Read TeamXbox's LEGO Indiana Jones 2 review.
LucasArts and developer Traveller's Tales have released a free downloadable demo of LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues , which is available on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Developed by the same team at Traveller’s Tales that created the award-winning LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and the LEGO Star Wars series, LEGO Indiana Jones 2 presents a tongue-in-cheek take on all four cinematic adventures of pop culture’s most iconic archaeologist, including for the first time ever "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and will give players the ability to create levels of their own!
“The Package” Free on Halo Waypoint Dec. 5th‘Avatar’ Director James Cameron Talks Future Projects
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
360Live App Releases on iTunes
Last week saw the somewhat stealthy (given the US Thanksgiving holiday) release of a new iPhone app designed to let users manage their Xbox Live friend requests and messages. Called 360Live and priced at $1.99 USD, it also supports the game history feature and virtually everything else the Xbox.com site allows.
However, there may be a bump in the road for developer Xavier Larrea, as Microsoft issued a directive in August of 2008 stating that all apps accessing Xbox Live information services must be free. While $1.99 errs in the direction of reasonable for App Store pricing, the charge would appear to be in conflict with Microsoft’s expressed desire for such applications to remain free (or, perhaps, to remain non-profit).
Neither Larrea nor Microsoft responded to requests for comment in time for publication.
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However, there may be a bump in the road for developer Xavier Larrea, as Microsoft issued a directive in August of 2008 stating that all apps accessing Xbox Live information services must be free. While $1.99 errs in the direction of reasonable for App Store pricing, the charge would appear to be in conflict with Microsoft’s expressed desire for such applications to remain free (or, perhaps, to remain non-profit).
Neither Larrea nor Microsoft responded to requests for comment in time for publication.
BBC iPlayer for Xbox 360 on Indefinite HoldZoe Saldana Reveals The Secrets Behind Her ‘Avatar’ Alien
Bethesda Acquires Publishing Rights for RAGE
ZeniMax announced this morning that it has secured rights to publish id Software's anticipated post-apocalyptic shooter RAGE in 2010. Previously, EA held the rights to publish the long in development title from the house of Doom. According to Zenimax, EA's participation has now ceased moving forward. ZeniMax will publish RAGE through their more commonly known subsidiary, Bethesda Softworks, after its move earlier this year to become a larger publishing brand, which saw it release both WET and Rogue Warrior. Development on RAGE has allegedly not been affected.
ECA Membership Cancellations Cause Gamer Stir‘New Moon’ Co-Star Thinks ‘Breaking Dawn’ Green Light Is Imminent
ECA Membership Cancellations Cause Gamer Stir‘New Moon’ Co-Star Thinks ‘Breaking Dawn’ Green Light Is Imminent
Trials HD BIG PACK DLC Announcement Trailer
Editor's Note: You can read our review of Trials HD here.
If you've played Trials HD, you'll understand when I say that it is addictively voluntary torture; hours of screaming, and yelling, and rocking back and forth in your seat as you will your bike to do what you're not even sure you need it to do to clear the course and move on to the next agonizing segment.
Which is all much, much more fun than it sounds.
That being said, it's likely that it will take a special kind of masochist (that happens to comprise a large chunk of the gaming populace) to get excited for the newly announced Trials HD DLC, the "BIG PACK." I could say more, but why don't you watch the trailer and see for yourself. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to buy some MS points.
1280x720 | 640x360
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If you've played Trials HD, you'll understand when I say that it is addictively voluntary torture; hours of screaming, and yelling, and rocking back and forth in your seat as you will your bike to do what you're not even sure you need it to do to clear the course and move on to the next agonizing segment.
Which is all much, much more fun than it sounds.
That being said, it's likely that it will take a special kind of masochist (that happens to comprise a large chunk of the gaming populace) to get excited for the newly announced Trials HD DLC, the "BIG PACK." I could say more, but why don't you watch the trailer and see for yourself. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to buy some MS points.
1280x720 | 640x360
New ‘Iron Man 2′ Trailer Features Whiplash, Black Widow, War MachineEA Formally Announces Mercs Inc.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Ubisoft Plans Heavy Support For Natal
Amidst news of a more than 78 million euro loss for the quarter, Ubisoft has made public its plans to release 10 titles supporting Natal within 6 months of Microsoft’s ambitious relaunch initiative. On their quarterly earnings call with investors this morning (via Leigh Alexander at Gamasutra), CEO Yves Guillemot signaled Ubisoft’s commitment to Natal, stating "We have around 10 games that will come for Natal during the first six months of the launch of Natal, and we expect between four to five games for the new controller [from] Sony.”
While this more or less confirms that Microsoft is aiming at a fiscal third quarter launch for Natal in 2010, more interesting is the confidence Ubisoft seems to have in the project. Guillemot cited an unpredictable third party market on Nintendo’s casual friendly Wii as primarily responsible for their financial losses for Q3, yet made clear that a majority of Ubisoft’s Natal releases will be aimed at a casual audience. This indicates a belief at Ubisoft that the ecosystem for third party titles in the casual market will be more hospitable on Microsoft’s console than on the Wii, to say nothing of Ubisoft’s significantly less developed plans for Sony’s own motion control peripheral, set to release in the Spring of next year.
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While this more or less confirms that Microsoft is aiming at a fiscal third quarter launch for Natal in 2010, more interesting is the confidence Ubisoft seems to have in the project. Guillemot cited an unpredictable third party market on Nintendo’s casual friendly Wii as primarily responsible for their financial losses for Q3, yet made clear that a majority of Ubisoft’s Natal releases will be aimed at a casual audience. This indicates a belief at Ubisoft that the ecosystem for third party titles in the casual market will be more hospitable on Microsoft’s console than on the Wii, to say nothing of Ubisoft’s significantly less developed plans for Sony’s own motion control peripheral, set to release in the Spring of next year.
‘Up In The Air’ Director Jason Reitman Reveals The Real George ClooneyNatal Details to Surface at Gamesfest
New Final Fantasy XIII Screens
This eagerly anticipated title takes full advantage of the Xbox 360 system's advanced hardware, providing tangible, intuitive controls while delivering seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and stunning in-game cinematics. The latest in cutting-edge technology has been utilized in the development of FINAL FANTASY XIII, thus making this newest addition to the FINAL FANTASY series worthy of the title "next generation."
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Natal Details to Surface at Gamesfest
Develop Magazine has obtained what it considers to be confirmed information that Microsoft will show much more about their Natal platform at their February Gamesfest conference. This comes after a 2009 hiatus for the series of events for the development community held in Seattle, London, and Tokyo.
Via Develop:
The description for the design track reads: "Project Natal not only revolutionizes the way people play games, but also changes the way games are designed and created. The Project Natal Design track will present innovative thinking and ideas to help you take your game from office to living room—creating new ways to work, building showcase experiences, divining user intent, and designing gestures for UI versus game interactions. Discover best practices and what makes the “magic” in a Project Natal game."
Meanwhile the tech track's blurb reads: "Project Natal provides a groundbreaking new way for games to use natural user motion to interact with the Xbox 360. Experience the future now, with this cutting-edge technology! Join us to learn how to develop world-class titles using Project Natal, which provides many exciting new features that can be challenging to programmers. In the Project Natal Technical track, we will walk you through how to overcome these challenges with a combination of classic techniques and new thinking. We will explore the depths of this exciting technology and dive deep into gesture recognition, avatar retargeting, speech recognition, advanced raw stream processing, handling different player environments, and many other topics. No controller required!"
This follows earlier reports this month that Microsoft has secretly been visiting major publishers to sell them on developing for Natal in time for the system's predicted fiscal Q3 launch next year, and their recent postings for development jobs for Natal and their Halo-focused 343 studios. Ubisoft also specified that they'll dedicate significant support to the Natal platform in their earnings call this week, with plans to ship up to 10 titles within 6 months of its launch.
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Via Develop:
The description for the design track reads: "Project Natal not only revolutionizes the way people play games, but also changes the way games are designed and created. The Project Natal Design track will present innovative thinking and ideas to help you take your game from office to living room—creating new ways to work, building showcase experiences, divining user intent, and designing gestures for UI versus game interactions. Discover best practices and what makes the “magic” in a Project Natal game."
Meanwhile the tech track's blurb reads: "Project Natal provides a groundbreaking new way for games to use natural user motion to interact with the Xbox 360. Experience the future now, with this cutting-edge technology! Join us to learn how to develop world-class titles using Project Natal, which provides many exciting new features that can be challenging to programmers. In the Project Natal Technical track, we will walk you through how to overcome these challenges with a combination of classic techniques and new thinking. We will explore the depths of this exciting technology and dive deep into gesture recognition, avatar retargeting, speech recognition, advanced raw stream processing, handling different player environments, and many other topics. No controller required!"
This follows earlier reports this month that Microsoft has secretly been visiting major publishers to sell them on developing for Natal in time for the system's predicted fiscal Q3 launch next year, and their recent postings for development jobs for Natal and their Halo-focused 343 studios. Ubisoft also specified that they'll dedicate significant support to the Natal platform in their earnings call this week, with plans to ship up to 10 titles within 6 months of its launch.
‘Avatar’ London Premiere Brings Out Stars, Wows CrowdSupreme Commander 2 Gets A Release Date
BBC iPlayer for Xbox 360 on Indefinite Hold
The Telegraph reported last week that the popular iPlayer initiative from the BBC won’t be coming to the Xbox 360 in the UK any time soon, as the project has been placed on indefinite hold.
“Microsoft only wants to offer its users access to platforms it can charge for as this is the model it is pursuing. It wants to ensure that only those paying for Xbox Live Gold accounts can access its additional content services and even then there is usually a charge on top to get access to those. For example, to access the Sky Player on Xbox, you have to pay for a Gold subscription as well as a Sky subscription,” explained one of the sources close to the BBC.
This move maintains the status quo for the Xbox Live ecosystem. The Xbox 360 continues to require a Gold membership for high level chat features such as the Live party system, and also requires a Gold membership for Netflix access in North America (while Netflix recently became available on Sony’s PS3 via a disc from the online rental company, a feature which is expected to be integrated with the system next fall). Microsoft declined the Telegraph’s requests for comment on the issue.
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“Microsoft only wants to offer its users access to platforms it can charge for as this is the model it is pursuing. It wants to ensure that only those paying for Xbox Live Gold accounts can access its additional content services and even then there is usually a charge on top to get access to those. For example, to access the Sky Player on Xbox, you have to pay for a Gold subscription as well as a Sky subscription,” explained one of the sources close to the BBC.
This move maintains the status quo for the Xbox Live ecosystem. The Xbox 360 continues to require a Gold membership for high level chat features such as the Live party system, and also requires a Gold membership for Netflix access in North America (while Netflix recently became available on Sony’s PS3 via a disc from the online rental company, a feature which is expected to be integrated with the system next fall). Microsoft declined the Telegraph’s requests for comment on the issue.
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Sunday, December 13, 2009
ECA Membership Cancellations Cause Gamer Stir
The Internet is abuzz with message-board posts and subsequent articles about issues some gamers are having in updating their Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) memberships. For example, a story on The Consumerist consumer-advocacy website details problems that members have had in trying to change the auto-renew status of their memberships or to cancel their membership outright—problems that seem to stem from changes the ECA made to its website. Comments to the story echo much of what is covered in the article and shows the level of concern members and non-members have over these changes, as well as the ECA itself.
TeamXbox made an attempt to contact Hal Halpin, the ECA president, over these concerns, and an ECA spokesperson replied by e-mail with a statement from Halpin regarding these issues; below, you can read the full statement as received.
[In the spirit of full disclosure, the author of this news story was employed by Halpin as an editor for CyberActive Publishing, working on the GameWeek trade magazine and the GameDaily.com website. This employment relationship lasted a little more than two years and ended in January 2002 when CyberActive went out of business and was dissolved as a corporation.]
We were disheartened to read some of the coverage and comments related to complaints regarding our member cancellation policies this morning. The issue seems to have begun following a guest article that I penned a few months ago, where I highlighted the various policy issues that gamers should be aware of – from Net Neutrality and Universal Broadband to Digital Rights Management (DRM) and End User License Agreements (EULAs). I concluded the piece by providing those who had taken the time to diligently read the article with a coupon code, encouraging them to sign up for a free trial membership… the logic being that we’d like to have readers who care about the issues among our ranks. For about four weeks following the publishing, we had a small bump in new member acquisition, but they were not coming from the article, unfortunately. These new members were coming from websites and forums that were solely promoting the coupon code, sans important reading.
Within a relatively short period of time, some of the new members found an exploit in one of our partners’ promotional codes and spread the word. The partner tried to resolve the situation, during which time we removed any references to the program, but ultimately it was decided that the offer be terminated. We advised members as soon as we were aware and reassured them that we were working on additional offers with new partners. We updated our website during the same timeframe in a long planned for Content Management System upgrade and an inactive back-end feature became visible, which looked to give some members the option to opt-out of the association. We were alerted to the error and removed the non-functioning feature immediately. Because it was viewable and then removed, those same few members became concerned that it was a feature that had been live all along and was suddenly removed. We then attempted to explain the situation and allay their concerns.
