Today Game Developer magazine announced Nintendo has been selected as the top videogame publisher for the second year in a row. The top 20 list is determined by a survey of over 300 game industry professionals and takes into account factors like revenue, average review scores, and number of releases. Electronic Arts (EA) long held the number one spot until Nintendo unseated the company last year, although EA is still at number 2.
"Nintendo's second chart-topping appearance in a row underscores the extraordinary popularity of the firm's first-party Wii and DS franchises – we congratulate them on their achievement," said Simon Carless, director, Game Developer Research.
Rounding out the top 5 are Activision in the third spot for the third year running, Ubisoft holding onto fourth, and Sony Computer Entertainment in fifth. Sony was able to leap into the top 5 by releasing more games, bettering its review scores, and preserving positive relationships with those surveyed.
Codemasters (Grid, Overlord) reappeared on the list at number 18 after a two-year leave, bumping last year's new addition, Atlus, off entirely.
After the great success of our previous competition, we are delighted to announce our second competition
This time around the Competition is taking a fairer route, you can only enter Games into this competition. The rules are changed too. The games you can enter are no longer tied to being "Retro themed", no. You can now enter whatever type of Game you like, but you can still gain a 15% judging bonus for having "Retro elements/level" in your Game.
The Prizes this time around are a little different but still awesome. First place is Rock Band 2 + Drums, Guitar, and Microphone! The other places are Retro Consoles all in there Original Boxing and complete with games & controllers! We decided to offer these as the additional prizes due to the nature of our "Retro" orientated site.
As an added bonus the top poster here between now and the end of the competition (staff excluded), will receive a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox + a mystery gift!
The Competition Starts Now (October 1st 2008) & will run until January 1st 2009.
So without further delay, here are the Prizes on offer this time around.
1st Place:
Rock Band 2 for the console of your choice.
Includes game, drums, guitar, and microphone.
2nd :
First pick from the Retro Game Systems listed.
3rd Place :
Second pick from the Retro Game Systems listed.
4th Place :
Remaining Retro Game System listed.
2nd > 4th Place Prizes:
Nintendo 64 Console + 1 Controller & Games.
Games include : Super Mario 64, Goldeneye 007, Zelda ocarina of time, Diddy Kong racing & Castlevania 64.
All games are boxed.
Or :
Sega Dreamcast Console + 2 Controllers, 1 VMU, 1 Dreamkey & Games.
Games include: Fighting Force, Sonic Adventure & Sega worldwide soccer 2000.
All games are in cases.
Or :
Sega Saturn Console + 1 Controller & 6 Games.
Games include : Destruction Derby, Command & Conquer, Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona USA, Sega Rally Championship & Loaded.
All games are in cases.
5th Place:
Final fantasy VII for PSX.
Top Poster (From Oct. 1 to Jan. 1) Prize:
Halo: Combat Evolved for Xbox + A mystery gift!
Competition Start Time & Closing Date :
The Competition will run from October 1st until January 1st.
Platforms Allowed :
We accept entries for the following consoles :
Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (XP/Vista).
Programming Languages Allowed :
You may use any programming language you wish. However, you must make sure to include any additional data files needed
in order to run your game (ie. .dll's).
Competition Rules :
1) You MUST include the RetroEmu Winter Coding Competition 2008 Splash screen in your entry. There is no exception to this, if your entry doesn't include it, it isn't entered.
2) There is a 10% Judging bonus for the quality of the Splash screen implementation.
3) You may post about your entry at other sites, but you may NOT upload the file to any other site bar RetroEmu during the duration of the competition (if you are having issues uploading your entry please contact me).
4) You can update your game as much as you like during the competition.
5) There is a 15% Judging Bonus for having "Retro Themed Elements/level" in your Game.
6) The Competition runs from now (1st of October) until January 1st, 2009.
7) The Judges are Zack & HardHat while users will account for 10% of the overall judging.
8) Both open source and closed source entries are allowed.
9) Your entry should include a screenshot and sufficient information regarding your Game.
10) The deadline is set to the date specified above, unless there is significant demand for this to be extended it will not be changed.
Splash Screen Images :
The Splash screen images, including PSD and Font files used are available to view/download Here
Entry's :
Please submit your entry or comment on other entry's Here
Spread The Word :
Help the competition grow & help RetroEmu at the same time by DIGGING This Story
New titles have dominated the Japanese software sales chart for the week ended September 28, taking up six of the top ten places, according to data provided by Media Create.
Super Robot Wars Z for the PlayStation 2, by Namco Bandai, broke into the chart at number one by selling 366,000 units. Pokemon Platinum for the Nintendo DS has fallen to second place, followed by Rhythm Tengoku Gold, also for the DS, maintaining its spot at third.
Sega's World Destruction for the DS debuted on the chart in fourth place with 56,000 units and Namco Bandai's Kinikkuman for the PS2 secured fifth place at 35,000 units. Dragonball DS came in seventh, preceding another new title, X-Edge, for the PlayStation 3, selling 22,000 units.
Wii Fit dropped two places from last week to eighth, while the chart was closed by two new titles, Aquanaut's Holiday for the PS3 with 18,000 units at nine and Disaster: Day of Crisis for the Wii with 14,000 units at ten.
Japanese software chart follows:
01. Super Robot Wars Z (PS2)
02. Pokemon Platinum (DS)
03. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
04. World Destruction (DS)
05. Kinikkuman (PS2)
06. Dragonball DS (DS)
07. X-Edge (PS3)
08. Wii Fit (Wii)
09. Aquanaut's Holiday (PS3)
10. Disaster: Day of Crisis (Wii)
The Sony PlayStation Portable was the fastest selling piece of hardware in Japan between March 31 and September 28, according to Famitsu, and reported by Kotaku.
Mario Kart Wii was named the highest selling software title for the first half of the year. However this came as news broke that the Japanese home videogame market shrunk 21.3 per cent during the same six month period.
It's that time of the week folks and again sales for consoles in Japan have another miserable week as the data and rank changes below imply:
Nintendo DS Lite: 57,847
Nintendo Wii: 26,314
Playstation Portable: 25,671
Xbox 360: 11,291
Playstation 2: 9,848
Playstation 3: 8,275
In rough figures, first off: the DS Lite stays on top, down 4,000. The Wii is 2nd, down 3,600. The PSP goes down 3,000. The Xbox 360 comes 4th, down 2,500. The last 5th and 6th places see a change; the PS2 increases by 1,700, swapping places with the PS3 which slides downwards into 6th by 500 units. Stats via Media Create
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
The tide of games are still coming in, flooding our warehouse. Raiden IV, the highly anticipated newest installment to the exhilarating shooter Raiden has arrived on your Xbox360™ consoles. Fly your craft, shoot down enemies, save the planet from invasion and admire the cutting edge graphics displayed by your 3rd generation system.
Eeriness is permeating the air even before Halloween arrives. Come home to Silent Hill and rediscover the resort town's disturbing history and residents as you search for your brother. With the graphical and audio capabilities of the PlayStation3™, the line between your nightmare and reality will be forever blurred.
Quite a lot of Japanese adventure games spot engaging storylines and by localizing them for English speaking audiences, more people can enjoy them. Time Hollow is a good example of such games. Stepping into the shoes of the protagonist, you right the errors that happened in the past in order to retrieve your disappeared family.
Aside from Time Hollow, the comedic RPG Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure and Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness [Nintendo DS™, Sony PSP™]are also localized for English speaking audiences. Save Prince Charming from the witch's clutches and claim your rightful place as the overlord of the netherworlds.
Although this summer has already passed us by, it is never too late to spend time at the beach with a team of pretty girls.
Rito, plagued with bad luck in the romance department is finally getting a break in To Love Ru Trouble: Rinkaigakkou-Hen [Limited, Standard Editions]. He is sent by the school master to spend time at a seaside academy. But again, paradise can always turn into a nightmare and vice versa with the team of alien girls around.
Namco Bandai Games has released fighter compilations for PlayStation2™. Namco Classic Fighter Collection and Shonen Jump Naruto: Ultimate Collection both feature three exciting games. It is your great chance to try out the games you have meant to play but missed and save some cash in the process.
Besides classic games, new fighters are released on Sony's newest portable console. Ikkitousen the hit manga is converted to Eloquent Fist [Limited, Standard versions] for Sony PSP™. The voluptuous girls are rebirths of warriors from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era and their conquests have just begun, enjoy the fan service provided along with the adrenaline pumping combat.
After pummeling the living daylights out of your opponents in fighters and destroying enough air crafts in the shooters, its time to contruct something. In SimCity Creator [Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo DS™] you have absolute power over a city, after all, as its creator you can make additions to it and destroy it at will.
Last but not least, something for the whole family. The high ranking quiz show Buzz Quiz TV came out on PlayStation3™, complete with 4 buzzers. Test who is the most knowledgeable person in your family by challenging each other in the game show. Aside from using the TV, you can take your favourite program with you wherever you go as Buzz! Master Quiz is available on Sony PSP™.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Baja: Edge of Control US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
Lego Batman ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 (en Espanol) US US$ 64.90
Raiden IV JPN US$ 64.90
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (Chinese language Version) ASIA US$ 64.90
Warriors Orochi 2 US US$ 54.90
PlayStation3™
Baja: Edge of Control US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
Buzz Quiz TV (w/ 4 Wireless Buzzers) US US$ 79.90
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PlayStation3 the Best) ASIA US$ 39.90
Madden NFL 09 (en Espanol) US US$ 64.90
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (Chinese language Version) ASIA US$ 64.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming ASIA US$ 59.90
Warhawk (PlayStation3 the Best) ASIA US$ 29.90
Nintendo Wii™
Brothers in Arms: Double Time US US$ 54.90
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts '09 US US$ 44.90
Jikkyou Powerful Major League 3 JPN US$ 59.90
Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked! US US$ 34.90
Margot's Word Brain US US$ 34.90
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition US US$ 44.90
Samba De Amigo US US$ 44.90
Sim City Creator US US$ 54.90
de Blob US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Jikkyou Powerful Major League 3 JPN US$ 64.90
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou JPN US$ 64.90
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.00
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou [Special Limited Edition] JPN US$ 99.90
Namco Classic Fighter Collection US US$ 34.90
Pac-Man Power Pack US US$ 34.90
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special JPN US$ 64.90
Shonen Jump Naruto: Ultimate Collection US US$ 34.90
SingStar Pop Vo.l 2 US US$ 34.90
The Magician's Academy (eb! Kore) JPN US$ 34.90
Warriors Orochi 2 US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™
Babysitting Mania US US$ 24.90
Brain Quest Grades 3 & 4 US US$ 34.90
Dinosaur King US US$ 34.90
Disgaea DS US US$ 34.90
Drop Cast US US$ 24.90
My Little Pony: Pinkie Pie's Party US US$ 24.90
My SAT Coach with The Princeton Review US US$ 34.90
My Secret World by Imagine US US$ 34.90
Nakamura Sumiko Tettei Shidou: Shin Toeic Test 1-hi-1-fun DS Lesson JPN US$ 29.90
Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase US US$ 34.90
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure US US$ 34.90
Shaun the Sheep US US$ 34.90
Sim City Creator US US$ 34.90
Time Hollow US US$ 34.90
Unknown Soldier: Mokuba no Houkou JPN US$ 48.90
World Destruction: Michibi Kareshi Ishi [ebten DX Pack] JPN N/A
Sony PSP™
Buzz! Master Quiz US US$ 24.90
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness ASIA US$ 14.90
Dragoneer's Aria ASIA US$ 14.90
Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist JPN US$ 48.90
Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 95.00
Lego Batman US US$ 34.90
To Love Ru Trouble: Doki Doki! Rinkaigakkou-Hen JPN US$ 48.90
To Love Ru Trouble: Doki Doki! Rinkaigakkou-Hen [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 74.90
PC Games
Mount & Blade (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
The Settlers VI (Gold Edition) US US$ 34.90
Video Game Soundtracks
Ayakashi No Miya Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Chocobo Racing Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Crest of Z's Toshin No Monsho (Super Robot Taisen Z Intro Theme) (~Jam Project) JPN US$ 11.90
Fate / Tiger Colosseum Upper Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Hakuoki - Shinsengumi Kitan Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Knights in the Nightmare Perfect Audio Collection Plus JPN US$ 29.90
Neo Angelique Abyss Neo Angelique Abyss Second Age Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 30.90
Tears To Tiara Kakan No Daichi Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
Yuu Kobayashi's Monthly Fumiaki Kobayashi Radio CD October Issue (~Yuu Kobayashi) JPN US$ 32.90 Game Guides and Magazines
Aoikuro no Kusabi: Hiiro no Kakera 3 Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 38.90
Arcadia Magazine [November 2008] JPN US$ 12.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Codes & Cheats Fall 2008: Prima Games Code Book US US$ 9.90
Dengeki PlayStation Final Fantasy XI Dengeki Ryodan Chronicle 2 2004.6-2006.12 JPN US$ 29.90
Famitsu Connect! On "Connect! On" Vol. 23 November JPN US$ 11.90
Famitsu PSP + PS3 [November 2008] JPN US$ 10.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [November 2008] JPN US$ 16.50
Famitsu Xbox 360 [November 2008] JPN US$ 10.90
Guilty Gear 2 -Overture- Setting Sourcebook JPN US$ 43.90
Hoshizora no Comic Garden Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 33.90
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 Perfect Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Labyrinth City Night Wizard 2 Source Book JPN US$ 32.90
Lego Batman: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Maple Story Master Book 2008.1 Version JPN US$ 23.90
Maple Story Master Book Ikusei Hen 2008. 01 Version JPN US$ 23.90
Memories Off 6: Trial Wave Visual Guide Book JPN US$ 36.90
Nobunaga no Yabou Online Souha no Shou 2008.8.27 Official Guide Vol.1 JPN US$ 32.90
Soul Calibur IV Perfect Guide JPN US$ 29.90
Street Fighter IV Master Guide JPN US$ 23.90
Super Robot Taisen Z Player's Bible JPN US$ 18.90
Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk Perfect Tour Guide JPN US$ 31.90
Tech Gian Brilliant 2008 Vol.1 JPN US$ 35.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1033 (2008 10/10) JPN US$ 7.90
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 ASIA US$ 44.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts '09 US US$ 34.90
Onimusha: The Essentials US US$ 39.90
Nintendo DS™
Kirby: Super Star Ultra US US$ 39.90
Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood US US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™ Macross Ace Frontier JPN US$ 48.90
Valhalla Knights 2 US US$ 44.90
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 330 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
Happy Birthday [Limited & Standard Editions] is a new, relaxing and catchy pop song by News. As image boys for Kose, a famous toiletries brand, the band spots a clean and refreshing image. To all those who are choosing gifts for loved ones' birthdays, inside your prettily wrapped up luxurious toiletries, you can attach a copy of News' single.
To those who prefer something more exotic, we recommend the Hakuoki - Shinsengumi Kitan Soundtrack. As a soundtrack for a dating game, romance permeates the whole disc, aside from that, since the plot of the game takes place in the Bakumatsu period, expect the music to be somewhat nostalgic.
Aside from the above mentioned darkly romantic game soundtrack, the cute and fun Chocobo Racing OST will raise your spirits. Previously released exclusively for Japan, this album is now available for the whole world to enjoy. Listen to the familiar themes from Final Fantasy and discover what miracles remixes can do for them.
After the interesting Jpop releases and soundtracks it is time for the movies. The superhero film Iron Man is available on Blu-Ray Disc, 2 Disc Steel Box and 2 Disc Iron Mask Packages. The film spots a star studded cast and brilliant special effects that are best displayed on your HDTV with a Blu-Ray Disc.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, September 27th and Friday, October 3rd. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (93)
ENKA Music releases (27)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (20)
Video Game Soundtracks (3)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (7)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (31)
Anime & Animation (18)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (31)
Japanese Movies (11)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (46)
J-Pop DVD releases (9)
Idol DVD (37)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has dominated the Spanish and German software sales charts for the week ended September 21 by taking up seven places across the two regions' top ten, according to data provided by Media-Control GfK International.
PC MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has assumed the top spot of the German chart, followed by Crysis: Warhead in second place and Civilisation IV: Colonization at third, also for the PC.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the PlayStation 3 took fourth place, Mario Kart Wii secured fifth place, Wii Fit took sixth place and Spore for the PC came in seventh.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360 closed off the chart at eighth, ninth and tenth places respectively.
Nintendo's Wii Fit topped the Spanish software sales chart, preceding Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the PS3 in second place and Warhammer Online in third.
Wii Play came in at number four, Mario Kart Wii at five, and Star Wars the Force Unleashed for the PS2 and Wii came in at six and seven respectively. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction for the PS3 came in eighth, Play Chapas: Football Edition for the PlayStation Portable came in ninth, and Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? for the DS took tenth place.
German software sales chart follows:
1. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
2. Crysis: Warhead (PC)
3. Civilisation IV: Colonisation (PC)
4. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
6. Wii Fit (Wii)
7. Spore (PC)
8. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2)
10. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360)
Spanish software sales chart follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
3. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
4. Wii Play (Wii)
5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
6. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2)
7. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)
8. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
9. Play Chapas: Football Edition (PSP)
10. Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? (DS)
Have you ever needed to solder something but the nearest power outlet was too far away, out of reach, or simply not available? Then the modPRO MP-61 Cordless Soldering Iron is the perfect tool for you!
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Features:
Power rating: 6W/4.5V
Power supply: 3 x AA batteries
Preheating time: 15 sec
Temperature range: 450°C/842°F
Tip type: HQ Iron plated Long Life tip
Tip shape: Pencil point
Tip diameter/lenght: 3mm/10.3mm
Replacement tip: modPRO MP-62
Kit Includes:
Cordless 6W Soldering Iron
3 x Duracell AA batteries
Safety cap
Small tip-changer tool
1m thin lead-free solder (0.8mm)
Instructions in English, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish and French.
I've been on a big Worms kick lately on my Xbox 360. It's the perfect game for four semi-sober dudes to play together, as its full of dicking each other over and explosions while being slow paced enough for even those with the most dulled reaction times to still participate. But when I've tried it with friends via Xbox Live, it just hasn't been as fun.
Format: Xbox LIVE® Arcade Publisher: TikGames Developer: TikGames Price 800 Microsoft points Release Date: September 17, 2008 ESRB Rating: E for Everyone Genre: Card & Board
Website: www.tikgames.com
Remember "top-selling" XBLA game Texas Hold 'Em? That was actually a pretty good game. So now TikGames have come out with Domino Master, "bringing the fun and challenge of this classic party game to Xbox LIVE for the first time" as quoted from the press release. Problem is, unlike Texas Hold 'Em, Dominoes is actually a really boring and unskillful game.
The problem is Dominos has very little strategy in it, its mostly random and out of your control. Basically tactics are based on 2 factors, getting rid of you highest number Dominoes for damage control if you lose the round or play the domino that will give the more options for the next turn, which of course can be spoiled by the other player placing his domino so really you can't plan ahead. But then most of the time you can only play the one domino anyway, so it all becomes pointless. Things only get interesting when you play the other variants such as "All 5s" and "All 3s" were scoring gets more complex, which involves trying to get multiples of 5 or 3 (depending on the game) to score more point, which does ad a little (and I do mean little) tactical edge to the game. Bergen is similar only your trying to match numbers at each end of the layout of Dominos . But in the end there's just not the same tactical depth as other card games on XBLA (like TikGames own Texas Hold 'Em).
Of all the game modes Mexican Train is the most interesting, and most complex. In this game mode the game splits play into different tracks, with each player having their own line of Dominos that only they can add to as well as a communal one, which opens up the game and gives you more options each turn compared to the other game modes, but still there are many turns were you can only do one move or nothing, after a while its can seem draw out and very boring, and considering the default is 12 rounds which took me well over an hour to finish one game!
TikGames have tried to spice the game up with the presentation. The Dominoes are in 3d and jump/bounce as there are set down, when a winning or scoring domino is slammed down, all the tiles jump, which is a nice effect. Unfortunately its the same background for most of the game bar Mexican Train has a nice wild west theme. But really there is only so much you can polish a.... game with fundamentally boring gameplay.
What about online? well its about the same as playing against the AI only AI does not take 5-10mins to start a game, and does not quit half way thought the game. Also considering there where only 4300 people on the leader board at the time of writing, if anything its going to get harder to find a game.
In the end I don't think TikGames have done a bad job, its just Dominos is not a great game to start of with, and there is only so much you can do with it. And ultimately the problem with Dominos, is that you can lose easily though no fault of your own. But what is shocking is the price, 800 MS points, that twice as Gin Rummy which is a far better casual game.
Time to Tell Us Dammit, no make that, TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Who knows! Not I, not I.
Question: What's the most you've shelled out for a game?
Exclusive Sega will next year launch a portable media player boasting enough functionality to threaten Sony’s PlayStation Portable, the Register Hardware can exclusively reveal.
The PMP is to be called the Sega Vision and it’ll work as a videogames machine, in addition to playing films. The unit will feature an integrated camera for capturing still images and video. A built-in TV tuner will provide yet another form of entertainment.
Sega Vision may also threaten Sony’s Reader range of e-book viewers, because books are listed as one of Vision’s features. The Sega PMP will also handle music and work as a voice recorder.
Sadly, none of the machine’s technical specifications have been revealed yet, such as which music formats it’ll support, whether there’ll be on-board storage or how many megapixels the camera will have.
Sega told us that Vision will be launched in the UK at some point early next year, but a price hasn’t been set yet.
However, if you like what you've heard, then a handful of working models – believed to be the only ones in existence in the UK – are currently sitting in a central London arcade waiting to be won.
ShackNews reports on an emerging trend which sees game publishers offer one-time bonus codes to unlock extra content for certain titles. Rock Band 2, for example, comes with a code which will allow free 20-song download, but is only usable once. NBA Live '09 has functionality to update team rosters on a daily basis, but will only do so for the original owner. "'This information and data is very valuable and it wasn't free for us,' an EA representative explained on Operation Sports. 'T-Mobile is paying for it this year for all users who buy the game new. This is a very expensive tool to use, and if you don't buy it new, then you'll have to pay for this. It isn't greed at all.'"
