Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Grand Theft Auto IV is released this week and steals the spotlight. Test out your own limits as well as that of your next generation consoles. Become Niko Bellic and roam the streets of Liberty city to search for the lost American dream through constant action and gun fights. Please check out this special news entry for a full reportage on the game and its shipping schedule.
Persona 3 FES proves that school is not very much safer than Liberty City. With monsters roaming about ready to prey on the unaware, it is up to the hero, his persona and the "special extracurricular activities club" members to prevent these monsters, called Shadows from overtaking the city.
The World Ends With You does not feature a sanctuary free of conflicts either. The weight of the world rests on the teenager Neku's shoulders. He has to solve riddles and beat the fatal game in seven days, or else the world will perish with him.
Explore the grand but dangerous fields of Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection and assume a persona of your choice. This multi-platform online RPG constructs a mythical world with magical elements of its own. Learn the history of this parallel universe and join all the others who are absorbed in this massively scaled RPG.
After all the fun of challenging death, monsters and getting lost in the wild, try something less lethal but just as exciting. NBA Ballers: Chosen One is released for both Xbox360™ and PlayStation3™. Step into your pair of cyber basketball shoes and demonstrate your best skills in the most exotic of courts.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week,
Xbox360™:
Grand Theft Auto IV ASIA US$ 59.90
Grand Theft Auto IV US US$ 64.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (Special Edition) US US$ 129.90
NBA Ballers: Chosen One US US$ 64.90
Rock Band Wireless Guitar US US$ 79.90
Sega Superstars Tennis ASIA US$ 49.90
Viking: Battle for Asgard ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™:
Grand Theft Auto IV US US$ 64.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (Special Edition) US N/A
NBA Ballers: Chosen One US US$ 64.90
Sega Superstars Tennis ASIA US$ 49.90
Viking: Battle for Asgard ASIA US$ 49.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Battle of the Bands US US$ 59.90
Heavenly Guardian US US$ 24.90
Mario Kart Wii (w/ Wii Wheel) US US$ 59.90
Pro Yakyuu Family Stadium JPN US$ 54.90
Target: Terror US US$ 44.90
Wild Earth: African Safari US US$ 34.90
Nintendo Wii™ Accessories:
Vertical Illumination Stand US US$ 19.99
Wii Classic Controller with Glove (Special Edition / Black) US US$ 29.90
Wii Classic Controller with Glove (Special Edition / Blue) US US$ 29.90
Wii Classic Controller with Glove (Special Edition / Pink) US US$ 29.90
Wii Gamenizer with Remote (Special Edition) US US$ 59.90
Wii Nunchuk with Glove (Special Edition / Blue) US US$ 29.90
Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training JPN US$ 39.90
PlayStation2™:
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™:
Anpanman to Asobo: ABC Kyoushitsu JPN US$ 44.90
Emblem of Gundam JPN US$ 48.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Fate of Heat JPN US$ 48.90
Keikishi Gunzou Presents: Monoshiri Bakumatsu-Ou JPN US$ 39.90
The World Ends With You US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories:
Peanuts DS Card Block JPN US$ 10.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - Blue JPN US$ 9.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - Pink JPN US$ 9.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - White JPN US$ 9.90
Peanuts Lite Slipon Socks Pouch - Yellow JPN US$ 9.90
Protector DS Lite (Nintendogs Version A) US US$ 9.99
Protector DS Lite (Nintendogs Version B) US US$ 9.99
Protector DS Lite (Super Mario Bros. Version) US US$ 9.99
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Cassis) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Emerald) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Gold) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Pearl White) JPN US$ 22.90
Shiny Pouch DS Lite (Silver) JPN US$ 22.90
Touch Pen Max (Cassis) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Emerald) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Gold) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Pearl White) JPN US$ 3.90
Touch Pen Max (Silver) JPN US$ 3.90
Sony PSP™:
AVP2 Aliens Vs. Predator JPN US$ 27.90
Chameleon US US$ 24.90
Nippon no Asoko de JPN US$ 39.90
Rockman Rockman (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 14.90
Sony PSP™ Accessories:
PSP 2GB Memory Stick US US$ 39.99
PC Games:
Europa Universalis Rome ASIA US$ 37.90
Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection 2008 (DVD-ROM) US US$ 34.90
Off Road ASIA US$ 34.90
Guide Books:
Arcadia Magazine [June 2008] JPN US$ 12.90
Armored Core: For Answer Official Perfect Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [June 2008] JPN US$ 16.50
Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Iron Man Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Lux-Pain Official Guide Book JPN US$ 27.90
Mario Kart Wii Prima Office Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Petit Four Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 38.90
Pokemon Pocket Pokedex Vol.2: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 13.90
Riba Hara Art Collection JPN US$ 29.90
Silver Rain Guide Book JPN US$ 14.90
The World Ends With You Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Vantage Master Portable Capture And Visual Book JPN US$ 27.90
Video Game Soundtracks:
Star Ocean: Second Evolution Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
GTA IV producer Leslie Benzies has estimated that the game cost Rockstar approximately USD 100 million to create.
In an interview with the Times Online, Benzies also said that more than 1000 people worked on the title for a period of over a three and a half years.
If the figure is correct, GTA IV's development costs would make it the most expensive game ever made - topping the USD 70 million+ development budget for Sega's Shenmue for the Dreamcast.
GTA IV, however, has already sold over 600,000 copies on the first day in the UK alone and analysts have predicted that the game could gross more than USD 400 million in its first week.
Benzies also noted that much of the beating Rockstar has taken over the past three years - by the government and the press - comes from people who haven't played the game.
Why do people object to a game they haven't even played?
"You kill prostitutes," he told the Times Online. "That's usually the objection."
"There is a big fear factor here. It's the coming of the railways. It's Elvis shaking his hips. It's cars going over 25 miles an hour and making people explode."
Sony in Australia has told Gizmodo that PlayTV - the PS3's USB TV tuner and video-recording add-on - will launch there in Q4 2008.
