ROM) US US$ 34.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Cloud Message JPN US$ 31.90
Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Abaddon Ou Super Perfect Guide JPN US$ 31.90
Dissidia: Final Fantasy Post Card Book JPN US$ 15.90
Fable II Perfect Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis Official Guide JPN US$ 21.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Complete Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Re: [Reply] with DVD JPN US$ 42.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1045 (2008 12/26 + 01/02) JPN US$ 8.90
Video Game Related Soundtracks
Biohazard Degeneration Original Soundtrack [CD+DVD] JPN US$ 41.90
Bleach Beat Collection 4th Session 04 Ichigo Kurosaki & Rukia Kuchiki JPN US$ 15.90
Bleach The Best JPN US$ 32.90
Clepsydra Vocal CD JPN US$ 21.90
Radio DJCD Bleach B Station Third Season Vol.1 JPN US$ 27.90
beatnation Records Rewind! (~Keiichi Ueno) JPN US$ 38.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week:
Sony PSP™
DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense - Black Square [First Print Special Package] KOR US$ 49.90
DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense - Black Square [Quattra Limited Edition] KOR US$ 89.90
PC Game
DJ Max Trilogy [First Print Popular Edition] (DVD-ROM) KOR US$ 49.90
DJ Max Trilogy [Pulsar Limited Edition] (DVD-ROM) KOR US$ 69.90
Using optimized technology, the Xbox 360?Wireless Controller lets you enjoy up to a 30-foot range and up to 40 hours of life on two AA batteries—and when they run low, you’ll be given ample warning so you can connect a Play & Charge cable for uninterrupted play.
On Thursday WorthPlaying broke the story of US players finding that their downloaded Resident Evil 5 demos were mysteriously corrupting as soon as they logged in to Xbox Live. Capcom provided a statement in the original story and Microsoft has also provided us with an update.
"Earlier this week a demo of 'Biohazard 5', known in the US as 'Resident Evil 5', was released on Xbox LIVE in Japan. While the content was only intended for download in that country, a number of gamers outside of Japan were able to access this demo for a period of time. By putting measures in place to ensure it could only be downloaded in Japan the demo version was effectively reset, meaning that it is only supported by LIVE in the correct region. We look forward to being able to offer our gamers a chance to experience a US demo of this eagerly anticipated title soon.
Capcom says PSN and Xbox Live title Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix has shifted over 250,000 copies, breaking sales records in the process.
"HD Remix has shattered both day one and week one sales records and will most likely break 30 day sales records as well. It's on its way to becoming the highest grossing digital title ever," the company claimed.
"We'd like to thank everyone who poured their heart and soul to reviving one of gaming's most beloved franchises. From the producer, Rey Jimenez, to the folks from Backbone and Udon, to the product development, business development and marketing teams at Capcom, HD Remix was a labor of love for everyone involved.
"Last but not least, I want to give a big shout out to the hard core Street Fighter community (yes you Shoryuken, Unity, and Key Stoners) who kept this game relevant for the past 15 years and spread the word to the entire gaming industry that Street Fighter is still the best around."
Of course, Street Fighter II HDR is only a taster ahead of the release of Street Fighter IV on February 20 next year. We expect that to sell tons of copies too, along with Resident Evil 5 in March. Good times for Capcom then.
Ankama Games, the French studio which created the remarkably successful and weird strategy-MMO Dofus, is working on its first console game for Xbox Live Arcade.
Islands of Wakfu is a spin-off from Wakfu, Ankama's in-development Dofus sequel, animated TV series and all-round "crossmedia universe". It's due for release in late 2009.
Although it shares the beautiful, hand-drawn, isometric graphical style of Dofus and Wakfu, Islands of Wakfu isn't massively multiplayer. It's an "adventure/beat 'em all style game", according to Ankama, and has a team mode that supports two players.
It's in development at a new studio Ankama set up to make console games, called Ankama Play.
Wakfu is due out next year, and Dofus is also getting a major overhaul soon. Read more about them at the Dofus and Wakfu gamepages.
Microsoft and Lionhead have officially delayed the first Fable II expansion into late January of 2009. The download will take players to the remote land of Knothole Island, a former paradise that is frozen and dying. There, new quests, characters and items await those willing to pony up the 800 Microsoft points (US $10) to buy it. This delay will also affect the free download that includes a few bonus goodies set to release alongside Knothole Island.
Microsoft provided this statement on the delay to IGN:
"As you know we were aiming for a mid-December release of Knothole Island, a fantastic piece of downloadable content which the team has been working on. Knothole Island adds a whole new series of quests, characters and items to the land of Albion and will give the player many hours in extra game-play. While we thought we'd be able to have all this ready very shortly, there are still some bit and bops we're polishing and finalizing. Given that, look for Knothole Island to come out this January. We'll have more information to share after the holidays, so stay tuned!"
On the bright side, anybody who has a few rental properties in Fable II will find the extra month of waiting quite profitable (in game currency anyway).
Rare has detailed a Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts creation contest, which will be running for all those uploading photos of their fancy rides this Christmas.
Key members of the Banjo team will be pouring over the uploaded photos on Banjo-Kazooie.com (put there via the option in Nuts & Bolt's pause menu) and picking out the best seven user-made vehicles for a special prize... "in-game immortalisation."
"While it's a secret (to everybody) as to how we will pull off this daring deed, we promise you it will be really very cool and probably not how you might imagine," the developer says on its official site.
"Who needs YouTube when your act of creativity could earn you a genuine place in Banjo history? Think of the bragging rights!"
Once the Banjo team has made its selections, the winners will be contacted via the email addresses associated with their Gamertags and asked to send Rare their blueprints for "mysterious purposes."
The rules for the compo are as follows:
Deadline for entries is January 4th 2009, 12 midnight PST. This gives players the whole holiday to get creative on us.
Anybody with a copy of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and an Xbox LIVE account can enter.
You can submit as many contraptions and photos as you like; just remember that the cream always rises to the top.
Wow us! Shock us! Just don't post dodgy contraptions (don't play coy, you know what we mean). The entry must be your own original work, infringe no copyrights and reference no third party trademarks, music, logos, names or images.
In order to be included you'll need to allow Microsoft rights to distribute your entries, letting the widest possible audience marvel at your machinery.
Just to be clear, this is not a competition with some kind of tacky physical memento as a prize. We're not giving away our secret by saying what the in-game immortalisation is just yet...
In a talk with Bits about what Xbox "want[s] to be when we grow up,” Microsoft's Shane Kim clearly has video on the brain. With Netflix, he says, they're "just beginning to scratch the surface.”
So what if the Metallica edition of Guitar Hero still hasn't been officially announced? The band itself has been talking about it all willy-nilly; it's been in Game Informer; there was even a teaser in Guitar Hero World Tour. And now ... well, the trailer is out. Not from its publisher, Activision, but on the band's website.
Perhaps some fine print in the band's contract stipulates that it gets to handle the PR for the game. Perhaps the mere mention of the game is being considered an "exclusive," since it's "unannounced." Perhaps it's time for a press release already.
Though video games continue to lose the ongoing war against ridiculous subtitles and unnecessary colon usage, Ubisoft is hoping that "Psychokinetic Wars" will sway the fight against boredom in favor of action gamers. Psychokinetic Wars, being the subtitle belonging to Cellfactor, denotes a "fast-paced first-person multiplayer shooter" coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in early 2009.
