Video Game News from October 2007
Monday - October 1, 2007
In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, has revealed that many a child will remain teary eyed this Christmas morning, as there simply won't be enough Wiis to go around.
Fils-Aime claims the issue is not one of production, but of crazy consumer demand:
The issue is not a lack of production. The issue is we went in with a curve that was aggressive, but the demand has been substantially more than that. And the ability to ramp up production and to sustain it is not a switch that you flick on. We're working very hard to make sure that consumers are satisfied this holiday, but I can't guarantee that we're going to meet demand. As a matter of fact, I can tell you on the record we won't.
For the record, "substantially more" demand for the Wii translates into being unable to keep Wiis on the shelf for longer than a day.
Always the cynic, I tend to see comments like this as PR stunts. Is Fils-Aime claiming a shortage in an effort to make the Wii the hottest holiday gift for the second year in a row? Absolutely. However, with both Super Mario Galaxy AND Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the way, the Wii will remain hot and scarce this holiday season, independent of Reggie's PR skills.
For Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers, expect to see the Rock Band Special Edition package (includes the game, the guitar, the drums and the mic) to arrive on November 23rd for $169.99 (a $60 savings over the separate purchase price of the items).
PS2 gamers will have to wait a couple more weeks for a December 10th arrival, but they will also save $10 on the $159.99 package.
Pre-order Rock Band Special Edition today!
Monday - October 1, 2007
Too funny...
My favorite:
Wednesday - October 3, 2007
In addition to the boost in the stock rating, Nintendo's bump is also aided by much investor speculation that the Mario factory will raise its earnings forecast for the second time this year (something the company did last year, too). In July Nintendo boosted its operating profit forecast to 370 billion yen (US$3.2 billion) for the year to March. A poll of 18 leading analysts believes that number will be closer to 410 billion yen (US$3.6 billion) because of such strong hardware and software sales.
Good for Nintendo, the company that is now the third most valuable company in Japan (behind only Toyota and Mitsubishi), and good for leading financial analysts, who finally caught up with what we have been saying for over a year. ;)
Source
Thanks to Joystiq for digging up this awesome video chronicling the Wii Sports bowling championship tournament among residents at Erickson senior living communities. Joystiq even went so far to investigate the community to ensure this wasn't some viral marketing campaign by Nintendo.
Yay to old people Wii bowling! Is it no wonder Nintendo's stock is breaking records?
LEGO Indiana Jones was announced earlier this year and is slated to be released sometime during the second quarter of 2008. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, a mashup of LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, will be available in a little over a month.
In order to prepare gamers for the greatness that will be LEGO Indy, the people over at Travellers Tales have made available a playable version of Dr. Jones in LEGO Star Wars: CS.
Below is the video preview of his archeological antics.
Related:
LB's LEGO Star Wars Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
LB's LEGO Star Wars 2 Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
Official LEGO Indiana Jones site
We are beginning work on the LB The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the Nintendo DS version of the game.
Per usual, you can check in on our growing guide as it's being written. Enjoy!
LB Zelda" Phantom Hourglass Game Guide.
Update: For those who need Zelda: PH help beyond the current scope of the walkthrough, please post your questions in our Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Help Thread in our forums.
Friday - October 5, 2007
If bloggers (DailyKos included) do not comply with the request, LBG "will be forced to pursue additional legal action which will include claims for damages, costs of suit and attorney’s fees".
LBG is expected to release an expansion pack for the Left Behind game this month. Since the original title was not warmly embraced by the gaming community, one is led to wonder if this threat tactic is part of an effort to scrub the internet of all negative Left Behind: Eternal Forces press before the release of the expansion. After all, at the time of the November 2006 Left Behind: Eternal Forces release, LBG stock was riding a $7.44 high. Recently it's traded as low as 14 cents. Desperate times do call for desperate measures.
Still, threatening bloggers and their commenters isn't the smartest thing a company can do. With public relations practices such as these, it's no wonder the stock is nearly worthless.
More details:
Daily Kos - Great post, includes the threatening letter.
GamePolitics - Great summary, including comments form those who have been threatened.
Most of you have probably already seen the latest Zero Punctuation review of Halo 3. However, in case you missed it, here she is in all of her glory:
I am not the Halo 3 gamer in this household, for reasons pretty much summed up in the above review. At least Yahtzee has a sense of humor about it. Don't get me wrong. I think Halo 3 is pretty to look at, but, after a few minutes, that wears off and the game bores me. With that being said, multiplayer is a different story, and is awesome.
