World Gaming Extreme

Sony PS3 under pressure due to Xbox 360 price cut, according to analyst

2008-03-11T16:30:00.001-07:00

Now that the European Xbox 360 price cut is no longer a rumor but a reality, how will it affect its rival, Sony's very own PlayStation 3? According to analysts, it'll most likely to put a pressure on the sleek black console when it comes to pricing.

And what a pressure it will be. With Microsoft's Xbox 360 most expensive SKU, Elite, being GBP 40 (US 80.26) less expensive than the PlayStation 3, Microsoft's next-gen console is looking all the more appealing to gamers indeed. Principal analyst David Mercer said:

Sony will be nervous that the PS3's recent sales surge may fizzle out now that the premium Xbox 360 undercuts the PS3 by GBP 40, and the cheapest Xbox model is almost half the price of a PS3 .

So what will be Sony's gameplan? According to Mercer, Sony will most likely be careful to focus on their daily sales, but will "hold out until later in the year before making its next price move." In any case, it looks like that the winner in the end will always be the end users, the gamers.

Rock Band Xbox 360 DLC for March 11: Black Tide, Paramore, Serj Tankian

2008-03-11T16:28:00.001-07:00

Harmonix Manager of Community Development Sean Baptiste (aka hmxsean) dropped by Rock Band's official forum site and announced some of the upcoming downloadable content for the Xbox 360 version of the game.

According to the official, the new songs should be up today, March 11, and each song will cost 80 Microsoft Points (US 0.99). Here's the list provided by the community manager:

"Shockwave" by Black Tide (Master)
"Crushcrushcrush" by Paramore (Master)
"Beethoven's C " by Serj Tankian (Master)

There's still no word if the same songs will also be made available in Rock Band for the PlayStation 3. The last DLC pack the Sony next-gen got for this game was last week's Grateful Dead.

Just keep checking back here at QJ.NET as we promise to update you as soon as we pick up new development.

Buy: [ Rock Band Special Edition (Xbox 360) ]
Buy: [ Rock Band Special Edition (PS3) ]

Microsoft Europe VP explains how Xbox 360 big price drop became possible

2008-03-11T16:27:00.001-07:00

As much as the newly announced Xbox 360 price cut for Europe is a very welcome move from Microsoft, one has to got to wonder what are the real reasons behind it.

Is it, as some would like to believe, a precursor to the rumored 60GB SKU? It's a good thing, though, that Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Europe Vice President Chris Lewis gave a few statements explaining why such price drops have become possible.

"We had to reach and surpass key milestones before we dropped 360 s UK price," Lewis said. If you're wondering what specific milestones Microsoft is talking about, Chris Lewis provided as well the following outline:

We ve taken 42 revenue share of next gen-games market - including hardware, peripherals and software, as well as the stunning performance of Live.
We re consistently attaching games at high level - we re now at north of seven games to every console. That s considerably more than our competitors and something we re immensely proud of.
On top of that, we ve worked our way to a 17.7 million units worldwide installed base - and Europe is a critical geography within that figure.

Lewis also commented that the "ability to continually drive cost through the console" is also a big factor to the price cut. The new prices will take effect in Europe this coming March 14.

Epic Games' Tom Sweeney on PC gaming, Vista problems, and more

2008-03-11T16:26:00.001-07:00

Mainstream PC users usually don't put into mind gaming as one of their primary reasons for buying their units. The biggest uses for their PCs would mostly focus on for checking their email, or simply updating their Facebook or MySpace accounts.

This was one of the dilemmas Tim Sweeney, Epic Games CEO and founder, talked about in an interview conducted by TG Daily. He also expressed his opinion on how the PC is currently having trouble keeping up with the competitive gaming market that the consoles are monopolizing, as well as some possible solutions that the PC industry can go with if it wants to competitively make some headway against its rivals.

Sweeney also pointed towards the message that most current game developers are sending to gamers when it comes to getting the best bang out of their PC gaming buck as one of the biggest mistakes in the industry. It used to be that mainstream PC users can play just about any game on their machines with optimal results.

Games nowadays rely on high-end user specs if they want gamers to enjoy their gaming experience. A simple downscaling solution wouldn't cut it either because of the huge margin created by PC manufacturers when producing their machines.

Another fault he pointed out was the continuation of Vista 32-bit version instead of sticking to an exclusive 64-bit platform. This causes old problems like virus and spyware to bog down user systems, thus making the PC platform unsuitable for optimal gaming conditions.

TG Daily also asked his opinion on the idea of using external graphic cards which can be plugged into your PC and raise its visual performance. Sweeney liked the idea of using a PC as "an out-of-the-box workable gaming platform". However, this might not be a viable solution for gamers who want to properly step up their machines for gaming purposes.

Sweeney proposed his own solution to change the way how the PC industry can keep up with the current gaming trends:

If you look into the past, CPU makers are learning more and more how to take advantage of GPU-like architectures. Internally, they accept larger data and they have wider vector units: CPUs went from a single-threaded product to multiple cores...

Then, every PC, even the lowest performing ones will have excellent CPUs. If we could get software rendering going again, that might be just the solution we all need. Intel s integrated graphics just don't work. I don't think they will ever work.

It looks like PC manufacturers, and the industry itself, have a big job on their hands if they want to keep up with the standards of using today's PCs as a solid gaming platform instead of an all-around performance machine. In any case, we'll just have to wait and see if they are indeed up to this enormous task.

Harmonix playing with the idea of user-created songs for Rock Band

2008-03-11T16:25:00.001-07:00

So what's next for Harmonix's rocking new rhythm title aside from the occasional new song? Vice President of Product Development Greg LoPiccolo assumed that the next step for Rock Band (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) would be the introduction of user-created music for players to really get into the spirit of the game.

It definitely sounds like an interesting take on how to make Rock Band stand out as an innovative rhythm title. LoPiccolo mentioned that it was a "natural direction for the franchise to move" and that it would be a great way for musically inclined gamers to express themselves even further.

However, the idea isn't without its own set of difficulties. Problems such as IP and ratings issues are bound to pop up somewhere, but he's quite hopeful of the possibility of it happening sometime in the future.

He was even considering requests of adding a new peripheral to the Rock Band instrument scheme, specifically a keyboard. LoPiccolo was very open to the idea, saying that should there be enough songs which could warrant the addition of a keyboard instrument then they'll be right on it.

However, all of these ideas are still up in the air as Harmonix still seems to have their hands full on other projects. For now, we'll just have to wait and see if our indie band songs will get a chance to make it onto the virtual stage. Keep coming back to this space as we look out for more updates on the game.

Buy: [Rock Band Special Edition (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Rock Band Special Edition (PS3)]

Bizarre love triangle: shareholder sues Take-Two over EA's buyout offer

2008-03-11T16:24:00.001-07:00

And it's a one-two punch. After doing a bit of damage control to reassure its employees after Electronic Arts tried to buy out their company, Take-Two Interactive is slammed with a lawsuit. The funny thing is, it was filed by one of T2's very own shareholders.

The lawsuit alleges that Take-Two purposely kept EA's US 2 billion buyout offer a secret so that it could enrich its senior executives. Apparently, T2 approved a measure to increase management compensation in case of a takeover just days after the offer.

The compensation approved by the board raised the fees and bonuses that will be received by ZelnickMedia's management in case the company was sold. From US 3.8 million, it was raised to an "exorbitant" (as the lawsuit described it) US 16.5 million.

The lawsuit claims that the actions they took to respond to EA's offer (or as the lawsuit phrases it: "outright rejection of EA s offers and failure to negotiate") represents a failure to "reasonably respond" and "maximize shareholder value."

The lawsuit, filed by Patrick Solomon, specifically calls out Strauss Zelnick and Benjamin Feder, the partners of ZelnickMedia. In response to the lawsuit, the company replied: "We believe that the claims lack merit, and intend to defend vigorously against them."

Analysts: Xbox 360 price drop for US, more console war theories

2008-03-11T16:23:00.001-07:00

The recent Xbox 360 price drop in Europe got analysts in a tizzy over what's in store for the console wars now, saying that Microsoft will get an advantage over the competition. Analysts are now surmising that the price drop may also be headed to the U.S.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter speculates that the U.S. price cut will be introduced before Christmas. He singles out the Xbox 360 Arcade, saying that Microsoft would probably drop its price by at least US 50, making the SKU cheaper than the Wii.

However, while Pachter is confident that the 360 can hold its own until the holidays, he does add that the PlayStation 3 is likely to pick up in sales due to the market's call for Blu-ray. But then this may be all the more reason the U.S. price cut may happen:

I'm pretty confident that they will maintain a spread between the 360 and the PS3, and think that [Microsoft is] proud enough to care if the PS3 outsells the 360 consistently.

Colin Sebastian, an analyst from Lazard Capital Markets, also predicts a price cut for the Xbox 360 in the US. He also expects that, along with the price cut, Microsoft will introduce a new Xbox 360 SKU with a larger hard drive (perhaps he means the rumored 60 GB SKU?).

Sebastian goes on to say that the PlayStation 3 may also introduce a price cut, depending on how well the market takes to a cheaper Xbox 360 (if Microsoft chooses to introduce one): "They may be left with little choice if pricing continues to limit market share."

As for the Wii... well, no one seems at all worried for the Nintendo platform even with all the talk about price cuts. "I think the Wii success has more to do with the gaming experience than the price point," says Sebastian, echoing Jesse Divnich's earlier sentiments.

Lifestreaming: Square Enix wants simultaneous worldwide releases

2008-03-11T16:21:00.001-07:00

Always look to Aeris if you want world peace. Amidst all the complaints from RPG fans in US and Europe of how Japan always gets things first (settle down, folks; Crisis Core is coming in just a few more days!), Square Enix is now making a move to have worldwide simultaneous releases for their games.

Yoichi Wada expressed this goal of theirs to Japan's Nihon Keizan Shimbun, saying that Square Enix will be "making simultaneous releases the norm" from this point on. This bodes well, especially after Wada's consideration of expanding their development studios to Western regions as well as reassessing their partnership with Microsoft.

Unfortunately, it remains unsaid as to what specific games in their pipeline will be having a worldwide simultaneous release. Maybe Final Fantasy 13 for the PS3 or Dragon Quest 9 for the DS? Square Enix seems to be putting those two in their priority lists - even though specific release dates haven't even been revealed yet.

Who knows? While chances of seeing them roll out within the year are slim, we can still hope for a simultaneous release for when these games come out in the future.

Break glass in case of takeover: Take-Two forms severance plan

2008-03-11T16:20:00.001-07:00

Those of you who have been following the recent industry drama between Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive might be interested in this latest development: T2 has formed a severance plan to reassure their staff, just in case EA's takeover pulls through.

The news of the takeover has the industry a little jittery, so it's not surprising that T2's staff need the reassurance. Back when the takeover bid was first announced, even Ubisoft was a little rattled and announced that they were hoping to expand as well.

There is a chance that the EA's bid will turn into a hostile takeover, as industry analyst Michael Pachter points out, so a severance plan doesn't strike as a panicked decision from T2. T2 maintains that the plan doesn't mean the takeover will actually happen.

