Monthly Archives: November 2009

2K has announced a limited BioShock 2 Special Edition for release on February 9 with the normal edition.

As if the game containing utterances like “Fucking sodomites everywhere” didn’t make it special enough already.

It will run you $99 for the console version and $89 for PC and contains a 164-page hardcover art book, posters, and the soundtrack on not only CD but vinyl as well.

Time to dig our Winnie-the-Pooh record player out of the attic, we reckon.

More through here.

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Capcom has announced that it will release a boxed copy of Resident Evil 5 that contains all the additional DLC released, plus the upcoming Lost in Nightmares, Mercenaries Reunion, costumes and another TBA episode.

Called the Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, it will retail for $49.99 as a single Blu-ray disc for PS3 or as a DVD with a token for the downloadable content for Xbox 360 on March 9.

Lost in Nightmares and Costume Pack 1 will be released on February 17 and 18 for 360 and PS3, respectively.

Another episode (title TBA) along with Costume Pack 2 will hit on March 3 and 4 for 360 and PS3 respectively.

Via PR mail.

Four new screens for Final Fantasy XIII popped up on Kotaku today.

You can view ‘em here.

Two are character shots, and two are gameplay shots.

Enjoy. It’s out next year.

Looks like Assassin’s Creed II has been given the Digital Foundry treatment with the latest Face-Off between the 360 and PS3 versions of the game.

Here’s the final analysis:

“It’s fair to say that while Assassin’s Creed II has a number of important advantages on Xbox 360, the crucial thing is that the improvements to the PS3 engine are such that the performance deficit isn’t going to get in the way of having a great time.

“It’s an essential game on both platforms, but if you’ve got both consoles, the 360 version is clearly the more solid performer.”

You can read the full thing through here, and check out the video here.

BioWare has announced Retrun to Ostagar as DLC for Dragon Age: Origins.

It is to be made available this “holiday season” in the US and Europe for $4.99/£3.99 on PSN, 400 BioWare Points on PC and 400 MS Points on 360.

Return to Ostagar allows players to “exact their revenge and embark on a quest for the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan when they revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens’ darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden’s fallen king.”

Sounds epic and effing fantastic.

Full PR through the break.

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Those looking forward to the second season of 1 vs. 100 should know that it starts in the US tonight at 8:00pm EST.

As previously reported, season two makes it easier to become either the mob or the One by having a great score throughout the season, as well as The One doing a pose while coming down the stairs to center stage.

There’s also unlockable dance moves and new achievements.

Should be fun. We’ll definitely be playing if the queue isn’t too long.

Full PR below the break.

Thanks for the reminder, Joystiq.

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During a presentation to investors, Sony revealed that all PS3 systems are upgradeable to stereoscopic 3D via firmware updates, and the company plans to integrate 3D through Blu-ray and HDTV sets as well.

The company’s goal is to “lead the 3D market” and offer 3D tools to developers that wish to create games with three-dimensional play.

Plans to install 3,000 Sony 3D theater projectors in cinemas the end of the year is another part of the plan, which when combined the aforementioned plan, the company believes it will achieve profitability by March 2011, according to CEO Howard Stringer.

Sony’s projecting a $1 billion (¥95 billion) loss for its current fiscal year, ending March 2010, but Howard says that current money-saving plans are paying off.

“Our work is already bearing fruit,” he said before adding that the company still has “more work to do”.

Howard also revealed that Sony is ahead of its planned restructuring schedule of saving $5.6 billion (¥500 billion) in costs, part of which was a direct result of the  12 percent reduction of its total workforce (19,500 jobs) over the last year.

Yesterday, Sony announced that it has seen a 70 percent growth in sales for PS3 when compared to October 2008, making it “the only console to experience significant growth year over year”.

Via Gamasutra, Associated Press.

An international study from Gamesindustry.com has found that MMOs account for 15 percent of gaming time in the US and Europe.

