Monthly Archives: January 2009

According to developer Twisted Pixel, tomorrow’s XBLA title will be The Maw, which is the company’s first ever wholly original IP, writes DarkZero.

Apparently you are in control of an alien called Frank who has a pet called Maw who you direct around the game’s levels.

Maw is hungry but you have to feed the right food at the right time and sometimes what he eats gives him powers.

More of all that through the link.

By Mike Bowden

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter has issued his NPD preview report ahead of Thursday night’s figures in which he states that PlayStation 3 is expected to drop in price in April with another 360 price cut soon to follow.

“Once the PS3 is at a more affordable price point (we expect a cut to $299 in April), we think that sales of that device will once again begin to grow,” said Pachter.

“We expect another cut in price for the Xbox 360, with the feature-laden Pro model likely to come down in price to $249 at or before this year’s E3 show in June.”

Pachter predicted that those rules don’t apply to Wii, however: “We expect Nintendo to maintain Wii pricing at $249 until the company sees signs that demand is slowing, which means a price cut may not happen until late in the year, if at all,” he added.

Back in December SCEE president David Reeves said that the company will not be dropping the price in Spring and as recently as last week, Sony issued a press release whereby it reaffirmed its claim the PlayStation is cheap in comparison to its rivals.

By Mike Bowden

Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter just put out his US sales estimates for December, predicting a total domination for Nintendo as Wii sells 3.25 million units for the month.

Xbox 360 enjoyed a margin of almost 2:1 over PlayStation 3 with an estimated 1.35 million consoles sold to Sony’s 750.000.

However, the clear winner was Nintendo as Pachter predicts DS sold 2.6 million making total Nintendo unit sales 5.8 million.

Yesterday, another research company EEDAR, predicted that Nintendo saved Christmas with Wii selling 3.2 million units and DS 3 million.

It appears the first online review of Killzone 2 published by Swedish site, GP (Gothemburg Post) that we told you about this morning has been taken down.

The review, which awarded the game 4/5, was the first on the web but has now been removed to what VG247 understands to be a break in embargo.

Sony told us earlier in the week the online embargo for Killzone 2 reviews is lifted “early February”.

Thanks, g00nerz.

By Mike Bowden

In the next issue of Edge Magazine, Just Cause developer Avalanche shows off its latest open world game, AionGuard, CVG is reporting.

The game has been in development for two years and Avalanche is yet to find a publisher.

According to the dev team, the AionGuard are a mix of “WWI dogfighter pilots, Samurai and medieval knights,” who are out to recapture the world after the near-destruction of their civilization.

However it appears more info will be winging its way to the web soon as the official Avalanche site teases a “big news update” is due soon.

Last year the developer was looking for an effects artist to work on a “high-profile” project for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Coincidence surely.

More AionGuard stuff through the CVG link.

By Mike Bowden

According to a Macworld report, 2K Boston’s excellently eerie Bioshock is to be ported to the Mac.

The rumour goes only so far as the shirts that the reps at Feral Interactive’s Macworld Expo were all wearing shirts with Bioshock’s Big Daddy on the back.

We’re labelling this as likely, as Bioshock has already appeared on PC, 360 and PlyStation3, it would be the next logical move.

Thanks, Destructoid.

By Mike Bowden

There’s no change at the top this week, as FIFA 09 is still dancing around the challenge of Activision’s Call of Duty: World at War for the number one spot with NFS: Undercover looking to overtake at third.

Last week’s chart here. Top ten below.

By Mike Bowden

Posting on the Tomb Raider forums, TR: Underworld creative director Eric Lindstrom has confirmed that he was one of the 30 laid off last week, and has said that he wished Crystal Dynamics could have spent more time working on the game.

“I absolutely wish we could have spent more time polishing Underworld,” said Lindstrom. “I take my share of responsibility of aiming so high that we had a reduced ability to spend time on polish.”

He also wanted to answer the critics with regard to the 360 exclusive DLC:

“I cut content from the game and it later turned out to be possible to use in DLC, for which I was happy,” he said adding that, “it was a coincidence that we had some candidate content for DLC when the deal was made. I was glad for it, otherwise the stuff I had to cut out would have never seen the light of day.”

Eidos said this morning that Lara Croft was due a complete overhaul.

More through the link.

Thanks, Mig.

By Mike Bowden

Nintendo has filed a patent application in the US that could see you being assisted through tougher parts of levels by characters in the game.

Shigeru Miyamoto is behind the idea and its main purpose will be to save us all time bothering to become any good at a game, and simply show us where the secret door is instead of you know, actually bothering to work it out for ourselves.

“In some of these games, a volume of the story or the scenario is too large, and therefore a lot of time is needed for clearing the game,” reads the patent application.

“Further, in some cases, various puzzles are set in the scenario… However, there is a problem that these puzzles and the like are too difficult, and therefore the game may be stuck halfway, and the game may not be cleared to the end.”

“As means for solving the problem, disclosed is a game control method for lowering the difficulty level of a game by presenting, while the game is being played, a hint for allowing the game to be continued.”

By Mike Bowden

Jesse Divnich of Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR) has revealed that Nintendo software and hardware sales accounted for 50 percent of everything games related at retail in the US for December.

“Without these sales, the industry would have likely felt the full wrath of the recession – much like other industries closely linked to gaming,” wrote Divnich.

