Today marks the 12th anniversary of this landmark RTS franchise. To kick the celebration off, today we have a special surprise which we are certain new and old Command & Conquer fans will enjoy. We are providing the original Command & Conquer Gold as a free download, compatible for Windows XP!
Blogger Marco has recently discovered that the newest version of Google Earth includes a flight simulator. Though simple in comparison to full-blown simulators, Google Earth's is fun and addictive. To get started, press Ctrl+Alt+A for the initial dialog (on OS X, Command+Option+A). Then choose your plane (F16 or SR22) and initial airport. Joysticks are supported; it has even been reported that force feedback works. The game's controls are sensitive so it takes some getting used to. Here are all the available controls.
FA 08 is now available for you to sample in playable demo form over on the game's official website.
There's no sign of it on Xbox Live or PSN at the time of writing, but don't be surprised if it "pitches" up at some point. Guffaw.
FIFA 08 may be the latest of many attempts by EA to rejuvenate its ageing football series, but we were definitely impressed with the steps taken when EA Canada invited us over to have a go earlier this year.
Following on from FIFA 07's full engine revamp, 08 introduces a lot of the features that that game was missing - including an intuitive and versatile trick system that gives you precise control over the things that players like Ronaldinho are able to conjure.
Meanwhile, tangibly better AI and other complementary systems improve the general quality of play for everybody who isn't Barcelona's toothy favourite. So give it a go - and let them know what you think, since we know they read what you say.
The full version of FIFA 08 is due out on (deep breath) PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP and DS on 28th September.
Capcom has unveiled its line-up for the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, taking place from 20th to 23rd September.
The majority of games on show will be for Nintendo platforms, although the listings show three new titles yet to be announced. Hopefully one of these will be Resident Evil 5, which we are hoping to play at the event.
Wii offerings will include We Love Golf, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, and the hugely promising adventure Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. Mega Man Star Force 2 and Wantame Music Channel Doko Demo Style will be there for DS.
Elsewhere Devil May Cry 4 will be the headline act for PS3 and 360, with Sengoku Basara 2 HEROES aiming to prove there's still life in the ageing PS2.
We'll let you know as soon as the other games are named.
Eidos has announced that Championship Manager 2008 will be out this Christmas on PC. It will sport a redesigned look and is billed as the most accessible instalment in the series so far.
But unfortunately Eidos was unable to narrow down the exact date for us this afternoon, or confirm if the game will be coming to consoles.
This time around there will be more options to highlight and analyse key events that either won or lost you the game. You'll be able to see them as they happen using the new and more realistic 3D match engine, before picking them to pieces in the returning ProZone feature.
Players should act a little more believably now, too, and have personality traits which will influence how they behave for the full 90 minutes. We're told there will be 32 of these in total, which your players can learn through training if you want them to.
You'll be able to play with your friends on one computer, and there will be all the new and updated goings-on from the recently closed August transfer window - from as far away as the Australian league.
Funcom has cried havoc and let slip details of the siege warfare in Age of Conan.
It will let you and your guild members take part in massive battles in the Border Kingdom area, earning prestige and bonuses for yourselves, as well as venturing down a separate player versus player progression system.
Those of you with lots of members in your jolly old throng will want to go for the bigger battlekeep structures. Within these will be stables, blacksmithing equipment, alchemist workshops, universities, and more - each designed to give your guild a bonus in a certain area. You might be able to travel 10 per cent faster when you have a stable, for instance.
You'll have to keep hold of the resources around the map if you want to maintain your grip over these, and fight off attempts by other guilds to gain control.
Other people in smaller guilds will be able to take over forts, which will require less man power to hold on to. And if you're not a member of any group but still want in on the action, then you can be drafted in using a mercenary system, where guilds agree to pay you a fee for fighting on their side.
Smashing someone else's creation to pieces, on the other hand, will mean getting hold of some siege weaponry like trebuchets. This will be linked to a crafting skill, where more powerful and better quality machines can be built as your skill increases.
But you won't be able to attack keeps at any time you please, thanks to the introduction of attack windows. These will stop people rampaging late at night when there's usually significantly less opposition. You can specify when you want your battlekeep to be vulnerable, although you will want to make this as often as possible so you can maximise your rewards.
Those of you doing this a lot will start earning points in the player versus player progression system. It's made up of 20 levels and will reward you with new skills and impressive titles (something like "The Ultimate Slayer of all Men", joked product manager Erling Ellingsen) the further you get. Funcom is even talking about an immortality quest for those of you hardcore enough to chase it, although it won't tell us much more about it.
Siege warfare joins drunken brawling and instanced capture the flag or deathmatch battles in a three pronged player versus player approach. It makes up a key part of Funcom's end game, along with raiding and epic boss encounters, but is said to be designed with everyone in mind, not just the hardcore.
"Age of Conan is designed with that very clear idea in mind that it should appeal to both casual and hardcore players. We want you to feel rewarded even if you only have the opportunity to play for a short amount of time each week. If you want to solo, then go for it," said Erling Ellingsen, product manager for Age of Conan.
"Many of us at Funcom are family men and women, and we know very well that you can't pour endless hours into a game each night. You'll see this reflected in all the different aspects of Age of Conan."
Age of Conan was at the recent Games Convention in Leipzig, where it was hailed as the best online game of the show.
It's due for release on PC next March, with an Xbox 360 version to follow.
IMC has finally shed some light on mysterious shooter They, unveiling Metropolis Software as the developer.
It takes part in the near future, after a devastating attack on England leaves nasty robots in control. You and a pilot from your army squadron managed to survive the initial onslaught, and will soon find out that not all is as it seems - the robots aren't thinking for themselves. It appears invisible aliens are doing it all for them, you see, although it will be a while before you'll actually be able to see and attack them.
Key to your adventure will be your gun, which you'll upgrade along the way. Hundreds of items can be swapped in and out of four slots, and you'll be able to adjust and save your weapon settings to the number keys on your keyboard. So, you might like a burst-style attack on key one, or an explosive assault on key two - apparently the possibilities are endless.
You'll even get the chance to change the skin on your gun, decorating it with various pictures of skulls, or sensible camouflage.
They is being powered by its very own engine, and boasts all the usual trimmings like DirectX 10 support and clever enemies that probably know their seven times-table.
Multiplayer will tout the familiar faces of capture the flag, deathmatch, and so on, as well as an entirely new mode based around the customisable gun.
They is in development for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. A release date is yet to be announced.
The news is slopping around the decks of the official website, under the "What's next for Outerlight?" section. But unfortunately no gameplay details or platforms were mentioned, just orders to keep an eye out for more information.
The Ship was released last year on Steam. It's a multiplayer action game that challenges you to assassinate specific targets on board a luxury 1930s ocean liner before they can get you. A bit like Titanic, but with less romance and more murder.
You have to use objects at hand to achieve your goal, and keep your intentions to yourself, otherwise the guards will pop you in gaol.
Nintendo's DS handheld scooped the top four positions in the Spanish chart, according to the most recent data available from GfK International.
There were no surprises in the top 10, with Pokemon, Brain Training, Ratatouille and some PlayStation 2 Platinum releases making up most of the places.
Only three of the ten were non-Nintendo platforms as the company continues to maintain its strong presence in European software sales, while the PC and Xbox 360 platforms were entirely unrepresented.
The PC edition of BioShock has entered the German software chart at number one, with the Xbox 360 version also slipping into the top 10 at number six, according to the latest information from GfK International.
The 2K title managed to disrupt an otherwise Nintendo-centric chart, with DS and Wii titles taking up almost all of the other positions – prevented only by continued strong sales of the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion.
ow is the time to kick-start the strategy genre on console as its audience is now "ready to step up to strategy gaming", reckons Firaxis chief and Civilization creator Sid Meier.
"I think the console audience has evolved to where it's not just hand-eye action games that we're seeing, there's a much wider variety of game genres becoming interesting on the consoles", Meier told CVG recently.
He explained that Firaxis, currently developing Civilization: Revolution Xbox 360, PS3, WII and DS, believes turn-based strategy is one of those things that needs to be there for the console player. "The console audience is ready to step up to strategy gaming, especially when we can present in a way that looks cool and sounds cool."
Consoles are an area where "there's so much energy and innovation", Meier added.
Meier paints a very clear picture of Firaxis's enthusiasm for console development, but it doesn't mean the developer's about to sideline the PC platform. "We're certainly not abandoning the PC, it's a very important part of our development thinking", he went on to say.
"For Civilization," he continued, "right now we have a separate approach for console versus PC because the PC version's really a fourth generation, it's really evolved to be a game that serves the hardcore, fanatic Civilization fan base."
Keep an eye out for our full interview with Sid Meier hitting these pages shortly.
Japanese top 20 includes just four non-Nintendo platform titles
Another successful week last week of software sales in Japan for Nintendo saw PlayStation platforms represented by just four titles in the top 20.
According to data from Media Create, three of those came in the top 10, including new number one Sengoku Musou: Moushouden.
However, the rest of the top 20 was entirely made up of titles for the DS or Wii, and there was just one PlayStation 3 title in the entire top 50 – Hot Shots Golf 5, at number 17.
There were once again no titles for the Xbox 360 in the chart last week.
The top ten in full:
1. Sengoku Musou 2: Moushouden (PS2)
2. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate (DS)
3. Pheonix Wright 3 (DS)
4. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
5. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)
6. Dragoneer's Aria (PSP)
7. SD Gundam: G Generation Cross Drive (DS)
8. J-League Winning Eleven 2007: Club Championship (PS2)
On the heels of a recently announced Conservative Party mini-manifesto on violent videogames, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has outlined plans for a public review of violent and sexual imagery in games.
According to the Daily Mirror, Brown promised to look again at banning violent videogames.
"I know... that parents are concerned about whether children are too exposed to harmful violence and sexual imagery in video computer games and on the internet," said Brown, "so as we launch the court consultation on our children's plan we will be looking at all the evidence on the effects of this material, whether we need new rules for the advertising and sale of these products to children and young people."
Mr. Brown intends to put the plans to a "Citizens' Jury" this week, in which members of the public will have a direct influence on policymaking, airing their views and offering suggestions.
Another "Citizens' Jury" on crime and gang warfare will follow next week.
Mr. Brown said that "It will look at how we can empower people to work with police to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour."
Square Enix has wheeled out a list of the titles it will be showing at the Tokyo Game Show later this month.
Among the line-up are lots of playable versions of its games, although headline acts Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII are shrouded in uncertainty - listed simply as "undecided".
The ninth and DS-exclusive instalment in the Dragon Quest series will be there, however, as will The Last Remnant - but sadly both only in trailer form.
We're still waiting to hear back from the European arm of the publisher for final confirmation on the Famitsu-produced list. Cast your eyeballs down a bit for the full banana.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - Playable
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - Trailer and Playable
Final Fantasy IV (DS) - Trailer and Playable
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon - Trailer and Playable
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Trailer and Playable
Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road - Playable
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker- Playable
Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 2 - Playable
Dragon Quest IV - Playable and Trailer
The Last Remnant - Trailer
Dragon Quest IX - Trailer
Final Fantasy XI Online: Divine Soldiers of Atlanta - Trailer
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children: Complete - Trailer
Universe At War developer Petroglyph might be in the process of tooling up for an online game.
That's certainly been the reaction to a job posting for an "MMO Game Designer" spotted by Firing Squad t'other day.
Responsibilities will include "understanding, refining, maintaining, and disseminating the game design vision, game design, mission building, gameplay balancing, and game proposal development of a Massive Multiplayer Online Game," it says here.
Of course, it could always be that the work done by said MMO Game Designer will be pumped into Universe At War itself. The game's due out quite soon, but the role could always complement that of those working on the game's multiplayer features, which the developer has previously said were "inspired by popular massively multiplayer online games and competitive online playable titles".
Attempts to contact Petroglyph's Universe At War publisher, SEGA, for clarification were unsuccessful, which is a fancy way of saying they will call us back. In the meantime, speculate!
Petroglyph has previously worked on Star Wars: Empire at War and its expansion pack Forces of Corruption.
The interactive arm of Warner Bros. has announced plans to publish a game based on upcoming film Speed Racer.
Gripshift developer Sidhe Interactive will be making it for Wii and PS2, with an as-yet unnamed team creating it on DS. The two Nintendo games are expected alongside the film next summer, with the PS2 version following when the DVD eventually hits shelves.
The film is being made by Matrix masterminds the Wachowski brothers, who will be lending their action panache to the games' development.
It's all based around an old 1960s Japanese animated series that follows a chap called Speed Racer as he tries to win a cross-country rally called The Crucible - the same one that claimed the life of his older brother. Sob.
Emile Hirsch is starring in the big-screen version, alongside Susan Sarandon, John Goodman and Christina Ricci. And we're told to expect lots of fancy visuals as futuristic cars hit unheard-of speeds - they're even calling the new style "car-fu". Silly old them.
"Speed Racer is an exceptionally creative property and teamed with the Wachowski brothers' vision it makes for action-packed racing gameplay," said Samantha Ryan, big cheese at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
"The game will capture the intensity of the racing in the film to give gamers and movie fans a chance to take the wheel after the experience of the film."
Developer Splash Damage has confirmed that a demo for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will be available to download on Monday.
It will give PC gamers the chance to try out the title's fast-paced online action.
The demo should also provide an idea of what to expect when the full game launches on 28th September now that two beta tests have been conducted to help iron out the kinks.
The PC version of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is being created by Splash Damage under the watchful eye of id Software. It marks the beginning of what both hope to be a new and successful franchise, rather than a spin-off of an old one.
We recently went to see the game and talk to the people behind it at the annual QuakeCon event in Dallas.
A report released by casual gaming mecca PopCap Games indicates that white collar workers play games constantly throughout the day. The study indicates that as salaries and titles improve on the organizational chart, the amount of gameplaying in a given day increases substantially.
"Considering that the casual games market is around 200 million people, PopCap estimates that the executive crowd is very much into casual gaming, with about 80 million 'white collar' workers playing. 24 percent of the 'white collar' employees said they do play at work, and that number jumps up to 35 percent for CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives. 98 percent said that they play casual games at home too."
The boom in China's online gaming sector will continue for the foreseeable future, according to Lu Guangyuan Desmond, director of international business development for Chinese online games publisher Shanda.
In his opening keynote speech at the Games Convention Asia Conference, he quoted a DFC report which estimated that global revenue for online games would multiply five times from 2003 to the end of 2008, with China alone accounting for 13 per cent, and other Asian territories a further 55 per cent.
Desmond attributed the continuing upwards trend to a number of factors, including consumer, supply and technology elements, and cited management of these issues as the path to success in the country.
Whereas packaged games have suffered from piracy and affordability problems, Desmond pointed out the accessibility and social nature of internet cafes as a reason that 52 per cent of its members were over 23, and specifically that the approach for free-to-play games worked better than a subscription model.
To underline that he revealed the company had 80 million active users during the first quarter of this year, although only 4.7 million were classed as paying members, with the rest given the option of microtransactions to purchase functional or cosmetic items at their convenience.
Furthermore, Desmond went on to explain that one of the cornerstones of Shanda's success in the sector was down to support: "Customer service is critical to maintaining and expanding [the] user base."
Currently the company has 17 existing games published, with a further 16 under development.
