It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when you consider GTA didn’t have much time to sell in April, but it was a much closer contest for the top spots in May than you might have guessed. While the 360 version of GTA IV did take the top spot with 871.3k copies sold, Mario Kart was right on its heels with 784.4k and Wii Fit not too far behind at 687.7k. The PS3 version of GTA IV came in at number four with 442.9k and then there was a significant drop off to number five, Wii Play, which sold 294.6k copies.

Wii Play’s number is actually fairly low given the number of Wii systems that were sold in the month, but it’s quite possible that many of those Wiis were sold alongside a copy of Wii Fit, which isn’t a multiplayer-happy game like so many other games in the system’s library.

The DS and Wii also took four more spots in the top ten with Smash Bros., Guitar Hero III, and the two versions of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon coming in at numbers 6, 8, 9, and 10. Iron Man on the unkillable PlayStation 2 snuck in at number 7, no doubt thanks in large part to the movie’s great success.

May 2008 Software Sales:

1. Grand Theft Auto IV (360) – 871,300
2. Mario Kart Wii w/ wheel (Wii) – 787,400
3. Wii Fit w/ balance board (Wii) – 687,700
4. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) – 442,900
5. Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) – 294,600
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) – 171,100
7. Iron Man (PS2) – 130,600
8. Guitar Hero III (Wii) – 116,800
9. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS) – 107,000
10. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS) – 102,000

Metal Gear Solid 4 is sure to come in highly with the June NPDs, and it’ll be difficult to overcome both Grand Theft Auto and a continued stream of Wii Fit copies. It’s definitely got a good shot at outselling them, though, and with those hard-to-come-by MGS4 bundles selling like crazy, the PS3 will be sure to see a nice bump in the first month of summer.

All sorts of downloadable goodness has been added to the PlayStation Store today of both the free and premium variety. Syphon Filter 3 for PSone is now available for $6. It’s not a terrible game, but it’s not nearly as good as the earlier Syphon Filter games. Also in the land of playable games is free demo of Quake Wars — from having tried the demo out on 360, I can pretty safely say that the game did not translate all that well to consoles. It’s still worth checking out if you never got to try the PC version, but chances are you’ll find it to be an overwhelming experience.

In the land of rhythm games, Guitar Hero III and Rock Band each have a handful of tracks now available. Guitar Hero got the Isle of Wight Festival track pack and Rock Band got the MTV2 Pack 01, plus an additional track.

There’s plenty more, including an MGS4 theme and all sorts of trailers. Hit the break for a list of all of the new content.

Read the full article

With the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 on the horizon, it looks like rumors pertaining to the series are starting to fly. One of the latest of these purports that Konami may already be working on a new PSP title, called “Metal Gear 3: Revolver Ocelot.” Apparently, the game will take place between Portable Ops and Metal Gear 2 (note: that’s not Metal Gear Solid 2). The game will also play a lot like Portable Ops, but with Revolver Ocelot as the main character. Word is that Konami will be revealing this new game officially at E3 this year. I hope this rumor turn out to be true. I have a feeling I’ll be itching for more Metal Gear action once I finish up with MGS4.

Via GameRush

June is shaping up to be a pretty decent month in the way of gaming releases. Already we have been handed Kung Fu Panda, LEGO Indiana Jones, Ninja Gaiden II, The Bourne Conspiracy, The Incredible Hulk, and Summon Nights: Twin Age. But what else does the month leading into Summer hold for us?Plenty, and I have next week’s releases listed for you right here:

June 9

• Don King Presents: Prize Fighter – Xbox 360

June 10

• Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm – PC, Xbox 360
• Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit – PS3, Xbox 360
• EVE Online: Empires Age (Expansion) – PC
• Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles – Nintendo DS
• Looney Toons: Cartoon Conductor – Nintendo DS
• My Fashion Studio- Nintendo DS
• NASCAR 09 – PS2, PS3,Xbox 360

June 12

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Regular and Limited Edition) – PS3

All release dates are subject to availability, so some may be in stores on the day listed, the day before, or the day after so check with wherever you purchase your games because shipping times vary.

Ho…lee…crap. I knew the new 80GB PS3 bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4 was in high demand, but still, wow. At about 10 AM PST, Amazon.com began taking pre-orders again for the upcoming bundle. By 10:07, they were all gone; thousands of them in mere minutes. So many people flooded the site in fact, that it looks like Amazon.com is down for the moment. It makes sense really, considering you’re basically getting a system with a top-notch exclusive thrown in to boot, which is one heck of a deal. I was actually placing a pre-order myself earlier today, but didn’t want to wait the extra few days it would take for the bundle to arrive. I really hope I don’t end up kicking myself for that decision next Thursday.