The Immersion Games-developed FPS gives players "their choice of gunfire and/or telekinetic superpowers," though we suspect "and" would be the wiser battle strategy. After all, why would you turn down the opportunity to "rip objects from the surrounding environment and hurl them at enemies?" Well, assuming you didn't already.
Psychokinetic Wars will offer 30 single-player "challenges," three controllable characters and four different multiplayer modes (Death Match, Capture the Flag, Team Death Match and Assault) in support of 16 players. Or, err, psychokinetic combatants.
Unlike the gradual weekly announcements of Rock Band, Activision Blizzard is just dropping the bomb of all the tracks it plans to release for Guitar Hero World Tour over the next month. Track pack pricing is listed below, and all songs can be purchased individually for 160, 200 Wii Points or $2. There's a lot here, so let's get to it.
Dec. 23 - Track Pack (440 / $5.50)
"Use Me" - Hinder
"Because of You" - Nickelback
"Light it Up." - Rev Theory
Jan. 8 - Country Rock Track Pack (440 / $5.50)
"Me and My Gang" - Rascal Flatts
"Ticks" - Brad Paisley
"Hillbilly Deluxe" - Brooks & Dunn
Jan. 15 - Travis Barker Track Pack (440 / $5.50)
"What's My Age Again" - blink-182
SCEE president David Reeves had some interesting words when asked about Sony's future plans on growing their global marketplace.
In an interview with Mcvuk.com, Reeves put some of Sony's market growth strategies down on the table. Besides expanding into Russia, the Middle East, and South America, they're also looking into newer demographics and increasing their software tie ratio. At the end, Reeves threw in a juicy nugget about Sony's continued stance on manufacturing quality hardware.
We also grow the market through new products – some work, some don’t, that’s just the Sony way. And on that point, another thing we have committed to for supporting market growth is putting out quality hardware – you don’t grow the market by putting out shoddy machines. So we try to make sure that PS3s have a failure rate of just two to three per cent, which is very low by industry standards.
The Xbox 360 has proven, to an extent, that hardware quality doesn't matter in the end. Price does, ultimately. What say you, Would you rather spend $100-$200 less on a PS3 if it increased the chances of your system breaking?
Now that I've (finally) finished Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, it's time to do what I obsessively do upon the completion of every one: get 100% of every item, glyph and monster. No, it's not healthy.
But that's just the way I like to do things, especially when it comes to Castlevania games for some strange reason. Normally I can't be bothered to endure collect-a-thons, but I'll spend hours armed with Treasure Hats and Lucky Clovers for these games. Good thing I've only got access to my Nintendo DS and one game while vacationing in Orlando. We'll see how soon I break.
What about you? Got your Christmas shopping done, dear reader? Any obsessive compulsive behaviors you'd like to share with the group?
Well, here's the latest console sales from Japan via M-Create as usual and this time round, everyone gets a raise:
Nintendo DSi: 173,693
Nintendo Wii: 91,641
Playstation Portable: 71,540
Playstation 3: 33,688
Nintendo DS Lite: 31,120
Xbox 360: 11,797
Playstation 2: 6,659
In rough figures: the DSi tops the list, up 48,000. Wii follows, up 35,000. PSP is 3rd, up 17,000. Next is the PS3, up 3,000. 4th is the old Nintendo DS Lite, up 19,000. Xbox 360 comes 5th place, up 2,000. Last in line is the PS2, up 900.
Another option is now available at retail for shoppers in the U.S. looking to purchase cards loaded with Microsoft Points. In addition to the 1600 Point variety available for $19.99, Microsoft has released a 800 Point card for the easier to swallow price of $9.99.
It's convenient, plus gift cards remain a bastion of hope for the last minute holiday shopper. And for those who fancy video games on your lists, why not fill their stockings with digital money instead. It works just like regular money, but it's, er ... fun.
If you were a little underwhelmed by yesterday's "Rockin' the Holidays 2008" track pack for Rock Band announcement, you probably read the announcement. Don't worry, the Foo Fighters are here to bring DLC cheer.
Harmonix announced today that another batch of Foo Fighters tracks will join the downloadable content provider of your choice next week. Those tracks would be.
• Foo Fighters - “DOA”
• Foo Fighters - “Times Like These”
• Foo Fighters - “This Is A Call”
Price is $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) for each track or $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) for the three-pack. Yay!
features
Stunning layouts of hundreds of pieces of concept art from Halo 3. Enter the creative world behind the smash hit video game.
Commentary from Bungie artists on their vision of the world of Halo.
Hardcover, square trim book to showcase the art in a classic, lasting format. Interior
Guitar Hero World Tour is comprised entirely of master recordings from some of the greatest classic and modern rock bands of all-time including Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and many more. Additionally, the game will offer significantly more localized downloadable music than ever before on all of the next-generation consoles. Budding rock stars will also be given creative license to fully customize everything from their characters' appearance and instruments to their band's logo and album covers.
Guitar Hero World Tour Pal version(x1)
Drum(x1)
Padel(x1)
Microphone(x1)
Guitar(x1)
Baldric(x1)
Paster(x1)
It's an annual tradition, don't you know? Winter rolls around, the fires get going, the cocoa gets to cookin', and we get to thinking that the Zune and Xbox 360 just have to have some tighter integration in the not-too-distant future. This go 'round, we've got a suspicious job posting over at Microsoft that's stirring up a little speculation, and for good reason. In fact, the listing -- which seeks a particular User Experience Designer -- specifically mentions that the perfect candidate will be comfortable working closely with "creative directors to propose innovative designs and content solutions for the Zune Device UI, Zune Xbox and Zune PC Application." In case that wasn't definitive enough for you, it also mentions "embracing and extending" the Zune brand. Oh, and on another note, are any of you applying? Sounds like a pretty sweet gig.
[erdbeerfetischist] sent us an update on his arcade controller for the Xbox 360 (translated). While this isn’t an amazing feat, the original was in a pizza box. We thought you would all be happy to know that he built a hard enclosure for it. We dig the transparent top too.
It turns out that massive, floating, Andross-esque visage we affectionately dub Brain Age bastard Dr. Kawashima might have been onto something. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (via Reuters) conducted a study with 40 adults in their 60s and 70s, divided into two groups with one playing Rise of Nations approximately 23 hours over the span of a month and the other playing nothing.
The results? Those who gamed reportedly showed improvements in cognitive tests for memory, reasoning and multi-tasking. Researchers caution against jumping to conclusions until further studies are conducted. May we suggest seeing what happens when they try to play Space Giraffe and Left 4 Dead?
No TUD for a while, so I'll reopen the raging debates. And we had one going around the tower lately about the meaning, and utility, of video game awards. I'd like your opinions on this.
We just had the 2008 VGAs, which was compelling TV only when it was hyping things coming out next year, rather than honoring the best of the art form in this one. And, of course, numerous sites and publications are doing their own best-ofs and year-enders and games of the year. Crecente mentioned in a discussion that it can risk looking like a gift guide rehash, and I agree.
