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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 11/7/2009: BioShock 2 zaps fourth dev house
PostPosted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 6:15 pm 
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Xbox handheld coming...eventually

Shortly before the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, rumors surfaced that Microsoft was on the verge of announcing the ZuneX. The ZuneX was purported to be a gaming handheld that integrated with Xbox Live Arcade and "ZuneX originals" and featured mobile-phone capabilities. That's a marked contrast from the current generation, which offers only a half-dozen games despite promises of titles that would be transferable from the Xbox 360.

The Xbox 360 may soon have a small, sleeker sibling.
With that rumor quickly marginalized as a phony by many industry watchers, Microsoft has now once again signaled that its portable gaming ambitions may extend beyond the struggling Zune. In an interview with gaming site Kikizo, Microsoft executive Shane Kim said that the Xbox brand is destined for the mobile platform.

"For us, it's a matter of focusing on 'when,'" said Kim, who transitioned from his role as head of Microsoft Game Studios to a strategic development position within the Interactive Entertainment and Devices division last year.

As for what's been holding up that "when," Kim said that the division has been focused on fleshing out the core Xbox 360 and Xbox Live experiences.

"If we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like instant-on 1080p HD, Facebook, Twitter, Project Natal," he said. "And so we've chosen to focus on the living room experience from a hardware standpoint, if you will, but we're building a service in Live that will...will extend to other platforms." [Emphasis in original.]

One other question facing the company is what form a mobile gaming device would take. "How do we enter into that market," pondered Kim. "Do we do our own device, do we create our own phone--that's a question for the company itself--do we continue to go down the Windows Mobile path, which is the path that we're on today, etcetera, etcetera."

Kim concluded by reemphasizing Microsoft's desire to be a player on all relevant platforms, whether that be consoles, desktops, or mobile devices.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 21/7/2009: Xbox handheld coming...eventually
PostPosted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 6:43 pm 
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That would be nice. :) Bai bai PSP. :P

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 21/7/2009: Xbox handheld coming...eventually
PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 6:20 pm 
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Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC, Sith Edition for PC, PS3, 360

LucasArts announces Luke Skywalker level coming to PSN, XBL this fall; retail edition will box up all previous downloadable content, exclusive add-on; game coming to Windows and Mac for first time.

Though not wholeheartedly embraced by critics, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has proved a massive hit for LucasArts, now selling over 6 million copies worldwide since its September 2008 release. Today at Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego, the company announced it is readying a downloadable expansion for the game, as well as a new retail configuration.

Due out this fall on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, the new Tatooine Downloadable Content will take place in the titular planet--but will offer a storyline not seen in any prior films or games. A sort of alternate history inside the Star Wars universe, the "Infinities" storyline will see players resume the mantle of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.

[WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!]

The DLC will begin after one of the game's numerous endings when the player kills Vader and becomes Emperor Palpatine's assistant and a Sith Lord. The malevolent galactic dictator then dispatches players to Tatooine, where they will try to track down and kill the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Along the way, players will encounter Jabba the Hutt's palace and bump into the bounty hunter Boba Fett--who, judging by the screenshots, isn't very welcoming.

As it turns out, Tatooine Downloadable Content will only be the first part of the "Infinities" storyline. The second, which will see the players travel to Hoth and do battle with Luke Skywalker, and wipe the last traces of the Rebellion from the galaxy. That add-on will only be available as part of a new boxed retail product. Available only for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition will include the original game, the Coruscant and Tatooine missions, as well as the Hoth level. It will be available this fall at an as-yet unannounced price.

Code: Select all

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 25/7/2009: Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC
PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:54 am 
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Oh
My
God
Can't wait. *Starts playing game again*

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 25/7/2009: Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC
PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:37 am 
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MrJoey wrote:
Oh
My
God
Can't wait. *Starts playing game again*

+1! Image
This looks a lot more promising than the Jedi Temple DLC.

If I look up the achievements in my XBL profile, it already shows the achievements, although greyed out until I unlock them. I'll put them in the spoiler below.
Don't look if you want to be surprised when it comes out.
Spoiler!

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 25/7/2009: Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC
PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:36 pm 
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Force Unleashed came out right about when trophies did, so there are none for it on PS3. :(

Started playing last night. :D
Spoiler!