For those of you interested in the details of the severance plan, here's the skinny:

T2 executives will be given 1.5x their current salary and a bonus of up to 18 months if they are fired without cause within a year of a change in control.
Non-executives will receive up to six months in salary.
The severance plan does not apply to top executives covered under a separate management agreement

On Shelves This Week: March 10 to March 16, 2008

2008-03-11T16:19:00.001-07:00

Compared to last week's releases, we'll be facing a more discreet batch this time. Surely, it's difficult to look away from Super Smash Bros. Brawl now that it's out in the market. If you can resist the charms of the Nintendo all-star fighting game, Condemned 2: Bloodshot can quench your thirst for hurting someone. It's not all about melees, however, since there's a good dose of lighthearted fantasy in the mix, thanks to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates.

Level-headed gamers who want to put their strategic thinking to the test have numerous prospects highlighted by Wild Arms XF. Sports fans won't be left behind with the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, the latest entry in the popular football series. Still not enough games? We've got a chunky list right here.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot. Like its predecessor, Condemned 2 has close ties with the unexplainable. Taking the shoes of former Serial Crimes Unit investigator Ethan Thomas, players will face the horrors of a mysterious city littered with murder crimes while utilizing the game's new hand-to-hand combat mechanic when guns are not enough.

Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 - March 11, 2008
US 59.99
ESRB M (Mature)
Sega and Monolith Productions

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates. Fans of the previous iteration of this action RPG can find everything they loved about Square Enix' multiplayer affair in its sequel. Four player mode is intact, coupled with unique controls made possible by the Nintendo DS' touch screen.

Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 39.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Square Enix

FlatOut: Head On. What can only be defined as pure destruction is racing its way to the PSP for some serious devastating car crashes across Carnage Race, Deathmatch Derby, and Ragdoll Stunts modes. Wi-Fi support promises you won't be alone during your savage trips.

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB T (Teen)
Warner Bros. and Empire Interactive

House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return. Sega's classic arcade shooter series which was insane enough to turn a typing spin-off into something fun has finally come back from the grave to haunt the family friendly Wii. Zombies attempt to prove the undead is as cool as they were a few decades ago using motion sensing controls.

Nintendo Wii - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB M (Mature)
Sega

Insecticide. Yes, Gamecock's handheld offering is buggy, but not in a bad way. If you thought killing insects is fun without feeling guilty, try playing the snazzy detective Chrys Liszt and you'll know how those bugs you love to squash have their own problems to take care of, too. Insecticide is said to be a cinematic experience which progresses through fast-paced shooting in finely crafted environments.

Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Gamecock and Crackpot

Lost Empire: Immortals. Can't get enough of 4X games set in space? Meet Lost Empire: Immortals, a PC game cooked up with the immortal formula of pitting various races against each other as they explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. A solid number of 150 scientific advances and ten-player multiplayer mode ensure you'll take hours to colonize every single star in the game's universe.

PC - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
Paradox Interactive and Pollux Gamelabs

Nanostray 2. It's been a while since we first heard of this title, but it looks like the sequel to a solid top-down shooter is finally coming. Nanostray 2 has an array of new features with six game modes, multiple control schemes, and 16 bad bosses - definitely a leg up from the first Nanostray.

Nintendo DS - January 15, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Majesco Games and Shin'en

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. From its humble beginnings as Winning Eleven, Konami's football franchise has exploded to stardom and now constantly scores goals across several platforms. This season, it will strike North America on the PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, and DS.

Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 59.99 (Xbox 360, PS3), US$29.99 (PSP, DS)
ESRB E (Everyone)
Konami

Sam and Max Season 2: Episode 204. It's episodic content at its best, as Telltale Games is releasing yet another entry in Sam and Max' animalistic adventures. The latest episode has all the improvements added to Season 2, such as more lively neighborhoods and the introduction of mini-games in every installment.

PC - March 13, 2008
US 8.99
Telltale Games

Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory. Despite its title, Sudden Strike won't take you by surprise. It's too massive to strike quickly, what with the overwhelming number of available units on air, land, and sea, all rendered by a powerful 3D engine. The wait is over, soldier.

PC - March 10, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB T (Teen)
cdv Software Entertainment and Fireglow Games

Wild ARMs XF. The long-running RPG series by Media Vision is ready for a shoot-out on a handheld for the first time, featuring a heavily modified HEX battle system. As one of the many turn-based strategy games for the PSP, Wild ARMs XF sets itself apart by providing deep combat backed by Formation Arts, Combination Arts, and 20 unique job classes.

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 39.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
XSEED Games and Media Vision

World Championship Cards. If you need card games on the go, Crave has an expansive collection of over 30 different card games in one PSP title. To top it all, there's character creation and eight-player online play or via AD HOC.

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 19.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Crave

XIII Century: Death or Glory. Epic battles between thousands of soldiers in 13th century Europe is the name of the game. Before joining the fray, military leaders are allowed to enter strategy mode in which they'll be assessing economic, diplomatic, and political aspects of an invasion. When battle is inevitable, it's time to customize troops and charge into battle!

PC - March 12, 2008
US 19.99
GamersGate

originally posted Mar 10, 2008 at 12:36AM

Buy: [Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360), (PS3)]
Buy: [Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS)]
Buy: [FlatOut: Head On (PSP)]
Buy: [House of the Dead 2&3 Return (Wii)]
Buy: [Insecticide (DS)]
Buy: [Lost Empire: Immortals (PC)]
Buy: [Nanostray 2 (DS)]
Buy: [Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360), (PS3), (PSP), (DS)
Buy: [Wild ARMs XF (PSP)]
Buy: [World Championship Cards (PSP)]

Target and Circuit City deals for week of March 16 - 22

2008-03-11T16:17:00.001-07:00

For those of us looking to score some videogame-flavored joy - but don't quite have the funds to splurge then here comes the attack of the cheap, affordable deals coming direct from Circuit City and Target. And this is for the week of March 16 to March 22 of 2008.

Better get your calculators (and wallets) ready to crunch the numbers!

So, how are the pickings this week? Quite healthy, actually. While we've got the smattering of new, high-quality releases, there's also something for every kind of gamer in this deal bonanza, regardless of what console you own.

Here's the complete list of the deals from Target:

$16 Games(PS2):

Madden NFL 08
Thrillville
LEGO Star Wars II
Star Wars II: Battlefront
Transformers: The Game
MX vs. ATV: Untamed

$17 Games (DS):

Drawn To Life
Paw & Claws: Pet Resort
LEGO Star Wars II
Transformers: Autobots
Spider-man: Friend Or Foe?
Spongebob Squarepants: Atlantis Squarepantis

$39 Games:

Smackdown vs RAW 2008 (PS3 / 360 / Wii)
Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (360)
Halo 3 (360)
Assassin s Creed (PS3 / 360)
Singstar 90 s (PS2)
Buzz: The Hollywood Quiz (PS2)

$59 Games:

MLB 08: The Show (PS3)
Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3 / 360)
Lost Odyssey (360)
Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds (PS3)

Wii Games / Accessories:

Super Smash Brothers Brawl (US 49.99)
SEGA Superstars: Tennis (US 49.99)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (US 49.99)
Carnival Games (US 39.99)
Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour (US 39.99)
Wii Gaming System (US 249.99)

Miscellaneous Games / Accessories:

Rock Band Special Edition Bundle (PS3 / 360, US 157)
Rock Band Bundles (PS2, US 159.99)

PC Games:

Jump Start Advanced: Toddlers (US 17.99)
Paws & Claws: Pet Resort (US 17.99)
The SIMS 2: Free Time (US 27.99)
Cake Mania Deluxe (US 7.99)

Now, here's the deals from Circuit City:

New Releases:

Rainbow Six: VEGAS 2 (PS3/360, US$59.99)
Rainbow Six: VEGAS 2 Limited Edition (PS3/360, US 69.99)
Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii, US 49.99)
Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds (PS3, US 49.99)
Smackdown VS. RAW: Superstar Series 3 Game Pack (US 29.99)
Ninja Reflex (Wii, US 39.99)
Ninja Reflex (DS, US$29.99)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring Of Fates (DS, US$39.99)
SEGA Superstars: Tennis (Wii, US$49.99)
SEGA Superstars: Tennis (DS, US 29.99)

NDS Games / Accessories:

Hannah Montana (US 9.99)
Cooking Mama (US 9.99)
Brain Boost: Beta Wave (US 9.99)
The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody: Tip Tom Trouble (US 9.99)
Ratatouille (US 14.99)
Nintendo DS Lite Gaming System (US 129.99)
PSP Nintendo Character Game Cases For DS Lite (US 4.99)
BD&A Pen Stylus & Screen Protector 2 Pack For DS Lite (US 4.99)

PSP Games / Accessories:

Patapon (US 19.99)
MLB 08: The Show (US 29.99)
Sonic Rivals 2 (US 29.99)
Need For Speed: Pro Street (US 29.99)
The Simpsons Game (US 29.99)
Limited Edition Daxter PSP Entertainment Pack Bundle (US 199.99)
BD&A Screen Guards For PSP (US 4.99)
RDS Carrying Case For PSP (US 9.99)

Discounted titles:

Scooby Doo: Who s Watching Who? (NDS, US 11.24)
Life / Yahtzee / Payday 3 Game Pack (GBA, US 9.74)
Ford VS. Chevy (PS2, US 7.49)
Mah Jong Quest Expedition (NDS, US 11.24)
Art Of Fighting Anthology (PS2, US 7.49)
Fable (XBOX, US 7.49)
ATV Quad Frenzy (NDS, US 11.24)
M & M s: Break Em (NDS, US 11.24)
Jake Long: American Dragon Attack Of The Dark Dragon (NDS, US 11.24)
Corvette (PS2, US 7.49)
B-17: Fortress In The Sky (NDS, US 11.24)
Suzuki TT Superbikes (PS2, US 7.49)
Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk (PS2, US 7.49)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All (NDS, US 11.24)

Miscellaneous Games:

Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Bundle (PS2 / Wii, US 89.99 each)
Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Bundle (PS3 / 360 US 99.99 each)
Rock Band Bundle (PS2 US 159.99)
Rock Band Bundle (PS3 / 360, US 169.99)
High School Musical: Sing It Bundle (Wii, US 49.99)
High School Musical: Sing It Bundle (PS2, US 39.99)

PC GAMES:

2142 Battlefield: Deluxe Edition (US 17.99)
The SIMS 2: Free Time (US 17.99)
The SIMS 2: Deluxe (US 17.99)
Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War Soul Storm (US 27.99)

Definitely a meaty menu to pick from, eh? While we are all chomping at the bit at the new releases, there's also quite the low-cost gem to be found in the discounted titles. In any case, enjoy, and good hunting!

Nintendo Japan lists WiiWare titles to be released on March 25

2008-03-11T16:16:00.001-07:00

Nintendo Japan has updated the official WiiWare page, informing the public regarding the titles that will debut on the service's launch day. Speaking of which, WiiWare is scheduled for a March 25 Japanese release.