The device's launch will probably be bit more complicated than a standard game launch, but you would still expect relative parity among PAL regions, and this has prompted speculation in some quarters that we'll be waiting a while for PlayTV too. Here, for example.
This wasn't helped recently by Sony's refusal to clarify reports of a 31st July date and the absence so far of a more detailed estimate than sometime in 2008.
When we spoke to SCEE this week, a spokesperson offered some hope: "We have not yet announced a release date or pricing for PlayTV in the UK, but will have more information shortly," we were told.
That could mean we will see an announcement during next week's PlayStation Day event in London, when SCE president Kaz Hirai and European boss David Reeves will deliver a press conference expected to detail plans for the rest of 2008.
PlayTV, announced last year, allows PS3 owners to record TV programmes on the PS3 hard disk and watch another TV channel at the same time.
Pricing has yet to be announced for the add-on - a USB block in the shape of a sunglasses case - but the most important detail for prospective buyers is whether or not you can record TV while you play games, and Sony is currently trying to achieve this without impacting gameplay.
Check out our PlayTV preview for more on that issue - including comments from Sony's Cambridge studio developers - as well as details on how it's implemented.
Fancy a headache? Course you do. Sony's mind-melting puzzler, Echochrome, is out on the US PSN today for your self-harming pleasure.
In case you've not been following it, Echochrome is an innovative little title which sees you rotating simple 3D environments to create paths for a little walking make to traverse.
It uses a clever optical illusion mechanic, where obstacles like holes or gaps in the path disappear when you can't see them. It hurts just trying to explain it... just download the currently-available demo.
Unfortunately for UK gamers, that might not be for another week or so, as Sony UK is yet to announce a UK date for the quirky little title.
There are two versions being release, one for PS3 on the PS Store, and one for PSP on the PC Store for PSP - each version with its own 56 levels and both costing $9.99.
Capcom has released some of the nice screenshots of Street Fighter IV, which we think look great. Don't take our word for it though: have a look yourself.
We recognise they're not perfect - in particular Ryu's feet appear to belong to the Incredible Hulk and Chun Li still looks like a bloke - but the sheer style of them has us sold.
The backgrounds also look good and the lighting is quite impressive. In one shot, a setting sun in one shot casts rays over Ryu and Sagat.
If you haven't already seen them, we'd recommend checking out the videos on our Street Fighter IV game page. We want a release date now please, Capcom.
Mario Kart Wii sold another 150,000 units in Japan across the sales week ending April 27, according to the latest data from Media Create, and is on track to break the 1 million mark this week.
That was also enough to keep it top of the software chart, with Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G in second place as Capcom's PlayStation Portable game nears the 2 million boundary.
New entries accounted for the rest of the top five places, with Valkyria Chronicles for the PlayStation 3 in third, Taiko Drum Master DS: Seven Island Adventure in fourth and Summon Night in fifth.
Wii Fit sold another 37,000 copies to take sixth place, and is on track to pass the 2 million mark in the next few weeks, while We're Fossil Diggers took seventh place.
Pokemon Ranger: Batonnage, DS Beautiful Letter Training and Musou Orochi: The Evil King Returns completed the top ten list.
Two Xbox 360 title made their debut in the top 30, with Rainbow Six Vegas 2 taking 11th place and Frontlines: Fuel of War in 26th. Phoenix Wright 4 for the Nintendo DS debuted at a lowly 27th.
The full top ten is as follows:
1. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
2. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PS)
3. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
4. Taiko Drum Master DS: Seven Island Adventure (DS)
5. Summon Night (DS)
6. Wii Fit (Wii)
7. We're Fossil Diggers (DS)
8. Pokemon Ranger: Batonnage (DS)
9. DS Beautiful Letter Training (DS)
10. Musou Orochi: The Evil King Returns (PS2)
Owners of PlayStation 3 consoles in the US are using their consoles to play Blu-ray disc movies in increasing numbers according to research done by Warner Home Video.
During the final quarter of 2007, PS3 households spent 15 per cent of their PS3 time watching Blu-ray movies. In January and February, the proportion increased to 23 per cent.
The research, revealed at the PEVE Digital Entertainment conference in Paris as reported by Screen Digest, also indicated that the proportion of US PS3 household using the console as a Blu-ray movie player had risen from 53 per cent in September 2007 to 80 per cent in the first two months of 2008.
Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders said that, following a Sony TV ad campaign encouraging the use of PS3 consoles to watch movies, the proportion of PS3 households purchasing Blu-ray discs rose from less than 10 per cent in October 2007 to over 15 per cent in December - suggesting that Sony's advertising had an impact.
Screen Digest senior analyst Helen Davis Jayalath, however, notes that the timing of Warner's research makes it impossible to quantify how much of an effect the Christmas gift-giving season would have had on Blu-ray spending without Sony's promotions.
"Furthermore, the relative lack of strong games titles for the PS3 over this period is also likely to have contributed to the console's use as a BD player," she wrote.
Nonetheless, Jayalath noted that the size of the PS3 installed base means that even a minimal increase in average per household Blu-ray disc purchase rates could substantially impact total hi-def media sales.
The watch-dog group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has set its sights on the rating of GTA IV, primarily because a player can drive drunk in the game. MADD released a statement saying that 'Drunk driving is not a game, and it is not a joke. Drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime and it is also 100 percent preventable.' MADD also is asking Rockstar Games to consider removing GTA IV from distribution 'out of respect for the millions of victims/survivors of drunk driving.' Rockstar replied to MADD by saying 'we have a great deal of respect for MADD's mission, but we believe the mature audience for "Grand Theft Auto IV" is more than sophisticated enough to understand the game's content.' As expected, Jack Thompson is making his usual attention-whoring remarks by comparing GTA IV to the polio virus
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, coming this summer, brings us a bevy of Aerosmith tracks. As an added bonus, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry picked some "influential" songs from other artists to round out the collection. Today, Activision revealed that the Orpheum Theatre in Boston is being recreated for the game. You'll play three Aerosmith songs at the Orpheum, along with songs from The Clash and the New York Dolls.