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 25/7/2009: Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC
PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:01 pm 
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RuYi wrote:
This looks a lot more promising than the Jedi Temple DLC.]


that had to be one of the biggest rip offs ever. I kinda felt bad for my friend for wasting his money on something that took like 2 seconds to beat.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 25/7/2009: Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC
PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 7:24 pm 
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Yea my friend was super excited when he got that....lol i was pissing myself with
laughter at how we got ripped off :P

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 25/7/2009: Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 2:12 pm 
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MrJoey wrote:
Force Unleashed came out right about when trophies did, so there are none for it on PS3. :(

Started playing last night. :D
Spoiler!


I decided to replay the entire game on the highest difficulty. Which went pretty okay.
Spoiler!

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 25/7/2009: Force Unleashed unleashing more DLC
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:06 pm 
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Spoiler!

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 30/7/2009: Nintendo + Sony Suffer heavy Losses
PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 3:46 pm 
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Nintendo sales slide 40%, profits plummet 60%

Slowing hardware market, lack of hit new releases, currency fluctuation batter Mario maker's first fiscal quarter; worldwide Wii total tops 52 million.

Nintendo's successful strategy to expand the gaming audience with the Wii and the DS has accounted for much of the industry's growth over the past few years. So it should come as little surprise that when the industry as a whole suffers a multi-month malaise, it would be reflected in the console maker's sales figures.

Nintendo today reported its financial results for its first fiscal quarter, the three months ended June 30, and the numbers weren't pretty. Nintendo's revenues were down a full 40 percent from ¥423 billion ($4.45 billion) for the same period last year to ¥253 billion ($2.66) this year, while net profits for the same periods were down a steep 60 percent, from ¥107 billion ($1.12 billion) to just ¥42 billion ($442 million).

The publisher attributed the slide to a number of factors. First of all, Nintendo said it was hurt by a weaker lineup of software titles. The company's previous first fiscal quarter saw the international releases of Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii, compared to this year's first quarter slate headlined by the Japan-only debut of Wii Sports Resort. The DS couldn't pick up the slack, as Nintendo lamented that "there were few popular new titles," with Pokemon Platinum being the only game singled out for selling well during the quarter.

With no hit new games to sell the hardware, Nintendo also saw those figures drop significantly. For the quarter, Nintendo sold 2.23 million Wiis worldwide, just 43 percent of the 5.17 million it sold for the prior year's first quarter. The DS line of systems fared significantly better thanks to the international launch of the camera-equipped DSi, but still fell short of last year's mark. Consumers worldwide purchased 5.97 million DS systems over the quarter, down nearly 14 percent from 6.94 million sold in the previous first quarter. To date, Nintendo has sold 107.75 million DS systems worldwide, and 52.62 million Wiis.

Much like Sony explaining its own disappointing financial figures today, Nintendo also pointed to foreign currency exchange rates thanks to the strong Yen. Despite the numbers, Nintendo did not change its financial forecast for the year.

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PS3, PSP sales down as Sony Q1 losses hit $390 million

Global recession batters electronics giant as quarterly PS3 sales drop from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, PSP sales go from 3.7 million to 1.3 million; SCEI folded into new division.

Today, Sony reported its results for the April-June quarter, the first of its 2009 fiscal year--and the news was not good. For the period, the company reported net losses of ¥32.9 billion ($346 million at today's exchange rates, $343 million at constant exchange rates) on ¥1.599 trillion ($16.8 billion) in revenue. After taxes, net losses increased to ¥37.1 billion ($390.3 million). That's a major decrease from the ¥62.9 billion ($661.9 million) of net income and ¥1.979 trillion ($20.8 billion) in revenue it took during the same period 12 months previously. As bad as it was, though, the loss was less than analysts had predicted.

Unfortunately, direct year-on-year comparisons for Sony Computer Entertainment earnings are no longer possible. Today, the company announced the games division has been folded into a newly created sector, Networked Products & Services, which also includes VAIO PC sales, navigation system revenues, and income from "other networked businesses." (The move is only structural, and the SCEI name and organization will remain intact.) The new sector saw revenue drop from an equivalent ¥394.4 billion ($4.15 billion) in April-June 2008 to ¥246.8 billion ($2.6 billion) in April-June 2009. It posted a quarterly operating loss of ¥39.5 billion ($415.6 million), way down from the ¥4.6 billion ($48.4 million) in operating profit it reported during the same three months last year.