The latest entry to the Super Robot Wars canon was released on the 25th September and in less than three days sold 366,493 units, placing it at the top of the Japanese charts. This is doubly impressive as Z costs a fair whack by Japanese standards, a suitably whopping 8,379 yen (a good 1000 yen more than almost all the PS3 and 360 games available). It's worth highlighting the fact that Z has damn impressive 2D animation within (to the extent that it makes Alpha 3 look antiquated, despite it being on the same hardware), which is where the price tag originates from and why the series hasn't made the leap to HD (no, XO doesn't count as that was a Gamecube port and scaling up 2D graphics isn't something that can be done in hardware as it would look suitably arse). In additions, Z offers a whole new layer of tactics over the previous games as it allows the player to setup formations of units that can be deployed in three modes, each of which feed into what formation the enemy is already using. On top of the unit and pilot intricacy, this new extra layer makes the whole package far more involving.
And "yes" I'm back, piercing the heavens for the ****ing win I should add.
Readers currently residing in the United Kingdom -- your wait is over. At long last, you'll be able to experience one of 2007's best selling, most critically acclaimed titles -- Rockstar's controversial thriller, Manhunt 2. After being turned down by the British Board of Film Classification for its "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone," a reworked, SFEurope version of the game will be launched in the UK for the Wii, PS2 and PSP on October 31. We know, we can barely contain our excitement either.
Sure, it may lack a few of the more grisly elements included in the inappropriate North American version, but if your hands are shaking with anticipation as you read this report -- as we're sure they are -- we imagine you'll be able to overlook a few omitted acts of power drill-related violence.
Before beginning this post, we have a number of important announcements to make:
It is currently October.
Sandwiches, when prepared correctly, are delicious.
Salt is salty.
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What's that? You're not sure why we're announcing things you already know? Perhaps you'll be equally flabbergasted by a rumor that LucasArts and Bioware will likely soon reveal the Knights of the Old Republic MMO that EA CEO John Riccitiello already totally confirmed. The rumor originates from a blurb in UK newspaper Daily Star, the author of which claims he's coming stateside to check the title out at LucasArts HQ. If the author is on the level, we certainly expect one of the two developers to "reveal" the title before his article goes to print. Perhaps they can still surprise the eleven people on the planet that don't already know about it.
Lego Batman is shipping to retailers this Friday, and we've got a bunch of new screens for you.
Featuring an original storyline and 30 levels, TT Games' Lego Batman allows you to play as either a hero or villain, from Gotham favourites such as the Caped Crusader, Robin, Alfred and Batgirl, to The Joker, Two-Face and Mr. Freeze.
The game's out on 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP and DS, so there's no hiding from it.
Me? Loads. Picross DS for one, the world's greatest time consuming, least noticeable time wasting game for the Nintendo DS. I also played... *deep breath* Street Fighter IV, Rambo, Gals Panic S, Deathsmiles, Tenchi Wo Kurau II - Sekiheki No Tatakai, Crush Roller (at various Japanese arcades) and some Cube Runner (on the iPhone). On that last one, I was slightly drunk in a cab and wanted to see how well I'd do while en route to Shibuya. All that other stuff — just for fun. Did pretty well at Deathsmiles, given that it was my first time at it.
Picked up a few things gaming related, an Opa-Opa gashapon, plus a Darkstalkers collection and Fantasy Zone Complete for the PlayStation 2. Can't wait to see both alphabetized on my shelf at home!
Oh yeah, what'd you play this weekend? Sorry for not preemptively asking!
The DCEmu Prize Give Away (Worldwide edition), will be ending on Friday, so if you want to get you hands on one of 3 R4 Revolution R4SDHC DS cards or one of 20 runner up discount codes for Colourful-zone.com enter the contest NOW!
FIFA 09 has taken the top spot of the UK software sales chart for the week ended October 4, according to data provided by Chart Track.
EA's football game outsold last year's game by 37.5 per cent, 42 per cent of which was on the Xbox 360 version making it the console's third fastest selling title. FIFA 09 pushed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed down a place to number two, with sales declining 40 per cent from last week.
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway climbed a position from last week to take third place, while Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii both fell two places to fourth and fifth respectively. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 came in sixth, up one place from last week, however Wii Play dropped a place to come in seventh.
Big Beach Sports jumped up one place to number eight, Disney's racing game Pure dropped a place in its second week to number nine and Carnival: Funfair Games came in tenth, down from seventh last week.
The UK software sales chart follows:
1. FIFA 09
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
3. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
4. Wii Fit
5. Mario Kart Wii
6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
7. Wii Play
8. Big Beach Sports
9. Pure
10 Carnival: Funfair Games
NBA LIVE 09 is back with the game that rewrites the book on authenticity and connectivity, but is still accessible enough for new fans to get in on the ground floor.
New features like Pick and Roll Control, Defensive Lockdown Control, Signature Playcalling, and Quickstrike Ankle-Breakers make the Xbox LIVE® experience fun, long-lasting, and satisfying.
For those in need of some extra coaching, NBA LIVE 09 takes you to training camp with the NBA Academy that gives you a chance to hone your skills.
Game Features:
This new two-man game mechanic lets you control both the ball handler and the screener, as you set screens and run two-man plays, with on court instructions popping up to guide you through each play
Introducing an accessible in-game playcalling system that pushes on-court visualization to guide you through the play
the most out of your game and hone your skills when you jump into the game with an all-new practice facility
Force your defender to step up and guess what you'll do next
This new risk/reward system locks in your check on defense
With 24 national teams to choose from, you can compete in an international tournament using authentic FIBA rosters and teams, including, the United States, Spain, France, and more
Create your own online league, with all-new drafting, trades, and a single-elimination playoff format
Create your own highlight reel and upload the video to EA SPORTS World to show your passion to the world
Basketball is an unstoppable force and NBA Live 09 is available on these platforms:
Xbox360™
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 ASIA US$ 44.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
NBA Live 09 All-Play US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 44.90
Sony PSP™
NBA Live 09 ASIA US$ 42.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 44.90
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 48.90
While the US versions have arrived, the Asian versions will come within this week and the Japanese versions will be recieved within this month.
In celebration of the economy being so bad these days (sarcasm), we are having a sale. From now until the 15th of October you will get 10% off your order if you use the promo code screwed when checking out on www.Extreme-Mods.com. There is no minimum, just place an order and use the fore mentioned promo code and you will receive the discount. Tell all your friends and family!!
if you dont know extreme mods heres the site info:
We are your friendly one-stop-shop for all video game console personalization & modification hardware and accessories. We stock a full selection of Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS case mods, repair parts and gaming accessories. We offer ultra quick delivery to your door, and extra friendly customer service you can count on. Feel free to drop us a line if you have questions regarding any of our products or services. You can put your faith in us to deliver your products quickly and in perfect condition. We take pride in our ultra high level of customer satisfaction, and you will to. So what are you waiting for? REAL Gamers NEED Extreme-Mods!
The DCEmu Prize Give Away (Worldwide edition), will be ending on tomorrow, so if you want to get you hands on one of 3 R4 Revolution R4SDHC DS cards or one of 20 runner up discount codes for Colourful-zone.com enter the contest NOW!
With a Total of 23 prizes up for grabs and only 98 entries so far, that currently about 1 out of 4 chance of winning!! What are you waiting for!!
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Basketball is one of the most exciting sports to participate in, and doubtlessly most people have played in matches either in gym class or under more official circumstances. For those who excelled in the sport, try your hand at it in the cyberworld, get a feel of what being inside the league is like via NBA 09: The Inside.
For those who are less fond of the sport, you might change your mind after playing a game or two in NBA 2K9 or NBA Live 09 in your own private quarters, without the stress of being under the critical gaze of teachers and other spectators.
Although quite a number of basketball games came out this week, they are by no means the majority of the releases, so for those who have preferences for other genres, please rest assured as there is definitely something to cater to your tastes.
Get involved in inter-galactic action in Macross Ace Frontier on your Sony PSP™. With 40 mechs to pilot and 30 player characters to choose from, build up your CV as an invincible pilot as you complete various missions set out for you throughout the history of Macross. You can even enlist the help of your friends when you get into trouble.
Master a range of hi-tech weaponry in Fracture, where the United States are no longer united. Due to environmental disasters, the east and west of the States are separated from each other. Dissent over the other end's mode of survival arise and war ensues. See if the war will bring an end to the difference between people or will it amplify it?
Everthing has to be fast, action, wits, strategy and combat with Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Banding together with his friends, Sonic is off to save the world again from a menace that is tearing the world apart and destroying it bit by bit. Gather another three of your friends and prevent the world from suffering the same fate as in Fracture.
After you are done blowing the world up and saving it from total destruction, its time to shake it. Step into the shoes and smelly skin of Mario's alter ego Wario who always ended up doing something good with evil intentions. Find treasure, defeat enemies and save people from deprivation in Wario Land: Shake.
Appearance can be decieving, the pink, round, soft Kirby is a match against King Dedede the huge penguine and Meta Knight the winged sword wielder. Make use of the local Wi-Fi connection to have a Kirby: Super Star Ultra adventure with a friend and DS download to enjoy the mini games with 3 more selected friends.
Aside from all the adventures and action, enjoy what the world can offer in a more peaceful sort of way. Tour the land, namely Japan and appreciate the services and comforts provided to you by the ladies of the railroad industry in Tetsudou Musume [Standard & Limited Edition].
While you are on the trains, take a break from admiring the railroad ladies, whip out your Sony PSP and continue your counter crusade against the Goddess of Judgement in Valhalla Knights 2. The goddess has woken up after eons of enchanted sleep, its time for you to become a hero and act against her.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Fracture US US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock JPN US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith JPN US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Bundle JPN US$ 129.90
NBA 2K9 ASIA US$ 54.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
Rock Band 2 Wireless Guitar US US$ 89.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts '09 US US$ 44.90
Fracture US US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock JPN US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith JPN US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Bundle JPN US$ 129.90
NBA 09: The Inside ASIA US$ 59.90
NBA 09: The Inside US US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
NBA Live 09 All-Play US US$ 54.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed JPN US$ 59.90
Wario Land: Shake It! US US$ 54.90
We Cheer US US$ 44.90
PlayStation2™
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts '09 US US$ 34.90
Daito Giken Koushiki Pachi-Slot Simulator: 24 - Twenty-Four JPN US$ 49.90
Dragon Ball Z Trilogy US US$ 34.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock JPN US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith JPN US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Bundle JPN US$ 129.90
Infinity Plus [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 95.00
Kamiyo Gakuen Makorouku Kurunugia JPN US$ 64.90
Memories Off Duet - 1st & 2nd stories (Love Game Selection) JPN US$ 19.90
Memories Off Sorekara (Love Game Selection) JPN US$ 19.90
NBA 09: The Inside US US$ 34.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 44.90
Omoide ni Kawaru-Kimi: Memories Off (Love Game Selection) JPN US$ 19.90
Pipe Mania US US$ 24.90
Star Wars The Force Unleashed JPN US$ 59.90
Will O' Wisp: Easter no Kiseki JPN US$ 49.90
Will O' Wisp: Easter no Kiseki [Twin Pack] JPN US$ 89.90
Nintendo DS™
Brain Quest Grades 5 & 6 US US$ 34.90
Family Tool Attach Case JPN US$ 18.90
Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge US US$ 34.90
Kawaii Koinu DS2 JPN US$ 48.90
Kirby: Super Star Ultra US US$ 39.90
Margot's Word Brain US US$ 24.90
Nihongo de Asobo DS JPN US$ 48.90
Pipe Mania US US$ 24.90
Pop Cutie! Street Fashion Simulation US US$ 34.90
Snoopy DS: Snoopy to Chuugen Taichi ni Ei ni Iku! JPN US$ 48.90
Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood US US$ 39.90
Tetsudou Kentei DS JPN US$ 48.90
Tetsudou Musume DS: Terminal Memory JPN US$ 48.90
Tetsudou Musume DS: Terminal Memory [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 74.90
Unsolved Crimes US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Macross Ace Frontier JPN US$ 48.90
Mahjong Haoh Portable: Jansou Battle (Mycom Best) JPN US$ 19.90
NBA 09: The Inside US US$ 34.90
NBA 09: The Inside ASIA US$ 29.90
NBA Live 09 US US$ 44.90
Pipe Mania US US$ 24.90
Umewaza Ykari no Yasashi Igo JPN US$ 48.90
Valhalla Knights 2 US US$ 34.90
PC Games
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Kings Bounty: The Legend US US$ 44.90
Pipe Mania ASIA US$ 29.90
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition US US$ 54.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Araara no Tanpen Koushiki Handbook JPN US$ 17.90
Hyper Hobby [November 2008] JPN US$ 16.90
Infinite Undiscovery Official Complete Guide JPN US$ 32.90
Infinite Undiscovery Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Persona 4 Official Setting And Painting Collection JPN US$ 26.90
Pokemon Platinum Official Perfect Guide Book JPN US$ 18.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1035 (2008 10/17) JPN US$ 7.90
Video Game Soundtracks
Harukanaru Toki No Naka De Yumeukihashi - Kumo Tsumugi JPN US$ 29.90
Infinite Undiscovery Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
Oretachi Ni Tsubasa Ha Nai Drama Series Vol.3 Hiyoko Tamaizumi JPN US$ 20.90
Rockman 9 Arrange Album JPN US$ 28.90
Sekaiju no Meikyuu Piano To Gengakki No Namaensou Ni Yoru JPN US$ 29.90
Side Girls Complete Disc (D.C.Girls Symphony) JPN US$ 28.90
Here is a preview of the very hot games that are coming out next week
Xbox360™
Dead Space US US$ 64.90
Dead Space ASIA US$ 49.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 44.90
PlayStation3™
Dead Space ASIA US$ 49.90
Dead Space US US$ 64.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
NBA 2K9 ASIA US$ 59.90
NBA 2K9 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Wii Music JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters JPN US$ 64.90
Sony PSP™ FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 42.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 44.90
Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2 JPN US$ 39.90
Is Japan's video game industry recessionproof? With stock markets swinging as violently as a fantasy warrior's sword, it's a significant question.
According to data collected by Enterbrain, the publisher of Famitsu magazine, combined sales of video game hardware and software for the first half of 2008 fell to just 78.7 percent of the level for the first half of 2007, dropping from 3.03 billion yen to 2.39 billion yen.
Year-on-year, hardware sales dropped to 66.5 percent of previous levels, while software didn't fare quite as badly, dropping to 89.7 percent.
The figures were presented by Hirokazu Hamamura, Enterbrain's president and Famitsu's executive editor, at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan in Tokyo on Tuesday. Hamamura shared the podium with another industry expert, Hiroshi Kamide, director of the research department of KBC Securities Japan.
"The software situation in Japan is not so bad," Hamamura said, pointing to four games--Mario Kart Wii, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, Pocket Monster Platinum, and Dragon Quest V--that have sold more than 1 million copies each so far this year, compared to eight to hit that mark in all of last year.
With Wii Music and other highly anticipated titles still to come in 2008, "this half is going to be very good for software," he said.
Hamamura said that thanks to the popularity of Monster Hunter, "PSP [PlayStation Portable game hardware] sales in Japan took off dramatically."
"I think the phenomenon is very similar to what happened with Game Boy many many years ago...I think Game Boy had almost died out at that time, and Pocket Monster basically rescued this hardware. I think it's similar to what's happening with Monster Hunter and PSPs," Hamamura said.
He said the game, played through a network by four people, often in separate locations, is "the beginning of a new trend." Another of the year's top games is the multiplayer Phantasy Star Portable, which sold 606,480 copies in the first half, about triple the number expected. Hamamura attributed this to Monster Hunter having changed the gaming environment.
Despite such success stories, Kamide said the 100-day trend in software sales in Japan has been angling downward for the last year and a half.
"I do believe we are in a global recession at the moment, and the gaming industry does like to have a tag that it's recessionproof," Kamide said. "I think there's two ways of looking at this. Yes, obviously Christmas comes every year and hence the need to buy the next Pocket Monster...The other way of looking at it is, if people can't afford to buy Starbucks coffees anymore, are they really going to go and buy the next Brain Training game?"
Kamide said the industry's recent emphasis on casual gaming is changing. "I think now there's going to be a return to core games...as a lot of companies in the industry realize that core gaming is resilient, [while] casual gaming is actually seeing a slowdown in Japan."
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced a strong opening to its FIFA Soccer 09 season. More than 1.2 million copies of the critically-acclaimed game were sold through in its first week on shelves at European retail, making it the fastest start in the history of the award-winning franchise.
"FIFA Soccer 09's great kick-off is a testament to our loyal fans across Europe who simply can't wait to get their hands on the game," said Peter Moore, President of EA Sports. "FIFA Soccer 09 is EA's best soccer offering to date featuring game modes such as Be A Pro: Seasons, 10 vs. 10 Online Team Play, FIFA 09 "Clubs" and the adidas Live Season service*. This is our fastest selling FIFA game of all time and it's rewarding to see the game so high on the list of must-have titles this holiday."
FIFA Soccer 09 launches in North America and Asia on October 14, 2008. It will be available on Wii and Nintendo DS in North America on October 28, 2008.
This year FIFA Soccer 09 delivers unique, platform specific experiences that take advantage of the hardware specifications of each available platform -- the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system and mobile.
Developed in Burnaby, B.C., by EA Canada, FIFA Soccer 09 is localized into 17 languages and sold in 37 countries -- it is the most popular EA Sports franchise globally. FIFA Soccer 09 is rated "E" for everyone by ESRB and 3+ by PEGI.
UK gamers will need to get up early in the morning if they are to take advantage of heavily-discounted consoles at several supermarket chains. So impressive were the price cuts that a number of games retailers have been dispatching staff to their local Sainsbury's to pick up some new stock.
Sainsbury's has been knocking £30 from the price of the Xbox 360 and Wii, bringing the 360 to below £100 for the first time. Staff from GAME, Gamestation and other retailers, both chain store and indie, quickly descended on the bargains and re-upped their own stocks.
“With 360 and Wii on sale at these prices we allowed our store managers to supplement their stock,” explained GAME CEO Lisa Morgan.
Shame the gamers didn't get to enjoy the same benefits, really.
Well, what can I say this time, other than the usual round of console sales figures in Japan for last week? Crashmania prehaps? Seems to be the case for the ongoing fall of sales for the region, with the details obtained from Media Create below:
Nintendo DS Lite: 42,385
Playstation Portable: 26,045
Nintendo Wii: 25,330
Playstation 2: 8,618
Xbox 360 : 8,271
Playstation 3: 7,232
Rough figures as usual, DS lite still tops the list, suffers a 15,500 unit drop. PSP comes back to second place, actually up by 400. Wii is 3rd, down 1,000. PS2 overtakes the Xbox 360, down 800 while the latter is down about 3,000. Last in line is the PS3, down 1,000 as well.
Finally we can publish the winners of the very first Scenery Beta. There has been a lot of good Homebrew over our 4 communities (PSP, NDS, Wii and PC), a nice fair play and the feedback of hundreds of user who have been voting and posting in order to improve all the works. Here it is, the final list with all the winners. Congratulations.
We remember you the awards, described in the Scenery Beta 2008 Rules:
1st place: 150€ + Pendrive 2GB
2nd place: 100€ + Pendrive 2GB
3rd place: 50€ + Pendrive 2GB
4th place: Pendrive 2GB
5th place: Pendrive 2GB
We will also give a 2GB Pendrive to those Homebrew which have been presented to the off-contest section, to try to encourage those coders to finalize their projects.
The organization is very happy with the Scenery Beta, so there will be a 2009 edition. Prepare your consoles.
We also want to thank you all the users, Staff Members and specially coders, this little homage wouldnt be possible without them.
Long live the Scene!!!
I give you link to the final results article. We have already send the cash prizes, and we want to inform all the winners that the pendrives will be sent along this month.
Ars Technica did an in-depth investigation into the numbers behind the war against piracy and found that Congress might as well be telling people counterfeit goods cost the economy eleventy billion zillion, for all the truth behind its figures. The oft invoked $250 billion and 750,000 jobs lost because of intellectual property theft have been repeated for over a decade, with virtually no research to back it up.
It's not just industry groups like the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition that's quoting them either. Everyone from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Patent and Trademark Office to the FBI will repeat the same numbers back at you, pointing evasively to each other when asked which body funded the extensive economic analysis needed to arrive at such figures.
Ars pointed out that, even without looking for their sources, the numbers don't make much sense. 750,000 would mean 8% of all unemployed people in the U.S. lost their jobs to counterfeiting. $250 billion is more than the combined 2005 domestic revenues of the movie, music, software and video game industries. Yet policies are made from this information every day.
Here at Kotaku Towers Shibuya, we'll be playing just about anything with an English language menu. Tomorrow morning, which is Saturday, Japan Time, we'll be sprinting to the Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV stations at Capcom's booth. After about 10:01 AM on the public days of Tokyo Game Show, expect to stand in line for at least 45 minutes to play anything. Even Gardening Mama will have a wait.
With Otomedius Gorgeous, Let's Tap and Space Puzzle Bobble already played, what else is there, really? What you're playing this weekend, of course. Let us know in the comments!
These four days, from Thursday, October 9th to Sunday, October 12th are the highlight of the year for many people as Tokyo Game Show 2008, one of the biggest gaming events in the world, is launched.
The four day period provides a small reverie to everyone suffering under the plunging stock market and the force of the credit crunch. Games are about dreams, the leading developers of the industry say, and the attendants are certainly enjoying this little paradise.
No Earth shattering news is announced, everyone is a little wary, if not completely tired of those and are ready to take delights in small spoonfuls. These small spoonfuls, of course, come in the form of games and related products, be they large scale RPGs or music/puzzle games for casual gamers, everyone is glad for these distractions.
Leaving the gloom outside the gateway of the great halls, let's see what fun the developers are bringing us this year. Since handheld devices are in vogue, a majority of the games announced are on them.
