Imagine living in a landlocked and extremely traditional Japanese village where everything is serene and everyone co-exists in peace. Then all of a sudden, the mountains turned into an infinite sea of red water and you hear a strange call to immerse yourself in it, as you take a dip, you realize that you are transforming into something that you’d only heard about in myths. Then everything just goes horrifyingly blank. That my friends, is Siren: New Translation.

Sony announced this week that Siren: New Translation for the PS3 would be coming soon to Japan. August 3rd to be exact, and it is supposedly a remake of the original, 90% complete, with a demo becoming available on April 24th. No word on North American releases or which consoles will be graced with the game, but more details are sure to surface pretty soon I am sure, because there is already a trailer for it.

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Back in September Jonathan posted an interesting notion about the new Mortal Kombat vs DC Comics game being devoid of fatalities. Today, an ex-Midway employee has confirmed this little fact, which to be quite honest has dashed my hopes of Scorpion ripping his mask off and burning The Green Lantern to death. Supposedly, according to this former employee, the game features “no fatalities and little-to-no blood”.

Then what is the point? I suppose, if you were to allow the MK characters to perform a fatality move, then Batman should be able to do the same thing - but that would be cool. He could swing his cape around, which would of course have razor sharp edges, and have it cut Sonya in half - or Robin the Boy Wonder could bitch slap Raiden to death. Just think of all the cool things they could do! Wonder Woman could use her lasso of truth to hang Reptile from a tree, The Flash could go into super speedster mode and literally jump through Kano and Aquaman could call denizen’s from the deep to eat Sub-Zero alive. The possibilities are endless, and it would make the game one of the biggest sellers of all time.

Alas, this will not be the case apparently. Check back for updates and release information, as I am sure something will be announced soon.

Thanks: Kotaku

GameStop revealed that during 2007, four out of over 40 publishers brought in the most money for the sale of new titles. Nintendo, Microsoft, EA, and Sony were responsible for 65% of new product sales with Nintendo being the biggest earner with 21%, Sony at 17%, Microsoft 16% and EA bringing the retailer 11% of new sales.

Last year, the retail giant brought in a whopping $7.1 billion with net earnings of $288.3 million - but while new sales have a lot to do with those huge numbers, it’s the second hand market that brings in the most money for GameStop. That is no surprise considering the fact that they offer over 3000 used games compared with 1000 new ones.

Used game sales brought in $772.2 million and new titles generated $581.7 million, new hardware accounted$108.2 million and “other” products generated $351.6 million in sales. Although these numbers are indeed impressive, GameStop has admitted that digital downloads could eventually cut into their profits.

“While it is currently only possible to download a limited amount of videogame content to the next generation video game systems, at some point in the future this technology may become more prevalent. A limited selection of PC entertainment software and older generation video games is currently available for download over the internet. If advances in technology continue to expand our customers’ ability to access software through these and other sources, our customers may no longer choose to purchase video games or PC entertainment software in our stores. As a result, sales and earnings could decline.”

The average used game at GameStop costs around $16, with newer used titles being in the $45 range and if digital downloads continue to be popular, we may end up seeing more games in the bargain bin at the store. While that would not good news for GameStop, it will be good news for gamer’s wallets.

For more figures and other information on this, click through the link below.

Thanks: GamesIndustry.biz

According to Chart-Track, Bill Gates will have something else to smile about on his path to world domination. For you see, thanks to the recent price cuts for the Xbox 360 in the UK, the console is expected to hit the 2 million sales mark by next week.

In fierce competition with Sony (like everywhere else on the planet), Microsoft boasted that when the 360 launched in the UK during March 2005 it burned through 1 million units after 60 weeks even with the PS3 selling 1 million units within the same approximate launch period. With prices on all three models of the Xbox 360 across Europe marked down from the original pricing in March, the 360 saw a 40% increase in sales that week alone.