Orpheum Tracks
* "Living on the Edge" - Aerosmith
* "Ragdoll" - Aerosmith
* "Love in an Elevator" - Aerosmith
* "Complete Control" - The Clash
* "Personality Crisis" - New York Dolls
The latest firgure for console sales in Japan are in and all machines except one gets a raise from last weeks reading, shown below:
Playstation Portable: 92,411
Nintendo Wii: 48,796
Nintendo DS Lite: 42,435
Playstation 3: 9,107
Playstation 2: 7,108
Xbox 360: 1,283
PSP still tops the list, up by 6,990 while the Nintendo Wii trails behind it, up 4,245. The Nintendo DS Lite is in third place and takes a 1,806 drop. The ones in line are the PS3, up 1,669, PS2 up 563 and Xbox 360 increases by 207.
Sony has told Eurogamer that it has made no announcements about the LittleBigPlanet beta dates so far.
It was responding after comments from producer Kyle Schubel from Sony in the land of America, who told PSU that a closed beta for the game would begin this summer.
"I'm afraid we haven't yet made any announcements as to the dates of the LittleBigPlanet beta trials, and are not yet able to confirm a specific month," a spokesperson for Sony Europe told us. "In terms of the game's release date, we are still tracking a September launch."
Kyle Schubel also outed that around one million user-created levels will fit onto one planet in the game, and that there will be multiple planets.
You will also be able to filter content by popularity, upload date, what your friends have been playing and ratings.
LittleBigPlanet is the second most wanted game on the whole of Eurogamer, and has evidently won you around with its elaborate tool-set premise where you can build your own adventure for your little sack creature people things.
How big is Metal Gear Solid 4? The correct answer is, "big enough to get two hardware bundles."
That's just what Sony and Konami are preparing for the game over in Japan. Konami already unveiled the first MGS4 bundle a few weeks back. Today, Sony unveiled the PlayStation 3 Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots Welcome Box with Dual Shock 3, a package that bundles the standard version of MGS4 with a standard 40 gigabyte PS3 unit and throws in a DUALSHOCK 3 controller to complement the included SIXAXIS.
Sony will be making the bundle available in Clear Black, Ceramic White, and Satin Silver, with the included Dual Shock 3 matching the system's color. Pricing is set at 49,980 yen, a savings of around 4,480 yen over the price of buying the Dual Shock 3, PS3 and a copy of MGS4 separately.
The Konami bundle, known as the game's Premium Pack, includes the game's Special Edition, a special "steel" color of the PS3 system, and a Dual Shock 3, all for 51,800 yen. It's missing the SIXAXIS, but it has the bonus goodies from the Special Edition of the title.
All bundles and variations will be available in Japan on June 12.
We've been trying to get answers this week for those GTA IV players who've been experiencing freeze-ups with the title. Our very unscientific poll has shown that although many of you are enjoying the game without issue, a small percentage are experiencing problems -- and a "small percentage" of the millions who bought GTA IV actually ends up being a lot of people. Although Rockstar has so far not responded to the issue, Gamespot received a "fix" from Take-Two's tech support team.
The 12-part "fix" Gamespot received involves steps like: erasing the install data, deleting the game saves, disabling PS3 internet connectivity, disabling the console's information board, deleting the system's internet cache and much more. For its part, Sony says the issue is affecting "a limited number of PS3s" and its working with customers to resolve the problem. Microsoft has yet to acknowledge any freezing issues.
Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced sales of PlayStation 3 have been boosted in the US following the release of Grand Theft Auto IV.
However, the company hasn't issued any specific figures. Instead there's just a statement from Bob McKenzie, bigwig at top shop GameStop.
"From our position, the launch of GTA IV has been tremendous in driving traffic to our stores, as well as providing a vigorous lift in PS3 console sales over this time last week," McKenzie said.
"We attribute the growth to a huge fan base of PS2 owners who see this title as the trigger for the PS3 upgrade they've been planning."
Meanwhile, leading industry clairvoyant Michael Pachter has been at the tarot again. "I think brand loyalty is going to kick in for Sony, starting today," he said, placing the card marked BRAND LOYALTY on the table.
"There is a huge installed base of loyal PlayStation 2 owners who have been looking for a reason to upgrade, and they have strong previous ties to the Grand Theft Auto franchise on PlayStation platforms."
Remember when GTA was PlayStation-exclusive? Also we've got some other good games honest! So spoke Sony's Peter Dille. Or more specifically: "Grand Theft Auto fans who love the game grew up on PlayStation and we believe that rich heritage will be a deciding factor for many gamers at retail.
"This enthusiasm for GTA IV, combined with the excitement behind Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet, and Resistance 2 will further drive PS3 hardware sales." But Peter, you forgot Afrika!
NPD has yet to release sales figures for GTA IV, but the game has broken records in the UK - with 609,000 copies sold on the first day of release.
A new MGS 4 trailer hints at the revival of scenes from the original Metal Gear Solid game in this summer's PS3 blockbuster.
The trailer starts off like with retrospective footage of the original PS1 game, as Snake sneaks into the front of the Shadow Moses facility, before moving onto clips from the 2003 GameCube remake, and the Shadow Moses level in the recent Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii.
Then, it asks: "This year, MGS revived?" followed by Snake working his way through what appears to be an updated Shadow Moses scene.
This seemingly playable scene turns out to be a dream, as the trailer then flashes back to modern-day older Snake, who snaps out of a trance.
So will you be able to play the original game, or scenes from it at least, in MGS 4?
"All will be revealed in coming weeks," a Konami spokesperson told CVG, keeping it all shrouded in mystery.
Press Release
PC Games and Console Hardware Sales Surge in China's Booming Economy
Online game revenue to hit $2.5 billion in 2008; console sales rose by 75% in 2007.