Sony did release console sales numbers for the period, which also painted a bleak picture. Quarterly worldwide PlayStation 3 sales dropped from 1.6 million units in the first quarter of the past fiscal year to 1.1 million units in the most recent fiscal quarter, while PSP sales plummeted from 3.7 million units to just 1.3 million units. PlayStation 2 figures were not provided, nor were sales of first-party games such as the critically lauded inFamous, released in late May. VAIO sales and profitability were also down, though Sony did not offer specific figures.

As for the culprits, Sony blamed an increase in the value of the yen, which reduces profitability from overseas markets such as the US and Europe. It also blamed the "slowdown in the global economy since September 2008" as a major factor. That slowdown was plainly evident in June, when the NPD Group reported US monthly game sales shrank 31 percent year over year.

Today's news comes less than three months after Sony reported a net loss of ¥98.9 billion ($1.03 billion) for its 2008 fiscal year, its first annual shortfall since 1995. That news, however, had a bit of a silver lining, as Sony Computer Entertainment reported a decreased operating loss of ¥58.5 billion ($612 million), an improvement over the ¥124.5 billion ($1.3 billion) it suffered in the year before. Also, annual sales for both the PSP and the PS3 were up, selling 14.11 million (an increase of 300,000) units and 10.06 million (an increase of 940,000) units, respectively.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 03/8/2009: Nintendo & Sony Suffer Losses
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:16 pm 
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US gamer population: 170 million - NPD

Industry research group's segmentation finds over half of all Americans play games; "Console Gamers" top 32.9 million, so-called "Extreme Gamers" clock nearly 40 hours a week.

For decades, baseball has been called "the American pastime." However, a new report from the NPD Group indicates that a majority of American citizens currently indulge in one common leisure activity--playing games.

NPD's just-released 2009 Gamer Segmentation Report dissects the US gaming market in depth, drawing on responses from nearly 21,000 people taken during a January survey. Using statistical sampling, the study estimates the domestic number of gamers increased by 4.3 million in 2008, going from 165.5 million to 169.9 million. According to the most recent estimate from the Census Bureau, the US population was just over 304 million in July--meaning around 55 percent of Americans play games in one form or another.

The research firm went on to break down the US gaming population into seven groups, four of which use both PC and non-PC platforms. The biggest group makes up what NPD calls "Secondary Gamers" (33.6 million), mostly female gamers who play less than four hours a week and don't own a console. The fastest-growing segment was the mostly male "Console Gamers" (32.9 million), who own at least one or two dedicated gaming machines and play around 12 hours per week. Next up is the shrinking "Heavy Portable Gamers" group (30.0 million), who own at least one portable and are the youngest group, with an average age of 19. The smallest section is the so-called "Extreme Gamers," whose gaming habit takes up nearly as much time as a 40-hour work week.

Though it does not lump them into a single category, NPD estimates that some 67.3 million Americans use the PC as their primary gaming platform. Up slightly at 25.9 million were "Online PC Gamers," a mostly female group who spent 73 percent of their eight hours of weekly game time online. The country's 17.3 million "Avid PC Gamers" were the most hardcore PC segment, playing 23 hours a week. Finally, "Offline PC Gamers," totaling 24.1 million, were the polar opposite of their online cousins, spending 82 percent of their time playing unconnected to the Internet.

The NPD's 2009 Gamer Segmentation Report can be found out on the company's official Web site.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 03/8/2009: US gamer population: 170 million - NPD
PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 6:34 pm 
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Blur streaking in November

Activision confirms Bizarre Creations' newest racing franchise will make its debut on the Xbox 360, PS3, PC later this year.

Activision Publishing president Michael Griffith appears to be a fan of slipping information out on Bizarre Creations' upcoming racer Blur beyond the traditional communication channels. In May, the Activision executive was the first to openly discuss any details of the game, saying as part of the publisher's fiscal year-end earnings conference call that the game was poised "to do for racing what Call of Duty did for shooters."

Yesterday, Activision held a post-earnings conference call to discuss its profitable April-June quarter, and Griffith again had information to share regarding Bizarre Creations' racer. According to the executive, Blur will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in November.

Initially described as "Mario Kart meets Forza," Blur incorporates destructive weaponry into the traditional race-to-the-finish-line gameplay. However, unlike Mario Kart's blue shells, Blur's power-ups, such as deployable mines, shunts, and barges, require precise aiming to use effectively. The game also features a range of licensed cars and real-world environments.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 08/8/2009: Blur streaking in November
PostPosted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:47 pm 
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Hirai claims PS3 profitable, explains new logo

SCEI CEO says console's hardware costs still exceed retail price, but platform earns a "gross profit" including software, accessories; new "PS3" logo aims to "reset thinking."