According to Dorian Bloch, director of UK sales monitor Chart-Track:

“We are very close to clocking through 2 million 360s in the UK. It should be next week. The Xbox 360 is extremely well liked in the UK and very strong. Sony has a long way to go to overtake it in the UK.”

Even with the Easter weekend buying frenzy which saw an increase in sales, according to Bloch afterwards sales dropped by 11 % for the 13th week of 2008. Sales for the PS3, however, jumped 14% with the launch of Gran Turismo 5: Prologue.

Another back and forth between the two consoles will be expected soon I am sure, because Memorial Day is coming next month (in the US) and we all know that over here in the states it is a buyers weekend. So is Flag Day, Grandparents Day and Take Your Daughter to Work Day.

Thanks: GamesIndustry.biz

First, it was an onslaught of individuals claiming that PCs were doomed as a gaming platform, and now we’ve gotten several industry professionals saying the same thing about consoles. The latest is former Microsoft employee Sandy Duncan, who worked on the Xbox project in Europe. He told That VideoGame Blog that he believes consoles as we know them will “die out” in the next five to ten years.

“The industry is fundamentally driven by technology. I think dedicated games devices i.e. consoles (and handhelds) will die [out] in the next 5 to 10 years. The business model is very risky and the costs associated with creating new hardware are incredibly high,” Duncan said.

He continued, “There is a definite ‘convergence’ of other devices such as set top boxes. There’s hardly any technology difference between some hard disc video recorders and an Xbox 360 for example. In fact in 5 to 10 years I don’t think you’ll have any box at all under your TV, most of this stuff will be ‘virtualized’ as web services by your content provider.”

Duncan also didn’t believe the standard model for distributing games will last much longer – which means EA might not be the same company it is today in five years. Suffice it to say, he’s a big subscriber to the notion that changes are abound in the games industry. Aside from digital distribution, I’m not really convinced that we’re going to see a dramatic change in the platforms we play games on.

According to Nerve Software designer Greg Stone, Activision is planning to release playable demos of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for both the PS3 and 360. No date as to when the demos will be made available or whether they will hit before the console versions this summer, but we will keep you posted.

ET: Quake Wars will contain all of the classes, key features and maps that the team-based multiplayer FPS had on the PC version and will also include bots and usability issues for the port to consoles has been addressed.

For more information on ET: Quake Wars, check out our previous posts.

Thanks: Eurogamer

Chris Taylor from Gas Powered Games has reportedly stated that the team-based strategy PC title Demigod will probably end up on consoles after its initial release. When asked about the possibility of it being only a PC exclusive Taylor stated:

“That is actually up in the air. You could easily see that on the console. That’s got a very high likelihood of going to console.”

Taylor also reiterated SEGA’s comments on the possibility of Space Siege coming to consoles versions, and all but refused to rule out the idea. Rumors of this have been circulating the Internet for almost a month now, and William informed us of said rumors earlier this month. Although Taylor stated that: “There’s been no official word. No definite there… Anything can happen of course, in the future”, the hemhawing around of developers in the past have proven to be admissions of truth, because usually if it is only a rumor without substantial proof, they are usually quick to kill it.

Chris Taylor also stated that while Gas Powered Games has some other projects currently in development, he was keeping his lip zipped until E3 2008 where at least one project will be revealed. Could this be the next Supreme Commander expansion? Possibly, because they do have something in the works, but refuse to discuss it.

So what all of the “yes”, “maybe” and “no comment” statements mean is that Demigod and Space Siege will more than likely grace consoles next year and we can expect a Supreme Commander “expansion”, “new title”, or “who knows what” in the future as well. Don’t you just love it when developers give vague answers? All it does is lead to more internet rumors which do nothing but annoy the masses.

Thanks: Videogaming247

EA announced recently during a conference call to their shareholders the titles that it or its partners would be working on, and as you can see by the image posted above, Pandemic will be working on a new Lord of the Rings title.

