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July NPD: Wii Reigns Supreme, Xbox 360 Edges Out PS3
Posted by Steve Van Neil Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Portable/Mobile, PSP, Sony, Wii,
According to the latest NPD report, the video game industry generated almost a billion dollars of sales in the month of July. Nintendo’s Wii led the charge with an absolutely astounding 425,000 units sold. The Wii was followed by the PS2, which sold 220,000 units. The Xbox 360 sold 170,000 units, once again beating the PS3, which sold 159,000 units. On the portable side of things, the Nintendo DS sold a whopping 405,000 units, while the PSP moved 214,000 units. Overall console sales are up almost 43% from this period last year.
All of this begs the question: Where are people finding the Wii in such great numbers? I haven’t seen one in a store since the beginning of the year, but somehow Nintendo keeps selling hundreds of thousands of them every month.
Read More | Next Generation
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Madden 08 Lands in Stores With a Crunch
Posted by Max Dickey Categories: Electronic Arts, Hot Deals, PlayStation 3, Sports, Xbox 360,
Today Madden 08, the latest installment in the perennial bestselling series from EA Sports, hits stores around the country. It’s available for pretty much every system you can think of, although naturally the big contenders are the technically superior Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. A lot of press in the weeks leading up to this release has noted the framerate differential between the two: the Xbox 360 version runs at 60fps, whereas the PS3 version runs at 30fps. Some might argue that the human eye can only register up to 24fps, so this is a moot point, but many FPS fans swear by blistering framerates and therefore would say that the difference is huge. Whatever side you may take in that debate, word on the street says that the PS3 game does indeed look choppy at times, although it’s not a dealbreaker.
The new Madden showcases a big new feature that designates top players at all positions as “Weapons”. You might have a fast receiver, a big hitter, and a smart QB, all of whom can outperform their competition in certain areas and are capable of some awesome plays. These designations go a long way toward rendering each team unique, a far cry from old school games where you could only tell an Pro Bowler from a rookie by the number on his jersey. Aside from this new feature, classic Madden gameplay has been tweaked and tightened up based on praise and complaints about previous incarnations to give us more of what we want.
If you’re looking to pick the new Madden up soon, take a look at Toys R Us, where you can get any other game in the store for 50% off if you get Madden on the same receipt.
Read More | Gamespot
Brain Age 2 Nintendo DS Bundle Announced
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Hardware, Nintendo, Nintendo DS,
If you don’t have a DS yet, this Brain Age bundle might be just what you’re looking for – included is a copy of Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day and a DS sports an all-new color for $149.99. As Nintendo describes the new color: “The top half of the new Nintendo DS sports a smooth, glossy Crimson, reminiscent of a dangerous shade of lipstick or a cherry-red sports car. The bottom is a matte black—an Onyx yin that complements the Crimson yang.” Uhh, okay.
Brain Age 2 includes 15 new activities, including those that challenge you with math, memorization, and music. (Music? Might want to plug in a pair of headphones to avoid hearing those poor DS speakers.)
The bundle will be available in stores on August 21.
Viva Piñata Headed To The Nintendo DS
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Casual, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Strategy,
During Comic-Con last week, Microsoft announced that a Viva Piñata title was in development for the Nintendo DS. Apparently, this isn’t going to be a Party Animals port (the Mario Party-style Viva Piñata title announced during this year’s Microsoft E3 press conference) – instead, it’ll be a full on remake of the Xbox 360 game. It’ll contain all of the piñata found in the Xbox 360 version, as well as some new ones, as well.
“You’ll also be given free rein with an expanded selection of tools and tool actions, upgraded forms of the Journal and Encyclopaedia, and brand new game modes such as Sandbox (for full and easy access to your favourite Piñatas) and Episodes (tying in more closely to the TV series and allowing fans of the show to spend quality time with familiar faces).”
The game will be designed with the unique features of the DS in mind; most specifically, the DS’ touch panel.
“Design, nurture, instruct, protect and care for your garden and animals through direct touch. The DS WiFi service also lets you send prime Piñata specimens to your friends, making the act of parading your Doenut around in a humiliating pirate outfit easier than ever.”
It’ll be interesting to see exactly who gets the publishing rights to the game. Following Microsoft’s acquisition, Rare did still release several games on the Game Boy Advance, all of which were published by THQ. And the recently released Diddy Kong Racing DS, developed by Rare, was published by Nintendo.
Read More | CVG
E3 2007: The Big Three: Who “Won” E3?
