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News
Hitman 5: Developer CVs all-but confirm a 2011 release. IO Interactive still silent in the face of the obvious (Hitman: Blood Money)
Nov 8, 2010Hey, IO Interactive. I have a question for you. If a good and trusted friend were hosting a dinner party, and they were trying out a new recipe, but it turned out shit, would you be happy to go round a few weeks later so that they could have another go? Maybe. They’re your friend after all. But what if several weeks later they tweaked and fiddled with the seasoning and garnish and improved it ever so slightly, but it still remained ultimately shit? Wouldn’t you ask them to drop it for the next party and go back to the tasty tasty food they made the first time you went around?
How about if it became increasingly apparent, during your trips to the kitchen to aquire more booze, that they had all the necessary ingredients for the good stuff already in stock ? And that they’d been recently been leafing through the recipe? Wouldn’t you start to become frustrated with your friend?
HEY, IO INTERACTIVE. STOP DICKING AROUND WITH KANE & LYNCH AND ADMIT YOU’RE MAKING HITMAN 5. …
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News
Fallout: New Vegas sells 5 million copies, generates $300 million in revenue, says Bethesda (Fallout: New Vegas)
Nov 8, 2010Publisher Bethesda Softworks has just announced a very big milestone for its latest post-apocalyptic simulator, Fallout: New Vegas. According to the publisher, the game has passed the five million sales threshold in a matter of weeks… …
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Digital Foundry’s latest time-lapse video showcase.
The blasted remnants of the gambling capital of the world form the basis for the latest in Digital Foundry’s World in Motion time-lapse presentations. Fallout: New Vegas’s post apocalyptic vision of Nevada, its many and varied locations, plus of course its impressive day/night cycle were ideal subject matter for our efforts. In addition to that, the chance to put together a full-on 1080p presentation at 60 frames per second proved to be irresistible.
Unfortunately, as we discussed in the recent Face-Off, there’s little doubt that the tech itself is showing its age, its underpinnings dating back to the 2006 release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Even with PC settings ramped up to the absolute maximum, there’s no doubt that the lighting model is somewhat harsh on the environments, textures are of a fairly low quality, and the lack of dynamic shadows makes the renderer look positively ancient. The Gamebryo engine does support changing weather conditions (as seen in Fallout 3) but New Vegas appears to be somewhat one-note from a meteorological standpoint. Probably the most bizarre aspect of the video is the engine’s somewhat medieval outlook on the positioning of the Earth in relation to the sun and moon…
Despite the outdated engine, the world of Fallout: New Vegas is still extremely impressive in many ways. The accomplished implementation of HDR makes for some superb-looking sunrises and sunsets, and the draw distance is simply phenomenal. And just like the game itself, the concept behind the world is just so much more important than the tech that powers it.
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New release slate championed by Treyarch’s hotly hyped Cold War-era shooter; Nintendo’s new controller, Mario Anniversary bundles, PlayStation Move-exclusive The Fight: Lights Out round out the week.
One year ago this week Activision released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the critically and financially successful shooter from Infinity Ward. Now it’s Treyarch’s turn. The developer’s greatly hyped Call of Duty: Black Ops comes to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, DS, and PC on Tuesday. Analysts believe it could sell upwards of 18 million units, behind a huge preorder run.
Black Ops features a star-studded voice acting cast, a soundtrack composed by Sean Murray of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and will be available in three distinct editions ranging in price from $60 to $150. The Cold War-era shooter will also sport a Zombie mode, a fan-favorite component made famous by Treyarch’s Call of Duty: World at War.
Nintendo ushers in a new wave of control this week with the Wii Remote Plus. The Wii Remote Plus will debut on November 7 and will be sold in all-new Wii hardware packages and bundles. It will also be sold separately beginning on that date for $39.99. The Wii Remote Plus combines the original Wii Remote with the MotionPlus add-on.
Nintendo also will release two new Mario anniversary systems this week. The new Wii package–in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.–will include a red system, copies of New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Wii Sports, a Wii Remote Plus, and everything else normally associated with the system. It will debut at $200 and will be a limited edition.
Also being released on November 7 will be a new $180 DSi XL bundle. Similar to the Wii package, the DSi XL bundle is also a limited edition and is colored red in honor of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. This package will include a DSi XL with three themed graphics on its face, a copy of Mario Kart DS, and three preinstalled titles: Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math, and Photo Clock.
