Monthly Archives: January 2009

Variety’s videogame critics have put together their top games of 2008 together with two games they found to be a let down, and two games they thought were overrated.

The lists show quite a bit of ‘variety’ and there are a few surprises in there too.

Read the lists through the link.

By Mike Bowden

In an interview with Gama, Treasure CEO Masato Maegawa has revealed that Microsoft enquired about the Saturn shoot ‘em up, Radiant Silvergun for its XBLA service.

“Microsoft actually asked us if we could put it out,” he said. “We’re thinking about it, certainly, but it’s not as simple as just saying ‘OK, let’s put it up.’ I mean, sure, with Ikaruga, we released it as-is without having to do or add a great deal to the game, and it was popular and well accepted for what it was. But if you play Radiant Silvergun nowadays, it’s certainly aged in assorted ways, and I’m not sure they’re all good.”

However, although Treasure seems positive about a re-make, the develop remains unsure as to whether Live Arcade would be its natural home:

“I think we’d definitely like to see it out there. But the situation around that game is a bit different from Ikaruga, so I don’t know if we’d see it on [Xbox Live].”

Thanks, Kotaku.

By Mike Bowden

Chris Lewis, regional vice president of Xbox Europe, has issued a statement whereby he says that 2008 saw the Xbox brand grow faster than its competitors and that 360 has enjoyed its best Christmas ever sales-wise.

“2008 saw us grow faster than any of our competitors and we over-achieved in sales during the crucial Christmas selling period,” said Lewis.

“With eight million consoles sold since we launched, and consistently out-selling PlayStation 3 in EMEA, we’re poised to build on this success in 2009.

“This success was only possible through our partnerships with retail and with publishers, with whom we’ve worked closely to build a strong ecosystem in the region and to bring value to our shared customer base.”

There could be some weight to Lewis’ claims as the platform holder points to GfK Chart-Track data which shows that Xbox 360 was the fastest-growing console in 2008, with sales in the last three months of the year over double the same period in 2007 in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain.

“As we move into 2009 and an uncertain economic climate, we continue to be committed to offering the right blend of gaming and entertainment experiences at the right price,” Lewis added.

By Mike Bowden

According to this Time Online report, Microsoft is preparing to launch a class action suit against UK high street retailer Woolworths in a bid to reclaim several millions of pounds worth of stock.

The chain is set to close its doors to the public tomorrow as the recent credit crunch took its toll early last month. However, according to the Times article, the firm still has tens of millions of pounds of stock in its warehouses.

“Under ‘retention of title’ rules, suppliers can claim back their own stock if it has not been paid for but, more broadly, they can claim stock that has been paid for in lieu of debts,” says the piece.

More through the link.

Thanks, CVG.

By Mike Bowden

According to a Famitsu report uncovered by Kotaku’s newshounds, Japan’s videogame market took another tumble last year — and the hill’s looking mighty steep.

2008 saw the market pull in a total of ¥582.61 billion, while 2007 ponied up ¥687.95 billion. Especially noticeable, hardware sales dropped from ¥327.41 billion to ¥250.5 billion. Software sales, on the other hand, escaped with minor injuries.

Click through the link for a better view of the rising sun’s rapid descent. You might have to stand up to see over all the numbers, though.

By Nathan Grayson

Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter has told videogaming247.com that he expects Christmas sales for Nintendo Wii to be “up more than 100%” whereas he anticipates only a slight rise in 360 sales and a possible drop in PlayStation 3 numbers.

“I haven’t done the work for NPD yet, but my guess is that 360 sales were flat or up a little, PS3 sales down a little, and Wii sales up more than 100%,” said Pachter.

“That would end up around 1.2 – 1.3 million 360s, around 700,000 PS3s and around 3 million (or more) Wiis.”

Pachter went on to say that his official estimates would be released early next week.

December’s NPD figures will be released on January 15.

By Mike Bowden

Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter said in a research note today that he expects US “software sales to moderate to the low single digits in December due to tough comps.”

December’s NPD figures, to release on January 15, will round off a year that’s already seen overall growth of 21 percent compared to 2007.

Pachter noted that November had shown solid growth year-on-year, with console software sales up 11 percent and PC software sales up 38 percent.

Hardware sales were up 11 percent in November.