Anyway, the exciting thing that this update gives us is that not all games will cost 1,500 Wii Points. Judging from the list only Square Enix's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King will carry that price tag.

Furthermore, the list also tells us that some games cost just like Famicom titles released on Virtual Console. Anyway, here's the list provided by Nintendo for Japan-based gamers:

Okiraku Ping Pong Wii (500)
Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Wii (1,000)
Saku Saku Animal Panic (1,000)
Star Solider R (800)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (1,500)
Tenshi Solitaire (500)
Dr. Mario & Saikin Bokumetsu (1,000)
Minna no Pokemon Bokujou (1,000)
Lonpos (1,000)

There's still no word regarding the games that will be released for other regions on day one of the WiiWare service. Just keep checking back here at QJ.NET for more details regarding this matter.

Nintendo: Australia's Wii Fit dated

2008-03-11T16:15:00.001-07:00

It seems like Australian gamers will become fitter sooner than their counterparts in North America as Nintendo announced the scheduled release date of Nintendo Wii video game Wii Fit for the Land Down Under.

According to the press wire sent to QJ.NET, the fitness title will become available in Australian retail shelves this coming May 8 while North America will be getting it a few weeks after that.

The suggested retail price is for AU 149.95 or roughly around US 138.40. Wii Fit has taken Japan by storm when it was first released there. As of January this year, the total units sold for that region alone has already reached more than one million copies - just one month after its initial release.

If that is any indication of the reception gamers in Australia will give to Wii Fit, then that number is going no where but up.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl update: Game & Watch's 2D world revealed

2008-03-11T16:14:00.001-07:00

Kids too young to remember where the two-dimensional Mr. Game & Watch came from will definitely get a good education in "Gaming History 101" after checking out the latest update for Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The Smash Bros. DOJO!! takes a look at one of the oldest Nintendo icons to take the stage in the latest iteration of the Super Smash Bros. series. Today's update focuses on the unique stage where Mr. Game & Watch hails from, Flat Zone 2.

The stage itself switches from one of four different Game & Watch games first released in the 1980s. While the 2D background may seem innocent enough, you shouldn't get too relaxed or you just might find a two-dimension chef tossing fiery hotdogs into your character's backside. To unlock this quirky level, all you have to do is have Mr. Game & Watch available on your roster.

The developers were also able to create an upbeat version of the electronic beeps which was the basic of gaming "music" back then. You can check out the background theme for the Flat Zone 2 stage by clicking on the Via link below.

Anyway, that's it for today's Brawl feature. Come back to this spot tomorrow for more updates on this great title. In the meantime, why not check out the other screenshots depicting Flat Zone 2 below.

Bizarre love triangle: shareholder sues Take-Two over EA's buyout offer

2008-03-11T16:13:00.001-07:00

Hudson to release Tetris on WiiWare, screenshots revealed

2008-03-11T16:12:00.001-07:00

Quite a number of games, such as Final Fantasy Chronicles: My Life as a King, have been announced for the upcoming WiiWare service on the Nintendo Wii. Hudson has announced that it will be adding Tetris to the already formidable line up of games.

While no prices have been revealed as of yet, Tetris is expected to be available by summer this year. Gamers can expect various features including Wiimote-based pointer and motion controls as well as various game modes. Fans of the series will also be pleased to know that this title is expected to have support for six-player online multiplayer games.

From all indications, WiiWare has the potential of becoming very successful with the number of developers deciding to support it. It wouldn't come as a surprise to see this service take off when it becomes available.

Analysts: Xbox 360 price drop for US, more console war theories

2008-03-11T16:11:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty confident that they will maintain a spread between the 360 and the PS3, and think that [Microsoft is] proud enough to care if the PS3 outsells the 360 consistently.

Take-Two: Bioshock 2 in the works, 2008 games line-up, more

2008-03-11T16:10:00.001-07:00

It's a rumor no more folks! Take-Two Interactive has officially confirmed the development of BioShock 2, and has revealed that the game is slated for a release late next year. Now with that big daddy of a news aside, let's move on to more news from T2.

Despite all this talk of a takeover from Electronic Arts, it's still business as usual for Take-Two. They've just released their financial report for the first quarter of 2008 and they're doing pretty well with a net revenue of US 240.4 million for the quarter.

Along with all the financial figures which essentially mean they're hunky dory, they've also announced a couple of things a lot of you might want to know. First of all, they reiterated the April 19 release date of Grand Theft Auto 4. No more delays, nosiree.

While they also re-confirmed that episodic content will be coming for the game, they only listed it for the Xbox 360. EGM earlier reported that episodic content for the PlayStation 3 version is still being considered, so we'll have to wait for more on that.

They've also announced (in case you didn't already know) the development of Mafia 2 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC), the sequel to the popular hit of the same name (without the extra digit). Here's the rest of their line-up of games for the rest of 2008:

Carnival Games (DS)
Carnival Games: Mini-Golf (Wii)
Don King Presents: Prizefighter (Xbox 360, Wii, DS)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Grand Theft Auto IV episodic content (Xbox 360)
Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars (DS)
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Xbox 360, PS3)
NBA 2K9 (Multiple platforms)
NHL 2K9 (Multiple platforms)
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360, PS3, DS)
Top Spin 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS)

Former Burnout producer: we need more women in gaming industry

2008-03-11T16:08:00.001-07:00

While more and more games are now being developed for girl gamers (mostly thanks to the Wii and the DS), we still can't deny that there's a gender imbalance when it comes to the video game population. The same is also true for the people behind the scenes.

When you think of men in the video game industry, the list can go on and on. There are Hideo Kojima, David Jaffe, Tomonobu Itagaki, and on and on. But when it comes to women in the industry, most would think of Jade Raymond, and then... blank.

This issue was addressed by Emily Newton-Dunn, a former producer of the Burnout series and is currently with EA, working on the Harry Potter series. Her thoughts can be summed up when she said: "it s crazy that we don t have more women making games."

At the Birds Eye View Film Festival in London, she was part of the panel of the Women in Games discussion. She remarks that there is a misconception that the games industry is "for males, and by males." Take note, ladies:

Personally I don t think you have to be a woman to make great games for women, but I think that sometimes women might bring a different sensibility to the table which will enhance or make games more appealing to women.

[...] Like in any other creative media the more diversity you can attract or the more you personally go out and do different things and see other stuff the more you re going to bring back to your job.

I think if games were only ever made by one type of person you d get really boring games. You need to bring in some different cultures, different people, different sexes and different interests, otherwise you re just going to be churning out the same stuff again and again.

There is also a financial aspect to this, which was discussed as the panel went on. By failing to fully tap into the market of female gamers, the industry is missing out on "a sizeable amount of revenue." To read more on the panel discussion, follow the link below.

Chart Track UK software charts: Army of Two takes first place

2008-03-11T16:07:00.001-07:00

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has been on top of the UK charts ever since December, bumped down only by a few notable releases. Last week is another one of those instances, with the release of Army of Two (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360).

Another newcomer on the charts this week (or should we call this a reentry?) is Bully: Scholarship Edition. Check out the rest of the UK software charts for the week of March 8, and we'll update you again next week (when Mario & Sonic's probably back on top - ha! who knows?):

Army of Two
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Frontlines: Fuel of War
Game Party
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Soulstorm
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Lost: The Video Game
Lost Odyssey
Cooking Mama 2
More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima
FIFA 08
The Sims 2: Freetime
Carnival: Funfair Games
FIFA Street 3
MX vs ATV Untamed
Dynasty Warriors 6
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC)

Buy: [Army of Two (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Army of Two (PS3)]

EA Sports: three new original games, no plans to take Formula One

2008-03-11T16:06:00.001-07:00

Last month, Peter Moore announced that EA Sports is working on several new titles, including the latest installments to some of their franchises, including Madden. There have also been talks that the studio will acquire the license to Sony's Formula One label.

EA Sports' global marketing boss VP has confirmed that aside from the recently announced Facebreaker (PS3, 360, Wii), there are two new (still unannounced) original games in the works. That's as much as they revealed though. We'll keep you posted on updates. But knowing EA, some of you might assume that they're going to be multiplatform games.

Moore also responds to the rumors surrounding Formula One, saying that he's a big fan of the sport but EA Sports currently has no intention of acquiring the license to the game. He adds though, that it's a possibility that's open for the future:

The excitement that Lewis Hamilton has brought to the sport, and its vast global appeal, make it an appealing game licence, but as of right now it is not available.

Maybe in a few years the situation will change, but until then we fully respect the rights held by our partners at Sony.

Screenshot of new PlayStation Store surfaces: real or not?

2008-03-11T16:04:00.001-07:00

We've previously reported on the rumor on the Sony PlayStation Store possibly getting a makeover, and now we're getting a sneak peek on how it just may look like. Despite having the screenshot that we have right now (courtesy of Kotaku), we're still filing this one under Rumors for now.

This is because aside from the lack of official confirmation, there are just some little details that make the almost believable screenshot of the new PlayStation Store a little bit off.

Eagle-eyed readers managed to spot some minor inconsistencies in the screenshot, such as LittleBigPlanet spelled as "Little Big Planet," the PLAYSTATION Store header as simply "Playstation Store," and other minor details. See if you can spot them all!

However, even if it's just a fake, or a mock-up, the person behind this screenshot should be given kudos for the more streamlined look in this particular depiction of the Playstation Store. What do you think? Do hit the comments field to share your input.

Picture courtesy of Kotaku. Thanks to Extreme_Dude23 for the tip!

