Monthly Archives: January 2009

Mythic just confirmed that Warhammer Online’s first expansion is to be titled Call to Arms. It’s a “live” affair, with a schedule and everything.

It’s free, and will include “two highly anticipated new careers – the Orc Choppa and the Dwarf Slayer – and a new dungeon zone called ‘Land of the Dead,’ set in the desert realm of the Tomb Kings,” according to the PR.

Here’s the timeline:

• ‘Call to Arms: Bitter Rivals’ Live Event (March): Successful completion allows head start access to the new Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer careers. The event will also include the new Chaos-themed RvR Scenario, Twisting Tower.
• Two New Careers Join WAR (March): The Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer answer the Call to Arms.
• ‘Call to Arms: Beyond the Sands’ Live Event (April): Details to be revealed soon!
• ‘Call to Arms: Rise of the Tomb Kings’ Live Event (May): The race between Order and Destruction players begins to unlock the Land of the Dead for their Realm.
• ‘Land of the Dead’ Opens (June): The deserts of Nehekhara open to players with the addition of a new RvR-gated dungeon zone. To gain access to the Land of the Dead, opposing Realms must battle for control of the zone to access dozens of new Public Quests, instanced lairs, and a massive new Tomb Kings dungeon to plunder in search of the Casket of Souls.

More through the link.

An Activision job listing on Gamasutra is apparently looking for someone to touch up screenshots for press and marketing.

Part of the “Art Services Screenshot Associate” job, apparently, is to, “Perform advanced retouching of screenshots and teach skills to others as needed.”

The full description’s as follows: “The Art Services Screenshot Associate provides support services to all engaged departments: PR, Marketing, Production and development studios to produce high-quality screenshots, model renders and other art assets. Typical end use will include screenshots for editorial, packaging, advertising, manuals and more, as needed.”

Like, dur. We’ve contacted Activision for comment.

From IGN, via Blue.

A bunch of PopCap casual classics – Bejeweled 2, Zuma, Heavy Weapon, Peggle and Feeding Frenzy – are to appear on PSN.

Bejeweled 2 is now available in the US, with European version to follow.

The other games are yet to be dated. All feature Trophies and PSP Remote Play.

Press release after the break.

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It’s not going away, and it sounds as though you’re about to hear an awful lot more about it. Newly formed Scottish developer Ruffian is most certainly working on a new Crackdown game, says “rumour” today, and apparently it’s scheduled for the end of 2009 or early 2010.

The project’s being called “Crackdown 1.5″ in the UK trade, and it’s set in the same city as the original Realtime Worlds 360 classic. Multiplayer’s going to play a massive part in the game, aparently, moreso than the new single-player stuff.

Just a hunch: you might hear more about this… tomorrow. Life on the edge, and all that.

Realtime Worlds put out a statement at the end of December saying the firm was in ongoing negotiations with Microsoft about continuing the franchise as a reaction to rumour that Ruffian had picked up a second game.

Ruffian – the Dundee-based developer comprised largely of ex-Crackdown staffers – was confirmed as open in late January.

JRPG Star Ocean: The Last Hope will release this “spring” on PAL 360′s, Square’s confirmed.

There’s no mention of any PS3 version in today’s PR, despite an extra SKU being heavily tipped.

“Star Ocean has already proved to be a popular series in Japan, we now hope that players around the world can discover why,” said Square Enix boss John Yamamoto.

“Star Ocean: The Last Hope is a stunning new adventure in the series that is sure to delight both fans and newcomers alike.”

Press release and 18 new screens after the drop.

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Prince of Persia gets some DLC this month, to release on February 26.

Titled Epilogue, the content “continues the story of the Prince and Elika with a brand-new epic adventure,” according to a Ubi press release this afternoon.

Stuff you’ll get:

- New Region: The Underground Palace – A corrupted underground palace from which the Prince and Elika need to escape in a new epic journey.
- New Power: Energize – Reconstruct destroyed areas of the environment to create a path and rush through it before it vanishes.
- New high pace: The new trap challenge – The Prince and Elika will face more cunning foes, cleverer traps and level design, adding more to the difficulty level in over 3 hours of gameplay.
- New Attack: Sprinting Clash – A duel move that lets you or the enemy trigger a sprint attack, charging towards each other, clashing your weapons fiercely.
- New Unlockable Skins: Finish the game and unlock exclusively, from the early development of the game, the Prototype characters of the Prince and Elika.

No mention of pricing. Press release after the break.