This information was obtained through 13,000 survey participants ranging from age eight and above, which found that 14 percent of gaming in the US was MMO-centric. In the UK, the number was 8 percent, Belgium 16 percent, and Germany 13 percent, with France and the Netherlands both at 15 percent.

As far as subscription based MMOs, European players accounted for 35-40 percent, where as in the US the number was “slightly higher” with players averaging 5.5 hours playing MMOs during the week.

“The days we could categorize gamers on the basis of a single game platform are long gone,” said Peter Warman, managing director of Gamesindustry.com. “Of the US console players 29 percent also plays MMOs and 25 percent on their mobile phone. Also typical for today’s gamers is the fact that more than half of US console gamers (55 percent) also play on casual game portals.

“All these platforms are increasingly competing for the time and money of the same consumer.”

Console players accounted for 4.9 hours played per week and casual play hours came to 4.8 hours.

IndustryGamers has more through through the link.

GameStop’s Q3 financial report has revealed an increase in net earnings of 11.8 percent.

Earnings for the quarter ending October 31 amounted to $52.2 million compared to $46.7 million for the same quarter in 2008.

Sales increased 8.2 percent to $1.83 billion with used sales up 19.4 percent compared to 19.3 percent for 2008′s third quarter, and new software sales grew 9.4 percent.

With the release of Modern Warfare 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Assassin’s Creed 2, GameStop predicts strong earnings and sales for Q4.

The top five games for Q3 were Batman: Arkham Asylum, Halo 3: ODST, Madden NFL 10, NBA 2K10 and Wii Sports Resort.

Thanks, GI.biz.

Research and consulting firm, Jon Peddie Research, has issued a report predicting that the PC hardware market will grow to $21.26 billion, up 5.9 percent from 2008.

Earlier this year, the firm predicted it would drop 7 percent over last year.

“The increase is due to higher than anticipated consumer demand for Enthusiast, Performance, and Mainstream hardware influenced by the ability to play video games ranging from casual to hardcore simulations”, read the report.

On top of that, the report states that the worldwide PC gaming hardware market is predicted to grow another 30 percent in 2010.

““The largest influence on the high forecasted growth rate is due to purchasing delays for systems and upgrades in 2008/2009 as consumers circled the wagons and took a conservative position on discretionary spending,” said senior analyst at JPR, Ted Pollak. “A recovering economy, processing advancements, and higher quality gaming offerings will all contribute to a healthy year for PC gaming hardware in 2010.”

Full PR below the break and through here, via BigDownload.

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Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades has told Eurogamer that while making Heavenly Sword, the development team felt caught in the middle of the console war.

Antoniades said that the situation was both “draining” and “unfair”.

“When you are exclusive, sometimes the pressure to demonstrate technology can override other aspects of game development,” he said. “Being involved in one side of a format war as if it’s the machines that make great games can also be draining.

“You get a lot of attention as an exclusive developer which is great, but on the flip side there was a lot of anti-Sony feeling going on which I felt was unfairly being directed at our team.”

Currently, the developer is at work on multiplatform title Enslaved, which has a post-apocalyptic setting. Antoniades calls the move to multiplatform “comfortable” as the team can now focus on just “building as compelling a game as we can”.

More through the link.

Colin Sebastian, analyst for Lazard Capital Markets, has revealed in the firm’s latest note to investors that sales of New Super Mario Bros Wii are “off to a good start after three days at retail”.

This information was obtained through a meeting with Nintendo yesterday, and while sales for the game are moving in a positive direction, Sebastian is unsure if the title has make a dent in “incremental hardware sales”.

The analyst feels that the next 12-months are integral for Nintendo, and positive sales will depend on the software line-up for the next year. However, he claims that the gaming giant remains “upbeat” regarding 2010 and that the company plans to be “more vigilant” in the fight against piracy.

More through GI.biz.

CD Projekt RED has officially commented on the shaky cam footage of The Witcher 2 that was leaked onto the internet this week.

Apparently, photographs and filming were not allowed, but we kind of figured that out -what with that chair in the way and all.