Lucky for all of you Halo 3 gamers, Jer has managed to fight his way through the boredom (he actually enjoyed the game, as the Heroic campaign is challenging and does require strategy) and has an awesome 'Halo 3' Walkthrough and Strategy Guide ready for your full enjoyment.
LB Game Guide: 'Halo 3' Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
For fans of the Zero Punctuation review, you may also enjoy one of my other favorites, the hilarious and accurate 'Bioshock' review.
While rumors have been swirling for a couple of weeks now, Bungie Studios and Microsoft made it official today: Bungie is now an independent entity, free from the grasp of Bill Gates and friends. Well, sort of...
Bungie is now a "privately held independent company, Bungie, LLC, in which Microsoft will hold a minority equity interest." Microsoft will retain the Halo intellectual property rights, and first right of refusal of publication of any future Bungie creations. In exchange, the people at Bungie are now free to let their creative juices flow, work on projects on which they want to work, and work at a pace with which they are most comfortable.
All in all, it sounds like a everybody wins (particularly the gamers of the world) situation.
Bungie Press Release
Related:
'Halo 3' Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
Lunabean's Unofficial Halo 3 Walkthrough and Strategy Guide (Xbox 360) provides the most detailed and complete Halo 3 strategies available online. With this guide by your side, you will succeed in saving Earth from the dastardly plans of The Truth and High Charity.
Not only does this LB "Halo 3" Game Guide provide an easy-to-read level-by-level walkthrough that is chock full of strategies guaranteeing Master Chief's success (even on the more challenging Heroic difficulty), it also contains a detailed location guide to ALL 13 Skulls and ALL 7 Forerunner Terminals (pictures included in the Screenshot Version).
In addition, this guide explains all aspects of multiplayer including Coop, Campaign Scoring, Matchmaking, Forge, and Theater.
Other guides tell you what to do. Our guides tell you how to do it. So, if you're looking for "Halo 3" help, you need not look any further. Saving Earth is hard! Let us help!
For our 100% completion guide, please purchase one of the following:
Download now - $7.95 | More info
LB Halo 3 Game Guide (Text only):
Download now - $5.95 | More info
Get the LunaPass:
All Lunabean Guides for only $14.95!
Monday - October 8, 2007
The Simpsons Game is due out on October 30. However, if you can't wait to get your greasy Krusty Burger hands on some gameplay then head on over to Xbox Live to download a Demo.
This is going to be my favorite game of all time. It looks spectacular, the commentary has already cracked me up a good dozen times (in about five minutes) and the gameplay seems accessible to anyone.
We'll definitely be writing a Walkthrough and Guide for this game, and yes, it will be pleasurable. Now, release the hounds!
Monday - October 8, 2007
You've played this game twice and both times it was titled God of War.
As Allison mentioned back in March, the Conan video game appears to be a rip off of God of War. Now that I've played through the demo, I can confirm that.
Opening scene with grandmotherly voiceover. Check.
Blatant stereotypes of women. Check.
Red and Green orbs...oops...I mean red and green "runes". Check.
Right control stick allows you to roll. Check.
Actions sequences slow down to show super kills. Check.
Blood and violence for the sake of blood and violence. Check.
Puzzles, situations, and gameplay very familiar. Check.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to want to emulate God of War. They are great games. However, this game feels clunkier, has worse graphics (and remember, GoW and GoW2 played on the PS2), and terrible dialogue.
Hey, if this game tides you over until God of War 3 comes out, great. However, based on the demo, I don't think we'll be playing this one.
If you're keeping score at home, since its launch, Sony has introduced four different PS3s: the original 60GB and 20GB, the 80GB, and now the 40GB.
Due out in the UK this week is that 40GB PS3 (299 pounds) which will eventually become the only PS3 available in the UK after retailers sell through the 60GB version.
The controversy surrounding all of this is that the new 40GB version does not have any PS2 backwards compatibility, a large selling point of the original PS3s.
This is odd, because after the first round of PS3s which actually did have the PS2 "Emotion Engine" chip inside of them, the ones that followed used software emulation for backwards compatibility, meaning that there is no reason why the 40GB couldn't also be backwards compatible.
Adding some good ol' US fuel to the fire is a rumor that the 40GB PS3 ($399, rumored) will also make its debut in the US, perhaps in early November. Whether it is slated to become the only PS3 on shelves is yet to be seen, but that seems to be the strategy.