So here's where you get to weigh in: Are video game awards and honors at all meaningful? Are they foregone conclusions honoring top sellers and major releases only? Can you really hand out a "game of the year" when your candidates can be as disparate as racers, fighters, shooters, RPGs, sports titles and more? On the other hand, does giving out genre-specific honors water down it down more? Does anyone even give a shit? Tell us, dammit!
This isnt a serious awards thing but a way to guage public reaction as to what the people here at DCEmu think is the best in each category for the Year of 2008, ill let each category run until the end of Dec 31st to see who has won, theres no prizes but it will be interesting to see whats the winner voted exclusively by the members of DCEmu.
So one vote each.
Whats the Xbox 360 Game of the Year ?
Your Votes Via Comments - GIve some info for your vote too.
This isnt a serious awards thing but a way to guage public reaction as to what the people here at DCEmu think is the best in each category for the Year of 2008, ill let each category run until the end of Dec 31st to see who has won, theres no prizes but it will be interesting to see whats the winner voted exclusively by the members of DCEmu.
So one vote each.
Whats the Best Xbox 360 Game of all time?
Your Votes Via Comments - GIve some info for your vote too.
This isnt a serious awards thing but a way to guage public reaction as to what the people here at DCEmu think is the best in each category for the Year of 2008, ill let each category run until the end of Dec 31st to see who has won, theres no prizes but it will be interesting to see whats the winner voted exclusively by the members of DCEmu.
So one vote each.
Whats the Best Xbox 360 accessory of all time?
Your Votes Via Comments - GIve some info for your vote too.
What it lacks in a Flux Capacitor and time circuits, Burnout Paradise's hover-enabled "Jansen 88 Special" more than makes up for in its ability to make us drool, as evidenced in new footage released by Criterion Games.
The car, which certainly meets with Doc Brown's seal of approval, is one quarter of the upcoming Legendary Cars Pack, which will also include the Cavalry Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit and GT Nighthawk. Now, if only our Flux Capacitor would start fluxing so we could leap ahead a few months and try this DLC out for ourselves.
Realtime Worlds honcho Colin MacDonald confirmed the studio is in "ongoing discussions" with Microsoft about the possibility of Crackdown 2. In a statement sent to VG247, MacDonald responded to rumors that a sequel is currently in development by Ruffian games, a new studio that allegedly has several former Realtime Worlds staffers from the Crackdown development team.
The statement from MacDonald relays that about "five or six" ex-Realtime Worlds staff are employed by Ruffian and he doubts that Microsoft would harm its "otherwise fruitful existing development relationship" by funding a Crackdown sequel with a startup on RTW's doorstep. We'll have to wait and see what happens, but if Ruffian does develop Crackdown 2, it sounds like Realtime Worlds won't be too happy.
The New York Times gaming correspondent Seth Schiesel recently defied the mold for year-in-review video game wrap-ups -- rather than handing out commonplace awards such as "Best Action Game" or "Best Indie Game Fueled by Dew", his honorable mentions were awarded based on "Best Zombies" (Left 4 Dead, natch) and the fairly inflammatory "Best Explanation of Why Nintendo Hardly Needs Big Games Anymore" (the Wii).
However, at the bottom of his list of odds-and-ends, Schiesel follows the example of Time Magazine and the VGAs, ultimately choosing Grand Theft Auto IV as his Game of the Year. Schiesel was swooned by Rockstar's crime drama due to its mature writing, which makes GTA IV "one of the few games that even [tries] to take on the real world in any adult way." Obviously, he's never heard of a little game called 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand.
features
Experience layered, primal storylines based on the legendary tale re-imagined
Dedicate deeds to the gods to win their favor. Their powers shape your future and the fate of the world itself
Fight alongside Hercules, Achilles and Pan with other fable heroes, each gifted with their own extraordinary powers
Travel to unique island environments filled with strange and wondrous denizens
Battle awesome mythological foes and gargantuan monsters
Develop and upgrade multiple weapons and specialized killing techniques
Unleash deadly force with finishing moves, parries, team combos and more
Revolutionary dialogue system dictates choice, upgrades and story with unprecedented speed and depth
Breaktrough real-time combat system with dynamic animations and visual damage modeling
Visual character leveling and inventory management in real time
description
In Rise of the Argonauts you take on the role of Jason, King of Iolcus and powerful, battle-hardened warrior. As the story begins you have everything - a prosperous kingdom, the respect of your citizens and the love of Alceme, your beautiful bride to be. This charmed existence ends when Alceme is killed by an assassin s arrow on your wedding day.
Overcome with grief you vow to do anything to restore her. You hear of the Legendary Golden Fleece, on the lost Isle of Tartarus, which is said to bring the dead back to life. In order reunite with your beloved you must now prepare for the greatest voyage of all.
Atari has set a 13th February 2009 release date for the Xbox 360-exclusive RACE Pro.
That's a weekend's head start on America, where the game hits shops on 17th February. This gives us plenty of time to practice and put our foreign friends to shame, like we do in the rowing and, er, cycling. Pip pip.
Atari has a demo planned for "late January", too.
Developed by Swedish outfit SimBin, RACE Pro sticks to the authentic side of motoring, where gears can be calibrated and corners require caution not carelessness.
The studio's responsible for the well-received GTR series, and our hands-on impressions of RACE Pro suggest this is another tip top affair.
Our RACE Pro gamepage has much more, like pictures. (And we do like pictures).
Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds has said it's in "ongoing discussions" with Microsoft following reports that Crackdown 2 is being developed by a new studio, Ruffian, formed by ex-RTW staffers.
"Although to date we haven't had an offer from Microsoft for the Crackdown sequel rumoured, we continue to have ongoing discussions with them," studio chief Colin MacDonald told videogaming247.
"I also very much doubt that Microsoft would harm an otherwise fruitful existing development relationship by gambling on funding Crackdown 2 with a startup on RTW's doorstep, for obvious reasons."
Realtime Worlds boss and Grand Theft Auto creator Dave Jones added that he would be "gutted not to be involved", and said if Microsoft did go elsewhere, he hoped the team picked would be more established and capable of offering "the quality gaming experience Crackdown players would demand".
MacDonald explained that "maybe five or six" former employees had been snapped up by Ruffian, but said "the vast majority of the Crackdown team remain at RTW".
Realtime Worlds currently has its hands full with urban MMO APB, which is expected to launch sometime next year. There's also, added MacDonald, "an unannounced project that will cause quite a stir when unveiled". Perhaps it's Crackdown 2! [Droll - Ed].
Crackdown, an Xbox 360 exclusive, launched in early 2007 and offered up a cel-shaded openworld where super-powered agents were tasked with wiping the city of various crime lords and factions.
Among the chief attractions were online jump-in co-op, plus various exaggerated explosions and rooftop acrobatics. Very good, said we.
While Puzzle Arcade and a premium virtual fireplace might seem like rather listless holiday gifts, Microsoft today gave us our favorite present: numbers! Here are some statistics about Xbox Live Arcade, care of the Gamerscore blog:
Over 1.25 billion Gamerscore points spread out over 100 million Achievements earned in XBLA games this year, for an average of 12.5 points per Achievement.
More than 60 XBLA games this year scored over 75 on Metacritic, with Braid leading the pack, followed by Geometry Wars 2, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Portal: Still Alive (this year's low point: Frogger 2 at 37%).
110 million trial games total have been downloaded on XBLA.