There were then concerns about the auto-renew structure of our payment system and business model related to that same function. We explained that we are working on ramping up infrastructure to become more automated going forward, but due to a small but active number of members who were repeatedly joining, leaving and re-joining the organization – in an effort to exploit our member benefits and unduly take advantage of our partners’ generous offers – we would require a mailed letter, as per our membership agreement. Needless to say, that incensed the exploiters who then contacted the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and their personal banks to report that we attained their membership under fraudulent conditions, in effect committing fraud themselves. Upon investigating the opened investigations, the respective banks and BBB all found ECA to be soundly reputable. We understand that several of the banks have since opened fraud investigations into their customers and that they take such matters very seriously.
Over the past few years, membership in the ECA has grown substantially, the primary reason for which is directly attributable to the important work done by the association, partnerships formed with coalitions, parallel trade associations and corporations, all eager to help defend the rights of game consumers. We have added many valuable benefits for members including discounts on games-related goods and services, purchases and rentals and a whole host of additional affinity benefits. We have several retail partners who offer significant promotions and several more, which are in the process of being finalized. It is important to note that the number of members who were/are involved in this unfortunate issue is very small and not representative of the organization as a whole. We sincerely thank the dedicated ECA members and the gaming community for their understanding and support on this matter and we look forward to continuing to grow the organization to suit the needs of the consumers.
[signed]
Hal Halpin – ECA President
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TeamXbox made an attempt to contact Hal Halpin, the ECA president, over these concerns, and an ECA spokesperson replied by e-mail with a statement from Halpin regarding these issues; below, you can read the full statement as received.
[In the spirit of full disclosure, the author of this news story was employed by Halpin as an editor for CyberActive Publishing, working on the GameWeek trade magazine and the GameDaily.com website. This employment relationship lasted a little more than two years and ended in January 2002 when CyberActive went out of business and was dissolved as a corporation.]
We were disheartened to read some of the coverage and comments related to complaints regarding our member cancellation policies this morning. The issue seems to have begun following a guest article that I penned a few months ago, where I highlighted the various policy issues that gamers should be aware of – from Net Neutrality and Universal Broadband to Digital Rights Management (DRM) and End User License Agreements (EULAs). I concluded the piece by providing those who had taken the time to diligently read the article with a coupon code, encouraging them to sign up for a free trial membership… the logic being that we’d like to have readers who care about the issues among our ranks. For about four weeks following the publishing, we had a small bump in new member acquisition, but they were not coming from the article, unfortunately. These new members were coming from websites and forums that were solely promoting the coupon code, sans important reading.
Within a relatively short period of time, some of the new members found an exploit in one of our partners’ promotional codes and spread the word. The partner tried to resolve the situation, during which time we removed any references to the program, but ultimately it was decided that the offer be terminated. We advised members as soon as we were aware and reassured them that we were working on additional offers with new partners. We updated our website during the same timeframe in a long planned for Content Management System upgrade and an inactive back-end feature became visible, which looked to give some members the option to opt-out of the association. We were alerted to the error and removed the non-functioning feature immediately. Because it was viewable and then removed, those same few members became concerned that it was a feature that had been live all along and was suddenly removed. We then attempted to explain the situation and allay their concerns.
There were then concerns about the auto-renew structure of our payment system and business model related to that same function. We explained that we are working on ramping up infrastructure to become more automated going forward, but due to a small but active number of members who were repeatedly joining, leaving and re-joining the organization – in an effort to exploit our member benefits and unduly take advantage of our partners’ generous offers – we would require a mailed letter, as per our membership agreement. Needless to say, that incensed the exploiters who then contacted the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and their personal banks to report that we attained their membership under fraudulent conditions, in effect committing fraud themselves. Upon investigating the opened investigations, the respective banks and BBB all found ECA to be soundly reputable. We understand that several of the banks have since opened fraud investigations into their customers and that they take such matters very seriously.
Over the past few years, membership in the ECA has grown substantially, the primary reason for which is directly attributable to the important work done by the association, partnerships formed with coalitions, parallel trade associations and corporations, all eager to help defend the rights of game consumers. We have added many valuable benefits for members including discounts on games-related goods and services, purchases and rentals and a whole host of additional affinity benefits. We have several retail partners who offer significant promotions and several more, which are in the process of being finalized. It is important to note that the number of members who were/are involved in this unfortunate issue is very small and not representative of the organization as a whole. We sincerely thank the dedicated ECA members and the gaming community for their understanding and support on this matter and we look forward to continuing to grow the organization to suit the needs of the consumers.
[signed]
Hal Halpin – ECA President
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New Prince of Persia Announced for 2010
Ubisoft has announced a May 2010 release for the next installment in their Prince of Persia franchise, titled The Forgotten Sands. A trailer will debut during the Spike VGAs on December 12th.
It’s been confirmed that Forgotten Sands will see a return to the Sands of Time’s storyline, jettisoning the most recent Prince of Persia title’s more mysterious hero and love interest Elika. This isn’t particularly surprising; despite a generally favorable critical response for the game (including our own Tom Price, who gave Prince of Persia a 9.1), the simplified controls and more forgiving design drove a wedge into its audience, with some gamers complaining that the game was too easy and not especially rewarding. This was reflected in Prince of Persia’s relative failure at retail, where it debuted in December of 2008 with less than 500K sales across both the PS3 and Xbox 360 according to Gamasutra’s estimates.
Ubisoft has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the return to the Sands of Time universe, though it may be related to the Prince of Persia movie, which is also scheduled for a May 2010 release (and which contains elements of the Sands of Time fiction). The full text of Ubisoft’s press release can be found below.
SAN FRANCISCO – November 30, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced that Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands(TM) video game is in development and is scheduled to be released May 2010 for consoles and handhelds. This new installment in the critically-acclaimed franchise marks the return to the Prince of Persia® Sands of Time storyline. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands(TM) will feature many of the fan-favorite elements from the original series as well as new gameplay innovations that gamers have come to expect from the Prince of Persia brand.
Tune in to Spike TV's "Video Game Awards 2009" on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 8 p.m. EST for the exclusive world premiere of the Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands(TM) trailer.
For ongoing updates about the game, please visit: www.princeofpersiagame.com
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It’s been confirmed that Forgotten Sands will see a return to the Sands of Time’s storyline, jettisoning the most recent Prince of Persia title’s more mysterious hero and love interest Elika. This isn’t particularly surprising; despite a generally favorable critical response for the game (including our own Tom Price, who gave Prince of Persia a 9.1), the simplified controls and more forgiving design drove a wedge into its audience, with some gamers complaining that the game was too easy and not especially rewarding. This was reflected in Prince of Persia’s relative failure at retail, where it debuted in December of 2008 with less than 500K sales across both the PS3 and Xbox 360 according to Gamasutra’s estimates.
Ubisoft has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the return to the Sands of Time universe, though it may be related to the Prince of Persia movie, which is also scheduled for a May 2010 release (and which contains elements of the Sands of Time fiction). The full text of Ubisoft’s press release can be found below.
SAN FRANCISCO – November 30, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced that Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands(TM) video game is in development and is scheduled to be released May 2010 for consoles and handhelds. This new installment in the critically-acclaimed franchise marks the return to the Prince of Persia® Sands of Time storyline. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands(TM) will feature many of the fan-favorite elements from the original series as well as new gameplay innovations that gamers have come to expect from the Prince of Persia brand.
Tune in to Spike TV's "Video Game Awards 2009" on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 8 p.m. EST for the exclusive world premiere of the Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands(TM) trailer.
For ongoing updates about the game, please visit: www.princeofpersiagame.com
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FIFA 10 Sells More than 4 Million
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – December 1, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced the continued record-setting sales pace for FIFA 10 as well as the development of FIFA 10 Ultimate Team, a game mode expansion and new way of playing FIFA 10, the highest rated sports game* ever on the PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®.
Based on internal sales projections, FIFA 10 has sold through more than 4.5 million units worldwide since launch, a 26 percent increase over the same period a year ago (eight weeks in Europe and five weeks in North America). FIFA 10 also became the fastest-selling sports videogame in the world with 1.7 million units sold through at European retail in its first week after its launch on October 1, and it’s the top selling game overall in Europe in 2009.
FIFA 10 has achieved new franchise records for online play as well, averaging 3 million** games played daily and over 113 million^ total online games played on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 over the past two months, and will launch FIFA 10 Ultimate Team in the new year. FIFA 10 Ultimate Team is a deeper, more authentic, more dynamic version of the game mode successfully introduced last year and enables fans to customize the way they build their Ultimate Team.
Take on the challenge of building an Ultimate Team of the best football stars in the world, manage one or multiple squads simultaneously, and compete against other gamers in dynamically updated online tournaments. For the record number of football fans playing FIFA 10 online, FIFA 10 Ultimate Team provides a new challenge to put a personally crafted team up against the rest of the world.
“FIFA 10 Ultimate Team adds a lot more authenticity to a unique game that will update with new challenges and content over time,” said Producer Paul Hossack. “We now have over 7,000 players from 27 leagues available, from which gamers will craft one or multiple squads to show their mastery of the revamped, more realistic chemistry system, and compete in tournaments with exciting requirements and rewards. On top of that, we’ll release new tournaments and other updates regularly to keep the experience fresh and exciting.”
FIFA 10 Ultimate Team has more options and players that enable gamers to emulate the way real-world coaches and managers build the truly great football teams. Choose how to manage your team–-focusing on creating one formidable squad, or managing multiple squads to match dynamic requirements for tournaments and competitions. Buy, sell, trade and acquire the biggest stars to build your dream team. Be strategic and tactical in preparing your squads for the various in-game competitions. A completely redesigned chemistry system built around player relationships on the pitch, means that managing teams and squads to their full potential is even more critical to success. Take carefully assembled squads into standard tournaments and themed competitions against the most formidable teams from around the world – and then out wit and out play them.
Test your skills as a player and manager to claim global football supremacy with FIFA 10 Ultimate Team, available to purchase for 400 Microsoft points or $4.99 as a download via Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network to FIFA 10 beginning this February, 2010. FIFA 10 and an internet connection is required for play. FIFA 10 Ultimate Team is developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. It is not yet rated.
* Source www.metacritic.com as of November 27, 2009
** based on average daily online users between Oct. 1, 2009 and November 19, 2009.
^ as of November 30, 2009.
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Based on internal sales projections, FIFA 10 has sold through more than 4.5 million units worldwide since launch, a 26 percent increase over the same period a year ago (eight weeks in Europe and five weeks in North America). FIFA 10 also became the fastest-selling sports videogame in the world with 1.7 million units sold through at European retail in its first week after its launch on October 1, and it’s the top selling game overall in Europe in 2009.
FIFA 10 has achieved new franchise records for online play as well, averaging 3 million** games played daily and over 113 million^ total online games played on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 over the past two months, and will launch FIFA 10 Ultimate Team in the new year. FIFA 10 Ultimate Team is a deeper, more authentic, more dynamic version of the game mode successfully introduced last year and enables fans to customize the way they build their Ultimate Team.
Take on the challenge of building an Ultimate Team of the best football stars in the world, manage one or multiple squads simultaneously, and compete against other gamers in dynamically updated online tournaments. For the record number of football fans playing FIFA 10 online, FIFA 10 Ultimate Team provides a new challenge to put a personally crafted team up against the rest of the world.
“FIFA 10 Ultimate Team adds a lot more authenticity to a unique game that will update with new challenges and content over time,” said Producer Paul Hossack. “We now have over 7,000 players from 27 leagues available, from which gamers will craft one or multiple squads to show their mastery of the revamped, more realistic chemistry system, and compete in tournaments with exciting requirements and rewards. On top of that, we’ll release new tournaments and other updates regularly to keep the experience fresh and exciting.”
FIFA 10 Ultimate Team has more options and players that enable gamers to emulate the way real-world coaches and managers build the truly great football teams. Choose how to manage your team–-focusing on creating one formidable squad, or managing multiple squads to match dynamic requirements for tournaments and competitions. Buy, sell, trade and acquire the biggest stars to build your dream team. Be strategic and tactical in preparing your squads for the various in-game competitions. A completely redesigned chemistry system built around player relationships on the pitch, means that managing teams and squads to their full potential is even more critical to success. Take carefully assembled squads into standard tournaments and themed competitions against the most formidable teams from around the world – and then out wit and out play them.
Test your skills as a player and manager to claim global football supremacy with FIFA 10 Ultimate Team, available to purchase for 400 Microsoft points or $4.99 as a download via Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network to FIFA 10 beginning this February, 2010. FIFA 10 and an internet connection is required for play. FIFA 10 Ultimate Team is developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. It is not yet rated.
* Source www.metacritic.com as of November 27, 2009
** based on average daily online users between Oct. 1, 2009 and November 19, 2009.
^ as of November 30, 2009.
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Modern Warfare 2 "Javelin" Fix Comes Friday
The so-called "Javelin" glitch that has been plaguing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer matches is about to meet its match. Earlier on Thursday, Robert Bowling, creative strategist for the game at developer Infinity Ward, posted to his Twitter feed that the patch to fix the exploit (and, reportedly, a few other MW2 glitches) had passed Microsoft's certification process, saying that Microsoft only needed to "push it live."
