News
-
Microsoft stat dump focuses on online service’s expanding offerings; Xbox 360 installed base pegged at 42 million people across 35 countries.
Xbox Live began as a way for console gamers to hook up with friends and play online against one another, but Microsoft has steadily expanded the service’s usefulness in the nearly eight years since it debuted on the original Xbox. Since that time, Microsoft has added downloadable games through Xbox Live Arcade and Games on Demand, TV shows and movies through the Zune Marketplace and Netflix integration, music through GameSpot sister-site Last.fm, and social media options like Twitter and Facebook. On top of those offerings, next week’s dashboard update will include ESPN programming and the Zune Music streaming service.
Xbox Live users are increasingly taking advantage of a number of these added options, according to a round of statistics Microsoft released today. Most strikingly, the company said the 25 million Xbox Live members worldwide combined are logging more than 1 billion hours a month on the service. That breaks down to each member averaging a 40-hour work week on Xbox Live each month.
That number could be rising in the future as well. Next month, Microsoft will roll out Xbox Live in an additional nine countries: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Russia, and South Africa.
Microsoft also gave an update on its Xbox 360 worldwide installed base, revealing that the company has sold 42 million of the consoles in 35 countries worldwide. The owners of those systems are also watching movies and TV shows on their Xbox 360s more than two and a half times as much as they used to (a 157 percent increase in the last year), according to Microsoft. Among Xbox Live Gold paid subscribers, 42 percent average an hour of watching TV or movies through Xbox Live every day.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Xbox Live users tally 1 billion hours a month” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:59:42 -0700 -
Could happen “one day” though.
From Software currently has no plans to start work on a sequel to its critically acclaimed PlayStation 3 action RPG Demon’s Souls, producer Takeshi Kajii has revealed.
Kajii told The Guardian, “At the moment, my answer is ‘no sequel!'”
Dry your eyes though he wouldn’t rule out the prospect of revisiting the franchise at some point in the future.
-
Could Hitman 5 be in trouble?
35 staffers are rumoured to have been made redundant at Danish studio IO Interactive.
3D Realms boss George Broussard tweeted, “Layoffs at Io Interactive (Kane&Lynch/Hitman). As many as 35, and a project cancelled. Tis’ the season.”
Broussard has been right about these things before. Earlier this week he correctly forecast redundancies at EA.
-
Percolating panchinko market propels House of Sonic into the black; game sales rise 2.9%, but game profits fall 1.3%.
Like its blue-haired mascot Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Sammy managed to collect many coins over the past six months. Enough coins, in fact, to return to profit after struggling during the same period last year. For the six months ending September 30, the company reported ¥24.3 billion ($302.1 million) in profits on ¥217.8 billion ($3.4 billion) in revenues. That’s a massive improvement over the ¥6.3 billion ($78.3 million) loss and ¥153.4 billion ($1.9 billion) in revenues it took in during the same period the year prior.
The big reason behind the company’s resurgence was a robust Panchinko and Pachislot division, which saw six-month net sales increase 96.5 percent to ¥134.2 billion ($1.66 billion). Operating profit for the division, which sells the pinball-like machines across Japan, more than tripled to ¥47.6 billion ($591.7 million).
The company’s consumer business division, which also includes the Sega game publishing label, saw sales rise 2.9 percent to ¥38.7 billion ($481.2 million) but saw operating income fall ¥1.3 billion ($16.2 million).
“In the home video game software industry, the demand was generally weak in the US and European markets due to sluggish personal consumption,” read Sega Sammy’s report.
During the April-September period, Sega sold 6.6 million software units worldwide: 3.2 million units in the US, 2.15 million units in Europe, and 1.24 million units in Japan and other regions. The company called out two titles as bestsellers: the music title Hatsune Miku: Project Diva 2nd and Kurohyou: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinshou, the first PSP game in the Yakuza series.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Sega Sammy posts $302.1 million profit” was posted by Tor Thorsen on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:59:32 -0700 -
Blur gets in on the act too.
Both Gears of War 2 and Blur are celebrating Halloween by offering all gamers extra multiplayer XP this weekend.
XP in all of Gears of War 2’s multiplayer modes will rocket to 31 times the standard amount.
There’s also a special chainsaw massacre edition of Horde planned. Lancer-only matches will have, “no more chainsaw interrupts to save your enemies (or you!) from certain gory evisceration,” according to the game’s official website.