US, May 2, 2008 - Niko Partners, the leading market intelligence firm on China's video game industry, today announced results from its latest report citing China's 46 million gamers spent $1.7 billion on online games in 2007, up 71% from 2006. Advanced casual and casual online games made up 21% of the total, and new flash-based casual versions of popular MMO and RTS games demonstrated the hardcore gamers' appetite to play casual games along with subscription MMOs. Online revenue is expected to reach $2.5 billion in 2008 and $6 billion in 2012, for a 29% compound annual growth rate in the five-year period.
"China's spending on games is up thanks to their booming economy," said Lisa Cosmas Hanson, managing partner of Niko Partners. "14 million hardcore Chinese gamers play online games more than 22 hours per week. They play online, LAN, and single-player offline PC games in China's 185,000 Internet cafés and increasingly on their PCs at home, thanks to falling prices and higher disposable income."
According to Niko's 6th Annual Review & Forecast Report, part of an annual subscription of reports for publishers, hardware makers, service providers, and investors who need to understand China's fast-moving video game industry, gamers are buying consoles with their disposable income as well. "In spite of the regulation that has banned the sale of game consoles in China since the year 2000, gamers are flocking to stores that sell illegally imported Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2 machines to take part in the excitement of console gaming," said Hanson. "While these consoles are expensive for the average Chinese consumer, gamers are willing to spend money on them to supplement their online gaming experience, and unit sales hit 2.48 million units in 2007, up 75% over 2006."
Piracy remains an issue for packaged software via digital downloads and counterfeit copies of games, but legitimate sales of packaged offline PC games surged 56% in 2007, over 2006. Chinese gamers are showing that they like to buy the legitimate copies to ensure quality and to get customer support.
The 2008 Annual Review & Forecast Report on China's Video Game Industry by Niko Partners is a thorough review and forecast of the 2007-2012 PC online, PC offline, console, handheld games and hardware market. Based on 75,000 points of data collected by Niko Partners in 10 Chinese cities in March 2008, the study provides one of the largest and most comprehensive sources of information on gamers, Internet cafés, regulations, online game operators, games, hardware, distribution, retail, outsourced development, and important trends in supply and demand.
Games Criminals Arrested At Bradford Computer Fair
Net closes around two traders selling illegally copied games at Bradford computer fair
A joint operation between West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service (WYTSS) and West Yorkshire Police on Sunday 27th April resulted in approximately 12,000 illegally copied discs and over 150 devices used for ‘chipping’ being seized. Chipping is the process that enables copied games to be played on consoles such as the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3. The operation, carried out at a Computer Fair held at Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford, resulted in two individuals being arrested for selling copied computer software and copied computer games. Further seizures were also made of software and other chipping devices at a number of stalls at the fair.
Following the arrests officers from Trading Standards and the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) carried out a house search in Leeds which uncovered approximately 5,000 counterfeit software, films and music discs.
Further investigations following this operation are being carried out by West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service and West Yorkshire Police.
WYTSS estimate the retail value of the items seized to be in excess of £100,000. The equivalent value of original products is in excess of £1 million.
Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA said: “The raid at Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford highlights the ongoing commitment demonstrated by local Trading Standards authorities in stamping this kind of operation out. ELSPA would like to thank everyone involved for their work instigating this investigation and helping to protect local traders and the general community from the effects of pirated goods.”
Graham Hebblethwaite, Chief Officer of West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service, said: “The illegal software trade is worth hundreds of millions of pounds in the domestic market alone. Trading Standards have had the power to enforce the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act since April 2007 and the Service is committed to enforcing this Act to eradicate the sale of counterfeit software, music and computer games in the county. The Service would like to send out a warning to individuals involved in software piracy that they will be dealt with severely. The maximum penalty for crimes under copyright and trademark legislation carries a sentence of ten years imprisonment.”
NPT Sergeant Julie Deacon, West Yorkshire Police, said: “We’re always pleased to work in partnership with Trading Standards. Anything that helps to reduce crime in the area is welcomed. If anyone has suspicions about counterfeit goods being sold please contact either your local NPT or Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.”
If you've been looking for a twist to the traditional puzzle game, this week's PSN update should definitely satisfy. echochrome, the spatial perception title involving creating new paths by manipulating the environment, will be hitting the store for the PS3 and PSP. But there's plenty of additional content included for users, including Rock Band, Karaoke Revolution and other videos. Check out the content below:
Downloadable Games
echochrome ($9.99)
Add-on Game Content
Rock Band
"Zero" - Smashing Pumpkins ($1.99)
"Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear" - The Mother Hips ($1.99)
"Red Tandy" - The Mother Hips ($1.99)
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore downloadable songs ($1.49 each)
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced today that it will take the stage at The Bamboozle Festival 2008 (Bamboozle). The two-day alternative music festival spanning from May 3rd to May 4th is expected to draw a crowd of over 85,000 fans to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ and SCEA will be on hand to enhance their concert experiences as well as shine the spotlight on exciting new PlayStation products.
"Bamboozle draws a young and independent-thinking audience that truly resonates with the PlayStation consumer," said Ginger Kraus, senior director, brand alliances and promotions, SCEA. "Being a part of Bamboozle will allow us to provide this shared demographic with VIP access to our current and upcoming titles as well as the chance to be rewarded with opportunities to take their event experiences to the next level."
Those attending the festival will be granted access to an interactive showcase of the best and brightest the PlayStation brand has to offer. Headlining the showcase will be the PlayStation Patrol Truck featuring the newly designed "Player Lounge." This social gaming area will provide up to 16 attendees with the opportunity to test drive titles for the PlayStation3 (PS3) system such as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, SingStar and MLB 08 THE SHOW.
The showcase will also feature several PSP (PlayStation Portable) Zones which will allow attendees to experience the gameplay function of PSP (PlayStation Portable) system with titles such as Secret Agent Clank and God of War: Chains of Olympus. These displays will also highlight a few of the multifunctional capabilities of PSP system, such as storing and playing music, videos and photos, listening to Internet Radio and accessing PS3 system through Remote Play.