Sega announced an array of games such as Phantasy Star Zero for Nintendo DS™ and Koei featured their famous Musou game launches on Sony PSP™ such as Maou Sairin and Shin Sangokushi Musou Multi-Raid.
Nintendo Wii™ gets new action and sports games such as Naruto Fighters and GI Jockey while the third generation consoles are ready for cross platform sensational games such as Resident Evil 5. Halo 3 and Star Ocean 4 are launching on Xbox360™ while the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIII are coming out on PlayStation3™.
Besides games, products such as figures and even jewelry get their spotlight as you can see on the large catalogue placed in Square Enix's stall.
Last, but definitely not least, are the mood makers of the event. Without them, game shows will definitely be less lively and appealing, they are the booth babes and cosplayers.
Enough talk, as pictures are worth a thousand words, to do the event justice, we will give you a tour around the grounds via our picture galleries:
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 400 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
Rockman, the twenty year old series is still going strong with its ninth installment about to be released on Nintendo Wii Ware. To realize the full potential of the game, instead of distracting players with fancy graphics and special effects, the game is produced in retro style.
However, this does not mean that the composers could not play around with the music of the game. Rockman 9 The Arrange Album added flavor and polish to the themes such that they display both a refreshing feel while retaining the familiar nostalgic sentiment.
Written by Sakurai Motoi, the composer who has written music for the "Tales of" and "Valkyrie Profile" series, Infinite Undiscovery the Original Soundtrack contains the signiture traits of the composer, i.e. the grandness of the orchestrated pieces, gentle music that brings a feel of piece and darker melodies that evoke a sense of foreboding.
Aside from game soundtracks, the young R&B queen, Koda Kumi in the Japanese music industry released her newest single Taboo [Limited & Standard Editions]. After the successes of her last mellow love ballad Moon, she is back to her genre, strong beat dance tunes that has a compulsive force over its listeners.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, October 4th and Friday, October 10th. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (107)
ENKA Music releases (51)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (14)
Video Game Soundtracks (6)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (2)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (28)
Anime & Animation (17)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (14)
Japanese Movies (21)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (132)
J-Pop DVD releases (7)
Idol DVD (4)
features
Secrets\Collectables: Learn the locations of all hidden collectables and all secret "mutant-only" areas.
Achievements: Detailed strategies for obtaining every Xbox 360 achievement.
The Fast Track: Fastest 100% completion secrets.
Maps: Labeled maps of the entire Crash Bandicoot universe!
Platform: Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation3, PlayStation2, Nintendo DS
Mr Modchips the main UK Modchips and Console Modifications/Repairs store has today reopened after a year of being shut down, those who remember will know that Mr Modchips somehow won a court case against them selling Modchips in the UK.
Anyway Mr Modchips sell a massive range of parts and mods and modchips for all these consoles:
PSP
PS2
PS3
Xbox
Xbox 360
Gamecube
GBA
Nintendo DS
Nintendo Wii
On the site they have stated that they will be adding new items all the time so good news for those who liked this shop from before.
Just as the banking markets are in tatters the whole world seems to be plumetting towards a very real recession, i cant speak for other countries but the very high price of fuel which has come down lately but still exceedingly high coupled with every single thing taxed in every area of life and the rather dangerous costs of Gas and Electric which have seemingly tripled.
Add all these together and the very low if any pay rises and its no wonder that people around the world are struggling and that everywhere a massive downturn in sales is inevitable.
Has the Credit Slump Hit you and Your familys ?, i personally foresee that no one hasnt been affected and if anyones to blame who in your eyes is to blame ?
A bunch of Church and charity leaders gather around a table to discuss video games and their impact on society - surely a recipe for military-grade Moral Outrage, no?
Well, no, actually. To interrupt your scheduled grumblings about know-nothing moral guardians and anti-games cliches I bring news that several figures from Church of England groups and charities met at a round table chat organised by the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) and came to the conclusion that this gaming lark might actually have something positive to contribute to society.
Mike Royal, national director of the Lighthouse Group said that games can encourage children to talk about 'boundaries' and what behavior is good and acceptable, not only in gaming but other aspects of their lives.
Up next - Jack Thompson "really getting in to Tales of Vesperia".
Despite what that affront-to-mankind-in-motion-picture-form, Spider-Man 3, may have tried to make you believe, merging with a dreaded symbote doesn't turn you into a mopey jerk with an unfashionable haircut and nightmarish dance moves. We feel that the upcoming Activision web-slinging simulator, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, depicts a much more accurate account of the side-effects of fusion with tar-like alien lifeforms: A widening of the eyes, an elongation of the teeth, and tendrils -- oh, so very many tendrils.
The launch trailer for the aforementioned title, posted above, gives us a good sampling of the symbiotic adversaries we'll be pummeling come Web of Shadows' October 21 release date -- and with a classy touch of Moonlight Sonata to boot. We highly suggest checking it out -- perhaps you'll find some place in your heart that hasn't eternally sworn off games featuring the titular, charismatic wall-crawler.
Bash left the TUD Giraffe in my care this weekend, so I'll close out my shift by asking the juicy question. Here's one for a good discussion: What's the lamest game, or game-related, gift you've ever received? Reaching back, I'm well past the get-gifts-as-games age, although my brother one year gave me a gift certificate to GameFly and then we realized it was only good for paying for a subscription, not used games, so that sucked. But I'm sure there's plenty of you out there with aunts or grandmas who gave you bargain-bin dreck that was camo-marketed to look like that latest game all the kids want. Or, worse, someone knitted you a "World's Biggest Super Mario Fan" sweater and you had to wear it whenever they visited. Anyway, tell us, dammit, in the comments.
There's yet to be any official confirmation that the upcoming Diablo 3 will be released on anything other than the PC, but according to recent comments made by Blizzard president Mike Morhaime, it certainly seems like they're strongly considering console versions of the highly anticipated sequel at some point in the future.
"Every game we have the discussion about which platforms make the most sense," said Morhaime in an interview with Shacknews at BlizzCon. "As Diablo 3 takes shape, I think we'll do an evaluation. I think there is a pretty good argument to be made that that type of game might work very well on consoles. There might be some technical limitations though that we might need to get past."
Backing up Morhaime's comments were those made by Diablo 3 director Jay Wilson, who also thinks console versions of Diablo 3 could work well. "We haven't really decided to take the [console] plunge," Wilson said. "We've really come to the conclusion that [Diablo 3] is probably the best fit because the control scheme is actually not that incompatible. So if we were to make that decision, Diablo would be the natural choice."
What Blizzard won't do, however, is do a quick and dirty port. "If we did it, we would want to do a really high quality version -- we wouldn't just want to do a port," Wilson said. "We would never make that decision if we thought we had to compromise the overall quality...we could probably do it at any time, we could release the game and then decide we wanted to do an Xbox 360 version or a PlayStation 3 version."
Seeing a console version of Diablo 3 down the line wouldn't be unprecedented -- the original Diablo eventually received a port on the PlayStation, and there have been countless action RPGs in the Diablo mold released on consoles as well (Phantasy Star Online comes to mind). And that was back in the Dark Ages when online gameplay on consoles was mostly unheard of.
EA’s FIFA 09 holds onto the No.1 position in this week's ELSPA/Chart-Track’s official UK All Formats Top 40 – despite sales being down 47 per cent.
The football title – which has been garnering exceptional reviews – holds off the stern challenge of Lego Batman, which takes second spot in its debut week.
Lego Batman is Warner’s biggest ever video game launch, released across all 7 major formats with 22 per cent of sales on Xbox 360, 22 per cent on budget PS2, 20 per cent on Wii, 17 per cent on PS3, 12 per cent on DS, six per cent on PSP and one per cent on PC.
There are seven different publishers represented in this week’s All Formats Top 10, with four titles selling best on Xbox 360, and the remaining six top sellers on Wii.
Wii Fit steps up one place to No. 3, bouncing back after last week’s dip in stock, while Star Wars: The Force Unleashed slips two places to No.4.
Ubisoft also drops two places as Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway falls to No.5.
Performance of the week goes to Atari’s Family Trainer, which climbs from No.2- to No.9.
The full All Formats Top 20 for the week ending OCtober 11th reads:
1) FIFA 09 – EA
2) Lego Batman – Warner Bros
3) Wii Fit – Nintendo
4) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – LucasArts
5) Brothers In Arms – Ubisoft
6) Mario Kart Wii – Nintendo
7) Wii Play – Nintendo
8) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 – EA
9) Family Trainer – Atari
10) Big Beach Sports – THQ
President George W. Bush signed into law on Monday a controversial bill that would stiffen penalties for movie and music piracy at the federal level.
The law creates an intellectual property czar who will report directly to the president on how to better protect copyrights both domestically and internationally. The Justice Department had argued that the creation of this position would undermine its authority.
The law also toughens criminal laws against piracy and counterfeiting, although critics have argued that the measure goes too far and risks punishing people who have not infringed.
The Recording Industry Association of America and Motion Picture Association of America backed the bill, as did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"By becoming law, the PRO-IP Act sends the message to IP criminals everywhere that the U.S. will go the extra mile to protect American innovation," said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Counterfeiting and piracy costs the United States nearly $250 billion annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Rick Cotton, general counsel for NBC Universal, said the bill would give movie and music makers more tools to fight what he called a "tidal wave" of counterfeiting and piracy of everything from medical devices to automobile parts to media by organized crime.
"That is at the core of what this discussion is about," he said. "It is not about teenagers."
As part of the London Games Fringe (an indie adjunct to the full-blown London Games Festival), female gamers will be able to compete head-to-head in the first Grl Gmr Tournament.
Taking place on October 25th at the Rocket on Holloway Road, the tournament will consist of Wii Tennis, Tekken, Unreal Tournament, Kuri Kuri Mix and Mario Kart competitions. Five individual winners will be named, with one overall winner being crowned Champion.
The event is free and supporters and spectators of either sex are welcome.
FIFA 09 has dominated the software sales chart for the week ended October 5, according to data provided by Media-Control GfK International.
The Spanish chart saw the football title take the top three spots on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 respectively. Wii Fit came in fourth, followed by Wii Play at fifth and Mario Kart Wii at sixth.
FIFA 09 for the PlayStation Portable took seventh place and FIFA 09 for the PC came in ninth, preceded by Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the PS3 at eight.
Closing off the top ten of the Spanish software sales chart was the PC MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning at number ten.
Similary, the German chart saw FIFA take a dominant lead on most platforms, claiming the top four spots on PS3, PS2, Xbox 360 and PC respectively.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, for the PC, came in fifth, followed by Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning at sixth and the Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Collector's Edition at seven.
Wii Fit took eighth place and Mario Kart Wii took ninth, while Crysis Warhead for the PC closed the chart at ten.
The software sales chart for Spain follows:
1. FIFA 09 (PS3)
2. FIFA 09 (Xbox 360)
3. FIFA 09 (PS2)
4. Wii Fit (Wii)
5. Wii Play (Wii)
6. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
7. FIFA 09 (PSP)
8. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
9. FIFA 09 (PC)
10. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
The software sales chart for Germany follows:
1. FIFA 09 (PS3)
2. FIFA 09 (PS2)
3. FIFA 09 (Xbox 360)
4. FIFA 09 (PC)
5. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel (PC)
6. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
7. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Collector's Edition (PC)
8. Wii Fit (Wii)
9. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
10. Crysis Warhead (PC)
Step onto the pitch and play professional soccer your way in FIFA Soccer 09.
Experience the most authentic soccer simulation EA SPORTS™ has delivered as you live the fantasy of playing as a professional player and customize the game to suit your style and ability.
Powered by the third generation of the EA SPORTS football engine, FIFA Soccer 09 features more than 250 core gameplay additions and enhancements that deliver the most responsive, intelligent and realistic action ever for the series.
Enjoy turning defenders with more controlled dribbling and ball control, snapping off precision shots with improved first-time shooting mechanics and firing beautifully timed passes with greater accuracy, placing the ball exactly where you want it.
The realistic soccer game is available on all new consoles:
Xbox360™
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 74.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 74.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play JPN US$ 59.90
FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 59.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 48.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 42.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 44.90
PC Game
FIFA Soccer 09 (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Most of the Japanese versions will arrive in November but the PlayStation2 version is coming in December. The US versions are arriving later this week while most of the Asian versions have arrived today, the remaining ones will come within this week.
Konami has told Eurogamer that Silent Hill: Homecoming has been pushed back to February 2009 in Europe.
The spooky PC, 360 and PS3 game was expected at the end of the month, on Halloween. No reason was given for the delay, and the publisher was reluctant to discuss the matter further.
We suspect regional localisation issues are to blame. Or, perhaps, Konami simply wanted out of a busy release period. Maybe the extra time will even be used to address a few issues.
Silent Hill: Homecoming was released in the US at the end of September and has earned decent critical applause - resulting in a Metacritic average of 73 per cent.
Homecoming is the sixth instalment in the long-running and successful Silent Hill series (Silent Hill: Origins on PSP being the fifth). Team Silent, however, no longer has a hand in the games, having backed out after Silent Hill 4.
In an about-face not uncommon for the outspoken politician, Mayor of London Boris Johnson has praised the UK games industry while backing this month's upcoming London Games Festival.
It was December 2006 that Johnson publicly blamed videogames for a variety of ills, laying into games consoles as a cause of "ignorance, underachievement... and poverty," amongst young people.
"It is about time, as a society, that we admitted the catastrophic effect these blasted gizmos are having on the literacy and the prospects of young males," Johnson wrote in The Telegraph.
"Millions of seven to 15 year-olds are hooked, especially boys, and it is time someone had the guts to stand up, cross the room and just say no to Nintendo."
However, today, the London Mayor has put his weight behind EA's Be The One event scheduled for October 31 and November 1 in Trafalgar Square.
"I'm delighted that the London Games Festival is back in our city for its third year. It demonstrates the creativity and range of the gaming industry, which, as an important part of London's creative sector, makes a vital contribution to the economy as a whole," said Johnson in the official press release.
"With events across the capital, the festival has something for everyone and illustrates the popularity of this thriving form of entertainment. I am pleased to see EA's Be The One event is returning to Trafalgar Square.
"It was an undoubted highlight of last year's festival, which reinforces London's position at the centre of one the most fastest-growing creative industries in the world."
The 'Be The One BattleDome' will boast multiple gaming pods and screens and will host a series of celebrity and public gaming challenges, as well as live music performances.
As well as EA Sports competitions and the chance for the public to play Mirror's Edge, Spore and Warhammer Online, Johnson will no doubt be pleased that there will also be a number of titles for Nintendo formats, including Littlest Pet Shop, Boogie and SuperStar.
Saint's Row 2 might be a very tongue-in-cheek take on the GTA-style sandbox genre, but the New York's police unions are taking the game very seriously indeed, calling for it to be pulled from store shelves because it glorifies the sort of things you should really only do in video games.
New York's powerful police unions say that a violent new video game called "Saints Row 2" is an abomination. In the game, the player controls a gang member who can steal, do drugs and kill as many characters as possible, including police officers.
Yesterday Manhattan District Attorney candidate Leslie Crocker-Snyder spoke out against the game, which I am positive she has never touched, but I am sure the police unions appreciated it and will put in a good word for her when voting comes around. I sigh.
A few months ago, millions of nerds suffered the ultimate blow -- Activision announced that it would not be publishing Ghostbusters, a title the company came to own after taking over Sierra. However, a ray of light has broken through the clouds this morning thanks to Ray Stantz.
Dan Aykroyd says Atari will be publishing Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
Apparently, Aykroyd lets the beans spill today during an appearance on Live 105.3 KLLI, a Dallas-based radio station. Although Aykroyd's appearance on the station hasn't been posted on the channel's official Web site, reports of the conversation -- in which Aykroyd said the game is a year away -- are cropping up all over the Internet.
Terminal Reality, the developer behind the Ghostbusters game, offered IGN a no comment this afternoon, and a message with Atari was not immediately returned. When we have more information, this story will be updated, so be sure to check back.
Numbers time! Japanese game site Dengeki Online is running results of a poll that was composed of 86.3 percent men and 13.7 percent women with an average age of 25.46 years old. Questions included things like "Have you cried during gaming?" or "What game are you looking forward to?" In the poll, three of the games that made Japanese gamers cry are"adult visual novels" — two of them are erotic game ports and one is a straight up PC erotic game. That's not that surprising as many Japanese gamers do play erotic games for the story. No, really.
Also from the data, which do you think Dengeki Online readers are more excited about: The Last Remnant or Final Fantasy XIII? That and more, after the jump.
Have you been moved to tears during game play?
No (53.5 percent)
Yes (46.5 percent)
What game made you cry
1. Final Fantasy X (PS2)
2. Clannad (Xbox 360)
3. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
4. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
5. Kanon (PSP)
6. Tales of the Abyss (PS2)
7. AIR (PSP)
8. Dragon Quest V (DS)
9. Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
10. Little Busters! (PC)
Please tell us what game you have purchased in the last month.
1. Super Robot Taisen Z (PS2)
2. Quiz Magic Academy DS (DS)
3. Infinite Undiscovery (Xbox 360)
4. Pokémon Platinum (DS)
5. World Destruction (DS)
6. Aquanaut's Holiday (PS3)
7. Tales of Vesperia (Xbox 360)
8. Cross Edge (PS3)
9. Eternal Sonata (PS3)
10. Nights in the Nightmare (DS)
Please tell us what upcoming game title you are looking forward to.
1. The Last Remnant (Xbox 360)
2. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)
3. Crono Trigger (DS)
4. White Knight Chronicles (PS3)
5. Gundam vs. Gundam (PSP)
6. Star Ocean 4 -The Last Hope- (Xbox 360)
7. Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (PS2)
8. DISSIDIA Final Fantasy (PSP)
9. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
10. Gundam Musou 2 (PS3)
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
One of the bigger events that happened this week is the release of the Sony PSP 3000 consoles.
Designed to be a device for communication, the handheld comes with a microphone for Skype. People have complained that they found it difficult to see what is happening on the screen under strong sunlight, therefore the developers remedied this problem in this version by reducing the glare.
More is done to improve the already superb screen, the refresh rate, contrast are very much worked upon. The consoles came out in three styles, Pearl White, Piano Black and Mystic silver. For the full range of packages, please see here.
A number of interesting US games have arrived. One of them is the survival horror Dead Space. To retrieve an ancient relic, you have travelled through the galaxy only to have your communication cut off and pit against regiments of monstrous aliens. Slash and hack your way through the horror to emerge victorious.
Danger lurks not only out there in space, but within every corner and crevice of the society. Betrayed by your friends, you are disfigured and exiled from the street kingdom you have built. Full of righteous fury, you are ready to strike back and claim what is yours in Saints Row 2. If turning the streets into a blood bath is the only way, so be it.
Ride back on your beasts to the medieval times in Golden Axe: Beast Rider where duels are carried out in the most extravagant and noisiest of ways. Clash weapons with your opponents and exchange blows. Tyris Flare from the first installment is back to wreak havoc to her enemies.
Excitement need not come in torrents of blood and guts. To the less violent and blood thirsty of you, FIFA Soccer 09 is a perfect game to stimulate your reflexes and pump your adrenaline. Form your own team and see what being in the league truly means.
Popular Japanese games are made into US versions to recieve a wider sphere of audiences. Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, Bleach: Dark Soul, Legend of Kage 2 are such games. Assume the roles of a farmer, a death angel and a ninja for a small reprise within these times of gloom.
It is proving true that you are omnipotent and can become anything in the world of video games. A lot of people have longed to become musicians, realize this romantic dream of yours on your Nintendo Wii on Wii Music. Pick up an instrument from the wide range of choices and start playing.
Energy problems may not be the sole source of conflicts but a lot of violence has certainly stemmed from it. This is especially true in Gundam 00 where the large countries have full control over solar power. Keep things from escalating to a massive galactic war with your mobile suit in Gundam Meisters.
More than one realm is in need of protection in these days, as the demon lord, prevent the heroes from taking over your land by making a fool out of them first in Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida 2 [JPN & ASN vers.].