“We believe the simple to use design, cheaper and wider variety of software titles, and the already ‘hot effect’ in place on both systems, all played a role in driving both the Wii and the DS to the top of their segments. Simply put, Nintendo saved Christmas.”

EEDAR reckons Nintendo DS sold 3 million units whilst 3.2 million Wiis were shifted.

The research firm also issued its top ten software expectations:

• Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) – 1.3 million units
• Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360) – 1.2 million units
• Mario Kart w/ wheel (Wii) – 1.2 million units
• Wii Fit w/ board (Wii) – 1 million units
• Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) – 800,000 units
• Call of Duty: World at War (PS3) – 650,000 units
• Madden NFL 09 (360) – 500,000 units
• Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) – 500,000 units
• Prince of Persia (Xbox 360) – 475,000 units
• Wii Music (Wii) – 425,000 units

Thanks, GI.

By Mike Bowden

Microsoft has announced that three news songs including Jamelia’s ‘Superstar’ for sing-along game Lips are available as of right now.

Also included is ‘Suddenly I See’ by KT Tunstall and ‘People are People’ by Depeche Mode.

Tracks cost 160 MS Points a piece.

By Mike Bowden

Sega’s Wi-Fi enabled DS RPG, Phantasy Star Zero, has annexed winter 2009 as its own. It is, as expected, a videogame.

Apparently, it’ll allow you to murder tiny monstrosities with up to four of your friends, either through local wireless or Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Additionally, 350 unique weapons will surely test the limits of your so-called companionship and leave you pondering the limited merits of human nature.

There will also be dragons.

Thanks, Eurogamer.

By Nathan Grayson

MTV and Harmonix has announced that the ‘Lenny Kravitz Pack 01′ will hit Rock Band this week.

The pack will include ‘Freedom Train,’ ‘Mr. Cab Driver’ an ‘Let Love Rule’ from the Let Love Rule album. You also get ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’, so it’s a pretty good line we reckon.

No price has been given but these things usually cost 440 MS Points and around £3.49 from PSN.

Full release after the break.

By Mike Bowden

More »

In an interview with GameDaily, Sony Online Entertainment Chief John Smedley placed his hopes for the future atop the bank accounts of PSN’s virgin masses, voicing his belief that SOE’s formerly PC-centric business will successfully open up shop in the console market.

“I think PS3 will be close to half our business,” he said. “There’s an audience now waiting for online games on the PS3. I believe PSN has over 15 million users today. It’s growing so quickly, we see a great user-base potential there.”

“I think a lot of the people who play PS3 games right now aren’t the same people playing MMOs right now. I think it’s going to bring in a lot of new players,” he added.

More through the link, but just keep in mind that other sites don’t understand you like we do.

By Nathan Grayson

Following up on our earlier story of a demo for FFXIII shipping with FFVII: Advent Children Complete on Blu Ray, Sqaure Enix has confirmed to videogaming247 that said demo will be “Japan only.”

“At present the FINAL FANTASY XIII demo will only be available in Japan with the Blu Ray release of Advent Children Complete,” a company rep told us today.

“We hope to have further news in the coming months.”

Also, details have emerged that the main character’s name is Dia Walruva. So there you go.

By Mike Bowden

The future isn’t looking so great for Conan and company. According to developer Funcom, Age of Conan players can expect to meet a few fresh faces this week, when their MMO of choice sees its server count slashed from 49 to a paltry 18.

Since servers are region based, the number of servers available after the rash of mergers will vary from territory to territory. For instance, North America and the Oceanic regions, which could once boast dominion over 24 barbarian reservations, will soon duct tape their way down to six total servers.

Europe, meanwhile, scuttles out of the mad scientist’s lab with 12 of its original 25 servers due to the need for multiple server types that cater to multiple languages.

After November’s lay-off Olympics, we can’t help but wonder if the Age of Conan is drawing to a close. Can someone who still plays the game give us a prognosis?

By Nathan Grayson

Unity Technologies has announced the appointment of former president and CEO of Criterion, David Lau-Kee, as its new non-executive chairman.

From the official release:

David Lau-Kee brings 15 years of experience in the games industry to Unity, drawing upon roles as co-founder, President and CEO of Criterion Software Group, the world’s largest games middleware company and Vice President of Electronic Arts, as well as earlier high-level positions in global technology business including as General Manager, Canon Europe, to bring unique and invaluable strategic insight to Unity Technologies as the company continues its phenomenal growth,.

We wish David the best of luck in his new role.

Full thing below.

By Mike Bowden

Konami has just announced Marbles! Balance Challenge, a new game designed for the Wii Balance Board.

The Hudson Soft developed title is due in April and sports “100 specially-created stages where the players steer a ball using the shifting weight of their physical movements, ” says the release.

Full thing after the break.

By Mike Bowden

More »

Korean developer Softmax has told videogaming247 that the recently announced Xbox 360 exclusive RPG, Magna Carta: Crimson Stigma, will be published by Namco Bandai.

“Release date is not certain yet,” said the rep when we enquired. “If you need information, please contact Namco Bandai Games Inc.”

Namco Bandai previously published other JRPGs this generation like Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesperia.

By Mike Bowden

In this latest Famitsu piece, it is revealed that a demo of Final Fantasy XIII will ship with the FFVII: Advent Children movie scheduled for release in March.

We’re assuming this is Japan only but we’ll ask Square Enix today if the demo will be global – language barrier permitting.

FFXIII will be released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year.

By Mike Bowden