“Unfortunately, I have to confirm that the video which appeared a few days ago on the Internet is indeed a presentation of The Witcher 2,” said CEO Adam Kiciński. “It’s a video of a demonstration of the game during the so-called business days of the IGROMIR game expo in Russia.

“It was a closed demonstration for business partners, representatives of the biggest trade chains and a handful of chosen journalists – one of many such demonstrations CD Projekt RED has been doing in various countries. Unfortunately, despite a declared ban on filming and photography at all such events, someone managed to shoot a video at IGROMIR. Just like last time, we will not comment on that.

“Simultaneously, we can assure you that all confirmed information will be revealed soon after the game is officially announced.”

In case you missed the video, it’s posted here.

Stand down, soldiers. SCEE’s just sent us a Kaz Hirai quote which confirms that online PSN gameplay is to remain free.

The comment’s from a business meeting at which it was confirmed that subscriptions are on the way to PSN.

“SCE will further increase sales by offering users new entertainment through the combination of hardware, software, peripheral and PlayStation Network,” said the SCE boss.

“Especially in the online area, we are studying the possibility of introducing a subscription model, offering premium content and services, in addition to the current free services.”

The internet went a little batshit ealirer today on seeing a slide from Sony’s presentation that said PSN is to get a “new revenue stream from subscription”.

Your play is free. You should watch out for the premium content though, wallet-guarders.

SCEE’s confirmed that Just Add Water retro PSN shooter Gravity Crash will release next Tuesday, November 24.

Both the full game and a trial-and-unlock will be available.

This is good news. The neon space blaster’s plenty of awesome. You should be watching tomorrow for a lot more detail.

Oh dear. Slide 39 in this Sony presentation – headed “Media/Investor Conference,” and dated November 19 – appears to admit that some kind of subscription service is on the way to PSN.

PSN is listed as one of the key advantages of PlayStation 3, as it’s to provide a “new revenue stream from subscription”.

The slide also says that a “non-game software development kit” is to be released in the second quarter of 2010.

Rumour for now. We’ll ask SCEE.

The use of female game characters shouldn’t even be an issue any more, WET creative director, Patrick Fortier, has told VG247, and protagonists’ gender shouldn’t matter provided it’s appropriate to the game in question.

“I think we have to reach a point where having a female character is simply a non-issue,” said Fortier, speaking in an interview published today.

“It shouldn’t be seen as a particular risk, the decision should simply be based on the relevance of the character in regards to the experience the game is striving for.

“Ultimately, simply having good, fun games starring women protagonists is what will improve their ‘portrayal’. Good games are good games – regardless of the character’s gender.”

WET itself featured a female lead in Rubi.

“Rubi’s a problem fixer who happens to be a woman,” Fortier added.

“We didn’t want her gender to define her, but we did feel having a female character was a nice way of visually promoting the main premise of the game – agility, athleticism and fluidity of movement.”

Hit the link for the full thing.

SCEE’s just detailed a few deals for its now-released Euro movie store, as you can see here.

If you download Angels & Demons between November 19-30, you get a PSN voucher code for The Da Vinci Code, usually priced at £6.99, at no additional charge. Amazing.

Also, anyone who registers for a PSN account between those dates gets Transformers for free. And no, that doesn’t apply if you’re already registered.

Sony’s Video Delivery Service is now live.

A2M’s WET stood out this year for pushing a female character out with a brand new core IP, as well as shouldering Bethesda’s 2009 to a greater degree. While reviews were mixed, there was no denying the impact: you all know what Rubi looks like, right?

Third-person hyper-violence is always fun. We caught up with the game’s creative director, Patrick Fortier, to chat about the thinking behind the project, the validity of female action characters in the modern landscape and what’s next for A2M

Interview by Nathan Grayson.

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SCEE’s put its Video Delivery Service live for both PS3 and PSP. We know because we just looked.

Get full details on what’s available here and see a video of it in action here.

It’s usable in France, Germany, Spain and the UK and will be updated with around 50 films per week.

Happy Bruno-watching.