Heres this weeks list of releases from Import Store Play Asia
Xbox360™:
Blue Dragon US US$ 59.90
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam US US$ 59.90
Fatal Inertia ASIA US$ 59.90
Fatal Inertia JPN US$ 64.90
HORI Fighting Stick EX2 US US$ 79.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne ASIA US$ 44.90
MotoGP '07 ASIA US$ 44.90
MotoGP '07 US US$ 59.90
Stuntman: Ignition ASIA US$ 49.90
Stuntman: Ignition US US$ 59.90
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 US US$ 59.90
Two Worlds [Collector's Edition] US US$ 72.90
Xbox 360 Messenger Kit ASIA US$ 29.90
PlayStation3™:
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War ASIA US$ 64.90
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam US US$ 64.90
Lair US US$ 64.90
Warhawk (w/ Bluetooth Headset) US US$ 64.90
Yamasa Digi World SP Pachislot Sengoku Musou JPN US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Carnival Games US US$ 44.90
Shin Chuuka Taisen: Michael to Meimei no Bouken JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
A.C.E. Another Century's Episode 3 The Final JPN US$ 68.90
Dear My Sun JPN US$ 64.90
Dear My Sun [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
EA Sports Rugby 08 JPN US$ 64.90
Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System KOR US$ 59.90
God of War (Best Price) JPN US$ 19.90
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories JPN US$ 39.90
Wild Arms 5 10th Anniversary Edition US US$ 49.90
Will O' Wisp JPN US$ 64.90
Will O' Wisp [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Nintendo DS™:
ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders / Monster Truck Mayhem US US$ 24.90
Adventure Pouch DS Lite (blue) JPN US$ 14.90
Adventure Pouch DS Lite (yellow) JPN US$ 14.90
Garfield's Nightmare US US$ 24.90
Hard Pouch DS Lite (pink) US$ 9.90
Hard Pouch DS Lite (silver) US$ 9.90
Hoshigami Remix: Ruining Blue Earth KOR US$ 49.90
Imagine: Happy Cooking ASIA US$ 34.90
Kidou Gekidan Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjong + Z: Sara ni Deki Ruyouni Nattana! JPN US$ 48.90
Mondai na Nihongo JPN US$ 39.90
Pet Alien: An Intergalactic Puzzlepalooza US US$ 24.90
Professional Fisherman's Tour: Northern Hemisphere US US$ 24.90
The Legend of Zelda Fabric Case (blue) JPN US$ 8.90
The Legend of Zelda Fabric Case (green) JPN US$ 8.90
The Wild West US US$ 24.90
Theta JPN US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™:
Blood Diamond JPN US$ 14.90
Dead Head Fred US US$ 39.90
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 US US$ 39.90
NHRA: Countdown to the Championship US US$ 24.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes US US$ 39.90
PC Games:
Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Guide Books:
John Woo presents Stranglehold: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Lair Signature Series Guide US US$ 17.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Toys & More:
Aliens 1/12 Scale Power Loader (Limited Version) JPN US$ 139.90
Aliens 1/12 Scale Power Loader (normal version) JPN US$ 139.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Builder - Grapprap JPN US$ 25.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Calf - Vitulus JPN US$ 36.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Tiger - Tigris JPN US$ 36.90
Darkstalkers Painted PVC Figure: Felicia JPN US$ 64.90
Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade P-3 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Elina JPN US$ 52.90
Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade P-3 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Tomoe JPN N/A
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Saber (High School Uniform Ver.) JPN US$ 72.90
G-Shock Watch Batman JPN US$ 139.00
G-Shock Watch Superman X JPN US$ 139.00
Garamon Monster Soft Vinyl Figure: Garamon (Green Version) JPN US$ 99.90
Garamon Monster Soft Vinyl Figure: Garamon (Regular Red Version) JPN US$ 99.90
Halo 3 - Master Chief ArtFX non scale prepainted statue JPN US$ 99.90
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure - Untyou Kanu (Adesugata Ver.) JPN N/A
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure - Untyou Kanu (Strawberry Milk Ver.) JPN US$ 64.90
Masterpiece of Shunya Yamashita No 1: Rudy 1/7 Scale Figure (HK Comic Fair Special Version) JPN US$ 54.90
Melty Blood Series II Painted PVC Figure: Ciel JPN US$ 54.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Horror Summer Mini Display Figure JPN US$ 5.49
Nintendo DS Character Touch Pen Bomberman Version Gashapon JPN US$ 2.49
Rozen Maiden Non Scale Painted PVC Figure - Shinku JPN N/A
Shining Wind Trading Figure Collection JPN US$ 6.90
Street Fighter Action Figure: Gen (Blue) US$ 8.90
Street Fighter Action Figure: Gen (Green) US$ 8.90
The Art of Shunya Yamashita 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Mirei San (HK Comic Fair 2007 Special) JPN US$ 64.90
Ultimate Action Neon Genesis Evangelion DX Figure (New Theater Version) JPN US$ 5.49
Whip X Nonoko - Nonoko: moon 1/6 Scale Figure JPN US$ 54.90
Video Game Soundtracks:
Etrian Odyssey Drama CD JPN US$ 31.90
Etrian Odyssey Super Arrange Version JPN US$ 29.90
Hiiro No Kakera Series Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Neoromance Trillion Aromatic Autumn JPN US$ 28.90
Que Character Image Mini Album Vol.7 JPN US$ 19.90
Star Drops (Hoshifull Seito Gakuen Tenmon Dokokai Intro Theme) JPN US$ 11.90
Super Eurobeat presents Initial D Battle Stage 2 JPN US$ 32.90
Super Robot Taisen OG: Original Generations Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 36.90
In a panel session at the Games Convention Asia Conference, Boomzap's co-founder Allan Simonsen stated his belief that as long as the Asian market was seen, as traditionally, an outsourcing sector only, generating original intellectual property would continue to be a struggle.
The comments came as the panel looked at the challenges of local content development, and there was general agreement that being taken seriously by global publishers could be problematic.
"You have to bridge that [perception] gap before you can even get to the discussion on 'here's my original IP, please publish it.'"
As a result, developers such as New Zealand-based Sidhe Interactive, need to generate additional income in the interim to fund original projects by supplying staff to other companies or taking on contracted work.
However, as Sidhe's managing director Mario Wynands pointed out, there can be positives to that approach – although it might slow down the initial process of creating fresh games, it does yield stronger ties with publishers that can be invaluable when it comes to pitching those new games.
"From that perspective, longer term, I always see our studio to do work for hire, even though we're expecting the weight to shift [towards more original IP.]"
Wynands also noted the importance of keeping a company in the front of a publisher's mind, especially when dealing with teams that may be based on the other side of the world, and recommended focusing efforts on communication in order to be considered for development projects.
"We've taken on that particular challenge by going over the US as much as possible and just staying in their faces."
"We send out press releases, we send out Christmas cards, we send them birthday greetings, occasionally if we do a new run of company T-shirts or get some good New Zealand wine, we'll send that on…"
Gordon Brown has pledged to work with the TV, advertising and games industries to reach a consensus on the issue of violence in the media and potentially introduce voluntary controls.
As reported by the Guardian, Brown was speaking at his monthly press conference. He stated, "Where there is pornographic or violent material, any parent is going to be concerned.
"This is not the Government telling people what they should do... This is society reaching a conclusion with all those people involved about what are the legitimate boundaries.
Brown continued, "I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I think you need to review this with a large number of representative groups, from parents, from the different industries itself and from other areas of public life."
The Prime Minister's comments come just days after he announced the launch of a Government review which will focus on the way violence in the media affects children. It will be conducted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The initial announcement raised concerns amongst gamers and the industry regarding potential censorship of videogames - but Brown's latest comments seem designed to allay these fears.
"I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the Internet and videos where children are involved," he stated.
"This is not an area where you can proceed, in my view, without trying to establish both what the boundaries are and what is the consensus you can build around these boundaries."
Hiromichi Tanaka, an executive officer and producer for Square-Enix, spoke to an Austin Game Developers Convention audience about the difficulties of designing global entertainment.
Five years ago, when Square-Enix released Final Fantasy XI as the world’s first cross-platform MMO, most companies had different servers in each region of the world.
“Not once did we consider this an option for Final Fantasy XI,” said Tanaka.
Instead, the company used common servers, separating players into three different regions with 7 to 9 hour time differences to reduce the amount of stress on the servers. The servers are currently divided into 32 public game worlds, with 15,000 to 20,000 unique users per world.
Square-Enix thought they would see limited interaction between players from different parts of the world due to the time differences, but they underestimated the hardcore gamers spending a longer time playing the game.
“The mixture of cultures and languages was a nightmare!”
The company developed auto-translation to assist players in communicating with people from other parts of the world, but has resisted requests to establish regional servers.
“It is true that we have had requests from users to establish regional-based servers,” Tanaka admitted. “But I think back on my own online gaming experience and how it allowed me to meet people from different parts of the world and learn about their lives and culture.”
The game was recently launched in France and Germany, but it took Square-Enix longer than they anticipated translating the existing content. The next Final Fantasy game is being developed simultaneously for all four current languages.
One problem that has plagued Final Fantasy XI, as with other MMO games, is Real Money Trading (RMT).
Online producer Sage Sundi took the stage to discuss how Square-Enix formed a task force to deal with the problem. He said that companies had three options: to allow all aspects, to self-engage, or to ignore RMT.
“While I won’t go so far as to recommend one method over another, I strongly feel that a game company has a duty to select and enforce a method that will most benefit the user,” Sundi said.
Square-Enix’s task force was able to eliminate 90% of the RMT in-game activities in Final Fantasy XI, and Sundi noted that approximately two-thirds of the RMT sites worldwide supplying FF XI have disappeared.
“It is like and endless game of cat and mouse, with persistence being the key to victory.”
Although the company is busy developing Final Fantasy XIII for PS3 and their next MMORPG for multiple platforms, Square-Enix continues to support Final Fantasy XI with expansion packs.
The fourth expansion pack, entitled Wings of the Goddess, will be released this fall across all platforms.
“We still have 500,000 [Final Fantasy XI] players around the globe,” Tanaka noted. “If they keep playing, we’ll keep developing.”
NCsoft has announced that Tabula Rasa will be available to play on 19th October in North America and Europe. Those of you pre-ordering the game will get a three-day head start.
The news first emerged during a special pre-launch party held at creator Richard Garriott's Britannia Manor in Texas. Here new details of the game were also forthcoming. Apparently player versus player clans will support up to 200 people, while maps are designed to hold 300 to 400 players and up to 2000 computer-controller characters.
"It has been a heck of a journey," said Richard Garriott. "The fact that we are getting ready for the final stretch towards launch feels great, but it is also just the beginning."
"I think we've managed to do something truly unique and I hope that the gaming community likes it as much as we do. Now, I am looking forward to a really fun 'end of beta event' for our incredible testers, and focusing development on new planets and innovations for future expansions of Tabula Rasa."
You'll be able to pick up the standard version of the game for around GBP 29.99 / EUR 44.99, and a collector's edition for GBP 49.99 / EUR 69.99. Both include one month free of charge. After that, you'll be asked to chip in GBP 8.99 / EUR 12.99 a month like everyone else.
American cable channel HBO has bought the screening rights to a documentary created entirely within Second Life.
Given the snappy title Molotov's Dispatches in Search of the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey, it follows the adventures of an character called Molotov Alava as he travels through the virtual world learning about the social interactions that go on there.
Veteran director of the piece, Douglas Gayeton, believes HBO will submit it for an Academy Award in the short-subject category - if he doesn't say so himself.
The feature lasts around 35 minutes and is expected to air sometime next year.
Second Life is a massively-multiplayer online world, where real people can create digital lives and interact with each other, spending real money and creating real profits.
It continues to attract lots of attention from mainstream media, thanks to its user base of 9 million people worldwide, and prompted The BBC to broadcast an entire episode of The Money Program there from an in-game cinema back in May.
Head over to the official website to find out more. But be careful, there's no turning back.
PRESS RELEASE - Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Sale of Joytech Video Game Accessories Subsidiary
New York, NY - September 7, 2007 - Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today announced that it has sold substantially all of the assets of its wholly owned Joytech video game accessories subsidiary to Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ). The Joytech sale reflects Take-Two's previously announced plans to divest its non-core businesses.
"The sale of the Joytech assets is consistent with one of the key goals we established in our 100 Day Plan: to develop strategic alternatives for any operations that we determined to be outside our core publishing business," said Ben Feder, Take-Two's Chief Executive Officer. "We are particularly pleased that we accomplished this goal in a manner that will allow substantially all of our Joytech employees in the U.S. and U.K. to join Mad Catz, which is a highly respected provider of video game peripherals."
The Joytech sale is not expected to be material to Take-Two's financial results.
I personally like Joytech products more than Mad Catz. But good thing about this, Joytech products will now be featured on shelves in retail stores. Usually its Mad Catz, Pelican and Nyko taking up all the pegs on the wall or shelf space.
Chart-Track has released new statistics which show a 260 per cent week-on-week increase in UK sales for Microsoft's Xbox 360 in the UK - while the PSP has suffered its worst week of sales since launch.
As reported by MCV, the change in fortunes for both machines are down to hardware line-up changes.
In Xbox 360's case the sales spike coincided with the introduction of the new Elite model, and a price reduction for the existing Premium and Core versions.
Strong sales continued into a second week, falling by only 20 per cent.
The blame for the crash in PSP sales is attributed to retailers and consumers anticipating the imminent launch of the new Slim and Lite model of the handheld on September 14.
ChartTrack declined to supply specific sales figures for either Xbox 360 or PSP.
It seems like just yesterday when online functionality was a new, exotic feature that was far from required for most games. Now, it seems, online functionality is practically a must if a publisher wants to squeeze as much money as possible from a release. Reuters is reporting on a new study by research firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research that shows, so far in this generation, console games that allow online play bring in nearly twice as much revenue as games that don't.
This isn't that surprising, considering mega-sellers like Madden, Gears of War, and Resistance are weighing on the online side. Would these same exact games make half the money without an online component? It's hard to say, but it's definitely a possibility, and one that should worry online-shy Nintendo. According to the study, only two percent of Wii games included an online component as of June 1, compared to 23 percent of PS3 games and a whopping 77 percent of Xbox 360 titles. That could translate to a lot of early revenue left on the table for the big N. Look, just make the Super Smash Bros. Brawl's online functionality relatively painless and all will be forgiven, all right?
They were once human but were infected and consequently resurrected by the T-Virus. A zombie will continue its search for food even with severed limbs or when missing the lower half of its body. The Labcoat Zombie Action Figure features ball-jointed neck and shoulders, swivel wrists and waist, and Crow and Severed Limb accessory. Note: photo is of unapproved production sample. Final figure may be different from item shown. Available exclusively at Transworld stores in the U.S. and all retailers overseas.
Manufactured by NECA and licensed by Capcom, the Resident Evil 2nd Anniversary Edition 7" Action Figure: Labcoat Zombie is in stock today, shipping at US$ 19.90 only.
A nine-year-old boy who saved his father's life by taking the wheel of a speeding big rig when his dad suffered a seizure and blacked out has finally gotten his wish.
When asked last month what kind of reward he would like for his bravery, Matty Lovo said he would like a new PlayStation.
When readers of the story suggested pitching in and buying the boy a PlayStation, his father, Matthew Lovo, initially declined to accept the offer while thanking the community for its generosity.
Eventually, after Sony called to donate one, Lovo Sr. agreed to accept it.
"We've seen this topic talked about as far away as the UK and all over the U.S. People like the story a lot," Lovo Sr. said.
The company presented Matty with the gift Wednesday evening at KGW.
"I'm gonna let my dad play this one. He needs to have a spin,” Matty said.
Matty said his real reward is that his father recovered after the seizure.
The incident occurred in Saint Helens, Ore., in August. A Good Samaritan who noticed a child at the wheel of the huge truck jumped out of his own car to help stop the vehicle.
TV parenting expert Tanya Byron is to head the inquiry into violent and sexual content in video games and other media, the BBC is reporting. The review was announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown earlier this week.
Byron presented the BBC TV shows 'The House of Tiny Tearaways' and 'Little Angels', but decided to end her career as a TV presenter earlier this year.
Byron will talk to parents and the entertainment industry about how better to protect children from unsuitable material. The inquiry will study the availability and prevalence of violent games and internet pornography in particular, and look at the effectiveness of existing laws.
"It is essential that parents and anyone involved in the care and development of young people are familiar with the material they will access and view - and of the potential and actual risks therein," said Byron.
Byron will report to the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
"It is not about stopping children having fun," said Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. "It is about making sure they can do so safely."
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Brown said that the study would not lead to increased censorship.
The current hardware sales situation in Japan is listed below.
DS Lite: 94,339
Wii: 39,371
PSP: 22,196
PS3: 18,068
PS2: 14,280
Xbox 360: 1,635
Game Boy Micro: 263
Game Boy Advance SP: 195
Gamecube: 73
Game Boy Advance: 16
DS original: 0
Nintendo is on the top as usual but with reduced sales on all consoles compared to the last weeks' reading. PSP, PS2 and the Xbox 360 has also experienced a slight drop too. Only the PS3 has seen a slight increase roughly by some 1,600 units.
A Seattle man who allegedly used file sharing software to steal personal financial details has been arrested.
Gregory Thomas Kopiloff reportedly used peer-to-peer applications such as Limewire to trawl other p2p peoples' computers for information that he used to open credit card accounts. He then used the cards to buy at least $73,000 worth of goods online, which he then sold on Ebay for around half price.
Law enforcement officers have found at least 83 victims, though they believe that many more were compromised and that total losses will be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most were teenage children who said they were unaware that the file sharing software was on their computers.
Kopiloff, who is charged with mail fraud, accessing a protected computer and two counts of aggravated identity theft, has not entered a plea. His lawyer said he was still examining the charges against him.
Assistant US attorney Kathryn Warma explained that while typically p2p users would search for the name of a favourite singer or group, Kopiloff preferred to look for "federal tax return" or student funding forms. He even checked potential victims to ensure they has a good credit rating.
"If you are running file-sharing software, you are giving criminals the keys to your computer," Warma said. "Criminals are getting access to incredibly valuable information."
Lime Wire, which develops the software of almost the same name did not comment, but recently Mark Gorton, its chairman, told a US Congress committee that the company is frustrated by users who ignore its security advice.
"We continue to be frustrated that despite our warnings and precautions, a small fraction of users override the safe default setting that comes with the program and end up inadvertently publishing information that they would prefer to keep private," he said.
The same committee was given a demonstration by a security consultant who managed to find information about troop movements in Iraq.
Now for those not familiar the Iphone has already seen a mass of homebrew released for it including Nes Emulators, Frotz, Doom and MAME is being worked on.
With the worldwide popularity of the iPod and this much easier way to get homebrew on it coupled with the Touch Screen we could see a major homebrew scene in the making. Interesting times ahead.