Apparently, that "push" will be just hours away at this writing. Larry Hryb—Xbox Live's director of programming, but more likely better known as Microsoft's "Major Nelson"—posted to his Twitter feed that the title update containing the fixes "will go live early Friday morning." Though Microsoft doesn't usually pin down the time that these kinds of data will be publicly available, history has shown that they often become downloadable to players via Xbox Live at around 2am Pacific Time.
Regardless of the exact time the patch goes up, there's a likelihood that, at this time on Friday, MW2 /Xbox 360 enthusiasts will be able to join Bowling in saying, "Goodbye Javelin glitchers!"
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Apparently, that "push" will be just hours away at this writing. Larry Hryb—Xbox Live's director of programming, but more likely better known as Microsoft's "Major Nelson"—posted to his Twitter feed that the title update containing the fixes "will go live early Friday morning." Though Microsoft doesn't usually pin down the time that these kinds of data will be publicly available, history has shown that they often become downloadable to players via Xbox Live at around 2am Pacific Time.
Regardless of the exact time the patch goes up, there's a likelihood that, at this time on Friday, MW2 /Xbox 360 enthusiasts will be able to join Bowling in saying, "Goodbye Javelin glitchers!"
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Friday, December 11, 2009
EA Announces Medal of Honor
LOS ANGELES, California – December 2, 2009 – Medal of Honor™ returns to the front lines, this time in today’s war. For the first time in the franchise’s 10-year history, Medal of Honor is leaving the WWII theatre and putting players in war-torn Afghanistan. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed that in 2010, Medal of Honor, an all-new first-person shooter game, will introduce the Tier 1 Operator: a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle. The development team has been working closely with Tier 1 Operators from the U.S. Special Operations Community since the earliest stages of development to create the most authentic modern war experience. Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor reveals the mission of today’s most elite American soldier – his will, his mindset and his uncompromising professionalism.
Medal of Honor is being built with a best-in-class single-player campaign. The Medal of Honor development team at EALA has been hand-selected by the studio leadership of General Manager Sean Decker, Executive Producer Greg Goodrich and Senior Creative Director Rich Farrelly. To compliment the single-player experience, EALA has enlisted the multiplayer expertise at EA DICE. This team will develop the multiplayer experience of Medal of Honor. These two studios are coming together to deliver a world-class Medal of Honor that is poised to re-set the franchise for a new generation.
“When we first set out to reinvent Medal of Honor, we wanted to stay true to its roots of authenticity and respect for the soldier but bring it into today’s war. The Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield. He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war.” said Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer, Medal of Honor. “We are honored to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience.”
“EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames,” said Sean Decker, VP and General Manager of EALA. “We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.”
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Medal of Honor is being built with a best-in-class single-player campaign. The Medal of Honor development team at EALA has been hand-selected by the studio leadership of General Manager Sean Decker, Executive Producer Greg Goodrich and Senior Creative Director Rich Farrelly. To compliment the single-player experience, EALA has enlisted the multiplayer expertise at EA DICE. This team will develop the multiplayer experience of Medal of Honor. These two studios are coming together to deliver a world-class Medal of Honor that is poised to re-set the franchise for a new generation.
“When we first set out to reinvent Medal of Honor, we wanted to stay true to its roots of authenticity and respect for the soldier but bring it into today’s war. The Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield. He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war.” said Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer, Medal of Honor. “We are honored to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience.”
“EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames,” said Sean Decker, VP and General Manager of EALA. “We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.”
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Serious Sam HD The Second Encounter Announced
Croteam and Devolver Digital today announced that Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter will be unleashed in early 2010 for PC and home console. Following in the tradition of The First Encounter, the game will feature all the insane action of the original game but with visuals beautifully rendered to current standards.
Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter will also feature an all new Co-Op Tournament mode that will allow teams to compete with one another. And there’s good reason for everyone to practice up. At the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China – an event expected to draw more visitors than any world’s fair before it – The Second Encounter will be a main attraction, allowing teams to compete for the Digital Youth Award, which promotes the values of creativity, culture, friendship, education and unity.
It’s time for the WORLD to get Serious!
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Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter will also feature an all new Co-Op Tournament mode that will allow teams to compete with one another. And there’s good reason for everyone to practice up. At the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China – an event expected to draw more visitors than any world’s fair before it – The Second Encounter will be a main attraction, allowing teams to compete for the Digital Youth Award, which promotes the values of creativity, culture, friendship, education and unity.
It’s time for the WORLD to get Serious!
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Left 4 Dead 2 Moves 2 Million Units
Dec 1, 2009 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced sales results and multiplayer numbers for its zombie apocalypse, co-operative action, Left 4 Dead 2.
Released just two weeks ago, over 2 million retails copies of L4D2 have been sold worldwide and the game appears to be on target to become one of the top selling Xbox and PC titles for the month of November. Sales to date are more than double the original title, which was released exactly one year prior to L4D2. And "Black Friday" promotions during the title's second week of availability in North American resulted in stronger than expected sales in L4D2's bid to become one of this year's best selling releases on both platforms.
"Left 4 Dead 2 is off to a great start with strong support at retail and great reviews from the press," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. "Meanwhile the title has already been played by over 1 million Xbox LIVE Gold account holders, and news regarding L4D2 DLC 1 is coming very soon."
Exclusively available for the Xbox 360 and PC, L4D2 sets a new benchmark for co-operative action games. The title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and more.
With the AI Director 2.0, L4D's dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.
Finally, with new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original, featuring more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, new Survival maps, and the new competitive game mode, Scavenge, all available at launch.
For more information, please visit www.l4d.com.
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Released just two weeks ago, over 2 million retails copies of L4D2 have been sold worldwide and the game appears to be on target to become one of the top selling Xbox and PC titles for the month of November. Sales to date are more than double the original title, which was released exactly one year prior to L4D2. And "Black Friday" promotions during the title's second week of availability in North American resulted in stronger than expected sales in L4D2's bid to become one of this year's best selling releases on both platforms.
"Left 4 Dead 2 is off to a great start with strong support at retail and great reviews from the press," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. "Meanwhile the title has already been played by over 1 million Xbox LIVE Gold account holders, and news regarding L4D2 DLC 1 is coming very soon."
Exclusively available for the Xbox 360 and PC, L4D2 sets a new benchmark for co-operative action games. The title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and more.
With the AI Director 2.0, L4D's dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.
Finally, with new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original, featuring more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, new Survival maps, and the new competitive game mode, Scavenge, all available at launch.
For more information, please visit www.l4d.com.
‘The Lovely Bones’ Director Peter Jackson Creates A Beautiful PurgatoryFamitsu No More Heroes on Xbox 360 in 2010
"The Package" Free on Halo Waypoint Dec. 5th
Exclusive preview this Saturday only on Halo Waypoint and Xbox LIVE
The Halo universe’s most iconic figure embarks on a harrowing mission in the third preview episode of the epic anime saga, “Halo Legends.” Created by Casio Entertainment and visionary director Shinji Aramaki, part one of “The Package” will be available exclusively on Halo Waypoint for only 24 hours this Saturday, Dec. 5.
The story follows Master Chief and four specially selected Spartans as they launch out on a stealth cruiser into the heart of a massive Covenant fleet in a bid to recover a valuable intelligence asset.
This episode will prove that Spartans are just as adept fighting in zero-G and piloting never-before-seen light attack vehicles as they are on the ground. Once Master Chief locates the target he and the remaining Spartans blast their way on board, where the action gets hand-to-hand as they fight through an army of Covenant troops in order to recover the most important Human intelligence resource there is.
“The Package” will be previewed in two parts, with the conclusion of the story scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of “The Package” on Saturday, Dec. 19, in which Aramaki and his team recount their work on “Halo Legends.” A full schedule of upcoming “Halo Legends” 24-hour exclusive previews is below:
Episode/Airing Date (24-hour)
“The Package” Part 1 - Dec. 5, 2009
“The Package” Part 2 - Dec. 12, 2009
Making of “The Package” - Dec. 19, 2009
“Origins” Part 1 - Jan. 2, 2010
Making of “Origins” - Jan. 9, 2010
Trailers of upcoming episodes - Feb. 2, 2010
For insight into the creative process behind the “Halo Legends” anime films, see the attached for a new Q&A with Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor.
Produced by 343 Industries and created by a group of renowned anime studios, “Halo Legends” will be distributed by Warner Home Video on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital formats on Feb. 16, 2010.
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The Halo universe’s most iconic figure embarks on a harrowing mission in the third preview episode of the epic anime saga, “Halo Legends.” Created by Casio Entertainment and visionary director Shinji Aramaki, part one of “The Package” will be available exclusively on Halo Waypoint for only 24 hours this Saturday, Dec. 5.
The story follows Master Chief and four specially selected Spartans as they launch out on a stealth cruiser into the heart of a massive Covenant fleet in a bid to recover a valuable intelligence asset.
This episode will prove that Spartans are just as adept fighting in zero-G and piloting never-before-seen light attack vehicles as they are on the ground. Once Master Chief locates the target he and the remaining Spartans blast their way on board, where the action gets hand-to-hand as they fight through an army of Covenant troops in order to recover the most important Human intelligence resource there is.
“The Package” will be previewed in two parts, with the conclusion of the story scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of “The Package” on Saturday, Dec. 19, in which Aramaki and his team recount their work on “Halo Legends.” A full schedule of upcoming “Halo Legends” 24-hour exclusive previews is below:
Episode/Airing Date (24-hour)
“The Package” Part 1 - Dec. 5, 2009
“The Package” Part 2 - Dec. 12, 2009
Making of “The Package” - Dec. 19, 2009
“Origins” Part 1 - Jan. 2, 2010
Making of “Origins” - Jan. 9, 2010
Trailers of upcoming episodes - Feb. 2, 2010
For insight into the creative process behind the “Halo Legends” anime films, see the attached for a new Q&A with Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor.
Produced by 343 Industries and created by a group of renowned anime studios, “Halo Legends” will be distributed by Warner Home Video on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital formats on Feb. 16, 2010.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
THQ Announces UFC 2010
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. December 7, 2009 THQ Inc. today announced that UFC® Undisputed™ 2010, the company’s much anticipated second videogame based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, will make its worldwide debut at the upcoming 2009 Spike TV “Video Game Awards.” Set to air live from Los Angeles on Saturday, December 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, the awards show will feature the first-ever gameplay footage from UFC Undisputed 2010, interspersed with commentary from top UFC fighters. In addition, the footage will be introduced through a special UFC guest appearance.
Accompanying the worldwide debut of UFC Undisputed 2010, the franchise’s best-selling and critically acclaimed inaugural release, UFC 2009 Undisputed, is nominated for “Best Individual Sports Game” at the 2009 Spike TV “Video Game Awards.” Fans can vote for UFC 2009 Undisputed to win this prestigious videogame industry honor by visiting http://vga.spike.com.
In addition to the live broadcast, the 2009 Spike TV “Video Game Awards” will be shown in over 180 territories and countries. Non-U.S. residents should check their local listings for the date and time of the show.
More information about the UFC Undisputed videogame franchise can be found at www.ufcundisputed.com and www.thq.com.
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Accompanying the worldwide debut of UFC Undisputed 2010, the franchise’s best-selling and critically acclaimed inaugural release, UFC 2009 Undisputed, is nominated for “Best Individual Sports Game” at the 2009 Spike TV “Video Game Awards.” Fans can vote for UFC 2009 Undisputed to win this prestigious videogame industry honor by visiting http://vga.spike.com.
In addition to the live broadcast, the 2009 Spike TV “Video Game Awards” will be shown in over 180 territories and countries. Non-U.S. residents should check their local listings for the date and time of the show.
More information about the UFC Undisputed videogame franchise can be found at www.ufcundisputed.com and www.thq.com.
Common Says He’ll ‘Definitely’ See ‘Michael Jackson’s This Is It’Halo Reach to Debut at 2009 Spike VGAs
Quantum Theory Announced for Xbox 360
TORRANCE, Calif.—December 7, 2009—Video game developer and publisher TECMO announced today that QUANTUM THEORY™ will be a multiplatform release on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Both versions are scheduled to arrive in North America in spring 2010.
QUANTUM THEORY is Tecmo’s newest original IP and the company’s first attempt at the third-person shooter genre. Players take on the role of the massive, gun-wielding warrior Syd and battle through intense action sequences in an unpredictable, shape-shifting battlefield. In addition to single player campaign, QUANTUM THEORY also supports four modes of online multiplayer, complete with voice chat for real-time communication.
STORY
Many years have passed since the world war inflicted catastrophic damage on the human race, leaving only a few survivors. In their new community “Cocoon,” life has been threatened by a black material called Erosion, creating a post-apocalyptic environment. Surviving humans recruit a militia to conquer the Erosion and set out to take down the evil, “Living Tower”. Arriving at the scene is the stalwart warrior Syd, whose only intentions are to destroy the Tower. He meets the beautiful and mysterious Filena as they both ascend to the top in their search for answers. The erosion of the Tower intensifies as the players climb up through the moving landform.