Racking up high scores at the PlayStation Patrol Truck could win attendees the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet their favorite Bamboozle artists. Twice daily, top scorers will have the chance to challenge artists such as Armor For Sleep, Chiodos, Circa Survive, The Color Fred, The Audition and All Time Low to compete in a SingStar, MLB 08 THE SHOW or Gran Turismo 5 Prologue showdown. Winners will receive VIP access to the show.
When they are not competing at the PlayStation Patrol Truck or onstage, festival artists will be able to party like the rock stars that they are in the Red Bull Artist Lounge. SCEA will bring the music backstage by stocking the lounge with two gaming stations of Rock Band for the PS3 system. Bands such as Cobra Starship, The Academy Is, Circa Survive, Jack's Mannequin, Chiodos and My American Heart will be able to play with their fellow band mates and even mix and match members to create their own Rock Band super-groups. The groups will then be able to perform head-to-head in a battle of the bands.
Yeah, that fancy press shot has a certain beauty to it, but there's just nothing like spotting a highly coveted console in the wild. Thanks to our cameraphone toting tipster in Belgium, we're presented with the first image of the GTA IV bundle sitting on a shelf just waiting for someone to trade their €450 in and take it home. Oh, and if you're wondering what type of shop places a sweet PS3 beside an assortment of blank media, a coffee mug and what appears to be a CRT television circa 1990, it's Free Record Shop in Antwerp, sucka.
Now that the Dual Shock 3 is finally here, it looks like Sony's finding creative way to dump off old SIXAXIS stock -- like tossing 'em in MGS4 PS3 bundles. Japanese PS3 buyers will be able to choose from three "Welcome Box" MGS4 bundles in Satin Silver, Ceramic White, and Clear Black, and in addition to Snake's latest adventure and a Dual Shock 3, they'll find a SIXAXIS inside. The bundles will cost ¥49,800 ($470), compared to ¥51,800 ($492) for the gunmetal gray bundle that doesn't include the extra controller, so basically Sony's giving Japanese buyers $20 to take a SIXAXIS home. That's quite a deal, but honestly, we'd rather take drop the Jackson on that super-hot gunmetal unit home than have another (obsolete) controller lying around.
27 Dresses [dts] (~Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, ...) US US$ 39.98
Alien Vs Predator / AVP2 Aliens Vs Predator [Limited Edition] (~Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, ...) JPN US$ 85.90
Andy Lau Wonderful World Concert Tour Hong Kong 2007 Karaoke (~Andy Lau Tak Wah) HK US$ 39.90
AVP2 Aliens Vs Predator JPN US$ 46.90
CJ7 (~Stephen Chow, Xu Jiao, ...) HK US$ 27.90
Dodgeball - A True Underdog Story (~Ben Stiller) JPN US$ 46.90
Eason's Moving On Stage 1 Karaoke Live (~Eason Chan) HK US$ 39.90
First Knight (~Sean Connery, Richard Gere, ...) US US$ 28.95
From Hell (~Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, ...) JPN US$ 46.90
Ice Age (~Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, ...) JPN US$ 46.90
Ice Age / Ice Age 2 - The Meltdown [Limited Edition] (~Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, ...) JPN US$ 79.90
Master And Commander: The Far Side of The World (~Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, ...) HK US$ 31.90
Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) (~Diana Damrau, Dorothea Roschmann, ...) US US$ 45.98
Ocean's Eleven (~George Clooney, Brad Pitt, ...) US US$ 28.99
Ocean's Twelve (~George Clooney, Brad Pitt, ...) US US$ 28.99
The Golden Compass [dts] (~Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, ...) US US$ 39.98
To Live And Die In L.A. (~William L. Petersen, Willem Dafoe, ...) JPN US$ 46.90
Based on the blockbuster movie by Marvel Studios, Iron Man? blasts onto all major gaming platforms May 2008. Immerse yourself in hardcore shooting action and explosive combat from the film as well as exclusive content created just for the game. With freedom to move anywhere in the environment, customize your Iron Man suit and seamlessly transition between ground combat and open air flight as you battle against armies of fighter jets, tanks, armored Super Villains and more. You are a One Man Army. You are Iron Man.
Sony Corp's operating profit likely jumped more than fivefold to 380 billion yen on strong sales of digital cameras in the year just ended, but it missed the company's forecast by 30 billion yen, the Nikkei business daily reported.
That would also be below a consensus estimate of 393.6 billion yen in a poll of 17 analysts by Reuters Estimates.
Sony's videogame division saw its operating loss shrink by about 100 billion yen in the year ended March 2008, helping boost overall profitability, the Nikkei said.
The game unit posted an operating loss of 232 billion yen in the year ended March 2007 due to hefty start-up costs for its PlayStation 3 game console.
Yep, yep. Talking time. It's Friday night and that means the TUD Girafe is ready to listen. So let's talk. We've got a feature here on Kotaku called "Tell Us Dammit" or "TUD." How it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interesting in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Today's question:
How many hours do you game a day?
Shit man, with my schedule these days, I'm super lucky if I can get in between an half an hour or an hour a day. Been playing shmups like Mushihime-sama loads at my neighborhood arcade. Really helps me relax.
Between the comprehensive in-game map, the GPS-imbued minimap, and the TomTom-esque functionality of certain vehicles, we've yet to misplace ourselves within Liberty City's digital boroughs. Still, if you find yourself lost whilst playing Grand Theft Auto IV, we guess this Liberty City map application (mapplication?) using the Google Maps interface would come in handy.
A number of user contributions have already been made to the map, showing the location of hidden items, easter eggs, pigeon locations, stunt jumps, and yes, even hookers, whom we assume were fitted with GPS locaters by trained prostitute handlers before being released back into the wild. It makes for a useful cartographical companion for those with a laptop near their console of choice -- if you don't mind ruining the fun of exploring the nooks and crannies of Rockstar's intricately crafted metropolis for yourself, that is.