Apple News will have all the latest news as it happens.
It must be a year since i found out about a new project from CraigIX (Owner of the former GBAX.com Shop - Best one in Europe for DS etc) and now owner of GP2X UK.
Now because sites like Engadget have made the news public and got it wrong a tad too then i thought it was about time i posted what i know about the handheld that has been told to me will be more powerful than the PSP.
The handheld is not being made by Gamepark so thats one rumour dead. Craigix and some others are behind it and most likely it will be made in China (not 100% confirmed). The Console will be Linux Based again (like the GP2X). It will have a decent 2D and 3D Graphics Chip. I gather it will have a very nice 128MB of Ram, it will use SD Cards. It will have a touchscreen. TV Out will also be an option. The screen is rumoured to be 800x400 resolution, i understand that Sony/Sharp have the deets on the 480 screen. Wifi is also on the cards.
The console at this time doesnt have a Public name but sometime in October we will know for sure. It promises to be an exceptional console for homebrew and other items not 100% confirmed are some kind of keyboard too.
The price im told will be around the £150.
Like everything things change but it sounds a mouthwatering console, taking the ideas for the GP2X and features from the PSP/DS and making what could be a Dream Homebrew Handheld that doubles as a Console too.
Only PS3 sees modest growth following Bladestorm release
Sales of Nintendo hardware have fallen in Japan, where the DS handheld has shifted less than 100,000 units for the first time this year.
Despite the drop in sales, the DS still leads the market with 94,339 consoles sold for the week ended September 2. Nintendo's Wii sold 39,371 for the same period, according to recent data from Media Create.
Sony's PlayStation 3 was the only console in the region to record improved sales, with 18,068 consoles sold – in the same week that Koei's PS3 title Bladestorm entered the all-formats charts at number two by selling 58,996 copies.
Sales of the PlayStation Portable fell to 22,196, compared to 26,089 the previous week, while the PS2 sold 14,280 units, down from 15,139 the week before.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold just 1635 units, while the GBA sold 474 and the GameCube 73 units in the region.
As well as Bladestorm, there were two other new entries in the Japanese software charts last week. Bandai Namco's One Piece: Gear Spirit for the Wii sold 41,207 copies and entered the charts at number 5, while Banpresto's DS game Summonight: Twin Age took the number seven spot with 27,692 sales.
The full Japanese software top ten follows:
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Bladestorm
Gintama: Together with Gin-san! My Kabuki-cho Diary
Community and data collection tool, Xfire, has now passed the 8 million subscriber mark, GamesIndustry.biz reports.
What's more, the latest information on the top 20 most-played titles indicates that World of Warcraft's popularity is holding steady - despite eight months having now passed since The Burning Crusade expansion's release.
Over 60 per cent of Xfire users are based in Europe, with around 40 per cent in North America, and the company has logged over 120,000 man-years of data since launch, with multiplayer games outperforming traditional offline games by a long way.
According to the details based on activity across the month of August, taken almost entirely from PC game-playing data, World of Warcraft logged over 440,000 hours of gameplay on average per day.
This was followed by Call of Duty 2 Multiplayer and Counter-Strike: Source, on 173,355 and 158,714 average hours respectively.
The second most popular MMO was Guild Wars, logging 59,199 average hours per day, while Eve Online was sixth most popular MMO, and Lord of the Rings Online came 8th.
Interestingly, both of those last two titles were outperformed in Xfire user data by Asian games Silkroad Online and MapleStory, and Korean free-to-play titles occupied five of the MMO top ten.
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne was the most popular strategy game, with 41,242 hours per day, and Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction was top of the miscellaneous category with 12,502 hours.
In comparison, traditional offline games were much lower down on the list. Oblivion and Football Manager 2007, although much older titles now, were still among the highest non-multiplayer performers, yet notched up fewer than 10,000 users between them.
Monolith Productions has announced that the name of its F.E.A.R. sequel will be Project Origin.
It was the winning entry in the Name Your Fear competition, which the developer ran during the summer months to help it come up with a title for its new game. You might remember that it couldn't just call it F.E.A.R. 2, because it doesn't actually own the rights to the name - old pal Warner Bros does.
Project Origin was picked above other (and much better) finalists Dark Signal and Dead Echo. But our real favourite was the unrecognised and punchy "THE GIRL IN THE KETCHUP STAINED DRESS".
Head over to Monolith's site for more information, like a Hilarious List of Rejects, or a short video about why a name is so important.
F.E.A.R. is a paranormal and actually very creepy shooter that was released on PC back in 2005. It's had subsequent ports to PS3 and 360, and is due new expansion content later this year.
features
Epic RPGs are one of the hottest genres right now, and Two Worlds is the best of 2007’s batch. Its bigger and badder than Oblivion.
MMO gameplay! Up to 8 player co-op, side by side play allowing users to quest together to overcome more difficult tasks than playing alone.
Seamless transition from Indoor to Outdoor environments – no loading screens.
For the 1st time in the history of the genre, unique magic system allows the players to assemble their own magic spells.
6 Different mounts you can ride and fight from including horses, lizards, and beasts.
Hyper-realistic environments along with seasonal weather changes in the worlds.
Music composed by Grammy award winner Harold Faltermeyer (Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop)
A freedom of choice unseen in any other Role-Playing Game. The world comes to life, reacting and changing to decisions made by the player.
Open and unlimited character development. Players can experiment with different careers and even reverse their choices.
Spectacular and dynamic combat that combines intuitive controls, intense action, tactical challenges and movie-like visuals.
A deep and intuitive weapon upgrade and enchanting system.
Traps and snares are at the player's disposal, allowing them to weaken the enemy before closing in for the kill.
description
A fragile peace between the civilized races and the hordes is at stake. When the dwarven mining expedition discovered an ancient temple dedicated to an unnamed deity - all of the world's most powerful factions saw it as a possible clue to the place of Azriaal's burial ground. A silent war has now begun and it will soon ignite the fires that will lead to the holy crusade of the Orcs. However, the real danger lies somewhere else. A powerful force churns silently - weaving a secret plot of fear and destruction. In the end one of the Two Worlds will remain. It is up to you to save the world …or destroy it!
Atari says that a new demo for Race 07 is now available to download. We checked and it is. Good work, Atari!
You can fetch it over on the official website, where it will speed down your digital chute until all 504.7MBs are done.
The demo will let you race online against real-life human people in up to 24-player races, zipping around the Anderstorp and Brands Hatch courses in either a BMW E90 or Seat Leon. Or you can play bots, if you're boring.
You'll probably also notice fresh features like weather effects splattering off of your exposed helmet as you zoom down into the new cockpit view.
Race 07 is the official World Touring Car Championship game, and boasts all the official names and faces of its real-life counterpart. The full version is said to have around 300 cars in nine different classes, as well as 32 locations to zoom around - you can also reverse those and use alternate track layouts.
Swedish developer SimBin will be making the ridiculously fast Formula 3000 cars playable this time, too, which will behave realistically so we can all experience just how flimsy and dangerous they are.
The first Race game was released last year to very favourable reviews, and follows the developer's past racing successes with games like GTR 2 - The FIA GT Racing Game.
Look out for our thoughts closer to the full game's release later this year.
Splash Damage has announced that the PC demo for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will be available to download this afternoon, from 6pm BST (UK time) onwards. Isn't that the evening? We're not sure.
A list of mirrors will be published on the official community site closer to the time.
In the demo is the retail version of the Valley map, which has undergone numerous balance tweaks from the various beta tests. So you'll be enjoying the final iterations of XP, weapon balancing, player movement and vehicle handling.
You'll also get a chance to use the bots as single-player fodder, or as filler in your multiplayer matches - which you'll be able to host using the standalone server and server launcher tool.
Valley is one of the biggest maps in the game, and will give you a good chance to test out all the various types of combat: vehicle battles, air fights, artillery bombardments, or just plain face-to-face pulverisation.
The main aim of the scenario is to flush the Strogg out of a contamination plant messing up the local water supply, but there will be side missions to explore if you want to wander off the beaten track.
If that makes you very excited, then you might like to pop into the Quake Wars IRC channel and chat to the developer and publisher at a demo-launch get together. The network is irc.quakenet.org and the channel is #quakewars. Words will be flying from around 6:15pm BST.
Pop over to the official community site for the system requirements, and keep your eyes peeled for the demo.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is due out on PC on 28th September. PS3 and 360 versions are also planned, but not yet dated.
Psychonauts developer Double Fine has skilfully crafted a new epic to yank us through a long Monday back at the grind stone. Except it's not their big new release, which we don't know about yet, but a web-game instead.
Dubbed Epic Saga - Extreme Fighter, it puts you in control of one of five finely honed brawlers. Trade a kicks and punches as a Barbarian, Horny Witch, Gnome King, Dark Wizard or Cave Dweller - and unlock a secret character after you've pounded each to a pulp.
The game has all the hallmarks of a next-generation super project, plus some funny quips and an ending to keep you in deep thought for weeks.
Pop over to the developer's website to start your adventure now.
Double Fine is currently working on an as-yet unannounced project for Sierra Entertainment. Its last game, Psychonauts, earned a pin-on rose from us as game of the year 2005.
Next-gen consoles have been banned from UK jails following concerns they could be used to coordinate terror attacks
The Sun reports that games consoles that can be used by inmates to send and receive radio signals have been deemed too much of a threat to the peace. Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's DS consoles have reportedly been banned from jails as a result.
As reported previously, UK home secretary John Reid said in March, "Advice was issued to all prisons in December 2005 that the Sony PlayStation 3 was barred from the prison estate because of the equipment's ability to send and receive radio signals." The banning of games consoles in UK prisons has now seemingly been extended to Microsoft and Nintendo systems.
A source told the UK tabloid, "The technology in the new generation of computer games makes them a security risk.
"There is concern that top terror suspects have been using systems already in jails. Radio software is an integral part of the equipment."
A secret security report obtained by the paper suggests that fears extend beyond the communication capabilities offered by next-gen consoles, with the banning of all games consoles in prisons still a possibility.
Gamespy had a chat with Chris Perkins, story manager for Dungeons and Dragons R&D, at this year's Gen Con. Though Chris had no more details to offer Gamespy than he did for us at the event, the piece puts a lot of information all into one place on what we can expect from D&D Fourth Edition.
"GameSpy: We've been reading a lot about talent trees in 4th Edition ... Christopher Perkins: Talent trees aren't unique to MMORPGs. Wizards has produced other games that use talent trees, such as the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game and the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition. The theory of game design, regardless of platform, is constantly evolving. We've taken our gaming experiences over the past decade, as well as player feedback on the games and supplements we've produced in that time period, to build a system for character creation and advancement in 4th Edition that draws inspiration from numerous sources, but isn't exactly like anything that's been done before."
Gamespot is reporting that 2K games has shipped 1.5 million units of BioShock to games stores and retailers. The title was noted by EA Sports' Peter Moore as proof that third-party publishers aren't getting squeezed out by first-party AAA games.
"It turns out the comments by the former Xbox 360 and Games for Windows marketing chief were prescient. Today during a post-earnings report conference call with analysts, Take-Two Interactive Chairman Strauss Zelnick said BioShock was already a runaway success for the controversial publisher, which has been set back by the Grand Theft Auto IV and Manhunt 2 delays. "
Gamasutra is reporting on information from a new research firm called Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, which has recently released a number of papers looking into trends in the gaming industry. One (perhaps surprising) finding: M-rated titles sell better than any other rating group.
"The study, titled 'Console Intelligence Brief 2007' examines the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 since each consoles' release through June 1, 2007, and comprises some 219 retail and 187 downloadable games made available on the new platforms, examined by genre, ESRB rating, gross sales in the United States, MetaCritic scores, online functionalities, multiplayer capability and other core game features. Among the sample results made available, the study found that critics' favorite list and the blockbuster charts have a lot in common, with highly-rated titles selling up to five times better than titles with lower scoring reviews. Despite online connectivity being a marketing cornerstone for all new consoles, the study concluded that 45 percent of retail games are not utilizing it in any way -- 98 percent of Nintendo Wii games have no online functionality at all."
EA takes first and second spots with leading franchises
Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor franchise has made a triumphant return to the the UK charts, with the latest title crashing into the number one spot.
Medal of Honor Airborne takes the coveted position on its first week of release, backed by the publisher's market-leading sports series Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 at number two.
Sales of 2K Games' critically acclaimed BioShock for the Xbox 360 and PC dropped by 59 per cent, leaving it at number three this week, while South Peak Games' Two Worlds enters the charts at number four.
Nintendo's Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for the DS continues its top ten run at number five, and THQ's Stuntman: Ignition climbs up the charts from number nine to number six.
More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima is at seven this week, and there's another new entry for EA at eight with the latest The Sims expansion pack, The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.
Activision's Transformers: The Game falls to number nine and Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree is at ten.
The only other new entry in the top 40 is Capcom's Monster Hunter: Freedom 2 at number 39.
Developer CCP has beamed us a signal to say that EVE Online will now be playable on Linux and Mac.
The different versions will be made as part of a hand-holding agreement with TransGaming, a software company with the right answers when it comes to making games playable on different platforms.
So, there will be no performance drop when using Linux or a Mac, and everything will be identical to the Windows version. That means you'll all be able to play spaceships together on one great big supercomputer server - one that's ranked among the top in the world.
EVE Online originally emerged back in 2003, but has since undergone significant transformations - largely thanks to developer CCP acquiring full rights to its own game.
Most recently the Revelations II major game update was released, which added lots of things only Pat understands. But the old girl also now supports very shiny DirectX 10 graphics and plays on Windows Vista.
CCP is currently working on a new update to allow you to step out of your spaceships as a character, and interact with the other captains in space stations. Unfortunately, a release date has not been confirmed.
GameDaily reports on analyst research indicating that online games will be a huge part of the games market in a few years. The online portion of games sales hit roughly $3.8 billion in 2006, and is expected to grow at a rapid rate in the next few years, with Massively Multiplayer Online Games leading the way. By 2011 analysts expect that number to hit $11.8 billion, which would be about a third of all game sales.
"'The main driver for sustained growth in the online games market will be the continued uptake of broadband services around the world,' said David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics. 'Additionally, the very lucrative revenue opportunity in both the massively multiplayer segment and the electronic sell through market will continue to attract new entrants into the online games market.' While digital distribution is making more and more full games available for download for PC gamers (through services such as Steam, Direct2Drive, etc.), console makers have been much slower to offer entire games for download - although Sony is starting to do this on its PlayStation Network, with Warhawk being a primary example since it's available for download or on Blu-ray disc."
The Guardian Gamesblog has up a post noting that Gamestop will be rearranging stores to meet casual gamer needs. For example, they'll be creating a section just for music games (karaoke, guitar games, etc). They'll also be putting together a 'family-friendly' area, with a focus on titles like Nintendogs, Lego Star Wars, and the like. The post is based off of an interview in The New York Times with Daniel A. DeMatteo, Gamestop's vice chairman and chief operating officer. In his mind casual games are now so important to sales that the company is having to do some 'radical retail re-thinking':
"There is a real breadth of properties now appealing to a much broader audience than we've seen before. Honestly, we are having to retool the way we think of things in our stores in terms of merchandising, layout and also customer service because it is no longer only the hardcore gamer walking in who knows exactly what he wants."
Via Kotaku, IGN had the chance to play both the AO- and M-rated versions of Manhunt 2, and they now have a piece up pointing out the differences in the re-rated game. If you've been curious about what is in that warez copy floating around online, they'll piece it together for you. Be forewarned: the stuff that got cut out is pretty gross.
"The content may be too much for some to stomach, but the presentation is well done regardless. Manhunt 2's storyline is made more believable with realistic voice acting, atmospheric camera angles and pans, and moody transitional effects. There's even some comedy thrown in for good measure. Take, for example, a scene in which Danny decapitates a hunter and then uses his severed head to gain entry through a security door. A guard on the other side opens a peephole and sees the decapitated head staring back at him. 'Georgie Boy!' he exclaims. 'Come on in.'"
Online gaming is leading the digital entertainment market, outselling both the video and music business, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.
The firm calculates the online gaming market generated USD 3.8 billion in 2006 and it's expected to grow to USD 11.8 billion by 2011, with online sales accounting for one third of all software revenue in the industry.
"The rapid growth of the addressable market for digital distribution of both PC and console games will clear the way for distribution of mainstream hit titles which has up to now been restricted to the physical retail channel," said Martin Olausson, director of digital media research.
The continued uptake of broadband and opportunities in the MMO genre will help attract new business to online gaming, says the report.
"The main driver for sustained growth in the online games market will be the continued uptake of broadband services around the world," added David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics.
"Additionally, the very lucrative revenue opportunity in both the massively multiplayer segment and the electronic sell through market will continue to attract new entrants into the online games market."
Regrettably, there's not a lot to go on just yet, but DigiTimes has it that HP will soon be launching "next-generation PCs with a Blu-ray / HD DVD dual-format burner." The announcement was reportedly issued at a product presentation held in Singapore, and while no model numbers were doled out, we can purportedly expect the two-faced machines to land in Europe and America sometime next month. Notably, HP has hemmed and hawed between formats in the past, but we're all for a rig that burns (and reads) both.