KEY FEATURES
•Shape-Shifting Battlefield: Navigate through a dark fantasy world where the intense battleground surprises you with new and challenging obstacles by changing its form in real-time
•Two-Character Combination Actions: Syd and Filena, an AI-controlled partner, perform actions as a pair—in some instances, that is the only way to overcome hurdles. Strategically perform combos for a more powerful, fierce attack against colossal enemies
•Online Play: Continue your adventure with others in four online modes
•Distinctive Art Nouveau Style Environment: Radiant colors and the mixture of organic elements complements both action and technology
QUANTUM THEORY is not yet rated by the Entertainment Ratings Software Board.
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QUANTUM THEORY is Tecmo’s newest original IP and the company’s first attempt at the third-person shooter genre. Players take on the role of the massive, gun-wielding warrior Syd and battle through intense action sequences in an unpredictable, shape-shifting battlefield. In addition to single player campaign, QUANTUM THEORY also supports four modes of online multiplayer, complete with voice chat for real-time communication.
STORY
Many years have passed since the world war inflicted catastrophic damage on the human race, leaving only a few survivors. In their new community “Cocoon,” life has been threatened by a black material called Erosion, creating a post-apocalyptic environment. Surviving humans recruit a militia to conquer the Erosion and set out to take down the evil, “Living Tower”. Arriving at the scene is the stalwart warrior Syd, whose only intentions are to destroy the Tower. He meets the beautiful and mysterious Filena as they both ascend to the top in their search for answers. The erosion of the Tower intensifies as the players climb up through the moving landform.
KEY FEATURES
•Shape-Shifting Battlefield: Navigate through a dark fantasy world where the intense battleground surprises you with new and challenging obstacles by changing its form in real-time
•Two-Character Combination Actions: Syd and Filena, an AI-controlled partner, perform actions as a pair—in some instances, that is the only way to overcome hurdles. Strategically perform combos for a more powerful, fierce attack against colossal enemies
•Online Play: Continue your adventure with others in four online modes
•Distinctive Art Nouveau Style Environment: Radiant colors and the mixture of organic elements complements both action and technology
QUANTUM THEORY is not yet rated by the Entertainment Ratings Software Board.
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Sunday, December 6, 2009
WalMart, Other Retailers Slash Game Prices for Holiday
Reuters ran a story last night reporting that retailer Wal-Mart is pursuing an aggressive pricing strategy for console titles this holiday season, which started with sales last week on Black Friday. Left 4 Dead 2 and a number of other titles sold for $50 USD, with indications that these markdowns will continue for the holiday season in order to drive sales traffic through their stores and web portal. Other large retailers, such as Best Buy, Target and Amazon, responded in kind. While discounts during the holiday season are typical, this year in particular appears to be seeing prominent cuts and bundles for each of the big three console manufacturers.
The question then becomes, is this pricing flexibility a signal that retailers are looking to more aggressively price major games more quickly during the rest of the year? According to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, this doesn’t appear to be the case. “Note that Wal-Mart said 'top 25 games,' but didn't include CoDMW2, Assassin's Creed 2 or New Super Mario Bros. Wii, so I think the top 25 claim is questionable,” said Pachter. “If they don't include the top 3 games, I'm not sure it will drive a lot of people to pass five GameStops in order to drive to Wal-Mart instead.”
DFC analyst David Cole expressed a similar sentiment, saying “Games are a great way to drive store traffic and really it is more an indication of their overall popularity as a consumer product… [this promotion] was more about aggressive pricing on some of the most popular items to drive traffic in hopes that it lifts sales of other products.” Cole does believe this may be evidence of retailers testing the waters for more flexible pricing on less important titles during the rest of the year, however, claiming that “I do eventually see a trend towards more aggressive pricing to drive sales of products that are not part of the Triple AAA best sellers.” This is borne out by the quick discounting of many titles this year through online retailers like Amazon.com. Essentially, Triple AAA titles will continue at their $60 price point, while other lower-profile games will be at the mercy of market demand.
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The question then becomes, is this pricing flexibility a signal that retailers are looking to more aggressively price major games more quickly during the rest of the year? According to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, this doesn’t appear to be the case. “Note that Wal-Mart said 'top 25 games,' but didn't include CoDMW2, Assassin's Creed 2 or New Super Mario Bros. Wii, so I think the top 25 claim is questionable,” said Pachter. “If they don't include the top 3 games, I'm not sure it will drive a lot of people to pass five GameStops in order to drive to Wal-Mart instead.”
DFC analyst David Cole expressed a similar sentiment, saying “Games are a great way to drive store traffic and really it is more an indication of their overall popularity as a consumer product… [this promotion] was more about aggressive pricing on some of the most popular items to drive traffic in hopes that it lifts sales of other products.” Cole does believe this may be evidence of retailers testing the waters for more flexible pricing on less important titles during the rest of the year, however, claiming that “I do eventually see a trend towards more aggressive pricing to drive sales of products that are not part of the Triple AAA best sellers.” This is borne out by the quick discounting of many titles this year through online retailers like Amazon.com. Essentially, Triple AAA titles will continue at their $60 price point, while other lower-profile games will be at the mercy of market demand.
Microsoft Trumpets Xbox Live MomentumPenn Badgley Calls Teenage Halloween Costume ‘Worst Idea Ever’
Microsoft Announces Lips Party Classics
Sing Together at the Top of Your Lungs with Singing Favorites in “Lips™: Party Classics”
The newest “Lips” will bring everyone together with irresistible favorites from Tiffany to the Village People, while December’s soul classics and holiday tunes warm up your holidays
Who needs the lyrics? You know them by heart; everyone knows them by heart … more or less. They are the songs that get us out of our seats and into the moment, they get the party started. Microsoft Game Studios and iNiS will capture the magic of these songs in “Lips: Party Classics,” the newest title to join the “Lips” singing sensation exclusive to Xbox 360. Available worldwide in spring 2010, “Lips: Party Classics” will let party goers experience their favorite tunes from their beloved karaoke venues right in their own living rooms.
Let the festivities commence with the wide selection of 40 peppy, festive, dramatic and exhilarating songs included in “Lips: Party Classics.” These are the songs you love to sing even if the singing itself is so bad it’s good – these tunes will unite friends and family with fun and spontaneity. Just a glimpse of the full song list includes favorites such as:
“Love Shack” by The B-52's
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba
“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
“Rock And Roll All Nite” by KISS
“Wannabe” by Spice Girls
“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany
“Y.M.C.A.” by Village People
Lips Jukebox extends the “Lips” fun
Right now, make your Facebook photos sing with the new Lips Jukebox. Available now for free at www.xbox.com/lipsjukebox , this easy-to-use online tool puts a pair of singing lips on your photos transforming them into a mini music video starring you and your best friends and family. Choose from classic tracks such as “Barbie Girl” by Aqua or “Love Fool” by The Cardigans.
“Lips” December Game Add-ons bring the holiday cheer
For those not-so-silent nights, invite your loved ones over and give them the gift of song with “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations, “Right Round” by Flo Rida, “Think” by Aretha Franklin, “Blister In The Sun” by Violent Femmes and more.
Then while you’re stringing up your garlands, don’t forget to add a variety of great holiday tunes including “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, “Santa Baby” by Kylie Minogue and “Hanukkah Blessings” by Barenaked Ladies to your “Lips” collection that are sure to light up your nights with fun! For the full list of December Game Add-ons and festive songs, please visit www.xbox.com/lips.
“Lips” songs for everyone
Following the fall releases of “Lips: Number One Hits” worldwide, and “Lips: Deutsche Partyknaller” and “Lips: Canta En Español” in select regions, the “Lips” library is as diverse as the imagination, so that everyone can find the perfect songs to perform. These new titles coupled with the original “Lips” and the extensive library of “Lips” Game Add-on songs available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the in-game Get Music Store, are sure to keep the singing going until dawn.
Avatar and Xbox LIVE features add personal touches the singing experience with Avatar integration and Avatar Awards that allow singers to perform as their virtual selves in the game. With “Lips: Party Classics,” players can earn fashionable Avatar Accessories through in-game accomplishments to customize their wardrobe and flaunt their unique style to friends on Xbox LIVE. More information on “Lips” is available at www.xbox.com/lips.
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The newest “Lips” will bring everyone together with irresistible favorites from Tiffany to the Village People, while December’s soul classics and holiday tunes warm up your holidays
Who needs the lyrics? You know them by heart; everyone knows them by heart … more or less. They are the songs that get us out of our seats and into the moment, they get the party started. Microsoft Game Studios and iNiS will capture the magic of these songs in “Lips: Party Classics,” the newest title to join the “Lips” singing sensation exclusive to Xbox 360. Available worldwide in spring 2010, “Lips: Party Classics” will let party goers experience their favorite tunes from their beloved karaoke venues right in their own living rooms.
Let the festivities commence with the wide selection of 40 peppy, festive, dramatic and exhilarating songs included in “Lips: Party Classics.” These are the songs you love to sing even if the singing itself is so bad it’s good – these tunes will unite friends and family with fun and spontaneity. Just a glimpse of the full song list includes favorites such as:
“Love Shack” by The B-52's
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba
“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
“Rock And Roll All Nite” by KISS
“Wannabe” by Spice Girls
“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany
“Y.M.C.A.” by Village People
Lips Jukebox extends the “Lips” fun
Right now, make your Facebook photos sing with the new Lips Jukebox. Available now for free at www.xbox.com/lipsjukebox , this easy-to-use online tool puts a pair of singing lips on your photos transforming them into a mini music video starring you and your best friends and family. Choose from classic tracks such as “Barbie Girl” by Aqua or “Love Fool” by The Cardigans.
“Lips” December Game Add-ons bring the holiday cheer
For those not-so-silent nights, invite your loved ones over and give them the gift of song with “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations, “Right Round” by Flo Rida, “Think” by Aretha Franklin, “Blister In The Sun” by Violent Femmes and more.
Then while you’re stringing up your garlands, don’t forget to add a variety of great holiday tunes including “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, “Santa Baby” by Kylie Minogue and “Hanukkah Blessings” by Barenaked Ladies to your “Lips” collection that are sure to light up your nights with fun! For the full list of December Game Add-ons and festive songs, please visit www.xbox.com/lips.
“Lips” songs for everyone
Following the fall releases of “Lips: Number One Hits” worldwide, and “Lips: Deutsche Partyknaller” and “Lips: Canta En Español” in select regions, the “Lips” library is as diverse as the imagination, so that everyone can find the perfect songs to perform. These new titles coupled with the original “Lips” and the extensive library of “Lips” Game Add-on songs available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the in-game Get Music Store, are sure to keep the singing going until dawn.
Avatar and Xbox LIVE features add personal touches the singing experience with Avatar integration and Avatar Awards that allow singers to perform as their virtual selves in the game. With “Lips: Party Classics,” players can earn fashionable Avatar Accessories through in-game accomplishments to customize their wardrobe and flaunt their unique style to friends on Xbox LIVE. More information on “Lips” is available at www.xbox.com/lips.
‘Avatar’ Director James Cameron Says Fan Pressure Inspires Him0D Beat Drop Arrives on Xbox Live Arcade
Friday, December 4, 2009
Call of Duty Classic Deploys This Week
Santa Monica, CA – November 30, 2009 – Beginning this week the original title in the Call of Duty® franchise that started it all, Call of Duty: Classic, will be available as an individual purchase on the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network on Wednesday for 1200 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation®Network on Thursday for $14.99, allowing fans to experience the original installment on next-generation consoles for the first time.
Created by Infinity Ward in 2003, the original Call of Duty launched the hit franchise with more than 80 Game of the Year awards and 50 Editors’ Choice honors. Ported to Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network by Aspyr, Call of Duty: Classic is rated “T” (Teen) by the ESRB for Blood & Violence, and is currently available as downloadable content in the Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 2® Collector’s Editions published by Activision Publishing, Inc.
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Created by Infinity Ward in 2003, the original Call of Duty launched the hit franchise with more than 80 Game of the Year awards and 50 Editors’ Choice honors. Ported to Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network by Aspyr, Call of Duty: Classic is rated “T” (Teen) by the ESRB for Blood & Violence, and is currently available as downloadable content in the Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 2® Collector’s Editions published by Activision Publishing, Inc.
‘This Is It’ Proves Michael Jackson Was The ‘Greatest,’ Lou Ferrigno SaysMicrosoft Trumpets Xbox Live Momentum
Capcom Makes Final Fight Double Impact Official
Capcom confirmed to IGN last week that they'll be bringing seminal side scrolling beat-em-up Final Fight to the Xbox Live Arcade next April, featuring a new graphical mode designed to let the game "shine in crisp and clear HD glory". While Capcom neglected to confirm whether this means the standard filtered mode included in most Live Arcade classic releases or a more dedicated HD Remix style graphical overhaul, they did add that the lesser known arcade title Magic Sword will be included for the price of the download, which will also see a similar graphical touch-up. A price was not specified for the release.
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0D Beat Drop Arrives on Xbox Live Arcade‘New Moon’ Featurette Shows How Robert Pattinson Fights Volturi
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Scivelation Announced for Xbox 360
Las Vegas, November 25th, 2009 - Scivelation is officially announced for release on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and is scheduled for a Q3 2010 release.
Scivelation, a cinematic gameplay experience set in a dystopian future that promises both high octane action and a powerful human story. Combining beautiful visuals rendered on the Unreal 3 Engine with an immersive plot informed by the works of Orwell, Milton and Dante, Scivelation features white-knuckled gameplay that stresses intelligent strategy while players run, gun, sneak, and drive through a diversity of post-Apocalyptic locations.