Ok, so we don’t have any actual details on a new LotR game from Pandemic, but that is neither here nor there. Pandemic is working on it, and that is all we need to know at this point. This is wonderful news, because how could a group of folks known for Mercenaries and Star Wars Battlefront mess up Tolkien? Pandemic have had a hand in every gaming genre’s cookie jar at some point, so they have the experience and the know how to do it; plus, you can sleep well at night knowing that they would never ever EVER release a loathsome Tolkien based game like Sierra did with The Hobbit. No offense to Sierra, but that game was just bad.

Source and Image: Kotaku

The Force Unleashed may not be on consoles yet, but the marketing storm is about to hit us. The above photo is from the LEGO Force Unleashed series and will be available in many stores today. If you can’t wait for the game, this is a perfect way to pass the time.

Microsoft has announced a cheaper model of the Xbox 360 will begin selling in Japan on March 6. The model for sale will be similar to the Arcade SKU sold in the US. The unit has no hard drive and comes with HDMI output, a wireless controller and a 256MB memory card.

The Wii and PS3 has been outselling the Xbox 360  console, with only 257,800 Xbox 360 consoles  sold in Japan last year compared to 1.2 million PS3s and 3.6 million Wiis.

The stripped down Xbox 360 will retail for JPY 27,800 (USD 260), which is about one-fifth less than the current price.

I don’t really think it matters how much Microsoft discounts its console. Money isn’t the issue here. The PS3 is more expensive and has sold almost five times as many units. I’m afraid that Microsoft’s not going to get the kind of sales figures in Japan as it would like.

via GamesIndustry.biz 

A gamer recently took a photo of a Xbox 360 with the RROD at a local Best Buy store. An Xbox with the red rings is nothing new, but I don’t recall seeing one on display at any stores. The original article on this subject brings up an excellent point; When displaying games, the display cabinets really should be set up with plenty of air flow for the consoles. It’s no surprise at this point that the Xbox 360 must be used in a well ventilated area, so it’s surprising that the official displays at stores do not follow the basic rule of the system.

Via Product-Reviews

If Democratic presidential candidates were consoles, which one would you be buying?

The three frontrunners for the Democratic primaries are compared to the three leading game consoles in a tongue in cheek feature from Gigaom.

Barak Obama is the Wii. Obama has become an unexpected success. He’s very popular with party hard liners and casual voters alike. Young, old and even Republican; Obama has something for just about everyone.

Hillary Clinton is the Xbox360. An upgrade from an already familiar product, she is seen by some to be a force of change. Yet she’s perceived as familiar and reliable. Of course there’s that pesky 30% failure rate. Don’t forget Whitewater.

John Edwards is the PS3. He has a lot of revolutionary ideas and promises for the future. Although he looks great in theory he requires an investment of lots of cash with very little immediate return.

It’s ironic and yet not unexpected that Obama, Clinton and Edwards’ performance at the poles mirrors the share of sales each of their respective consoles claims in the U.S. It’s just too bad you can’t have any of them fixed or send them back for a refund.

via Gigaom

Quite a lot of people called Denis Dyack crazy when he described a unified platform as “inevitable,” but David Jaffe has joined Dyack in the sentiment that a single console would be a good thing. And don’t tell him that the lack of competition would be bad for gamers.

The argument that keeps coming up is, ‘oh, it would stifle competition and competition is good for gamers!’

But I don’t understand this in regards to console hardware.

One game publisher would be bad. One giant game developer would be bad. I get how those things would hurt gamers. But why would one unified hardware platform?

We have it with DVD, we had it with VHS. We have it with televisions (in the sense that- for the most part- every tv is capable of broadcasting the same signal). So what do we lose by having it for game consoles?

Sure you miss out on some features that may otherwise be available if another console was there to compete. But this is always the way when one format wins over another and becomes the standard. And for those few features you lose, don’t you make up for it in so many other ways? Massive content choice, being the main one. And what about better quality products because the makers of the software/television shows/dvds don’t have to spend one instant struggling to make the same content for 2-3 different systems and instead can focus on making grate content right out of the gate? And you get MORE competition on the software side- which is, to me, where it counts- because there is MORE competition to be the best on a single system instead of content creators splintering and never ever worrying about competing with 2 out of the 3 groups.