Sure, your hard drive does an okay job, spinning around, hefting 200 gigabits per square inch, but wouldn't you know it, the sensors used to read all that data are reaching their physical limits. Enter the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, UK, where researchers are proposing a whole new sensor design that could result in much thinner and smaller read heads, leading to drives with data densities as high as one terabit per square inch. According to the researchers, the sensors would use less power than current read heads, and could improve the speed of the reader.
In the words of lead researcher Marian Vopsaroiu, "You could read back data ten times faster... instead of one GHz, you can read at five to ten GHz."
Currently, hard drives use the magneto-resistance effect to read data, needing a constant current which converts resistance to voltage. The new sensors work by using the magneto-electric effect, wherein data's magnetic field will directly generate voltage instead of resistance. The new heads will be smaller and lighter as well, using half as many layers of materials as current sensors, but there are difficulties in putting together the complex alloys of the tiny readers.
PC titles are dominating the multiformat charts in Sweden, with EA's latest Sims title taking the number one spot, according to data from Dataspelsbranschen.
The Sims 2 Bon Voyage is one of eight PC titles in the top ten, with Blizzard's World of Warcraft, it's expansion pack The Burning Crusade and new Guild Wars add-on Eye of the North clogging up the charts.
Sony's first-party titles MotorStorm and Resistance: Fall of Man are at one and two in the PS3 charts, while 2K Games' BioShock is the best seller on Xbox 360.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess tops the Wii charts, as Nintendo's first-party Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl games lead DS sales.
The full Swedish charts follow:
Multiformat
1. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt (PC)
2. World of Warcraft (PC)
3. Medieval II Total War Kingdoms (PC)
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
5. Bioshock (360)
6. Guild Wars Eye of the North (PC)
7. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology (PC)
8. Warcraft III Reign Of Chaos (PC)
9. Warcraft III Frozen Throne (PC)
10. Motorstorm (PS3)
11. Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)
12. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s (PS2)
13. Battlefield 2 (PC)
14. Singstar Svenska hits (PS2)
15. Counter-Strike Source (PC)
16. The Sims 2 (PC)
17. The Sims 2 H&M Fashion (PC)
18. Bioshock (PC)
19. Pokémon Diamond (DS)
20. Singstar 90's (PS2)
PC
1. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt
2. World of Warcraft
3. Medieval II Total War Kingdoms
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
5. Guild Wars Eye of the North
6. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology
7. Warcraft III Reign Of Chaos
8. Warcraft III Frozen Throne
9. Battlefield 2
10. Counter-Strike Source
Playstation 2
1. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s
2. Singstar Svenska hits
3. Singstar 90's
4. Shrek 3
5. MX vs ATV Unleashed
6. FIFA 07
7. Guitar Hero 2
8. Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria
9. Rogue Galaxy
10. Singstar Pop Hits skandinavisk
Playstation 3
1. Motorstorm
2. Resistance: Fall of Man
3. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
4. Virtua Tennis 3
5. Ninja Gaiden Sigma
6. The Darkness
7. Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
8. Formula One Championship Edition
9. Rainbow Six Vegas
10. Tony Hawk Project 8
Xbox 360
1. Bioshock
2. Guitar Hero 2
3. Forza Motorsport 2
4. Gears of War
5. Perfect Dark Zero
6. Kameo
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
8. Blue Dragon
9. Dead Rising
10. Call of Duty 3
Wii
1. Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess
2. Boogie
3. Rayman Raving Rabbids
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
5. Wii Play
6. Mario Party 8
7. Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
8. Mario Strikers Charged Football
9. Harry Potter och Fenixorden
10. Shrek 3
Nintendo DS
1. Pokémon Diamond
2. Pokémon Pearl
3. New Super Mario Bros
4. Shrek 3
5. Mario Kart DS
6. The Sims 2 Pets
7. Hotel Dusk: Room 215
8. Worms Open Warfare 2
9. Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City
10. Super Mario 64 DS
PSP
1. Need for Speed Underground Rivals
2. Daxter
3. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
4. GTA Vice City Stories
5. Tekken Dark Resurrection
6. Tales Of the World: Radiant Mythology
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 6
8. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
9. Burnout Dominator
10. FIFA 07
According to the latest information from Media Create for software sales in Japan last week, nearly twice as many units were sold for Sony consoles in the top ten as for Nintendo platforms.
This was largely due to robot fest Another Century's Episode 3: The Final moving straight into the top slot and shifting 186,000 copies alone, although Sony platform titles did make up four of the top ten, balancing the chart a little more than it has been in the recent past.
Other new entries last week included Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjongg for the DS at number six, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories on the PlayStation 2 in at number seven.
The rest of the chart is as follows:
1. Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (PS2)
2. Final Fantasy Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS)
3. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
4. Sengoku Musuo 2: Moushouden (PS2)
5. Bladestorm (PS3)
6. Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjonng (DS)
7. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2)
8. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)
9. Wii Play (Wii)
10. Wii Sports (Wii)
Shadowrun developer FASA Studio has officially closed, after months of rumours.
The team worked on Shadowrun, the first cross platform game for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista, released earlier this year.
"It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors," said Mitch Gitelman, studio manager, via the developers community forums.
"Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumours have been circulating forever, we chose to wait on an official announcement because we didn’t want people’s attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love," he said.
According to Gitelman the team knew the studio was to wind down operations, but it continued to support Shadowrun with three updates before making the closure public.
"I am pleased that about half of us have found great positions elsewhere in MGS and Microsoft where they can share their experience and passion with the great people there," said Gitelman.
"I'm saying goodbye to you on behalf of a group of talented and dedicated professionals who busted their humps for the love of the game. I am proud to have worked with and represented them to you and know that wherever they go, they will continue to kick ass," he told the community.
FASA studio was also responsible for Xbox titles Mech Assault and Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge.
So, here we have two new screenshots from Crysis - just check out that massive chaingun being wielded in the shot with the tanks. It's got destruction written all over it.
Not long now till the Crysis demo hits - on September 25 - which will finally let you have a taste of what all the fuss has been about. The demo contains a big surprise from Crytek, according to EA.
In very related news, Crytek has issued a statement on the ultra-quiet release of the beta and surrounding issues. Read all about it here.
News from Play Asia of all the releases this week from the import store.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a preview of next week's hits.
Xbox360™:
BioShock ASIA US$ 49.90
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII ASIA US$ 49.90
HORI Fighting Stick EX2: Virtua Fighter 5 Limited Edition US US$ 79.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne US US$ 59.90
Musou Orochi ASIA US$ 59.90
Musou Orochi JPN US$ 64.90
Stranglehold US US$ 59.90
Stranglehold [Collector's Edition] US US$ 72.90
Nintendo DS™:
Biz Nouryoku DS Series: Wagokoro no Moto JPN US$ 48.90
Eiken DS Training JPN US$ 39.90
Gakken DS: Shin Toeic Test Kanzen Kouryoku JPN US$ 39.90
I Love Dolphin JPN US$ 39.90
Mahjong Haoh DS: Dankyuu Battle JPN US$ 48.90
Mainichi Suteki! Hello Kitty no Life Kit JPN US$ 29.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (lime) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (mint) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (mocha) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (orange) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (strawberry) US$ 19.90
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai JPN US$ 48.90
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai JPN US$ 48.90
SimCity DS KOR US$ 49.90
Worms: Open Warfare 2 US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™:
Capcom Classics Collection (Best Price) JPN US$ 24.90
Coded Arms Contagion (English language Version) ASIA US$ 29.90
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII JPN US$ 58.90
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ASIA US$ 49.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum JPN US$ 48.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum ASIA US$ 39.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum Accessories Set JPN N/A
Fate/Tiger Colosseum [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 69.90
Fish Eyes Portable (Best Collection) JPN US$ 29.90
Liquid Crystal Filter Portable JPN US$ 5.99
PSP PlayStation Portable AV Cable JPN US$ 24.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Component AV Cable JPN US$ 29.90
PSP PlayStation Portable D-Terminal Cable JPN US$ 29.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Headphone with remote control (white) JPN US$ 29.90
PSP PlayStation Portable S-Video Cable JPN US$ 24.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Bundle JPN US$ 399.90
Slide Case Portable 3 Colors US$ 4.99
USB Cable Portable JPN US$ 5.99
Worms: Open Warfare 2 US US$ 34.90
PC Games:
Football Manager 2007 (Japanese revised price Edition) JPN US$ 39.90
Kaseki Play JPN US$ 39.90
Two Worlds US US$ 49.90
Guide Books:
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 24.90
Warhawk Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Wild Arms 5: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Toys & More:
Berserk Figure: Judeau Hawk Soldier JPN US$ 8.90
Bomberman Phone Strap Gashapon JPN US$ 2.49
C3xHobby 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Hobby Angel JPN US$ 83.90
Dancing Girl 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Nile (Limited Edition) JPN US$ 98.90
Fullani Princess 1/8 Scale Painted PVC Figure JPN N/A
Mario Kart DS Racing Collection EX JPN US$ 2.90
Mon-Sieur Bome Collection Vol.25: Positive Penguin Life - Mitsumi Misatos Lucia JPN US$ 44.90
Naruto Shippuuden Collection Candy Toy Part 2 JPN N/A
Nohohon Broccoli Type US$ 9.90
Nohohon Carrot Orange Type US$ 9.90
Nohohon Tomato Red Type US$ 9.90
Nohohon Turnip White Type US$ 9.90
Queen's Blade 1/6 Scale Painted Resin and Cold Cast Statue Figure - Menace JPN US$ 204.90
Range Murata PSE Solid Painted Figure: 02 Trinode JPN US$ 9.90
Resident Evil 2nd Anniversary Edition 7" Action Figure: Labcoat Zombie US US$ 19.90
Serial Experiments Lain 1/8 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Lain JPN US$ 19.90
Shining Tears: Blanc Neige 1/8 Scale JPN US$ 52.90
Solty Rei 1/20 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Rose and Bike (Black Version) JPN US$ 14.90
Solty Rei 1/20 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Rose and Bike (Blue Version) JPN US$ 14.90
Street Fighter 1/4 Scale Polystone Mixed Media Statue: Akuma (with autographed poster) US US$ 249.90
USB Stress Button US$ 11.90
Water Game DS Lite Candy Toy JPN US$ 4.90
Video Game Soundtracks:
Shooting Love 2007 JPN US$ 29.90
VitaminX DramaCD - Ultra Vitamin 2 (~Tatsuo Suzuki, Daisuke Ono, Kosuke Toriumi) JPN US$ 29.90
Im sure many people will remember the CD Drive add on for the Snes that Nintendo eventually turned down and what was released later as the PSX(PSOne) well on our Dreamcast site theres a post about a prototype Disc drive for the Dreamcast. If only it had been mass produced then we could have had a fantastic option for what remains one of the very best homebrew scenes.
In Japan, the state of play on hardware sales is shown below as follows:
DS Lite: 77,488
Wii: 29,088
PSP: 15,564
PS2: 13,360
PS3: 13,248
Xbox 360: 1,286
Game Boy Micro: 428
Game Boy Advance SP: 122
Gamecube: 82
Game Boy Advance: 0
DS Original: 0
All consoles except 2 have experienced another drop in sales, especially the DS Lite (down by 16,851) and the Wii (10,283) which have seen a very sharp drop from last weeks' reading. The only ones that have risen would happen to be the Game Boy Micro (up by 165) and Gamecube (up by 9).
Valve has publicly launched Steam's community features after a brief beta test, meaning that when you next log on your kit will be updated.
The community stuff adds an Xbox Live-style in-game layer (accessed by pressing Shift-Tab), which allows you to converse with your friends, change your name and all sorts.
Your unique Steam ID (like a gamertag) is also accessible via the net, so you can set up a page with your picture and that, and view all your play statistics, and ask yourself why I've spent so long playing Doom 3 recently when I could have been playing through BioShock for the third time.
All in all, it's quite interesting, and comes online just in time to ease the introduction of next Monday's Team Fortress 2 beta - available to people who pre-order The Orange Box on PC.
Crytek's CryEngine 2 tech has been signed up for MMO duty by new Korean developer Reloaded Studios, which is using the engine for "an upcoming action/Strategy MMORPG".
"We felt it was extremely important when our game is eventually released that it will still be able to stand apart from all other titles, either currently existing or presently in development, in what is now already a very competitive market", Ki-Yong Cho, CEO of Reloaded Studios has explained.
"We felt only the CryEngine 2 could support the dynamic content and massive landscapes we intend to build, let alone do justice to the unique art style we plan on bringing to our MMO."
Reloaded Studios isn't the first developer to license CryEngine 2 for an MMO. South Korean dev XL Games did exactly the same recently.
features
Embroidered WCG-logo on the chest
Printed sponsor-logos (Samsung, Play-Asia.com...) on the back
Unisex
Size: L (Asian Size)
Limited availability
Only available at Play-Asia.com
description
"Beyond the game" is the slogan of the World Cyber Games (WCG), the "Olympic Games" for videogamers.
This years Hong Kong preliminaries for the main events in Dallas and Singapore just took place. Play-Asia is proud to be one of the local sponsors, along with the global sponsor Samsung.
Become part of the event now and get the official Sweatshirt, as long as stock lasts.
NPD has release the American sales for August. An other month and Nintendo are still on top with the Wii and DS. But the interesting story is that the Xbox 360 has Finally beaten the PS2 with 276.7K units sold (up over 100k from last month), Spurred on no doubt by the recent price cut and the release of Bioshock and soon Halo 3. Bad news for Sony as the PS3 was the lowest selling console, 130k, down 30k from last month.
* Nintendo Wii: 403.6K (4 million total)
* Nintendo DS: 383.3K (12.7 million total)
* Microsoft Xbox 360: 276.7K (6.3 million)
* Sony PlayStation 2: 202K (39.1 million total)
* Sony PSP: 151.2K (8.3 million total)
* Sony PlayStation 3: 130.6K (1.75 million total)
Software wise, its more good news for MS with the 360 taking 1st and 3rd place, while the PS3 only has the one game at 4th with the Wii and PS2 filling out the rest of the places.
Top 10 games:
1:Madden NFL 08—360—EA—896.6K
2:Madden NFL 08—PS2—EA—643.6K
3:BioShock—360—Take-TwoEA—490.9K
4:Madden NFL 08—PS3—EA—336.2K
5:Wii Play/ w remote—Wii—Nintendo—256.8K
6:Metroid Prime 3: Corruption—Wii—Nintendo—218.1K
7:Mario Strikers Charged—Wii—Nintendo—147.4K
8:Guitar Hero 2 w/guitar—PS2—Activision—145.4K
9:Mario Party 8—Wii—Nintendo—138.3K
10: Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s—PS2—Activision—127.1K
"Final Fantasy VII: Voices of the Lifestream is an OverClocked ReMix Album featuring free fan arrangements from the soundtrack to Square's legendary Final Fantasy VII for the Sony Playstation.
From jazz to techno to rock to classical, it features over forty five tracks from over forty artists, each interpreting composer Nobuo Uematsu's works in their own unique style."
Great news for all Final Fantasy VII fans!
Get it HERE through torrent.
Better set aside some time. You're looking at a 2 GB download ahead.
Sega Europe today released new screenshots from Football Manager 2008 for the PC and Apple Macintosh, which will be released just before Christmas. This is the next installment in the Football Manager series developed by the same Sports Interactive. The game will be fully updated for the new season, including more than 5,000 playable teams from over 50 countries. Check the press release for details.
John Woo's Stranglehold will be out on PC this Friday, 21st September, and Midway's released a demo to celebrate.
The 1.96GB gives you a taste of the first level, and reportedly includes content above and beyond the 360 demo. "Woo!"
As you all know from our 360 review, Stranglehold sees Chow Yun Fat reprise his Hard Boiled film role, Tequila, in a Max Payne-inspired action game that cost more than USD 30 million to make.
So, download the demo to see how it turned out, and revel in features like "Tequila time" and "sliding along tables even when you didn't mean to".
Along with lots of good stuff. And remember, there is no room for failure now - the innocent must die!
SEGA Japan has finally whisked the velvety blanket off its line-up for Tokyo Game Show 2007.
Among the tray of delights will be playable versions of Valkyrie of the Battlefield and Imabi Kisou for PlayStation 3.
The first of these is an action-strategy game with a sort painted canvas aesthetic from the developers of the Sakura Taisen series, while the latter is an impressive-looking spooky survival-horror game you might not want to play in the dark. There's blood and stuff.
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will also be playable, as well as traditional JRPG Fuurai no Shiren 3 on Wii.
SEGA plans to show many more games at the conference in trailer form, denoted below with an asterisk by the name.