Target and Circuit City deals for week of March 16 - 22

2008-03-11T16:03:00.001-07:00

Madden NFL 08
Thrillville
LEGO Star Wars II
Star Wars II: Battlefront
Transformers: The Game
MX vs. ATV: Untamed

$17 Games (DS):

Drawn To Life
Paw & Claws: Pet Resort
LEGO Star Wars II
Transformers: Autobots
Spider-man: Friend Or Foe?
Spongebob Squarepants: Atlantis Squarepantis

$39 Games:

Smackdown vs RAW 2008 (PS3 / 360 / Wii)
Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (360)
Halo 3 (360)
Assassin s Creed (PS3 / 360)
Singstar 90 s (PS2)
Buzz: The Hollywood Quiz (PS2)

$59 Games:

MLB 08: The Show (PS3)
Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3 / 360)
Lost Odyssey (360)
Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds (PS3)

Wii Games / Accessories:

Super Smash Brothers Brawl (US 49.99)
SEGA Superstars: Tennis (US 49.99)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (US 49.99)
Carnival Games (US 39.99)
Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour (US 39.99)
Wii Gaming System (US 249.99)

Miscellaneous Games / Accessories:

Rock Band Special Edition Bundle (PS3 / 360, US 157)
Rock Band Bundles (PS2, US 159.99)

PC Games:

Jump Start Advanced: Toddlers (US 17.99)
Paws & Claws: Pet Resort (US 17.99)
The SIMS 2: Free Time (US 27.99)
Cake Mania Deluxe (US 7.99)

Now, here's the deals from Circuit City:

New Releases:

Rainbow Six: VEGAS 2 (PS3/360, US$59.99)
Rainbow Six: VEGAS 2 Limited Edition (PS3/360, US 69.99)
Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii, US 49.99)
Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds (PS3, US 49.99)
Smackdown VS. RAW: Superstar Series 3 Game Pack (US 29.99)
Ninja Reflex (Wii, US 39.99)
Ninja Reflex (DS, US$29.99)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring Of Fates (DS, US$39.99)
SEGA Superstars: Tennis (Wii, US$49.99)
SEGA Superstars: Tennis (DS, US 29.99)

NDS Games / Accessories:

Hannah Montana (US 9.99)
Cooking Mama (US 9.99)
Brain Boost: Beta Wave (US 9.99)
The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody: Tip Tom Trouble (US 9.99)
Ratatouille (US 14.99)
Nintendo DS Lite Gaming System (US 129.99)
PSP Nintendo Character Game Cases For DS Lite (US 4.99)
BD&A Pen Stylus & Screen Protector 2 Pack For DS Lite (US 4.99)

PSP Games / Accessories:

Patapon (US 19.99)
MLB 08: The Show (US 29.99)
Sonic Rivals 2 (US 29.99)
Need For Speed: Pro Street (US 29.99)
The Simpsons Game (US 29.99)
Limited Edition Daxter PSP Entertainment Pack Bundle (US 199.99)
BD&A Screen Guards For PSP (US 4.99)
RDS Carrying Case For PSP (US 9.99)

Discounted titles:

Scooby Doo: Who s Watching Who? (NDS, US 11.24)
Life / Yahtzee / Payday 3 Game Pack (GBA, US 9.74)
Ford VS. Chevy (PS2, US 7.49)
Mah Jong Quest Expedition (NDS, US 11.24)
Art Of Fighting Anthology (PS2, US 7.49)
Fable (XBOX, US 7.49)
ATV Quad Frenzy (NDS, US 11.24)
M & M s: Break Em (NDS, US 11.24)
Jake Long: American Dragon Attack Of The Dark Dragon (NDS, US 11.24)
Corvette (PS2, US 7.49)
B-17: Fortress In The Sky (NDS, US 11.24)
Suzuki TT Superbikes (PS2, US 7.49)
Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk (PS2, US 7.49)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All (NDS, US 11.24)

Miscellaneous Games:

Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Bundle (PS2 / Wii, US 89.99 each)
Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Bundle (PS3 / 360 US 99.99 each)
Rock Band Bundle (PS2 US 159.99)
Rock Band Bundle (PS3 / 360, US 169.99)
High School Musical: Sing It Bundle (Wii, US 49.99)
High School Musical: Sing It Bundle (PS2, US 39.99)

PC GAMES:

2142 Battlefield: Deluxe Edition (US 17.99)
The SIMS 2: Free Time (US 17.99)
The SIMS 2: Deluxe (US 17.99)
Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War Soul Storm (US 27.99)

TetriAbetes v1.42

2008-03-11T16:02:00.001-07:00

For those of us who want some more Tetris action from Sony PlayStation Portable homebrew developer dragula96's take on the classic brick-dropping game, TetriAbetes for the PSP, then you're in luck as the next version is already out.

Featuring an updated build that lets you change your music folder, this is definitely not to be missed, even if you're sick of seeing the tetrominoes plummet their merry way into oblivion.

So, what's changed from the last version? Here's the changelog:

1.42 Changes - 3/10/2008

Added 3rd setting to ghost (wireframe)
Added ability to change mp3 music folder. Open "data/mp3folder.ini" file and
edit directory of choice, save file.
adjusted the drop speed after level change.

And like the last release, homebrew developer dragula96 has kindly made us two versions of this release, one for Firmware 1.50 and the other for 3.xx CFW. We've bundled both into one archive, so make sure you pick the right one to extract into your PSP. Enjoy!

Download: TetriAbetes v1.42
Visit: QJ.NET's PSP Development Forums

RacePSP: Neo Geo Pocket and Pocket Color emulator for the PSP

2008-03-11T16:01:00.001-07:00

Collectors of PSP emulators should get RacePSP, a new NeoGeo Pocket and NeoGeo Pocket Color emulator for the Sony PlayStation Portable that's still in its early stages. This was created by homebrew developer Flavor.

RacePSP is actually short for Rather A Cardfighter Emulator that includes some codes taken from NeoPop_UK's own NeoGeo Pocket and Pocket Color emulator, NeoPop PSP. Since this is just the initial release, the homebrew developer warns that there may be some bugs.

The said issues may be noticed both in graphics and in audio, as well as in some NGPC ROMs running on RacePSP. Speaking of which, we'd like to inform you that we cannot host the package since it contains copyrighted materials.

For more information about RacePSP, you can check out the source link below.

Work in progress: MaxES shell for the PSP

2008-03-11T16:00:00.001-07:00

The release of iR Shell 3.90 was a bittersweet moment for the PSP homebrew community, as it also signaled the retirement of developer Ahman. On the other hand, his departure from the scene has given an opportunity for for other aspiring coders to see if they can top his previous works.

One such case we're reporting on is the Maxy_PSP team, who dropped by the QJ.NET forums to announce the development of their very own PSP shell, dubbed MaxES. Maxy_PSP member PCoopD notes that it currently has these features (they haven't labelled the tabs yet):

Works on the PSP CFW 3.90 m33-2
First icon is filebrowser
second is configurator
last is power management (sleep, off, restart)
the others dont work yet
the filebrowser itself is in development and the functions in configurator works completely
added function : when usb cable is inserted, usb mode goes on, possibility to set usb off

PCoopD further states that their shell is still in a very early stage of development, meaning there won't be a release any time soon. Those interested in offering their suggestions to help MaxES' progress will want to visit its original discussion thread over at the QJ.NET PSP Development Forums. PCoopD will greatly appreciate any tips you've got.

Visit: QJ.NET PSP Development Forums

Epic Games' Tom Sweeney on PC gaming, Vista problems, and more

2008-03-11T15:59:00.001-07:00

Monster Hunter Freedom 2nd G: Treasure Hunter Training Center screenshots

2008-03-11T15:58:00.001-07:00

The best way to become better at any task is through hard work and training. The same can be said about Capcom's Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G.

Aside from going on various missions to further hone your monster hunter's skills, it might also be advisable to drop by the Treasure Hunter Training Center to upgrade your skills.

These four screenshots from Famitsu show off some scenes in the Treasure Hunter Training Center. Eagle-eyed viewers will be able to spot a few of the upgrades players can obtain from the area.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2nd G is slated to be released this March 27, 2008 in Japan. So far, no announcements have been made on an international release.

On Shelves This Week: March 10 to March 16, 2008

2008-03-11T15:56:00.001-07:00

Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 - March 11, 2008
US 59.99
ESRB M (Mature)
Sega and Monolith Productions

Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 39.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Square Enix

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB T (Teen)
Warner Bros. and Empire Interactive

Nintendo Wii - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB M (Mature)
Sega

Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Gamecock and Crackpot

PC - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
Paradox Interactive and Pollux Gamelabs

Nintendo DS - January 15, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Majesco Games and Shin'en

Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 59.99 (Xbox 360, PS3), US$29.99 (PSP, DS)
ESRB E (Everyone)
Konami

PC - March 13, 2008
US 8.99
Telltale Games

PC - March 10, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB T (Teen)
cdv Software Entertainment and Fireglow Games

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 39.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
XSEED Games and Media Vision

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 19.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Crave

PC - March 12, 2008
US 19.99
GamersGate

Screenshot of new PlayStation Store surfaces: real or not?

2008-03-11T15:55:00.001-07:00

Japan's Satin Silver PS3 offered at HK website, may be shipped worldwide

2008-03-11T15:54:00.001-07:00

If you are currently looking left and right for a Satin Silver 40GB PS3, well you're in luck: there's an online store called Super UFO that currently offers the shiny, bling-y PS3 unit, shipping it to most parts of the world - they're even known to be one of the few sites that ship all the way to Europe.

The 40GB Satin Silver SKU made specifically for Japan release is priced at US 442.19 (or GBP 200, EUR 288), not especially bad for those who really want to start off with a sparkly, shiny Sony PlayStation 3 console. However, it should be noted that this isn't bundled with Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!, also known as Yakuza 3.

While Super UFO is the first online retail site that's been spotted to ship the Satin Silver PS3 console to Europe, there may be some others that have that particular SKU available for Europe as well. Keep your eyes peeled!

MotorStorm 2 new details from OPM: tropical setting, monster trucks

2008-03-11T15:53:00.001-07:00

The latest issue of the publication Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) is sharing new information regarding the anticipated sequel to PlayStation 3 exclusive MotorStorm from developer Evolution Studio.

According to the magazine, MotorStorm 2 is going to be different from its predecessor in terms of setting. Accordingly, the upcoming ATV and rally racer video game title will be set in a lush tropical environment.

The new locations, furthermore, will also bring with them new driving hazards such as deep water, trees, and other tropical disturbances. Aside from that, there will also be vehicle additions such as monster trucks.

OPM is also saying that Evolution Studios has added a new driver intelligence that will allow players to try and avoid cartwheeling vehicles. MotorStorm 2 is currently scheduled for a tentative release in December 2008.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue: Europe launch date, exclusive features announced

2008-03-11T15:52:00.001-07:00

Just because Europe may not be getting Gran Turismo 5 from Polyphony Digital until 2009 doesn't mean its denizens be left out in the cold. Sony Computer Entertainment has just sent our a press wire announcing its official release dates for the region's copy pf GT5: Prologue.

The Blu-ray version will be available on Wednesday, March 26, for a price of 24.99 GBP (US 50), with a PSN download being made ready for March 27. Apparently, Sony's initial hints weren't too far from the mark.

Also being made available is a PlayStation 3 bundle containing a copy of Prologue, a 40GB PS3, and a SIXAXIS controller for a cumulative price of 299.99 GBP (US 605). Aside from getting the jump on their North American kin on Prologue's launch date, Europe's gamers will be getting treated to some additional goodies as well.

SCEE noted that the game will have 71 cars, and will also carry these exclusive features:

Drift Mode: The player s drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.
In-Depth Car Tuning: Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle s performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning while racing.
Two-player Split Screen Racing: Allows players to race head-to-head offline.
New Race Events: Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials.

Europe's definitely getting a bigger slice of the game pie with this news. Drop by again in case we receive any new updates regarding this matter.

Epic Games' Tom Sweeney on PC gaming, Vista problems, and more

2008-03-11T15:51:00.001-07:00

Tiki Games announces Novastrike, details revealed

2008-03-11T15:50:00.001-07:00

Ever since Tiki Games' Novastrike was rated by the ESRB, we've been rather curious about what this game is all about. Well, the indie developer behind this title has announced that the game should be available on the PlayStation Network early this year. In addition, quite a number of details about it were revealed as well.

Novastrike was described in the press release as a classic top-down shooter which has players fighting against a world-conquering race known as a Draelus. Like most games in this genre, your pilot will be piloting an "experimental fighter" known as the Scythe.