The Summer of Arcade series (also known as XBLAugust) contributed to a 58 percent rise in unique members purchasing titles and was also the most profitable month for XBLA, breaking the previous monthly revenue record by 67 percent.
It's as important to point out here what's not published in Microsoft's release: sales data. Our guess is, as demonstrated in 2007, we'll see the a list of the top titles sometime in January. The Gamerscore blog also teased what games would "ring in the new year": Lode Runner, The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, South Park, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and R-Type Dimensions. Here's hoping "ring in the new year" isn't PR speak for "anytime between January 1 and December 31, 2009."
Now owners of Xbox 360 consoles with temperature control issues can finally put that extra heat to practical use with the innovative Xbox Live Community game, Fireplace.
How should I explain this? Fireplace is a fireplace. It turns your television into a simulated fireplace, just like TV stations all over the country used to do back in the old days on Christmas morning. Some still do, from what I hear, but certain Xbox 360 consoles go the extra mile by adding heat to the equation, making this perhaps the most realistic fireplace sim ever to grace a gaming console.
Fireplace, created by Xbox Live Member SniperED007, is now available for download in North America, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, for 400 Microsoft points. Is it worth it? Check out the video below and make that determination for yourself. http://kotaku.com/5115614/xna-user-c...-360-fireplace
Our buddy Zatz over at Zatz Not Funny received a death threat over Xbox Live. t's unclear whether it was a real one or just some kid mouthing off, but it doesn't matter.
According to Zatz, some guy who couldn't hack it in Call of Duty said, "I’ll kill you in real life with a real gun." That's when Zatz decided that he should really change his gamertag (Zatz) to one that's not quite as easily identifiable to him. Smart move, in my opinion, since there've been enough crazy Xbox killings to make you think twice when someone threatens you.
The sad part is that even after complaining to Microsoft and telling them why he had to change the tag, he had to pay 800 Microsoft Points ($10) to change his gamertag. And, it seems, the support staff didn't really care that much that death threats were given on the service. Really shitty that people are paying for the service (even if the service is great) and have to pay more to protect themselves from threats by other users.
The fourth and final of Microsoft's weekly Xbox Live Marketplace holiday deals is none other than the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Major Nelson has announced that the franchise-launching, system-selling FPS will be available for 600 ($7.50) starting tomorrow, Tuesday, December 23 for Xbox Live Gold members. Its usual going price is 1200 ($15).
When the history of video games eventually becomes mainstream college curriculum, Halo will the "required playing" equivalent of War and Peace. You can get ahead of the curve – or make sure you're as hip as those young whippersnappers – for one week only. Last week's deal, Bomberman Live, is available until midnight tonight at the half-price sum of 600 ($7.50).
The world is in chaos. After years of neglecting the environment, nature has fought back with devastating effect.
Earthquakes, floods and tornadoes have reduced the United States to a mere shadow of its former self, effectively cutting the East and West coasts off from each other.
And with division has come dissent.
Thousands died and those that survived were forced to adapt to a new way of life. In the East, the path to survival was paved with technology and cybernetic enhancement. In the West, survival of the fittest took on new meaning with stem cell research and genetic modification.
These two ideologies and ways of life lead to a division so great that war is the only course of action.
In Fracture™, take on the role of Atlantic Alliance soldier Jet Brody as he goes against the genetically enhanced Pacificans and their fanatical leader General Nathan Sheridan.
Unleash the power of terrain-deforming weapons that literally reshape the battlefield before your very eyes, and decimate your enemies with a wide array of weapons with earth-shattering effects.
Reshape the battlefield. Reshape the battle. For the sake of mankind and the future of humanity
The trend of hit region free Xbox360™ games as weekly specials continues with Fracture. The game is available at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 11.90 only.
The maximum amount of purchase is set to 1 unit per customer. You have to get your acts together soon, as we only have a very limited supply.
If you've been waiting since WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 hit retailers in November for a dose of new characters and costumes, the drought is almost over. WWE.com is reporting that a pack featuring three playable characters and one alternate attire is headed to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 -- with five additional attires exclusive to Sony's platform. Set to be released some time in January, the roster pack will retail for 400 Microsoft Points/$4.99 on the PlayStation Network.
What's in the pack? Well, thanks for asking…
Evan Bourne - playable Superstar
Ted DiBiase - playable Superstar
Charlie Haas - playable Superstar
Chris Jericho - alternate attire
Kelly Kelly - holiday costume (EXCLUSIVELY ON PS3)
Maria Santa - holiday costume (EXCLUSIVELY ON PS3)
Masked Kane - alternate attire (EXCLUSIVELY ON PS3)
Several unannounced SEGA-made games recently popped up on the Entertainment Software Rating Board's (ESRB) website. Apparently the publisher is using the Wii's Virtual Console as a sort of test bed as the listed titles have already released on Nintendo's System (not to mention the fact that they're also classic games). Now coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network are Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star II, Comix Zone and Sonic The Hedgehog 3. There's no indication of a release date for any of the titles, but as soon as we get wind of one, we'll let you know.
FIFA 09 is the UK's Christmas 2008 number one game, jumping up two places to leapfrog Call of Duty: World at War and Mario Kart Wii.
It will have surprised many who believed that Call of Duty was going to stay at the top, but the Activision shooter fell back to number two, followed by Mario Kart.
Need for Speed: Undercover remained in fourth place, while Brain Training held steady in fifth.
Wii Play was up one place to sixth, while the Bond brand clearly proved popular with gift-givers as Quantum of Solace jumped up from 13th to seventh place.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village made a creditable debut in eighth, while Tomb Raider: Underworld was in ninth and Wii Fit took tenth.
A number of the big names moves up a few places elsewhere on the chart, including LittleBigPlanet, Prince of Persia and Far Cry 2, but Fallout 3 was the biggest loser in the top twenty, dropping from sixth to 14th place.
In all Nintendo took the most places with five titles in the top ten, while EA and Activision Blizzard had two apiece and Eidos one.
The full top ten is as follows:
FIFA 09 (EA)
Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard)
Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
Need for Speed: Undercover (EA)
Brain Training (Nintendo)
Wii Play (Nintendo)
Quantum of Solace (Activision Blizzard)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)
Itching for a gratis Xbox Live Arcade game? Microsoft is offering one of five titles for free, but you have to follow these three steps:
Sign up for 12 months of Xbox Live Gold between now and January 5. It must be done directly through Xbox Live, meaning you can't use that prepaid card your mom or significant other bought you as a gift.
Decide what game you want free: Zuma, Marble Blast, Sonic the Hedgehog, Assault Heroes or 3D Ultra Minigolf. Do this step in your head.
Download a gamer pic or theme related to the game. Only the first one counts, so make sure you didn't skip Step 2 before downloading a picture of a putter when you're hoping to nab Sonic.
See, folks? Even with digital distribution, TINSTAAFL applies: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Of course, if you were needing to upgrade or renew your subscription anyways, you might as well get something extra out of it.