He expressed these sentiments on his blog. While he admitted that he didn’t have the key to making all of the pieces fall into place, he did ask that if anyone that knows why “a single console is wrong,” that they share with him. Several commenters were quick to label Jaffe a communist, but, silliness aside, it got plenty of reasonable responses including this one on Game|Life. It pretty much perfectly illustrates the flaws in the plan, so I won’t bother trying to water it down.

What do YOU think of a one console (platform might actually be the more appropriate word) future?

Every once in a while, we decide to write up a little something about various cheats that can be found in games. Considering we are so close to Christmas, I thought I’d talk about the Santa Claus cheat in Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. These steps work on the PS2 and PSP versions of the game that I personally have seen in action. I’m sure the code and instructions are fairly close for other consoles, but haven’t personally tested that out.

While visiting the Mos Eisley Cantina, enter the following codes:

CL4U5H (this gives you a Santa hat and red clothes)

TYH319 (this code adds the necessary white beard)

After completing the above codes, go to the character customization screen and throw together your Santa style costume. Make sure to activate Disguise 3 in the extras menu and you are ready to play as Santa in any “free play” level. I hope that those of you who didn’t happen to know about this code enjoy it. It’s been around for a while, but it’s nice to bring back things like this during the holiday season.

Gamasutra has taken a close look at ratings distributions across game platforms to garner an inside glimpse into the philosophies and strategies of today’s console and portable gaming systems. Looking at a visual representation of the proportions of games for each rating for each platform reveals a lot about the company marketing and manufacturing it, as well as the type of consumer who will choose one particular platform over another.

Take a look at the how the unique company signatures of the big three game platform manufactures - Nintendo,Sony and Microsoft - have changed with each generation of consoles on Gamasutra.

Last week, the number of Nintendo DS sales gave the company something to smile about, as the handheld sold over 653,000 units from November 18 -November 24. These numbers set a new sales record as Nintendo of America sold more products during the Thanksgiving week than any other period in the company’s history. During the same week in 2005, the Game Boy Advance sold 600,000 units and this was without strong competition in the portable gaming market.Rounding out the week for Nintendo, crowds of shoppers also purchased 350,000 Wii systems along with millions of games and accessories.

“As shoppers look for ways to maximize their limited holiday spending money, they turn to gifts that can be used by the entire family,” commented George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “Wii and Nintendo DS offer something for every member of the family. They’re the most fun video game experiences at the most affordable price.”

Those are some great numbers, but it makes me wonder why there is no shortage of the DS while plenty of areas around the globe are complaining of Wii shortages. Why would they produce more handhelds than consoles? Maybe this will be Nintendo’s wake-up call and they can get production rolling into overdrive so that kids of all ages will be able to squeal with delight when they see a Wii sitting under their tree this Christmas.

Via: GamesIndustry.biz

In their latest Greener Electronics Guide, Greenpeace has publicly deemed Microsoft and Nintendo irresponsible and lacking in environmental credentials in reference to electronic waste.Giving Nintendo a 0/10 rating for its policies and practices on toxic chemicals and takeback, Greenpeace has stated that
“”The Greener Electronics Guide is our way of getting the electronics industry to face up to the problem of e-waste, [and] Nintendo completely fails to show any environmental credentials and Microsoft and Philips do little better.” This is the first time that Greenpeace has included consoles and televisions in their report alongside PCs and mobile phones.

“Companies shouldn’t be under any illusions that we won’t check up on their claims of green greatness,” commented Iza Kruszewska, campaigner for Greenpeace International.

The environmental organization ranks companies on two different types of criteria:

1. The clean up of their products by eliminating hazardous substances
2. Takeback and recycling of their products responsibly once they become obsolete. The two issues are connected. The use of harmful chemicals in electronics prevents their safe recycling when the products are discarded.