Even before last week's announcement of the $299 120GB PlayStation 3 Slim, Sony Computer Entertainment was talking up its improved manufacturing costs. In July, Sony Corp. CFO Nobuyuki Oneda told analysts that his company had reduced the PS3's production costs by 70 percent since its November 2006 launch. When that figure is applied to estimates from industry research firm iSuppli, it means that Sony would spend around $252 to manufacture each $299 console--generating a theoretical $47-per-PS3 profit.

Alas, according to SCE CEO Kaz Hirai, iSuppli's estimates are more than a bit off. When asked by the Times of London if Sony still loses money on each PS3 it sells, the executive said, "If you're just talking about the hardware alone, the quick answer is 'Yes.'" However, he went on to say that when PS3 software and accessories are taken into account, the console is generating money for the Tokyo-based electronics giant.

Said Hirai, "I think the better indicator is to look at the business as a whole platform, to ask 'Are you profitable in terms of the hardware, software, and peripherals?' And the answer to that question is 'Yes, on a gross profit level since the last fiscal year.'" However, Sony Networked Products & Services, the division of Sony Corp. that SCE is part of, posted a quarterly operating loss of ¥39.5 billion ($415.6 million) from April to June.

Besides confirming that Sony is planning a spring 2010 launch for the PS3's motion-sensing technology, Hirai discussed the console's new logo, first revealed in May by pictures leaked from the PS3 Slim assembly line. Instead of bearing the words "PlayStation 3" in the much-derided font from the Sony-produced Spider-Man films, the new console simply has "PS3" stamped on the side in sleeker, more futuristic letters. Hirai told the Times the change was both pragmatic and philosophical.

"On a practical level, when you have PlayStation 3 spelt out, the aspect ratio was such that if you wanted it on a billboard it became tiny," explained Hirai. "It didn't work in terms of visibility."

On the more esoteric side, the executive wanted the new logo to represent a connection to PlayStations past, which used the "PS" and "PS2" logos. He explained, "I wanted to send the message internally that we are resetting the thinking, going back to our roots. What better way to do it than by resetting the logo?"

Hirai also conceded that the throwback to the original PlayStation and the PlayStation 2, both of which have sold more than 100 million units, was more than cosmetic. "I think the PS3 had a bit of an identity problem," he said, referring to the prelaunch emphasis on its multimedia functions, including Blu-ray playback and Web browsing.

"When I came back to Japan in November 2006, one of the first things I did was to go out with a very clear message that said the PS3 is first and foremost a video game console, before we talk about any of the other great things it can do," emphasized Hirai. "Once we've done that, then we can talk about all the other things that it can do in terms of the non-game video content, whether it's the video delivery service or the catch-up TV service or the movie rental service. But none of that makes much sense unless we can say first and foremost it's a great video game console."

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 01/9/2009: Wii internet browser free again
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:15 pm 
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Wii internet browser free again

Nintendo offers up internet channel for free and users who have previously paid a free virtual console NES game.



When Nintendo originally unveiled the Opera web browser on the Wii (known as the Wii Internet Channel), it was assumed that it would be built into the console for free. However, Nintendo later let loose the news that it would have to be paid for in Wii points, before later announcing that it would be available for free, albeit for a limited time only.

Now, Nintendo has scrapped the 500 point charge and announced that the Internet Channel will be free once more to all users and for the life of the console. Users that have already paid for the channel will be offered a free virtual console NES title to the value of 500 points in late October. Gamers will be able to choose from titles such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Castlevania, and baby armed with a rattle platformer Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa.

The Wii and Playstation 3 are the only consoles to include some kind of web surfing, with the Xbox 360 lacking in the browser department, though applications to integrate web services such as Twitter and Last.fm (which is owned by GameSpot’s parent company CBS Interactive) are on the way. The Wii's browser not only allows for couch friendly surfing, but its Adobe flash support also allows for streaming video from sites such as YouTube and the BBC iPlayer in the UK, though at very low quality.

