Monthly Archives: March 2009

Update – This is mega-old, apparently. Sorry. But we’re going to leave it here because it’s cool.

Criterion’s launched a save game analysis tool for the PS3 version of Burnout Paradise, which “allows you to upload your Burnout Paradise PlayStation 3 save game file and display your discovery items on a map of Paradise City.”

There’s full instructions of how to use it through the link. It involves a USB stick and a PS3.

No word on whether anything similar’s going to be released for the 360 version as yet.

Thanks, Syrok.

Nintendo has told VG247 it hopes consumers will “understand” that it has to raise the trade price of Wii in order to combat depreciation in the pound.

The company confirmed today it’s raising the price of the machine by between £18-20, but insisted that any knock-on effect to consumers will be the fault of retailers.

Here’s what we asked, here’s what Nintendo said.

VG247 – Won’t this force retailers to raise the price of the British Wii?

Nintendo UK: That’s entirely up to retailers. it is illegal for ANY manufacturer to set or fix retail prices. Retail price is ALWAYS set by the retailer. It is up to them what they then price Wii at following the increase in trade price.

Do you expect the move to result in a decline in demand?

Clearly, we hope that consumers will continue to enjoy the entertainment benefits of Wii. We have made this move reluctantly, and hope that consumers and retailers understand that the reasons are beyond our control.

How do you expect retailers to react to the move?

We have made this move reluctantly, and hope that retailers understand that the reasons are beyond our control.

There’s no word yet on when any price hike will come into place.

Disney’s confirmed Black Rock racer Split/Second for a 2010 release for PC, 360 and PS3.

There’s the first few screens after the break.

“Split/Second elevates action racing to a new level by enabling players to strategically take out their opponents by dynamically altering the course in real time,” said Disney Interactive boss, Craig Relyea.

“Split/Second further showcases Black Rock Studio’s ability to innovate and deliver a compelling experience that has wide appeal beyond the traditional racing genre.”

Press release below.

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Update: Nintendo’s just made a further statement on this, saying it hopes consumers “understand” the hike is due to reasons outside of the company’s control.

Thanks to the depreciation of the pound, Nintendo’s said it’s to raise the price it charges the UK trade for Wii hardware by £18-20.

The machine has a recommended retail price of £180.

“We are only – reluctantly – raising our trade price now to retailers due to unprecedented and sustained depreciation of the pound,” Nintendo told VG247 in a statement today.

“This is a problem brought about by extreme currency fluctuations that are a symptom of the global economic situation.”

This should be funny.

Kombo.com has listed full multiplayer details for each version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

Online play lets you earn money and get new ghost-busting equipment, apparently. There are 12 maps with six different power-ups and game types, and an Instant Action mode.

The big list is posted after the jump, just in case you want to remain remotely surprised when it comes out in June.

And no. There’s no mention of crossing the streams.

Via Joystiq

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Tiga boss Richard Wilson has written an open letter to the British secretary of state for business, Peter Mandelson, claiming a continuing lack of tax breaks for the UK development industry will cost 1,700 jobs over the next five years.

Not only that, but anticipated decline in the British trade thanks to tax-pretty locations such as Montreal and France attracting British talent would cost the UK treasury £145 million in 2013 alone, compared to the £150 million Wilson claims it will cost to offer a 20 percent break on development in the UK.

“If we want the UK games industry to remain world leading then we must introduce a tax break for games production similar to the European Union approved French tax credit,” said Wilson.

“Industry research indicates that if a 20% production tax credit was introduced, investment would increase by £220 million over five years, generating a further 1,600 graduate jobs over the same period. This tax break would cost HM Treasury £150 million over five years.”

Read the full thing after the break.

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The latest Fuel trailer shows some weather going on in the open-world racer. Hope you like lightning.

Hit the link for rain, wind and snow. The sort of stuff that shouldn’t out postmen off. But more XTREME.

Does look nice, like. It’s out in May for PC, PS3 and 360.

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We’re pumped. Peter Molyneux reafirmed at the BAFTAs last night that you should be watching GDC closely if you want to know what the UK dev legend’s up to next.

“Naming a particular game before it’s out is a difficult thing. And I’ll tell you why, because in two weeks I’m about to fly out to America for the Gamers’ Development Conference and that’s the time when you start to see what’s really coming up,” he told the BBC.

“I know some of the things behind the scenes that are going on but it’d be really inappropriate to talk about them. But I can say there’s some exciting things on the way. What you think of as video games is changing and changing fast.”