The summary: Sony just didn't know what the consumer wanted when they launched the PS3 and simply wouldn't accept that even the hardcore gamer has a price ceiling. Four PS3s later, I think that Sony has what consumers want, a $399 blu-ray playing PS3. Although, I still don't get the lack of backwards compatibility, particularly because the PS3 game lineup is anemic at best.
Further reading...
Gamespot
Hollywood Reporter
Joystiq
Tuesday - October 9, 2007
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime has won Brandweek Marketer of the Year for his work in making the Nintendo Wii into the phenomena it is today.
The article, despite its length, is actually a very interesting read. It details the moves that
Reggie and Nintendo made to bring the Wii to market.
If you're at all interested in how a video game company lures customers, give it a looksy.
But, that's not the point of this piece. What I'm more interested in is Ubisoft's fake Haze website for Mantel Global Industries, the evil corporation in the game.
Viral marketing like this always intrigues me. And, in fact, it's more than marketing. It's an attempt to make the game elements "real"; that this corporation really exists, with career opportunities, a ticker symbol, and CEO bios.
Sure, I'm weird, but stuff like this really makes my day.
Wednesday - October 10, 2007
I'm an unapologetic fan of the Leeroy Jenkins World of Warcraft video. I could watch it once a day and not get sick of it.
Just a few minutes ago, as I was watching the Today show (yes, my morning video game news gathering also involves watching morning TV), I saw the following commerical.
If there was any doubt that video games, and specifically World of Warcraft, have become mainstream, well, I think that debate can be put to rest.
If you want to see the original that the Toyota ad spoofed, go here .
What the? According to Joystiq, and then looking at the Smash Bros. site itself, the release date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl has indeed been changed from December 3rd to TBD.
This development comes after news that the Japanese release date has been pushed back to January 24, 2008. Oy!
My guess is that it's the online multiplayer that is still being hammered out. Hey, Nintendo is good at not releasing games until they're ready, so I'm going to trust them for now.
Okay, they're not those kind of jackets, but they do slip over your Nintendo Wii Remote, keeping it snugly warm and more importantly, cushy soft.
Nintendo, in its quest to quell the idea that airborn Wii Remotes continue to be a problem, is now making Wii Remote jackets standard equipment on all new purchases.
That means fewer eyes poked out, fewer little brothers and sisters with bumps on their heads, and fewer broken hips for the elderly.
Those of us with the glass-like edges of the hard plastic of yesteryear? Don't fret. We'll soon be safe from ourselves. Head on over to Nintendo.com and click the "Wii Remote Jacket Offer" image.
Thursday - October 11, 2007
A couple of weeks ago I wrote up a story based on a report by the New Hampshire Union Leader of Air Force recruiters using Halo 3 to find new recruits. Today we received a response from an Air Force recruiter who knows the recruiter who was at the event in question:
First let me start by saying I am an Air Force recruiter and I know the recruiter who was at this game stop. The news media was present and twisted everything out of proportion after acting like they were going to present a positive story on the military. Unfortunately in this day and age NO ONE presents a positive presentation of the military, especially recruiters.
The recruiter was not trying to brainwash anyone into joining, he was just going to a location where he knew prospective applicants would be, like any other professional recruiter would do. The type of game has nothing to do with it, you said yourself that earlier 2 recruits joined during a Madden tournament and last I checked we don't sign people up to play football.
By the way, those 2 recruits were not brainwashed or LURED into anything either, there is a long process when it comes to joining the Air Force and our members are volunteers who join of their own free will. Please don't make it sound like 2 people joining our military is a bad thing please.
I joined myself as a young man and have now served nearly 16 years and have a wife and three beautiful children that I can take care of because of what the Air Force has given me. I have a college degree, lived in England for four years, access to free medical care AND have a house and two vehicles because of the Air Force.
So if a young recruiter trying to find young men to serve their country shows up where those young men hang out gives you the "heebeejeebees", you seriously need to check your perspectives and try to look at things from a different point of view. Give me a break.
First and foremost, thank you for your service. Second, I have the utmost respect for those who choose to serve in our nation's military. The amount of self-sacrifice it takes to serve and fight for this country is, honestly, something I can't begin to understand, but I do honor.
I am sorry if my story was offensive to you, and I am sorry that you feel there is no positive presentation of the military in the media today. I think the media actually treats the military in quite a respectable manner. I'm a news junkie and I never hear anyone putting down the military. Yes, the administration and their use of the military is often put in a negative light, but that is not an attack on the men and women who serve this country.