According to Greenpeace, Nintendo has “no voluntary takeback of products, no information on banned products, no information on how the company communicates with its supply chain and no policy on use of vinyl plastics,”and that the gaming giant scored so horribly on these fronts that there is “infinite room for improvement.”

Microsoft faired better with a score of 2.7/10, due to the company’s chemical management status and the timeline they have set to phase out PVCs by the year 2011.

Want the full list to see how your electronics faired? I have posted the list for you after the break, and you can check out the full Greenpeace report by going to their website.

Read the full article

Today is the North American birthday of the PS2. October 26, 2000, the PS2 first went on sale and broke the record for the fastest selling console and as of today, 120 million PS2 consoles have been sold worldwide. That number make the PS2 the best selling console to ever hit the market, and to add to the mix - there have been more than billions units of software sold for it worldwide as well. This is not surprising since the PS2 has one of the best gaming catalogs with over 1,400 titles and you can add another 160 titles to that come March 2008.

SCEA’s Peter Dille had this to say about the console: “Never before has an in-home game system experienced this type of worldwide success on such a long-lasting scale. PlayStation 2 is a perfect example of our ten year product lifecycle promise and is a testament to the design and technology that continues to be at the core of the product. While today’s anniversary celebrates PlayStation 2’s past, we’re very excited for its future.”

SECA will be launching a limited edition ceramic white PS2 bundled with SingStar Pop and two USB microphones in November to celebrate. A couple more things worth mentioning is SECA’s commitment to a 10-year product lifecycle for the console and during its current fiscal year, SECA has reported that 30 million titles have been sold for the PS2 and 10 million additional consoles are expected to sell by the end of March 2008.

The top-selling PS2 titles worldwide are:

• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (13 million)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (12 million)
• Grand Theft Auto III (11 million)
• Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (11 million)
• Gran Turismo 4 (8.79 million)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (7 million)
• Kingdom Hearts (5.6 million)
• Final Fantasy X (5 million)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (3.7 million)
• Final Fantasy XII (3.68 million)

Thanks: GamesIndustry.biz

Denis Dyack has always been a very vocal proponent of having a single console to build games for. EA recently echoed similar statements, as Gerhard Florin said EA wanted an “open, standard platform.” That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen though; Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony aren’t about to throw in the towel so that such a thing could happen.

But according to Dyack, it’s an inevitability.

“Imagine a unified platform – one console for all gamers – that would bring a massive paradigm shift to the games industry, where games would become better in quality, cheaper, and more widely available. Sound good? It can happen. Better yet, it’s inevitable. It will happen.”

While he doesn’t have any real evidence to suggest as much, he believes it’s the logical thing to do.

“The market is also split in an unhealthy way between the major manufacturers,” Dyack told OXM UK. “Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony all may have equal marketshare this generation, making it extremely difficult for third-party publishers to choose what platform to focus on.”

David Jaffe is another big name developer who believes this is the future of the console industry. Maybe, but it’s certainly not on the brink of happening.

via Next Gen

After announcing some of the future titles for download via the Wii and a shifting focus on WiiWare, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has stated that over 100 games are in development for WiiWare. Nintendo’s answer to independent and smaller games development, WiiWare will be making a huge splash come 2008 if indeed there are over 100 titles in development.

However, those of you who develop games at home in your own evil laboratory will not be able to play with Nintendo. Currently, Nintendo is only working with developers who are or were a known publisher or have “a name.” With that said, Nintendo is keeping strict control over development kits and decide who does and does not get a kit .

The WiiWare service seems to be popular with devs because this way, gamers will not have to drive or hitch a ride to a retail outlet to get the game of their choice. According to company president Satoru Iwata, “We’ve already received proposals for over 100 titles from software development companies. We’ve made a platform for developing software at low cost, and would like to offer a new business chance based around a battle of ideas.”

The WiiWare service offers users new downloadable games designed specifically for the home format, and can be purchased via the Wii Shop.

Via: GamesIndustry.biz