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 54.90
Dead Space ASIA US$ 49.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
FaceBreaker JPN US$ 64.90
Fracture ASIA US$ 49.90
Golden Axe: Beast Rider ASIA US$ 49.90
Guilty Gear 2: Overture US US$ 64.90
NBA 2K9 US US$ 64.90
Saints Row 2 US US$ 64.90
Saints Row 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming ASIA US$ 59.90
PlayStation3™
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 42.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
FaceBreaker JPN US$ 64.90
Fracture ASIA US$ 49.90
Golden Axe: Beast Rider ASIA US$ 49.90
NBA 2K9 US US$ 64.90
NBA 2K9 ASIA US$ 59.90
Saints Row 2 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 54.90
Daikaijuu Battle: Ultra Coliseum JPN US$ 59.90
Game Party II US US$ 34.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock JPN US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith JPN US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Bundle JPN US$ 129.90
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility US US$ 59.90
Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces JPN US$ 64.90
Wii Lens Cleaner Kit JPN US$ 9.90
Wii Music JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Arcana Heart (AQ the Best) JPN US$ 19.90
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters JPN US$ 64.90
Mortal Kombat Kollection US US$ 39.90
NBA 2K9 US US$ 24.90
Nintendo DS™
Animal Paradise US US$ 24.90
Away: Shuffle Dungeon JPN US$ 48.90
Barbie Fashion Show: An Eye for Style US US$ 34.90
Bleach: Dark Souls US US$ 34.90
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 34.90
Culdcept DS JPN US$ 48.90
Imagine Fashion Designer New York US US$ 34.90
Imagine: Babysitters US US$ 34.90
Nazo Nazo & Quiz Ichi Kotae Jikkon Q Mate! JPN US$ 48.90
Prey The Stars US US$ 34.90
Rekku no Houmonsha Deokishisu senyou (DSVision) JPN US$ 29.90
Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals US US$ 34.90
The Legend of Kage 2 US US$ 24.90
Yattaman DS 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
Dead Space ASIA US$ 49.90
My Spanish Coach US US$ 34.90
PSP Accessory Pack JPN US$ 39.90
PSP Cradle & D-Terminal Cable (for PSP-2000/3000 Models) JPN US$ 69.90
PSP Cradle (for PSP-2000/3000 Models) JPN US$ 49.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Battery Pack (2200mAh) (Mystic Silver) JPN US$ 54.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Battery Pack (2200mAh) (Pearl White) JPN US$ 54.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Mystic Silver (PSP-3000MS) JPN US$ 249.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Mystic Silver Value Pack (PSP-3000KMS) JPN US$ 279.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Pearl White (PSP-3000PW) JPN US$ 249.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Pearl White Value Pack (PSP-3000KPW) JPN US$ 279.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Piano Black (PSP-3000PB) JPN US$ 249.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Piano Black Value Pack (PSP-3000KPB) JPN US$ 279.90
PSP Pouch (Pearl White / Mystic Silver) JPN US$ 19.90
PSP Pouch (Piano Black) JPN US$ 19.90
Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2 JPN US$ 39.90
Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2 ASIA US$ 36.90 PC Games
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (DVD-ROM) [Limited Edition] US US$ 69.90
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel ASIA US$ 39.90
The House of the Dead III ASIA US$ 17.90
Game Guides and Books
Crash: Mind Over Mutant: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Dead Space: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Fracture Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Golden Axe: Beast Rider Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Gyakuten Saiban Tokubetsu Hout Orchestra Concert 2008 Official DVD Book JPN US$ 44.90
Soul Eater: Monotone Princess Official Complete Guide JPN US$ 22.90
Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1036 (2008 10/24) JPN US$ 7.90
Video Game Related Soundtrack
Rhythm Tengoku Gold Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 49.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week, as you can see, quite a lot of them:
Xbox360™
Fable II ASIA US$ 49.90
Fable II US US$ 64.90
Fable II [Limited Edition] US US$ 89.90
Fable II [Limited Edition] ASIA N/A
FarCry 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles ASIA US$ 49.90
Rock Revolution US US$ 54.90
PlayStation3™
Eternal Sonata US US$ 64.90
FarCry 2 US US$ 64.90
LittleBigPlanet US US$ 64.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles US US$ 64.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles ASIA US$ 59.90
Rock Revolution US US$ 54.90
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation US US$ 44.90
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation (w/ Headset) US US$ 69.90
Nintendo Wii™
Dokapon Kingdom US US$ 44.90
Tenchu 4 JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation™
Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Abaddon Ou JPN US$ 64.90
Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Abaddon Ou Plus JPN US$ 99.90
Dokapon Kingdom US US$ 44.90
Nintendo Wii™
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia US US$ 34.90
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia / Akumajou Dracula: Ubawareta Kokuin JPN US$ 48.90
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia / Akumajou Dracula: Ubawareta Kokuin [Konamistyle Limited Edition] JPN US$ 119.90
Ketsui Death Label JPN US$ 58.90
Kimi no Yuusha JPN US$ 48.90
My Japanese Coach US US$ 34.90
Soul Eater: Medusa no Inbou JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
Bleach: Soul Carnival JPN US$ 48.90
Bleach: Soul Carnival ASIA US$ 42.90
Star Ocean: First Departure US US$ 44.90
Access our preorder lists for further upcoming games, movie, and music releases.
Namco Bandai's Macross Ace Frontier has debuted at the top of the Japanese software sales chart for the week ended October 12, according to data provided by Media Create.
The PlayStation Portable title sold 104,000 units, keeping Pokemon Platinum for the Nintendo DS in second place at 86,000 units, as Rhythm Tengoku Gold, also for the DS, came in third having sold 49,000 units.
The PlayStation 2 titles Dynasty Warriors 6 Special and Super Robot Wars Z came in fourth and fifth respectively at 48,000 units each. Wii Fit for the Nintendo Wii sold 16,000 units and took sixth place, while Mario Kart Wii sold 10,000 units and came in seventh.
Konami's Powerful Major League 3 for the PlayStation 2 came in eighth, followed by Dragonball DS in ninth place and Daigasso! Band Brothers DX for the DS in tenth place, each claiming 8000 unit sales.
Japanese software chart follows:
01. Macross Ace Frontier (PSP)
02. Pokemon Platinum (DS)
03. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
04. Dynasty Warriors 6 Special (PS2)
05. Super Robot Wars Z (PS2)
06. Wii Fit (Wii)
07. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
08. Powerful Major League 3 (PS2)
09. Dragonball DS (DS)
10. Daigasso! Band Brothers DX (DS)
Wow, those console sales are really falling in Japan across all platforms. I suspect it's to do with to global economic slowdown which isn't good for business. The figures for the week Oct 6th-12th from Media Create are down below as usual:
Nintendo DS Lite: 31,914
Playstation Portable: 23,901
Nintendo Wii: 22,877
Xbox 360: 7,763
Playstation 2: 6,982
Playstation 3: 5,734
Slight change to 4th and 5th positions but anyway, in rough figures: DS Lite is on top, takes 11,400 hit. PSP is second, drops 2,000. Next is the Wii, loses 2,500. Xbox 360 comes 4th, reduced by 700 while the PS2 slides into 5th place, down 1,700. Last in line is the PS3, down 1,500.
All in all, yet another week of slow console hardware sales
Price cuts for the Xbox 360 have helped the console surge ahead of the PlayStation 3 in the US, but Nintendo's formats are still way ahead of both Microsoft and Sony.
However, the lower price for hardware has meant a decline in the market, with hardware sales at USD 498 million for the month of September, compared to USD 546 million for the same period in 2007.
According to data from NPD, the Xbox 360 sold 347,000 units during September, up from 195,200 in August. PlayStation 3 sales were 232,000, compared to 185,000 the previous month.
Nintendo continues to leave its rivals in the dust, with the Wii notching up a further 687,000 sales in the region.
DS sales were more than double the PSP, with 537,000 units sold, compared to 238,000 of Sony's handheld.
"Compared to August, nearly all hardware systems realised an increase in unit sales in September," commented Anita Frazier of NPD.
"The price reduction on the Xbox 360 helped deliver a month-over-month unit sales increase for that platform of 78 per cent."
The entire market for the US, including software and accessories, was down seven per cent to USD 1.27 billion, compared to USD 1.35 billion for September 2007.
"It's important to keep in mind, however, that this month's 7 per cent decline is against a month that itself was up 75 per cent from the prior September. Last year, Halo 3 released in September 2007 and that game had a huge impact on hardware and software sales," added Frazier.
In these classic gaming news updates you will find a frequent summary of all classical titles which were added to our site. Availability is subject to frequent changes and fast decisions are recommended as we usually have only very few copies of those titles that are listed below. As always we are trying to expand our catalogue regularly.
In case a title is already listed as sold out, we recommend you use our Track it Down! feature or subscribe to our Personal Agent on the item's product page. We are monitoring your subscription and try to restock the title if possible. Once the game is back in stock, you will automatically receive an e-mail notification from us.
Further, if you are looking for any title that is not listed on our website yet, you are always welcome to contact our customer service with your request. We will try our best to track down the requested title and add them to our website with one of our next major updates.
You might take a look at the Classic Game Room DVD. "Classic Game Room" was the first classic video game review show on the Internet in 1999 and 2000. It returns as a feature-length comedy film about the triumphant story of online success, failure, obscurity, resurrection and success again! It features hillarious reviews of lots of interesting classic gaming titles.
We are back from Tokyo Game Show and lots of restocks reached our warehouse. In todays round up you can find all restocks for Sega systems like Sega Saturn™, Dreamcast™, Mega Drive™, Mega CD™, Super 32X™ and Game Gear™. But all other categories had lots of restocks too and will be posted in our classic gaming news in the coming days.
Dreamcast™
Aero Dancing: Torodoki Taichou no Himitsu Disc [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Angel Present [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
BioHazard 2 Value Plus [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
BioHazard Code: Veronica [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Blue Submarine No. 6: Saigetsu Fumahito ~Time and Tide~ [pre-owned] JPN US$ 99.90
Boku Doraemon [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Card of Destiny: Hikari to Yami no Tougou Mono [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Castle Fantasia: Seima Taisen [Special Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Chaos Field [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Choukousenki Kikaioh [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Climax Landers [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Cosmic Smash [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Crazy Taxi 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 23.90
Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Death Crimson 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Dengen Tenshi Taisen Mahjong Shangri-la (Tokukore) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Doki Doki Idol Star Seeker Remix JPN US$ 59.90
Dreamcast Visual Memory Card VMS/VMU (Black Design) [pre-owned] US$ 34.90
El Dorado Gate Volume 1 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
El Dorado Gate Volume 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Eternal Arcadia [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Exodus Guilty Neos [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
F355 Challenge [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Fighting Vipers 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Frame Gride [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Fushigi Dungeon - Furai no Shiren Gaiden: Onnakenshi Asuka Kenzan [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Gaia Master Kessen! [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Garou: Mark of the Wolves [pre-owned] JPN US$ 54.90
Get Bass with Fishing Controller [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Giant Gram 2000: All-Japan Pro Wrestling 3 JPN US$ 19.90
Giga Wing 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Golf Shiyouyo 2: Aratanaru Chousen [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Guilty Gear X [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes [Premium Disc] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Gunspike [pre-owned] JPN US$ 64.90
Ikaruga [pre-owned] JPN US$ 119.90
Iris [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Jet Set Radio [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Jojo no Kimyouna Bouken: Miraihe no Isan (for Matching Service) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 84.90
Kanon [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Magic: The Gathering [pre-owned] JPN US$ 74.90
Marionette Company [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Mars Matrix [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Milky Season JPN US$ 14.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon DX [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Moero! Justice Gakuen [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Musapey's Choco Marker [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Napple Tale: Arisia in Daydream [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Oogami Ichirou Funtouki: Sakura Taisen Kayou Show "Kurenai Sekieki" Yori [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Pop'n Music 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Power Smash 2: Sega Professional Tennis [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Power Smash: Sega Professional Tennis [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Power Stone JPN US$ 39.90
Princess Holiday: Korogaru Ringo Tei Senya Ichiya [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Psyvariar 2: The Will to Fabricate [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Rainbow Cotton [pre-owned] JPN US$ 74.90
Sakura Taisen 2: Kimi, Shini Tamou Kotonakare [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Sakura Taisen 2: Kimi, Shini Tamou Kotonakare [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Sakura Taisen 3 [Limited Edition A] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Sakura Taisen 4 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Sakura Taisen 4 [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Sakura Taisen Memorial Pack [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Sakura Taisen [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Segagaga (2nd Release) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Segagaga [Dreamcast Direct Release] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Sengoku Turb F.I.D [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka JPN US$ 14.90
Shutokou Battle [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Sister Princess [Premium Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 44.90
Soul Calibur [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Space Channel 5 Part 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Spawn: In the Demon's Hand [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 64.90
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Street Fighter III: W Impact [pre-owned] JPN US$ 44.90
Sunrise Heroes [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Super Robot Taisen Alpha for Dreamcast [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Tentama: 1st Sunny Side [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
The King of Fighters 2002 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
The King of Fighters '99 Evolution [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
The Last Blade 2: Final Edition (SNK Best) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Trigger Heart Exelica [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 109.90
Trizeal [pre-owned] JPN US$ 99.90
Twinkle Star Sprites [pre-owned] JPN US$ 89.90
Vampire Chronicle (for Matching Service) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Virtua Fighter 3tb (1st Print) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Zombie Revenge [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Sega Saturn™
Akumajo Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Assault Suit Leynos 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Batsugun [pre-owned] JPN US$ 89.90
Battle Garegga [pre-owned] JPN US$ 99.90
BioHazard [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Super S: Various Emotion [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Burning Rangers [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Can Can Bunny Premiere [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Capcom Generation 1 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 44.90
Choaniki: Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
D no Shokutaku [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Death Crimson [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
DoDonPachi [pre-owned] JPN US$ 64.90
DonPachi [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Dragon Force [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Dungeons & Dragons Collection (w/4MB RAM Cart) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 169.90
Elevator Action Returns [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
EVE burst error & EVE The Lost One Value Pack [pre-owned] JPN US$ 64.90
EVE The Lost One & Desire Value Pack [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Falcom Classics [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Fighting Vipers [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Gale Racer [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Gekirindan: Time Travel Shooting [pre-owned] JPN US$ 54.90
Gokujou Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Golden Axe: The Duel [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Guardian Heroes [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Gun Frontier (Arcade Guys) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Hexen JPN US$ 49.90
Himitsu Sentai Metamor V [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Hissatsu! [pre-owned] JPN US$ 99.90
Hokuto no Ken [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Hot Blooded Family [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
In the Hunt [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Ultra Pack [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Layer Section [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Liquid Kids [pre-owned] JPN US$ 119.90
Lunar Magical School [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Magical Drop 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 24.90
Magical Drop III [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Metal Slug [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Mobile Suit Gundam Gaiden II: Aoi o Uketsugu Mono [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Mobile Suit Gundam Gaiden III: Sabakareshi Mono [Limited Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
NiGHTS into dreams... [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Ogre Battle [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Panzer Dragoon Saga [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Pocket Fighter [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Policenauts [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Princess Crown [pre-owned] JPN US$ 99.90
Puzzle Bobble 3 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Rabbit [pre-owned] JPN US$ 54.90
RockMan 8: Metal Heroes [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Sakura Taisen 2 [Special Edition] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Sakura Taisen [Limited Edition A Type] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Samurai Spirits RPG [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Sega Ages Memorial Selection Vol. 1 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 24.90
Sega Ages: Columns Arcade Collection [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Sega Ages: OutRun [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Sega Ages: Phantasy Star Collection [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Sexy Parodius [pre-owned] JPN US$ 54.90
Shining Force III Scenario 1 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Shining Wisdom [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Shinrei Jusaishi Taroumaru [pre-owned] JPN US$ 399.90
Silhouette Mirage [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Slayers Royal [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Snatcher [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Sonic R [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Sonic Wings Special [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Soukyugurentai Otokuyo [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Stellar Assault SS [pre-owned] JPN US$ 169.90
Street Fighter Zero 3 (w/ 4MB RAM Cart) [pre-owned] JPN US$ 129.90
Street Fighter Collection [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Street Fighter Zero [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Strikers 1945 II [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Super Puzzle Fighter II X [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Super Real Mahjong P VI [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Tenchi Muyou! Toukou Muyou ~Aniraji Collection~ [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Terra Phantastica [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
The House of the Dead [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90 The King of Fighters '97 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Thunder Force Gold Pack 1 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Thunder Force V [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Thunder Force V [Special Pack] [pre-owned] JPN US$ 114.90
Tiger II Plus [pre-owned] JPN US$ 64.90
Time Gal & Ninja Hayate [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
Vampire Hunter: Darkstalker's Revenge [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Virtua Cop [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Virtua Fighter Kids (Java Tea Original Edition) JPN US$ 59.90
Wing Arms [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Wipeout [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Zenkoku Seifuku Bishoujo Grand Prix Find Love [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Mega Drive™
Aero Blasters [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
After Burner II [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Altered Beast [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Arrow Flash [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Art of Fighting [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Assault Suit Leynos [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Bare Knuckle [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Bare Knuckle II [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Battle Mania [pre-owned] JPN US$ 84.90
Battle Mania II Daiginjou [pre-owned] JPN US$ 179.90
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Columns [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Columns III: Revenge of Columns [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Contra: The Hard Corps [pre-owned] JPN US$ 129.90
Curse [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Darius II [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Divine Sealing [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Vampire Killer [pre-owned] JPN US$ 239.90
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes II [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
E-SWAT: Cyber Police [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Ecco the Dolphin [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Ex-Ranza [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Fantasia: Mickey Mouse Magic [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Fatal Fury 2 [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Galaxy Force II [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Gauntlet [pre-owned] JPN US$ 79.90
General Chaos: Daikonsen [pre-owned] JPN US$ 109.90
Gleylancer [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Golden Axe [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Golden Axe III [pre-owned] JPN US$ 44.90
Gunstar Heroes [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Hellfire [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Hokuto no Ken: Shinseikimatsu Kyuuseishu Densetsu [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Insector-X [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Magical Hat no Buttobi Turbo! Daibouken [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Magical Troll Adventure [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker [pre-owned] JPN US$ 59.90
Midnight Resistance [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Mortal Kombat: Shinken Kourin Densetsu [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Musha Aleste: Full Metal Fighter Ellinor [pre-owned] JPN N/A
OutRun [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
OutRunners [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Paperboy [pre-owned] JPN US$ 74.90
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Rainbow Islands Extra: The Story of Bubble Bobble [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Rastan Saga II [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Rocket Knight Adventures [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Runark [pre-owned] JPN US$ 69.90
Shining and the Darkness [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Splatterhouse Part 3 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 84.90
Street Fighter II' Plus: Champion Edition [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Super Daisenryaku [pre-owned] JPN US$ 4.90
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
The Newzealand Story [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
The Story of Thor: Hikari o Tsugumono [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
The Super Shinobi [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Thunder Force II MD [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Thunder Fox [pre-owned] JPN US$ 24.90
Twinkle Tale [pre-owned] JPN US$ 99.90
XDR: X-Dazedly-Ray [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Makyoutou Issen [pre-owned] JPN US$ 109.90
Zero Wing [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
Zoom! [pre-owned] JPN US$ 9.90
Rolo to the Rescue [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Sega Mega-CD™
After Burner III [pre-owned] JPN US$ 24.90
Black Hole Assault [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Final Fight CD [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Jaguar XJ220 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Lunar: Eternal Blue [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Lunar: Silver Star [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Popful Mail [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Prince of Persia [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Sega Games Can Vol. 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 49.90
Silpheed [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Starblade [pre-owned] JPN US$ 24.90
Super 32X™
Doom [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Golf Magazine: 36 Great Holes Starring Fred Couples [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Star Wars Arcade [pre-owned] JPN US$ 14.90
Tempo [pre-owned] JPN US$ 39.90
Game Gear™
Coca Cola Kid [pre-owned] JPN US$ 24.90
Lunar: Sanposuru Gakuen [pre-owned] JPN US$ 34.90
OutRun [pre-owned] JPN US$ 29.90
Panzer Dragoon Mini [pre-owned] JPN N/A
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [pre-owned] JPN US$ 19.90
Yuu Yuu Hakusho II: Keikitou! Nanakyou no Tatakai [pre-owned] JPN US$ 24.90
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 300 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
Jay Chow is one of the most well known artists in the Chinese speaking region. Starting out as a singer, rapper, he moved on to the big screen. Partnering with award winning stars such as Gong Li and Chow Yun Fat in Cheung Yimou's galvanizingly extravagant Curse of the Golden Flower, this young star's potential for success is limitless.
His new album Capricorn [vers. A, ver. B] spots a Sci-Fi, RPG-ish sort of atmosphere as shown on the cover of his work. To show that the realm of music is as vast as his talent he is going to pull you into his contructed world through his passionately written lyrics and songs.
Besides the Sci-Fi world of the Taiwanese star, Rhythm Tengoku Gold the Original Soundtrack is about to take you away from reality, if only for a while. Produced by Tsunku who is known for his catchy songs, this is a fun soundtrack for a fun music game.
When court adventure meets orchetra, you get the Gyakuten Saiban 2008 Concert. To all those who have missed such an exciting event, grab your chance to take part in the fun.
Beside watching the excellent orchestra play, see game graphics projected on the screen, read about what the music producers said about their concert in the attached booklet.
For those who simply wants to listen to the music, please see here for the CD album.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, October 11th and Friday, October 17th. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (91)
ENKA Music releases (9)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (8)
Video Game Soundtracks (1)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (6)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (33)
Anime & Animation (10)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (17)
Japanese Movies (12)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (89)
J-Pop DVD releases (7)
Misc Japanese Movie releases (2)
Idol DVD (16)
Yeah, that's right. I'm playing Wii Music. Nearly snapped these puny wrists off last night, wailing away on the Dog Suit to the tune of "Grandfather's Clock." A rollicking good time that you'll hear more about next week when the review hits. Also on deck is Midnight Club Los Angeles, which... you'll hear more about next week when the review hits. There might be a little Peggle Nights thrown in there, just for giggles.
What about you? Got some heavy gaming plans for the weekend? Let us know in the comments.
You know that old saying how the anticipation of an event can be greater than the event itself? Well, that seems to be allure behind unboxing. It is that magical moment where expectation meets the acquisition of the object you desire—and it can last as long as it takes to excavate your new toy from its shiny packaging. However, I'm sure many people out there consider it a mere formality—tearing through the package unceremoniously and without emotion. So, the question is: do you get a thrill from unboxing gadgets?
There's a very interesting article over at Eludamos, one of the open-access academic journals that's done a nice job of getting fascinating articles in each issue; this volume is no exception, and the article I found particularly thought provoking is on the issue of death in narrative-driven games. Jason Tocci isn't arguing that the death mechanic has no place in games, but it's a cop out for many narrative-driven games — and can create frustrating gaming experiences for end users. This is, in Tocci's view, a hold over from earlier design decisions when games were more limited in what they could do:
The way that videogames have dealt with failure, primarily through protagonist death and trial-and-error, has generally been more concerned with games as rule sets than with games as narratives. As a result, games which appear to tell stories often become incoherent, bringing narrative progression to a halt, eliciting frustration with gameplay rather than engagement with fiction. Despite what some may charge, however, this is not an inherent bias of the medium. The die-and-retry approach is a shortcut in game design, a holdover from an era when games were more limited in their ability to tell stories. This convention now imposes an artificial limitation, even as alternative methods of dealing with failure have been exercised in some games.
This argument should not be taken to suggest that all games ought to be narrative-oriented games, that trial-and-error has no place in modern videogames, or that all games should be so concerned with preserving an illusion of boundless choices .... This article simply seeks to argue that universal models of game enjoyment that would lump such a game in with Tetris fail to acknowledge that such games ultimately offer different appeals.
I don't agree with all of his points, but it's certainly a thought provoking article (if lengthier than the usual posted on Kotaku). The design-related conversation over the role of death in games is one worth having, and this is one of the more well-written pieces I've read on the issue. Eladumos in general is worth having bookmarked — it's a young journal, but a solid one.