-
Portly plumber’s 25th anniversary compilation dethrones Pokemon as Vanquish, Medal of Honor, more new releases storm Japanese sales charts.
After five straight weeks atop Media Create’s Japanese game sales charts, Pokemon Black and White were finally bested during the October 18-24 period. Fans of the pocket monster hunting franchise can take some solace in the knowledge that it took a budget-priced release celebrating the 25th anniversary of an even bigger Nintendo icon to push Pokemon down the podium.
The Wii release of Super Mario All-Stars sold 307,755 copies in its debut week to take the top spot on the charts. The anniversary package includes all four Super Mario games from the NES (including the entirely different American and Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2), as well as a retrospective booklet and soundtrack CD. The game sells for ¥2,500 ($31) in Japan and will launch in North America for $30 on December 12.
The Super Mario retrospective led a cavalry charge of new releases on the Japanese charts. The next-best-selling new game was Namco Bandai’s Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, which came in third with 63,675 copies sold, trailing Pokemon Black and White in second with 81,915 sold. A third new release also managed to make the top five, as Shinji Mikami’s sci-fi shooter Vanquish debuted in the fourth spot, selling 48,318 copies.
Another three new releases took up residence in the back half of the top 10, starting with Electronic Arts’ Medal of Honor. The modern-day Afghanistan-set shooter came in sixth place with 25,265 sold, and the publisher scored another new game on the charts with FIFA Soccer 11’s ninth-place finish (18,995 sold).
The PlayStation Move motion-sensing controller was also released during the week, though it managed to place only one game in the top 10. The audio-driven art game Beat Sketcher finished in eighth place with 22,165 copies sold. Time Crisis: Razing Storm, the Resident Evil 5 Move Edition bundle, and Sports Champions also managed to make it into the top 20.
On the hardware chart, sales were down across the board. The consoles and handhelds finished in the same order as they did the previous week, with the PSP and PlayStation 3 on top, followed by Nintendo’s DS family and Wii. After several weeks of relatively high sales, the PSP Go also saw its sales backslide for the week, as it dipped below 1,000 units sold after two weeks above that threshold.
JAPAN GAME SALES WEEK OF OCTOBER 18-24, 2010
Software:
Rank / Title / Publisher / Platform / Unit sales
1. Super Mario All-Stars / Nintendo / Wii / 307,755
2. Pokemon Black and White / The Pokemon Company / DS / 81,915
3. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 / Namco Bandai / PS3 / 63,675
4. Vanquish / Sega / PS3 / 48,318
5. Kirby’s Epic Yarn / Nintendo / Wii / 35,633
6. Medal of Honor / Electronic Arts / PS3 / 25,365
7. Lord of Arcana / Square Enix / PSP / 24,939
8. Beat Sketcher / Sony Computer Entertainment / PS3 / 22,165
9. FIFA Soccer 11 / Electronic Arts / PS3 / 18,995
10. Wii Party / Nintendo / Wii / 15,895Hardware:
PSP – 32,591
PS3 – 20,128
DSi LL – 15,819
DSi – 14,703
Wii – 11,971
DS Lite – 3,887
Xbox 360 – 2,162
PS2 – 1,222
PSP Go – 924Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Big in Japan Oct. 18-24: Super Mario All-Stars” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:00:28 -0700 -
Ben Feder exits for extended family vacation; Strauss Zelnick stepping in, Karl Slatoff named COO.
This past January saw a shake-up of the board of Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of publishing labels Rockstar Games (Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto IV) and 2K Games (Borderlands, Civilization V). At the request of activist investor Carl Icahn and other stockholders, who hold a 14 percent stake in Take-Two, CEO Ben Feder and two others left the board to make room for stockholder-chosen candidates.
Now, Feder is leaving Take-Two altogether. This morning, the company announced that the executive is stepping down “in order to pursue plans to travel in Asia with his family for an extended period.” He remains a partner in ZelnickMedia, the company that took over the top ranks of Take-Two in a shareholder coup in March 2007.
ZelnickMedia’s head is Strauss Zelnick, who also serves as chairman of Take-Two’s board. As of January 1, he will step into Feder’s shoes as CEO, with a newly created COO position being filled by executive vice president Karl Slatoff. Slatoff is also a member of ZelnickMedia.