PlayStation 3
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (Yakuza 3)*
Valkyrie of the Battlefield
Imabi Kisou
Sega Rally *
The Golden Compass *
Wii
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
Fuurai no Shiren 3
Ghost Squad
Miburi & Teburi *
The Golden Compass *
Doraemon Wii: Himitsu Doguo Kettei Sen
Xbox 360
Sega Rally *
PlayStation 2
Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Hokuto no Ken 2
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus *
Seaman 2 *
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 31: Dennou Senki Virtual On *
Jissen Pachinko Hisshouhou! CR Sakura Taisen
Nintendo DS
Sonic Rush Adventure
Sakura Taisen: Kimi Arugatame
BLEACH The 3rd Phantom
Picto Image DS
Mainichi Shinbun 1000 Dai-News *
Touch de Zuno DS *
The Golden Compass *
Kodai Ouja: Kyouryuu King - 7-tsu no Kakera
Dream Cat Smile DS
PSP
SEGA Rally *
The Golden Compass *
PC
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus *
features
Super-Powered Warfare: Unleash the arsenals of the great military superpowers in the gripping single-player story created by Larry Bond
Bleeding-Edge Graphics – The latest version of Massive’s proprietary Masstech engine allows for a full 360° range of camera control and features advanced lighting and physics effects
Complete Destructibility – As the battle rages, the world environment pays the price -- every object in the game will crumble under the force of war, including cars, buildings and forests
Deep Multiplayer Modes - Up to 16 players clash in head-to-head and team-based battles in Domination, Assault and Tug-of-War gameplay styles
Real World Units: Players will take control of the most devastating arsenal of military weaponry ever created, including Soviet, American and NATO tanks, planes, trucks, troops and helicopters as well as nuclear weapons
Player Roles – Players will choose to play as Infantry, Armor, Support Forces, or Aerial specialists; multiplayer teams will need to master each role for maximum effectiveness
Pick Up and Command - Incredibly accessible controls custom designed for Xbox 360.
description
World in Conflict presents a chillingly authentic Cold War scenario where the Berlin Wall never fell. Created by Cold War authority and best-selling author Larry Bond, the story begins in 1989 as the Soviets, fearing certain collapse, boldly advance into Europe. NATO responds in force only to be met on a second front -- a full-fledged invasion of the American homeland. Players take on the role of field commander, leading the era’s most powerful military machines in the campaign to retake America’s cities and suburbs.
The World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion, Volume 2 covers dungeons from World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. Plus complete coverage of every raid, every instance, every outdoor encounter and more!
Brakken has put up his Scene website but sadly not his forums or downloads etc, but what is there is a blog like no other. Always one not to mince his words he has singled out those websites that do immense harm to the homebrew community.
Some of the stories are actually quite informative if you dont know some of the ins and outs of the scene. Click the link above for full info, some of the more interesting stories have also been copied to our Blog site for more discussion on our forums
Outspoken anti-games lawyer Jack Thompson has decided that a representation of a 2nd amendment lawyer in GTA IV is a mocking version of him. He has declared that if the representation is not removed he will attempt to block the release of the game. Excerpt from GamePolitics: 'The showcasing play of the game to Game Informer revealed that the first killing mission of the hero of the game, Niko, is to kill a certain lawyer. When Niko comes into this lawyer's office, having used subterfuge to do so, Niko pulls a gun on the lawyer who says, that the firm supports the second amendment and that 'Guns don't kill people. Video games do
The UK government has finally responded to an online petition filed after Manhunt 2 was banned by the BBFC.
"The Government is satisfied with the BBFC's procedure and with the provisions for appeal, and will not be intervening in this process," said a statement on the Prime Minister's website.
The government statement referenced the BBFC's guidelines and noted that it "uses its powers to reject works extremely rarely." It also noted that there is an appeals procedure "which the game's producers are apparently pursuing."
Shortly after the Manhunt 2 game was banned by the BBFC, a petition appeared on the Prime Minister's site which simply read:
"The BBFC have recently refused to rate the videogame Manhunt 2. As such, adults in this country will never be allowed to play this game. Adults should be allowed to make their own decisions with regard to what videogames they want to play. We all understand that this game is extremely violent and unsuitable for children. As such an 18 rating should have been applied."
Heavenly Sword, Super Paper Mario and Stranglehold all debut
Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor: Airborne remains at the top of the UK all-formats charts this week fending off serious competition from high-profile titles from Midway, Nintendo and Sony.
Midway's John Woo Presents Stranglehold debuts at number two despite only being released on Microsoft's Xbox 360 – the PlayStation 3 version is due in October.
Electronic Arts' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is at three this week, with Nintendo's new entry, Super Paper Mario for Wii, at number four.
Wii Play is at five and DS title More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima is at number six.
SCEE's new IP Heavenly Sword enters the top ten at seven, EA's the Sims 2: Bon Voyage is at eight, Dr Kawashima's Brain Training is at nine and 2K Games' BioShock at ten.
Codemasters' Colin McRae: Dirt re-enters the top 40 at 11 following its release on PS3 and Microsoft's Forza Motorsport 2 also breaks back into the charts due to a promotional bundle pack.
features
Command any frontline during World War II as one of more than 175 playable countries
Four major campaigns let you play through the full course of the war, plus 15 battle scenarios including D-Day, Operation Barbarossa and The Ardennes Offensive
A vast and innovative technology tree that includes more than 350 different technologies to research
More than 12,500 historical military and political leaders, each brought to life with authentic portraits and schemes to further their own agendas
Includes: "Heart of Iron", "Heart of Iron II", "Heart of Iron II: Doomsday"
description
In the heart of Iron Anthology, players will wage war accross the globe as one of over 175 countries throughout the course of World War II. Doomsday adds even more to the award-winning gameplay by introducing a thrilling "What if" scenario that brings the player through WWII and into WWIII. Never before released in retail, Armageddon allows players to venture even further into fantasy scenarios, or to instead play the game as history unfolds.
features
Come face-to-face with great mythological beasts
Random generation of levels adds massive replayability
Customise weapons and armour by visiting the blacksmith's forge.
Dismantle and rebuild different weapons to give them new attributes and increase their magical powers with runes
Adventure in groups with friends or take on others in PvP mode inside a dedicated online arena, or dice with death by taking up one of the online challenges
An epic fantasy saga that takes the player through 4 great mythologies: Norse, Greek, Aztec and Egyptian.
Take part in major historical and mythological events and meet figures of legend
Become one of 4 playable heroes, each with a wide range of strengths and fighting styles.
Worship different gods and take advantage of over 200 different skills.
Battle against hundreds of enemies and monsters
description
Loki is a hack 'n' slash (action/RPG) developed by the French Game studio Cyanide and is the studio's most ambitious project to date. However, it is not their first incursion into a fantasy world as their subtle blend of humour and haemoglobin in Chaos League met with popular success.
A fantasy voyage through the great mythologies, Loki allows the player to take on the role of one of the 4 heroes of the game, each drawn from a different mythology: a mighty Norse fighter, a fierce Greek warrior, a powerful Egyptian magician or an Aztec shaman who masters the secrets of the spirit world.
Whatever hero the player adopts, he must come to the aid of the gods he worships. He will come to realise that behind the chaos that is threatening his world lies Seth, the Egyptian god of darkness and evil, who has returned from the kingdom of the dead.
The hero must therefore undertake an epic journey across the various epochs and myths. He will fight a multitude of monsters of all shapes and sizes, and even overthrow a few gods, on his way to preventing Seth establish his wicked reign.
features
Sound: Full quality music with Japanese voices
OS: Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista
description
The apocalypse known as "The Third" occured as a result of mankind's tasting the deadly fruit of nuclear technology. The massive radiation released in the holocaust of world war mingled with the genetic fallout from biological weapons, creating horrific mutations that came to be called "Yoju". These beasts bred in the bodies of humans and multiplied, covering the blighted landscape and pushing humanity to the brink of extinction.
It is now the year 2048. As mankind's final gamble in the struggle against the Yoju, a squad of genetically engineered cyborgs was created - the A.S.S.P. Its members posess combat ability far beyond that of normal humans, and have been programmed with the complete database of anti-Yoju strategies and tactics researched over years of war. These female biosoldiers have become humanity's last line of defense against total annihilation, and you have been chosen to command them.
Pretty Soldier Wars A.D. 2048 is a battle simulation adventure game for adults that puts you in the command seat of humankind's last effort to preserve its existence on postapocalyptic Earth. Combining intense turn-based tactical unit combat with interludes of mission planning and social interaction (dating) with your squad members, Pretty Soldier Wars presents a unique gaming experience you won't want to miss! Art from Saeki Hokuto.
features
Includes Award Winning Game and Expansion Pack (SW Empires at War & SW Empires at War: Forces Of Corruption)
Conquer or liberate over 80 ground and space locations
Command iconic characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vador and more!
Pit X-wings against TIE fighters or command a fleet of Star Destroyers in space.
(FOC)Command over 28 underworld units and new Rebel or Imperial forces on 13 new planets!
(FOC)Experience three-faction battles and play the same side against itself.
(FOC)Take advantage of new game play tactics like piracy, kidnapping and bribery.
Includes 5 bonus Maps, Wallpapers, Screensavers and Concept Art from the collector's Edition
description
Command or corrupt an entire galaxy in the definitive Star Wars Strategy Collection!
It is a time of galactic civil war. Will you take up the reins of the Rebellion, assume control of the empire, or rule the Star Wars Underworld?
features
Official Harry Potter Figures, licenced by Warner Brothers
Harry Potter with Hedwig
Hermione Granger with Chrookshanks
Ron Weasley with Pigwidgeon
All three figures come with a base and a magic stick
Developer NetDevil is making its online first-person shooter Warmonger, Operation: Downtown Destruction free to download from 16th October.
It was announced earlier this year as a proof of concept game - a technology taster for a bigger, secret MMO project. This was later revealed to be LEGO Universe, a virtual world based on the popular building-block toy.
Warmonger is set in a post apocalyptic world and challenges you to shoot other people until they are dead.
Its key area is the Ageia PhysX-powered, er, physics, which turns boring old scenery into useful an usable objects - firing a rocket into the ceiling will make a bloody great hole anyone above will fall through, for example.
"First person shooter environments have remained largely static for years. Ageia PhysX has changed all that, and changed it profoundly," said Scott Brown, president of NetDevil.
"New rigid body technology and procedural destruction of game environments set the stage for dynamic content creation that will literally transform the way people think and play."
Your arsenal will be made up of weaponry like rocket launchers, assault rifles that lob grenades, and a shielded and mountable mini-gun - we think you mount it on things rather than climb on top of it.
These can be used to do the killing on varied maps such as an old shopping center, subway station, parking garage, industrial sector or an old underground staging area.
With Unreal Engine 3 under the hood and no money involved, it's hard not to recommend for a lonely October night. But then Team Fortress 2 is due out just four days earlier. So, um.
NetDevil was responsible for the now extinct MMO Auto Assault, a Mad Max-like game where you raced around in cars with big guns on.
Keep an eye on the Warmonger website for a list of download locations closer to October.
Game-industry analyst firm predicts Microsoft's console to be a "distant third" to the Wii and a resurgent PS3; DS on track to be best-selling platform ever.
This week, market research and analyst firm DFC Intelligence released its latest report, titled "DFC Intelligence Forecasts Video Game Market to Reach $47 Billion by 2009." As the title suggests, the San Diego-based research firm thinks the worldwide game industry's worth will increase by $14 billion in the next two years from its estimated $33 billion 2007 worth.
In addition to its pan-platform market predictions, DFC also handicapped the three-way race between the most recent crop of consoles. It predicts that sales of all three systems--the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360--will total between 180 and 210 million units by 2012. In the shorter term, DFC believes the Wii will continue its winning streak until at least the end of 2008, at which point the PS3 could start taking over.
"We could have a situation where the Wii sells more hardware units, but by 2012 the PlayStation 3 is generating more software revenue," said DFC analyst David Cole.
Cole also believes that although the battle is far from over, the Xbox 360 will likely be relegated to third place when the dust finally settles. He says Microsoft's dependence on the US and Canadian markets are hampering its efforts to make the console a worldwide phenomenon. "The Xbox 360 will need to build a strong base outside North America to avoid being in a fairly distant third," forecast Cole.
DFC analysts also looked at the portable market, predicting that handhelds generally and the DS in particular will continue to see strong growth. "Revenue from portable game software has more than doubled in recent years," said Cole. "We think that the Nintendo DS could eventually become the best-selling game system ever in five years."
The company also augured that the worldwide PC gaming market will be worth more than $13 billion by the year 2012.
ErgoMedia 500 is a gaming key pad that turns you into the best game player with the most clear and simple settings that you can use in various games.
For game addicts, the unique hand shape design helps support your palm for long time playing. Special keycap backlighting makes sure all keys are highly visible even at night; and you can even chat online with the built-in earphone and microphone jacks. Three different game settings help you quickly search for your weapon, equipment, or any desired target. An additional switch button lets you switch between games instantly.
System requirements:
IBM PC / Pentium compatible or higher
Microsoft Windows 2003/XP/Me/2000
CD-ROM drive for software installation
The MaxFighter F-16U adopting USB interface is the latest model of the Genius F-16 joystick family. F-16U retains the same functions as the previous F-16 model, but has more interface options. There are two available interfaces, either USB port or game port, in the Genius F-16 joystick family depending on your need.
The F-16U includes four buttons, and throttle for use when playing flight games. Plus, the MaxFighter F-16U turbo button has a continuous trigger effect. The turbo function lets you play flight games on your PC or the Internet more easily.
System Requirements:
IBM compatible PC with Pentium processor or faster
Available USB port
Windows 2003/XP/Me/2000/98
As the name suggests, Metal Gear Online will be a multiplayer title, that will cater for up to 16 players online. The player can upgrade skills, such as hacking, CQC mastery, tomfoolery, enhanced lock-on, and more, all of which can be leveled up; you can also keep tabs on allies and enemies with nanomachines.
Players will have the ability to "hack" another player's character to steal information from their nanomachines, such as the locations of his/her allies.
A successful beta test for Metal Gear Online has recently ended in Japan and the game is expected to make its debut the first quarter of 2008.
Japan's Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association has announced Wii Sports and Monster Hunter 2: Portable 2nd have won its yearly Grand Awards.
The Best Sales Award has gone to Nintendo's Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, for racking up over 4.9 million sales in Japan, with total worldwide sales as of July 2007 at over 10 million units.
The Global Award for Japanese Product goes to Capcom's Dead Rising, and Epic's Gears of War picked up the Global Award for Foreign Product.
Microsoft's Blue Dragon picked up the Award for Excellence and the Special Award went to two titles – Namco Bandai's 360 title The Idolm@ster and Sega's Love and Berry: Dress Up and Dance for the DS.
If our recent helpings of exclusive direct-feed gameplay footage from Crytek's mouthwatering new FPS (see here, here, and here ) have left you salivating for more, today we bring you the first taster of zero-gravity gameplay in the PC sci-fi stunner.
Spoiler-haters look away now: this level comes midway through your adventure. As well as offering a radical change of pace - you've stumbled inside a spooky, 'apparently deserted' (aren't they all?), alien vessel and this section is what the developer is calling "ambient storytelling" - it also offers complete 360-degree freedom of movement.
Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
A large number of interesting new titles were published this week. Leading next gen console sellers have been Heavenly Sword, Folklore (English language support) and Colin McRae DiRT for PS3™, the Asia versions of BioShock and Stranglehold for Xbox360™ and Sengoku Musou Katana for Wii™.
The most popular PlayStation2™ sellers this week have been the US release versions of .hack//G.U. vol. 3//Redemption and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core.