Frustrated by the constant din of his Xbox 360, [Janne Ström] took action. The original case wouldn’t have near enough room for the additional cooling that needed to be installed, so he picked up Lian Li’s XB01 case replacement. He followed the illustrated disassembly guide to get the Xbox stripped down to just its motherboard. He then began fitting his coolers of choice: two massive Noctua NH-U9D0 units originally intended for AMD Opterons. The asymmetric heat sinks are intended for applications like this where dual sockets could make other devices difficult to place. Clearly the hardest part of the installation was applying an appropriate amount of thermal compound and then slowly tightening the hold down screws to guarantee even pressure. The resultant system ended up being quieter than the first camera he attempted to record it with and the attached power supply. You can see a video of it below.
Ben Heck] has put the final touches on his Pelican case Xbox 360. This prototype was constructed for use by troops stationed overseas. When he announced the project in October, he already knew some of the hurdles he would face. An industrial Velcro style product is used for all component mounting so the air/water-tight seal of the case remains intact. He sanded the surface so that it would stick better. [Ben] mentions that he ended up using less Velcro than he planned on because it held so well. Not being able to cut the case meant the DVD drive had to be converted to top-loading. The tray movement limit switches have been relocated so they now respond to lid position. He regrets not being able to motorize the lid, but let it go since this is still just the first attempt. Extra copper was added to all of the heat sinks to improve cooling. This Xbox is for sale and he’d love to hear from anyone that wants to put it into production. The write-up has a ton of pictures and you can see a video of it below.
When we first read that The Boss was coming to Guitar Hero World Tour, our reaction was a resounding "!". Turns out it's the other "The Boss," Bruce Springsteen, who is also a master of CQC. Little-known fact!
Activision will be offering two free DLC tracks day-and-date with the release of the All-American rocker's new album, Working on a Dream. The classic "Born to Run" will be joined by "My Lucky Day," a single off the new release. The songs will be available for download on both PSN and XBLM from January 27 through February 4.
Gamers are sure to find all kinds of gaming goods under the tree this holiday season. But some, however, may only find a bunch of plastic gift cards.
I stumbled across this article the other day about how gift cards can be a thoughtful and acceptable and not just "last minute gift" ideas. This applied specifically to gamers, as the writer claims it can be difficult to shop for someone who wants video games.
"Gamers can be one of the toughest groups of people to buy for; you may not know exactly what types of games a person likes, and if you do know that you might not know what games they already own. It makes it tough to give. If you've been looking for just the perfect gift for a special gamer its time to stop putting it off and just buy a gift card."
As Bill Lumbergh would say, "I'm gonna have to go ahead and sort of disagree with you there."
We've seen some pretty low tricks when it comes to giving what appears to be a gaming console to a junior, but we're pleading -- nay, insisting -- that you don't ever buy in on either of these in an attempt to pull the wool over a kiddo's eyes. Straight from a shady warehouse in China comes Rodisson Technologies' totally ridiculous Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 clones, both of which can only play 8-bit titles. The worst part, however, isn't the complete lack of effort in knocking these systems off with any level of pride; rather, it's the 10,000 item minimum order quantity. Thanks, but no thanks.
That Combustible map pack didn't seem to ignite much passion into Gears of War 2, as the shoe-in for Best Shooter Involving a Chain Saw-infused Rifle Award remains numero quartro on the Xbox Live activity chart for last week. The game was also 4th place the week prior, and 3rd place for two consecutive weeks before that. Far from being a bad position, but it's certainly not dominating the service like its predecessor.
Staying strong at top is Halo 3, followed by the Call of Duty: World at War and CoD4, respectively. The promotional Dash of Destruction managed to take 6th place, and somehow bumped Fallout 3 from 8th to oblivion.
Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi was always going to make three 360 games. Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey and action RPG Cry On. Now, according to 1UP, he'll only be releasing two.
Developer and Mistwalker collaborator (they worked on Blue Dragon DS) AQ Interactive have announced that the project - which has been missing in action for a few years anyway (it was first announced in 2005) - is now dead in the water.
A statement issued by the company says "AQI decided to cancel the project after analyzing the current market environment and forecasts for the future. We deeply apologize for troubling those who were awaiting its release".
Every man, his dog and his dog's pet rabbit have a "best of" list. This isn't one of those. This is Metacritic's "best of", meaning it was compiled not by fragile human subjectivity, but numbers.
Courtesy of MTV (who did the original legwork), then, here is the list of 2008's ten (well...fifteen, since it includes ties) best video games, as judged by a collection of games writers then mediated by the laws of mathematics.
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (98 — 360, 98 — PS3)
2. LittleBigPlanet (95 — PS3)
3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (94 — PS3)
4. BioShock (94 — PS3) and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (94 — PS2)
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (93 — Wii) and Gears of War 2 (93 — 360)
6. Chrono Trigger (93 — DS) and Braid (93 — 360)
7. World of Goo (94 — Wii, 91 — PC / AVERAGE: 92.5)
8. Fallout 3 (93 — 360, 92 — PS3, 92 — PC / AVERAGE: 92) and Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Armor (92 — PC)
9. Rock Band 2 (92 — 360, 91 — PS3 / AVERAGE: 91.5)
10. God of War: Chains of Olympus (91 — PSP) and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (91 — PC)
Persona 4? World of Goo? Chains of Olympus? No complaining from anyone about that list, OK?
As a bonus, Metacritic is also obviously able to tell us what 2008's worst games were in the eyes of the critics.
1. SPOGS Racing (18 — Wii) and Pong Toss: Frat Party Games (18 — Wii)
2. Beauty Factory (22 — PC)
3. Homie Rollerz (23 — DS)
4. Jumper: Griffin’s Story (28 — Wii) and Racing Team Manager (28 — PC)
5. Jumper: Griffin’s Story (29 — 360) and Game Party 2 (29 — Wii), Beat’n Groovy (29 — 360)
6. George and the Jungle and the Search for the Secret (30 — PS2), Woman’s Volleyball Championship (30 — PS2), Vampire Rain: Altered Species (30 — PS3), Ford Racing Off Road (30 — Wii) and Crazy Mouse (30 — 360),
7. Toy Shop (31 — DS) and Rapala Fishing Freanzy 2009 (31 — PS2)
8. Falling Stars (32 — PS2), Best of Tests DS (32 — PS2), Iron Man (32 — PC) and Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island (32 — PC)
9. Target: Terror (33 — Wii) and The Incredible Hulk (33 — PC)
10. Jackass: The Game (34 — PC) and King of Clubs (34 — Wii)
Glad Vampire Rain made the cut. There's two hours of my life I'll never get back thanks to that pile of shit.
For those of you who celebrate Christmas, the packages have all been unwrapped, the boxes popped open, that new smell obliterated. So tell us, did you get anything cool and gaming related for Christmas?
I just hope it wasn't a pair of these fabulous gaming boxers I discovered at a local store the other day. One is for Guitar Hero, the other for the Playstation, neither for any self-respecting gamer. I resisted buying them despite the fact that had I, I would have been able to write my first ever "crotch on" impressions of something.
I don't typically get any game related goodies, though I did land a Chumby and a super-kick ass pencil box. YES, PENCILS!!!
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
There have still been a number of interesting new releases this week, squeezed right into the Christmas week. Top movers at Play-Asia.com have beeen Level5's highly anticipated White Knight Chronicles for PS3™, Sega's Japanese RPG game Phantasy Star Zero for Nintendo DS™ and Capcom's Wii™ remake of Biohazard.