SEGA America's blog gives gamers a look inside work at Secret Level, which just finished Iron Man for them and is cranking on Golden Axe: Beast Rider. A cool Flickr slideshow shows the team and some concepts, both in hard copy and rendered on computer. And two new screen caps, which is the video game porn you're here for.
Blogger SegaDawg didn't get any looks at the gameplay, but does write:
I did see a demo of Tyris riding one particular beast that will deal some severe swipe damage with its claws. There are several types of beast mounts in the game, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and my bet is that there will be points in the game where you have to ride a specific beast in order to accomplish certain goals — but that's just a hunch.
Music CD's, CD-ROM's, DVD's and games CD's scratch very easily often making the data difficult to read properly. This means read-errors, faults and lost data, as result the data carrier is often worthless.
Someone's knocking on Nintendo's door, and he just drove through seven red lights in a hijacked car with a shotgun in tow to get there. Forbes has published a piece on how Grand Theft Auto IV's success threatens the Nintendo Wii since the console, you know, doesn't have the game. In fact, that's all the article seems to be saying: the Wii is doing great, but because it doesn't have GTA IV, that money-printing success might be at a halt.
While that's how the article is framed, the direction seems to split off from there, with the author talking about GTA IV's success juxtaposed with complaints about the Wii's hardware, online and abundance of shovelware -- he even bring up Chris Heck's duct tape rant. Said the article, "The problem is, it could get tougher and tougher to go the other way. It's hard to imagine how the sprawling world of Grand Theft Auto IV--which already taxes the multicore processors powering the XBox and Playstation--could be recreated on the Wii."
We're not saying Nintendo doesn't have problems with shovelware or appealing to the more hardcore gamer crowd, but we also think the way the article presents its case makes the GTA IV issue feel a little taped on. If the UK Wii Fit launch is any indication, Nintendo's money train is still right on track.
New Zealand's Office of Film and Literature had to reiterate this week that store clerks can't sell Grand Theft Auto IV to parents purchasing it for their children. The New Zealand Herald reports the office had to repeat itself after receiving calls from clerks who didn't know what to do when a parent "demanded" to buy GTA IV with their 14-year-old in tow.
GTA IV is rated R18 by the New Zealand government and it's illegal to make it available to anyone under that age. In New Zealand, even if it's their own kid, the adult could be jailed for 90 days or pay $10,000 fine; however, the law has never been enforced.
features
Officially licensed by Nintendo
Requires 4 X AA batteries (not included)
Length: approx. 40 - 50 inch
Limited availability
description
Mario Kart is brought to the 3D world in the form of a massive race set complete with two karts that carries Mario and a competitor (either Yoshi or Donkey Kong). The race track contains eighteen pieces and totals up to nine feet long after the assembling procedure.
Actively participate in the races with your friends and family. With the trigger speed controller in hand, you are ready to go and dash across the finishing line. This race set is perfect for hours of family fun either in a leisurely evening or at parties.
For those of you who decides that racing with Mario on the TV screen alone no longer sates your appetites, this super race set is your remedy.
A lot of New Yorkers, myself included, are getting a little extra kick out of the vibe of Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City, which recalls our home boroughs with just enough accuracy to be disorienting.
The farmacias and bodegas in East Holland, the Starbucks-esque cup in every hand, the prevalence of "Craplist" social interaction, even the thriving Russian community beside the boardwalk in Hove Beach where the story begins all capture that tickly feeling of home. But MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo notes that from Bohan to Schottler, there are a few things about New York that GTA IV gets wrong, and he's compiled a tongue-in-cheek list of eight key items that are, as he says, "grossly misrepresented."
1. We are not a car town: No sensible New Yorker uses a car as their primary means of transportation in the city, unless — maybe — they commute from the suburbs. Car ownership doesn't make much sense. There are never any parking spots. Parking garages are prohibitively expensive. And, most importantly, the subway is a faster, cheaper and more efficient means of transportation. We don't drive here. Niko, to be a real New Yorker, should rely on the subway. But what would he be left to grandly thieve?
True enough. Certainly, in New York, only rich commuters who live in swanky penthouses or in the outlying boroughs have cars. Rent here for the average denizen is pricey enough without the cost of gas and parking — and, that aside, I'd never even think of owning a car here just due to the crushing traffic and inconvenience.
But there are a lot of cars here nonetheless, and having been many times a pedestrian nearly clipped by some crazy speeder cornering badly, it's a fun turnabout to be behind the wheel this time. If you do happen to be in a car, people always seem to be wandering into the crosswalk at the worst of times — that, at least, is accurate.
Totilo picks more hangups: There are no dinosaurs at the Met! Times Square — er, Star Junction — should be much more congested with pedestrians, it's true. And bagels are a quintessential part of our diet, unobtainable in Liberty City.
8. We eat bagels: Have I missed something or is it not possible to eat a bagel in "Grand Theft Auto IV"'s Liberty City? Niko can eat burgers, hot dogs and go to diners. But bagels? The most famous New York City food? Never fear, visitors to our town, we have bagels that can be eaten and enjoyed, whether Liberty City acknowledges it or not. Burgers? Waste of time. You can eat them in any town.
Two more that he missed: First, why do Liberty City's pedestrians walk so slowly? You can always spot a tourist as the one who's ambling casually down the sidewalk, neck craned upward to eyeball the skyscrapers. But real New Yorkers, everyone knows, walk at a breakneck pace, head down, heedless of who they shoulder aside, as we are all on the way to someplace very important and you'd better get out of the way.
And finally, where are Manhat— um, Algonquin's legions of tiny, tiny little doggies? It's the must-have accessory for Upper East Siders. We don't mean to quibble with such a fantastic game world, but, you know.