No details on how to get the channel have been announced, but Nintendo is promising updates on the Wii message board and on the Nintendo website.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 01/9/2009: Wii internet browser free again
PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:58 am 
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All-new 2D Sonic rolling out in 2010

Sega teases "built from the ground up" HD 2D adventure--codenamed Project Needlemouse--that aims to return to original game's speed-oriented play; teaser trailer inside.

Since he debuted just under years ago, Sonic the Hedgehog has been Sega's mainstay mascot. Today, the Japanese publisher revealed that it working on an all-new reinvention of the titular spiny spinner by taking him back to his two dimensional roots.

The new game, code-named Project Needlemouse, will debut sometime next year on as-yet unidentified consoles. So far, the only glimpse of the game has come via a mysterious teaser trailer, which only shows the outline of the new look of the hero at the end.

"Speed returns in an all new 2D adventure built from the ground up" declares the teaser trailer, before showing a blue blur zipping across the screen scooping up golden rings. Accompanying it is a litany of sound effects and visual cues from the first Sonic the Hedgehog, who launched worldwide in the summer of 1991 on the Sega Genesis system.

Since then, then character helped launch all of Sega's system until its last, the Dreamcast, went on sale 10 years ago. In the years since that console's implosion, Sonic has appeared on all its former rivals' consoles in dozens of games, and has undergone several high-profile reboots. The most recent titles to feature him were last fall's Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, and Sonic Unleashed, which was better reviewed on the Wii than PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 09/9/2009: BioShock 2 surfacing February 9
PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:02 pm 
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BioShock 2 surfacing February 9

Sequel to 2K's critically acclaimed first-person shooter gets firm release date across all territories on Xbox 360, PS3, PC.

Back in May, those eager to get back to Rapture after the events of BioShock thought they would not have long to wait, when 2K Games announced the game was to ship worldwide from the end of October. Alas, this was not to be, and BioShock 2, which was first officially confirmed in March 2008, was later moved to a "fiscal 2010" window, with Take-Two saying the game should be out between February and July.

It turns out that BioShock 2 will be released sooner rather than later, as 2K Games announced today that the dystopian shooter will be available worldwide on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on February 9. BioShock 2 is being developed by a host of different houses, with 2K Marin taking the reins on the single-player campaign and Digital Extremes crafting the multiplayer component. Support is also being provided by 2K Australia, 2K China, and Arkane Studios.

The single-player campaign is set 10 years after the events of BioShock, when, "along the Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture." The multiplayer component is set before the first game, allowing gamers a glimpse of life in Rapture as things started to go wrong in the undersea utopia, providing "a rich prequel experience that expands the origins of the BioShock fiction."

Bioshock 2 has yet to be rated, though its predecessor received an M-for-Mature rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 19/9/2009: BioShock 2 surfacing February 9
PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:23 am 
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Bioshock 2 FTW; definity a game worth waiting for.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 19/9/2009: BioShock 2 surfacing February 9
PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:28 am 
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now i have to decide whether to get it for 360 or PC...decisions...

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 19/9/2009: BioShock 2 surfacing February 9
PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:15 am 
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Nintendo named 'World's Best Company' by BusinessWeek

Entrepreneurial magazine ranks Wii maker as top enterprise of the year based on sales growth, value creation over past five years; Google, Apple ranked second, third.

Nintendo started its fiscal 2010 year off on a sour note, reporting in July that profits plummeted 60 percent on revenues down 40 percent during its April-June quarter. Still, it's hard to argue with earnings of $2.66 billion and income of $442 million during a three-month stretch, not to mention the publisher's skyward trajectory since 2004, when it launched the 100-million-unit-plus selling Nintendo DS.

In recognition of Nintendo's performance, BusinessWeek has placed the publisher at the top of its World's Best Companies 2009 list. BusinessWeek's rankings are compiled by management consulting firm A.T. Kearney, who sifted through the 2,500 largest publicly traded companies with a minimum of $10 billion in sales during 2008, 25 percent of which came from outside the home market. Companies were then ranked according to sales growth and value creation over the past five years.

A.T. Kearney valued Nintendo's 2008 annual sales at $16.8 billon, up 35.7 percent since 2004, when the publisher's GameCube struggled against Sony's best-selling PlayStation 2. As for value creation, which BusinessWeek defined as "the rise of market capitalization after subtracting any increase in capital," Nintendo has seen growth of 38.1 percent over the past five years.