Posted by Edie Sellers Categories: Casual, Corporate News, E3, Editorial, Hardware, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360,
It always seems a bit silly to declare a “winner” of E3. It’s just so juvenile. This is a complex industry that can’t be distilled down to the simple question of “who beat whom.”
But we just can’t help it, can we?
Comparing the three keynotes this year, however, really is a grab-bag of possible outcomes. All three offered something interesting, and picking a single “winner” this year more than ever depends how you define “winning.”
My rundown is after the break.
Click to continue reading E3 2007: The Big Three: Who “Won” E3?
E3 2007: SEGA Unveils Their E3 Line-Up
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Action, Driving, E3, Fighting, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Portable/Mobile, PSP, SEGA, Wii, Xbox 360,
SEGA sent us a listing of all the titles they plan on showing off at this year’s E3 Media and Business Summit, and it seems like they are betting on thirteen titles to turn heads this year. One of the more unique concepts stars Mario and Sonic at the Olympics, Virtua Fighter 5 with online play, and one we have our eyes on, the return of NiGHTS. You can take a peek at the full list after the break.
Click to continue reading E3 2007: SEGA Unveils Their E3 Line-Up
The Min-E3 2007 Games Lineup
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Activision, CAPCOM, E3, Eidos, Electronic Arts, LucasArts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Portable/Mobile, PSP, SEGA, Take2, THQ, Ubisoft, Wii, Xbox 360,
Sure, the convention is much smaller this year and all, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a ton of games to be seen. Eurogamer has posted a list of the announced lineups and then some of what you’ll be seeing at E3. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have been quiet on what they’ll be showing, so it looks like we’ll need to wait until their respective showings to know for sure. The event is taking place next week, so expect it to be a busy week in news.
But please, please, please, Nintendo, show me Animal Crossing Wii. Something. Anything. Please?
Read More | Eurogamer
Game Releases For The Week Of 6/25: The Darkness, Pokemon, And Transformers
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Gamecube, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Portable/Mobile, PSP, Release Dates, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360,
Some big name titles are hitting this week, including the much anticipated The Darkness for both Xbox 360 and PS3. Transformers is bound to be a big seller by virtue of its name and the number of platforms that it’s coming out on. And Pokemon Battle Revolution for Wii is going to sell a scientifically accurate 1,432,345^100, or in other words, a metric crapton.
Read More | Gamasutra
Nearly 14-Year-Old Games Getting Remakes: Myst DS Edition
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Adventure, Nintendo DS,
I have fond memories of first popping Myst into my computer’s CD-ROM drive (oh, how exciting it was at the time!) and exploring its incredible world. While it was only a point-and-click adventure, it still was incredible for its time. It was an experience, to be sure. And for the record, I’ve beaten it more than once - the fair way.
So imagine my surprise when my eyes came upon a press release stating that Myst was getting a remake, DS-style. The game is bound to have a pretty limited appeal, despite the fact that it’s being rebuilt specifically for the DS – a system that is simply the perfect platform for a game of this ilk. Fans will be excited to hear that a new age, known as the RIME Age, will make its way into the game.
While the press release has a sentence that might be a punch to the gut to many gaming fans – “Unlike most adventure games, Myst offers no inventory, no death, and no dialogue.” – it’s something that you really need to play to appreciate.
Developing Elite Beat Agents
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, Nintendo DS,
One of the more interesting and quirky titles to hit the Nintendo DS last year was the rhythm game Elite Beat Agents, which was a follow-up to the successful Japanese title Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. At the GDC, iNiS Vice President of Development Keichi Yano spoke about the process in localizing and adapting a uniquely Japanese title for American audiences, and Gamasutra has a summary of his remarks. Yano talked about his first title, Guitaroo Man, which gathered a cult following in the US, but never sold particularly well, and his move to portable platforms with Ouendan. In localizing Ouendan, Yano apparently experimented with a number of different looks for the Agents in the game, including a set that looked somewhat like the Village People. Yano also dropped some hints about the upcoming Japanese sequel to Ouendan as well; it seems doubtful that the game will have a direct port in the US, but certainly a lot of the ideas for the Japanese sequel could be used for a future Elite Beat Agents 2, should one be developed. For those that enjoyed Elite Beat Agents, it is definitely worth importing the Japanese original, if only to see the origins of Yano’s music game.
Read More | Gamasutra
Read More | Famitsu (Session Images)
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