BLU-RAY PLAYER SALES are sucking wind as well they should. According to Cnet, sales of the DRM infected format players are dropping like rocks.
The not so bright people out there had expected sales to skyrocket once the format war was done, but it didn't. They thought was people would ignore the massive defects of Blu-ray and buy like the dumb sheep that they are, handcuffing themselves to the Sony bank account.
Surprise, it didn't happen. US consumers are still dumb sheep, but this time they are realizing what is being done to them and they aren't biting. Sony's hope of having 50% of disc sales this year be Blu-ray are more likely to happen because of falling DVD sales than rocketing Blu-ray.
The format has three problems, DRM infections, BD-J and greed. The greed part is obvious, Sony won the format war and are trying to charge people between 50 and 100% more for a product with marginally better quality. Sure, it looks better, and the 0.07% of people with 7.1 channel audio setups will be overjoyed, but for the rest, it is a small step at best over an upconverting DVD.
Are you going to buy the DVD version for $16.99 on new release sale or $29.99 for the BD? It doesn't take a genius to realize that the next iteration of Hollywood Formula #7 with Big Stars #3 and #8 isn't worth it. The movie studios have yet to convince me that The Water Horse is worth spending my money on at all, much less at twice the price for DRM'd HD versions.
That brings us to the next down side, there is no up, DRM. Every Blu-ray disc is DRM infected even if the producer doesn't want it to be, in order to get a company to manufacture it, it must be infected. Sony gets an infection kickback fee as well, so don't think it is purely for protection unless you mean it in the -racket sense.
Blu-ray DRM infections do not protect anything, Slysoft has cracked it with their excellent AnyDVD HD product, something I can't recommend enough. Basically, new DRM schemes are broken before you can buy discs with them on it, protecting nothing. It will however prevent legitimate users from using legally purchased media on legally purchased hardware. If you pirate though, no more compatibility issues, once again making Piracy the Better Choice (TM)(C)(R).
Basically the new format has DRM baked in and in your face. It costs you money, hurts only legitimate users, and is laughably insecure. Until it is abolished, just say no to Blu-ray and spend your money elsewhere, try books for example. If you must stoop to the DRM infected media, crack it and run it from your HD, it will save you immense frustration.
The last thing that makes people want to run for the hills is the badly broken BD-J abomination. Basically, when Blu-ray was 'finished', it wasn't close to done. HD-DVD on the other hand was well thought out and thorough, HD had a robust virtual machine that did all the work it needed to, and BD had none. Sony rushed a hacked BD v1.1 out, followed by 2.0, and instantly obsoleted all the money spent by the early adopters. All except those who bought Sony players of course.
There are two problems with this, other than the fact that morons spent money on a Sony format, it works like crap and it phones home, both comprise the third negative. Working like crap is the obvious one, to test it, look at one of the flagship titles, Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Disney insists on BD-J, customer be damned, and it shows. If you click on any of the options from the title menu, it pauses, you hear the disc seek, you wait, it loads, you wait more, and it decrypts, you wait a little more, and then the menu animates. It is nothing short of a disaster that you can't skip. Unless you pirate the title, once a gain making piracy the better choice (TM)(R)(C).
In any case, the BD-J support is so half-assed and broken that using it is nothing less than misery, but you also get the BD benefits as well. That is incompatibility and higher prices to soothe you while you wait and wait and wait. Whoever forced this on people should be shot.
The other down side is that to support the so called Profile 2.0, you must have internet capabilities and access. Anyone here trust Sony? Remember, these are the people who unashamedly rootkit paying customers and then tries as hard as they can to bury it, but never apologizes.
With the new BD Profile 2.0, they can run arbitrary code on your player, download and install whatever they want (You read the EULA didn't you?), and take any data they want. In return, you get the privilege of watching your legally purchased media on your legally purchased players. Fair trade, right? Once again, Piracy is the Better Choice(R)(TM)(C), it doesn't rat you out to unrepentant rootkitters even if they have a EULA behind them this time.
In the end, if you buy Blu-ray, you get a more expensive product that is likely incompatible with your hardware, DRM'd to the hilt, slow as dirt and it rats you out for good measure. All this for slightly better rez, be still my beating heart. Player sales are tanking when they should be soaring and Sony is probably wondering why.
During his keynote speech at Sony PlayStation Day London '08, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe head David Reeves announced that the PS3 had officially overtaken the Xbox 360 in European sales.
I am delighted to be able announce today that we have sold more PlayStation 3s throughout Europe than Xbox 360 - even though they launched sixteen months before PS3.
More than 5 million PS3 systems have been sold across Europe, with PS2 and PSP numbers equally as impressive at 48 million and 12 million respectively.
These numbers are a testament to the strength of the PlayStation brand throughout our region, the ever-increasing number of titles being launched, the rich content on offer and its appeal to different demographics and cultures.
Different demographics and cultures that will likely viciously savage each other in the comments section following this news.
Aww Europe, did you really think Sony would leave you out of the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PlayStation 3 bundle loop? Of course not! Come June 12th, European gamers will be able to get their hands on their own MGS4 bundle, complete with PlayStation 3, SixAxis controller, and of course, a copy of the game. Not the most exciting bundle really, but hey, it's a bundle allright. The pack will be priced at 439.99 Euros, perfect for any fan of the series who managed to hold out on picking up the console until now.
It looks like SCEE is getting into the video making business. The company announced today that they will begin touring Europe in search of the best in international music. The best groups will show up on episodes of Movement, on the Playstation Network, hosted by Spencer and Martin who will be driving around the continent in a VW Camper.
Movement (PSN)
Seeking out the greatest unsigned bands from across Europe, Movement is an exclusive PSN music experience which will open your ears, your PS3 and PSP to the best in international music. From French electronica to London grindie via melody driven rock from Germany, you’ll hear it all courtesy of hosts Spencer and Martin who are tracking down the sweetest sounds across the continent in their VW Camper. With exclusive downloads on PSN and performances at PlayStation Day, movement will culminate with one band being selected by Spencer and Martin to have a professional promo video made. Look out for the entire madcap adventure on PSN soon.