"With visionary leadership and a three-tiered product development process that brings together top management, development staff, and marketing and administrative teams, the Japanese game maker been able to create new hardware without sticking to conventional notions in the video game industry," BusinessWeek wrote of the company.

Nintendo outpaced a number of other notable companies to secure the top spot in BusinessWeek's rankings. Google and Apple placed a respective second and third behind Nintendo, with South Korean construction products & services and shipbuilder Doosan Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries placing a respective fourth and fifth.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 08/10/2009: Nintendo named 'World's Best Company'
PostPosted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:31 am 
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$350 250GB PS3 hits US Nov. 3

Sony officially confirms long-rumored high-capacity Slim console will arrive pre-holidays; no word on North American bundles...yet.

Nearly two months after the 120GB PlayStation 3 Slim went on sale in North America, Sony has officially unveiled plans to release a higher-capacity version of the console domestically. Today, Sony Computer Entertainment America used the official PlayStation Blog to announce that it is releasing a 250GB PS3 Slim in North America on November 3 for a suggested retail price of $349.99.

The larger hard drive-equipped console was released in the UK and Europe on October 1 in a variety of bundles, including one containing the acclaimed PS3-exclusive Infamous. However, despite reports of an Uncharted 2 bundle bearing a North America-only ESRB rating label, so far SCEA has only announced plans for an a la carte version. Japan will be getting a limited-edition 250GB PS3 Slim packed in with Final Fantasy XIII in December.

Today's announcement will surprise few Sony-watchers, as the 250GB PS3 Slim was first revealed in August via a Federal Communications Commission filing. It will be the seventh hardware configuration of the console in the US, following the 120GB, 160GB, 80GB, 40GB, 20GB, and 60GB models released since the platform's 2006 launch.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 18/10/2009: $350 250GB PS3 hits US Nov. 3
PostPosted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 3:48 pm 
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I'd rather use that $50 towards a bigger drive. Not a bad idea from Sony considering many of the lazy/dumb people out there.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 22/10/2009: PC Modern Warfare 2 uproar
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:42 am 
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PC Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer change incites uproar

Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling explains new IWNet matchmaking service, which drops dedicated servers for streamlined experience.

Infinity Ward has seemingly been able to do no wrong in the lead-up to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's highly anticipated November 10 launch on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The game has for several months been the most preordered title in Activision's history, and analysts have floated lofty sales expectations of more than 11 million units worldwide by the end of the year.

Be that as it may, the developer did catch some flak over the weekend, after revealing on the Call of Duty-centric Bash and Slash podcast that the PC edition of the game would see dramatic changes to its online multiplayer component. Namely, community manager Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling took the lid off of IWNet, a new matchmaking service that eschews player-run dedicated servers in favor of a more structured and streamlined multiplayer experience.

Bowling's announcement was met with a swift, vitriolic reaction from the PC player base, prompting an online petition that has thus far accrued in excess of 128,000 signatures. Now, Bowling has moved to assuage fears for the PC multiplayer experience by way of a detailed rundown on his personal blog of what players can expect from the new IWNet matchmaking service.

Explaining the situation at the outset, Bowling noted that "the news, by default, means no more browsing through a server list for a server with the settings/ping you want among other things, and sent shockwaves through the hardcore PC community, leading to many more questions than answers as to 'HOW' this would work, and if it would really be better for the PC community as a whole."

As for that "how," Bowling said, "IWNet takes the benefits of dedicated servers and allows them to be utilized and accessed by every player, out of the box, while removing the barrier to entry for players unaware of how to maintain a server on their own."

Infinity Ward's community manager also noted that the studio has invested more into the PC edition of Modern Warfare 2 than any other installment in the franchise, loading it out with the most features as a result. Specifically, the service streamlines the server-selection process by identifying the best possible match for any given player, based on criteria of lag, preferences, and skill level.

IWNet will also support private matches, for those who have a specific set of people they'd like to play with or who wish to participate in custom-rules matches. The service also accommodates friends lists, letting gamers form a party and move between different matches together. Lastly, the service also incorporates Valve's Anti-Cheat (VAC) system, used in such multiplayer games as Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead, to prevent player hacking and other disruptive behavior.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 22/10/2009: PC Modern Warfare 2 Uproar
PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:27 am 
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Unedited Left 4 Dead 2 banned in Australia

Valve's hyperviolent survival-horror FPS refused classification by appeal board, modified version due for release on 360, PC Nov. 17.