More rhythm action from Korean's developer Pentavision. DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense - Black Square for PSP™ and DJ Max Trilogy for PC have been released during the Christmas holidays.
Please be reminded that due to the holiday schedule some titles (including White Knight Chronicles and the new DJ Max games) will start shipping only from coming Monday, December 29th.
Merry Christmas to all of you. Enjoy your holiday break!
Here's a quick summary again of all new arrivals from this week.
PlayStation3™:
Alone in the Dark JPN US$ 68.90
Bioshock JPN US$ 68.90
FarCry 2 JPN US$ 68.90
HORI Real Arcade Pro Stick 3 US US$ 119.90
Rise of the Argonauts US US$ 64.90
RoydsStick.EX JPN US$ 89.90
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution JPN US$ 74.90
Sonic Unleashed US US$ 64.90
White Knight Chronicles JPN US$ 69.90
Wireless Keypad US US$ 49.90
Xbox 360™:
Alone in the Dark JPN US$ 68.90
Rise of the Argonauts US US$ 64.90
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution JPN US$ 74.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Biohazard JPN US$ 42.90
Pikmin (Wii de Asobu) JPN US$ 39.90
Safecracker US US$ 34.90
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga US US$ 34.90
The Tale of Despereaux US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™:
Lego Batman JPN US$ 64.90
Pachitte Chonmage Tatsujin 15: Pachinko Fuyu no Sonata 2 JPN US$ 64.90
Nintendo DS™:
Akaiito DS JPN US$ 39.90
Asoberu Eigo: Word Magic DS JPN US$ 39.90
BioHazard: Deadly Silence (Best Price! 2000) JPN US$ 24.90
Build a Lot US US$ 24.90
Happy My Sweets JPN US$ 39.90
Kokoro ga Uruou Birei Aquarium DS 2: Sekai no Uo to Ikura-Kujira Tachi JPN US$ 48.90
Magical Zunou Power!! DS JPN US$ 39.90
Phantasy Star Zero JPN US$ 52.90
RIZ-ZOAWD JPN US$ 54.90
Team Batista no Eikou: Shinjitsu o Tsumugu 4-tsu no Karte JPN US$ 48.90
Uchi no 3 Kyoudai DS JPN US$ 48.90
Nintendo DS™ accessories:
Hard Pouch DSi (Blue) JPN US$ 10.90
Headphone DSi (White) JPN US$ 9.90
Inner Ear Earphone DSi (White) JPN US$ 12.90
Protect Case DSi (Clear Black) JPN US$ 9.90
Touch Pen Long DSi (White) JPN US$ 3.99
Sony PSP™:
AC Adaptor Portable JPN US$ 24.90
Biohazard Degeneration JPN US$ 41.90
Cherry Blossom Portable JPN US$ 58.90
DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense - Black Square [First Print Special Package] KOR US$ 49.90
DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense - Black Square [Quattra Limited Edition] KOR N/A
Oretachi no Survival Game Portable JPN US$ 48.90
PC Games:
DJ Max Trilogy [First Print Popular Edition] (DVD-ROM) KOR US$ 49.90
DJ Max Trilogy [Pulsar Limited Edition] (DVD-ROM) KOR N/A
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 36.90
Galactic Civilizations 2 Ultimate Edition (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 43.90
Rise of the Argonauts (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Guides, Books & Magazines:
Aria - Avvenire - Aria The Illustration JPN US$ 41.90
Dissidia: Final Fantasy Post Card Book JPN US$ 15.90
Fable II Perfect Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Famitsu DS + Wii [February 2009] JPN US$ 11.90
Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis Official Guide JPN US$ 21.90
Hobby Japan [February 2009] JPN US$ 17.90
Kenka Banchou 3: Zenkoku Seiha Official Guide Book JPN US$ 27.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Complete Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Persona Kurabu P4 JPN US$ 29.90
Samurai Dou 3 Official Guide Book JPN US$ 27.90
The Art of Halo 3: Prima Official Art Book US US$ 29.90
The Last Remnant The Perfect Bible JPN US$ 47.90
V-Jump [February 2009] JPN US$ 9.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1046 (2009 01/02) Special Issue JPN US$ 8.90
Video Game related Movies:
Togeki '08 Super Battle DVD Vol.7 Street Fighter III Third Strike JPN US$ 43.90
Togeki '08 Super Battle DVD Vol.8 The King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match JPN US$ 43.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
Blazblue Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 35.90
Chaos; Head - Trigger1 (Chaos; Head Noar Character Song Series) JPN US$ 15.90
Chaos; Head - Trigger1 (Chaos; Head Noar Character Song Series) [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 19.90
Chocobo To Maho No Ehon Series Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Collaboration Album - Message JPN US$ 32.90
Dissidia Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 31.90
Dissidia Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 38.90
Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World Original Soundtrack Theme Song JPN US$ 13.90
Game Theme Songs From Age 2 JPN US$ 29.90
Hoshiiro No Okurimono Character Song & Drama CD Takashi Inafuna JPN US$ 24.90
Idolm@ster Eternal Prism Drama CD 01 JPN US$ 32.90
Layton Kyouju To Akuma No Hako Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 24.90
Layton Kyouju To Fushigi Na Machi Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 24.90
Super Robot Taisen Series Theme Songs JPN US$ 31.90
Will O Wisp Drama CD - Christmas No Kiseki JPN US$ 32.90
beatnation Records Rewind! JPN US$ 38.90
Was there any doubt that Square Enix's latest Final Fantasy spin-off cash-in would do gangbuster business in Japan? If so, Dissidia Final Fantasy's debut on the Media Create sales charts should erase those doubts.
The fan service filled fighter for the PlayStation Portable moved almost a half-million units in its first week on the charts, soundly beating Gundam Musou 2 for the PlayStation 3 by a ratio of more than two to one. And at 6,090 yen, Dissidia's not on the cheaper end of PSP games. Yes, Square Enix made itself some money.
Some good news for Sony was that Gundam Musou 2 landed at number two on the PS3, with the Xbox 360 version failing to make a top thirty appearance. Fable II did, however, but at the 23rd spot.
01. Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) - 489,000 / NEW
02. Gundam Musou 2 (PS3) - 176,000 / NEW
03. Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS) - 150,000 / 779,000
04. Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii) - 145,000 / 732,000
05. Tales of Hearts (Anime Movie Edition) (DS) - 124,000 / NEW
06. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS) - 100,000 / 442,000
07. Gundam Musou 2 (PS2) - 100,000 / NEW
08. Pokémon Platinum (DS) - 86,000 / 2,152,000
09. Fate/Unlimited Codes (PS2) - 83,000 / NEW
10. Momotarou Dentetsu: 20-Shuunen (DS) - 80,000 / NEW
11. Taiko no Tetsujin Wii (Wii)
12. Karaoke Joysound (Wii)
13. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
14. Power Pro Kun Pocket 11 (DS)
15. Penguin no Mondai (DS)
16. Gensou Suikoden Tierkreis (DS)
17. Wii Fit (Wii)
18. Professor Layton and The Final Time Journey (DS)
19. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
20. Tongari Boushi to Mahou no 365 Nichi (DS)
21. Tamagotchi Kira Kira Omisecchi (DS)
22. Ragnarok Online DS (DS)
23. Fable II (Xbox 360)
24. Bokujou Monogatari: Youkoso Kaze no Bazaar (DS)
25. Animal Crossing Wild World (DS)
26. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) (PSP)
27. Wii Music (Wii)
28. Wii Sports (Wii)
29. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 (PS3)
30. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III (PS3)
Hey, didn't we just do this? Well, since we all opened up our presents yesterday (or shunned consumer Christmas, your choice) we should all have new stuff to play this weekend.