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Leipziger Messe’s just confirmed that Games Convention is officially dead. The 2009 event, originally planned for August 20-23, has been cancelled.

The news ends Games Convention as was, one of the largest games shows in the world. Launched in 2002, the fair was an epic event, and by far the most important annual show in Europe.

The central European games show for 2009 will, instead, be the inaugural gamescom in Cologne on August 19-23.

“If the industry is again in search of a platform for console and PC games and hardware with the know-how of the GC – Games Convention, we will immediately be available,” said Leipziger Messe boss, Wolfgang Marzin.

The fight between GC and gamescom has been a bitter one, but there was never any real doubt the latter would become the major games show in Germany after the BIU – Germany’s ELSPA, ESA, etc – announced the formation of the show last year.

Gamescom capitalised on the Leipzig announcement today by issuing a press release saying it “enjoys more support from industry”.

Ubisoft Germany GM Ralf Wirsing had this to say: “In Cologne we will have the opportunity to both present our range of products to an international market and to familiarise ourselves with the new products of the other national and international market participants.

“If you look at the numbers of registered gamers in the online and browser markets, the growing importance of this segment is unmistakable.”

We admit it: we have a tear in the eye. So long, Leipzig. You were a good friend.

Both press releases after the break.

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Capcom’s confirmed there’s a patch on the way for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, although it hasn’t detailed what it’s going to fix.

“I would like to assure you that while I haven’t been able to respond to many inquiries on the forums, Capcom has been listening and we will be fixing many of the issues that many of you have been experiencing,” said a US staffer on his blog.

Any chance of fixing the European PS3 release? Full thing through the link.

According to this GI report, Atari legend Nolan Bushnell’s to received a BAFTA Fellowship.

The industry legend will be awarded at the British Academy Video Game Awards on March 10 at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

“I am humbled to be selected for this honour from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts,” said Bushnell

“The British people are not only great game players but have historically been some of the best game creators. The pub culture and country house drawing room environments have been instrumental in spawning games and game players through the centuries.

“I am very grateful to receive an award from the people with a history of creating and embracing this type of entertainment.”

Congrats, Nolan. Good luck with the movie.

Nintendo’s been busy this morning. Not content with pushing out rocket sales for the nine months leading to December 31, te firm, more importantly, has released new screens and video of Mario and Luigi 3 for DS.

Screens here (thanks, GoNintendo). Videos on IGN.

No date on this as yet.

In an interview with Core Gamers, Q-Games founder Dylan Cuthbert has revealed that the PSP version of PixelJunk Monsters is to contain “50 percent or more new content”.

To quantify, that’s probably “a lot” of new stuff.

There’s no solid date on the latest outing in the strategy series, but it is planned for this year.

Thanks, Destructoid.

Nintendo’s posted strong sales figures for the nine months ending December 31, showing global sales of 1,536 billion yen, an increase of nearly 17 percent over the same period in 2007, along with 501 billion yen of operating profits, up 27 percent from a year ago.

The firm made adjustments to hardware estimates this morning, and has significantly reduced profits estimates for the year.

Highlights from the earnings report:

• Total LTD shipments of Nintendo DS hardware were 96.22 million worldwide, along with more than 533 million games.
• Total LTD Wii shipments reached nearly 45 million worldwide, along with over 312 million games.
• The LTD shipment of Wii Fit reached 14 million, and Mario Kart Wii reached 13.67 million.

While Nintendo’s sales lead the industry, the strong yen continues to batter Japanese firms: Sony also announced a grey set of financials this morning.

Nintendo’s make a heavy cut to its profit forecast this morning, slashing full-year estimates 33 percent to 230 billion yen ($2.6 billion) in the 12 months ending March 31, less than the 345 billion yen forecast in October.

The yen’s strength’s to blame, said the company, which now expects to posts 200 billion yen loss this fiscal year because the currency’s appreciation.

Sales for the year will be up, Nintendo said, expected to show a rise of 8.8 percent to 1.82 trillion yen, less than its earlier forecast for 2 trillion yen.

Nintendo also adjusted its Wii hardware sales estimate for the year today, lowering it to 26.5 million for the year to March, down from its previous target of 27.5 million units.

It raised its DS forecast, however, to 31.5 million units from 30.5 million units.

Swings, roundabouts, etc.

According to this Kikizo piece, the main review embargo for Killzone 2 is next Monday, February 2.

Eurogamer’s advertised review, going live today at 5.00pm GMT is part of an exclusive deal done with Sony.