Top handheld sellers have been Drawn to Life and Jam Sessions for Nintendo DS™ as well as R-Type Tactics (Japanese / Asia), Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + (Japanese / Asia / Deluxe Pack) for PSP™ along with the Japanese Slim & Lite PSP™ console release.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week
Xbox360™:
BioShock ASIA US$ 49.90
Fatal Inertia US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 Covenant Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Limited Edition US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 Spartan Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Limited Edition US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 Xbox 360 Wireless Headset Limited Edition US US$ 59.90
Kengo: Legend of the 9 US US$ 44.90
Madden NFL 08 JPN US$ 64.90
NHL 08 US US$ 59.90
NHL 2K8 US US$ 59.90
SKATE US US$ 59.90
SKATE ASIA US$ 44.90
Stranglehold ASIA US$ 49.90
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition) US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™:
Colin McRae DiRT US US$ 64.90
FolksSoul: Ushinawareta Denshou / Folklore (English & Chinese language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Heavenly Sword US US$ 64.90
NHL 08 US US$ 64.90
NHL 2K8 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Anubis II US US$ 24.90
Mario Strikers Charged JPN US$ 59.90
Sengoku Musou Katana JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
.hack//G.U. vol. 3//Redemption US US$ 49.90
Ayaka Shibito (Best Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Burnout Dominator JPN US$ 64.90
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core US US$ 39.90
Jojo no Kimyouna Bouken: Ougon no Kaze (Best Price) JPN US$ 19.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 & Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor [Twin Pack] JPN US$ 89.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor JPN US$ 49.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor [Premium Box] JPN US$ 64.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor [Super Premium Box] JPN US$ 89.90
Madden NFL 08 JPN US$ 64.90
NHL 08 US US$ 34.90
NHL 2K8 US US$ 24.90
Nanatsu Iro * Drops Pure!! JPN US$ 64.90
Nanatsu Iro * Drops Pure!! [First Print Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Princess Concerto JPN US$ 64.90
Princess Concerto [DX Pack] JPN US$ 99.90
Resident Evil: The Essentials US US$ 39.90
Saint Beast: Rasen no Shou JPN US$ 64.90
Saint Beast: Rasen no Shou [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Nintendo DS™:
Balls of Fury US US$ 24.90
DK: Jungle Climber US US$ 39.90
Deltora Quest: 7-tsu no Houseki JPN US$ 48.90
Drawn to Life US US$ 34.90
Elemental Monster JPN US$ 49.90
Gachapin Nikki DS JPN US$ 29.90
Jam Sessions US US$ 39.90
Jewel Quest: Expeditions US US$ 34.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn!! DS Flame Rumble Kaien Ring Soudatsuen! JPN US$ 48.90
Kyouryuu Ikusei Battle RPG: Kyouryuu Monster JPN US$ 48.90
My Sims KOR US$ 49.90
Original Frisbee Disc Sports: Ultimate & Golf US US$ 24.90
Sankei Sports Kanshuu: Keiba Ryoku Nintei Shiken: Baken DS JPN US$ 39.90
Scrabble 2007 Edition ASIA US$ 34.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 22: The Zero-Yon * Shinya JPN US$ 28.90
Tanoshii Youchien: Kotoba to Asobo! JPN US$ 48.90
Uwasa no Misu-Kun!! Natsuiro Striker JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 24.90
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 24.90
Burnout Dominator JPN US$ 48.90
Hard Pouch Portable (Black) JPN US$ 9.99
Hard Pouch Portable (Blue) JPN US$ 9.99
Hard Pouch Portable (Pink) JPN US$ 9.99
Hard Pouch Portable (White) JPN US$ 9.99
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + ASIA US$ 19.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + JPN US$ 24.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + [Deluxe Pack] JPN US$ 44.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Felicia Blue) JPN US$ 19.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Lavender Purple) JPN US$ 19.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Monotone) JPN US$ 19.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Rose Pink) JPN US$ 19.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Battery Pack JPN US$ 48.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Ceramic White (PSP-2000CW) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Felicia Blue (PSP-2000FB) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Ice Silver (PSP-2000IS) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Lavender Purple (PSP-2000LP) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Piano Black (PSP-2000PB) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Rose Pink (PSP-2000RP) JPN US$ 199.90
R-Type Tactics ASIA US$ 42.90
R-Type Tactics JPN US$ 48.90
Super Collapse! 3 US US$ 24.90
PC Games:
Hearts Of Iron Anthology (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
Loki (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 33.90
Pretty Soldier Wars A.D. 2048 US US$ 21.90
Star Wars: Empire at War Gold Pack (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 27.90
World in Conflict Collector's Edition (DVD-ROM) US N/A
Guide Books:
Eternal Sonata Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Potion JPN N/A
Heavenly Sword: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
My Sims: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion, Volume 2 US US$ 24.90
Toys & More:
Halo 3 - Master Chief ArtFX non scale prepainted statue JPN US$ 99.90
Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix Figure Set: 3 Kids with pets US US$ 29.90
Masterpiece of Shunya Yamashita: Shoko-san 1/7 Scale Figure JPN N/A
Official World Cyber Games Hong Kong Sweater Navy Green (Size L) US$ 29.90
Official World Cyber Games Hong Kong Sweater Navy Green (Size M) US$ 29.90
One-Coin Figures: Lamento - Beyond the Void JPN N/A
Real Action Heroes Death Note - L 1/6 Scale Figure JPN N/A
Real Action Heroes Death Note - Yagami 1/6 Scale Figure JPN N/A
Revoltech Black Getter OVA Version - Change! Getter-Robo Series No. 035 JPN N/A
Sengoku Basara 2: Date Masamune Prepainted PVC Figure with voice JPN US$ 39.90
Trinity Blood: Esther Branche 1/8 Scale Prepainted PVC Figure JPN N/A
Video Game Soundtracks:
Bladestorm Hyakunen Senso Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 34.90
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle Ring of Fate Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Korochan Pack Dragon Ball Best JPN US$ 14.90
Korochan Pack Dragon Ball Z Best JPN US$ 14.90
Nanoka to Suteki Na Nakama Tachi? Aoi Series Shudaika Shu JPN US$ 29.90
Oshare Majo Love And Berry 2007 Autun & Winter Song Collection JPN US$ 9.90
Princess Maker 5 JPN US$ 27.90
Radio DJCD Bleach B Station Second Season Vol.4 JPN US$ 24.90
The Idolm@ster Master Artist 10 Ritsuko Akizuki JPN US$ 21.90
With the success of DCEmu Reviews a site that has its content showing up on our PSP, DS, Wii, PS3 and Xbox360 and the main DCEmu Portal site. I Wanted to create a new Guide/Tutorials site where new guides and tutorials will show up on any of our network sites.
Just like our news where any coders can upload their releases and post releases and WIP News this will be extended to our Guides and Tutorials Site.
We will be accepting Guides and Tutorials for any Console Scene We Cover and the beauty of it is because the creators will be you the DCEmu Members which means that if you please you can update as you want. What this will mean that if all goes well then this new site could be a great help base for the whole Homebrew scene.
So if you have any guides and tutorials for PS3, Wii, Xbox360, PSP, Nintendo DS, GP2X, GBA, Gamecube, PS2, Xbox, Gizmondo, Iphone, iPod, Tapwave Zodiac, GP32, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn and others, then we want them
Sales of the PlayStation Portable have increased by over six times on the previous week's figure, according to the latest data available from Media Create.
The handheld sold 95,487 units in the week ending September 16, up from 15,564 the week before. Sales of other consoles remained stable from the previous week, with the Nintendo DS in second place with 79,974, and the Wii in third shifting 26,181 units.
One of the reasons for the PSP's sudden jump in popularity could be the release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII on that format - the title sold 487,000 copies in its debut week.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was released in Japan last week and sold 487,000 copies in the seven-day period.
It was a bumper week for software sales in the territory, with two new Pokemon titles taking second and third spots yielding a top three sales figure of over 1 million units sold.
Elsewhere Mario Party 8 was the sole Wii entrant in seventh, with Wii Sports and Wii Play both dropping out of the top ten last week.
The full sales top ten is as follows:
1. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
2. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (DS)
3. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (DS)
4. Fate/Tiger Colosseum (PSP)
5. Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (PS2)
6. Taiko no Tatsujin DS (DS)
7. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
8. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates (DS)
Gea vs CoDOS is the first game developed with ZEngine, a multiplatform 3d engine. Currently supported platforms are: NDS, Symbian s60 and PC. ZEngine is not currently available for download, but it will be pretty soon.
In Gea vs Codos you take control of GEA a super heroin that has to capture the photons trapped in the atmosphere by the greenhouse effect. Co2 particles won't make the things easy for you. This is a one button game, so only key up will be used.
- "Full Stretched" was added to "Screen" menu. At full-screen the stretch is done even as for the edge of the screen.
* The scanlined display is automatically released. The image quality falls a little because of the enlargement.
- The video chip processing part has been improved. In "Mizubaku Daibouken (Liquid Kids)", when the thunder item was taken, the shake of the screen was reproduced.
- In "Xak I&II", the problem that the scroll has fallen into disorder was solved.
- In "Macross 2036", the problem that the screen becomes pitch-dark (generated by a recent version) was corrected.
- Additionally, a detailed part has been improved and corrected.
Todays the day we finally open our DCEmu Guides and Tutorials site
We will be accepting Guides and Tutorials for any Console Scene We Cover and the beauty of it is because the creators will be you the DCEmu Members which means that if you please you can update as you want. What this will mean that if all goes well then this new site could be a great help base for the whole Homebrew scene.
The url for the site is http://tutorials.dcemu.co.uk/ and already tutorials/guides are automatically showing up on some right hand columns on sites
So if you have any guides and tutorials for PS3, Wii, Xbox360, PSP, Nintendo DS, GP2X, GBA, Gamecube, PS2, Xbox, Gizmondo, Iphone, iPod, Tapwave Zodiac, GP32, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn and others, then we want them
Perpetual Entertainment has confirmed that Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising, an MMORPG in development exclusively for PC, has been delayed.
The studio also revealed it will be making between 30 and 40 members of staff redundant now that development on the title is complete and playtesting has begun.
Speaking to Gamasutra Perpetual boss Chris McKibbin said, "The size and bar of content creation is very high and requires a pretty sizeable team. The process of really play-tuning and balancing takes a much smaller, more focused and agile team, and so that is the transition right now."
McKibbin said Perpetual will help laid off staff to find work with other developers or may stick them on its other project, Star Trek Online.
He didn't give a firm release date for Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising but did say it will arrive in early 2008, attributing the delay to a need for more beta testing.
"We put a high value on listening to our beta community and then reacting and making those changes," McKibbin explained.
"We want to continue and give ourselves more time to do that, and give the community more time to play the game."
Those of you enjoying the freshly redesigned Eurogamer TV may have noticed a new trailer for Hellgate: London this morning.
It offers an exclusive peek at the upcoming action role-playing title, specifically the Covent Garden tube station area of the game.
Tube stations are very important in Hellgate, you see, acting as hubs where you can shop, receive quests and meet friends.
But we wouldn't want you to get lost down there. It's dangerous, and you might bump into Typhoid Mary or Big Ben. So, in the first of many weekly guided tours around the devilishly gruesome environments of the game, developer Flagship will do the talking.
Nvidia is expected to announce tomorrow that it is planning to release new integrated graphics solutions for use on motherboards powered by Intel processors.
To date, according to a report on Reuters, Nvidia's integrated graphics market share on such motherboards is less than one per cent, compared to 62 per cent on boards powered by AMD processors.
The report claims that Nvidia's announcement will predict its new GeForce chips to give a performance comparable to a separate entry-level graphics card, as more and more mainstream users are using graphically rich programs and games.
The new range of GeForce chips will be compatible with Pentium, Celeron and Core 2 processors, as well as Intel's forthcoming range of Penryn products due for release in November.
Ubisoft has announced its holiday 2007 line-up, with Hell's Highway missing its previously announced release window.
Assassin's Creed will be released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in November, followed by a PC version in 2008. Beowulf, a tie-in with the upcoming film, will also be released in November for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PSP.
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway has now slipped into Q4, although the Wii port of Road to Hill 30 is still set for December.
Blazing Angels 2 for the 360 and PS3, CSI for the 360 and Wii, Heroes of Might and Magic V for PC, and Haze for the PS3 were also announced as holiday releases.
Other holiday titles include Nitrobike for the Wii, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja for the 360, and Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii and the DS.
Ubisoft also announced that it has signed an agreement to publish No More Heroes, a Wii exclusive developed by Grasshopper Manufacture (Killer 7), in North America. The game is currently scheduled for a February 2008 release.
The single-player demo of Crysis which we were expecting tomorrow has been delayed. Bah.
EA and Crytek have said that the taster will now not be out until October 26.
Whether or not the release of a little first-person shooter called Halo 3 this week has influenced the delay we can only speculate.
The official reason from Crytek is that it's "taking some extra time to make sure you that you have an amazing experience but also we did not want to risk the release date of Crysis at this stage.
"To get the game into your hands by November the 16th, we had to make this call", the developer's added.
You may recall that when EA first announced the original release date for the Crysis demo it was mentioned that there'd be a surprise from Crytek included. Well, the dev's chosen to reveal what that is - the CryEngine 2 - Sandbox 2 game editor.
Crytek's CEO Cevat Yerli has said the release of the game editor before the actual game ships is something the developer's always wanted to do.
An author on left-leaning AlterNet.org not only jumps on the controversy of Resident Evil 5's alleged racism, but calls it a "racist video game series." The article is such a mess that you really have to enjoy it for its absurdity. The piece starts by saying those who go to see the "blockbuster Resident Evil: Extinction" in the theaters may want to play the game, but those who do "will likely enter a world little-known beyond the expensive and expansive universe of gaming, a world increasingly populated with very dangerous depictions of nonwhites."
The author only covers RE4 and RE5 in declaring the series racist. For RE4 he says its Spaniards have "stereotypical Mexican accents" and that RE5 "could be a training video for a white supremacist race war or another U.S. military adventure in one of the increasing numbers of deserts on the planet." Beyond the Resident Evil series there is a rehash of the Haitian controversy from GTA: Vice City -- although the author is way off in his timeline calling GTA: VC "this year's most popular video game."
There's a lot more "racist" issues brought up, but the article really stands as great piece to highlight how even when you introduce diversity to gaming, it's not just the extreme exclusionists who get upset and don't understand why there are women, gays, non-whites in games, but the extreme inclusionists too. Although in the inclusionist's case they want a rosy picture painted of the non-majority group; however, that's boring for narrative, unrealistic and in the end racism really depends on context. There are more moderate views on race issues in video games and that really shouldn't be forgotten. The AlterNet article is just so weird in its "one step forward, two steps back" presentation, we can't help but share.
A man charged in a case separate from the much-publicized anti-modder raids last month has been sentenced to ninety days in prison, another nine months of work furlough, and five years of probation.
"Police seized over 1,000 pirated game discs during the raid on Brown's home, along with 'numerous' mod chips. Ric Hirsch, Vice-President of Intellectual Property Enforcement at the ESA, said, 'Sentences that include jail time send a clear message that violating intellectual property rights is a serious crime with significant consequences and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'"
That wonderful tradition of honoring games that have the mere potential for quality continued at this year's Tokyo Game Show, as show organizer Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association (CESA) held its annual Future Game Awards ceremony at the Makuhari Messe on the 23rd.
The Future Game Awards are initially selected by attendees of the show's first public day. Show goers picked 286 games out of the 702 titles on display. This list was then cut down to eleven finalists.
And the winners are:
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (aka Yakuza 3, Sega, PS3)
Ace Combat 6 (Bandai Namco, X360)
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (aka Dynasty Warriors 6, Koei, PS3/X360)
Super Robot Taisen OG Gaiden (Banpresto, PS2)
Haruhi no Yakusoku (Bandai Namco Games, PSP)
Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (Capcom, PS2/Wii)
Takarajima Z (aka Zack & Wiki, Capcom, Wii)
Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom, PS3/X360/PC)
Dragon Quest IX (Square Enix, DS)
Professor Layton and the Devil's Box (Level 5, DS)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (Konami, PS3)
Japanese publishers often make a big deal out of these awards, going so far as to put special commemorative stickers on a game's packaging indicating that it was selected the previous year based on its potential quality.
Electronic Arts' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 has climbed the charts to become the number one selling game in the UK thanks to its release on the PlayStation 3.
The sports game has jumped from number three to number one, knocking the publishers' own Medal of Honor: Airborne off the top.
MySims, another EA property for Nintendo consoles, has entered the charts at number two, with the game seeing 58 per cent of sales on the Wii and 42 per cent on the DS.
Super Paper Mario climbs the charts to number three, with Midway's John Woo Presents Stranglehold at number four.
Elsewhere in the charts, Codemasters' Colin McRae: Dirt enters the top ten at number eight and the second highest new entry is VU Games' World in Conflict at 15.
Sony's SingStar Rock Ballads has entered the charts at 25 and Sega's Sonic Rush Adventure breaks into the top 40 at 26 on its second week of release.
The only other new entry is Sony's PS3 title Warhawk at number 38.
As Richard Garriott's sci-fi MMORPG Tabula Rasa edges ever closer to release, NCSoft has decided to thwap us around the eyeballs with a new set of screenshots.
The shots depict the game's Spy and Sniper classes. The former boasts such skills as Polymorph which allows players to assume to guise of enemy units, and in a nutshell the Spy specialises in the stealthy aspects of war.
The Sniper's obviously all about long-ranged attacks and firing from cover, aided by skills such as Called Shot with which you can target specific parts of an enemy's body.
A Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 demo - PC version - can now be yours thanks to the good ship Konami.
It'll set your phat pipe back 1.1GB. Download it here.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 releases in Old Blighty on October 26. We're hearing words that the PS3 version of the demo could be set for this Thursday. No one's willing to commit (from Sony or Konami) but the signs are good.
And if you want to experience free what the PES 2008 competition has to offer, then download EA's FIFA 08 demo.
Half-Life 2: Episode Three's release could mark the end of Valve Software's foray into episodic gaming, the developer explaining it'll be at a development crossroads once the finale is out in the wild.
"I think what we really want to do is have a couple of examples out there - Episode One, and how long it was to play and how long it took to develop, Episode Two, Portal and TF2 and then the third part of the trilogy; and then sit down with the community and say, 'OK, so what do you want?'", Valve's Gabe Newell told CVG in an interview set to materialise on these pages soon.
The benefits of episodic releases have included the ability to ship more technology to customers faster than if Valve were still waiting to ship another Half-Life 2-level monolithic project, Newell said. But once Episode Three is out "we just want to sit down with three examples in front of us and talk it over with gamers to find out what they would like us to do next".