Not me. No games under the Christmas tree this year, so no Chrono Trigger DS, Final Fantasy III or My Japanese Coach for this Kotaku editor. Maybe I'll brave the crazy returns at the mall today, picking up something to while away my time on the flight back to Los Angeles. Or, I'll just be game free until I get back to my precious consoles.
Through the magic of brain-scanning, scientists at Stanford University have determined that men are more attracted to video games due to our inherit need to triumph over everything and everyone.
The research, led by Professor Allan Reiss of the Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stamford, shows that gaming sessions stimulate the areas of the male brain linked with rewarding feelings and addiction. The corresponding female parts of the brain are generally out shopping or something when all of this is going on, and are thus less likely to be stimulated. Says Professor Reiss:
"I think it's fair to say that males tend to be more intrinsically territorial. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who historically are the conquerors and tyrants of our species – they're the males. Most of the computer games that are really popular with males are territory and aggression-type games."
Amazon.ca is rewarding Canadians for a long year spent keeping the Ice Spiders from invading America with a huge list of discounted video games for the valiant warriors to amuse themselves this Boxing Day.
The discounted games went on sale this morning at 12AM Pacific, and run until 11:59PM or supplies are completely depleted. The list is rather huge, with every game system represented, including the Gameboy Advance. Particularly nice deals include the Gears of War 2 Limited Edition for CDN$ 41.99, Wii Speak for half-off at CDN$ 14.99, and Grand Theft Auto IV for the PlayStation 3 at only CDN$ 39.99. While I cannot begin to comprehend how much those prices are in our American dollars without alt-tabbing to a currency converter (a tremendous amount of effort), the numbers seem to reflect significant savings.
Of course the sale has been on now for a good 10 hours or so, so there's a good chance much of it is gone. Hit up Amazon.ca to find out for yourself, or check out the full discounted game list below. Remember...Boxing Day is about giving gifts to the less fortunate, and if you skew your perceptions just right, you count.
It's time for TELL US DAMMIT. We've got a question, you've got answers.
Here's who it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person.
You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion.
Question: What did you think of the games this year? Any favorites? Disappointments?
Playing as super buffed up hunky dudes can make men insecure, according to a Kansas State study. But read on, if these stories are correct, this piece of scholarship has some serious problems.
The study's investigators themselves say other factors may contribute to one's perception of body-image. But, after watching groups of men and women play video game characters with "extreme" male and female body types, respectively. In as little as 15 minutes, both genders showed negative body-image behavior.
Two things: 1) It doesn't take 15 minutes of a video game to make a dude conscious of his spare tire. Any reasonably attractive woman strolling into the room produces a response called "gut-suck-in-itis," which is believed to be vestigial mating behavior from our days as savage eohippus-slayers and monolith-touchers.
Secondly, I did some searching around, and an AP story vows up and down the male study's game was — record scratching sound — "WWF Wrestlemania 2000." That's right, a ****ing Nintendo 64 game. And if that is enough to give a guy a complex, then our self-esteem is far, far more brittle than that of any girl gamer facing down the jiggly queens of Soulcalibur.
Oh, the AP story said the womenfolk played a volleyball game. Please, please, please let it be Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.
Anyway, I am not a psychologist or a scientist of any kind of training, but as presently described, these findings aren't worth much. Sure, I don't make a super-realistic avatar when given the opportunity, but I'm not sent into depression just because I don't look like Kratos. Come to think of it, it would be depressing if I looked like the Roid Dealer to the Gods.
It may not be quite as elaborate as some console paint jobs, but if you're looking to add a touch of Japan to your Xbox 360, you may want to follow the lead of deviantART member Ricepuppet, who has managed to create a relatively faithful Domo-kun themed console. As you can see above, that even includes a matching controller, which we presume is still fully functional (and, apparently, twice as likely to slip out of your hands). Just don't go too nuts and decide to pair it with a Hello Kitty-themed Wii, there's no telling how they might get along.
We love a good hacker vs. hardware battle, and while Microsoft has thus far done a reasonably good job of keeping miscreants from diddling with the details of the Xbox 360's firmware, applying patches and dropping ban hammers on those who don't comply, as of this morning it seems to be losing the arms race. Team Jungle has released version 1.5 of its IXtreme firmware, allowing for (relatively) easy cracking and unlocking of Xbox 360 consoles containing LiteOn, BenQ, and Samsung DVD drives (i.e. the majority of them). That leaves only Hitachi owners out in the cold, but if that's you don't fret: your version is just a few weeks away. Happy homebrewing!
So yeah, finding an Xbox 360 Jasper in Arcade form isn't all that difficult these days, but we certainly haven't seen a glut of Pro models shipping out with the supposedly cooler, smoother and altogether more melancholy Jasper hardware within. A lucky soul over at PDAToday has acquired one such unit, and while he may just be incredibly fortunate, we'd say it's about time you to-be Pro owners start looking out for a few telltale signs. As you can see in the closeups in the read link, there here FDOU team Pro -- which was ordered from Amazon on December 22nd -- boasts a 12.1 amp rating and the unmistakable Jasper power port. Of note, it did come bundled with a Falcon revision (175-watt) power supply just like Ben Heck's Jasper Arcade, though we suspect Microsoft is just clearing out excess inventory given that the older PSU won't damage the Jasper machines. Any others out there run into any holiday luck? Let us know!
Still holding onto Call of Duty 4 as your war-time shooter of choice? Amazon's video game deal of the day might change your opinion. The online retailer is offering World at War for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $35 today, almost half off the usual price and a lot cheaper than last year's Modern Warfare, which is still sporting a $60 price tag on the site. Sorry, Wii and PC owners, your versions of the game still cost $50 and $47, respectively. The deal lasts until 3:00AM ET tonight or until supply runs out.
Many companies have adjourned their regularly scheduled workdays until after the new year so they can face down 2009 with well-rested resolve. Thankfully, Bungie is not one of these companies -- they recently stuffed the proverbial stockings of numerous Halo fans with a gaggle of new concept art for their upcoming sans-Spartan shooter, Halo 3: ODST. Check out all 22 images in the gallery below -- you can get your first look at the silenced SMG, as well as some of the armor your fellow shock troops will be sporting, and as a special bonus, a truly breathtaking watercolor depiction of post-mortem teabagging.
While 2009 is almost upon us, there's still some time to pass out gaming awards for 2008. I bet you didn't think No More Heroes would be making anyone's list.
The San Francisco Chronicle handed out their gaming awards for the year. Noticeably missing from this list are the usual suspects, like Grand Theft Auto IV, Dead Space, Fable II, and Resistance 2. They've been replaced by the likes of No More Heroes (!), Soulcalibur IV, Mirror's Edge, and Burnout Paradise. They also named their gaming MVP, as well as their High's, Low's and Most Improved.