Jonathan Ross may have let a kitten out of a bag last night by saying he’s going to voice a part in Fable III, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is all Six Gun Pete’s got to talk about at the show. No sir.

GDC runs from March 23-27.

GameStation’s opening 200 stores across the UK at midnight tomorrow for the launch of Resident Evil 5.

Said Martyn Gibbs, chain MD: “This game is arguably the biggest launch so far this year and we wanted to make sure our customers could buy the game as soon as it’s available.

“Our midnight openings always go down a storm with shoppers and staff alike, so we’re opening over 200 of our stores across the country tomorrow night at midnight, with staff even getting dressed up for the occasion!”

We may go and take pictures at the local GameStation. Please, God, make Terry the till man dress up as an African zombie.

Press release after the link.

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Koei confirmed Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce for a European release this morning. The PSP game hits on May 1.

It’s a multiplay banana, meaning you and your PSP-loving friends can gang up on endless hordes of enemies forever and ever and ever.

“Being designed exclusively for the PSP has enabled the development team to focus on the strengths of this format and implement a multitude of new ideas and features that really make the most of this hardware,” said Koei UK’s Will Curley.

More on the official site. Press release after the break.

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Realtime Worlds boss David Jones it to keynote UK conference Develop this summer, as confirmed on the official site.

Jones created GTA and Lemmings, and is currently overseeing APB’s development. As far as cheeses go, he’s pretty big.

“Develop is the most prestigious development conference in the UK, and I’m looking forward to coming to Brighton as it’s a great opportunity to share some of my experiences of making games – both good and not so good – plus tell a few of the Realtime World’s stories to my fellow developers,” commented Jones.

More through the link. Develop runs from July 14-16 this year, and is well worth the trip.

The Major’s confirmed that Peggle’s up on Live.

The PopCap puzzler costs a mere 800 MS Points, and will make your mum/wife/children think you’re not obsessed with having sex with virtual prostitutes in Liberty City.

A good thing. Buy it.

Dan Boutros, the man first crowned as American’s first Street Fighter IV champion at GDC last year, likes Street Fighter. A lot. So much so, in fact, that he wrote us a 30-page review of the latest in the legendary fight series in return for a copy of the game from Capcom and a Mad Catz Fight Stick.

Which Mad Catz wouldn’t give him.

But he did it anyway. What follows, as Dan puts it, is, “Possibly the most ridiculously in-depth review of Street Fighter IV you will read.”

We’re not arguing. It’s over 12,000 words long. Get the first part after the link. We’ll do it in three bits, ending Friday.

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Kotaku’s noticed that the Houser brothers were confirmed getting a Take-Two stock windfall of 2,849,003 shares in last night’s Q1 financials, which equates to roughly $18 million.

Nice work if you can get it.

The Housers are now tied into producing games for the company until 2012. With profit share included, obviously.

Get the rest of the news from last night’s release here.

Jonathan Ross mentioned he’d been asked to add his voice to Fable III, via Twitter, following the BAFTAs last night.

# Goodnight all. Must go to bed. Got asked to do voice in Fable 3 tonight. Subarashi. Oyasuminasia. Woss out. about 7 hours ago from web

Fable III’s unconfirmed as yet, but maybe Big Pete will have something to say on the matter at GDC later this month.

And seriously, Twitter? Just fuck off. You make us feel ill.

EA’s put out the first Wii screens of Grand Slam Tennis, and very lovely they look too.

If you buy it, you’ll be able to pretend you’re playing with Wii MotionPlus, even if it hasn’t been released. There can be little better than that.

After the break.

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The Australian version of Club Nintendo‘s now open for business, according to IGN. And serious business it is too.

Register now for a free 250 points. Spend them on face towels, Wii-mote holders or any other one of the total of five items listed.

Or not, obviously.

According to a Nihon Keizai Shimbun report, DS will go through the 100 million unit sales mark this month.

The figure takes into account all iterations of the hardware, namely DS, DS Lite and DSi.

The machine initially launched in 2004 in the US and Japan, followed in 2005 in Europe.

Thanks, Kotaku.

Yeehaw, etc. Microsoft’s released some cowboy and cowgirl outfits for Live Avatars, says the Major.

Go get yourself a nice hat, isn’t it. It’s all free, as ever.

Seeking Alpha’s posted up the transcript of the microscopic Take-Two earnings call yesterday.

Pick over the bones if you feel the need. Get it all here if you can’t be bothered.