This upcoming title has quite a number of features that caught our attention such as free-roaming flight as well as some downloadable content. Those who want to find out more about the game, should check out the game's features as detailed in the list below.

Seven expansive challenging stages driven by objective-based goals
Free-roaming flight: there aren't any rails here, so players can fly in any direction
Progressive weapon acquisition and upgrade system: as the player collects weapon drops from enemy ships the weapons themselves become available to the Scythe - there are nine base weapon systems, each with three subsequent upgrade levels
Air and ground targets: two separate weapon systems allow the player to combat both air and ground opponents
Multi-sectioned enemies where individual components can be destroyed; for example, carriers have hangars that launch fighters - these hangars can be destroyed independently of destroying the Carrier, preventing the Carrier from launching additional fighters
Multitude of enemies and environments: players combat enemy fighters, bombers, kamikazes, aces, carriers, and destroyers, all leading to an end-boss fight
You're not alone: friendly fighters, bombers, and destroyers will aid you in your efforts to vanquish the Draelus invasion
DualShock 3 support
Continuing support: Tiki Games will be developing additional content for Novastrike throughout 2008

If that's not enough information, feel free to follow our Source Link below which will take you to Novastrike's official website. Be sure to keep checking back here for more updates on this upcoming title from Tiki Games.

Thanks to Joe for the tip

Bizarre love triangle: shareholder sues Take-Two over EA's buyout offer

2008-03-11T15:49:00.001-07:00

Analyst: February software sales up, expect more in next few months

2008-03-11T15:47:00.001-07:00

Colin Sebastian, an analyst for Lazard Capital Markets, has predicted that February video game software sales will be up by 25 percent. In addition to this, he also mentioned that he expects that the gaming industry will be seeing some more growth in the next few months.

According to Sebastian, they expect to see "ongoing positive growth trends through the spring and into the summer months." He said that all three platforms will be getting a good boost because of "likely blockbuster titles" such as Grand Theft Auto 4 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3), Super Smash Brothers, Gran Turismo 5, and Spore (PC, Wii, DS, Mobile).

It's hard not to agree with his assessment of his situation considering the number of gamers looking following to the games he mentioned. While the odds of his prediction coming true are pretty good, we'll have to wait and see if it does hold true. After all, a lot can happen in the following months.

Analysts: Xbox 360 price drop for US, more console war theories

2008-03-11T15:46:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty confident that they will maintain a spread between the 360 and the PS3, and think that [Microsoft is] proud enough to care if the PS3 outsells the 360 consistently.

Konami: Kojima already working on non-MGS new project

2008-03-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

With Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots just about ready to ship this June 12, Konami president Fumiaki Tanaka assured gamers that Hideo Kojima, the game's creator, will still be busy making new games despite the completion of his latest masterpiece.

Unfortunately, Tanaka was rather tight-lipped regarding the game Kojima will be working on. While the new title may no longer be about Snake (with MGS4 marking an end to the series), we can all expect more news about as soon as MGS4 is released and Metal Gear Online has been given some exposure.

Tanaka was quite optimistic about the upcoming MGS title's sales in Japan as well as in Europe and North America. He estimated that the company should sell at least one million copies in Japan alone. This should also give rise to additional sales of the PS3 hardware with the release of the game.

With regards to Konami's other future projects, the company president mentioned that gamers can expect remakes of more classic titles and the tapping of other classic franchises in the future. While he didn't mention anything specific, Tanaka did hint about download services such as WiiWare playing a part in these future projects.

Finally, it seems that Konami will stay solidly behind Sony and its next-gen console. He admitted that he enjoys the open nature Sony gives Konami regarding its online platform.

With that said, we'll just have to see how Konami decides to play its cards in the near future. Keep coming back to this spot for more updates.

Disgaea DS confirmed for summer U.S. release

2008-03-11T15:43:00.003-07:00

Nippon Ichi fans don't have to envy the folks in Japan anymore after the announcement of Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon for the Nintendo DS, since NIS America revealed that the handheld Disgaea title will see release stateside. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness is packing the features previously added to Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the PSP.

Aside from the inevitable return of Prinnies, the Geo Panels, Geo Cubes, and Transmigration are back. To mix things up a bit in Disgaea DS, there will be Demon Gadgets which are randomly generated items on the field that have various effects such as leveling up your unit by 30 at once.

Disgaea DS is scheduled for release this summer in North America with improvements intact. Up to two players can go head-to-head as they vie for victory by utilizing Geo Cubes like in Disgaea's PSP iteration.

LoneWolfDS RC6: a gamebook adventure on your DS

2008-03-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

Gamebooks were fun in the 1980s, but they're even more fun when you add a bit of a technological twist to them. With that in mind, F. Calendini has turned one gamebook into an e-gamebook, which means you can actually play it on the Nintendo DS. All you need to do is run an application called LoneWolfDS, and you can get to play the fabled gamebook, "Flight from the Dark."

Seeing as it's a gamebook, you actually control it as if you were holding a book, which means you hold the DS sideways while using the stylus to pick out choices, access the inventory, and fight.

In any case, feel free to understand it better by viewing the video embedded below. As for us, we'll be trying out this handsome piece of homebrew on our respective handhelds. Just remember to check the readme for additional instructions on using the actual game. Enjoy!

Download: LoneWolf DS: Flight from the Dark RC6

PES 2008 player banned for cheating

2008-03-11T15:41:00.001-07:00

Here's a stern warning coming from Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and Play.com: Players found cheating in Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, DS)'s online tournament matches will be disqualified from the competition and will be banned for a year from the online ranking system.

This statement was issued following the ban of one of the game's leading online players due to cheating. Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH did not elaborate on the details, but stressed its commitment to keep its turf clean.

An online tournament is currently going on to honor pre-order promises to the game's customers. Under the pre-order promo, everyone who ordered the game in advance would receive an invitation to join the PES 2008 tilt. Finalists will be flown to Wembley on March 15th to 16th, 2008 for the grand finals.

At stake during the championship round is a whopping 50,000. Add to that the bragging rights involved, and it gives you an idea of what motivated some to do a bit of dirty work to grease the wheels.

DiscardEmAll v0.2 card game for DS UPDATE

2008-03-11T15:40:00.001-07:00

Fans of homebrew card games such as Spider Solitaire may want to check out yet another nifty card game for the Nintendo handheld: DiscardEmAll. Created by t4ils, DiscardEmAll's main objective is to "discard" (which explains the name) all the cards in your hand before the computer.

In playing this game, all you need to do is to use your stylus to move cards from your hand, to the middle of the screen. Do keep in mind that you can't just dump any card; you need to make sure that the card you're discarding is consecutive in number to the card topmost of the pile (example, 2 on a 3 or 4 on a 3).

If none of the cards in your hand can be dropped, you can tap on the "heel" (card on the upperleft portion of the touchscreen) to draw four new cards.

Here's the changelog for your perusal, in case you're interested in grabbing this game:

04/03/08: Preview
05/03/08: Version 0.1

Adding:

The heel turns blue when the computer can not play, red when human and computer can not play
Each cell card a sense, that may change if there is change in the map upside
The card change in the direction that is not on a map of the same color Above the map change of direction, one can not play the same color
Cells cards are a "tour": you can go from 12 to 0 and 0 to 12 (depending on the direction)
Map Joker is played on any map and allows any color

06/03/08: Version 0.11

Adding:

Sound
You can see the computer play
Modification: We must play a map of the same color as the Joker over the Joker

You know what to do: just download the game from the link below. Enjoy!

UPDATE Homebrew developer tails just updated the card game, and here's the changelog:

09/03/08: Version 0.2

Adding:

Menu
Options
Setting the level of AI
Maps Bonus Yes / No
Tutorial
Slippage card when they pickaxe
Modification: Gfx

You can download the updated game from the link below:

Download: DiscardEmAll v0.2

Imagination is the Only Escape: Holocaust DS game has not been blocked

2008-03-11T15:39:00.001-07:00

Recently, there was news spreading that Nintendo won't be releasing the holocaust DS game, Imagination Is the Only Escape, in North America.

Apparently, it's not true, according to a spokesperson of Alten8. The spokesperson said that the game developed by Luc Bernard is currently in "concept/ pre-production" at the moment.

In addition to that, the developers haven't even spoke to Nintendo about the game yet. Also, the spokesperson continued by saying the no one has blocked the game and that it still has no definite time for release because the game is still being fully developed.

Regarding the state of the game, the spokesperson said:

Luc Bernard is doing most of the artwork for all his game creations and we have not even discussed with Nintendo as of yet - Luc made various blog releases about the game concept and theme that have been picked up by various writers and used extensively, but are based on a few early artwork screens.

Having said that, we'll keep you guys posted on the latest developments on the game. Do stick around QJ.NET.

Confirmed: Iron Chef America to sizzle on Nintendo Wii, DS

2008-03-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

Here's something to give Cooking Mama a run for her money. If some of you culinary enthusiasts (myself included) want to heat up the competition in your very own Kitchen Stadium at home, then what better way than to play Iron Chef America on your Nintendo Wii or DS?

Yep, Destineer finally confirmed it. Back in January, a product listing for a certain Iron Chef game appeared (and was later removed) in Gamestop. That, along with Summer Sports, which was then confirmed by Destineer a few weeks later.

Now, Destineer, together with United Media, have announced over the press wire that they'll be releasing Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine for Nintendo's latest console and handheld. Not much details have been revealed, but Destineer CEO Paul Rinde is optimistic of their upcoming title:

If the early buzz surrounding the game is any indication, then fans of the show and Nintendo owners are as excited as we are to be developing Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine. With their innovative control dynamics, Wii and DS are the ideal system for the inaugural Iron Chef video game and believe the ultimate secret ingredient to these games will be family fun.

The game is even said to have the virtual reincarnation of Iron Chef America host Mark Dacascos, and the developers are yet to reveal if other staple personalities in the TV show are going to appear in the game.

Will we be able play as Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, and Masaharu Morimoto? How about the special judges? Yeah, I'd definitely like to see the likes of Jeff Corwin, Ted Allen, and even Tina Fey (remember those episodes?) judge my culinary masterpiece. And who could forget that special episode where Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis (aaaw, sweet Giada... sigh) faced off in the Kitchen Stadium?

We'll let you guys in on more details as the courses are served.

Analysts disagree over hardware sales forecasts for February

2008-03-11T15:37:00.001-07:00

The NPD group will be releasing the hardware and software sales for February in a few days. January held a few surprises, including the PlayStation 3 outselling the Xbox 360 for the first time. Analysts disagree whether the same will hold true for February though.

Industry analysts Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan and Jesse Divnich of simExchange have given their predictions for the February numbers. They seem to have disagreements not only in sales figures, but in the relative success rate of each platform as well.

The DS, whose sales have been slipping in Japan, remains Pachter's favorite for February, while Divnich has lowered his expectations on the handheld. As for the PS3-360 race, Pachter favors the Sony console, while Divnich prefers Microsoft's.

However, they do agree that the Wii will still be selling more than both of them. Pachter is betting on Blu-ray's success over HD DVD to spike PS3 sales, while Divnich believes that the "stalemate" between the PS3 and 360 will continue on 'til April.