Though Feder and Zelnick both issued statements underlining the company’s strong post-Red Dead Redemption finances, the former’s tenure was not exactly a smooth ride. Perhaps the biggest event of Feder’s stint was a 2008 bid by Electronic Arts to take over Take-Two, a move company management fought vociferously. The deal, which would have seen EA pay more than double Take-Two’s current $10.40 share price, fell through in September of that year.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Take-Two CEO resigns, chairman taking over” was posted by Tor Thorsen on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:54:50 -0700 -
Ocarina of Time, Pilotwings are first up.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Pilotwings Resort, Nintendogs + Cats and Steel Diver will be the first party 3DS launch titles, judging by a release schedule included in Nintendo’s annual fiscal report.
The list, posted by GoNintendo, states that the four games are down for a Spring release in Japan.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is listed merely for 2011. Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Animal Crossing and Starfox 64 3D are all down as “TBA”.
-
WBIE and Day 1’s spooky shooter given early spring release date on Xbox 360, PS3, PC; preorder deals detailed.
The obvious release date for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Day 1 Studios’ F.E.A.R. 3 would have been right about now, considering millions of creepy children (and adults) will be seeking out scares over the weekend to celebrate Halloween. However, with the publisher in August bumping the game into 2011, Warner Bros. will still be capitalizing on Halloween by announcing the game’s official release date: March 22, 2011.
As a second treat to fans looking forward to F.E.A.R. 3, WBIE also detailed the horror-themed first-person shooter’s preorder bonuses, which will vary by retailer. Those who pick up the game in advance through Amazon will be offered an exclusive F.E.A.R. 3 12-page comic book, which was written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Stefano Raffaele, and produced by DC Comics. In it, gamers will find a prequel story to F.E.A.R. 3, set immediately after the original game.
GameStop and Best Buy preorderers will be offered exclusive in-game items. Best Buy buyers will be offered The Shredder, a high-powered sidearm designed to take down fast enemies. GameStop prepurchasers will gain access to The Hammer, which was wielded by the original game’s antagonist, Paxton Fettel, and has a high damage output.
F.E.A.R. 3 will be the third full-fledged installment in the first-person shooter series, which began in 2005. The forthcoming game will continue the franchise’s storyline but will add an all-new “divergent co-op” mode that will let players assume the role of one of two characters. Players can step into the shoes of Point Man, the genetically engineered supersoldier who appeared in the first F.E.A.R., or his brother, the aforementioned Fettel, who has telekinetic powers.
In an effort to enhance the horror element of F.E.A.R. 3, Warner Bros. has enlisted horror film director John Carpenter to advise on development of the game. After coming to prominence with the 1978 cult hit Halloween, the filmmaker has been behind the camera on such cult hits as Escape From New York, the remake of The Thing, and They Live.
For more on F.E.A.R. 3, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“F.E.A.R. 3 horrifying March 22” was posted by Tom Magrino on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:12:54 -0700 -
5th Cell announces Hybrid, a postapocalyptic title for Xbox Live Arcade, due out in 2011.
The developer behind the Drawn to Life and Scribblenauts franchises has unveiled its next project, and it’s not akin to anything the developer has been previously known for.
5th Cell’s new project appears to be an action title of sorts and is titled Hybrid. Set in a postapocalyptic world, the game is due out on the Xbox Live Arcade sometime in 2011. Hybrid will mark the developer’s first foray into console development. It was first hinted at in August, when it was revealed that the studio’s next project would use Valve’s Source Engine.
Firm details on the game’s narrative or gameplay mechanics are absent, but a website, WhatIsHybrid.com, is up and running. On the page are details on two factions: Paladin and Variant. Further, journal entries for both sides shed some light on where the plot may lead.
“Always weird to see actual humans ” reads a line from the Paladin entry. “They look at you, glassy eyed like they don’t know what you’re going to do to ’em. We just passed them by. Our captain is pretty sure we’ve recruited all the able-bodied survivors in this city. Now it’s just a matter of kicking the Variants out ”
“I have personally killed a thousand or more Paladin Wounded twice that many, yet an insignificant dream is unable to shake me?” reads a part of the Variant entry. “Has the time arrived for me to confess this weakness to the grand marshal? If he deems me weak, I shall accept whatever the consequence.”
Also embedded on the website is a teaser trailer for Hybrid. It doesn t show gameplay, but it provides a glimpse into the game’s ravaged world. Two power-armored figures confront each other, and the screen orders the viewer, “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
For more on 5th Cell’s most recent work, check out GameSpot’s review of Super Scribblenauts.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Scribblenauts developer announces next game” was posted by Eddie Makuch on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:08:49 -0700