Hi, there. time to pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink and chat. No, wait. Pour yourself two drinks and pull up three chairs. That's right, time for Tell Us Dammit — rather, TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Yeah.
As we lurch towards the end of the year, what releases are you looking forward to the most?
Cast your minds back to February, and you'll remember some excitement surrounding the revelation Starbreeze had been tapped by EA to work on one of the company's "classic" franchises. Some comments by EA boss John Riccitiello made it seem like that franchise was Road Rash, but CVG now say that - according to a "secret agent" - it's not. It is instead Syndicate, which EA didn't develop (Peter Molyneux's Bullfrog did), but which they do own the rights to. Exciting news, if also a little terrifying, since the chances of another studio capturing the feel of the original are - as we've already seen - slim.
As you play your beloved Super Mario game tapes, your Nintendo Box drains energy from earth's dwindling supply. It's a well-known scientific fact that at our current rate of consumption, Earth will be returned to an archaic wasteland within thirty years, when feared energy pirates will travel between the planet's ruined cities, plundering precious fuel for their own contemptible settlements. Luckily, the Environmental Protection Agency has a plan to combat our wasteful ways.
The EPA hopes to include modern home gaming consoles in their Energy Star plan which has been regulating the energy usage of certain home appliances since 1992. The latest draft of the plan addresses the power consumption rates of Wiis, Xbox 360s and PS3s, requiring an auto-off function, a sleep mode, and low-energy network settings in all consoles produced after July 1, 2010. We certainly hope the plan is adopted, lest we be left to our seemingly inevitable, Mad Max-esque fate.
So this week I bought MLB Stickball on XBLA. There's only one reason I'd do that, and you correctly guessed it. You see, in the old days, when you came home from a bar lit up, your impulse buys were limited to 1-800 blue screen ads. And calling an operator and fishing out a credit card for Time/Life's series on the Old West, Kitchens and Bathrooms and Daddy-What's-Vietnam ("A question a child might ask ... but not a childish question.") just doesn't pack the kind of instant gratification wallop of buying a video game instantly with fake currency on XBLA.
Attempts by supermarket chain J Sainsbury to boost sales by selling Wii and Xbox 360 game consoles at a loss have backfired after store managers from a rival retailer hijacked the promotion by buying nearly 1,000 of the discounted consoles.
The promotion, which was launched on the final day of Sainsbury’s second-quarter trading period, saw the retailer slash £30 off the price of the Xbox 360 and reduce the cost of the popular Wii from £179.99 to £149.97.
Retail executives estimate that Sainsbury’s was losing around £10 on every Wii sold.
Below-cost selling is a rare, but not unknown, tactic used by supermarket chains to drive shoppers into stores.
It is a high-risk tactic, which can prove costly, if shoppers only buy the discounted item.
Details of Sainsbury’s promotion leaked onto the internet two days before it launched allowing Game to alert its store managers
Lisa Morgan, the chief executive of Game, confirmed that the retailer’s store managers had bought almost 1,000 of the estimated 2,000 consoles sold by Sainsbury’s. The consoles were later resold in Game stores.
“With 360 and Wii on sale at these prices we allowed our store managers to supplement their stock by buying consoles from their local Sainsbury’s,” said Morgan.
“Availability was very inconsistent, but on the whole it was a worthwhile exercise.”
Reports in the gaming industry claim that staff from other retailers including Gamestation and Chips also bought up the consoles, as well as managers from Game.
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s claimed it was a very successful promotion. “We sold out,” she said. The spokesman refused to comment on whether the consoles had been sold at a loss or whether they had been snapped up by Game managers.
We're already well acquainted with the idea of Wiis (and their remotes) injuring humans and TV sets. Now the UK's Telegraph is reporting that game systems are also causing a veritable epidemic of injuries to pets. A survey of 3,000 British pet owners shows that a full 10% of pets were injured by a Wii , while 8.3% sustained PlayStation-related injuries and 5.8% got injured by a DS.
Even accounting for some overlap between systems, those numbers would seem to suggest that British veterinarians are being overrun by little critters who chewed through component cables, swallowed portable systems, tripped on controller cords and the like. The numbers are much less worrying, though, when you consider the source for the survey: pet insurance provider PetPlan. Reminds us of that used car dealer who told us rust-proofing would increase the resale value of our car by 50% -- just not that credible. We still got the rust-proofing, though. When it comes to our Fiat, our motto is: better safe than sorry.
Game developer Yoshiki Okamoto is best known for his years at Konami and Capcom, where he worked on titles like Gyruss and Forgotten Worlds as well as his involvement in Final Fight and Street Fighter II. He's an industry vet and has been around. When he looks at the current Japanese game landscape, Okamoto says there's at least one thing that does not compute:
Rockstar is not unsuccessful in Japan, but their success here is on a much smaller scale than elsewhere in the world market. The low Japanese sales of the sandbox-style GTA series simply do not make any sense to me.
Dr. Phil loves the video games, or rather the amount of attention gamers give him when he talks about them. In today's episode he tackles the dangers of computer game addiction, with the entire show dedicated to people who play games when they probably shouldn't be. The show starts with a virtual Dr. Phil complete with a sword and hair talking about how virtual games let you escape from reality before launching into the story of l34-year-old Fred, who sits at home and plays World of Warcraft all day while his wife supports their three children.
“Apparently he’s got you supporting him and taking care of the house. I wonder what level that is in the real world,” Dr. Phil quips.
Other stories include a 41-year-old man who accumulated $24,000 in debt and attempted suicide, the author of the book "Game Widows", and the return of special guest Liz, whose 21-year-old son killed himself while playing Everquest. Hit the link for the full show notes.
Are you at work? Really? Didn't you know today was a holiday? Yep, in Redmond at least, it's Global Anti-Piracy Day. To celebrate, there will be simultaneous "legal actions, education efforts and customer reactions announced across 49 countries." Microsoft has actually picked a pretty great way to fight pirates: If there's one thing they hate besides ninjas, it's the law and schoolin'
According to a report by market researchers Odyssey, music games have now overtaken sports titles as the second-most played genre/category in video games. While 62% of surveyed gamers said they played sports games in 2005, that figure was down to only 50% in 2008. Which puts them behind the increasingly popular music games – such as Rock Band, SingStar and Guitar Hero – that 58% of surveyed gamers said they’d played. The decline in the sporting market would be troubling for EA if they, you know. Didn’t also help put out Rock Band. As for the top-selling category/genre, that’s still “action games”, which 65% of surveyed gamers had partaken in.
Yes! Let's! A report issued by Famitsu publishers and all-round industry analyst types Enterbrain has given us the lifetime sales figures for the current generation of Japanese consoles. Handhelds, too. And, just for good measure, the PS2. They serve to put a few recent trends into perspective. For one, the 360 - which is the fastest-growing console in the country, with sales up 157% in recent months - has still been outsold by the PS3 3:1. And for all the PSP's recent chart domination, the DS is still kicking its ass. And that's not even counting DS Phat sales.
In a poll marking the launch of this year's London Games Festival, more than 500 UK gamers voted for their favorite video game character of all time, and the results may shock you. Or they may not. Sonic the Hedgehog came out on top in the poll with a whopping 24%, which isn't all that surprising really. After all, despite his rash of bad games lately, Sonic is still a rambunctious little scamp, and if there's anything the UK likes it's rambunctious little scamps. Hell, they pretty much invented them over there.
Filling out the list we have Super Mario (none of this normal Mario bullshit) with 21%, Lara Croft with 16%, with Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Link, Max Payne (what?), Pikachu, Niko Belic, and Blanka taking up the rear. Hit the jump for the percentage breakdowns.
features
Infrared Control
Propeller turns from side to side
2 Bands
Batteries required: AA X 4 (not included)
Charge time approx 15mins - 40mins
Charge indicator
Playtime approx 2mins - 3mins
Length: approx. 125mm
Limited availability
FIFA 09 has dominated the German and Spanish software sales charts for the week ended October 12, taking up ten of the 20 places available, according to data provided by Media-Control GfK International.
The Spanish chart saw FIFA 09 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and PlayStation Portable take the top four places respectively. Wii Fit came in fifth, followed by Mario Kart Wii at sixth and Wii Play at seventh.
FIFA 09 for the PC took eighth place, while Spore, also for the PC, took ninth and NBA 2K9 for the PS3 closed the chart at ten.
Germany saw FIFA 09 for the PS3 take the top spot, with Sacred 2: Fallen Angel for the PC coming in second place. FIFA 09 on the PS2, Xbox 360 and PC came in at third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Wii Fit took sixth place, Warhammer Online for the PC came in seventh, and More Brain Training for the DS came in eighth. Mario Kart Wii secured a spot at number nine and FIFA 09 for the PSP took number ten.
Full Spanish chart follows:
01. FIFA 09 (PS3)
02. FIFA 09 (PS2)
03. FIFA 09 (Xbox 360)
04. FIFA 09 (PSP)
05. Wii Fit (Wii)
06. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
07. Wii Play (Wii)
08. FIFA 09 (PC)
09. Spore (PC)
10. NBA 2K9 (PS3)
Full German chart follows:
01. FIFA 09 (PS3)
02. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel (PC)
03. FIFA 09 (PS2)
04. FIFA 09 (Xbox 360)
05. FIFA 09 (PC)
06. Wii Fit (Wii)
07. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
08. Dr Kawashima: More Brain Training (DS)
09. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
10. FIFA 09 (PSP)
The Political Machine is a turn-based strategy game where the goal is to conquer the worl... become President of the United States. You do this by flying your candidate around the country, state to state, building country awareness of you and promoting yourself on various issues, such as Gas prices or the War on Terror, all over the course of 41 turns. At the same time you manage your funds, build Election Headquarters, belittle your opponent, kiss a few hands, shake a few babies and overall make the world a better place.
The most obvious aspect of this game is the graphics. Bubble-head characters very similar to Nintendo's Mii's. The country is depicted in a 3D cartoon style and each state pops out of the country when highlighted. This adds a flavour of parody to the game and gives the impression that this game isn't going to take itself too seriously. The music of this game isn't noticeable. It's possible to play through the game without noticing music was even playing.
When you begin the game it becomes apparent that there is no interactive tutorial to guide you on your first couple of weeks. There is a tutorial on the main menu and its purpose is to tell you what everything on the screen is and what buildings do. The opening help screen upon starting the game tells you how to move around and some general details. What neither assistance does is tell you what to do to actually win. Once you click past the opening help screen, you're on your own.
The main screen gives the player options to display a plethora of information, little of which is defined or explained. You are given no help during the game in the way of strategies or tips and as a result a first time player will lose their first games badly whilst they work out, through trial and error, what it is they're supposed to do to win.
At the end of the game each of the states lights up in turn in either Blue or Red to represent the candidate they vote for. This will create confusion to some players as many of the states they were most popular in voted for the opponent instead, this is because the popular vote and the electoral vote aren't the same. Americans should know this, non-American's won't.
One of the most customisable areas of this game is the character creation. This allows you to create custom candidates, you could create yourself or go so far as to make a blue skinned eyeless alien. Choosing your appearance and position on topics is very easy to do. However knowing what these topics are will require reading through them, this will presumably affect an American player less as they will already have an understanding of the meaning of some these issues, such as Federal Government. A Foreign player however will need to read them carefully. Some of the issues are ambiguously named and you're left uncertain as to which side is 'For' and which is 'Against'. One important issue here is selecting your party of either Democrat or Republican, who both favour one side or the other of a topic. The player is left in the dark as to which party favours what viewpoint.
Overall this game has a learning curve like a mountain, one which could have been avoided with giving the player more assistance. Calculating votes and popularity in states is very math heavy and although calculations are done for you, you still need to understand what the numbers mean and how to improve each in order to gain ground in a state. As the game is very heavily based upon American Politics and terminology, it's likely to alienate foreign players from even picking it up.
The inclusion of custom characters gives the game a bit more of a foothold outside of the USA, as at the very least, a player can create themselves in the game as opposed to playing as Barack Obama or George Bush. Also the Quick-Play option, despite the very misleading name, allows the player to play a Custom Scenario in a comedy style Europe , Civil War USA or an alien planet whose denizens are hell bent on Galaxy Conquest. The alien planet is particularly amusing with their issues of alien destruction and artificial slaves and terror star building. I'm just disappointed I can't have Darth Vader as my Vice-President.
The most important question to ask is: Is it fun?
The answer is not really. It's a frustrating game to get to grips with, working out the maths is tedious and the only reason you'll keep playing is because you're stubborn enough to want to beat your opponent. After you beat him however, you realise you now have a new opponent to beat and you've to do it all over again and again and again. At this point it'll probably sink to the bottom of your games pile.
Graphics: 3.5/5 - They're bright and interesting, the customisable character has a lot of potential. Sound: 1/5 - It's background music and no more, it plays little part in the feel of the game Gameplay: 2/5 - Very repetitive. All that really changes from game to game is the world map and names of issues. You do the same thing every single game.
Overall:
This is a game that will mainly appeal to Americans, those interested in politics or those who played the first Political Machine. While it is possible a non-American may enjoy it, those who do would be in the minority.
I have this thing about instruction manuals. For some reason, I refuse to look at it when setting up a new gadget no matter how complicated things are. I break down eventually when I get stuck, but there is no reason why I shouldn't go to it right off the bat and save some time. Maybe it's a man thing, maybe it's because I'm not patient enough to read before digging into a new device—maybe it's both. Whatever the reason, I don't think I will ever change. But what about you? Do you read your gadget or Games instruction manuals?
Dear retailers, we're so sorry that you're running low on space on your shelves for music games. Sadly (for you, at least) it simply doesn't matter. See, we just surpassed sports in the battle for most popular genre. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed say they play music games, compared to a paltry 50 percent for sports. The only one left to topple is the action genre and, like 27 pallets of Guitar Hero Aerosmith, it too will fall.
So if you need more shelf space, tell Madden to move his tubby ass to the bargain bin, because we're not going anywhere.
The first update to the new Android-wielding G1 will be beamed OTA starting tomorrow to all G1 customers, with updates going out through October 31st. It's warned to be a very minor update, featuring various light "enhancements" and a bug fix related to Amazon songs. That's it. T-Mobile warns, "Before you go nuts, remember this is only the first [update]. Let's make sure updates download, install, and just plain work as designed before we expect them to overhaul your experience." Since we don't want our phones to explode, it's a deal.
Wii Music has debuted atop the Japanese software sales chart for the week ended October 19, according to data provided by Media Create.
The Nintendo Wii title broke into the chart with 92,000 units, followed by Pokemon Platinum for the Nintendo DS, which holds onto its position from last week at second place with 72,000 units.
Sony's Dungeon Keeper-like title, Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2, for the PlayStation Portable sold 59,000 units in its first week on sale and secured its position at number three on the chart. Rhythm Tengoku Gold for the DS sold 51,000 units and dropped a place from last week to number four.
Sega's Culdcept DS and Namco Bandai's Kidou Senshi Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters for the PlayStation 2 both debut on the chart at fifth and sixth place with 50,000 and 43,000 units respectively.
The PS2 title, Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special, came in seventh at 27,000 units, while Macross Ace Frontier for the PSP fell from first place last week to eighth, with 26,000 units
Wii Fit saw sales hit 18,000 units and came in at number nine, down from number six last week, and Super Robot Wars Z for the PS2 dropped five places from last week to number ten, selling 13,000 units.
Japanese software chart follows:
01. Wii Music (Wii)
02. Pokémon Platinum (DS)
03. Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2 (PSP)
04. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
05. Culdcept DS (DS)
06. Kidou Senshi Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters (PS2)
07. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special (PS2)
08. Macross Ace Frontier (PSP)
09. Wii Fit (Wii)
10. Super Robot Wars Z (PS2)
The hotly anticipated Street Fighter IV will release on consoles and PC "this winter", the game's producer Yoshi Ono has confirmed.
However, this winter could still mean early 2009, and Ono was referring to the game's US release.
"There is no official North American arcade release, so we kind of feel bad that you guys have to wait for it," Ono told X-Play.
"We don't want to start rumours that it's this year, but definitely this winter. At some point you'll be sitting in you winter coat looking at snow out the window...and right then we'll kind of heat you up a little with some hot Street Fighter action so look forward to that."
Can't wait. Check out our Street Fighter IV game page here.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Just as forecasted last week, torrents of games are washing into our warehouse despite the delay of our next big thing, Little Big Planet. Africa is falling into chaos in Far Cry 2, take up arms to stop it from escalating to the distopic level as displayed through the horrors in BioShock.
The future rests in your hands, take part in a self sacrificing mission set by the U.N in a war torn world in Ketsui Death Label. Learn what the Kamikaze spirit truly means in the tragic storyline of this shooter.
Before you decide upon the fate of the world, however, you should be able to decide your own fate. In Fable II, you have the freedom to join anyone's camp, rescue the world or sink it into eternal darkness. This is a game that deserves to be played repeatedly just to see how many alternate lives you can live.
Two star highly anticipated music games came out. Rockband 2 is a tribute to all the artists who have contributed to the growth of the industry that affected our culture so much. But moreover, it is a game that give you a taste of what being rock star is really like.
The newest DJ MAX game, Emotional Sense came out this week. Listen to the new tracks and see how techno can be mixed with classical music to form a new style. While still highly challenging, the game will ease new gamers into the fun through encouragement.
For those who have graduated from the Clazziquai edition [Special & Standard Editions], move on to the Black Square version expected to come out this November.
For more information regarding DJ MAX Emotional Sense, please see this special feature.
With Halloween coming nearer and nearer, a series of cool, cute, creepy, and absolutely fun games came out.
Students in Shibusen in Soul Eater: Medusa no Inbou are assigned with new, dangerous field work, this time on the DS. Get to know the characters and their strengths to carry yourself through this crisis with your touch pen and direction buttons.
Bleach: Soul Carnival [JPN & ASN versions] is another game that suits the Halloween atmosphere, just think of a super deformed Ichigo with his orange hair and black costume. As a horizontal action, this time, see the cute characters dash across the screen and battle with their enemies.
Less cute and comedic is the newest Castlevania game, Order of Ecclesia [Limited & Standard Editions]. The Belmont clan has disappeared and its up to other people to devise ways to undo the harm of the dark lord.
Taisho is a period where Western influences Japan most deeply. Spending Halloween in such a city is quite a thrilling experience, as you could see how the gap in the society beckons demons and monsters to come through. Join Katsunoha Raidou in Devil Summoner [First Print & Plus Editions] on his quest to quench evil forces that infest the city.
Stealth is a skill you may find useful during Halloween when you need to dodge between all the ghouls moving about. Train yourself in Tenchu 4. Be a real ninja, hide yourself from the preying eyes of the enemies and ambush them when they have their guard down.
Follow the scent of gold in the family games, Monopoly and Dokapon [Wii & PS2 versions]. Although never quite as violent as all the games mentioned above, in the world where money rules, you have to be ruthless.