On the software side of things, both agree that Devil May Cry 4 will dominate the charts, with Lost Odyssey close behind. (Not surprising, really.) Here are their hardware sales predictions for the month of February:

Michael Pachter's predicted numbers:

DS: 350,000 units
Wii: 300,000 units
PS3: 260,000 units
Xbox 360: 250,000 units
PS2: 245,000 units
PSP: 225,000 units
GBA: 1,000 units

Jesse Divnich's predicted numbers:

Wii: 450,000 units
DS: 450,000 units
Xbox 360: 285,000 units
PS3: 270,000 units
PSP: 259,000 units

Lifestreaming: Square Enix wants simultaneous worldwide releases

2008-03-11T15:36:00.001-07:00

On Shelves This Week: March 10 to March 16, 2008

2008-03-11T15:35:00.001-07:00

Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 - March 11, 2008
US 59.99
ESRB M (Mature)
Sega and Monolith Productions

Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 39.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Square Enix

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB T (Teen)
Warner Bros. and Empire Interactive

Nintendo Wii - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB M (Mature)
Sega

Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Gamecock and Crackpot

PC - March 11, 2008
US 29.99
Paradox Interactive and Pollux Gamelabs

Nintendo DS - January 15, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Majesco Games and Shin'en

Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS - March 11, 2008
US 59.99 (Xbox 360, PS3), US$29.99 (PSP, DS)
ESRB E (Everyone)
Konami

PC - March 13, 2008
US 8.99
Telltale Games

PC - March 10, 2008
US 29.99
ESRB T (Teen)
cdv Software Entertainment and Fireglow Games

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 39.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
XSEED Games and Media Vision

Sony PlayStation Portable - March 11, 2008
US 19.99
ESRB E (Everyone)
Crave

PC - March 12, 2008
US 19.99
GamersGate

Epic Games' Tom Sweeney on PC gaming, Vista problems, and more

2008-03-11T15:34:00.001-07:00

Take-Two: Bioshock 2 in the works, 2008 games line-up, more

2008-03-11T15:33:00.001-07:00

Carnival Games (DS)
Carnival Games: Mini-Golf (Wii)
Don King Presents: Prizefighter (Xbox 360, Wii, DS)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Grand Theft Auto IV episodic content (Xbox 360)
Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars (DS)
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Xbox 360, PS3)
NBA 2K9 (Multiple platforms)
NHL 2K9 (Multiple platforms)
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360, PS3, DS)
Top Spin 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS)

3D Realms' Scott Miller responds to Earth No More lawsuit

2008-02-20T14:25:00.001-08:00

Now that 3D Realms is facing a lawsuit filed by Darin Scott and Edward Polgardy of Cinemagraphix Entertainment over the first-person shooter Earth No More (being developed by Recoil Games) for the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and PC, 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller wants to send a few points across. In particular, he made a comment saying his company is fully innocent.

In reply to Shacknews' report on the issue, Miller said stated:

...I will say we are fully innocent, and that these guys are just looking for a quick score. 3D Realms has been in many lawsuits like this over the years, and we've always proven our full innocence. For example, a few years ago a retired wrestler named Maxx Payne sued us, claiming we stole his name and persona. He utterly failed to prove his case, and lost a lot of money funding his feeble effort.

3D Realms' head honcho explained that working in a high-profile industry means people will try to cash in. He stressed out that no one associated with the project had ever heard of Earth No More as Cinemagraphix Entertainment's property.

Miller added that Scott and Polgardy actually want more than US 150,000 for statutory damages. According to the CEO, Cinemagraphix also requests 20 of game revenues and settlement fees. However, he made it clear that "if [3D Realms is] in-the-right (as we've always been), we battle to the end just on principle alone."

With that said, he doesn't have any plans for settlements since he believes companies that settle invite dozens of lawsuits like this. Here's to hoping this commotion won't hurt Duke Nukem Forever's development.

Grand Theft Auto 4 to have realistic drunks due to Euphoria

2008-02-20T14:24:00.001-08:00

Using the power of NaturalMotion's Euphoria technology, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 4 (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3) promises the most convincing drunkenness in video games to date.

NaturalMotion's CEO Torsten Reil explained how protagonist Niko Bellic will move realistically after downing a few bottles, and we're definitely eager to see Grand Theft Auto 4 in action after hearing what he had to say.

According to Reil and NaturalMotion's head of technology Simon Mack, Euphoria is a full AI and motion system that creates characters with fully simulated bodies, muscles and nervous systems. Rockstar used this technology together with other physics middleware to create AI character reactions coupled with accurate animation in Grand Theft Auto 4.

NaturalMotion is developing its own game, Backbreaker, which will employ Euphoria to create a realistic football game where players have limitless ways tackle. Learn more about it by clicking on the "Via" link below.

Buy: [ GTA IV (PS3) ]
Buy: [ GTA IV (Xbox 360) ]

QuickJump QuickPeek special edition: a format war history in hi-definition

2008-02-20T14:22:00.001-08:00

It's been a long and grueling war between the hi-def formats. Both the Blu-ray camp and the HD DVD camp gave and took hits, but it seems the format war may finally see its end as Toshiba, one of the major players in the war, has withdrawn support for the HD DVD camp.

During the previous months, the HD DVD camp has had a series of losses, a movement which probably started when Warner Bros. decided to go Blu-ray exclusive. The war may end soon, but for now let's take a look back and see how the war escalated to this level.

Both formats were released back in 2006 and played an important role in the console war as well. Analyst Michael Pachter predicted that the winner of the format war will decide the winner of the console war as well.

By mid-2007, it felt like the Blu-ray format was winning: Toshiba's HD DVD sales weren't performing as well as expected, while Target - the second largest retail outlet in the US - and Blockbuster decided to go Blu-ray (Blockbuster being exclusively Blu-ray).

But in August of that same year, HD DVD reached into its sleeve and took out an ace, announcing that Paramount and Dreamworks will be going HD DVD exclusive. This deal brought major movies like "Transformers" and "Shrek the Third" appearing on HD DVD, keeping the format well within the hearts of consumers.

Such was the announcement that talks of a stalemate between the two formats started up. Toshiba's Mike Eves said the two formats will exist together rather than one format winning out. However, analysts believed that the stalemate would be over by 2008.

Then, right at the beginning of 2008, Warner Bros. Entertainment announced its decision to go Blu-ray exclusive. Sony stocks rose while Toshiba's fell after this announcement. A week after this announcement, Blu-ray hardware dominated 90 of the market share.

The news racked the industry and a huge wave of other media companies followed suit like Woolworths, National Geographic, Netflix and Best Buy, and just recently, Wal-Mart.

While Toshiba gave its continued support, it and Microsoft remained as the largest backers of the HD DVD format. Soon after Wal-Mart's announcement, a spokesperson for Toshiba made a statement that may suggested that they may reconsider their position.

The day after the spokesperson made this statement, an insider told Reuters that Toshiba will be giving up the format soon. The source went on to say that Toshiba was in its final stages of planning to give up the format.

At this point, the fate of HD DVD possibly hinged with Toshiba. Should Toshiba decide to go Blu-ray, that would leave Microsoft as the format's largest spearhead. And as big as Microsoft is, keeping a format afloat by itself is a tall order. However, word surfaced that even Microsoft is planning to withdraw its support for the format.

Insiders say that Microsoft even plans to go over to the Blu-ray camp. They say that Microsoft is putting together a standalone Blu-ray player, while other people think they could release an external Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360 much like how they decided to release the external HD DVD player.

The rumor even goes so far as to say that Microsoft will be making a built-in Blu-ray player for the console (which is far more than what it was willing to do for the HD DVD format so this sounds a little too incredulous - but at this point, who knows?).

Just recently, Toshiba has finally made an official announcement saying that they have given up the format. In doing so, they are expected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in withdrawing their support for the format.

Given Toshiba's decision, some are now led to concur that the disc manufacturing company likely sealed the coffin of HD DVD. Universal Studios made the switch to Blu-ray not long after Toshiba's announcement; remaining HD DVD supporters may soon follow suit.

The HD DVD camp may have another ace up its sleeve, but considering the odds of how things have been going, even more people believe it's highly unlikely: with Toshiba's support withdrawn, we could probably expect the format to be phased out completely soon after.

So it looks like we have just witnessed the end of the war, but the story isn't over yet. It remains to be seen how this would affect the console war between the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. You can bet it will have repercussions.

Michael Pachter and other analysts have already given their forecasts, saying that consumers now have a clear path towards the PlayStation 3. However, some believe that the end of the format war won't affect the Xbox 360 at all.

Rumors speculate that Microsoft will choose to adopt Blu-ray, but Pachter believes that this won't happen. Only time will tell what kind of waves the end of the format war will have on the future of the consoles.

We'll keep you posted on developments, but for now, this is where the format war stands.

Originally posted on February 20, 2008 at 1:34 p.m.

Capcom's Devil May Cry 4 reaches two million units sold worldwide

2008-02-20T14:21:00.001-08:00

Capcom is sending out word that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the video game Devil May Cry 4 have easily broken the two million mark in terms of total units sold worldwide.

The game became first available in Japan last January 31. This was then followed by the launch of DMC 4 in North America on February 5 and in Europe last February 8.

The total number of sales is expected to increase even more as the PC version of the title is yet to be released. All in all, this feat brings the whole Devil May Cry franchise to nine million units sold around the globe.

It also makes the series one of Capcom's most successful creations. The company attributed the success to its dedication to fans:

At Capcom, it is our continued goal to bring our properties to multiple platforms to provide the best entertainment experiences in the next-gen gaming arena.

We hope to continue meeting and exceeding the expectations of gamers with our dedication to developing solid titles for the best gaming platforms available while increasing the gaming user base around the world.

Capcom, lastly, has yet to announce a concrete release date for the PC version of Devil May Cry 4. But officials of the company has been quoted before that the build is going to be excellent in terms of gameplay and content.

Keep checking back here at QJ.NET for the latest on this game and other developments.

Buy: [Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)]
Buy: [Devil May Cry 4 (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Devil May Cry 4 (PC)]

XBL Video Store performing well, skewing substantially to HD

2008-02-20T14:20:00.001-08:00

Robin Burrowes, UK Xbox Live Marketing Manager, said that XBL Video Store has been performing well and that their studio partners are pleased with the performance.

In a recent intreview, Burrowes said that they were performing above expectations. In addition to that, Microsoft has been able to indicate that their high definition content is more popular than the standard definition content.

According to Burrowes, movies like 300, Ocean's 13, TMNT, and Harry Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix have been performing particularly well in terms of download.

Furthermore, studio partner Warner Bros., has said that it was pleased with the performance of the service so far. Burrowes noted that this will "be boosted with the announcement made yesterday that Paramount is also now on board."

Burrowes, finally, believes that they have been able to "hit the nail on the head" in terms of prices of their items. He added that Microsoft will look at additional rental options for the people in the future.

THQ announces Red Faction: Guerrilla for PS3, PC, Xbox 360

2008-02-20T14:19:00.001-08:00

THQ has finally confirmed that the hit series Red Faction will have another sequel in the form of Red Faction: Guerrilla.