While all these games are fine choices, the No More Heroes pick is a bit surprising. But hey, this is why we are allowed to have an opinion. Here's their 10 best of 2008:
Major Nelson has made a not-so-subtle "psst!" post on his blog announcing – to a Western audience – that a demo version of From Software's Ninja Gaiden clone homage, Ninja Blade, has hit the Japanese Xbox Live Marketplace. In other words, if you have a Japanese Xbox Live account set up, make with the downloading.
Comments on the Major's post indicate that the demo is both region-free and in English ... much like the Resident Evil 5 demo that recently went up on the Japanese XBLM, only to be region-locked after Capcom realized that – shockingly – people outside of Japan really wanted to try the game.
3D artist Richard Smith – one of 140 employees of Time Splitters (and ... Haze) developer, Free Radical, laid off as the company went belly-up-for-sale – posted images from some of his modeling work on Star Wars Battlefront III on his personal blog. Or, shall we say, what could have been Star Wars Battlefront III.
The renders have since been pulled; lucky thing the internet is faster than the Millennium Falcon making the Kessel Run. As you can see, Smith was working on concepts for Han Solo (above) and a bounty hunter named Shara, who you can see in the gallery below. Two of the images carry a game logo and are dated 2007, indicating that Battlefront III had been in development for some time prior to Free Radical's demise.
Development on the game is now rumored to continue at UK-based Rebellion, which just so happens to have created Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for PSP.
Ever stop and wonder just why it is Activision have two development teams working on Call of Duty? It's not for the hell of it. Or even, mm mmm mmmm, for the smell of it.
It's because people can't seem to stop buying the various iterations of the franchise. An innocent little Reuters story from last week reveals that, since the first game was released in 2003, the Call of Duty series - which if I'm not mistaken stands at nine games and one expansion pack - has sold 35 million copies across the world.
Those aren't "good" numbers. Those are Mario/Madden/Halo numbers.
Not sure if you've noticed, but the economy's in the toilet. Even the supposed "recession-proof" video game industry is feeling the pinch, with publishers slashing prices even on best-selling titles. Could last-gen pricing return?
Forbes points to cuts on titles like Activision's Call of Duty: World at War — currently Amazon.com's deal of the day — and Guitar Hero World Tour as indicators that sales may be slowing on top tier titles. Analysts, such as Lazard Capital Markets Colin Sebastian, say that the reduction on the latest Call of Duty, a best seller in November, "highlights the risk of lower software pricing moving into the new year." That's bad news for publishers, now accustomed to selling games a sixty bucks a pop.
Activision's not the only one cutting prices. Pre-holiday releases form publisher Ubisoft like Prince of Persia, Tom Clancy's EndWar and Far Cry 2 saw significant cuts.
Forbes' Chris Morris theorizes that if publishers keep releasing new games at the new standard of $59.99 USD, "the inability to keep them at that level for a significant period could have some serious implications on revenues." Especially if wiser buyers anticipate that big-budget releases will be inevitably slashed and decide to wait, we'd think.
We'd also think it would be difficult to find anyone on the consumer side losing any sleep over less expensive games.
Building on the success of Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, this new action adventure takes the story to a deeper level within the Naruto Universe.
Now a respected ninja, Naruto evolves into a mature and strong hero. However, with his new status comes responsibility, and Naruto will soon find himself surrounded by conflict.
Forced to relive bitter memories, Naruto's best friend Sasuke strikes out on a self-destructive quest for power. Now with the help of his friends, Naruto must confront Sasuke and save him before it's too late.
Team up with multiple characters, explore open 3D environments and challenge some of the fiercest enemies from the Naruto Universe.
Spend the rest of your winter holidays mending the broken bonds between Naruto and Sasuke and prevent the dark haired youth from walking further along his path of destruction.
We've been rotating several games as weekly specials, and due to this particular game's popularity, we would stick with it for another week (until 06 Jan) or until this popular product gets sold out.
The trend of hot region free Xbox360 games at unbeatable bargain prices continues with Naruto: The Broken Bonds. The game is available for US$ 29.90 only.
Apparently impressed by the stunning success (and $157 winning bid) of his earlier Wii64, the modder who goes by the name n8bog is back with another brute-force console hybrid, this time shoving an entire Xbox 360 into a disused PS3 case. We wouldn't say it's a perfect fit, as there's been a rather large hole cut into the front to allow access to the tray, and that HDD just laying on top of the DVD-ROM looks a bit precarious, but if you have a hankerin' for something Microsoft but prefer the look of something Sony (or just really like gratuitous neon) all this can be yours at a starting bid of just $100. Any takers?
According to a study by the National Resources Defense Council, Americans use up about $1 billion worth of energy per year powering video game consoles, enough to power the entire city of San Diego.
It's a pretty staggering figure, but I'm willing to bet that figures on the power consumption of things like refrigerators and washing machines are even worse. Any serious appliance is going to suck up a lot of juice, but that doesn't mean we should throw them all out.
However, those folks who leave their consoles on all the time aren't doing their energy bills any favors. With the Xbox 360 consuming 119 watts in active mode and the PS3 consuming 150 watts, turning these systems off when you aren't playing is kind of an obvious move. But apparently a lot of people just leave them on all the time, leading to one very basic question: why? Both systems have features that'll shut down automatically after a certain amount of idle time, seems like a no brainer to turn that on if you're too damned lazy to turn them off yourself when done playing.
One of our New Year's resolutions is to do better at keeping up with all the XNA Community Games (it's a long-time-coming, we know). In the meanwhile, GamerBytes and XNPlay have picked up the slack, and have chosen the top games on the service from 2008.
Taking the top slots are Johnny Platform's Biscuit Romp, Ultratron and vertical ragdoll platformer CarneyVale: Showtime, which you really have to see to "get." Don't worry, we've put a video of it after the break.
Just when we'd gotten used to writing a different sort of headline, Treyarch's Call of Duty: World at War once again climbs to the top of the UK all-format software sales charts. After being punted (that's another football joke, you see) from the top spot by FIFA 09 last week, the umpteenth shooter set during the second world war now hopes to restart its stint in first position. It previously held the spot for five consecutive weeks.
In other chart news, Need For Speed: Undercover moved back up to third position, with Tomb Raider: Underworld clambering from ninth position to sixth. And who managed to leap up ten to ten? Sonic Unleashed. This thing has more plot twists than a Phoenix Wright trial.
Listen, we respect your intelligence, so we're just going to be straight with you. This is a really hard time of the year for news. On any other day, we'd probably let you discover that the Guitar Hero World Tour European track pack we told you about before had appeared on XBL for yourself. But it's Dec. 30, so here we are.
European Track Pack 02:
"Degenerated" - Backyard Babies (Sweden)
"Por La Boca Vive El Pez" - Fito Y Fitipaldis (Spain)
"Johnny" - Di-Rect (Netherlands)
They're each 160 points, and we're sure some of them are by some fine bands. We think that picture above is one of them, but there's really no way we can be sure.
Tomorrow is the New Year's Eve in Japan. We're gonna eat soba, which symbolize longevity, and I'll probably polish off some sake, which symbolizes a good time. Mmmmm, sake. Later in the week, we're gonna go to shrines and pray and toss money at the shrines. Then we'll have a big dinner at the in-laws house with all the fam and will watch bad New Year's TV. That's about it!