Xbox360™
Blitz, The League II US US$ 64.90
Blitz, The League II ASIA US$ 49.90
Dead Space US US$ 64.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90
Fable II US US$ 64.90
Fable II ASIA US$ 49.90
Fable II [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 59.90
Fable II [Limited Edition] US N/A
FarCry 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Golden Axe: Beast Rider US US$ 64.90
Gundam Musou International (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 39.90
Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition ASIA US$ 44.90
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 64.90
Rock Revolution US US$ 54.90
Saints Row 2 [Collectors Edition] US US$ 89.90
WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW 2008 (Platinum Hits) US US$ 34.90
Xbox 360 Accessory Bundle - Wireless Controller + Play & Charge Kit (Red) US US$ 69.90
PlayStation3™
Bioshock ASIA US$ 49.90
Blitz, The League II US US$ 64.90
Dead Space US US$ 64.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90
FarCry 2 ASIA US$ 59.90
Golden Axe: Beast Rider US US$ 64.90
Gundam Musou (PlayStation3 the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 64.90
Rock Band 2 US US$ 64.90
Rock Revolution US US$ 54.90
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation US US$ 44.90
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation (w/ Headset) US US$ 69.90
WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW 2008 (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Nintendo Wii™
Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune US US$ 34.90
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Into the Inferno US US$ 34.90
Boogie Superstar US US$ 64.90
Bratz: Girlz Really Rock US US$ 34.90
Dokapon Kingdom US US$ 44.90
Ginsei Table Games Wii JPN US$ 39.90
Happy Dance Collection JPN US$ 59.90
High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance US US$ 54.90
Pro Golfer Saru JPN US$ 59.90
Tak: Big Dose of Gross US US$ 44.90
Tenchu 4 JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation2™
Baroque International JPN US$ 39.90
Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Abaddon Ou JPN US$ 64.90
Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Abaddon Ou Plus JPN US$ 99.90
Dokapon Kingdom US US$ 44.90
Ever 17: The Out of Infinity (Love Game Selection) JPN US$ 19.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 44.90
Gundam Musou Special (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Hakugin no Soreiyu: Contract to Future JPN US$ 64.90
Hakugin no Soreiyu: Contract to Future [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!! Let's Ansatsu!? Nerawareta 10 Daime! (Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
MX vs ATV: Untamed (Greatest Hits) US US$ 24.90
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 64.90
Never7: The End of Infinity (Love Game Selection) JPN US$ 19.90
Nitrobike US US$ 14.90
Remember 11: The Age of Infinity (Love Game Selection) JPN US$ 19.90
Sakura Taisen 3 (Sega the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
The DOG Island US US$ 14.90
Nintendo DS™
100 Kiri Golf DS JPN US$ 48.90
Bratz: Girlz Really Rock US US$ 24.90
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia / Akumajou Dracula: Ubawareta Kokuin JPN US$ 48.90
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia / Akumajou Dracula: Ubawareta Kokuin [Konamistyle Limited Edition] JPN US$ 129.90
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (Ultimate Hits) JPN US$ 29.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 34.90
Final Fantasy III (Ultimate Hits) JPN US$ 29.90
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (Ultimate Hits) JPN US$ 29.90
Galileo JPN US$ 39.90
High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance US US$ 34.90
Josei no Hinkakujuku DS JPN US$ 39.90
Ketsui Death Label JPN US$ 58.90
Kimi no Yuusha JPN US$ 48.90
Layton Kyouju to Fushigi na Machi (Friendly Version) JPN US$ 48.90
Morinaga Takurou no Okane no Shin Joushiki DS Training JPN US$ 48.90
My Japanese Coach US US$ 34.90
Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 US US$ 34.90
Rock Revolution US US$ 34.90
Saihai no Yukue JPN US$ 48.90
Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 2 (Ultimate Hits) JPN US$ 29.90
Smart Boy's: Toy Club US US$ 24.90
Smart Girl's: Party Game US US$ 24.90
Smart Kid's: Party Fun Pak US US$ 34.90
Soul Bubbles US US$ 34.90
Soul Eater: Medusa no Inbou JPN US$ 48.90
Tak Mojo Mistake US US$ 34.90
Wagamama Fasion: Gals Mode JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
Bleach: Soul Carnival ASIA US$ 42.90
Bleach: Soul Carnival JPN US$ 48.90
Crimsongem Saga ASIA US$ 39.90
DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense - Clazziquai Edition KOR US$ 49.90
DJ Max Portable Emotional Sense - Clazziquai Edition [Special Package] KOR US$ 59.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 44.90
Garnet Chronicle JPN US$ 48.90
Gundam Battle Chronicle (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Hard Pouch Portable 3 (Black) JPN US$ 9.99
MX vs ATV: Untamed (Greatest Hits) US US$ 24.90
Minna de Dokusho: Keatai Shousetsu Desu JPN US$ 39.90
Moeru Mahjong: Moejong! JPN US$ 48.90
Moeru Mahjong: Moejong! [Premium Box] JPN US$ 95.00
NBA Live 09 JPN US$ 48.90
SD Gundam G Generation Portable (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
SSX on Tour (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 29.90
PC Games
Battle Rage: The Robot Wars ASIA US$ 32.90
Europa Universalis III Collection ASIA US$ 34.90
FarCry 2 (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
FarCry 2 [Collector Edition] (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 59.90
Medal of Honor: 10th Anniversary Bundle ASIA US$ 49.90
Space Rangers: Reboot ASIA US$ 32.90
Swashbucklers ASIA US$ 32.90
The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft ASIA US$ 29.90
Virtual Skipper 5 ASIA US$ 34.90
X3: Terran Conflict ASIA US$ 42.90
Game Guides and Books
Fable II Limited Edition Guide US US$ 29.90
Famitsu DS + Wii [December 2008] JPN US$ 9.90
Naruto Path of a Ninja 2: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Confrontation Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Saints Row 2 Signature Series Guide US US$ 17.90
V-Jump [December 2008] JPN US$ 8.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1037 (2008 10/31) JPN US$ 7.90
Wii Fit Official Guide Book JPN US$ 19.90
Zero: Gesshoku no Kamen Nintendo Wii Official Guide Book JPN US$ 21.90
Video Game Soundtracks
Afrika Original Soundtrack [CD+DVD] JPN US$ 29.90
Culdcept DS Original Soundtrack Deluxe JPN US$ 31.90
DJCD Sengoku Basara Special (~Tomoyuki Morikawa, Seiichi Morita) JPN US$ 27.90
Hototogisu Ran Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Nijiiro No Ojisama Drama CD Vol.1 (~Toshiyuki Morikawa, Kenichi Suzumura, Takahiro Sakurai) JPN US$ 27.90
Pop'n Music 16 Party Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Prawf Clwyd Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Siren Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Your Memories Off - Girl's Style - Drama CD Road of the Your Kanzen Ban (~Hikaru Midorikawa, Ryotaro Okiayu, Kenichi Suzumura) JPN US$ 22.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week, as you can see, quite a lot of them:
Xbox360™
Fallout 3 US US$ 64.90
Fallout 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
Fallout 3 [Collectors Edition] US US$ 89.90
Guitar Hero World Tour ASIA US$ 59.90
PlayStation3™
Eternal Sonata US US$ 64.90
Fallout 3 US US$ 64.90
Fallout 3 ASIA US$ 59.90
Fallout 3 [Collectors Edition] US US$ 89.90
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III JPN US$ 49.90
Guitar Hero World Tour US US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero World Tour ASIA US$ 59.90
LittleBigPlanet ASIA US$ 59.90
LittleBigPlanet US US$ 64.90
LittleBigPlanet JPN US$ 59.90
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift US US$ 64.90
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift ASIA US$ 59.90
SOCOM: Confrontation ASIA US$ 39.90
SOCOM: Confrontation (w/ Headset) ASIA US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Wii Music US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Thunder Force VI JPN US$ 59.90
Nintendo DS™ Aruite Wakaru: Seikatsu Rhythm DS JPN US$ 58.90
Chocobox JPN US$ 19.90
Dr. Slump & Arale-Chan JPN US$ 48.90
Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 26.90
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Star Ocean: First Departure US US$ 44.90
PC Game
Fallout 3 (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Fallout 3 (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
Fallout 3 [Collectors Edition] (DVD-ROM) US US$ 89.90
Technology Review turns the spotlight on the open source hardware movement. Open source hardware is hardly a new concept, but lately it’s been getting a lot more attention, with the help of magazines like MAKE and websites like Instructables. Chumby, a company that sells a modifiable cube with a screen, embedded computer, and a Wi-Fi connection, designed their product to be easily hackable. The openness of the product caused a community heavily invested in the product’s development to be created. The growth of such communities has also sparked interest from corporations such as Nokia, which is collaborating with MIT on open source video decoders. They recognized that opening up would cause development time to be reduced and provide greater flexibility, allowing them to allocate resources to other areas, including marketing and brand development. [Jamey Hicks], director of the Nokia Research Center in Cambridge, believes that the open source movement can even complement closed designs, as long as it’s handled appropriately. With greater access to sophisticated software tools and resources, the barriers to entry keep falling away, and it’s much easier for the world to discover the joys of tinkering and hacking.
In uncertain times such as these, it ought to be reassuring to turn to British successes. The UK video games industry – or at least its development, as opposed to the publishing side – is a rare example of Britain punching above its weight. At least, that's the popular perception. Speak to any independent British games developer and you will find a considerably more apocalyptic prognosis. Recently, the situation has deteriorated so badly that a coalition of British development studios, backed by developers' trade body Tiga and ELSPA, the publishers' body, has embarked on a campaign to lobby the government, entitled "Games Up?".
Games Up? seeks two things: tax breaks for UK developers in line with those enjoyed by the film industry, and institutional change in universities, designed to re-establish a flow of graduates with skills that are relevant to the game development process. But hang on: according to Games Up?, games made in the UK between 2006 and 2008 alone are on track to generate global revenues of £4bn, and the global games market is worth £18bn and growing at 9% per annum. The credit crunch isn't even an undue worry: consumers are known to turn to games in difficult times, as they offer protracted entertainment for a smallish outlay. So why are UK developers looking to the government for help?
Seductive benefits
The most pressing problem is that the UK development scene has slipped down the global pecking order since several other countries decided to seduce games companies with tax breaks. Ian Livingstone, creative director and head of acquisitions at Eidos, one of the few remaining British games publishers – and not a man ordinarily given to doom-mongering – explains: "We've recently slipped from third to fourth in world development behind Canada. We're now the most expensive country in the world in which to develop. Other countries – not just Canada, but two states in the US, Scandinavian countries, France, Singapore, Korea and others – offer salary subsidies. Canada saw games as a clear opportunity to invest in the future, as traditional manufacturing was disappearing, and made a conscious decision to invest in games. They don't see it as a handout but as an investment. They have actually given out, in salary subsidies, 37.5% to every employee in games companies, and up to 40% R&D tax-credit.
"Over 10 years, they have invested C$500m (£244m). But that has actually generated $1.5bn of inward investment from companies like EA, Ubisoft, and Eidos. It's paying off, because they have a great infrastructure there: they've got great universities providing skilled students, and they are generally pro-games. The difference between there and here is that our government clearly sees any state support as a handout, not an investment. It seems to me the UK government would rather see our great industry go into decline than help it maintain its prominent position in the world, and that is madness."
Livingstone paints a bleak picture of the future of UK games development. "In the past six years, half of the independent UK development studios have already closed or been bought by foreign publishers who see more value in our studios and intellectual property than we do ourselves. We'll end up being a work-for-hire nation. The inherent intellectual property that is created at those studios will be foreign-owned, and they can move that IP to be produced wherever they want in the world, if it suits them."
Richard Wilson, chief executive of Tiga, is the spokesman for the Games Up? campaign. He has been meeting civil servants from the departments for Culture Media and Sport, Innovation, Universities and Skills, Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Children, Schools and Families and the Treasury, among others. He doesn't, however, sound enormously optimistic that the government will heed his call for "20% production tax credit, like that approved by the EU and already found in France". Not to mention that enjoyed for many years by the British film industry.
He adds that "the government understands that UK games developers are not competing on a level playing field" but is "reluctant to introduce tax breaks for games production unless it can be shown that there is an issue of market failure or that there are strong cultural reasons for supporting UK games developers".
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the economic circumstances, the various government departments proved unreceptive to inquiries; the Department of Culture, Media and Sport was particularly dismissive. The Treasury did manage to produce a stultifyingly generic response although, promisingly, it says: "Following approval of a cultural tax relief for games in France, the government is now working with the UK gaming industry to collect and review the evidence for introducing such a credit in the UK."
Battle for breaks
Don Foster, Liberal Democrat spokesman on culture and media, points out that the games industry is competing with others for tax breaks, notably fashion and tourism. He also believes the games industry suffers from an unjustifiably poor image: "I hardly play any games – I'm not from that generation – but because of my job, I had to research the industry. The vast majority of my parliamentary colleagues are always wanting to ban the latest game, but they don't know the details of the industry. Few people in this country realise how important it is to the UK economy." Livingstone agrees: "We're still seen as the red-headed stepchild of the creative industries, one notch up from pornography in the eyes of most of the establishment. They forget that half of the world and half of the UK's population play games. Games help define who we are as human beings – they are as important, culturally and socially, as music and films."
There's another problem, though, which Foster highlights: a shortage of university graduates with the requisite skills. Which brings us to the second prong of the Games Up? campaign. There are 81 videogames courses on offer at UK universities, but only four are accredited by Skillset and therefore taken seriously by the games industry. Livingstone says: "These universities are churning out people who know a bit about games design and the history of games, but what we need are computer programmers, artists and animators: people with real skills who can start work tomorrow. It's better for us to go to somewhere like Imperial College and employ someone who has just done a computer science degree and knows how to program in C++."
This problem ought to be easy to solve collectively, Livingstone says: "The government, industry and education establishments have to come together to find a way to move forward." But Wilson says the government seems to have difficulty grasping the nature of the skills needed.
Bad law?
Jon Hare, director of development at Ukrainian developer Nikitova (and the co-founder of legendary UK developer Sensible Software) says that legislation of a decade ago which says developers must take contractors on as full-time staff after a year, or stop using them, has been economically damaging. Previously, such contractors would be paid a fixed amount for their work on the project, whether it overran or not, which allowed small developers to control their costs. Hare argues that tax breaks would merely offset extra costs which the government has introduced by that legislation.
The Games Up? campaign may not be perfect, but, says Foster, it needs to make its case "robustly". But given how beleaguered the government is by the ongoing financial and banking crisis, Livingstone is pessimistic: "The perception is 'why do we need it, as clearly we're doing well?' But do you put a new roof on your house when it's raining? Surely you should do it when it's sunny?"
After taking a breather from consuming video game hardware last week, Japanese gamers return to the electronics stores of their choosing, snapping up almost 160,000 new PSPs. That's substantially more than Famitsu estimated. The PSP-3000 model took Japan by storm, outselling every other platform combined. And multiplied by two.
As good as Sony's fortunes were on the PSP front, PlayStation 3 sales continued to drop. Weekly PS3 sales sink to a Media Create chart all-time low, with less than 5,000 units sold. It's the only hardware platform to drop in sales this week, possibly due to the soon to be released 80 GB model, which arrives alongside a pair of LittleBigPlanet and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III bundles.
• PSP - 159,816
• Nintendo DS - 29,839
• Wii - 26,024
• Xbox 360 - 7,856
• PlayStation 2 - 7,261
• PlayStation 3 - 4,725
The latest question to fly into our Ask Engadget mailbox (which is ask at engadget dawt com, for those unaware) concerns wireless routers. But not just any wireless router. We're talking wireless routers that offer up rock solid reliability day after day, transfer after transfer.
"What is the best wireless router in terms of reliability? I know that question has been covered before, but most people just answer with whatever router they own. I've had issues with routers. Gone through three Netgears and a Linksys that after a certain amount of time cease to hold a decent connection. I'm wondering if people know of a solid router that might be a little less mainstream."
Who better to ask about the underground WiFi router scene than Engadget readers, right? Help this poor fellow out -- one more dropped connection whilst racking up frags and he's going to have a catastrophic meltdown.
Or, to be more precise, puts the Mickey into Mario, in this figure by Dave Bondi, which actually has zero Disney/Nintendo involvement whatsoever. We know, we know, it's another pretentious "urban vinyl" figure, but the sheer horror of seeing Disney's and Nintendo's flagship mascots thrown in a bucket together makes it worth a closer look. *looks closer*. Oh, the horror.
Highly-anticipated sequel BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams is getting a multiplatform release, 2K Games has confirmed.
The FPS follow-up will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, a 2K statement said (what, no DS release?!)
The first trailer for Sea of Dreams, which is little more than a CGI willy-wave, was spotted at the end of the PS3 version of BioShock last week. We've finally got our hands on a lovely hi-res version now, which you can find below...
The first game was famously released exclusively on Xbox 360 and PC, and after a year of rumours and anxious speculation, it finally hits PS3 today. It's good news then that PS3 owners probably won't have to suffer a long wait next time around.
With Tokyo Game Show behind us, it's time to move on to the flood of Q4 releases. That would explain Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Fable II being unceremoniously plopped on the stoop of Kotaku Towers West. Both will get a good gameplay session thrashing this weekend from yours truly and then ultimately reviewed — as will as the recently acquired Portal: Still Alive — but there are some non-obligation games here too. Finally picked up Call of Duty 4 (I know, I know), The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (I know!!), LittleBigPlanet and Dead Space. So many games!
I'm going to put in a request for some time off from my job writing about games to play some of these games. How about you? Halloween parties planned this weekend?
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 700 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
Get closer to nature, let Afrika the original soundtrack inspire and stimulate your imaginations. As a game that boasts graphical excellence, its original soundtrack comes with a DVD that contains the trailer and a photo gallery. Sink into the sound of nature and reach into the screen to escape your hectic life.
Performed by one of Johnny's youngest bands, Mayonaka no Shadow Boy marks the first year anniversary of the band's debut and is the theme song of Scrap Teacher, a drama which starred its band members. As junior high school students, these boys seek to reform their useless teacher and their falling school.
Somewhat of film about the rite of passage of both the boys and their teacher, the song shows the maturation of the Hey! Say! Jump!. The limited version is already sold out, a sign of how popular this band is.
Kung fu star Jet Li features in Fearless as Fuo, a national hero who rose to stardom as dramatically as he fell from grace.
In the late Ching Dynasty, China was severely weakened, suffering under the violence daily, the people see Fuo, who defeats all the foreign fighters in the ring as their true savior. However, their admiration is also the cause for his demise.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, October 18th and Friday, October 24th. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (198)
ENKA Music releases (60)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (47)
Video Game Soundtracks (9)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (5)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (57)
Anime & Animation (124)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (18)
Japanese Movies (39)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (74)
J-Pop DVD releases (15)
Misc Japanese Movie releases (3)
Idol DVD (9)
features
Japan's No.1 selling video game magazine
Weekly news, reports, reviews, interviews and much more
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Fable: The Lost Chapters
publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Lionhead Studios
Genre: Action RPG
Players: 1
System: Xbox Original
Fable 2 is coming up, so it might be a good idea to do a "pastview", eh?
Fable had promised gamers the world; or at least leader of lionhead Studios Peter Molyneux had promised it. One of the oddest surprises about the original Fable which had failed to deliver anywhere near the promises of peter M. was that it was still an absolutely fantastic game.(I wasn't really mainstream at the time, so wow, I could only imagine what he actually said was gonna be in the game at the time o_0) Fable still held its own in the gaming world for a few reasons; one, it had an intense magic and melee combat system. Two, it had a hugeopen world and lots to do. And three, you could be a hero in the game, or a villain, and the line wasn't drawn that clear either.Fable: The Lost Chapters was essentially Fable 1 with some the stuff that SHOULD have been in the original. This included more side missions, weapons, magic, and other things, but nothing truly warrenting a repurchase of the game. if you were like me, however, and never had the game in the first place, it was a spectacular deal.
Fable had a pretty average combat system for its time; emphasis on melee without many different combo attacks, magic that was sweet but ran out too quickly, and a bow for ranged attacks. But the combat system was very fluid, and battles commenced in seamless real time on the overworld. Boss battles were grand and fun. The only problem was that the combat system wasn't very deep. Racking up combos then delivering finishers was fun with melee, but thats about as deep as it went. magic was pretty fun, but overall not as helpful as melee, and rendered pretty useless in comparison. the Extra skills that you could purchase at the Guild made things a little more interesting, but not by a huge amount. Overall, Fable had a very fluid and easy to use combat system, but it didn't contain the depth of such games as Ninja Gaiden and God of War. The control you have in battles and the overworld is spot-on. The controls don't stick, the camera isn't jumpy or messy, and it all around works well.
What was probably the main selling point of the game was its twisting storyline. This was one of the few games where you have immemse amounts of decisions that truly affect how the rest of the game will be played out. And a lot of these decisions actually are decided by your moral standing.(A study once showed that only 5% of the players of Fable could actually stand to be bad all the way through. I know I ended up with a halo, though I wanted to be an assasin :/ )These choices don't just affect the story, they effect you and the people around you. If your bad, people will tend to avoid you or run away when they see you. If your good, people flock to you, and usually bug the crap out of you. but its not so black and white. You can be good or bad, or a mix of the two. Or closer to good then bad, or vice versa. Even the quests you complete at the Guild will decide how people veiw you, so much that if you don't actually do anything, people won't know you. on the other hand, if you take on many quests and emerge victorious each time, you'll get famous. If you drink too much booze you'll get a beer gut, if you work out enough you'll get buffer, and really many things effect your character in adverse ways. And best of all, the choice is up to you. It could even be called a 'benchmark in gaming interactivity', if you use the term loosely.
Score:
With Fable 2 on the horizon, it may be a good idea to pick up Fable: TLC if you haven't already played it. Its selling for dirt cheap now, and its still a fun game today. Its backwards compatible with the 360 as well. So if you've run out of games to try and want a new experience for cheap, give it a go. Be sure to look out for our DCEmu Fable II review coming soon.
It's almost Halloween. Well, not almost, but almost, time for TELL US DAMMIT. Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Who knows!
Question: What's the scariest game you've ever played?
There's been a number of pleasant surprises that have come out of Treyarch's upcoming installment in the wildly lucrative Call of Duty franchise -- such as the inclusion of Jack Bauer, and its uncanny resemblance to the previous, well-received chapter in the series. However, last night's episode of GameTrailers TV brought another shocking (yet welcome) revelation, straight from the mouth of Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia -- Call of Duty: World at War will contain a four-player, co-op zombie (of the Nazi variety) survival mode.
Those who currently aren't busy scraping pieces of their blown mind off of the wall behind them will probably be interested in a few details Lamia mentioned -- the gameplay mode (which is unlocked upon the completion of the single player campaign) will place four players in a central structure, then assail them with wave upon wave of undead national socialists. Throughout the game, players will collect money which can be used to fortify their compound, or purchase new weapons. Also, there will be Nazi zombies.
Gamasutra's been publishing an interesting series on what the non-target audience gamers want out of their gaming experience; this week's is on the 'missing gamers,' the ones who played when they were younger and have 'grown out of' the habit (or have they really?). After sitting down with a few play sessions with these gamers (age 25 to 35), the Gamasutra team came to a couple of conclusions about what these gamers really want and what would drive them to get back into gaming in a meaningful, non-Facebook attached way; they also established why this is a segment that developers and marketers should be taking note of this demographic:
This group of 25 to 35 Missing Gamers is perhaps one of the most socially motivated cohorts we have come across. From a desire for integrated social experiences to a love of playing games next to each other they certainly have plenty of time, money and motivation to play.
Although easily discouraged from the pursuit of gaming experiences because of the hard-to-get "assumed gaming grammar", get them playing something without thinking about it too much and they soon rise to the occasion.
Get them playing something that presents a sizeable and complex challenge and you discover a whole different side of their personalities.
Wrap all this up with some packaging and marketing stories that look and sound like the lives they are already leading, rather than a cartoon or juvenile version of themselves, and they soon "get" why games are still applicable.
The other two pieces in the series (on 'family gamers' and 'silver gamers') are likewise worth a read; there are some interesting tidbits scattered about the articles in regards to play styles, game design, and marketing efforts.
People who call me an elitist are quite mistaken: I'm actually a misanthrope. It's not that don't associate with certain people, I don't associate with most people. Present company excluded of course. Or included. However you want to read it. John Walker at Rock, Paper, Shotgun feels somewhat the same way, and that's why he's fired up about The Old Republic. And he has a novel argument for why it'll save MMO gaming, for antisocial types like myself.
An MMO where you get NPC party members? Good grief, yes. A thousand times yes. I get the extra hands I require to tackle a stronger foe, but without them bitching and whining at me because I didn’t use my double-cloaking no-hit AOE poison buff at exactly the point they would have used it if they were playing on their own. See? SEE? Every single bugger in these games just wants the others in their parties to be the over-qualified AI companions that perform the tasks they don’t have time for. If you don’t play like they would have done it, you’ve failed them, you’ve let them down, you’ve spoiled their game. ... But if my party members are NPCs, they’ll do what they’re programmed to do, or when I tell them to do it. That’s great for any of the above frustrations I might experience. But more importantly, when I don’t do what they might want when they might demand it, they’re not going to storm off in a giant pissy huff and block me on IM.