The game is expected to ship during fiscal year 2009 for platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Guerrilla is set 50 years after the original events of the first game took place.

Here, players are sent to Mars and take on the role of an insurgent fighter with the newly re-established Red Faction movement as they battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force.

Volition, Inc. President Mike Kulas had this to say, "With a new third person perspective, a full cover system that allows for guerrilla style tactics and a diverse planet to explore we're excited to revitalize the gripping world of Red Faction for high-definition platforms."

Like Kulas mentioned, there will some changes that will be implemented in the game like the series' debut to the open-world genre. There will also be several multiplayer component, including modes focused on destruction-based gameplay.

Brad Carraway, THQ Director of Global Brand Management, seemed excited about the game as he mentioned:

Red Faction is one THQ's most successful and critically acclaimed original franchises to date, with a huge global base of loyal fans waiting to join the new revolution.

With the game's unique pairing of true physics-based destruction, fast-paced guerrilla warfare style combat, and a massive world to explore - Red Faction: Guerrilla will redefine the limits of open-world gaming.

Keep checking back here at QJ.NET for more information about this new game.

Codemasters quashes Overlord for PS3 buzz

2008-02-20T14:18:00.001-08:00

Veteran British game developers Codemasters have commented on the rumor of their title Overlord (PC, Xbox 360) being ported to the Sony PlayStation 3. They were quick to shoot down the buzz, but gave other interesting hints.

The devs called the prospect of Overlord on the PS3 mere "rumor and speculation" and said that they don't comment on things of the sort. However, they also commented that we "haven't seen the last of Overlord just yet."

The Xbox Live Marketplace saw the release of Overlord's Hellraiser expansion pack. Codemasters said that this sparked renewed interest in the title, and they're looking to capitalize on the opportunity.

Overlord was released late last year on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the PC. It combined hack and slash gameplay with RTS elements to create one of the season's most unique experiences. The game was driven by a comedic script and a non-linear style of play which made it appealing to those who tried it.

Buy: [Overlord (PC)]
Buy: [Overlord (Xbox 360)]

XNA Chief at GDC 2008: Community Games for Xbox 360, new Zune game

2008-02-20T14:17:00.001-08:00

XNA Chief Chris Satchell has just dropped a couple of bombs at GDC 2008. He announced that Xbox Live will be hosting a new service called Community Games. This feature allows developers to post their games and subject it to community scrutiny. If it passes then the game will be released on Xbox Live.

Satchell's description of the entire process seems to be pretty comprehensive. He pointed out that Developers will be giving "creator identities" very similar to GamerTags which will track what games the user has made and submitted.

When games are submitted, it'll have ratings for various factors such as violent. The games will then be reviewed by other game creators to vet for objectionable content. If a creator's game passes all those tests it goes on Xbox Live.

Satchell showed some new games which have already been added to the service, including one called Little Gamers, a Peanuts-like child drinking beer and shooting zombies with shotguns.

Another game Zune owners will be excited about is Xuna. Described as an arcade game reminiscent of Galaga, this game can be played on the Zune, Xbox 360, and even PCs and Laptops.

Satchel estimates that Community Games should bring in at least 1,000 new games on Xbox Live by next year.

UPDATE : Gears of War 2 confirmed with debut trailer

2008-02-20T14:15:00.001-08:00

Article originally posted Feb 20, 2008 at 12:28PM

Gears of War2 by Epic Games for the Microsoft Xbox 360 has been confirmed in Italy. Or has it? That's a question we can expect to be answered within the hour.

NeoGAF has just posted what they say is a press release from Microsoft Italy confirming the highly-awaited action sequel from Epic Games.

If the Italian news is to be believed, we'll be taking care of Locust problems again using Marcus Fenix come November of 2008. However, the scene over at GDC may tell a slightly different tale.

What we saw in GDC was a short footage of "what Gears of War may look like in the latest version of Unreal Engine 3". Featured was a dense swarm of Locust troops laying waste to city ruins. What this could mean for the franchise was never stated.

UPDATE : Gears of War 2 has just been confirmed at GDC 2008. At the tail-end of the Microsoft keynote, Cliffy B chainsawed his way to glory, saying that Gears of War was a setup, while Gears of War 2 will be bigger and better than the first. The logo for the sequel appears, and the crowd goes nuts!

Gears of War 2 will be available in November 2008, just as the Italian press release said. An English edition of the Italian press release has also been sent out, further reiterating Gears of War 2's November release as well as a little teaser saying that the game "continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad in an epic saga of survival, loss and retribution."

UPDATE 2 : The debut trailer for Gears of War 2 is now out. Check it out below:

GDC 2008: Grand Theft Auto IV Episode 1 in Spring, Xbox 360 exclusive

2008-02-20T14:14:00.001-08:00

Microsoft vice president John Schappert has revealed that more than a thousand new games will be released on the Xbox 360 this 2008. Among these games will be a little title from Rockstar Games called Grand Theft Auto IV.

Fans of the series will be pleased to know that Microsoft has already confirmed that the first downloadable episode for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV will be arriving this August and it will be released exclusively on the Xbox 360.

Currently tagged as Grand Theft Auto IV: Episode One, it is expected to be the first of two downloadable episodes for the game. While it hasn't been confirmed yet, this exclusive deal is said to have cost Microsoft quite a bit of money.

Gamers can expect Grand Theft Auto IV to be out on April 29.

Buy: [ GTA IV (PS3) ]
Buy: [ GTA IV (Xbox 360) ]

Tokyo Game Show 2008 theme: 'Ready for GAME Time!'

2008-02-20T14:12:00.001-08:00

With the date for this year's Tokyo Game Show 2008 already decided, the organizers of the event have recently announced this year's theme as well as the list of planned exhibits and the tentative schedule for the four-day gaming event.

This year's theme is "Ready for GAME Time!". It expresses the enjoyment both casual and veteran gamers get from playing games, which in turn becomes the aspiration for developers to create new content for everyone to enjoy.

Here's a snippet taken from the Tokyo Game Show website, describing the new theme in a nutshell:

The Tokyo Game Show 2008 aims to bring together makers striving to develop the next generation of games and other entertainment sector businesses in their work to bring fun and excitement of games to the world. This year s theme is an expression of our hope to provide a great four-day Game Time full of dreams and excitement.

The event will be organized by both the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. Over 180,000 people are expected to attend the TGS 2008 which will be held at Makuhari Messe in Mihama-ku, Chiba City.

Gamers looking to get their game on in Japan this October should look forward to being there as some of the biggest names in the industry will be showing off the latest and greatest game releases for everyone to look forward to.

Heavenly Sword studio Ninja Theory working on new project

2008-02-20T14:11:00.001-08:00

Heavenly Sword put Ninja Theory on the map. Now, the development studio is set to come out with a new game, teasing us with a few bits of concept art that they've displayed at their newly refurbished website (which you can visit by following this link).

The art doesn't look like it belongs to the world of Heavenly Sword, so it's probably not a sequel. It looks more like a Matrix-type dystopian future. It could be an entirely new IP. At any rate, it looks interesting and we're excited to hear more news about it.

Ninja Theory didn't give any clues as to what this new video game is all about, only that it's set to be bigger and better than Heavenly Sword. We don't even know what platforms they're planning to release it on. Here's what they were willing to spill:

Right now we're working on an exciting new concept that has got everyone we talk to buzzing. We can't say a lot except that it's going to be great to work on and should be even better to play! It'll take all the things we loved about Heavenly Sword and make them bigger and better than ever before.

Games Convention Asia 2008 dated, details revealed

2008-02-20T14:10:00.001-08:00

With the success of last year's Games Convention Asia (GCA) and Games Convention Asia Conference (GCAC), it's no surprise that the organizers have put up another one this year. For those who plan on attending, the dates and venue for both events have already been revealed.

The GCA will be held at the Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre Singapore from September 18 to 20 while the GCAC will be held alongside it from September 18 to 19 at the same location.

The focus for this year's GCA is the public exposition and business area where product presentations of the latest industry innovations will be held. In addition, attendees can expect the promotion of international business contacts and the creation of business solutions for their companies.

GDC 2008: EA still serious about games, not about 'serious games'

2008-02-20T14:09:00.001-08:00

During the Serious Games Summit at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), EA's VP for The Sims global brand development Steve Seabolt, spoke to audiences about the serious games business. However, his main point often revolved around the fact that Electronic Arts wasn't charging into that leg of the gaming business, even though they were a participant for a few times last year.

So it was no surprise that such titles and brands were recounted during the summit, the most prominent of all being the SimCity open-source code donation made in part of EA toward the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Project. Another agreement with BP Alternative Energy was unveiled during the discussion, pitting a converted SimCity Societies title to re-educate players on energy choices and their corresponding effects to the environment.

But Seabolt quickly countered with the fact that publisher economics have still been the driving factor for their decisions. Seabolt explained:

The reality is that we are a hit-driven business. And economically, we can't really commit to launching a product unless we think we can sell a minimum of 2 million units.

He explained that they turn down eight to nine proposals for every single one Electronic Arts actually accepts. One such proposal, one from the Tennessee Department of Health, was turned down, because it didn't meet the publisher's requirements. The project had to fit the brand the proposal selects, and both players of the original game and the target audience had to accept how the game is being associated with the serious issue. The proposed serious game also needs a large audience who will accommodate it.

Apparently EA still believes that the educational vein isn't as profitable as their main entertainment focus. Seabolt says that funds used for a serious game would mean that there were funds not reallocated to their more profitable franchises.

More GDC 08 event updates as we get them.

28 Okami screenshots: Amaterasu in action

2008-02-20T14:08:00.001-08:00

With news that Ready at Dawn's Okami will be ported over to Nintendo's Wii console, it's definitely a game to be watched out for. The games use the Wiimote to let players slash enemies, create brush strokes and pathways, chop trees, and even turn night into day.

If you guys check out the screenshots, the visuals present an art style that gives life to appearance and texture of papers scrolls. The watercolor-like calligraphy art gives new depth into the game's graphics.

Playing as the sun god Amaterasu, players can wield three types of weapons, each with devastating effects that deal much damage to those that stand in the way. Choose from reflectors, rosaries, and glaives to triumph over evil that is Orochi.

Do take note that the game's release is on March 25, 2008. Keep checking our site for more info and updates on this game.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl update: Falco

2008-02-20T14:07:00.001-08:00

For those who have no clue to who Falco is, he's a pilot from the Star Fox series. He's one character that likes to do things his own way.

Among all the characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Falco has the best initial jump. Also, he likes to shoot down his enemies with his Blaster as he leaps. Now that's one smooth fighter.

Here are Falco's tricks to keep your enemies at bay. His standard special move is the Blaster. His side special is the Falco Phantasm which can push your enemies off the edge, literally.

As for his up special move, Fire Bird, the name pretty much tells what he can do with it. His down special is the Reflector. The great thing about this is that it acts as a deflector and also as his own projectile. His final smash is the Landmaster, it can lift your enemies from the screen and off to oblivion.