Regarding my interpretation of what happened at that GameStop on the Halo 3 launch night (which was solely based on the aforementioned article), the reason I felt the kids were lured to the recruitment area, why it gave me the heebeejeebees, and why this was a story at all, is because it seems the recruiters got the attention of the kids by offering them something taboo, and by having lower standards than GameStop.
These kids were rejected from GameStop's Halo 2 tournament because the store policy does not allow those who are under 17 to play M-rated games. When those rejected kids trickled out to the parking lot, there were the recruiters offering them the chance to play that same M-rated game in the back of a "pimped out military SUV". The article mentions in it a 13-year-old playing the game in the recruitment SUV.
Now, truth be told, I think there are many 13-year-olds who can handle Halo 3. My problem is that I believe that is a decision for parents to make, not one for military recruiters to make. This is why the story reads that these kids were lured. The recruiters offered the kids something made for adults (which they could not have elsewhere), for the purpose of talking to these kids about very adult decisions.
Thank you for your comments. Again, I apologize if you were (are) offended in any way.
It looks like BioWare and Pandemic have some new parents. Electronic Arts today announced that they will be acquiring RPG-maker BioWare Corp. and action game maker Pandemic Studios from Elevation Partners (venture capital firm famous for Bono being one of its investors).
BioWare is best known for Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and the upcoming Mass Effect. Pandemic is known for Star Wars Battlefront, Destroy all Humans!, Mercenaries and the upcoming Mercenaries 2.
Between the two companies there are ten games in development, six of which are wholly owned by the companies themselves.
Is this good for gamers? Will creativity be stifled? Should you buy EA stock? My answers: yes, no, and yes (always do due diligence before buying stocks and I am not a certified financial advisor).
EA will pay up to $620 million in cash to the stockholders of VG Holding Corp. and will issue up to an additional $155 million in equity to certain employees of VG Holding Corp., which will be subject to time-based or performance-based vesting criteria. EA will also assume outstanding VG Holding Corp. stock options. In addition, EA has agreed to lend VG Holding Corp. up to $35 million through the closing of the acquisition.Continue reading "EA to purchase BioWare and Pandemic"
Friday - October 12, 2007
Mom's everywhere, feel inferior starting...now.
Via Wired
Courtesy of Major Nelson we now have the list of ambient music found in BioShock.
Yes, if you want to be freaked out all over again, or hold the creepiest Halloween party, this is your soundtrack.
If you haven't yet played BioShock, you should. And, don't forget about our 100% completion BioShock Walkthrough.
Monday - October 15, 2007
I don't particularly care for Ben Stiller nor his movies. I think he's annoying and generally unfunny.
That's why perhaps I have found a little bit of joy in the fact that his recent movie, The Heartbreak Kid, has had a disappointing run.
But, now, I'm just annoyed that the film's studio is blaming Halo 3 for stealing the movie's audience, thus causing the poor opening.
Nope, it's not that the movie has received poor reviews ("misogynistic" and "hateful" seem to be common descriptions), rather, it's that Master Chief stole all the suckers who would have gone to a Ben Stiller romantic comedy.
Hey, there are only so many entertainment dollars and hours. If you make a crappy movie that only 13-15 year old boys would find funny and then slap an "R" rating on it, well, you've pretty much dug your own grave.
Enjoy.
With Halloween a mere two weeks away I thought I'd pass along a little inspiration for your pumpkin carving activities.
Here are some more ideas:
Want to learn the origins of the Jack-O-Lantern?
Tuesday - October 16, 2007
I'm predicting right now that Link's Crossbow Training, bundled with the Wii Zapper, will be one of the best selling games this holiday season.
Not only is it a mere $19.99 but it looks to recapture some of that social gaming magic that is Wii Sports. Due out on November 19th, how many families do you think will be playing this on Thanksgiving and on Christmas day?
Quick, name some great Japanese companies. You may think of Toyota, Sony, Honda, and Mitsubishi. But Nintendo? That little game making company?
In case you haven't been paying much attention to Nintendo's meteoric rise in market capitalization I am here to inform you that Nintendo is now firmly ensconced as the third largest Japanese company behind Toyota and Mitsubishi Financial (Japan's largest bank).
It was only back in June of this year that Nintendo overtook Sony, then the fourth largest company in Japan. Now, Nintendo's market cap. is almost double that of Sony.