Australia's Classification Board remains keen on keeping the unedited version of Valve's survival horror shooter Left 4 Dead 2 out of the hands of the living. Today, the country's Classification Review Board unanimously agreed to refuse classification to the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2. The appeal committee's decision upholds the software rating board's initial assessment from September and prevents the unedited version from being sold, advertised, or demonstrated in Australia.

In its decision, the three-member panel determined that the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2 "contains a level of violence which is high in impact, prolonged, repeated frequently and realistic within the context of the game." The review board took exception to the "insufficient delineation between the depiction of general zombie figures and the human figures, as opposed to the clearly fictional 'infected' characters," saying this point was central in its appraisal of how the game would affect minors.

Though the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2 is effectively banned in Australia, gamers down under will still be able to purchase and play a heavily altered edition of the game. Shortly following Valve's initial appeal of the Australian rating board's decision in October, the organization granted an MA 15+ rating to a version of the game that did not contain "depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail, or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment."

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 22/10/2009: PC Modern Warfare 2 Uproar
PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:31 pm 
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satman83 wrote:
Unedited Left 4 Dead 2 banned in Australia

Valve's hyperviolent survival-horror FPS refused classification by appeal board, modified version due for release on 360, PC Nov. 17.

Australia's Classification Board remains keen on keeping the unedited version of Valve's survival horror shooter Left 4 Dead 2 out of the hands of the living. Today, the country's Classification Review Board unanimously agreed to refuse classification to the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2. The appeal committee's decision upholds the software rating board's initial assessment from September and prevents the unedited version from being sold, advertised, or demonstrated in Australia.

In its decision, the three-member panel determined that the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2 "contains a level of violence which is high in impact, prolonged, repeated frequently and realistic within the context of the game." The review board took exception to the "insufficient delineation between the depiction of general zombie figures and the human figures, as opposed to the clearly fictional 'infected' characters," saying this point was central in its appraisal of how the game would affect minors.

Though the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2 is effectively banned in Australia, gamers down under will still be able to purchase and play a heavily altered edition of the game. Shortly following Valve's initial appeal of the Australian rating board's decision in October, the organization granted an MA 15+ rating to a version of the game that did not contain "depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail, or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment."


What a bunch of faggots.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 23/10/2009: Unedited Left 4 Dead 2 banned in Oz
PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:41 am 
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How is L4D2 even like.. just lol.

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 Post subject: GAME NEWS 29/10/2009: Nintendo 6 month profit falls 52%
PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:38 pm 
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Nintendo six-month profit falls 52%, full-year estimates cut

Weakening Wii sells only 5.75 million units during six months, down from 10.1 million; just $2.5 billion in annual profit now expected; new large-screen DSi hits Japan November 21.

Anyone doubting that the Wii's momentum is ebbing was rebuked today by Nintendo's own earnings report. For the six months ended September 30, 2009, the company saw its profits plummet by 52 percent, falling from ¥144.8 billion ($1.6 billion) from April to September 2008 to ¥69.5 billion ($766 million) from April to September 2009. On a year-on-year comparison, overall revenues fell from ¥836.9 billion ($9.22 billion) to ¥548.1 billion ($6.0 billion), a decline of 34.5 percent.

As has been indicated by both American and Japanese sales reports, the main reason for Nintendo's flagging fortunes is the Wii's slowing sales. Worldwide, the console sold just 5.75 million units during the six-month period, down from 10.1 million during the same period in 2008. Lifetime sales of the Wii now total 56.14 million units.

Wii software was less impacted, falling from 81.4 million to 76.2 million during the six-month window. This trend may change, though, since the Wii's price dropped to $200 in the US at the end of September.

In a brief statement, the company admitted a lack of blockbuster games was partly to blame for the Wii's flagging fortunes. "With respect to the Wii, software titles which briskly drive hardware sales were not launched in the first half of the [fiscal] year [ending March 2010]," read the statement. "In addition, the negative impact of the Wii hardware price reduction and appreciation of the yen were also absorbed."

The DS platform fared better, with worldwide April-September hardware sales dipping slightly from 13.7 million units to 11.7 million units. The figure included some 7.2 million units of the DSi handheld, which has now sold 10.1 million units since launching last November in Japan and in April in the US and EU. Life-to-date DS hardware sales now total 113.48 million units, but DS software sales fell from 85 million units to 71.1 million units during the last six months.