This is an interesting concept. I wonder if PSN is going to start producing other original video content.
Siren Blood Curse is coming to the Playstation Network in twelve "TV-style, suspense-packed" downloadable episodes this summer, SCEE announced today.
The next-gen horror-survival title is set in the Japanese village of Hanuda, where a TV crew from America arrive to research the legend of the ‘Vanished Village’ where human sacrifice is said to have taken place thirty years ago. Players discover the horrific curse that haunts Hanuda and battle to save the village’s survivors from the living dead – a spine-tingling struggle that involves using the unique Sight-Jack system to view events from the angle of your undead pursuers. In a gaming first, Siren Blood Curse will be released episodically, keeping gamers on the edge of their seats until the next download arrives in PSN.
PlayStation owners around the world were treated to a Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 update in firmware 2.20, which enabled the special features of BD-Live titles on the PlayStation 3, but outside of the U.S. that really didn't mean much...until now. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have found a way to make you buy Men in Black again as they announce the Will Smith / Tommy Lee Jones sci-fi classic (is it too early?) as the first BD-Live release for the international market.
"SPHE is delighted to bring BD-Live to International markets for the first time," stated Matt Brown, EVP, International, SPHE, "This follows a successful launch in the US in March and is just the start of the exciting possibilities that will soon be available on high definition Blu-ray Disc."
Interactive features include a BD-Live multiplayer interactive trivia game and exclusive downloadable theatrical previews. Finally, interactive trivia on Blu-ray. Hopefully they'll be kicking things up a notch with future interactive releases. Men in Black the You Might As Well Buy It Again On Blu-ray version will be out June 17th.
Details are very sketchy, but SCEE and Nissan just announced the GT Racing Academy, which will give gamers a chance to show if they can drive in real life like they do in Gran Turismo. Every step of the academy will be filmed and later made available on the Playstation Network.
It sounds like it's connected to a contest that will give two luck people a four-month, real-life racing tutorial and then have them participate in the Dubai 24-hour race in January.
Resistance 2 will feature eight-player co-op which will have its own story, characters and rewards, Ted Price, president of Insomniac Games, told the folks at today's UK Sony Gamers Day.
Multiplayer will support up to 60 players and include Chimera, again, it will also be structured in a way to bring back a sense of intimacy. There will be squads within these mammoth fights, making the game feel more personal and filled with skirmishes instead of giant, faceless wars. The game will use some sort of system to make sure you always respawn near the same group of players, so you can really start to gun for them.
R2, which is six months from hitting shelves, will also include persistent levels which you earn by getting points for things like helping out your team.
Killzone 2 will be hitting the Playstation 3 in February, David Reeves told journalists gathered in London for Sonys Gamers Day there today.
Not a whole lot of other information about the release, but several sites report that the game will be playable to the press both today and next week during the U.S. Gamers Day.
The news came following an announcement that LittleBigPlanet has been pushed back from a September launch date to October. SCEE also sales of the Playstation Portable, Playstation 2 and Playstation 3 in Europe and apologized for the delay of Home.
Panasonic's SC-BT100 Blu-ray home-theater in a box made a sly appearance back at CES, but today we got up all in its face. The Blu-ray soul is basically Panny's BD-30 player (with the added mojo of the BD-50's Chroma processor). Rear speakers are wireless and produce virtual 7.1 sound, though you can add on two more for true 7.1. Supposedly the subwoofer is magically designed to reduce hissing with quiet rumblings—we certainly didn't notice any in the demo, but we heard smooth, cheesy jazz and the 18-wheeler/F-18 scene from Justin Long's fake Die Hard movie, so it was hard to gauge its effectiveness on the front. The sound certainly wasn't bad though—it'll go for $999 in late spring.
Today in NYC, Panasonic showed off its DMP-BD50, the company's first BD-Live Blu-ray 2.0 player—and the second in the market besides the PlayStation 3—setting the price at $700. It's an improvement over the DMP-BD30, which will stay on the market as a $500 step-down. In addition to BD-Live (and the requisite Ethernet port), it will decode all new DTS and Dolby Digital codecs internally, as well as bitstream them to a compatible receiver, if that's your preference. The player, initially announced at CES, will ship in "late spring," presumably the next 4-6 weeks, and will not need a firmware upgrade to be 2.0 compatible—a requirement of the $400 Sony BDP-S350 player due out around the same time.
Take-Two has sued the Chicago Transit Authority for violating its free speech and contractual rights after the authority pulled ads for Grand Theft Auto IV on the transit system without explanation. Reuters reports that Take-Two accuses the CTA of violating the contract for the $300,000 ad campaign that involved running GTA IV ads around the transit system for six weeks between April and June.
The suit seeks an order for the CTA to run the ads, as well as at least $300,000 in damages. Reuters states the GTA IV posters were removed following a FOX news report on the ads. Now, we're not lawyers (although we do have one writing for us), so we can't say if the CTA violated a basic contract, but Chicago residents should let us know if they see the ads back up and snap a photo.
Well, that didn't work. Tearing out the May, June, July, August and September pages from our official 2008 Sackboy Calendar has utterly failed to bring us any closer to LittleBigPlanet's newly announced "October" release date. Speaking at Sony's PlayStation Day 2008 event in London, Sony bigwig Kaz Hirai confirmed that the burlap-bouncing, community-powered platformer would be gracing PlayStation 3 systems in that month when people dress up as pirates and vampires. Provided it doesn't slip again, LittleBigPlanet is going to make for quite the treat.
Chart-Track has released finalised UK sales data for Grand Theft Auto IV's launch date and first full week, showing sales of 926,000 units for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions combined.
Day one sales were 631,000 units. The first week sales were spread across five days. According to Chart-Track, GTA IV software revenue is bigger than the entire software market revenue of any week so far this year after the first week of 2008.
