Monthly Archives: January 2009

Everyone has got something to be proud of this week as the remaining Media Create hardware sales of 2008 emerge from Japan.

DSi is still sitting pretty but PS3 and 360 both see a sharp rise in sales with 32 and 51 percent increases respectively.

Although sales of Nintendo consoles fell, they were still strong enough to reach more than acceptable figures for the week.

Last weeks numbers here. Charts below:

• DSi: 182,518 – down 6,179 (3.27%)
• PSP: 157,088 – up 38,323 (32.27%)
• Wii: 119,965 – down 14,993 (11.11%)
• PS3: 60,654 – up 14,665 (31.89%)
• DS Lite: 48,160 – down 8,293 (14.69%)
• Xbox 360: 19,694 – up 6,683 (51.36%)
• PS2: 12,548 – up 2,144 (20.61%)

The latest entry on the Braid game site says that it would have loved to not have charged a penny for the new Braid theme on Xbox Live Marketplace but as “Microsoft doesn’t like giving things out for free,” they kind of had to.

“Unfortunately, we had to charge the standard Premium Theme price of 250 Microsoft Points,” says the blog.

“We want to make it free, but Microsoft doesn’t like giving things out for free. But if you do buy it, you can be secure in the knowledge that you own one of the few Premium Themes that is not an advertisement — there is no text in the Braid theme anywhere. (Seriously, Microsoft, what is with the Subway: Eat Fresh Theme?)”

Some people don’t know they were born, obviously.

Braid launched last year to critical acclaim and a PC version is set release “February-March.”

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to Times Online, Eidos chief financial officer Robert Brent says that the next Tomb Raider game will see a reboot for the franchise, similar in scale to that of The Dark Knight.

“We need to look at everything, as we develop the next game,” he said.

“Look at how Batman changed successfully, from the rather sad character of the Michael Keaton era to the noir style of The Dark Knight.”

Late last week, Eidos lowered its yearly financial expectations due to poor sales of “triple A products” and developer Crystal Dynamics laid off 30 in wake of poor Tomb Raider: Underworld performance.

By Mike Bowden

FIFA09 has the top spot all to itself although it’s still closely followed by Treyarch’s Call of Duty: World at War.

EAs hilariously popular Need for Speed: Undercover hangs on in third.

See for yourself:

By Mike Bowden

Neversoft co-founder Joel Jewett has confirmed to American newspaper, Great Falls Tribune, that the company has handed the Tony Hawk series to a new developer so it can concentrate solely on the Guitar Hero franchise.

“It’s probably best for the franchise…it’s time for someone else to add fresh ideas to it,” Jewett said.

As to whom, or indeed what, has the skating franchise in its mitts remains unknown at this point.

Full thing through the link. Thanks, 1UP.

By Mike Bowden

Microsoft’s American mouthpiece, Aaron Greenberg said at last week’s CES 09 that the company aren’t thinking about launching a new console any time soon.

“I think we absolutely have a very long life ahead of us. I think what we’re seeing this generation is that we have a console that is no longer limited by hardware.” the Xbox 360 product manager told G4TV.

“We’re delivering Hi-Definition experiences. We have storage. We have high-speed connectivity. So you know we’re not limited by the hardware at all.

“We see a very, very long future ahead of us as we think about the platform and we’re not even thinking about the next generation at this point,” he added.

Greenberg goes on to say that NXE has given the console a whole new lease of life: “I think that what we did with the New Xbox Experience, and many people said that it was essentially like launching a new console and we did that through the power of software.

“When we designed the Xbox 360 the strategy was, ‘What if we could make a console that we could continuously update over time?’” he offered.

“Last generation we couldn’t do that because we only had 10 percent of our owners connected to Live. But now the majority of people that own a console are connected. We’ve got 17 million people connected. We can always add new features and new functionality and so we’ll continue to do that without requiring them to buy new hardware.”

Full interview through the link.

By Mike Bowden

The BBFC has awarded Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars an 18 rating – a first for Nintendo DS.

The game apparently “contains very strong language and drug references,” warns the governing body.

Also, the BBFC page reveals the Chinatown Wars contains 168 minutes of cut-scenes, so there’s plenty to see and do it seems.

GTA: Chinatown Wars is coming to DS in the US on March 17 and Europe three days later.

By Mike Bowden

Xbox 360 product manager Aaron Greenberg told Joystiq at last week’s CES 09 in Las Vegas that there are plans afoot to increase your Live friends limit to beyond its current maximum of 100.

“I can’t commit to when that will happen, but that is something we want to do,” said Greenberg. “It’s definitely something we’re looking at expanding and, as this social network grows, we’ve absolutely heard the pleas for that. It’s on the list.”

More through the link.

By Mike Bowden

Swedish site GP has published what appears to be the first online review of Killzone 2, and has awarded the game 4 out of 5.

The reviewer sums things up thus:

[Translated from Swedish] The controls are good and the environments feel natural, raw and uncouth and that’s where Killzone 2 succeeds compared to many other shooters; it feels more personal, it’s easier to identify with your character and to feel connected with your teammates. Co-op is noticeably missing, which is odd, and Killzone 2 isn’t doing much new with the genre but it is great enough to succeed without launching for the Christmas Sales Period.

Killzone 2 is released exclusively on PlayStation 3 at the end of February.

Thanks, disc.

Update: The review has now been removed due to what is thought to be a breach of embargo.

By Mike Bowden

Famitsu has them. As per headline, they show an item creation screen with a purple haired waif in a skin-tight PVC costume showing you how to make stuff.

‘Nuff said.

Star Ocean IV is out exclusively for Xbox 360 later this year.

