News
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MS expects 2010 stock to sell out this week.
If you want to see the unfettered joy on a loved-one’s face that only a Kinect-shaped parcel under the Christmas tree can bring, you’d better get your act together. Microsoft reckons that unless you order one this week it’ll be lumps of coal all round come 25th December.
According to TechCrunch, Microsoft exec Don Mattrick told the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco that anyone wanting to buy a Kinect in time for Christmas should place an order “by the end of this week” or risk disappointment.
Mattrick went on to claim that he wasn’t just cynically trying to spike sales with his prediction.
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Check out EA’s DIY puzzle platformer.
EA has released a PC demo of its forthcoming puzzler Create.
Developed by EA’s Guildford-based Bright Light studio, the game sees you using over 140 different objects to solve an array of puzzles and platform challenges. As you progress you’ll unlock new tools with which to design your own stages.
Yes, it sounds a lot like LittleBigPlanet, a vibe that the launch trailer, posted below, does little to dispel.
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Prognosticators point to disappointing October showings from NBA Jam, EA MMA, Shaun White Skateboarding, and Wii Party.
Last week, Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson predicted the industry-tracking NPD Group’s October US retail sales figures would show software sales grew 15 percent year-over-year. The NPD Group released the actual figures yesterday, putting the growth closer to 6 percent.
Today, a number of analysts–Wilson included–circulated notes to investors offering their takes on what did and didn’t live up to expectations. While NBA 2K11 and Fallout: New Vegas both exceeded Wilson’s expectations, many of the month’s other high-profile games did not. In particular, Wilson called NBA Jam for the Wii and EA MMA “dismal failures so far.” According to analyst notes, neither game broke the 50,000-sold mark.
Wilson wasn’t the only analyst whose expectations proved too high. In his own note to investors, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said Kirby’s Epic Yarn was slightly off his estimate of 100,000 units, while Wii Party fell further short of his 150,000 projection. While Wilson didn’t weigh in on those games in particular, he did note Nintendo first-party sales combined to bring in 44 percent less revenue than in the previous October (with similar declines expected in November and December).
While analysts have harped on the ongoing decline in music games, another genre appears to be suffering similarly steep shortfalls. Tony Hawk: Shred made its debut last month to sales of 3,000 copies, down from roughly 114,000 copies sold by Tony Hawk: Ride upon its debut last year. Ubisoft’s Shaun White Skateboarding didn’t fare too much better, as Pachter pegged it at fewer than 6,000 copies for the month. The last multiplatform Shaun White title, Shaun White’s Snowboarding in 2008, sold 259,000 copies in the US in its first two weeks on sale. (Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage was released exclusively on the Wii in 2009.)
The October sales figures also caused the analysts to reassess their previous expectations for the year. Wilson said he now expects November sales to be flat year-over-year, whereas before he allowed for them to potentially be up slightly. For his part, Pachter had expected software sales to be down for October, so he actually came away from the NPD data more upbeat about the industry. He still expects “flattish” software sales through March, but he believes shrinking software sales in 2009 and 2010 leave 2011 in a good position to show modest growth for the industry.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Analysts point to weak October NPD numbers” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:49:21 -0800 -
id Software iPhones it in.
On-rails iPhone shooter Rage: Mutant Bash TV will be available on the App Store tomorrow, developer id Software has revealed.
id bossman John Carmack tweeted, “Rage mobile has been approved, it should be on the app store tomorrow morning!”
Spinning-off from id’s much anticipated Rage shooter, Mutant Bash TV does pretty much what it says on the tin. You’re tasked with clobbering various uglies in a TV show format.
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“Don’t panic,” insists Lionhead.
Everybody, stay calm. Lionhead Studios has confirmed that the M.I.A PC version of Fable III is still in development.
A post on its Twitter feed explained, “Fable 3 PC Version is still in development here at Lionhead so PC GAMERS don’t panic. We’ll announce details when we’re ready to do so.”
Lionhead’s epic threequel arrived on Xbox 360 last month, but there has been little word on the mooted PC version since August when the developer said, “The console and PC versions are now on different schedules as we’re focusing on building experiences optimised for each platform. We aren’t announcing a ship date for the PC SKU at this time, but expect news soon.”
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Show trackpad and twin sticks.
Shots of what appear to be a PSP2 dev kit have surfaced.
The grainy images, which you can see over on VG247, clearly show two thumbsticks, as well as the rumoured trackpad on the rear and twin cameras one facing inwards, one outwards.
The shots, which VG247 promises are the real deal, do not apparently show what the finished handheld will look like.
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Cowen and Company reveal dismal initial sales for skateboard legend’s latest multiplatform title; DJ Hero 2 sales at 59,000.
Last year’s Tony Hawk: Ride was critically panned but still managed to sell over 114,000 units in its first month on the market. Its sequel, which was promised to be “better,” added snowboarding to the series but performed substantially worse during its first few days on sale.
According to Cowen and Company, (via gamesindustry.biz), Tony Hawk: Shred was a “virtual no-show” at US retail during its debut week. Launching on October 26, the game sold only 3,000 units across all platforms, according to the firm.
Last year Tony Hawk himself took to Twitter to defend Ride and its poor reviews. This year, however, Mr. 900 has been mum on the subject on the social networking site.
Looking ahead, Chicago-based developer Robomodo–which suffered hefty layoffs last month–has said that it will not abandon the Tony Hawk skateboarding peripheral soon. The studio is entertaining the idea of building new titles using the board, including possibly a surfing installment.
Also included in the report were sales statistics for Activision’s well-reviewed turntable sequel, DJ Hero 2. According to the report, that title spun sales of 59,000 units across all platforms. Last year, the original DJ Hero sold 123,000 copies across all platforms in its first week on sale.
Another of Activision’s flagship series has suffered declining sales this year, as Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock moved under 100,000 units in its first 30 days, compared to Guitar Hero 5’s 499,000 opening-month tally. It’s not all bad news for the publisher, as last week’s launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops topped the blockbuster debut of its predecessor, selling 5.6 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale in North America and the UK alone.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Tony Hawk: Shred sells 3,000 in first week – Report” was posted by Eddie Makuch, Brendan Sinclair on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:41:51 -0800 -
Streaming movie service joins Netflix, Hulu, and Sony’s proprietary film hub next week.
Get the full article at GameSpot
“VUDU comes to PS3 Nov. 23” was posted by Eddie Makuch on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:26:28 -0800 -
PlayStation Store Update: Sega’s crazy cab game hits download hub alongside 3D Ultra Mini Golf Adventures 2, Sky Fighters, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time HD; PSP store welcomes four.
Get the full article at GameSpot
“Crazy Taxi goes loco on the PSN” was posted by Eddie Makuch on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:22:56 -0800 -
New multiplayer add-ons for Ubi’s RTS.
New multiplayer maps and modes are on the way for Ubisoft’s recent real time strategy effort, R.U.S.E.
The Manhattan Project Pack includes three exclusive multiplayer maps and two additional multiplayer modes.
In the Nuclear War mode, all prototype factories and upgrades will be unlocked from the beginning, allowing for some particularly explosive show-downs.