Via PS3Fanboy

One of the main news bits sweeping through gaming sites this week has been the controversial restrictions placed on reviews for the game by Konami. Namely, the publisher required reviewers to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that their review would not give details about the length of the game’s cut scenes and install time, which raised quite a bit of controversy (for good explanation of why, you should check out the Sessler’s Soapbox video on the matter). Well now Ryan Payton, Assistant Producer for Kojima Productions, has chimed in in hopes of setting the record straight. In a recent letter to Kotaku, Payton outlined exactly what restrictions were listed in the NDA and even flat out reveals the install time (8 minutes). He also went on to explain their reasoning behind the restrictions and stated that they were a little “outdated.” Their main concern, he says, was that revealing the length of cut scenes –or more specifically, which ones were the longest — would ruin the “experience” of the game for some players, as they would be expecting them. They didn’t mean for the subject of their length to be avoided entirely, but didn’t want them getting down to specifics about how long they are. Their argument for the install times follows the same logic of not wanting to ruin the game for people, as there are a couple of three-minute installs between acts. Finally, Payton added that reviewers are welcome to discuss the length of the cut scenes and install times, but to refrain from mentioning too many specifics.

He certainly makes a valid argument, but I’m still with Adam Sessler on this one. The length of the cut scenes really is something that a consumer might weigh into their decision on whether to buy the game or not, and using vague terms isn’t always going to get the message across. There’s a big difference between saying “the cut scenes are really long” and “there’s one 90-minute cut scene” (though that last point is still a rumor). I can understand Konami not wanting to spoil the game for people, but these restrictions kind of cross a fine line. Besides, just the mere act of reading a review is going to influence your expectations of a game anyway.

You can read Payton’s full letter after the break.

Read the full article

Leave it to Adam Sessler to break down the main points surrounding the recent controversy stemming from Metal Gear Solid 4’s reviews. You’ve probably heard how Konami placed restrictions on what could be mentioned in official reviews of the game, particularly in regards to the length of the game’s cut scenes and install time. In this week’s Sessler’s Soapbox, he basically explains just what the big flippin’ deal is and why this sort of practice really only makes everyone uncomfortable. He probably should’ve also pointed out that these non-disclosure agreements are legally binding, so reviewers can’t simply ignore the publisher’s requests (that was my initial reaction until I thought about).

Via G4TV

The release of Metal Gear Solid 4 is so close now that you can almost get a hint of Snake’s old man smell. James Price of Piggyback Interactive has been working on the official guide for the game, and he’s provided his top 12 tips at PlayStation.Blog.

The Solid Eye

When you first obtain this item, you’ll find life in the field infinitely easier if you keep the Solid Eye selected in your items window most of the time. This gadget, which enables the Baseline Map radar function when active, has three modes: Normal, NV and Binos. When selected, the Solid Eye will display basic data for both enemies and allies, such as which faction they belong to. As it can be too easy to accidentally open fire on your allies during a hectic firefight, this information can be decisive. You’ll find that “friendlies” are much less likely to help you if you start spraying lead indiscriminately, and they may even turn on you if suitably provoked. The information shown is color-coded. Gold, the default color, denotes a neutral character, blue indicates an ally, and red signals an enemy. The Solid Eye is also invaluable in helping you locate hard-to-spot collectable items, as it increases their visibility by placing a digital frame around them.

The Solid Eye additionally has an intuitive radar system, which translates the vibes that Snake picks up from enemies, including sound and movement. It shows the relative location of all targets around you, but keep in mind that it also detects animals – which can be rather disconcerting if you’re in location filled with rats, for example. The NV or Night Vision mode is a special goggle that enables you to see more clearly in dark areas, as well as spot hidden items more easily. Scanning a dark room with NV active is sometimes the quickest way to assess its contents. If you wish to zoom in to view a distant point, simply select the Binos option, and then press up or down on the directional pad.

The rest of his tips can be found here, or you can pick up MGS4: The Complete Official Guide alongside the game on June 12.

It seemed downright silly that Metal Gear Solid 4 was going to have a cutscene which lasted 90 minutes. I mean, that’s ninety-fricken-minutes, as in an hour and a half. That’s absurd. I’m as interested in the Metal Gear storyline as the next person, but I don’t really feel like taking a 90-minute break in the middle of gameplay, even if I can choose to pause or skip it.

As it turns out, there might not be any cutscene that lasts 90 minutes. At least, that’s what GamePro’s Sid Shuman is saying. He’s played through the game twice now and says, “Ninety-minute-long cinemas in MGS4 sounds like an exaggeration. Like the other MGS games, MGS4 definitely has a cinematic quality. And yes, some of the cut-scenes in the game are elaborate and occasionally lengthy. But not a one, to my recollection, even approaches 90 minutes.”

Of course, an hour-long cutscene wouldn’t fit the definition of “approaching 90 minutes,” to me, at least, so there’s still hope for those of you out there who are craving a feature length movie in the middle of MGS4.

The Metal Gear Solid games have a reputation for having some really long cut scenes — I still remember being forced to shut down MGS2 partway into a 45-minute long one to meet up with some friends, only to come back later and have to watch it all over again. But apparently the cinematic sequences in MGS4 are topping even those in terms of length. PSW magazine has played through the whole game and notes that there are some cut-scenes in the game that play for about 90 minutes. I’ve seen feature films that were shorter than that. On the plus side, you’ll be able to pause and skip through them, which a lot of people may opt for after about ten minutes. People like me though will probably be compelled to sit through the whole movie just to get the full story, not to mention most of the cinematics we’ve seen so far have looked just plain awesome. The thing that really scares me though is that PSW neglected to mention whether there’s only one cut scene this long or if there’s more. In other words, when you finally do settle down to play MGS4, be sure to clear your schedule.

Via CVG