Despite today's announcement of the new, larger-screen DSi LL, Nintendo believes that decreased Wii and DS sales will impact its earnings more than previously expected. The company revised its profit estimate for the year ending March 31, 2010, to ¥230 billion ($2.5 billion), down from the ¥300 billion ($3.3 billion) it had previously forecast. The new figure marks a decrease from the nearly 280 billion yen ($3.1 billion) profit the company posted for the financial year ending March 31, 2009.

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 29/10/2009: Nintendo 6 month profit falls 52%
PostPosted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:35 pm 
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Sony six-month losses nearly $700 million, PS3 sales up

Better-than-expected July-Sept. quarter sees current-gen console sales jump to 3.2 million, but PSP sales fall to 3 million and PS2 sales drop to 1.9 million; annual loss estimate lowered.

Today, Sony announced it took a ¥63.2 billion ($696 million) net shortfall during the same period, following the $1.03 billion annual loss it reported in May--its first since 1995. Revenue for the April-September period was ¥3.261 trillion ($35.85 billion), down from ¥4.051 trillion ($44.54 billion) during the same period in 2008.

While substantial, Sony's red ink was less than that predicted by a Thomson Reuters new service survey of analysts, thanks to a better-than-expected ¥26.3 billion ($289 million) net loss on during July-September quarter. During that time, the company took in ¥1.66 trillion ($18.26 billion) in revenue, down from ¥2.07 trillion ($22.77 billion) during the same period the year prior.

The three-month period saw Sony's Networked Product and Services Division, which includes Sony Computer Entertainment, generate ¥352.6 billion ($3.88 billion) in operating revenue for an operating loss of ¥ 58.8 billion ($646 million). Though it did not break out SCE's earnings, Sony did say that "sales in the game business decreased year on year primarily as a result of the appreciation of the yen, as well as a decrease in unit sales of PlayStation 2 hardware and software." The company's admission comes just two days after it used the platform's ninth birthday to declare the PS2 was "showing no signs of slowing down."

Indeed, quarterly PS2 sales dropped from 2.5 million units in July-September 2008 to 1.9 million units during the same time frame in 2009. Quarterly PSP sales were also down, falling from 3.2 million units to 3.0 million units. But thanks to the introduction of the $300 slimline model in late August, PS3 unit sales rose from 2.4 million units to 3.2 million units.

Sony also cited lower movie revenue and declining sales of its VAIO laptops, Bravia HDTVs, and Sony Ericsson mobile phones as other reasons for its losses. However, a doubling in finance-sector revenue, an increase in music revenue boosted by sales of the late Michael Jackson's albums, and eventual savings from a massive companywide restructuring, which saw 16,000 jobs eliminated, caused the company to raise its full-year earnings projections. The company now expects to lose ¥95 billion ($1.04 billion), down from ¥120 billion ($1.32 billion).

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 01/11/2009: Sony 6-month losses $700 million
PostPosted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:58 pm 
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hmmm i wonder how much microsoft lost on 360

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 Post subject: Re: GAME NEWS 01/11/2009: Sony 6-month losses $700 million
PostPosted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:32 am 
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Gran Turismo 5 sporting $60 million budget

Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi reveals next year's sprawling racing simulator cost nearly three times as much as Killzone 2.

t's no secret that Gran Turismo 5 is one of the most anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusives ever. As it turns out, it's also one of the most expensive. Two years after a Dutch newspaper pegged the budget of Killzone 2 at $21 million, Autoweek has revealed that the expansive racing simulator will cost nearly three times that.

Speaking to the magazine, Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi said the budget for the game is around $60 million. That makes it among the most expensive games ever made--but not the most expensive, according to Yamauchi.

"There are other games that cost more," said the famously perfectionist designer "Considering the size and scale of the game, I think it's probably a fairly small amount."

Yamauchi wasn't shy about telling Autoweek what Gran Turismo 5's massive budget produced. The game will have nearly 1,000 cars sporting 400,000 polygons each--100 times more polygons than Gran Turismo 4's vehicles had. However, unlike its predecessor, the cars in the game will take actual damage when they crash and will be fully customizable.

As outlined at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, the game will have 20 locations and 70 variations of tracks to choose from. It is also an official license of several prominent racing organizations, such as NASCAR and the World Rally Championship. The game is due out in March in Japan, with a Western release "probably" happening in early 2010, according to Yamauchi.

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