"'Do you want us to do more episodes? Do you want us to really tighten down the time frames and look at the scope of what we're doing so that that's possible, for us to go back to the large monolithic projects?'"
Newell went on to explain that he'd also like to spend time with Sam & Max developer Telltale Games to share experiences with the episodic approach, along with Blizzard whose updates for WoW have been like "episodes in an MMO".
We should have expected it really - from observing GRAW - but the PC version of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed has been confirmed as releasing last.
Puffing and wheezing at the rear, Altair's PC action-adventure has been pushed back to early 2008, while PS3 and Xbox 360 cousins get to go na na na-na na as Assassin's Creed releases on console this November.
However, we don't think for one moment Ubisoft has done this to piss PC gamers off. Nope, it's surely just down to the PC iteration not being ready in time for Christmas.
A video projector including Wii connection cable but also compatible with any video source (any console, DVD player etc.) to play or watch movie in sharp definition on any wall/screen. Compatible with PAL/NSTC format, universal power adapter to use anywhere, high resolution... it includes all the features you expected, and comes with a low price tag!
- Projection size: 12 to 80 inches
- Projection distance: 1.1 to 5.5 yards (1 to 5 meters)
- Compatible with PAL/NTSC
- Universal 100/240V adapter with power plug adapter (Europe/USA)
- Resolution 960 * 234
- 8-120 ANSI Lumens
- Lamp type: 50W, 1000 hours
- Compatible with iPod Video
- Smart design and compact size
- Special for Wii console use (AV cable included)
- Sharp picture, low lux, high resolution
- Compatible with any A/V (Audio/Video) signal output port
- Mega power amplifier and stereo speakers built-in
- Built-in contrast, color, brightness and volume adjust function
- Compatible with various systems like Playstation 3, Playstation 2, Xbox 360,
Xbox, Gamecube, DVD player, MP4 player etc.
features
Over-The-Top Action – Engage in 18 high-stakes missions where you will bomb bridges, steal secret weapons, destroy Zeppelins and more.
Fly Never Before Seen Aircraft – Pilot over 50 authentic planes and prototypes including the Gotha Go 229, DH Vampire F Mk 1, Me-163 “Komet”, Meteor and many more.
Unusual Experimental Weapons Get the advantage in combat by using experimental WWII weapons including High Velocity Cannons and TV-Guided missiles.
Exotic WWII Setting – Engage in epic battles in some of the world’s most captivating environments such as Cairo, the Himalayas, Moscow’s Red Square, Rome’s San Pietro’s Cathedral, the Swiss Alps and more.
Next-Gen Graphics – Experience improved depth of field, jaw-dropping cinematographic lightening and outstanding sound effects.
Fast Paced Multiplayer Action – Challenge up to 16 players in free-for-all, co-op and squad-based missions, including the all new Epic Battle and Capture the Flag modes.
Epic Boss Battles – For example, go up against a giant German Zeppelin over the pyramids of Cairo. Take out its nine gun turrets while you expose its vulnerable underbelly.
description
In this game, you are the leader of Operation Wildcard, an undercover and elite squad of pilots secretly created by the American government. Your mission is to sabotage and destroy the Third Reich’s evil plans to create a weapon of mass destruction. During this mission you and your team discover that the bad guys also have an elite team of their own. In an attempt to disarm the enemy, you engage in dramatic and movie-like spy missions in some of the world’s most exotic locations using experimental weapons and flying never-before-seen prototype aircraft.
features
Epic RPGs are one of the hottest genres right now, and Two Worlds is the best of 2007’s batch. Its bigger and badder than Oblivion.
MMO gameplay! Up to 8 player co-op, side by side play allowing users to quest together to overcome more difficult tasks than playing alone.
Seamless transition from Indoor to Outdoor environments – no loading screens.
For the 1st time in the history of the genre, unique magic system allows the players to assemble their own magic spells.
6 Different mounts you can ride and fight from including horses, lizards, and beasts.
Hyper-realistic environments along with seasonal weather changes in the worlds.
Music composed by Grammy award winner Harold Faltermeyer (Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop)
A freedom of choice unseen in any other Role-Playing Game. The world comes to life, reacting and changing to decisions made by the player.
Open and unlimited character development. Players can experiment with different careers and even reverse their choices.
Spectacular and dynamic combat that combines intuitive controls, intense action, tactical challenges and movie-like visuals.
A deep and intuitive weapon upgrade and enchanting system.
Traps and snares are at the player's disposal, allowing them to weaken the enemy before closing in for the kill.
description
A fragile peace between the civilized races and the hordes is at stake. When the dwarven mining expedition discovered an ancient temple dedicated to an unnamed deity - all of the world's most powerful factions saw it as a possible clue to the place of Azriaal's burial ground. A silent war has now begun and it will soon ignite the fires that will lead to the holy crusade of the Orcs. However, the real danger lies somewhere else. A powerful force churns silently - weaving a secret plot of fear and destruction. In the end one of the Two Worlds will remain. It is up to you to save the world …or destroy it!
features
Super-Powered Warfare: Unleash the arsenals of the great military superpowers in the gripping single-player story created by Larry Bond
Bleeding-Edge Graphics – The latest version of Massive’s proprietary Masstech engine allows for a full 360° range of camera control and features advanced lighting and physics effects
Complete Destructibility – As the battle rages, the world environment pays the price -- every object in the game will crumble under the force of war, including cars, buildings and forests
Deep Multiplayer Modes - Up to 16 players clash in head-to-head and team-based battles in Domination, Assault and Tug-of-War gameplay styles
Real World Units: Players will take control of the most devastating arsenal of military weaponry ever created, including Soviet, American and NATO tanks, planes, trucks, troops and helicopters as well as nuclear weapons
Player Roles – Players will choose to play as Infantry, Armor, Support Forces, or Aerial specialists; multiplayer teams will need to master each role for maximum effectiveness
Pick Up and Command - Incredibly accessible controls custom designed for Xbox 360.
description
World in Conflict presents a chillingly authentic Cold War scenario where the Berlin Wall never fell. Created by Cold War authority and best-selling author Larry Bond, the story begins in 1989 as the Soviets, fearing certain collapse, boldly advance into Europe. NATO responds in force only to be met on a second front -- a full-fledged invasion of the American homeland. Players take on the role of field commander, leading the era’s most powerful military machines in the campaign to retake America’s cities and suburbs.
EA has celebrated a decade of Ultima Online by inviting back those of you who have subscribed to the game at some point in the past.
You will be treated to nearly two full weeks of free gaming (ending 9th October), where you can enjoy the recent graphical overhaul of Kingdom Reborn.
EA will also give you a fancy Wand of Fireworks to mess up the sky with, as well as 10 Décor Tokens to, er, hang on a cow or throw at a rabbit or something.
The rest of the celebratory period will give you a chance to complete the full Virtue Armour set, get your hands on commemorative pieces like an Ankh Necklace and Map of Britannia, or swish around historical weapons owned by notable figures in the Ultima Online history. Other fun and valuable gifts will make the list at a later date.
Ultima Online launched back in 1997, and was one of the first titles to popularise the massively-multiplayer online role-playing genre. Most recently the Kingdom Reborn overhaul added a modern feel to the classic title, which still had enough charm in the tank to impress us.
Head over to the official website to download the client and rejoin the world, and see for yourself what has made Ultima Online last such a long time.
Online gaming portal GameTribe.com is to bring free to play MMO games to the UK, GamesIndustry.biz can reveal.
The service launches a beta phase today, as it appoints former Amazon and Playboy exec Faisal Ahmed as head of UK marketing.
The service has three titles ready for play – MMORPG Dream of Mirror Online, which already boasts 400,000 registered users in Taiwan, 3D platformer KongKong and street football game Kicks, a title that has chalked up over 450,000 users in Korea.
"We're excited to bring these acclaimed MMO games to Europe," commented Ahmed.
"Combined with GameTribe’s expertise in games, we’ll be providing the best service to European gamers," he said.
All games will be free to play, with contextual items available for purchase to customise the experience. Following the beta phase, the commercial site is expected to launch in October.
Codemasters has refused to edit the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Clive Barker's Jericho for release in Germany.
The decision comes after the German ratings board USK declined to give the game a rating in the region.
"Following a review by the USK ratings board, which declined to give an official rating, Codemasters has decided not to change the artistic vision of the renowned author and film-maker Clive Barker though cuts and extensive changes," said the company in a statement sent to GamesIndustry.biz.
"Codemasters respects Mr Barker's creative ideas, despite the German distribution and marketing consequences for the title.
"Therefore Codemasters will release only the PC version of Clive Barker's Jericho in its original form for adult gamers and Clive Barker fans," confirmed the company.
The game is due for release in Europe on October 26, with a demo of the game due on Xbox Live tomorrow and on PlayStation Network next week.
Epic Games chief Mark Rein has said Unreal Tournament 3 will not feature cross-platform play between PC and PS3 at launch.
The news came from an IRC chat with site Beyond Unreal [is it 1996? - Ed].
"There will not be cross-platform play at launch," said Rein, before going to get a can of soda. "This doesn't completely rule out adding this feature at some point in the future."
The reason, according to "MarkRein[Epic]", was that it takes much longer to get a console build up and running because of lengthy certification processes - a problem also experienced by patches.
Synchronising the two, then, would mean constantly holding back PC users so the PS3 could catch up. This wasn't an option Mark Rein and his can of soda liked.
"Our PC fan base is of ultimate importance to us. They are our bread and butter. We can't let them down or compromise their experience in any way to accommodate cross-platform play," insisted Rein.
There you go; the PC is used for something other than spreadsheets. For more detail and any other questions you could possibly have thought of, head over to the Beyond Unreal IRC chat.
Unreal Tournament 3 will be released on PC and PS3 in November, followed by a 360 version at a later date.
Head over to our Unreal Tournament 3 gamepage for all out coverage to date
The Championship Gaming Series will name its winners at the UK final this Friday, offering the successful gamers GBP 15,000 a year to play computer games.
The event will be held at the Three Mills Studio in East London, where players will compete at Counter-Strike: Source, Dead or Alive 4, FIFA 07 (I'm really good at that pick me), and Project Gotham Racing 3.
It will be on Sky One and Sky Two, too, so you can sit there eating spaghetti and pretend you could have won it but you just don't have the time to commit to it.
Once the winners have been crowned, they will be coached by the likes of Quake legend Sujoy Roy, before flying out to Los Angeles in December to take part in the World Championship.
Interestingly World of Warcraft is due to be added to the roster of titles to compete on next year. This will be done hand-in-hand with the Blizzcon event, where eight teams of two will compete to turn professional.
What are your thoughts on professional gaming, Eurogamer reader? Does it ruin the experience for everyone else, or is it great to see it getting the recognition it deserves?
Sports Interactive has revealed its demo line-up for Football Manager 2008. It consists of two tasters for both PC and Mac, each available from this Sunday morning.
The first is a "strawberry version" that has all the player mugshots, logos, and lets you quickstart in any of the world's biggest leagues. You'll be able to enjoy this in multiple languages, too.
Or you can download the more compact "vanilla version". This does away with the pictures, logos and foreign leagues, and focuses instead on the English tables so as to keep the demo size down.
SI is also keen to tell us it has French league licences this year, the Dutch national team licence, and those for Sampdoria and Fiorentina - who once sent my football team an entire replica kit because a friend's dad was Italian and used some tremendous smooth-talking powers to get it. Yes you did want to know that.
All of this coincides with new weekly blog updates about the game from Sports Interactive boss Miles Jacobson.
There have been three so far, kick started a couple of weeks ago with a look at the new gameplay. Running through details like varying pitch sizes affecting your tactics, it's clear there's much more depth this year than ever before - but new features like coach reports should help ease you into your managerial chair. For a closer look, head over to the gameplay blog.
Another area dissected was the shady business of transfers, bonuses and contracts. Eek. This year Miles Jacobson had a phonecall from a mysterious football agent asking him to pop over and natter about the game. On arrival he was told that all the players loved FM, but that it wasn't as accurate as it could be in the dotted line department. What followed was an in-depth run down of how it all works in real life, something SI has gone to great lengths to recreate. Eyeball the transfers, bonuses and contracts blog for more information.
News was the only other topic so far, an area that SI tries to expand each year to represent the massive media coverage the sport generates in many countries across the globe. Needless to say, then, that there are more options this year than you can shake a klaxon at, like being able to keep up to date with news not only about your team, but about all the others populating your league. Get over to that news blog to pick out the details.
We had a chance to get to grips with Football Manager 2008 recently, and predicted it would once again raise the genre bar. Catch up with our first impressions of Football Manager 2008 to see why.
A release date for Football Manager 2008 is yet to be finalised, although it will be out on PC before the end of the year. North American and South American versions will also be released.
Keep an eye on the official Football Manager 2008 website for the demo and new blog updates
Bioshock could make its way to Wii, PS3, PS2 and handhelds, according to an analyst in a recent Take-Two report.
In a company update, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey banked on Take-Two extracting more from the success of the critically acclaimed Bioshock, as well as the continued anticipation of GTA IV.
"We expect management could choose to raise capital now, leveraging a higher share price, investor enthusiasm over the GTA IV release, the franchise potential of Bioshock and their strong fiscal '08 guidance," said Hickey.
Don't put your life on hold though - if Bioshock should make it to other formats, Hickey (via GameDaily) doesn't expect it to happen before fiscal year 2009.
Relic's RTS Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is getting a third expansion, which is a standalone affair.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm, to give it its full and lengthy title, features "an extensive interplanetary campaign spanning an entire star system" according to THQ and introduces two new races - one of which has been confirmed as the Dark Eldar.
On top of that, the existing seven races will be the recipient of new units, air units are being introduced and a medal system is being added to online multiplayer.
Plus, the "meta-game introduced in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade is further expanded to an interplanetary scale in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm, allowing players to battle across an entire star system."
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm is due in spring 2008.
In a bizarre move Aurora Technology the owners of the King of the World MMORPG has taken the unusual step of banning men who play women characters but the ban itself does not stretch to women playing men. If you want to play as a woman now in game you have to prove you are a women via web cam. This is something that people ask for in many mmorpgs I myself have seen people say people who play women in EVE online as being some kind of degenerate but how long can a policy of verification by web cam last since its so easy to get around it doesn't seem to solve much and is an insult to many."
Soulstorm will be the third expansion in the acclaimed Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series.
The standalone pack is co-developed by Relic and Iron Lore Entertainment (of Titan Quest fame), and is due to release sometime next spring.
It will add two new factions to the real-time strategy mix - one has been named as the Dark Eldar - and well introduce air units, multiplayer medal achievements, and wars that span across different planets. All that from a little lead figure and fiddly pot of paint. Well I never.
"In Dawn of War - Soulstorm, we've taken Games Workshop's epic war from one planet to an entire star system," said Tarrnie Williams, big dreadnought-like chief at Relic.
"Allowing gamers to play nine unique races, introducing air units and providing multiplayer achievements for the first time creates a tremendous amount of new and challenging strategic gameplay for all players."
Dawn of War originally launched in 2004. Relic followed it up a year later with first expansion Winter Assault, before adding Dark Crusade to the series in 2006.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, the lead designer of Habbo Hotel has expressed his doubts about the viability of online communities on current generation consoles.
Despite the fact that consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have USB ports, allowing users to plug in a keyboard, people don't take advantage of that, Sulka Haro noted. Typing messages is central to the social aspect of online communities.
"Habbo is really all about the role-playing. If you can't chat, you can't role play," he said.
While it is certainly possible to port Habbo Hotel to home consoles from a technological standpoint, the company currently has no plans to move into that market.
"Also, one thing you have to remember is that we are targeting young people," said Haro, noting Habbo Hotel's popularity with teenagers. "Typically, those are not the people who have the latest consoles."
"PlayStation 3, Xbox 360...those are for people who are seriously into gaming. I don't know how many 13 year-olds have a PS3, but I bet it's not too many."
As for Sony's Home, Haro echoed Daniel James' comment that it is "a world with a USD 600 entry ticket." He isn't sure how many PlayStation 3 owners are the type of people who will be interested in this virtual community and, personally, it didn't appeal to him.
"At least in the demo I saw, it was this pretty clean Sony world," Haro remarked. "You're able to buy a virtual Bravia television that does not break. That's kind of funny, in some sense, but a bit too clean."
"It was too polished, somehow. I don't know. It didn't feel like I'd really call that place my home."
The complete interview with Sulka Haro can be read here.
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men will be released on 23rd November in Europe following a 20th November launch across the pond.
That's the word in Eidos' mother-company SCi's latest financial results, which also state that Tomb Raider: Anniversary for Wii and Xbox 360 is now down for a "pre-Christmas launch".
The publisher also reiterated that sequels to Just Cause and Battlestations: Midway are in development, and to no one's surprise confirmed that Tomb Raider and Hitman sequels are also planned.
And, for those of you with a thing for DS title Pony Friends, it'll be clopping its hooves all over the Wii at some point in the future - as part of a line-up of DS and Wii titles for calendar-2008 that's 20 games strong.