Human civilization as we know it has ended at the hands of religious zealots desperate to bring about the Apocalypse. What remains of society has been homogenized into a single culture, to be governed by the Regime - a theocratic, worldwide government intent to rob mankind of its most meaningful symbols. A scattered front of old believers, named heretics by the Regime, have resorted to violent mobilization in order to carve out a niche where they might survive unmolested, and in the midst of this turmoil are Dr. Elisha Amano, a disgruntled Regime scientist who helped develop a paradigm-shifting, post-human supervirus; and Mikhail Ivanov, a cyborg and former member of the Russian special forces who was divested of his humanity fighting in the End Times.
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Scivelation, a cinematic gameplay experience set in a dystopian future that promises both high octane action and a powerful human story. Combining beautiful visuals rendered on the Unreal 3 Engine with an immersive plot informed by the works of Orwell, Milton and Dante, Scivelation features white-knuckled gameplay that stresses intelligent strategy while players run, gun, sneak, and drive through a diversity of post-Apocalyptic locations.
Human civilization as we know it has ended at the hands of religious zealots desperate to bring about the Apocalypse. What remains of society has been homogenized into a single culture, to be governed by the Regime - a theocratic, worldwide government intent to rob mankind of its most meaningful symbols. A scattered front of old believers, named heretics by the Regime, have resorted to violent mobilization in order to carve out a niche where they might survive unmolested, and in the midst of this turmoil are Dr. Elisha Amano, a disgruntled Regime scientist who helped develop a paradigm-shifting, post-human supervirus; and Mikhail Ivanov, a cyborg and former member of the Russian special forces who was divested of his humanity fighting in the End Times.
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Madden NFL Arcade Out Now on XBLA
You can check out our most recent Madden NFL Arcade preview here
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - November 25, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL Arcade is now available for download on the PlayStation® Store, and Xbox LIVE Arcade. Perfect for pick-up-and-play action during halftime, Madden NFL Arcade provides an all-new way to experience the Madden NFL franchise, featuring a unique art style and fast-paced gameplay. Madden NFL Arcade is available on the PlayStation Store and Xbox LIVE for $14.99 and 1200 MS points respectively.
Madden NFL Arcade takes everything you love about your favorite NFL stars and stadiums and brings them to life in a fun, high-scoring gridiron battle. Featuring all 32 NFL teams and stadiums, including the top five offensive and defensive stars from each team, with all-new arcade style animations, every play looks like a highlight reel. From linemen to wide receivers, each player is 100% authentic to the NFL and injected with over-the-top personality unique to Madden NFL Arcade.
Catch your opponent off-guard with 13 unique Game Changers to break the game wide open in a single play. Freeze one of your opponent’s players, add extra lineman to sack the QB, turn off your opponent’s passing icons, and more. With action-packed Game Changers, no two plays are ever the same.
Madden NFL Arcade is the perfect video game for game day, allowing up to four cooperative players on a single console. You can also take on the world online in head-to-head matches and track your performance via interactive leaderboards. To commemorate your gridiron success, Madden NFL Arcade also provides a host of achievements and trophies to boost your gamer score.
Madden NFL Arcade is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and EA SPORTS™ MMA.
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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - November 25, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL Arcade is now available for download on the PlayStation® Store, and Xbox LIVE Arcade. Perfect for pick-up-and-play action during halftime, Madden NFL Arcade provides an all-new way to experience the Madden NFL franchise, featuring a unique art style and fast-paced gameplay. Madden NFL Arcade is available on the PlayStation Store and Xbox LIVE for $14.99 and 1200 MS points respectively.
Madden NFL Arcade takes everything you love about your favorite NFL stars and stadiums and brings them to life in a fun, high-scoring gridiron battle. Featuring all 32 NFL teams and stadiums, including the top five offensive and defensive stars from each team, with all-new arcade style animations, every play looks like a highlight reel. From linemen to wide receivers, each player is 100% authentic to the NFL and injected with over-the-top personality unique to Madden NFL Arcade.
Catch your opponent off-guard with 13 unique Game Changers to break the game wide open in a single play. Freeze one of your opponent’s players, add extra lineman to sack the QB, turn off your opponent’s passing icons, and more. With action-packed Game Changers, no two plays are ever the same.
Madden NFL Arcade is the perfect video game for game day, allowing up to four cooperative players on a single console. You can also take on the world online in head-to-head matches and track your performance via interactive leaderboards. To commemorate your gridiron success, Madden NFL Arcade also provides a host of achievements and trophies to boost your gamer score.
Madden NFL Arcade is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and EA SPORTS™ MMA.
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Monday, November 30, 2009
EA Formally Announces Mercs Inc.
Bitmob.com reported yesterday that developer Pandemic was in development on a new Mercenaries title prior to mass layoffs at the developer last week, including an early trailer for the game. Reportedly titled Mercs Inc, it appeared to place an emphasis on co-operative and adversarial multiplayer gameplay involving the vehicles that have long been a staple of the series. After positive responses to the footage spread across the internet last night, EA has made an official announcement for the game, confirming the Mercs Inc title. The announcement lends credence to EA’s claim that despite the “closure” of Pandemic as an independent studio, key figures from the team have been retained and will continue work on Pandemic IP at EALA in Southern California.
While no platforms have been announced for Mercs Inc, it can be assumed that it will be aimed at HD platforms given EA’s poor sales performance on the Wii this year (despite positive critical responses for those titles in the games press) and their recently announced intention to refocus on more profitable ventures. The press release for the Mercs Inc. announcement can be found below.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pandemic™ Studios, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that an all-new game in the studio’s popular Mercenaries™ franchise is in early stages of development at EALA. ‘Mercs Inc’ (working title) is the latest entry in the action series first made popular by Mercenaries in 2005 and most recently by Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™. Mercs Inc will be the first Pandemic game to be developed by the studio at its new home in Playa Vista. Mercs Inc will also be the first Pandemic game released after the launch this December 8th of the award-winning World War II action-sandbox game, The Saboteur™.
“We are very excited to announce a new instalment in the popular Mercenaries series because it demonstrates our continued commitment to Pandemic’s rich catalogue of intellectual properties,” said Nick Earl, Senior VP and Group General Manager at EA. “From the studio at EALA, a core creative team is forging new ground and conceptualizing new ideas for this exciting franchise.”
The most imminent release from Pandemic Studios is the action sandbox game, The Saboteur which ships on December 8, 2009. The Saboteur stars Sean Devlin; a street-tough Irish race car driver trapped behind enemy lines in 1940s Nazi-occupied France. Motivated by revenge, Sean fights, climbs, and races through open-world Paris, sneaking into the heart of the Nazi operations and sabotaging their every move. The Saboteur will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox360® video game and entertainment system, and the PC. The Saboteur has been rated M by the ESRB with the following as descriptors: blood, intense violence, nudity, sexual themes, strong language. More information about The Saboteur, can be found at http://www.thesaboteurgame.com. Platform(s) and ship date for Mercs Inc not announced. This game is not yet rated by the ESRB.
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While no platforms have been announced for Mercs Inc, it can be assumed that it will be aimed at HD platforms given EA’s poor sales performance on the Wii this year (despite positive critical responses for those titles in the games press) and their recently announced intention to refocus on more profitable ventures. The press release for the Mercs Inc. announcement can be found below.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pandemic™ Studios, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that an all-new game in the studio’s popular Mercenaries™ franchise is in early stages of development at EALA. ‘Mercs Inc’ (working title) is the latest entry in the action series first made popular by Mercenaries in 2005 and most recently by Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™. Mercs Inc will be the first Pandemic game to be developed by the studio at its new home in Playa Vista. Mercs Inc will also be the first Pandemic game released after the launch this December 8th of the award-winning World War II action-sandbox game, The Saboteur™.
“We are very excited to announce a new instalment in the popular Mercenaries series because it demonstrates our continued commitment to Pandemic’s rich catalogue of intellectual properties,” said Nick Earl, Senior VP and Group General Manager at EA. “From the studio at EALA, a core creative team is forging new ground and conceptualizing new ideas for this exciting franchise.”
The most imminent release from Pandemic Studios is the action sandbox game, The Saboteur which ships on December 8, 2009. The Saboteur stars Sean Devlin; a street-tough Irish race car driver trapped behind enemy lines in 1940s Nazi-occupied France. Motivated by revenge, Sean fights, climbs, and races through open-world Paris, sneaking into the heart of the Nazi operations and sabotaging their every move. The Saboteur will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox360® video game and entertainment system, and the PC. The Saboteur has been rated M by the ESRB with the following as descriptors: blood, intense violence, nudity, sexual themes, strong language. More information about The Saboteur, can be found at http://www.thesaboteurgame.com. Platform(s) and ship date for Mercs Inc not announced. This game is not yet rated by the ESRB.
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Section 8 Update
November 23, 2009 – Houston, TX - SouthPeak and TimeGate Studios’ Section 8™ on Xbox 360 received an update today to address player feedback from the first month of play. Based on responses from players, TimeGate has improved everything from the automatch system to how the tank controls work. Section 8’s massive multiplayer battles are now even more intense and more rewarding than before.
Some of the improvements players will find include:
Tank controls have been tuned, making them more intuitive and responsiveThe improved automatch system offers enhanced responsiveness when searching for a server Bot AI has been improved. Bots will now follow and defend allies and will pursue retreating targets more aggressivelyAn improved stat tracking framework
The update is available now for Xbox 360 and also Games for Windows LIVE. For more info on the game and a full list of what the update offers please visit www.JoinSection8.com.
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Some of the improvements players will find include:
Tank controls have been tuned, making them more intuitive and responsiveThe improved automatch system offers enhanced responsiveness when searching for a server Bot AI has been improved. Bots will now follow and defend allies and will pursue retreating targets more aggressivelyAn improved stat tracking framework
The update is available now for Xbox 360 and also Games for Windows LIVE. For more info on the game and a full list of what the update offers please visit www.JoinSection8.com.
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Saturday, November 28, 2009
Supreme Commander 2 Gets A Release Date
LOS ANGELES (November 19, 2009) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that SUPREME COMMANDER® 2, created by critically-acclaimed developer Gas Powered Games, will be available on PC-DVD March 2, 2010 and on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on March 16, 2010.
SUPREME COMMANDER 2 is the next installment in the award-winning SUPREME COMMANDER franchise, set 25 years further into the future. Featuring numerous game enhancements, an in-depth campaign mode, online multiplayer and a unique storyline, the game represents a new dimension in RTS gaming.
Boasting intense battles on a massive scale, players will wage war, creating enormous customizable armies and experimental war machines that can change the balance of power at any given moment. Assume the role of one of the three enigmatic commanders, each representing a unique faction with a rich story that brings a new level of emotional connection to the RTS genre.
"The partnership with Square Enix has been a highlight of my career," said Chris Taylor, Founder and Creative Director of Gas Powered Games. "I couldn’t be more proud of what the team has accomplished, as the game has continually exceeded all of my expectations throughout its development."
“Supreme Commander 2 is a shining example of our strategic partnership with Gas Powered Games,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “Square Enix's expertise in character development and storytelling, combined with the real-time strategy experience of the creative talent at Gas Powered Games, promises to deliver a feature-rich product that we hope gamers from around the globe will enjoy.”
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SUPREME COMMANDER 2 is the next installment in the award-winning SUPREME COMMANDER franchise, set 25 years further into the future. Featuring numerous game enhancements, an in-depth campaign mode, online multiplayer and a unique storyline, the game represents a new dimension in RTS gaming.
Boasting intense battles on a massive scale, players will wage war, creating enormous customizable armies and experimental war machines that can change the balance of power at any given moment. Assume the role of one of the three enigmatic commanders, each representing a unique faction with a rich story that brings a new level of emotional connection to the RTS genre.
"The partnership with Square Enix has been a highlight of my career," said Chris Taylor, Founder and Creative Director of Gas Powered Games. "I couldn’t be more proud of what the team has accomplished, as the game has continually exceeded all of my expectations throughout its development."
“Supreme Commander 2 is a shining example of our strategic partnership with Gas Powered Games,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “Square Enix's expertise in character development and storytelling, combined with the real-time strategy experience of the creative talent at Gas Powered Games, promises to deliver a feature-rich product that we hope gamers from around the globe will enjoy.”
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Assassin's Creed II Sells 1.6 Million Copies In First Week
You can read our review of Assassin's Creed IIhere.
SAN FRANCISCO, November 24, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced record first week sales performance for its Assassin's Creed(TM) II video game with 1.6 million units sold through worldwide according to internal estimates. This represents 32 percent growth over the first week sales of Assassin's Creed. Launched in November 2007, Assassin's Creed remains the fastest selling new video game intellectual property ever in the U.S.
Assassin's Creed II has received an overwhelmingly positive reception from gamers around the world and from the video game trade press with an average user rating of 94 percent on Gamespot.com and an over 91 percent average critics score according to GameRankings.com.
Assassin's Creed II invites players to become Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who's been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy. Ezio's subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new game play elements, diverse weapons, incredible depth and lasting appeal and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin's Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.