As far as we’re aware, at least one other review is to go live this afternoon in addition to the Eurogamer piece.

Kuju’s Ian Baverstock’s confirmed that the developer is to make redundancies in the UK and US.

“Kuju has generally adopted a more cautious approach at the start of 2009 in light of market conditions,” said the exec in a statement.

“As a developer with nearly 20 years experience of game development trends, we know how important it is to have the right number of people with the best mix of skills for the scale and nature of our projects.

“Up to ten design or art posts at Zoe Mode are at risk; although total headcount in the studio is expected to remain broadly level at around 150 as roles are opened in other disciplines. There have also been some redundancies in Kuju America, a small number in Chemistry in Sheffield and Kuju’s corporate headquarters in Shalford.”

There’s more on GI.

Sony’s PlayStation business showed like-for-like decline in the quarter ending December 31, the company confirmed today, with both hardware and software sales shrunk compared to the previous corresponding period.

Game division sales for the quarter were down 32 percent to 394 billion yen.

Overall PlayStation hardware sales for the quarter amounted to 12.06 million units, down from 16.06 million in the third quarter of 2007.

Software sales across all PlayStation consoles sat at 86 million for the quarter, down from 105 million a year ago.

PS3 software sales rose 57 percent to 40.8 million in the quarter, success drowned out by a crashing PS2: PlayStation 2 game sales were down 30 million units to 29.7 million.

Full year estimates for the PlayStation business are now pegged at 33 million for hardware compared to 36.86 million in 2007.

Software estimates for 2008 now stand at 250 million units, down from 267.4 million in 2007.

Get all the details here. You need slides 11 and 15.

The new Wii Play’s still topping the charts in Japan, but sales are slow all round from the look of the latest top ten. Compare to last week’s data, here.

Thanks, ChartGet.

01. [WII] Wii Play: Mario Tennis (Nintendo) 31,000 / 88,000
02. [WII] Fragile (Namco Bandai) 26,000 / NEW
03. [WII] Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Namco Bandai) 25,000 / 316,000
04. [PSP] Zill’O (KOEI) 25,000 / NEW
05. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) (Capcom) 25,000 / 357,000
06. [NDS] Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Nintendo) 20,000 / 1,614,000
07. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) 19,000 / 3,196,000
08. [PSP] Dissidia Final Fantasy (Square Enix) 18,000 / 866,000
09. [NDS] Devil Survivor (Atlus) 18,000 / NEW
10. [NDS] Wagamama Fashion: Girl’s Mode (Nintendo) 17,000 / 684,000

Stern Agee’s Arvind Bhatia has predicted that WoW subs amounted to earnings per share of about 30 cents out of a total 60 cents, or around $400 million total, in Activision Blizzard’s fiscal year ended December.

The MMO currently has 11.5 million subscribers, the publisher has said.

Bhatia lowered his fiscal 2009 Activision estimates from $5.2 billion to $4.9 billion in revenues yesterday, and dropped earnings per share estimates from 65 cents to 60 cents.

More on Edge.

Boom Blox 2, now officially titled Boom Blox Bash Party, will release this spring for Wii.

The Spielberg-EA puzzle collaboration “promises increased multiplayer action and more than 400 new levels that take players from under water into outer space,” according to this Reuters story.

“Boom Blox Bash Party is a wild social gaming experience,” Spielberg said.

“We know families and friends really enjoyed playing the original ‘Boom Blox’ together, so we designed more explosive multiplayer experiences with Boom Blox Bash Party.”

The second game in the Jenga-esque franchise will feature online components, such as the ability to download new levels.

First shown way back during the neanderthallic, pre-Wii E3 of 2006, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers’ existence has recently (and rightfully) been called into question. Well, stop doubting and start practicing your best post-victory boogie, because Square Enix has finally dropped a new FFCCTCB trailer, and it’s looking, well, pretty much like a Final Fantasy game.

Co-oping with the newly released Wii version of FFCC: Echoes of Time, the trailer features a blonde, be-goggled protagonist (not this guy) who flings enemies to death with the help of his righteous, probably Wii-Mote-controlled right hand and a thumping country soundtrack. Dogs seem to be considered an instrument here, as well.

Also blipping on this trailer’s radar are airships, Chocobos, and – you guessed it – crystals. Really, the whole thing looks fantastic, if we’re being honest.

Check out the full trailer after the break.

Thanks, Wired.

By Nathan Grayson

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