Watch out for more on Eidos' upcoming games in the coming days!
Ice Station Santa is the title of the first episode in Season Two of Telltale's Sam & Max episodic adventure series, and will release in early November.
It's a Sam & Max-Santa Claus showdown. In its latest sleuthing adventure, the detective duo has to storm the North Pole and bring down an evil sneering version of the chimney stalker. "Can they make sense of this Christmas conundrum in time to save the world's children from a holiday tainted by tears, turmoil, and Torture-Me-Elmer?"
Sam & Max Season Two: Episode One - Ice Station Santa debuts on GameTap on November 8 and then will be available from Telltale's website on November 9.
Telltale's already dated Episode Two too, which will release on GameTap on Jan 10, 2008, and on the dev's website on Jan 11. "Monthly releases will continue up through the season finale in April, for a total of five games in Season Two", Telltale has added.
Midway America has shown of the contents of the Unreal Tournament 3 collector's edition on PC.
Inside the fancy tin will be a hard cover art book covering concept drawings for vehicles, characters, weapons and environments. There will also be a bonus DVD featuring the history of Unreal Tournament, behind the scenes footage, and over 10 hours of toolkit tutorials to help you build your mods.
The package will go on sale for USD 59.95 [£30 approx.], and will be available in Europe, South Africa, Russia and "most other territories". Midway Europe has yet to get back to us about a price.
Yesterday Epic Games confirmed that PC and PS3 owners of the game wouldn't be able to play together at launch. Lengthy console certification processes were to blame, and the developer wasn't prepared to hold back content from its PC user base in order to deliver it to the PS3 crowd at the same time.
Unreal Tournament 3 will be released in November on PS3 and PC, followed by a 360 version next year.
At 8pm tonight you'll be able to read a review of Splash Damage's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars right here on the site. But take a look at these movies first...
However, as a little teaser before the review hits - and indeed the game tomorrow - we present you with gameplay footage from the retail version of the game that we've caught on video.
Seeing as we like being in the thick of the action, we've opted to play the Soldier class (titled Agressor on the Strogg side of the war), one of the five available, that comes with all sorts of fun weapons - like a rocket launcher. Wahey!
The videos come from two battlefields out the 12 available, Outskirts and Area 22. The fomer's the level with leaden skies, and the scenario for the map reads thus: the Strogg have deployed a high ranking databrain to oversee construction of a major new facility. The GDF must attack the Strogg defences, steal the databrain and take it to a transmitter for analysis by GDF high command.
Area 22 meanwhile, where the sun shines down on war, finds the Strogg attempting to destroy a slipgate that's been captured by the GDF before the GDF can uncover the slipgate's secrets.
Sit back and enjoy the clips and don't forget to check back at 8pm for the review.
ArchLord, a persistent online role-playing game from Codemasters, has grown by more than 600 percent since it went to a free-to-play subscription model in August, and the company has opened a new server to accommodate the increase in membership.
To promote the launch of the new server, Evengarda, Codemasters is planning a week-long treasure hunt in which "hundreds of silver, gold and platinum chests will be spread far and wide across the new world."
ArchLord is a fantasy-themed RPG set in a medieval-style world. Every month one player gains control of the world and with it the opportunity to wreak havoc as they are crowned supreme ArchLord. As an ArchLord, players can levy taxes, curse players and control the skies on their dragon mount.
Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
No doubt, this week has been all about the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360™ flagship release Halo 3. The game is in stock as Asian, Japanese and Asian Limited Edition; while US release versions are expected to arrive at Play-Asia.com early of next week.
Further hot sellers this week have been Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (Xbox 360™), Agarest Senki (PS3™), Kekkaishi: Kokubourou no Kage (Wii™) and Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd for PlayStation2™.
Most popular handheld releases this week have been Sonic Rush Adventure, Namco Museum DS and KanKen DS 2 + Jouyou Kanji Jiten for Nintendo DS™ and Wangan Midnight Portable (Asia / Japanese for PSP™). Last but not least, Sega's Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (also available for PS2™) has been leading the PC game sales this week.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week,
Xbox360™:
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII US US$ 59.90
Cabela's Trophy Bucks US US$ 44.90
Eternal Sonata US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 JPN US$ 64.90
Halo 3 (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Halo 3 (Chinese Version) [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 59.90
Halo 3 [First Print Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights ASIA US$ 44.90
Warriors Orochi US US$ 59.90
Xbox 360 Console (Halo 3 Special Edition) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 HDMI AV Cable JPN US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit (Black) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Black) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Halo 3 Edition) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 Wireless Headset (Halo 3 Edition) JPN
PlayStation3™:
Agarest Senki JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation Network Card / Ticket -LOCOROCO- (100 HKD / for Hong Kong network only) Hong Kong US$ 15.90
Stuntman: Ignition US US$ 64.90
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion JPN US$ 69.90
Warhawk (w/ Bluetooth Headset) ASIA US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Bass Fishing Wii: Rokumaru Densetsu JPN US$ 49.90
Boku to Sim no Machi / MySims JPN US$ 59.90
Cosmic Family US US$ 49.90
Fishing Master US US$ 44.90
Kekkaishi: Kokubourou no Kage JPN US$ 59.90
My Sims US US$ 49.90
Pool Party US US$ 34.90
PlayStation2™:
Angel Profile JPN US$ 64.90
Atelier Iris: Grand Phantasm (Gust Best Price) JPN US$ 39.90
Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd JPN US$ 64.90
Digimon World: Data Squad US US$ 39.90
Fantastic Fortune 2: Triple Star (Best Hit Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Generations of Chaos Desire JPN US$ 64.90
Growlanser: Heritage of War [Limited Edition] US US$ 59.90
Hisshou Pachinko * Pachi-Slot Kouryoku Series Vol. 11: Shinseiki Evangelion - Magokoro o, Kimi ni JPN US$ 58.90
Kyou Kara Maou! Shin Ma-Kuni no Kyuujitsu JPN US$ 129.90
Nizu no Senritsu 2 (Best Hit Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus JPN US$ 49.90
Saishu Shiken Kujira: Alive JPN US$ 64.90
Saishu Shiken Kujira: Alive [Konamistyle Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Saishu Shiken Kujira: Alive [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
SingStar 80's US US$ 34.90
SingStar 80's with 2 Microphones US US$ 59.90
SingStar Amped US US$ 34.90
SingStar Amped with 2 Microphones US US$ 59.90
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror US US$ 39.90
Warriors Orochi US US$ 44.90
We Are* (Best Hit Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Yuukyuu no Sakura JPN US$ 64.90
Yuukyuu no Sakura [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Nintendo DS™:
7 Wonders US US$ 34.90
Bartender DS JPN US$ 29.90
Digimon World: Dawn US US$ 34.90
Digimon World: Dusk US US$ 34.90
Eiken DS JPN US$ 39.90
Itsudemo Doko Demo: Onita Atsushi no Seiji Quiz DS JPN US$ 39.90
Jigoku Shoujo: Akekazura JPN US$ 48.90
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights US US$ 34.90
KanKen DS 2 + Jouyou Kanji Jiten JPN US$ 29.90
Mitsukete! Keroro Gunsou JPN US$ 48.90
My Sims US US$ 34.90
Namco Museum DS US US$ 24.90
Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park US US$ 34.90
Picto Image DS JPN US$ 39.90
Prism: Light the Way ASIA US$ 34.90
Sonic Rush Adventure US US$ 34.90
Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi: Mina San Kyu JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
300 JPN US$ 14.90
Chronicle of Dungeon Maker (Eternal Hits) JPN US$ 25.90
Chronicle of Dungeon Maker (Eternal Hits) ASIA US$ 22.90
Coded Arms Contagion JPN US$ 48.90
Coded Arms Contagion US US$ 34.90
EXIT (Eternal Hits) JPN US$ 25.90
EXIT (Eternal Hits) ASIA US$ 22.90
Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki SC JPN US$ 48.90
Jet de Go! Pocket (Eternal Hits) ASIA US$ 22.90
Jet de Go! Pocket (Eternal Hits) JPN US$ 25.90
Nugase ! Yakyuuken Polorigurabia Tengoku JPN US$ 37.90
Pilot ni Narou! Flying All-Stars (Best Collection) JPN US$ 29.90
Simple 2500 Series Vol. 11: The Puzzle Quest: Agaria no Kishi JPN US$ 28.90
Wangan Midnight Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Wangan Midnight Portable ASIA US$ 42.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX Tagforce 2 ASIA US$ 39.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX Tagforce 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2 US US$ 34.90
PC Games:
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII ASIA US$ 39.90
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (DVD-ROM) JPN US$ 49.90
Two Worlds ASIA US$ 39.90
World in Conflict (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Guide Books:
Halo 3 Official Strategy Guide US US$ 19.90
Heavenly Sword: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Soul Nomad & the World Eaters The Official Strategy Guide [Limited Edition] US US$ 29.90
Toys & More:
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Karen Hortensia JPN US$ 59.90
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children Play Arts Vol. 2: Kadaj JPN US$ 34.90
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children Play Arts Vol. 2: Reno JPN N/A
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children Play Arts Vol. 2: Yuffie JPN N/A
Oh! My Goddess - 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure Urd (White Bikini Vers.) JPN US$ 52.90
Pia Carrot G.O. 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Ayano Kunugi (Maid Type) JPN US$ 59.90
SIF Ex - Rumble Roses: Dixie Clemets 1/8 Scale Prepainted Figure JPN N/A
Video Game Soundtracks:
Fate / Tiger Colosseum Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Fate / Tiger Colosseum Original Soundtrack [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 29.90
Gold Disc - Koji Otori & Sho Nikaido & Taro Konokage (VitaminX Character CD) JPN US$ 19.90
Harukanaru Toki No Naka De 1 & 2 & 3 Hanazakari JPN US$ 37.90
Hoshizora No Sakamichi JPN US$ 11.90
Onnanoko Fantasy / Yumeiro Hanabi (Ne Pon? X Rai Pon! Theme Song) JPN US$ 11.90
Clear Vocal Album JPN US$ 22.90
While the release of the PSP Slim and Lite in Japan has reignited hardware sales of the console, numbers for other platforms dropped further, according to the latest retail data from Media Create.
Sales of the PSP, which in the figures isn't divided into individual SKU, hit nearly 280,000 in the week ending September 23 - that's up from 95,000 the previous week, and far more than normal chart-topper, Nintendo DS, on just over 70,000.
In fact most of the other platforms dipped once again as, with the PSP aside, hardware numbers continued to tail off.
The PlayStation 3 dropped by 18 per cent on the previous week, while sales for the PlayStation 2 dipped by 13 per cent, the DS by 12 per cent, and the Wii 5 per cent.
The only console to buck the trend, other than the PSP, was the Xbox 360, which saw sales jump by over a third - although that only represented a increase of about 400 additional consoles, to a total of 1687.
The hardware sales list in full:
1. PlayStation Portable: 277,794
2. Nintendo DS: 70,523
3. Nintendo Wii: 24,992
4. PlayStation 2: 11,373
5. PlayStation 3: 10,732
6. Xbox 360: 1687
7. Game Boy Advance: 382
8. Nintendo GameCube: 15
The PlayStation 3's new flagship title, Heavenly Sword, was top of the Spanish software chart for sales in the week ending September 23.
The data, compiled by Media-Control GfK Interational demonstrated a far wider variety of platforms represented than we've seen in the past, with each of the top five games on a different system.
The full chart is as follows:
1. Heavenly Sword (PS3)
2. WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007 Platinum (PS2)
3. Super Paper Mario (Wii)
4. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage (PC)
5. Dr Kawashima's More Brain Training (DS)
6. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Platinum (PS2)
7. Pokemon Diamond (DS)
8. Colin McRae: Dirt (PS3)
9. WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007 Platinum (PSP)
10. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII has remained at the top of the Japanese software sales chart for a second consecutive week, despite pressure from new entries which include a new Metal Gear Solid title.
Portable Ops Plus, an expansion to the original PlayStation Portable title sold 93,000 units in its first week of release, according to data from Media Create, while Crisis Core racked up another 109,000 in the week ending September 23.
Pokemon titles took third and fourth places, while four other new entries, including Super Mario Strikers and Samurai Warriors: Katana also made the new top ten, with Nintendo platforms accounting for seven titles, and Sony platforms for three.
The full top ten is as follows:
01. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
02. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP)
03. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (DS)
04. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (DS)
05. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn!! DS Flame Rumble Kaien Ring Soudatsuen! (DS)
06. Super Mario Strikers (Wii)
07. Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor (PS2)
08. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
09. Samurai Warriors: Katana (Wii)
10. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates (DS)
The Sims 2: Bon Voyage has taken the top spot in the latest German software chart, compiled using data from Media-Control GfK International.
While Nintendo platform titles remained popular, taking up six of the top ten titles, neither of top two were Wii or DS titles, as Sierra's World in Conflict took second spot.
Pokemon and Brain Training titles still sold well, while Super Paper Mario, Pony Friends, Heavenly Sword and Medal of Honor filled out the rest of the chart.
The full chart:
1. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage (PC)
2. World in Conflict: Uncut Edition (PC)
3. Pokemon Diamond (DS)
4. Super Paper Mario (Wii)
5. Medal of Honor Airborne (PC)
6. Dr Kawashima's More Brain Training (DS)
7. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
8. Pokemon Pearl (DS)
9. Heavenly Sword (PS3)
10. Pony Friends
Descend down the Eurogamer TV escalator and you will find a new exclusive Hellgate: London trailer detailing the Charing Cross station area in the game.
It follows on from last week's guided tour of the Covent Garden tube station by developer Flagship Studios, who showed us the importance of these everyday destinations in the action role-playing title.
They act like little towns to house the survivors of the hellish holocaust, where adventurers can group up, receive quests, and buy things to hit baddies with.
But Charing Cross isn't as well protected as Covent Garden, so 21 adjoining and infested zones will be tougher to conquer, housing ghoulish treats of their own.
You also might like to know that Charing Cross was given its name after King Edward I placed a cross in the Charing hamlet in memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile. It is also officially recognised as the centre of London.
As a little teaser for a forthcoming interview with GSC on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Cleary Sky which we'll be publishing soon, we're posting up a couple of exclusive screenshots from the prequel. Take a gander.
Comparing Clear Sky to Shadow of Chernobyl, GSC says that it's new game "is going to be a step forward for actually every game aspect, and now done from the perspective of immense experience gained by the team during the original game development."
(Potential spoiler alert)...
In terms of plot, the prequel explains what happened to Strelok during his early escapades into the Zone and at the same time presents an alternative look onto events of the original game, the dev's explained.
"You will play a different character this time, a mercenary stalker. who, against his will becomes involved in global events in the Zone. Eventually, the player will have to not only keep an eye on Strelok's doings but actually oppose him".
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars has splashed down in the UK today and there's already a patch out.
The v1.1 update marks the beginning of Splash Damage's post-release support for the game, and is "pretty small and contains a few things that will improve your Enemy Territory: Quake Wars experience", it's explained on the official community website.
Quake Wars players should receive the patch through the game's auto-updater, although download mirrors have been provided just in case.
The update addresses the following:
Updated Linux client compatibility
Fixed performance drop of soft particles on some graphics cards
Removed XP award for destroying newly spawned vehicles (spawn camping)
Improved bot control of the GDF Titan Tank
Fixed dedicated LAN server administrators reverting to default group on map change
Fixed players occasionally not being able to change the mission they are on
Server Launcher now clears the map rotation when changing game mode
Fixed localized clients reverting to unlocalized if player starts a lite server on the same PC
Fixed image pure check (anti-cheating) erroneously failing for MegaTextures
Just a week ago, reports were cropping up regarding Microsoft's decision to give Vista Business / Ultimate customers a "downgrade to XP" option amidst complaints over its latest operating system. Now, the Redmond powerhouse has decided to "keep selling Windows XP until the end of June 2008, delaying a scheduled transition to its newer Windows Vista software by five months."
Originally, the planned phase out date for XP was January 30th of next year, but now the firm has decided to "extend XP sales in response to feedback from computer manufacturers who said there were customers who still wanted to buy the older operating system."
Of note, Mike Nash, a Microsoft corporate vice president, was quoted as saying that the company was "a little ambitious to think that it would need to make Windows XP available for only a year after the release of Windows Vista," referring to the fact that it typically makes its older OS available for two years after the launch of a new one.
- In "Shinbu Denshou", the problem that the title screen has fallen into disorder (generated by v1.24) was corrected.
- In "Arunamu no Kiba", when the combat ended, the problem that the screen falls into disorder momentarily (generated by v1.24) was corrected.
- Additionally, a detailed part has been improved and corrected.
Craig, the owner of GBAX.com/GP2X.co.uk is running the Great North Run tomorrow for charity and is asking the community if they would like to sponsor him. All donations go straight towards Leukaemia Research and if you live in UK an extra 28% in tax will be added at no cost to you. Leukaemia Research is a great cause so if you would like to donate even a few $ or £ you can do so via his sponsorship page at http://www.justgiving.com/craigix. Good luck Craig for the run tomorrow!