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SAN FRANCISCO, November 24, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced record first week sales performance for its Assassin's Creed(TM) II video game with 1.6 million units sold through worldwide according to internal estimates. This represents 32 percent growth over the first week sales of Assassin's Creed. Launched in November 2007, Assassin's Creed remains the fastest selling new video game intellectual property ever in the U.S.
Assassin's Creed II has received an overwhelmingly positive reception from gamers around the world and from the video game trade press with an average user rating of 94 percent on Gamespot.com and an over 91 percent average critics score according to GameRankings.com.
Assassin's Creed II invites players to become Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who's been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy. Ezio's subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new game play elements, diverse weapons, incredible depth and lasting appeal and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin's Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.
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Friday, November 27, 2009
Undead Labs Planning Zombie MMO for Xbox 360
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When flesh-eating, shambling undead corpses invade Seattle, Undead Labs will probably be the ones responsible. Video game industry veteran Jeff Strain today announced the formation of Undead Labs, a Seattle, Washington-based game development studio that's on a mission to take online gaming in bold new directions. Undead Labs’ sole focus will be to create the definitive massively multiplayer online zombie game (MMOZ) for console gamers. Nothing screams funny quite like wading into a group of rotting zombies with a lawn chair and a box of sharpened #2 pencils, and nothing says fun quite like doing it with your friends, whether online or on your couch. Undead Labs is committed to bringing to life an MMO loaded with action, humor and, of course, a whole lotta zombies, because the world doesn’t need more dragons.Strain left NCsoft last summer to build a creative studio around the most talented – and zombie loving – developers in the industry, and to pioneer a new development model that will create a new breed of MMO built from the ground-up for console gamers.
“Every time I see a good zombie movie with friends, we spend days debating our strategies for surviving the zombie apocalypse,” said Strain. “The police station, or the supermarket? Garden rake, or staple gun? Bach, or the White Stripes? I’m a game developer, so I’d probably be useless for anything other than ghoul bait, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to build an MMOZ that lets us put those strategies to the test and find out for sure.”
Strain’s experience and expertise as a game developer and business leader helped spawn the game industry’s most successful and influential MMOs. In the mid-nineties while Strain was at Blizzard Entertainment, he was a programmer for StarCraft and Diablo and created the StarCraft campaign editor. In 1999 Strain formed the initial team and kicked off development on the wildly successful MMO World of Warcraft while taking on the roles of team lead and lead programmer on the project.
In April 2000 Strain founded ArenaNet with fellow Blizzard leads Mike O’Brien and Patrick Wyatt. He served as programmer and executive producer for the popular MMO franchise Guild Wars, which has sold more than six million units. Korean MMO publisher NCsoft acquired ArenaNet in 2002, and in 2008 Strain was promoted to president of product development for the company’s Western operations, where he spent a year wearing button-down shirts and dark socks before returning to his development roots with the formation of Undead Labs.
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“Every time I see a good zombie movie with friends, we spend days debating our strategies for surviving the zombie apocalypse,” said Strain. “The police station, or the supermarket? Garden rake, or staple gun? Bach, or the White Stripes? I’m a game developer, so I’d probably be useless for anything other than ghoul bait, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to build an MMOZ that lets us put those strategies to the test and find out for sure.”
Strain’s experience and expertise as a game developer and business leader helped spawn the game industry’s most successful and influential MMOs. In the mid-nineties while Strain was at Blizzard Entertainment, he was a programmer for StarCraft and Diablo and created the StarCraft campaign editor. In 1999 Strain formed the initial team and kicked off development on the wildly successful MMO World of Warcraft while taking on the roles of team lead and lead programmer on the project.
In April 2000 Strain founded ArenaNet with fellow Blizzard leads Mike O’Brien and Patrick Wyatt. He served as programmer and executive producer for the popular MMO franchise Guild Wars, which has sold more than six million units. Korean MMO publisher NCsoft acquired ArenaNet in 2002, and in 2008 Strain was promoted to president of product development for the company’s Western operations, where he spent a year wearing button-down shirts and dark socks before returning to his development roots with the formation of Undead Labs.
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2K Makes Collectors Edition of BioShock 2 Official
2K Marin debuted the Collector's Edition of BioShock 2 on its Cult of Rapture community site this morning; Priced at $99.99 USD, it covers the standard collector's edition bases, including an art book, soundtrack CD, and other bits. The real attraction might be for more obsessive fans of the original Bioshock, as the CE also includes an LP containing the orchestral score for its predecessor. Per the Cult of Rapture:
The Special Edition will come in 13"x13” premium packaging with special art on both the slipcase and the box cover. Inside, you will find three posters featuring vintage ads from Rapture (rolled), a vinyl 180g LP featuring the orchestral score from the original BioShock, a CD containing the BioShock 2 orchestral score, a 164 page 8"x11" hardbound artbook chock full of developer commentary and, of course, a copy of BioShock 2. The Collector's Edition releases on February 9th, 2010, along with the standard version of the game.
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The Special Edition will come in 13"x13” premium packaging with special art on both the slipcase and the box cover. Inside, you will find three posters featuring vintage ads from Rapture (rolled), a vinyl 180g LP featuring the orchestral score from the original BioShock, a CD containing the BioShock 2 orchestral score, a 164 page 8"x11" hardbound artbook chock full of developer commentary and, of course, a copy of BioShock 2. The Collector's Edition releases on February 9th, 2010, along with the standard version of the game.
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
Nirvana, Night Ranger Hit Rock Band Next Week
Cambridge, Mass. – Nov. 25, 2009 - Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of songs from Nirvana as well as a three pack of songs from Night Ranger will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.
Rock Band is delivering more Nirvana tracks next week, including the rock anthem, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” from the band’s best-selling 1991 album, Nevermind. “Nirvana Pack 02” also includes two live recordings – “Come As You Are,” from the band’s legendary MTV Unplugged performance, and “Lithium,” from the 1992 Reading Festival. The Live at Reading CD/DVD is also available for purchase in stores. Fans can also download “About a Girl,” “Blew” and “School,” from Bleach, already available in the Rock Band Music Store. Nirvana released their debut album, Bleach, in 1989 on Sub Pop Records, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this platinum-selling album, Sub Pop released a special edition of the album, in stores now, featuring a complete and previously unreleased live concert recorded in 1990 in Portland, Oregon.
San Francisco-formed hard rockers Night Ranger debuts in the Rock Band universe next week with a three pack of songs that includes “(You Can Still) Rock in America” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” both of which were re-recorded for Rock Band, and “You’re Gonna Hear It From Me,” from 2008’s Hole in the Sun. Night Ranger has sold more than 16 million albums worldwide and is still touring after almost 30 years. “Night Ranger Pack 01” will be available in both the Rock Band Music Store and the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.
Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Dec. 1) and PlayStation 3 system (Dec. 3):
Nirvana – “Come As You Are (Live from MTV Unplugged)” +Nirvana – “Lithium (Live at Reading)”Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”Night Ranger – “(You Can Still) Rock in America” +Night Ranger – “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” +Night Ranger – “You’re Gonna Hear It From Me” +(All tracks are original master recordings)
These tracks will be available for purchase as “Night Ranger Pack 01” or “Nirvana Pack 02” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks on Wii. Tracks marked with a “+” are also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.
Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track$5.49, £3.99 UK, €2.49 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Night Ranger Pack 01” or “Nirvana Pack 02”$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **
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Rock Band is delivering more Nirvana tracks next week, including the rock anthem, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” from the band’s best-selling 1991 album, Nevermind. “Nirvana Pack 02” also includes two live recordings – “Come As You Are,” from the band’s legendary MTV Unplugged performance, and “Lithium,” from the 1992 Reading Festival. The Live at Reading CD/DVD is also available for purchase in stores. Fans can also download “About a Girl,” “Blew” and “School,” from Bleach, already available in the Rock Band Music Store. Nirvana released their debut album, Bleach, in 1989 on Sub Pop Records, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this platinum-selling album, Sub Pop released a special edition of the album, in stores now, featuring a complete and previously unreleased live concert recorded in 1990 in Portland, Oregon.
San Francisco-formed hard rockers Night Ranger debuts in the Rock Band universe next week with a three pack of songs that includes “(You Can Still) Rock in America” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” both of which were re-recorded for Rock Band, and “You’re Gonna Hear It From Me,” from 2008’s Hole in the Sun. Night Ranger has sold more than 16 million albums worldwide and is still touring after almost 30 years. “Night Ranger Pack 01” will be available in both the Rock Band Music Store and the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.
Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Dec. 1) and PlayStation 3 system (Dec. 3):
Nirvana – “Come As You Are (Live from MTV Unplugged)” +Nirvana – “Lithium (Live at Reading)”Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”Night Ranger – “(You Can Still) Rock in America” +Night Ranger – “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” +Night Ranger – “You’re Gonna Hear It From Me” +(All tracks are original master recordings)
These tracks will be available for purchase as “Night Ranger Pack 01” or “Nirvana Pack 02” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks on Wii. Tracks marked with a “+” are also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.
Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track$5.49, £3.99 UK, €2.49 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Night Ranger Pack 01” or “Nirvana Pack 02”$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **
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Global Xbox LIVE Momentum Signals Exciting Holiday Ahead
It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday are fast approaching. As we count down to the busiest retail shopping day of the year and the official kick-off to the holiday season, we wanted to give you our “list” of the things shoppers and retailers can be thankful for this holiday!
We’re Thankful for An Amazing Year
Our momentum shows no signs of slowing this holiday. We’re hoping consumers will be thankful for additional savings this Black Friday weekend, when retail partners offer unbeatable deals, enticing consumers to stores in droves to get the latest from Xbox 360.
We’re Thankful for Our Xbox LIVE Community of more than 20 Million Active Members Last week, Xbox LIVE launched an incredible new update to the service, providing Gold members with access to the best in movies, music and social experiences – Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm,* and in instant on HD in 1080p from Zune. During the holidays, everyone wants to stay connected to friends and family more than ever. When travel isn’t always possible, Xbox LIVE helps keep families and traditions together.
Facebook & Twitter + Xbox LIVE = New Social Connections. In less than a week, nearly two million people logged into their Facebook accounts through Xbox LIVE to view photos, make status updates and check in on friends and family. Twitter was also abuzz with the Xbox LIVE community posting tweets from around the globe.
Music options, amplified. Looking for the latest holiday tunes? Join the almost one million Xbox LIVE members who've created new Last.fm profiles and are now streaming the world's leading personalized music service on Xbox 360. On average, members are spending approximately 40 minutes using Last.fm on Xbox LIVE to discover music and customize radio stations and have streamed more than 120 million minutes of music.
Your favorite holiday moments, in 1080p. Is your family tradition watching Holiday classic movies? In less than a week, 1.7 million Xbox LIVE members visited Zune video on Xbox LIVE. And with Xbox LIVE movie party, you can continue the fun with family who couldn’t make the trip over the river and through the woods. Sit together in a virtual theatre and enjoy favorites like Elf from Zune on Xbox 360.
We’re Thankful for the Best Gaming Experiences
Xbox 360 delivers breakthrough gaming experiences that can’t be found anywhere else.
Xbox 360 features the best exclusive games and something for everyone’s gift list, including critically acclaimed Forza Motorsport 3, Lips: Number One Hits, Halo 3: ODST and Left 4 Dead 2.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is breaking records and becoming one of the most successful games of all time. More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10th - a new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.
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It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday are fast approaching. As we count down to the busiest retail shopping day of the year and the official kick-off to the holiday season, we wanted to give you our “list” of the things shoppers and retailers can be thankful for this holiday!
We’re Thankful for An Amazing Year
Our momentum shows no signs of slowing this holiday. We’re hoping consumers will be thankful for additional savings this Black Friday weekend, when retail partners offer unbeatable deals, enticing consumers to stores in droves to get the latest from Xbox 360.
We’re Thankful for Our Xbox LIVE Community of more than 20 Million Active Members Last week, Xbox LIVE launched an incredible new update to the service, providing Gold members with access to the best in movies, music and social experiences – Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm,* and in instant on HD in 1080p from Zune. During the holidays, everyone wants to stay connected to friends and family more than ever. When travel isn’t always possible, Xbox LIVE helps keep families and traditions together.
Facebook & Twitter + Xbox LIVE = New Social Connections. In less than a week, nearly two million people logged into their Facebook accounts through Xbox LIVE to view photos, make status updates and check in on friends and family. Twitter was also abuzz with the Xbox LIVE community posting tweets from around the globe.
Music options, amplified. Looking for the latest holiday tunes? Join the almost one million Xbox LIVE members who've created new Last.fm profiles and are now streaming the world's leading personalized music service on Xbox 360. On average, members are spending approximately 40 minutes using Last.fm on Xbox LIVE to discover music and customize radio stations and have streamed more than 120 million minutes of music.
Your favorite holiday moments, in 1080p. Is your family tradition watching Holiday classic movies? In less than a week, 1.7 million Xbox LIVE members visited Zune video on Xbox LIVE. And with Xbox LIVE movie party, you can continue the fun with family who couldn’t make the trip over the river and through the woods. Sit together in a virtual theatre and enjoy favorites like Elf from Zune on Xbox 360.
We’re Thankful for the Best Gaming Experiences
Xbox 360 delivers breakthrough gaming experiences that can’t be found anywhere else.