Making its way to shelves on the same day is FlingSmash, Nintendo’s latest controller/software pairing. The new SKU bundles a Wii Remote Plus with a copy of the game. According to Nintendo, FlingSmash “combines the hands-on fun of tennis with the nonstop action and instant gratification of pinball.” Nintendo employed a similar tactic with Wii Play when the company included a Wii Remote with the title. That game went on to become the best-selling game of all time in the United States. The FlingSmash bundle will retail for $49.99.
Also releasing this week is The Fight: Lights Out. A PlayStation Move exclusive, the title lets players fight in the dark and gritty underground with Sony’s new motion controllers, which have shipped more than a million units since releasing on September 17.
Those looking to the past for new fun can pick up The Sly Collection this week for the PlayStation 3. The bundle includes all three PlayStation 2 Sly games: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.
Besides having remastered HD graphics, The Sly Collection will boast 3D visuals–provided the player has a television that supports 3D. It will also support Sony’s PlayStation Move motion-sensing system, which hit the US market in September. In addition, the collection will have full trophy support, with remastering duties of the Sucker Punch-developed originals being handled by Sanzaru Games.
Gamers looking to bundle up this week can pick up the ESA Game Pack. Bearing the Entertainment Software Association’s logo, the $30 PS3 pack bundles copies of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, and Tomb Raider: Underworld.
Rounding out the week is the Wii version of the decently received Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 and Knights in the Nightmare for PSP. Those who purchase the latter will score a free digital copy of another Atlus PSP RPG remake, Yggdra Union. The game will be available to those who pick up Knights in the Nightmare from retailers or download it through the PlayStation Network.
For further details on the week’s games, visit GameSpot’s New Release page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7
FlingSmash–Wii–Nintendo
Wii Remote Plus
Nintendo DSi XL Anniversary bundle
Nintendo Wii Anniversary bundleMONDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Gods vs. Humans–Wii–Zallag
Nickelodeon Fit–Wii–2K Games
Noah’s Ark–DS–SouthPeak GamesTUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Beyblade: Metal Fusion–DS–Hudson Entertainment
Call of Duty: Black Ops–DS, Wii, X360, PS3, PC–Activision
Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles 2–DS, PC, Wii–O Games
Crime Lab: Body of Evidence–DS–City Interactive
ESA Game Pack–PS3–SCEA
Family Feud Decades–Wii–Ubisoft
Hasbro Family Game Night 1 & 2 Bundle–Wii–Electronic Arts
Just Dance Kids–Wii–Ubisoft
Karaoke Revolution Glee–Wii–Konami
Knights in the Nightmare–PSP–Atlus
Majesty 2: Battles of Ardania–PC–Paradox Interactive
Minute to Win It–Wii–Zoo Games
Monster Jam: Path of Destruction–X360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP–Activision
MySims Collections–Wii–Electronic Arts
Reload: Target Down–Wii–Mastiff
Remington Super Slam Hunting Africa–Wii–Mastiff
Remington Super Slam Hunting North America–Wii–Jack of All Games
Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer–DS, Wii–Crave
Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon–DS–Natsume
SingStar Dance–PS3–SCEA
Style Lab Fashion Design–DS–Ubisoft
The Fight: Lights Out–PS3–SCEA
The Sly Collection–PS3–SCEA
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2–Wii–UbisoftWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Chevrolet Camaro: Wild Ride–Wii–CokeM Interactive
Guwange–X360–Cave
Hidden Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials–DS–GameMill Publishing
Zhu Zhu Pets: Kung Zhu–DS–ActivisionRead and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Shippin’ Out November 7-13: Call of Duty: Black Ops, Wii Remote Plus” was posted by Eddie Makuch on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 09:36:59 -0700 -
News
Director Paul Anderson: Not playing games before adapting them is disrespectful (Prince of Persia (next-gen))
Nov 6, 2010At one time we’ve all done it, or seen it done. We’ve stood in front of the class and delivered a report on a book we’ve never read. Rarely was it ever successful, and even when it was, we all knew the report would have been better had we actually read the damn book. Yet Hollywood has been doing the same thing for years according to Paul Anderson, director of Resident Evil: Afterlife… …
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News
Director Paul Anderson: Not playing games before adapting them is disrespectful (Prince of Persia (next-gen))
Nov 6, 2010At one time we’ve all done it, or seen it done. We’ve stood in front of the class and delivered a report on a book we’ve never read. Rarely was it ever successful, and even when it was, we all knew the report would have been better had we actually read the damn book. Yet Hollywood has been doing the same thing for years according to Paul Anderson, director of Resident Evil: Afterlife… …
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Janco Partners’ Mike Hickey says Cold War-era shooter could generate $818 million; Sledgehammer pegged as Modern Warfare 2 developer; Tencent as COD Online partner in China.