John deflects the "then you don't want an MMO," argument — "I really do want an MMO of KotOR’s world, because then I’ll have myself a KotOR game that doesn’t end! And Bioware, mightiest at the RPG, utterly suck at endings."
This does make a lot of sense, and BioWare's shrewd for implementing the NPC party member option. I haven't gamed MMOs ever partly because — well I don't even own a PC, but that's beside the point — I'm just not that into what other people are doing with their game experience. I have enough on my hands just managing my own. And holy shit, Walker's right when he talks about people playing Team Fortress 2, "screaming - and I mean SCREAMING - in anger at a Medic’s failure to uber-charge them the very instant they wanted it." Go through that, or anything close, and you start to question whether multiplayer really is fun.
Anyway, you can tell I'm in something of a pissed mood this AM, so the argument resonates. Check it out.
When it hits stores Sunday, the fourth installment of the wildly popular Guitar Hero video game could become a test of the game industry's ability to weather the broader economic storm.
Activision Blizzard Inc.'s Guitar Hero World Tour is one of the company's most important games of the year. At $189.99, it will also be one of the most expensive games the Santa Monica publisher has ever released.
"In this economy, people will be a little more frugal," said Ricardo Torres, editor of Gamespot, a website that reviews games. "This fall, it's all about value."
For Aaron Green, who plays Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock with his 9-year-old son, Alex, the new game is still a good value.
But the price tag makes him pause. Instead of splurging on the game right when it comes out, as he would have in years past, the 43-year-old audio-visual coordinator from Rancho Mirage said he would wait to give the game to his son for Christmas.
"The price is a little steep," Green said. "But we still need our creature comforts to help us feel better."
That's music to the game's creators, who are pitching it as a great bang for the buck. It comes with a guitar controller, drum kit, microphone and software that lets players create and edit their own music.
"It's like several games in one," said Brian Bright, one of the lead developers. "So you get a lot for your money."
Sarah Wright-Killinger, 30, an operations manager from West Los Angeles, isn't convinced, though she likes to play music games with her husband.
"I'm afraid if I spend money on Guitar Hero, I'm just asking for it," she said. "It's just not the time to be spending money on things like that."
To persuade reluctant consumers, Activision is releasing several versions of the title, including a stand-alone game disc for as low as $49.99, which can be played using guitar controllers from previous versions of Guitar Hero or Rock Band, a competing franchise from MTV Networks. There's also a $90 version of the game that comes with a guitar controller only.
For Activision, hitting the right notes with consumers with World Tour is crucial. The Guitar Hero franchise is "one of the three biggest profit generators" for the company this year, Activision Chief Executive Robert Kotick said.
The company currently leads the music simulation category, but MTV is catching up fast, said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities.
Guitar Hero III, released last October, sold 9.1 million copies in the U.S., said Anita Frazier, an analyst at NPD Group, a market research firm. Rock Band, which came out last November, has sold 3.5 million copies.
"Activision needs this game to keep Rock Band from gaining market share," Pachter said.
I really have no idea what the tone of the national mood is in Canada regarding the Brandon Crisp disappearance. It's a big enough story on the Canadian news sites, but then, it could be that way because they say so, not because Canadians are actually gripped by this story. In the States, if we didn't have a campaign, this has all the markers of an overcovered 24-hour news cycle bender that makes everyone nauseous.
That said, Toronto's National Post has a story up this weekend that does a good job at knocking this down from a sensational video game controversy story to what it really is — a disturbed kid gone missing and terrifying his parents. The lead to the story:
Blaming video games for the woes of teens such as Brandon Crisp, who disappeared after his parents confiscated his Xbox, might be missing a bigger point, child psychologists warn. Obsessive behaviour in any form, combined with sudden shifts in habits, could indicate deeper, emotional turmoil that often eludes many parents.
The reporters, Craig Offman and Natalie Alcoba, then seek out Harvard psychologist Dr. Lawrence Kutner, whose book Grand Theft Childhood had a provocative title but really gave an evenhanded, well researched look at child behavior and video games.
Dr. Kutner said the overwhelming majority of children who play video games do not suffer any psychological damage. If anything, he added, the consoles provide an effective means to be burn off excess adolescent energy and anxiety.
"In essence, it's a way of self-medicating," he said. "Kids play for a variety of reasons: for the fun of it, for the challenge. Or they play for emotional regulation. They can get their anger out."
Of course, "self-medicating" is the watchword. One can self-medicate with alcohol, pot, or other behaviors. It doesn't completely exempt gaming; it remains associated. But it's interesting to see a newspaper of record and an authoritative source combining to back this story away from hysteria.
Blood and Gore
Intense Violence
Sexual Content
Strong Language
Use of Drugs
*Reviewed on an xbox360 console*
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Overview:Some say that Saints Row 2 is not as good as GTA4 and that is the reason they won't buy it, but it really isn't trying to be GTA4, though it may seem like it at first glance, this game actually exceeds GTA4 in some ways.
Gameplay: There is alot of things to talk about this game, so let me break it down this way:
When you start out, you will only have one crib, and little money, you can do missions to earn money and respect which will allow you to buy more cribs in which you can do a number of activities, such as watch previous cutscenes, change your clothes, weapon, and even collect any money your gang has gathered up, you can get money daily by buying food places, and such once you have owned the hood they are in. While you are in your crib, an interesting thing you can do is play a separate game called "Zombie Uprising" where you and a small group of other people are trapped in a small area, and you fight wave after wave of zombies until you beat the game, at the beginning you ARE supplied with weapons such as a chainsaw which when used, the camera closes up on you so you can see the zombie being ripped apart even better, just like in gears of war, this is a great addition to to Saints Row and only adds more value as well.
Other ways of getting money include doing missions, stealing a taxi and driving people around, stealing cars and selling them, and even stealing a car and taking the people inside of it hostage, this leads up to a sort of mini game in which you have to avoid the cops for a certain amount of time, if you stop or drive too slowly, then the hostage will get off the car. Missions in Saints Row 2 are very varied, you will find your self doing the regular racing and killing activities, but then you will also find yourself in a truck throwing human waste at buildings, or pretending to be a police man and trying to break up a gang fight between pirates and ninjas.
The character customization deserves a good look at, here, you can tweak and change things large as how fat you are, down to jaw placement, which is simply amazing, let say you for example choose to be an old person, the older you are, the more your skin will start to sag, and lets say you choose to be a man, what is stopping you from walking like a woman? or talking like one? not Saints Row 2's character creator, you are even free to get breast implants, this is actually more fun then making a mii, there I said it! the guy I made actually looks like me! Once you are done making a character, you can go to multiple stores to buy different clothing, this is a more limited selection, but still doesn't cut short from any other game out there that lets you customize your character, the wardrobe is large enough to satisfy your basic needs of looking fly, this will earn you more respect after completing each mission.
Unlike in GTA4, money in Saints Row 2 is actually helpful, you can use it to buy clothes, ammo, weapons, buildings, businesses, upgrades for your cribs, and for your cars, and feel free to upgrade away, unlike in the GTA series, upgrading a car can be frustrating, as you will find yourself driving slowly seance can easily crash and dent it, or in worst case scenario, blow it up, in Saints Row, you can leave it anywhere you want, and it will magically be stored in your garage, blew it up? no problem, it will magically show back up in your garage, except you will be charged a fine to fix it up, so go ahead and install those spikes at the side of your wheels so you can pop the tires out of other cars if they get too close, they aren't going anywhere.
Aside from the clothing options, the character customization in this game is the best I have seen in a video game so far.
There are many weapons in this game, ranging from my handy dandy taser gun, to a target seeking missile launcher, the variety is great to have, too bad you will feel like you mostly won't need them due to the fact that bullets do little damage to you, making this game a little less challenging then it needs to be in some areas, you can literally walk up to a cop while he is shooting at you and then throw him with your bare hands, this process can be repeated multiple times at once without dying, this only gets worse as you level up your character to take less damage from bullets, regenerate faster, and inflict more damage per punch. You can level up your character by doing certain missions, on the down side, this does not carry over to online component of this game, due to the fact that you have to make a new character to play online, this is both good and bad in the seance that who wouldn't wanna have the chance of having TWO customizable characters, I myself chose to make mine look like an alien, something I couldn't do in carrier mode without ruining my experience.
The controls are fine, but if you are used to driving cars in GTA4 like myself, then you may have to spend a few minutes getting used to the way things handle on Saints Row, you accelerate with "A" and fire with the right trigger, you can press the left bumper at any time to make your car go at the same speed without having to press the gas pedal, this gives you freedom to do a 180 and shoot at any hazards behind you, though this works best on straight roads so keep an eye on the map.
The fighting system is also simple, but fun, you can grab people and use them as meat shields or throw them, and the two trigger buttons are used for left and right punches, chaining these in any form will result in a small take down move where the camera zooms in on you, and you hit them to the ground.
In Saints Row 2 you will find some sweet rides from pee-wee scooters to deadly copters, you can steal most of these, but some will require you to buy them, or you can just type in some cheat codes. You can customize some of the vehicles you have but don't hold your breath, the options are not very variant, you can for example give your car a turbo, and that is where it ends, no stronger or ultra turbo which is kind of disappointing.
Now, not everything is rainbows and butterflies in this game, there are constant glitches and frame drops to be seen, a car even disappeared on me once, enemies often don't notice you and you can easily walk up to them and shoot them, and even after that, they occasionally don't respond making the game at times, easier then it was meant to be. At least the online component of this game makes up for it, if you are really looking for a challenge, you can always get over to a multiplayer match where you can get your bottom handed to you in many different ways as there is a variety of modes to be played.
Graphics: The player models are all right, but now that the bar has been raised, it couldn't hurt them to have made them a bit better, still, this doesn't mean they aren't pretty every now and then. Animations could also use some work, when the player walks it instantly faces the direction in which you are going, there is no smooth transition, but in the long run, this brings a more responsive control rather then other games which require you to go around a circle in order to make a 180. And the small cinematic moves at the end of combos also bring up some eye candy, specially when they change depending on what fighting style you choose.
Sound: Voice overs are great, the track list on the radio could be bigger but what is there works and you can buy some more songs from cd stores, also, the radio hosts will make you smile every now and then, and sometimes maybe even laugh, and overall sound effects are just there, except for the sound of the UFO which can get very annoying quickly. Your character will trash talk every now and then, but there is a large enough variety of things he/she will say to not make it too repetitive, you have to keep in mind that different lines were recorded for different voices that you can choose from which is a big plus.
Replay Value: There is full online co-op, and multiplayer mayhem support which is great, this game also has many different missions and activities to do, and once you are done with that, you can always walk up to people, tase them and watch them twitch in the ground, overall, i found that free roaming in this game alot funner then free roaming in GTA4, as this one is not as realistic, jumping out of planes and robbing stores don't bring much consequence.
Achievements: Most of the achievements in Saints Row 2 only require you to finish all levels of certain activities which is pretty easy for the most part, they are not all fun, but at least they are easy to get if you are looking for some extra points, they just take some time.
Conclusion: Just because this is not GTA4 doesn't mean it is just another wanna be, in fact, there are many elements of this game you won't find anywhere else, this game feels like a combination between GTA4, Postal, and Dead Rising, as you can pick up or destroy most of the things you see and ether hit others with it, or throw it at them. I recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of free roamers, crazy dialogue and missions, and overall crazy fun.
While car surfing may not be very fun, it sure beats walking.
Wednesday sees the return of our old friend Leland Yee as he and California Governor T-101 attempt once again to get their violent video game law passed, this time in the Federal Court of Appeals. The law, which was shot down last year in federal court for being unconstitutional, sought to prevent children from purchasing games that contained "especially heinous, cruel or depraved" violence, putting in place $1,000 fines for retailers who sold such titles to minors. In preparation for this Wednesday's appeal, Senator Yee practiced his spiel.
"This is the same technology the armed forces use to help soldiers kill the enemy," said state Sen. Leland Yee, the San Francisco Democrat who wrote the legislation. "All we're saying is, 'Don't sell it to kids.' "
I predict this appeal will get them absolutely nowhere, though I suppose we can't fault them for using taxpayers' money to check back every now and then, just in case the Constitution changed while we weren't looking.
features
Official Final Fantasy Statue
Height: approx. 36cm
Limited availability
description
One wrong turn, these long time partners would tumble down to the their respective dooms. Balthier and Fran have gone through all sorts of hardship with their wit and combat prowesses and the statue captures all of these in this momenteous scene.
To portray their daring spirit, the sculptors of Kotobukiya took this one dramatic moment in the game and freeze it for all the fans to admire and collectors to drool for.
The falling rubble and the partners on the air bike are precariously suspended in mid air. Every minute detail of this polystone statue is sculpted to perfection, from the smallest carving on the arch to the direction in which the building crumbles.
Responding to Dr., Tanya Byron's findings that parents in the United Kingdom don't seem to be familiar with the PEGI rating symbols, the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) are introducing a traffic light system, reasoning that parents know that green means go, yellow means caution, and red means stop. Obviously they've never driven in my Atlanta suburb before, where yellow means "Go faster" and red means "Oh screw it, I'm late for pilates!"
“The world of gaming is fast moving and it is vital that we have a clear ratings system that is up to date with consumers’ needs. It has already been proven that everyone understands traffic light labelling, making it the perfect scheme for the industry to adopt.”
I suppose if the bright colors fail they can always force publishers to shape the game boxes based on the ratings, forcing parents to push them through the correct hole in order to buy them. Hit the jump for a larger version of this new, possibly but not actually parent-proof system.
So says Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian, and in the interest of providing a counter-point to the endless stream of "gaming is totally safe from the recession!" stories, let's hear what he's got to say.
We interpret this trend to suggest that the core market remains healthy, while more casual/mass market consumers are spending more cautiously or waiting to make purchases closer to the holidays.
What's that mean? Means people like you and me will keep on buying games, no sweat. But the kind of people snapping up Wii Fit, they'll hold off. Which has a knock-on effect! It means that retailers might hold off on buying games they think might not sell, and only buy games they know will sell. Madden, yes, Patapon, ehhh, maybe not.
Speaking at the Games 3.0 event in London earlier in the week, Microsoft's Neil Thompson went on a little rant against education in games. Said it's just not for him, not for his company, and really, shouldn't be for this industry.
We're in the business of producing fun, not education. It so happens that certain products we produce have educational value. We're in the business of creating fun entertainment and the moment we try to pretend we're in the business of education we've crossed the line and it's dangerous for us as a company and as an industry.
Whatever. We both know, Neil, if it hadn't been for VIva Pinata I'd have no idea about the whole worm incest thing.
Play-Asia.com Removal Sale: 15% OFF ALL in-stock items - Only until Friday, October 31st 2008
Come hitch a ride and drive away from the gloom. We know these are not the happiest of times with the force of the credit crunch and stock market plunges bearing down on all of us. But that is precisely why we are having this Removal Sale, let our wealth of entertainment goodies lift your spirits and remove some stress and tension from your shoulders.
Play-Asia.com will soon be moving to a new premises and to make our move easier, we need your help. How? Simple, just get on our trucks and make a grab at our wonderful deals.
Get ready to hail one of our trucks. The sale will commence from this very moment onwards towards the 31st of October, all in stock items will be reduced by 15%, just spot our blue and silver truck on our many product pages, stick out your thumb and get on.
The trucks are driving on the highways on our network but will only stop at a product page for as long as it is in stock. Some products are restocked regularly so the trucks drive back and forth on schedule while others have limited availability so the trucks never return once they drove off.
To avoid disappointment, get to your nearest highway and hail them as quickly as you can spot them. This truck riding activity is only going to last for a couple of days, start catching now and save plenty of cash in the process. After all, the prime objective of hitch-hiking, in most cases is to save cash.
We have carefully selected around 300 of our top selling products from throughout our complete catalogue in this news post to show you just a few examples of how the discount looks and feels like. There are a total of more than 10,000 different products at Play-Asia.com that have been discounted, so make sure to take your time for your bargain hunting (... eh hitch-hiking).
A whopping 15% discount has been applied to Play-Asia.com's regular selling price. This means that already discounted products have become even cheaper. Prices listed in this news post already reflect the latest sales price. Only products listed as "shipping within 24h" availability are still discounted, while others have already been grabbed by someone else.
Please also note that to get the most updated status for a product, you will be required to add this to your shopping cart. Product pages and category listings are subject to caching and may not reflect the current situation where the last piece of an item has been picked by another customer just minutes ago.
Plenty more discounts can be found in our constantly updated Bargain Pages.
From the publisher: In Crash's latest adventure, the villainous Cortex has teamed up with N.Brio and created a monstrous mind controlling device that has taken over all the bandicoots and mutants on Wumpa Island.
Crash sets out to stop the madness by destroying Cortex's evil device using his quick wits, lightening agility, and the hijacked mutant in his pocket!
Adventure with Crash and his mutant in Mind over Mutant. The game is available on several platforms:
Xbox360™
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 54.90
Crash: Mind Over Mutant ASIA US$ 49.90
Nintendo Wii™
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 44.90
Game Guide
Crash: Mind Over Mutant: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
From the publisher: New York City has been invaded and only Spider-Man™ can save it.
Control everything. Spider-Man™: Web of Shadows gives you an unprecedented level of gameplay choice, including, for the first time, control over the game’s direction and outcome.
Choose how Spider-Man fights, which powers to upgrade, who in the Marvel universe to fight with or against, and the fate of New York City itself.
Choose wisely.
Spider Man is here to save the day, let the super hero take you out of the gloom, or grant you a brief reverie, at least.
The cross platform game is available in various versions:
Xbox360™
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 64.90
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows ASIA US$ 59.90
PlayStation3™
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 64.90
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows ASIA US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 44.90
PC Game
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (DVD-ROM) US US$ 34.90
Game Guide
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
All games and game guides are expected to arrive within this week, for a more concrete shipping schedule, please keep yourselves posted.
DS homebrew and development has always been one of those things that has interested me greatly. However, I'm one of those people that always takes on more than I can handle. It should hardly come as a surprise to many of you that my interest in DS homebrew kinda fell on the back burner to the Dreamcast. At one point in time, my interest was high enough in DS homebrew that I actually bought a flashcart and all for the purpose. My card of choice (there really wasn't much of a choice back then) was a SuperCard SD (Slot 2) and an original PassMe. That was quite a few years ago, so when I was given the opportunity to review a much newer DS flashcart, I jumped all over the opportunity. So, now that you know what kind of perspective this review is coming from, I guess it would be a good time to get it started, eh?
The flashcart in question for this review is the EDGE Card. here's a small tidbit from the manufacturer on what EDGE is exactly (and a picture of its rather unique packaging):
EDGE is a multi functional media adapter for NDS. It accepts MicroSD and MicroSDHC cards. EDGE allows use of Homebrew DS applications, multimedia (via Moonshell) and commercial NDS applications via the SD interface. EDGE is easy to use, just load the EDGE OS (download from support section) onto the MicroSD together with your favourite applications, plug into EDGE then insert the EDGE cartridge into the DS and you're ready to go!
Features of EDGE (as given by the manufacturer):
Supports MicroSDHC cards up to 32GB
Plays Commercial NDS ROM
Plays Homebrew NDS ROMS
Touch to execute OS system
Works with Moonshell for multimedia playback such as movies and MP3's
Frequently updated OS for best compatibility
Action Replay compatible cheat system
Brighntess adjustment for NDSL
In game reset
Full download play support
Supports slot 2 expansions
Multi language user interface
Save game saves directly to Micro SD
Automatic save game type detection
Supports clean ROMs
Robust non-spring loaded Micro SD slot
Micro SDHC card reader included
First Impressions/Setup of EDGE:
The EDGE card comes in a rather interesting packaging, shaped like a triangle. The package comes with the EDGE card itself, as well as a MicroSD/MicroSDHC reader. There are no discs of any sort included with the card itself. The packaging has instructions on the back for how to get set up with the card. This simply involves going to the EDGE website, and downloading the latest EDGE OS and extracting it to the root of your MicroSD card. Any other DS programs you wish to use go anywhere on the MicroSD card that you wish to put them. Also, while at the EDGE website, you probably will want to download their EDGE version of Moonshell. The Moonshell RAR file contains a directory named moonshl that should be copied to the root of your MicroSD card. The moonshl directory will not show up in the EDGE file browser, so don't dump any DS applications there if you want to run them from the EDGE OS. Upon doing this, Moonshell is accessible from the EDGE OS by choosing the Media option.
Overall Impressions:
I have to say that flashcarts for the DS have certainly come a long way since their humble beginnings. The EDGE card seems to be a very solid piece of kit, so to speak. It had no trouble with all the homebrew that I threw at it. It automatically did DLDI patching, and the interface is skinable. I also like the fact that you can boot any old Slot-2 devices (like my old SuperCard SD) from within the EDGE OS (the option is in a bit of an odd place though, in the Settings menu). The OS has a bunch of different languages that it supports (English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese, just to name some of them), so even if English isn't your first language, you'll probably find some language you're comfortable with to set it to. I'd recommend the EDGE card to anyone that is looking for a new flashcart for their DS. It does exactly what it needs to do, and the packaging is kinda cool too.
Overall rating: 4.5 / 5
The odd placement of the option booting a Slot-2 device is probably the only thing keeping me from giving this a 5/5.
Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.
Keep your drink cold while you're at your computer
With this mini fridge at your side, you can keep your beverage chilled and stay at your computer longer.
Cold plate chills to the perfect temperature for helping keep your beverage cool.
Easy installation
No drivers required
Contains 3 foam missiles
A pivoted base for directional control
Load the software and a control panel appears on your computer screen
Use your mouse or keyboard to control the missile direction
A click on 'Fire' when your target is in sight releases one of the three missiles.
Rocket launching sound effects when you fire.