Xbox 360 features the best exclusive games and something for everyone’s gift list, including critically acclaimed Forza Motorsport 3, Lips: Number One Hits, Halo 3: ODST and Left 4 Dead 2.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is breaking records and becoming one of the most successful games of all time. More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10th - a new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.
LaToya Jackson Is ‘Not Ready’ To See Michael’s ‘This Is It’0D Beat Drop Arrives on Xbox Live Arcade
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Halo Reach to Debut at 2009 Spike VGAs
Further cementing Twitter as another avenue for gaming news, GametrailersTV host Geoff Keighley let slip this morning that Halo: Reach, Bungie's supposedly final chapter, will be debuting at this year's Spike VGAs. While Keighley didn't let any additional info slip beyond that tidbit, it's likely that this will be something a bit more meaty than another teaser trailer, if last year's God of War III debut is any indication. Hopefully we'll get a little more information or allusion to some of the speculation that arose from the recently leaked photos of a pre-alpha version of the game, which included indications of a squad mechanic and the possible inclusion of perk-like power-ups.
TeamXbox Welcomes News and Features Editor Arthur GiesKanye West ‘Just Went For It’ In ‘We Were Once A Fairytale,’ Spike Jonze Says
TeamXbox Welcomes News and Features Editor Arthur GiesKanye West ‘Just Went For It’ In ‘We Were Once A Fairytale,’ Spike Jonze Says
Datel Sues Over Disabled Xbox 360 Memory Devices
The most recent Xbox 360 update brought more than Twitter and Facebook support to the system; it also disabled third party memory devices such as Datel’s Max Memory cards, which allowed the use of SDHC cards of up to 16GB to store game saves. Skeptical gamers viewed it as a money grab by Microsoft, forcing gamers to pay for much more expensive first party storage devices. Datel initially expressed disappointment at the move, claiming it was “(unhappy) to see that Microsoft are taking these steps to prevent customers from exercising their freedom of choice,” but they have since escalated their response, filing suit against Microsoft, claiming that the update was an “anti-competitive downgrade”. Per their legal representation’s official announcement of the lawsuit:
“For many years, Datel has brought to the public products that offer more capacity, extra functionality or other game enhancing features with the aim of offering a reasonably priced alternative to first-party accessories,” said Datel founder Mike Connors. “The Max Memory card plugs into the Xbox 360 and allows a user to store games, characters, and similar information. It permits a player to transport game information between Xbox systems. The Microsoft memory card does exactly the same thing—with the difference that it offers only one-quarter the memory while listing for the same retail price. Datel engineered the Max Memory card to be 100% compatible and over 50,000 Max Memory cards have been sold without a single report of harm to the Xbox console.”
However, it should be pointed out that this is not the first time Datel’s products have met with resistance from console manufacturers. Datel has a history of releasing products whose uses were of questionable legality; earlier this year Joystiq revealed that Datel was in midst of the litigation process with Sony over their never released “Lite Blue Tool”, which Sony insisted was created primarily as a means to facilitate hacking of the PSP-3000. Nintendo has also taken action against Datel’s products in the past, putting out firmware updates designed to disable Datel’s Freeloader, which allowed gamers to circumvent region locks on the console. Their Xport utility for “backing up” Xbox 360 hard drives is also commonly made available on warez sites that provide instructions for modding consoles to allow piracy. This is the first example TeamXbox can find of Datel filing suit in response to action taken against it by a console manufacturer. Microsoft did not reply to requests for comment by the time this story was published.
Robert Pattinson Brings His Whole Family To ‘Ellen’Famitsu No More Heroes on Xbox 360 in 2010
“For many years, Datel has brought to the public products that offer more capacity, extra functionality or other game enhancing features with the aim of offering a reasonably priced alternative to first-party accessories,” said Datel founder Mike Connors. “The Max Memory card plugs into the Xbox 360 and allows a user to store games, characters, and similar information. It permits a player to transport game information between Xbox systems. The Microsoft memory card does exactly the same thing—with the difference that it offers only one-quarter the memory while listing for the same retail price. Datel engineered the Max Memory card to be 100% compatible and over 50,000 Max Memory cards have been sold without a single report of harm to the Xbox console.”
However, it should be pointed out that this is not the first time Datel’s products have met with resistance from console manufacturers. Datel has a history of releasing products whose uses were of questionable legality; earlier this year Joystiq revealed that Datel was in midst of the litigation process with Sony over their never released “Lite Blue Tool”, which Sony insisted was created primarily as a means to facilitate hacking of the PSP-3000. Nintendo has also taken action against Datel’s products in the past, putting out firmware updates designed to disable Datel’s Freeloader, which allowed gamers to circumvent region locks on the console. Their Xport utility for “backing up” Xbox 360 hard drives is also commonly made available on warez sites that provide instructions for modding consoles to allow piracy. This is the first example TeamXbox can find of Datel filing suit in response to action taken against it by a console manufacturer. Microsoft did not reply to requests for comment by the time this story was published.
Robert Pattinson Brings His Whole Family To ‘Ellen’Famitsu No More Heroes on Xbox 360 in 2010
Monday, November 23, 2009
TeamXbox Welcomes News and Features Editor Arthur Gies
Since my name has popped up on the Assassin’s Creed II review, I suppose I should make a proper introduction. My name’s Arthur Gies, and I’m your new News and Features editor here at TeamXbox. I won’t drone on and on about myself here, since I’d much rather start posting news content for you guys, but I look forward to providing you all with a steady stream of content in the coming months.
Previous to starting here, I was a freelancer doing games media work and hardware reviews for outlets including 1up and PCWorld, as well as TeamXbox sister site GameSpy. I also co-host a weekly gaming podcast known as RebelFM. I own all of the current crop of consoles as well as a gaming PC, but I spend most of my gaming time on the Xbox 360. I recently wrapped up Assassin’s Creed II (as the review will tell you, and yes, it really is that good), and I’ve got Left 4 Dead 2 patiently waiting for me to get home tonight, and while I’m pretty ambivalent about the campaign in Modern Warfare 2 , I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to some multiplayer later this week. Anyhow! Be sure to comment on the news in the coming months so we know what you think, and feel free to add myself and the TeamXbox Twitter account at twitter.com/aegies and twitter.com/teamxbox respectively.
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Previous to starting here, I was a freelancer doing games media work and hardware reviews for outlets including 1up and PCWorld, as well as TeamXbox sister site GameSpy. I also co-host a weekly gaming podcast known as RebelFM. I own all of the current crop of consoles as well as a gaming PC, but I spend most of my gaming time on the Xbox 360. I recently wrapped up Assassin’s Creed II (as the review will tell you, and yes, it really is that good), and I’ve got Left 4 Dead 2 patiently waiting for me to get home tonight, and while I’m pretty ambivalent about the campaign in Modern Warfare 2 , I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to some multiplayer later this week. Anyhow! Be sure to comment on the news in the coming months so we know what you think, and feel free to add myself and the TeamXbox Twitter account at twitter.com/aegies and twitter.com/teamxbox respectively.
0D Beat Drop Arrives on Xbox Live ArcadeRobert Pattinson Recalls The Frenzy Over His Taxi Accident
Ubisoft We Won't Publish The No More Heroes Remake
While it has been confirmed that Grasshopper Manufacture is porting their Wii action title No More Heroes to the HD consoles for a 2010 release date in Japan, western gamers have a more nebulous wait ahead of them. The Feed's Patrick Klepek reported earlier today that original No More Heroes publisher Ubisoft would not be making a repeat performance for the title's 360 and PS3 HD re-release, No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise.
While this doesn't mean NMH:HP will skip retail in North America, it does raise the question as to why precisely Ubisoft has turned down the rights to publish the title here in the States. Unfortunately, Ubisoft failed to offer reasons why they passed on publishing rights. However, I contacted Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter for his take on the situation. He stipulated that for Ubisoft, it's all about the bottom line. He offered the following:
They won’t publish games on consoles if they don’t think that they can earn a return on their investment. It’s pretty clear that NMH performed poorly on the Wii last go around, notwithstanding a pretty good review. I think that the company probably assessed the potential for the game on PS3 and 360, and concluded that it would not sell enough units to justify the production cost and marketing budget (likely 500,000 units on each console to get close to break even).
EEDAR analyst Jesse Divinich echoed Pachter's sentiments, citing the typically underwhelming performance of console ports and re-releases. He went on to describe what he feels is the primary hurdle facing an HD remake of a game designed for Nintendo's motion-based platform:
What made No More Heroes entertaining was its ability to introduce mature rated content in a core genre on the Nintendo Wii, while at the same time taking advantage of the Wii’s unique motion controls. Half of the fun of No More Heroes can only be experienced on the Wii... I don’t see how an Xbox 360 or PS3 version could be more entertaining.
While No More Heroes did receive a positive critical response, much of the praise it received related directly to the physicality of swinging the remote for the Beam Katana in the game. Lacking that, it's possible that Ubisoft saw the game as a harder sell to critics and audiences. While Ubisoft remains the publisher of NMH's sequel, Desperate Struggle, they may see a chance to capitalize on the existing fanbase for the title without worrying about awareness among HD gamers for the misadventures of Travis Touchdown.
Now, the question is which publisher will be willing to take that risk on a multiplatform re-release of a game that didn't sell especially well to begin with.
Famitsu No More Heroes on Xbox 360 in 2010‘New Moon’ Director May Distribute ‘Orientation Guide’ For Free
While this doesn't mean NMH:HP will skip retail in North America, it does raise the question as to why precisely Ubisoft has turned down the rights to publish the title here in the States. Unfortunately, Ubisoft failed to offer reasons why they passed on publishing rights. However, I contacted Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter for his take on the situation. He stipulated that for Ubisoft, it's all about the bottom line. He offered the following:
They won’t publish games on consoles if they don’t think that they can earn a return on their investment. It’s pretty clear that NMH performed poorly on the Wii last go around, notwithstanding a pretty good review. I think that the company probably assessed the potential for the game on PS3 and 360, and concluded that it would not sell enough units to justify the production cost and marketing budget (likely 500,000 units on each console to get close to break even).
EEDAR analyst Jesse Divinich echoed Pachter's sentiments, citing the typically underwhelming performance of console ports and re-releases. He went on to describe what he feels is the primary hurdle facing an HD remake of a game designed for Nintendo's motion-based platform:
What made No More Heroes entertaining was its ability to introduce mature rated content in a core genre on the Nintendo Wii, while at the same time taking advantage of the Wii’s unique motion controls. Half of the fun of No More Heroes can only be experienced on the Wii... I don’t see how an Xbox 360 or PS3 version could be more entertaining.
While No More Heroes did receive a positive critical response, much of the praise it received related directly to the physicality of swinging the remote for the Beam Katana in the game. Lacking that, it's possible that Ubisoft saw the game as a harder sell to critics and audiences. While Ubisoft remains the publisher of NMH's sequel, Desperate Struggle, they may see a chance to capitalize on the existing fanbase for the title without worrying about awareness among HD gamers for the misadventures of Travis Touchdown.
Now, the question is which publisher will be willing to take that risk on a multiplatform re-release of a game that didn't sell especially well to begin with.
Famitsu No More Heroes on Xbox 360 in 2010‘New Moon’ Director May Distribute ‘Orientation Guide’ For Free
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Need For Speed Shift DLC Adds Modes and Cars
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – November 20, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced an all-new Team Racing pack for the critically-acclaimed Need for Speed SHIFT™. The content pack takes online racing to the next level with an action-packed new race mode and five renowned racing cars - all for free (Need for Speed SHIFT and Xbox LIVE® or PlayStation®Network account required). The Team Racing pack is the first downloadable content for Need for Speed SHIFT and will be available worldwide on December 1st on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system. The pack will be released for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on December 3rd in Europe and on December 10th in North America.
The Team Racing mode brings a fresh new challenge to SHIFT by completely redefining online racing. In this mode, two teams of up to six racers will battle against each other for online supremacy. Individual driving strategy and playing it safe won’t work as team tactics and 200 mph split-second decisions are required to push your team to the podium.
As part of the new content, players will also get access to these legendary racers:
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 4271967 Shelby GT-5001969 Dodge Charger R/T1971 Dodge Challenger R/T1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV
The Team Racing content pack is custom-made for Need for Speed SHIFT, a spectacular racing game originally released in September 2009. The game introduces a brutal first-person crash dynamic and a signature cockpit view that delivers a true driver’s experience. The game further personalizes the experience through the all-new driver profile -- a unique persona based on the driving skill and style of each player. With a perfect ‘10’ score from GameSpy.com and G4TV.com, and 90+ scores from IGN.com, Official Xbox Magazine, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Team Xbox.com, Game Daily.com, Gametrailers.com and more, Need for Speed SHIFT is the highest rated Need for Speed game in years.
‘New Moon’ Fans Appreciate Taylor Lautner’s New PhysiqueBioWare Announces New Dragon Age DLC
The Team Racing mode brings a fresh new challenge to SHIFT by completely redefining online racing. In this mode, two teams of up to six racers will battle against each other for online supremacy. Individual driving strategy and playing it safe won’t work as team tactics and 200 mph split-second decisions are required to push your team to the podium.