For months, Call of Duty: Black Ops has been preordained as a best seller, with GameStop saying in October that it was
poised to break preorder records. Now analysts are beginning to weigh in on the game’s potential, with one professional prognosticator saying the game could nearly match sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.In a note sent out to analysts this morning, Janco Partners’ Mike Hickey said he believes that Black Ops could sell over 18 million units, generating $818 million. That’s less dollar-wise than the
$1 billion-plus generated by Modern Warfare 2 and 2 million units shy of the
20 million units the game had sold as of mid-June.Hickey also had some predictions for two other Call of Duty products. He believes the first-person shooter confirmed for the latter half of 2011 yesterday will indeed be Modern Warfare 3. However, instead of
Infinity Ward developing the game, as it was as of May, Hickey believes that the project has been passed over to newly founded studio Sledgehammer Games. The Redwood City, California, shop had been billed as working on an action adventure spin-off of the Call of Duty series, but a job listing revealed in May that it was working on a first-person shooter.The analyst also had some thoughts on Call of Duty Online, the massively multiplayer project being developed in Asia. He believes the game will launch next year and has the potential to generate $100 million during its first year alone.
He explained, “We’re beginning to favor [Chinese Internet portal] Tencent as the eventual operator of COD online in China considering their relative expertise running an item based sales model, game genre expertise (Crossfire operator), the successful regulatory navigating of genre specific concerns and the apparent callous attitude from Blizzard developers on working with Activision franchises, which we believe eliminates Call of Duty code development cooperating for Battle.net integration.”
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Call of Duty: Black Ops could sell over 18 million – Analyst” was posted by Tor Thorsen on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:44:02 -0700 -
Janco Partners’ Mike Hickey says Cold War-era shooter could generate $818 million; Sledgehammer pegged as Modern Warfare 3 developer; Tencent as COD Online partner in China.
For months, Call of Duty: Black Ops has been preordained as a best seller, with GameStop saying in October that it was
poised to break preorder records. Now analysts are beginning to weigh in on the game’s potential, with one professional prognosticator saying the game could nearly match sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.In a note sent out to analysts this morning, Janco Partners’ Mike Hickey said he believes that Black Ops could sell over 18 million units, generating $818 million. That’s less dollar-wise than the
$1 billion-plus generated by Modern Warfare 2 and 2 million units shy of the
20 million units the game had sold as of mid-June.Hickey also had some predictions for two other Call of Duty products. He believes the first-person shooter confirmed for the latter half of 2011 yesterday will indeed be Modern Warfare 3. However, instead of
Infinity Ward developing the game, as it was as of May, Hickey believes that the project has been passed over to newly founded studio Sledgehammer Games. The Redwood City, California, shop had been billed as working on an action adventure spin-off of the Call of Duty series, but a job listing revealed in May that it was working on a first-person shooter.The analyst also had some thoughts on Call of Duty Online, the massively multiplayer project being developed in Asia. He believes the game will launch next year and has the potential to generate $100 million during its first year alone.
He explained, “We’re beginning to favor [Chinese Internet portal] Tencent as the eventual operator of COD online in China considering their relative expertise running an item based sales model, game genre expertise (Crossfire operator), the successful regulatory navigating of genre specific concerns and the apparent callous attitude from Blizzard developers on working with Activision franchises, which we believe eliminates Call of Duty code development cooperating for Battle.net integration.”
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Call of Duty: Black Ops could sell over 18 million – Analyst” was posted by Tor Thorsen on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:44:02 -0700 -
Following stellar 2009, Aion creator sees revenues dip to $139 million while profit ticks up 1% to $42.6 million.
Throughout 2009, NCsoft routinely posted triple digit quarterly profit and revenue growth, due in large part to the success of its latest massively multiplayer online role-playing game Aion. And while the Korean publisher can’t say the same for its current in-progress fiscal year, the publisher certainly isn’t losing much ground, either.