The analyst has given no hardware sales estimates for December as yet.

By Mike Bowden

EA Sports president Peter Moore’s Christmas could’ve been better. After tearing through five days’ worth of wrapping paper, the one gift he most desired failed to materialize. And sadly, no amount of Hallmark-disguised holiday cash will ever net FIFA 09 a spot on Eurogamer’s prestigious Top 50.

“Huh? WTF?? As in WHERE THE HELL IS FIFA 09???” Moore blogged after his breadwinner failed to nab even a participation ribbon.

“Now I get that the sports genre is the Rodney Dangerfield of games when the awards are handed out. But c’mon, one of the best sports games of recent times not even in the Top 50? This title will sell in excess of 10 million units when all is done and dusted, but doesn’t even rank a mention?”

In response, Eurogamer reiterated its award policy, giving a disappointed shake of the head to readers world over.

“Most damaging of all though, people still believe we are presenting these as the definitive games of the year when, as the above illustrates, we are not,” Eurogamer editor Tom Bramwell emphasized. “The Readers’ Top 50, to which over a thousand people contributed, reflects much broader tastes.”

“The formula is designed to highlight games that our staff and core contributors have played – whether through choice or obligation – and then enjoyed over the year. We take top ten lists from our core staff and contributors, and combine them to produce the list of 50 games, which we then comment on as a group. Unfortunately for Peter, we sports fans form a minority of Eurogamer’s editorial staff.”

So there you go. No Electoral College here, folks. Just awful, awful bias.

By Nathan Grayson

A “senior source” at Traveller’s Tales has told Eurogamer that there will be no Lego Harry potter in 2009.

Rumours of the title’s existence first appeared at the beginning of December.

VG247 was met with a “no comment” on the subject from Warner.

The firm told Eurogamer’s Johnny Minkley in a radio interview over New Year that, “There will be a Lego game in 2009. And I think it’s okay to say that you’ll be a bit surprised.”

EG is speculating the project is a second Indiana Jones game.

A source told VG247 last week that a Lego Rock Band title is in the works at the developer.

By Mike Bowden

Capcom has just announced what it calls its “stellar line-up” for the first half of 2009 which includes titles like Street Fighter IV and Resident Evil 5.

The titles and release dates are as follows:

• Flock! (XBLA/PSN) – February
• Street Fighter IV (360/PS3) – February 20
• Dead Rising Chop Till You Drop (Wii) – February 27
• Neopets Puzzle Adventure (Wii/DS/PC) – February 27
• Resident Evil 5 (360/PS3) – March 13
• MotoGP (Wii) – March
• Bionic Commando (PS3/360) – March

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to Famitsu, Hideo Kojima has said that Kojima Productions is currently under review as he realises the need to rise to the challenge that Western games present his company.

“I’ve come to understand that the way we’ve made games up until now won’t translate globally,” he said. “I’ve come to think that I need to make Kojima Productions a team that can compete alongside the rest of the world.”

“I’ve thought a lot about how Western games have been winning, looking it from a global perspective, and there are things that I’ve noticed,” said Kojima.

“We’re currently reviewing everything in order to make Kojima Productions a team that can challenge foreign creators and software houses. Because of that, 2009 is going to be a very important year for us.”

Thanks, Develop.

By Mike Bowden

Valve’s Chet Faliszek has told Kotaku in its video podcast that DLC for zombie shooter Left 4 Dead is in the works.

“We have the DLC coming, we’re going to do the 360 at the same time as the PC,” he said.

“If it wasn’t the holidays and people weren’t taking all these vacations here at Valve, you’d have seen that announcement already.”

No details of exactly what the DLC content would contain was forthcoming.

Thanks, EG.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking with CVG, Beautiful Game Studios general manager, Roy Meredith, has said he believes that there is a 90 percent piracy rate for the company’s Championship Manager series.

He’s got the stats to prove it too: “That’s not just a number in the air, we can measure it and we know that there are a huge amount of pirated copies,” said Meredith.

“There’s a real issue around DRM … I’d love to defeat pirates, but actually, with all this mess on Spore and Football Manager, which I haven’t been able to play this year… I spent about three hours trying to go through this registration process and I really want to play it but I’ve got other things to do with my life.