As part of the new content, players will also get access to these legendary racers:
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 4271967 Shelby GT-5001969 Dodge Charger R/T1971 Dodge Challenger R/T1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV
The Team Racing content pack is custom-made for Need for Speed SHIFT, a spectacular racing game originally released in September 2009. The game introduces a brutal first-person crash dynamic and a signature cockpit view that delivers a true driver’s experience. The game further personalizes the experience through the all-new driver profile -- a unique persona based on the driving skill and style of each player. With a perfect ‘10’ score from GameSpy.com and G4TV.com, and 90+ scores from IGN.com, Official Xbox Magazine, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Team Xbox.com, Game Daily.com, Gametrailers.com and more, Need for Speed SHIFT is the highest rated Need for Speed game in years.
‘New Moon’ Fans Appreciate Taylor Lautner’s New PhysiqueBioWare Announces New Dragon Age DLC
Famitsu No More Heroes on Xbox 360 in 2010
As reported last year, quirky Wii action title No More Heroes started life as an Xbox 360 title before it was relocated to Nintendo's system. As Grasshopper Manufacture Founder Goichi Suda told MCV:“Originally, I’d wanted to make this game for Xbox 360, actually. [Marvelous Interactive boss] Wada-san had information about the new Wii and how the new controller would work before it came out, so that’s why he thought I should produce the game on that format.While Wii owners will see the sequel to the original game early next year, Japanese game magizine Famitsu has confirmed that Grasshopper Manufacture is porting the game to Xbox 360 and PS3 shortly thereafter (as translated and reported by Siliconera): This week’s issue of Famitsu lists No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360... chatter on Japanese message boards say the game will have new modes, Japanese voice acting (note: No More Heroes only had English voice acting in Japan), and will be in sold in stores for 5,040 yen ($56) on February 25, 2010. The overall reception to the game last year was pretty positive all things considered, though pickings on the Wii for great action titles are arguably slim. We'll see what 360 gamers have to say when the game releases on HD platforms next year.
‘The Boondock Saints II’: Sloppy Second, By Kurt LoderRocket Riot Scores Design Award
‘The Boondock Saints II’: Sloppy Second, By Kurt LoderRocket Riot Scores Design Award
Divinity II Ego Draconis Gets a US Release Date
After inadvertently posting a press release for Dvinity II yesterday thinking it pertained to the North American release date, we discovered that the information contained therein was for the game's imminent European launch. However, the PR department for the title was kind enough to provide us with US-specific information for the upcoming action-RPG sequel. The official US release date is January 5th, 2010, with an MSRP of $59.99. Apologies for the mix up!
‘New Moon’ Sets New Box-Office Record For Midnight ScreeningsProject Natal Coming November 2010 For Under $100?
‘New Moon’ Sets New Box-Office Record For Midnight ScreeningsProject Natal Coming November 2010 For Under $100?
BioWare Announces New Dragon Age DLC
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA – November 19, 2009 – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that the Return to Ostagar downloadable content (DLC) for Dragon Age™: Origins will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC versions this Holiday season in North America and Europe.
“We are very proud of the phenomenal launch of Dragon Age: Origins and we’re pleased to announce the next installment of downloadable content that will be available to fans of the game,” said Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager, RPG/MMO Group of EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The Return to Ostagar DLC pack is a prime example of BioWare’s commitment to give fans a game that continuously offers new experiences and further enriches a storyline that has already received critical acclaim and positive feedback from the players.”
Return to Ostagar, BioWare’s next thread in the Dragon Age: Origins tapestry, summons players to a new quest in which they will return to the fateful battleground in Ostagar where the Grey Wardens were nearly wiped out. Players will discover King Cailan’s top-secret political agenda and go behind enemy lines to revisit a place that many feared had been lost to history.
Return to Ostagar will be available for $4.99 on the PlayStation® Store, for 400 BioWare Points on the PC and 400 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 in North America. Return to Ostagar will be released this Holiday season worldwide on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation®3 console and PC.
‘New Moon’ Fans Appreciate Taylor Lautner’s New PhysiqueCapcom Announces Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
“We are very proud of the phenomenal launch of Dragon Age: Origins and we’re pleased to announce the next installment of downloadable content that will be available to fans of the game,” said Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager, RPG/MMO Group of EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The Return to Ostagar DLC pack is a prime example of BioWare’s commitment to give fans a game that continuously offers new experiences and further enriches a storyline that has already received critical acclaim and positive feedback from the players.”
Return to Ostagar, BioWare’s next thread in the Dragon Age: Origins tapestry, summons players to a new quest in which they will return to the fateful battleground in Ostagar where the Grey Wardens were nearly wiped out. Players will discover King Cailan’s top-secret political agenda and go behind enemy lines to revisit a place that many feared had been lost to history.
Return to Ostagar will be available for $4.99 on the PlayStation® Store, for 400 BioWare Points on the PC and 400 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 in North America. Return to Ostagar will be released this Holiday season worldwide on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation®3 console and PC.
‘New Moon’ Fans Appreciate Taylor Lautner’s New PhysiqueCapcom Announces Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Capcom Announces Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
We are pleased to confirm today that a variety of new content for the hugely successful RESIDENT EVIL 5, will be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 next year. We plan to release two new downloadable episodes, a host of new costumes, and a new “THE MERCENARIES REUNION” mode, featuring 8 new playable characters and weapon load outs.
For those RESIDENT EVIL fans who prefer a box copy, we are also happy to report that we will be releasing a RESIDENT EVIL 5: GOLD EDITION that will include the original game plus all additional content, making this the ultimate RESIDENT EVIL 5 experience. RESIDENT EVIL 5: GOLD EDITION will be available for $49.99 as a single Blu-ray disc for the PLAYSTATION 3 or as a DVD with a token for the downloadable content for XBOX 360.
Previously only seen during cut scenes of the original RESIDENT EVIL 5, the first new episode titled “LOST IN NIGHTMARES”, finds BSAA agent, Chris Redfield, working with his partner, Jill Valentine, as they investigate Ozwell E. Spencer’s hideaway. Spencer, the evil mastermind and co-founder of Umbrella Corporation, has been hiding a new evil deep within the basement of his mansion. Chris and Jill discover this grotesque evil standing in their way as the two enter deeper into the catacombs beneath the mansion. <
Simultaneous with the release of “LOST IN NIGHTMARES”, new costumes for Chris and Sheva will be made available, allowing the player to experience RESIDENT EVIL 5 with a fresh new look and feel through both game play and cut-scene playback. A new refresh of Mercenaries Mode, “THE MERCENARIES REUNION”, gives players new playable characters and weapon load outs which provide players additional challenges as they aim to shoot down as many enemies as they can within a limited time. Each piece of downloadable content will contain two new playable characters. The GOLD EDITION will feature all eight.
More information regarding the second episode is still to come so be on the look out for more great RESIDENT EVIL info coming soon!
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For those RESIDENT EVIL fans who prefer a box copy, we are also happy to report that we will be releasing a RESIDENT EVIL 5: GOLD EDITION that will include the original game plus all additional content, making this the ultimate RESIDENT EVIL 5 experience. RESIDENT EVIL 5: GOLD EDITION will be available for $49.99 as a single Blu-ray disc for the PLAYSTATION 3 or as a DVD with a token for the downloadable content for XBOX 360.
Previously only seen during cut scenes of the original RESIDENT EVIL 5, the first new episode titled “LOST IN NIGHTMARES”, finds BSAA agent, Chris Redfield, working with his partner, Jill Valentine, as they investigate Ozwell E. Spencer’s hideaway. Spencer, the evil mastermind and co-founder of Umbrella Corporation, has been hiding a new evil deep within the basement of his mansion. Chris and Jill discover this grotesque evil standing in their way as the two enter deeper into the catacombs beneath the mansion. <
Simultaneous with the release of “LOST IN NIGHTMARES”, new costumes for Chris and Sheva will be made available, allowing the player to experience RESIDENT EVIL 5 with a fresh new look and feel through both game play and cut-scene playback. A new refresh of Mercenaries Mode, “THE MERCENARIES REUNION”, gives players new playable characters and weapon load outs which provide players additional challenges as they aim to shoot down as many enemies as they can within a limited time. Each piece of downloadable content will contain two new playable characters. The GOLD EDITION will feature all eight.
More information regarding the second episode is still to come so be on the look out for more great RESIDENT EVIL info coming soon!
‘New Moon’ Featurette Shows How Robert Pattinson Fights VolturiEA to close Saboteur developer Pandemic Studios
Rocket Riot Scores Design Award
Codeglue, a Dutch game development studio that has honed the craft of addictive gameplay, is happy to announce they have won a coveted Dutch Game Award! Codeglue’s Rocket Riot – which was released on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® to critical acclaim – walked away with the show’s Best Visual Design Award, beating out huge titles with multi-million dollar budgets such as Killzone 2 and Overlord 2.
“We are absolutely thrilled to win this award, not only because of the level of competition we were up against but also because we know that Rocket Riot is an outstanding title with a look and feel all its own,” said Peter de Jong, CEO and founder of Codeglue. “Our team is so proud and our sincere thanks go out to everyone who has supported us and our titles over the years.”
Rocket Riot is an action-packed side-view shooter featuring a bazooka-wielding jetpack soldier. With a highly stylized 8-bit era feel, players blast their way through the environment against enemies or multiplayer foes online. Navigating through a completely destructible environment, players can uncover special power ups or even burrow into different areas of the map. It is currently available on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points.
HD (1280x720) | SD (640x360)
The 2009 Dutch Game Awards were held on November 12, 2009 in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. They serve as an acknowledgement of the creativity, expertise and business achievements of the Dutch game developers and reward the best The Netherlands has to offer to the digital entertainment industry each year.
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“We are absolutely thrilled to win this award, not only because of the level of competition we were up against but also because we know that Rocket Riot is an outstanding title with a look and feel all its own,” said Peter de Jong, CEO and founder of Codeglue. “Our team is so proud and our sincere thanks go out to everyone who has supported us and our titles over the years.”
Rocket Riot is an action-packed side-view shooter featuring a bazooka-wielding jetpack soldier. With a highly stylized 8-bit era feel, players blast their way through the environment against enemies or multiplayer foes online. Navigating through a completely destructible environment, players can uncover special power ups or even burrow into different areas of the map. It is currently available on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points.
HD (1280x720) | SD (640x360)
The 2009 Dutch Game Awards were held on November 12, 2009 in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. They serve as an acknowledgement of the creativity, expertise and business achievements of the Dutch game developers and reward the best The Netherlands has to offer to the digital entertainment industry each year.
0D Beat Drop Arrives on Xbox Live ArcadePenn Badgley Calls Teenage Halloween Costume ‘Worst Idea Ever’
Modern Warfare 2 Grosses $550 Million in 5 Days
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 18, 2009 - Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 continues to shatter theatrical box office and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell through in dollars. The biggest entertainment launch in history set a new worldwide estimated five-day sell-through record of approximately $550 million, according to internal Activision estimates.
Modern Warfare 2's launch beat all previous first-and five-day entertainment industry box office, book and video game sell-through records*:
- The largest reported five-day opening worldwide box office gross figures, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million)
- The largest reported five-day opening domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($203.8 million)
- The largest reported five-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (6 million units, $500 million)
- The largest reported opening first-day domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($66.4 million)
- The largest reported first-day book sales in dollars, held by Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows ($220 million)
- The largest reported first-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (3.6 million units, $310 million)
Modern Warfare 2's blast radius also extends to Xbox LIVE, in which the blockbuster title's epic release established the following new standards, according to Microsoft:
- More than 5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone.
- More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10th. A new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.
- More than 11 million achievements were unlocked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day.
"In just five days of sell through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has become the largest entertainment launch in history and a pop culture phenomenon," said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc. "The title's success redefines entertainment as millions of consumers have chosen to play Modern Warfare 2 at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media."
Despite the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Activision Blizzard remains cautious about the U.S. and global economy as well as other variables that can affect industry fundamentals and our own performance, including consumer spending which remains a significant concern.
*All references cited are sourced according to www.boxofficemojo.com or www.guinnessworldrecords.com
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Modern Warfare 2's launch beat all previous first-and five-day entertainment industry box office, book and video game sell-through records*:
- The largest reported five-day opening worldwide box office gross figures, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million)
- The largest reported five-day opening domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($203.8 million)
- The largest reported five-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (6 million units, $500 million)
- The largest reported opening first-day domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($66.4 million)
- The largest reported first-day book sales in dollars, held by Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows ($220 million)
- The largest reported first-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (3.6 million units, $310 million)
Modern Warfare 2's blast radius also extends to Xbox LIVE, in which the blockbuster title's epic release established the following new standards, according to Microsoft:
- More than 5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone.
- More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10th. A new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.
- More than 11 million achievements were unlocked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day.
"In just five days of sell through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has become the largest entertainment launch in history and a pop culture phenomenon," said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc. "The title's success redefines entertainment as millions of consumers have chosen to play Modern Warfare 2 at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media."
Despite the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Activision Blizzard remains cautious about the U.S. and global economy as well as other variables that can affect industry fundamentals and our own performance, including consumer spending which remains a significant concern.
*All references cited are sourced according to www.boxofficemojo.com or www.guinnessworldrecords.com
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