Reporting on its July-September fiscal quarter this week, NCsoft said revenues came in at KRW155 billion ($139 million), down 6 percent from the same period a year ago. Likewise, profit was largely flat year-over-year, rising just 1 percent to KRW47.3 billion ($42.6 million).
The publisher attributed its sales slip to a decrease in performance out of its Lineage franchise. The publisher also said that it had increased its payroll, having ramped up headcount in its R&D department.
Aion continued to be NCsoft’s primary money maker. The angels-and-demons-themed fantasy MMORPG, which saw first release in Korea in 2008 before eventually debuting in the West in September 2009, accounted for 44 percent of the companies sales during the period, or KRW62.9 billion ($56.7 million).
Lineage and Lineage II contributed 28 percent and 20 percent, respectively, while City of Heroes/Villains, Guild Wars, and the rest provided the remaining 8 percent. The two Lineage series combined to achieve sales of nearly KRW69 billion ($62.2 million).
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“NCsoft Q3 sales slip 6%” was posted by Tom Magrino on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:41:47 -0700 -
Second helping of Namco Bandai multiplayer monster hunting game tops a quarter million sold in first week; latest release of Winning Eleven, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Fable II also make top 10.
North American game retailers are being assaulted with high-profile new releases these days, and they’re not alone. According to research firm Media Create, new releases accounted for five of the 10 best-selling games in Japan for the week of October 25-31. The week before, debuts took up six spots on the charts.
The biggest release of the week was God Eater Burst, the second installment in Namco Bandai’s multiplayer action series for the PSP. The four-player monster hunting formula paid off for the publisher again. Just eight months after the original God Eater sold more than 295,000 in its debut week, Burst arrived to sales of 263,150 copies. Konami’s latest installment in the Winning Eleven series (Pro Evolution Soccer in North America) was a close second, as the PlayStation 3 edition of the multiplatform soccer sim sold 215,257.
Nintendo was well represented with releases both new and old. The previous week’s chart topper, Super Mario All-Stars for the Wii, led the charge with a third place finish, followed by DS role-playing games Pokemon Black and White and Golden Sun: Dark Dawn in fourth and fifth, and Kirby’s Epic Yarn for the Wii in sixth. Wii Party, the latest of the console maker’s “evergreen” hits to take up long-term residence on the sales charts, finished in 10th place.
Microsoft also scored a rare top 10 finish for the week. Lionhead’s latest, Fable III, sold 20,025 copies at launch, good enough for the Xbox 360-exclusive action adventure game to secure eighth place.
The hardware race was reshuffled a bit this week, as sales were up almost across the board. Only the aged DS Lite saw its unit sales slip, while its successor, the DSi, more than doubled its numbers week-over-week. The DSi’s 32,2137 units sold was good enough for second place, as the PSP continued its strong run in Japan with another 38,874 sold. The Sony portable’s UMD-less cousin, the PSP Go, saw the largest sales spike for the week in terms of percentage, as it more than tripled the previous week’s sub-1,000 performance to finish with 3,031 units sold. While not exactly a chart topper, it was still good enough to get the system out of the sales chart cellar and ahead of both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox 360.
JAPAN GAME SALES WEEK OF OCTOBER 25-31, 2010
Software:
Rank / Title / Publisher / Platform / Unit sales
1. God Eater Burst / Namco Bandai / PSP / 263,150
2. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2011 / Konami / PS3 / 215,257
3. Super Mario All-Stars / Nintendo / Wii / 119,485
4. Pokemon Black and White / The Pokemon Company / DS / 68,686
5. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn / Nintendo / DS / 46,516
6. Kirby’s Epic Yarn / Nintendo / Wii / 25,257
7. Solatorobo: Sore kara Coda e / Namco Bandai / DS / 21,915
8. Fable III / Microsoft / 360 / 20,025
9. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 / Namco Bandai / PS3 / 19,090
10. Wii Party / Nintendo / Wii / 17,337Hardware:
PSP – 38,874
DSi LL – 32,137
PS3 – 28,255
DSi – 23,614
Wii – 12,710
DS Lite – 3,375
PSP Go – 3,031
Xbox 360 – 2,669
PS2 – 1,400Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Big in Japan Oct. 25-31: God Eater Burst” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:01:06 -0700