Do take note that much of his moves have changes since he first appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Don't do anywhere now because we'll be keeping you updated on more news on this game from Nintendo.

Wii Fit and Wiiware set for U.S. release in May

2008-02-20T14:06:00.001-08:00

Wii Fit and WiiWare are set to take North America by storm, and while we wait for additional news to surface at the GDC, we've got two bits of information that you guys will like.

They're about the release dates for the now-famous fitness training program and games download service! According to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo will announce the dates for both during today's GDC session.

That being said, they've already decided to pre-empt the announcement with a statement saying that the WiiWare service will go live on May 12 and the Wii Fit "exercise product" will come out on May 19.

Certainly some good news for those people who've been patiently waiting for the two to show up. In any case, we'll have more for you once the official announcement becomes public, so keep checking QJ for updates.

Best Buy announces midnight launch for Super Smash Bros. Brawl

2008-02-20T14:05:00.001-08:00

Think you've the upper hand now that you're planning to camp at the local store at the crack of dawn on March 9 just to get first dibs on Super Smash Bros. Brawl? You may want to arrive at the said store site a wee bit earlier.

How come? Best Buy has announced that they're scheduling a midnight launch for Nintendo's hotly contested fighter for the Wii console. On your end, this means that you'll want to camp at your closest Best Buy outlet on the night before, March 8 (Saturday).

The retailer has a quick list of which stores would be setting up for the upcoming midnight launch, but you may want to phone your local stores just to be sure. Visit us again in case the other retailers announce any similar launch plans.

Worms: A Space Oddity screenshots- hot worm on worm action

2008-02-20T14:04:00.001-08:00

Team 17's been pretty busy working on the Wii exclusive Worms: A Space Oddity. Want to see what they've been up to the past few months? Well, you might want to check out some screenshots of this upcoming game.

The screenshots feature some worms as they battle to the death on various worlds and environments. Fans of the series will be pleased to see that all the explosions and worms in the game are lovingly rendered. In addition, the helmets on each worm is a nice touch, allowing for easy identification of your team during frantic deathmatches.

So here are the screenshots you came here to see. This blogger can't help but hope that the developers from Team 17 will get some sound clips from the movie Aliens. Now that would be pretty sweet.

Put your thinking caps on: introducing the Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset

2008-02-20T14:02:00.003-08:00

Just when you thought virtual gaming doesn't get any better than Nintendo's Wiimote, here comes a new idea from Emotiv Systems that explores the possibilities of brain-controlled gaming: the Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset.

The Emotiv EPOC uses a high-fidelity brain computer interface (BCI) which allows the headset to pick up the neuron signals from your brain and transmit them onto your character in the game. This enables you to control your character's facial expressions, actions and influence gameplay using your actual thoughts and emotions.

Nam Do, CEO of Emotiv Systems, described the new technology by saying:

When integrated into games, virtual worlds and other simulated environments, this technology will have a profound impact on the user s experience. Since announcing our prototype last year, we ve made dramatic technological breakthroughs in order to create the first wearable, affordable brain-controlled gaming headset. We re excited to see our vision realized this year and look forward to enabling gamers out there to experience brain-controlled gaming for themselves.

Emotiv Systems has already signed up with IBM to help explore the potential of the BCI technology beyond the gaming market. They are looking into building virtual world environments which will be totally immersive and lifelike. Ideas like virtual training simulators for industries such as enterprise and government is just the tip of the iceberg that IBM is looking to explore.

The Emotiv EPOC device is slated to be released through selected retailers in late 2008 for a recommended retail price of US 299. So people who want to put a new kind of thinking cap on for their gaming pleasure might want to start saving up for this neat gadget.

Thanks to Sembazuru for the tip!

simExchange on Super Mario Galaxy vs. CoD4 sales battle last January

2008-02-20T14:02:00.001-08:00

simExchange analyst Jesse Divnich crunched some numbers for the month of January and found some conflicting results according to the sales charts released by both the NPD Group and Mindshare.

The two games that were the subject in focus for last month's software titles were Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii and Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox 360 (also available on the PC, and PS3). According to the sales numbers, both games had their own outstanding cut in the video game market last month compared to its rival software title.

The NPD Software sales for January showed that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had an outstanding lead over Super Mario Galaxy, with CoD4 boasting 330,900 unit sales versus Super Mario Galaxy's 172,000 unit sales.

These results do not correlate with IGN GamerMetrics' data, which put Super Mario Galaxy on top in Mindshare. On the other hand, CoD4 was down by two-tenths of a percent compared to Super Mario Galaxy.

However, according to the simExchange prediction, Super Mario Galaxy fell short from its expected 391,000 unit sales. Divnich explained that the reason behind this was the slower hardware performance of the Wii which played a hindering role to the game's low sales.

Vantage Master Portable website reveals three new characters and wallpaper

2008-02-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

Fans of Nihon Falcom's Vantage Master Portable will be happy to know that the official website has once again been updated with three new characters (Masters) as well as even more wallpapers (both for the PC and PSP) to download.

The three new characters - Elder Knight Almion, Sister Korall, and Ninjya Perle - each have their own distinct attributes that should appeal to those who prefer to either play defensively or enjoy harassing their opponents with blitz attacks.

Fans of these three characters will also be pleased to know that themed wallpapers for each one have been released. You can download either the PSP or PC wallpaper from the official site. Simply follow the source link below to get there.

Tokyo Game Show 2008 theme: 'Ready for GAME Time!'

2008-02-20T13:59:00.001-08:00

Unreal Tournament 3 and God of War PSP promo launch set in Paris

2008-02-20T13:58:00.001-08:00

Gamers in Europe who've already marked their calendars this February 22 should know all about the hype Midway Games and Epic Games have been building up to promote the European release of the critically acclaimed Unreal Tournament 3 on the PlayStation 3 (also available on the PC and Xbox 360).

Midway has already shipped over 1.2 million units to satisfy the demand for Europe's first ever next-gen Unreal Tournament console game.

The game will have a promotional launch in Paris, in cooperation with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe as it will also be promoting God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP. The joint launch event promises to be a treat for European gamers as these new titles are sure to tickle the fancy any PlayStation owner's once they go live.

Martin Spiess, European Managing Director of Midway Games Ltd., had this to say about Unreal Tournament 3's big launch in Europe:

The separated format releases have worked well, effectively giving each SKU its own space. Epic has delivered a game of impeccable quality and superb playability, and sales figures clearly show the timing was also spot on. It s impossible to overstate the strategic value we place on the Unreal franchise, which is why we re investing considerably in bespoke launches for each of the games formats.

Games Convention Asia 2008 dated, details revealed

2008-02-20T13:57:00.001-08:00

GDC 2008: Echochrome's five laws of perspective explained

2008-02-20T13:56:00.001-08:00

We've seen quite a few tutorial videos for the mind-warping puzzler by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), Echochrome (PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable), but since they're in Japanese we're still having quite a hard time wrapping our heads around Echochrome's gameplay mechanics. But chew on your nails no longer, since an English-language tutorial video details the five laws of Echochrome:

Perspective traveling: change the perspective, and connect the path.
Perspective landing: the character will land on whatever appears to be below.
Perspective existence: you may not be able to see it, but there is a path.
Perspective absence: hide the obstruction, and it no longer exists.
Perspective jump: where you want to jump is up to you.

Got it so far? Don't worry, since the video below will clearly show you the five mysteries of Echochrome. Just click the play button for the video, concentrate, and enjoy!

David Jaffe clip: on skipping GDC 08 and Blu-ray winning next-gen HD race

2008-02-20T13:55:00.001-08:00

We reported a couple of weeks ago that the renowned video game developer and designer David Jaffe will provide a keynote speech in San Francisco at the event Game Developers Conference 08.

However, we learned today that Jaffe decided to skip the conference and will no longer deliver his speech outlining his career's high and low points to serve as an inspiration for budding developers.

So what is the real reason for Jaffe's decision? He explained this very matter fully in a video clip he posted in his personal blog Criminal Crackdown. Aside from that, Jaffe also shared his thoughts on Toshiba's move to drop HD DVD support.

GDC 2008: EA's The Sims could hit the 100 million mark this March

2008-02-20T13:54:00.001-08:00

As you may recall, EA's Steve Seabolt is currently at the ongoing Game Developers Conference to speak at the ongoing Serious Games Summit . While Seabolt's last speech had much to do with how they were more into creating entertaining games above all else, his latest talk will be about the massive success the company's Sims franchise is enjoying.

So, just how successful is The Sims franchise(PSP, Wii, DS, PC)? According to Seabolt, EA looks forward to selling their 100 millionth unit of the game by next month. Seabolt pointed out that the franchise had become so successful, it didn't have to be laden with the company's usual policy of adding adverts. Quoting Seabolt's statement:

We make so much money from The Sims--it is so profitable--that unlike other businesses, we don't have to sell it out with advertising and sponsorship and flog the user with advertising to make money."

Even if the game does have advertisements, Seabolt explained that EA was very picky about what went into game. He cited an example where they (EA) set up a promotion wherein Sim players could pick up a Ford Mustang for their in-game sprite.

We'll let you know as more details are unveiled over at the ongoing GDC 2008 in San Francisco.

Echochrome PSP release date in North America still up in the air

2008-02-20T13:52:00.001-08:00

Even though the game doesn't have amazing graphics compared to the more intricate ones out in the market, SCEJ's Echochrome (PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable) has been able to generate much anticipation to gamers.

We know that people want to know when it will be finally released for both system that's why we provided you with the report before that its console release will be on March.

If you're wondering when it will be released for the portable handheld, the game's release is pretty much still in the air. Don't take this information as if the game won't be making its way over to the PSP, though. It's just that nothing definite has been set in stone.

With this tidbit of information, better keep your eyes on our site since we'll be dishing out the latest updates on this cerebrally stimulating game.

PSP Filer v4.8 - bug fixes for RAR files, added Hungarian mode

2008-02-20T13:51:00.001-08:00

Homebrew developer mediumgauge has once again released a new build for the PlayStation Portable organizational app PSP Filer, with version 4.8 now available for download.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the program, PSP Filer allows you to manage the files found on your PSP's Memory Stick and gives you free reign to copy, move or rename them to your liking.

The latest version fixes several bugs tied to managing any RAR archive files on your PSP. Also, version 4.8 now includes localization for Hungarian users. Here are the specifics of all the new changes included since our previous coverage of the program:

4.8

added Hungarian mode.
fixed a bug that some kind of file in RAR was considered as a directory.
fixed a bug that Filer was crashed when it tried to open an encrypted RAR archive.
fixed a bug that Filer was crashed when it tried to open a RAR archive on few memory.
chased to fix that extracted files and folders from archive files would be ReadOnly and could not change nor delete anymore under CFW 3.90 or later.
fixed a bug that Filer was crashed when it tried to rename a long file name (more than 128bytes).

The downloadable file found below includes documentation on how to install PSP Filer 4.8. Please make sure to read up on it before copying any files into you handheld. In any case, enjoy the download.

Download: PSP Filer v4.8