More images through the link.

By Mike Bowden

In probably the last of the “… in 2008″ stories this year, ELSPA/Gfk-ChartTrack told MCV last Friday that EAs FIFA 09 was the best selling game in the UK all format charts.

Mario Kart came in second and Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto came in third.

However, Mario Kart was also the UKs best selling single format title of last year. In fact, in the individual SKU department, Nintendo cleaned up with Wii Fit and Wii Play coming in second and third respectively.

You can see the all format top ten after the break, and the individuals through the link.

By Mike Bowden

More »

First Sony Pictures accidentally gave the game away, then Terminal Reality boss Mark Randel told us it was always meant to be that way, and now Atari has rubber stamped the deal confirming that Ghostbusters: The Videogame will be released in the US on June 16 and worldwide three days later.

“Ghostbusters: The Video Game is set to release across North America on 16 June 2009 followed by worldwide release on 19 June,” says the release which you can read in its entirety after the break.

“The game’s launch on 16 June 2009 coincides with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s worldwide debut of the original motion picture on Blu-ray Disc.”

By Mike Bowden

More »

Sony Bend studios’ PSP shooter, Resistance Retribution, will be available March 17th, writes the PSBlog.

The news comes in wake of the Euro March 19 date we revealed last week.

Resistance Retribution will be the first PSP title to make use of Sony’s PSP Plus tech that allows for games to be played using a dual shock controller.

Full thing through the link.

By Mike Bowden

1UP‘s rumouring that after Eidos’ announcement that certain “triple A” products underperformed, Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics has laid off 30 members of staff.

According to what the site cites as “reliable sources,” the cut-backs were made to “eliminate redundancy and give the studio tighter focus moving forward.”

Update: Crystal Dynamics has confirmed the news telling 1UP: “We have increased the focus on the Tomb Raider franchise at Crystal Dynamics; regrettably this has resulted in the reduction in headcount.”

More through the links.

By Mike Bowden

Criterion has revealed that cars resembling Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1, General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider’s KITT will also feature in the Burnout Paradise DLC, the Legendary Cars Pack.

The vehicles join the Back to the Future DeLorean in what we reckon is some of the best after-care a console developer has delivered on a title to date.

More of this sort of thing please.

Pics and details through the Criterion link.

By Mike Bowden

Lionhead has released a title update for Fable II fixing numerous bugs (see below) that were reported on the official site’s forums.

When you next boot up the game, the dashboard will prompt you to update.

The fixes are as follows:

• The Ritual/Monk’s Quest – Fixed the issue with the Abbott becoming unresponsive if you leave Oakfield before he finishes talking. This will fix the problem if you’ve already hit it, too.
• Rescuing Charlie/Rescue My Baby – after rescuing Charlie, you can now able to interact with objects
• Guild Cave chest – resolves any issues with previously inability to retrieve items unlocked from Limited Collector’s Edition, website or Chicken Kickin’ game. If you’ve already hit this bug you should now get your items.
• The Spire (Pt2) – no more issues with ship captain being unresponsive
• The Hero of Skill (Pirate King) – you’ll no longer get stuck during Hero of Skill quest (Bloodstone)
• T.O.B.Y./Trouble In Bloodstone – you’ll no longer get stuck during T.O.B.Y. quests (Bloodstone)
• Your child will no longer be chosen as an assassination target
• Furniture Shop in Albion (Bowerstone) will now always have something for sale
• Additional unspecified fixes

Fable II downloadable content Knothole Island will be released on Xbox Live on Tuesday for 800 Microsoft Points.

By Mike Bowden

According to Danish print mag Game Reactor, Rocksteady’s rather spiffing looking Arkham Asylum will see Batman’s capabilities increase throughout the game: not too dissimilar to the mechanics of an RPG.

“As in a role-playing game, Batman will possess an experience system whereby it is possible to open up for new abilities and new gadgets,” says the piece [translated from Danish].

“Batman will need to use a large number of said gadgets as in many of the game’s difficult encounters as he won’t always be the strongest.”

Look out for our interview with Rocksteady which is hopefully coming later in the month.

Eidos will publish Batman: Arkham Asylum later in the year.

By Mike Bowden

In response to Sony’s earlier claim that Microsoft and Nintendo continue are just “peddling add-ons,” 360 product manager Aaron Greenberg has told Kotaku at CES 09 that MS would “absolutely not want to trade places” with its rival.

“First, I would say we absolutely would not want to trade places with Sony,” said Greenberg. “We feel like being half the price of the PS3 served us quite well this holiday.”

“The fact that we’re doing this at half the price of their platform, we feel confident that we’re delivering great value,” he added.

“I believe that we deliver more value for games and entertainment than any other platform on the market.”

As for the price comparison table Sony offered in the release, Greenberg offered: “I don’t think people take comparison grids into retail stores.”

“I would rather talk about why you should buy our console than why you shouldn’t buy the competitor’s system.”

By Mike Bowden

Speaking at last week’s CES 09, Activision CEO Mike Griffith said that Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock became the first single game ever to make more than $1 billion in sales.

That’s an awful lot of money.

Citing data from research group Nielsen, Griffith went on to say that “download sales for artists appearing on Guitar Hero have risen 15-843 percent,” writes Edge.

The CEO also added that Guitar Hero downloads are currently at 21 million units.

That’s an awful lot of units.

By Mike Bowden

BigDownload has them and they’re rather lovely. What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than leisurely perusing a handful of new images of Blizzard’s volcano hot RPG sequel, Diablo III?

None. That’s what.

This is the second batch of images we’ve been treated to within a month. Aren’t we lucky?

Check them all out.

By Mike Bowden