“There are actually other ways of dealing with piracy too,” he added. “One is to compete price-wise. We haven’t got to pay royalties to Sony or Microsoft, so we can go into territories and price compete.”

By Mike Bowden

In an interview with Famitsu, Resident Evil 5 producer, Jun Takeuchi, has expressed concern that Western developers are slowly taking over the Japanese marketplace.

“I’m worried about the movements of Western developers,” he said. “Japan is now their target – it’s the last big marketplace. The truth is that Western studios are making great games, and they’re going to continue to do so next year too.

“It’s not good if Japanese developers are making games that can’t be enjoyed by Japanese people,” he went on.

“2009 will also see Resident Evil 5 finally released, and it’ll also then see us on to our next step. We haven’t shown what Capcom has in store for 2009 yet, so I hope we can surprise you all soon.”

Thanks, Develop.

By Mike Bowden

The Western version of Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online has gone into open beta, writes Eurogamer.

You can download the free-to-play MMO from Aeria Games’ site. Aeria will profit from item sales within the game.

More through the link.

By Mike Bowden

Over at Watch Impress. The PSP shooter is looking very sharp indeed, we reckon. The game will be the first of its kind to use PSP Plus technology which enables players to use their PS3 controllers to play the game.

Resistance Retribution is set for a Spring 09 release.

By Mike Bowden

According to a senior executive at Japanese broadcasting network, Fuji Television, the recently announced Wii Video Channel would be “the stuff of television producers’ nightmares,” writes The Times.

The exec says that as Japanese television is currently inundated with “repeats and celebrity formats,” Nintendo’s new, fresh approach could affect ratings.

The channel ‘Wiinoma’ is launching in the Spring and promises to deliver cartoons, brain-training quizzes, cooking shows, and educational and lifestyle programmes.

Wii Video Channel is set for release sometime this year.

Thanks, 1UP.

By Mike Bowden

Major Nelson has confirmed that Halo 3 was the most-played game on Xbox Live last year.

Call of Duty 4 came in second, followed by GTA IV.

Castle Crashers topped the XBLA charts, with Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 and Braid coming in second and third respectively.

Halo 2 topped the list for the original Xbox, with Fable and Star Wars: Battlefront 2 making up the rest of the top three.

By Mike Bowden

Happy New Year. We’re glad we shut down over Christmas. You didn’t miss a whole lot.

By far the most important story over the break was news that Free Radical cut its workforce by 140 to just 40.

The developer was confirmed as being in administration just before the Christmas holiday.

Speaking to 1UP, Cameron Gunn of administrators ReSolve Partners said, “We made around 140 employees redundant yesterday, effective 31 December (the date up to which they had been paid). We’re still trading on with the remaining 40 or so employees, have advertised the business for sale and have received some strong interest.”

News broke mid-December that staff had turned up for work only to be locked with a notice on the door telling them to adjourn to a nearby hotel.

Free Radical aside, other noteworthy Christmas news included confirmation that Mistwalker JRPG Cry On has been cancelled.

“AQI decided to cancel the project after analyzing the current market environment and forecasts for the future. We deeply apologize for troubling those who were awaiting its release,” said a company rep.

Cry On was apparently part of “Hironobu Sakaguchi’s triumvirate of Xbox 360 titles,” says this 1UP piece (the other two being Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey), and for those of you who don’t know, the game “was to be an action-RPG featuring a Nobuo Uematsu soundtrack [and] character designs by Kimihiko Fujisaka.”

Full round up below.

More »

Worlds.com has filed a suit against NCSoft for alleged patent infringement on multiplayer virtual environments.

Worlds.com apparently has dibs on, “System and Method for Enabling Users to Interact in a Virtual Space”, according to patent number 7,181,690, filed back in February 2008.

According to the company’s site, “Worlds.com is the pioneering platform in 3D virtual communities and rich immersive environments. Launching in 1994, Worlds leverages its patented proprietary technology in partnership with brand leaders in specific market segments to offer users multi-user environments that have interactive Avatars, rich media graphics, text chat, voice-to-voice chat, video and e-commerce.

Worlds.com is seeking damages from NCSoft, plus the assurance that it will not infringe its “Scalable Virtual World Chat Client-Server System” patent.

Thanks, Kotaku.

By Mike Bowden