Requires a USB port
Requires 3 x AA Batteries (included)
Sony Computer Entertainment UK director Ray Maguire gives fans of Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3 and Tomb Raider: Underworld hope for the future of "exclusive" downloadable content on the PlayStation 3 platform. Each has promised DLC only for Microsoft's Xbox 360, but Maguire tells VideoGamer that "One thing to remember, nothing is ever exclusive."
He has a point. We've watched exclusivity deals dissolve more than once during this generation (BioShock, Final Fantasy XIII).
Maguire, who's been chatty lately, explains to the less big business strategically inclined, "Things get wrapped up for a period of time for a large amount of money and if it's a strategic decision by competition to do that then we have to live with that."
Sony, Mr. Maguire says, has better things to do with its money.
"I would much rather that we were investing money into making sure that we've got great R&D and we start producing games like LittleBigPlanet," he adds, "rather than paying other people a huge amount of money to stop people playing their product."
We're glad that Sony is investing internally, even if it means things like EyePet get greenlighted, but we'd bet some PS3 owners certainly wouldn't mind a well-secured exclusive or two of their own. For the record, we're 99.44% sure this doesn't apply to Metal Gear Solid 4, give or take a few percentage points. Haze, maybe. Definitely maybe.
Gaming seems to be more popular than ever, doesn't it? It might surprise you, then, to learn that the percentage of U.S. households containing a videogame console has remained relatively the same since 1995. A recent report from Odyssey LP called "The Homefront Study" reveals that, while July 2008 saw the highest penetration at 40 percent, that's only two points higher than it was 13 years ago. But why read about data when you can look at a handy graph?
Data was collected from over 1,500 households in a survey asking about different types of home media. We wonder what happened in 1997 that caused a bunch of households to chuck out their consoles. Also, where is the mysterious data from 2006?
IGN suggests America throws a big party the day that 50 percent of our households own a gaming system.
Bethesda has hinted that the next instalment in the tip-top Elder Scrolls series won't be released until 2010.
Speaking to our friends at GamesIndustry.biz, publishing exec Paul Oughton also said there are no current plans to release any Bethesda titles for Nintendo consoles.
"At the moment we've got Fallout 3 for this year and potentially there's a new Elder Scrolls title in 2010," said Oughton. "At the moment we're not that interested in the Wii. We're going to stick to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
"We'll continue to pursue three or four titles a year and go for big titles," he added. Oughton acknowledged that Nintendo has done a great job of expanding the games market to a mass audience - but said he expects things will soon reach saturation point.
"We've seen game selling in the past 18 months that we never thought we'd see. We wouldn't have thought that pet games and cooking games would have a viable market five years ago. No publisher would have taken those products on," he said.
"But Nintendo bought new products in with vast amounts of marketing money to launch these into the minds of the consumer and made a market for them. Every other publisher then very quickly developed DS and Wii products and we're getting to saturation now."
Never mind all that - 2010, you say? Oh well. At least there's Bethesda's Fallout 3 to be getting on with in the meantime. It's out this Friday for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and it's well good.
Fable 2 has gone straight in at number one on the UK all-formats software chart, making it the fifth fastest-selling Xbox 360 game of all time. (GTA IV's the fastest ever, if you were wondering. Probably not.)
According to data providers Chart-Track sales of last week's chart-topper, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, have fallen more than 50 per cent - leaving the game in fourth place. FIFA 09 sales are also down, this time by nearly a quarter, and it's at number three.
So who's in the No. 2 spot? Why, it's Far Cry 2, making its chart debut this week. A third of copies sold were for PS3, while 43 per cent were for Xbox 360 and 24 per cent for PC. Other new entries in the top ten include Dead Space at No. 6 and Midnight Club: Los Angeles at No. 10.
Nintendo's maintaining a presence in the top ten with Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii at 8 and 9 respectively. However, what's more unusual is to see is Microsoft claiming the best-selling version of five out of the top six games in this week's chart. Gosh.
Fable 2 (Xbox 360)
Far Cry 2 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
FIFA 09 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Saints Row 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Dead Space (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
LEGO Batman (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Wii Fit (Wii)
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Midnight Club: Los Angeles Xbox 360, PS3)
Wii Play (Wii)
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Overview : Fans of the old school Neo Geo console have been getting their fix of their favorite games the Wii’s Virtual Console for a while now. But playing those classic games using a Wii-mote or crummy gamepad controller just can’t compare to the Neo Geo’s original arcade controller.
The Neo Geo Wii arcade stick 2 can be compatible with all your virtual console games. It connects directly to your Wii and lets you play your favorite old games properly. The stick is based on the original Neo Geo controller, complete with arcade joystick and a great button layout for playing fighting games and the like.
Features :
Official Nintendo product
Size: 270mm (L) x 190mm (W) x 65mm (D)
Uses the communication function of the Wii Remote Control
Arcade style fighting controller.
Based on SNK's Neo Geo stick.
Suitable for Virtual Console games.
Quality/Usability : My hands have been itching to play Neo Geo games. Yes, they are available on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console but its not the same playing it on a controller. How can you play Puzzle Bobble or World Heroes on a controller or let alone on the Wiimote? Someone from SNK Playmore must of been reading my mind because SNK has released an arcade stick called the Neo Geo Stock 2. It resembles the original Neo Geo Stick for the Neo Geo...even the black color. Since this is two different consoles, there are some minor cosmetic changes.
The Neo Geo Stick 2 has the same four round buttons (B, A, Y, X) which are laid out in a slight curve. At the end of these buttons, there are two additional buttons on the bottom and top of the four buttons (ZL, L and R, ZR respectively). The top contains the SELECT and START. To the left is the eight directional joystick.
First game I had to try was Puzzle Bobble. When I was young, I loved this game so much that I would play this game everyday after school at my local comic book shop. I used my WiiPoints and purchased the Virtual Console game. It was not the same playing it on the WiiMote or classic controller. With the Neo Geo Stick 2, it brought back memories whoever, the stick wasnt as smooth as the arcade. Than again, the arcade stick was used a lot more than the NGS2 so it was broken in. Like all console arcade sticks, the joysticks have a clicky feel to it but that didnt stop me!
Next game I had to try was a fighting game. I went and purchased World Heroes and Fatal Fury. World Heroes was another favorite of mine when I was growing up. I wasn't a big fan of fighting games and still probably not. I was a button smasher when I was growning up playing video games. I probably still am. The controls were great and was able to get my moves off...from what I can remember without having to smash buttons =).
And my all time favorite....Metal Slug. Your Virtual Console and Neo Geo experience is not complete with this classic! I've owned this game at one time or another on the Neo Geo Pocket, DS, PS2, Xbox, etc. Like the previous games, the NGS2 controlled great and I had no problem shooting enemies or aiming/controlling my weapon.
The quality of the controller is very high. Buttons, joystick and the base was very sturdy. I dont lightly tap my arcade sticks...I pound on them. The NGS2 connects to the Wiimote just like the Classic Controller. There is no rumble support but would of been a nice feature.
Conclusion : Overall, the Wii SNK Neo Geo Stick 2 is a must for those who have Neo Geo Virtual Console games. Playing Neo Geo games is not complete until you have this arcade stick. It would be nice if all these arcade sticks that are available dont have a clicky joystick. That's just my preference. This arcade stick was released only in Japan so you can only order this from videogame importers. No word or plans to release this else where. Price is also steep at $59 but well worth it.
If you're anything like us (and we assume you are, otherwise what are you doing here?) you sort of forgot Lord of the Rings: Conquest existed. And who could blame you? With all the Fables about DeadFalloutCry, who had time for a Star Wars Battlefront-esque take on a license that's sooo 2003? Well, hopefully you will on January 13, when the game arrives in North America on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
The release date notice emphasized how Conquest allows you to join either the forces of good or evil. As Pandemic boss Josh Resnick said, "What The Lord of the Rings fan hasn't fantasized about joining Sauron's army to slay Hobbits?" For the record, we haven't, you sicko.
Maybe the Internet really is serious business - being banned from Electronic Arts' support forums may carry more serious consequences than previously thought.
According to a post in the Red Alert 3 forum by 'eeapoc' (Apparently, C&C Community Manager Aaron Kaufman) EA is implementing a new policy that will tie your forum login to your Master EA Account. If you get hit with the ban hammer for misbehaving in a forum, you could find that you are locked out of your purchased games as well.
"Your forum account will be directly tied to your Master EA Account, so if we ban you on the forums, you would be banned from the game as well since the login process is the same. And you'd actually be banned from your other EA games as well since its all tied to your account. So if you have SPORE and Red Alert 3 and you get yourself banned on our forums or in-game, well, your SPORE account would be banned to. It's all one in the same, so I strongly recommend people play nice and act mature."
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Quite a few big titles are released this week. The delayed LittleBigPlanet has arrived in its full wool and yarn glory. Create your paradise and explore others' patches. Afterall, creativitiy is part of the playing experience and playing is part of the creative experience.
With the network facility enabled, you can wonder into other people's realms or get batches of updates for existing games. The developers of GT have released their newest patch, Spec III, for GT5 Prologue which players can download. But for those who never owned the original game, get the completely updated GT5 Prologue Spec III via our site.
Another racer that blurs the line between reality and the virtual world is Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Race through the city, transform it into tunnels of lines and lights and face off with all the super cars and their drivers. Feel the adrenaline that runs through your veins as you drive recklessly through the city in your safe haven.
Visit New York after you have finished the races in L.A. As one of the most glamourous cities in the world, it's once again being invaded by evil forces. As Spider Man, ensnared in the Web of Shadows you have to save the city and yourserlf. But how you proceed about your business is entirely up to you. So choose wisely.
Fallout 3 paints an apocalyptic world destroyed completely by a nuclear fallout where only the fittest can survive. Granting the players a high amount of freedom, the game allows the players a feel of being truly in charge of their lives and the world. combat mutants, opposition forces and and other hostilities in this game.
Blow things up to galactic proportions, the war between the Ohn Empire and the Federation is still in full swing in Thunder Force VI. Pilot your craft, shoot your enemy planes off the sky and bring an end to all wars with your powerful cannon blasts.
A couple of hot Japanese titles are localized for English speaking gamers. Eternal Sonata, Star Ocean: First Departure and Master of Monster Lair are some of these. Follow the engaging storylines and endearing characters on their exciting adventures. Enjoy the fantasy and magic that are weaved before your eyes.
Another much anticipated game is the localized Wii Music. Spend some time with your family and broaden your music horizons. Play to the beat and train your reflexes, conduct an orchestra, play to the melodies of well known games such as Super Mario Brothers' themes or even compose your own tracks.
Last but not least is the new DS release of Chocobo's Dungeon. Learn what Cid did when Choco is busy retrieving memories for the town's folk.
Besides a fuller story, the Pop up Card Duel is compatible with the Wi-Fi card game of the still developing Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon: Majo to Shoujo to 5-Jin no Yuusha which gives you more incentive to look out for the new game.
Besides the game, to go with the chocobo hype, dress your DS as your favourite mascot with Chocobox. The package comes with a sunny yellow protector case that spots Choco's smiling features at one corner. Aside from the case, there is a matching yellow touch pen that you can lengthen and shorten as well as a screen cleaner.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway JPN US$ 68.90
Crash: Mind Over Mutant ASIA US$ 49.90
Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3 Bundle (w/ Dance Mat) US US$ 89.90
Fallout 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
Fallout 3 US US$ 64.90
Fallout 3 [Collectors Edition] US US$ 89.90
FarCry 2 US US$ 64.90
Fracture JPN US$ 64.90
Grand Theft Auto IV JPN US$ 78.90
Guitar Hero World Tour US US$ 64.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles ASIA US$ 49.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles US US$ 64.90
Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition US US$ 44.90
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows ASIA US$ 59.90
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 64.90
Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon US US$ 54.90
Xbox Live 12-Month Messenger Gold Card with Project Gotham Racing US US$ 69.90
PlayStation3™
Bioshock US US$ 64.90
Eternal Sonata US US$ 64.90
Fallout 3 US US$ 64.90
Fallout 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
Fallout 3 [Collectors Edition] US US$ 89.90
FarCry 2 US US$ 64.90
Fracture JPN US$ 68.90
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III JPN US$ 49.90
Grand Theft Auto IV JPN US$ 78.90
Guitar Hero World Tour US US$ 64.90
Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Bundle) US US$ 129.90
LittleBigPlanet JPN US$ 59.90
LittleBigPlanet US US$ 64.90
LittleBigPlanet ASIA US$ 59.90
LittleBigPlanet (With Dual Shock 3 Pack: Black) JPN N/A
LittleBigPlanet (With Dual Shock 3 Pack: Silver) JPN US$ 79.90
LittleBigPlanet (With Dual Shock 3 Pack: White) JPN US$ 79.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles US US$ 64.90
Midnight Club: Los Angeles ASIA US$ 59.90
Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition US US$ 44.90
PlayStation3 Console (HDD 80GB LittleBigPlanet Dream Box) - Ceramic White JPN N/A
PlayStation3 Console (HDD 80GB LittleBigPlanet Dream Box) - Clear Black JPN N/A
PlayStation3 Console (HDD 80GB LittleBigPlanet Dream Box) - Satin Silver JPN N/A
PlayStation3 Console (HDD 80GB Model Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III Bundle) - Ceramic White JPN US$ 549.00
PlayStation3 Console (HDD 80GB Model Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III Bundle) - Clear Black JPN US$ 549.00
PlayStation3 Console (HDD 80GB Model Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III Bundle) - Satin Silver JPN US$ 549.00
Rock Band 2 Wireless Drum Set US US$ 129.90
Rock Band 2 Wireless Guitar US US$ 89.90
SOCOM: Confrontation JPN US$ 39.90
SOCOM: Confrontation (w/ Headset) JPN US$ 79.90
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 64.90
Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon US US$ 54.90
Wireless Headset JPN US$ 49.90
Yamasa Digi World SP: Bounty Killer JPN US$ 74.90 Nintendo Wii™
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader: Make the Grade US US$ 34.90
Backyard Football 2009 US US$ 44.90
Boku to Sim no Machi Kingdom / MySims Kingdom JPN US$ 59.90
Bokujou Monogatari: Waku Waku Animal March JPN US$ 64.90
Carnival Games: Mini-Golf US US$ 44.90
Celebrity Sports Showdown US US$ 44.90
Circus Games US US$ 34.90
Dancing with Stars: Get Your Dance On US US$ 54.90
Guitar Hero World Tour US US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Bundle) US US$ 129.90
Hula Wii: Minna de Fura Oodorou!! JPN US$ 49.90
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 US US$ 44.90
Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition US US$ 44.90
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 US US$ 54.90
Penny Racers Party: Turbo-Q Speedway US US$ 34.90
Petz Rescue Wildlife Vet US US$ 44.90
Sam & Max: Season One US US$ 34.90
Shape Boxing: Wii de Enjoy! Diet JPN US$ 59.90
Spongebob Squarepants featuring the Nicktoons: Globs of Doom US US$ 44.90
Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon US US$ 54.90
Wii Music US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Scarlett: Nichijou no Kyoukaisen JPN US$ 68.90
Scarlett: Nichijou no Kyoukaisen [DX Pack] JPN US$ 89.90
Thunder Force VI JPN US$ 59.90
Yumemi Hakusho: Second Dream JPN US$ 68.90
Yumemi Hakusho: Second Dream [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Nintendo DS™
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader: Make the Grade US US$ 34.90
Aruite Wakaru: Seikatsu Rhythm DS JPN US$ 58.90
Avalon Code JPN US$ 48.90
Back at the Barnyard: Slop Bucket Games US US$ 34.90
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia US US$ 34.90
Chocobox JPN US$ 19.90
Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu + JPN US$ 48.90
Dancing with Stars: Get Your Dance On US US$ 24.90
Dr. Slump & Arale-Chan JPN US$ 48.90
Ener-G Dance Squad US US$ 34.90
Ener-G Horse Rider US US$ 34.90
Ener-G: Gym Rockets US US$ 34.90
Liquid Crystal Protection Filter DSi JPN US$ 6.99
Lovely Lisa US US$ 34.90
Master of the Monster Lair US US$ 34.90
Mechanic Master US US$ 34.90
Naked Brothers Band US US$ 34.90
Screen Guard DSi JPN US$ 6.99
Seikatsu Rhythm Meter JPN US$ 19.90
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 34.90
Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon US US$ 34.90
Tales of Innocence (Welcome Price 2800) JPN US$ 29.90
Tokyo Shoukou Kaigisho Kanshuu: Kankyou Jidai no Koushiki Kentei: Eco Kentei DS JPN US$ 39.90
Touch Panel Screen Protection Filter DSi JPN US$ 3.99
Touchmaster 2 US US$ 34.90
Transformers Animated US US$ 34.90
Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono JPN US$ 48.90
Vitamin Y JPN US$ 44.90
Yes! Precure 5 Go Go Zenin Shu Go! Dream Festival JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™
Cardinal Arc Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Crash: Mind Over Mutant US US$ 44.90
Midnight Club: LA Remix US US$ 44.90
Midnight Club: LA Remix ASIA US$ 34.90
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 28.90
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Rockman Rockman (Best Version) JPN US$ 19.90
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows US US$ 44.90
Star Ocean: First Departure US US$ 44.90
Suigetsu Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Suigetsu Portable [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga ASIA US$ 39.90
PC Games
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 [Collector's Edition] ASIA N/A
Fallout 3 (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Fallout 3 [Collectors Edition] (DVD-ROM) US US$ 89.90
FarCry 2 US US$ 54.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Arcadia Magazine [December 2008] JPN US$ 12.90
Castlevania: The Order of Ecclesia Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Code Geass - The Complete - Official Guide Book - Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 JPN US$ 18.90
Fable II Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Fallout 3 Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 34.90
Fallout 3: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 24.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [December 2008] JPN US$ 16.50
Far Cry 2: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Figure King No.129 JPN US$ 14.90
Lamento - Beyond the Void - Official Visual Fan Book White Notes JPN US$ 34.90
LittleBigPlanet Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Midnight Club Los Angeles Signature Series US US$ 17.90
Nobunaga no Yabou Online Souha no Shou 2008.8.27 Official Guide Vol.2 JPN US$ 32.90
Phantasy Star Portable FAA Book Guardians Maniacs JPN US$ 21.90
Shimada Fumikane Art Works JPN N/A
Star Ocean: The First Departure Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1038 (2008 11/07) JPN US$ 7.90
World Destruction: Michibi Kareshi Ishi Complete Guide JPN US$ 24.90
Video Game related Soundtracks and Movies
DJ Max Technika Card Collection [Platinum Package] KOR US$ 18.90
DJ Max Technika Card Collection [Technika Package] KOR US$ 18.90
DJ Max Technika Exclusive Collection [Limited Edition] KOR US$ 29.90
Dead Space: Downfall US US$ 34.98
Fate / Tiger Colosseum Upper Theme: "Try Real!" (~Yui Sakakibara) JPN US$ 11.90
Inazuma Eleven Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 26.90
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
PS3 Aquanaut's Holiday-Kakusareta Kiroku- Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 22.90
Playstation 2 Game - Memories Off 6: Trial Wave Personal Collection 4 Rainbow Highway (~Rein Suzushiro (CV.Rie Tanaka)) JPN US$ 13.90
Playstation 2 Game - Memories Off 6: Trial Wave Personal Collection 5 Haruka Kanata (~Yuuno Kasuga (CV.Ui Miyazaki)) JPN US$ 13.90
Seishun Oden (Inazuma Eleven Opening & Ending Theme) (~twe'lv) JPN US$ 9.90
Sorgerian Mega Drive Version Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 39.90
Tenchu 4 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 21.90
The Idolm@ster Master Live Encore JPN US$ 19.90
Togeki '08 Super Battle DVD Vol.1 Tekken 6 JPN US$ 39.90
Togeki '08 Super Battle DVD Vol.2 Virtua Fighter 5 R JPN US$ 39.90
Togeki '08 Super Battle DVD Vol.3 Melty Blood Act Cadenza Ver.B2 JPN US$ 39.90
True Fortune Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 29.90
Vocal Shu Neo Angelique Special 1 JPN US$ 28.90
Here is a preview of what are expected to be hot next week, as you can see, quite a lot of them:
Xbox360™
Gears of War 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Gears of War 2 US US$ 64.90
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 59.90
Gears of War 2 [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
Legendary ASIA US$ 49.90
MotoGP 08 US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Legendary US US$ 64.90
MotoGP 08 US US$ 64.90
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift ASIA US$ 59.90
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift US US$ 64.90
SingStar Vol. 2 US US$ 54.90
SingStar Vol. 2 Bundle (w/ 2 Microphones) US US$ 69.90
The SCI FI Channel announced today it will produce an eight-episode, elimination-style reality show in which 12 gamers will compete in a series of challenges to find the "Best All-Around Gamer" in the United States.
The show, currently called "WCG GameQuest," will be shot in Los Angeles and is scheduled to premiere in the first quarter of 2009. The show will have "top game titles" from different studios and include physical challenges in an arena in front of hundreds of spectators. These elimination contests are designed to "bring video games to life" -- whatever that means -- with the champion of the event winning $100,000 and trips to future World Cyber Games events worldwide.
The announcement fails to mention what any of these physical challenges will be, but more conspicuously absent is the mention of any of the games these players will have to play. If the Cyber Games is so involved that it's initials are in the title of the show, I'd assume that organization's roster of official games will be involved, and if that is indeed the case, likely candidates would include "Starcraft," "Counter Strike," "Command & Conquer 3," "Guitar Hero III" and "Halo 3."
A quick call reveals that the show isn't announcing what games will be involved because the producers don't want to spoil any content ahead of time. But one example offered up is that in a show featuring an action game, contestants could first be required to run through a spy-themed obstacle course, zip-lining, racing down fire escapes, etc... before actually playing the action game. Scoring from both virtual and real-life competitions would determine who would have to be involved in the elimination event for that show.
I'm curious how these "gamers" are being selected for the show. The final contestants will be chosen next week, but there are no details available right now as to where they are from and whether any might be from Wisconsin.