There doesn't seem to be any end in sight as both the Wii, DS, and Nintendo software continue to sell very well. Add to that an extremely well run company and you have the makings for even more success.
As a huge Tim Schafer fan (Grim Fandango, Psychonauts), I was thrilled to hear of confirmation of his latest creation Brutal Legend.
Brutal Legend tells the tale of Eddie Riggs (voiced by Jack Black), a heavy metal band roadie whose freak guitar tuning accident lands him in the middle of a Nordic fantasy world where demons have enslaved the human race. Sound weird enough? That's Tim Schafer for you.
Below is the first trailer released for the brutal little game. Expect Brutal Legend to hit Xbox 360s and PS3s at an undisclosed date in '08.
We are beginning work on the LB Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (THPG) Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, and Wii.
Per usual, you can check in on our growing guide as it's being written. Enjoy!
LB THPG Game Guide.
Update: For those who need THPG help beyond the current scope of the walkthrough, please post your questions in our Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Help Thread in our forums.
Wednesday - October 17, 2007
Update: Reuters is reporting that the 40 GB PS3 will go on sale on Nov. 2 for $400 and that the 80 GB PS3 (with backwards compatibility) will drop in price to $500.
According to GamingBits.com, who got a scan from Target, the 40 GB PS3 will debut in the US for $399.99 on October 28. Read.
If you're not one who keeps up on this sort of thing, the 40 GB PS3 lacks backwards compatibility with PS2 games, but is aggressively priced to compete with the Xbox 360 this holiday season.
In related news the 40 GB PS3, which has already hit Europe, isn't selling very well because the 60 GB is priced too closely to the 40 GB, has backwards compatibility, and comes with two games. Read.
Granted, the 60 GB PS3 is being phased out, so people are getting it while they can.
Back here in the states, the 60 GB PS3 is also being phased out, to be replaced by an 80 GB version, and of course, the 40 GB version. The 80 GB version was set to be $599, however, I've been seeing some rumors of it being $499.
If that were true, that means that Sony would be going into the holidays with a compelling price structure of $399 and $499.
If all of this is hard to follow, Sony will be handing out score cards.
Take the new Wii game Victorious Boxers: Revolution to the local boxing gym and you actually get some really good gaming commentary.
Thursday - October 18, 2007
It took a year, but Sony finally has a winning PS3 strategy. If only they would have listened to gamers back then, they could have avoided all the pain and suffering.
If you're not a hard core gamer, not a video game blogger, or don't own and operate a video game walkthrough website you may be confused by all the various PS3s out there. I'm here to break it down for you...Hammertime.
As of November 2nd there will be two PS3s in the US: a 40GB version for $399 and an 80GB version for $499.
The major difference, aside from hard drive storage, is that the 80GB has backwards compatibility (via software emulation) with PS2 and PSOne games. The 40GB only has backwards compatibility with PSOne games.
Not as important is that the 40GB version only has 2 USB ports (as opposed to 4 on the 80GB) and lacks the Memory Stick/SD/CompactFlash card slots.
One last item to consider is that the 40GB comes with Spider-Man 3 (movie) on Blu-Ray. The 80GB comes with Motor Storm (video game).
Other than that, they are identical. They both play PS3 games. They both contain a Blu-Ray drive. They both pump out graphics up to 1080p, and they are both a sexy black.
One note: If you are buying one, be wary of any remaining 60GB versions that may still be in stores. They have discontinued this model (replacing it with the 80GB). The 60GB and 80GB are the same price, so I'd recommend waiting until the 80GBs start showing up or you'll be shorting yourself 20GB of HDD space for no reason.
Summary: Bare bones 40GB PS3 with no PS2 backwards compatibility for $399. Full featured 80GB PS3 for $499.
For more info:
Quick Comparison of the 40GB and 80GB
It has nothing to do with video games, but it's fun nonetheless:
Official The Daily Show with Jon Stewart website
13,000 video clips going back to 1999. Beautiful.
Here's one of my favorites, Sam Bee in San Andreas:
See, I can make anything into a video game topic.
I'm ashamed to admit I missed this one on the PS2. Luckily, the gaming gods have looked down on me and blessed me a second chance, as Eurogamer has confirmed that Capcom's Okami will be coming to the Wii.
Friday - October 19, 2007
With the PS3 poised to have a huge holiday (a year late) due to the recently announced two PS3s at $400 and $500, you may want to know if there are actually any good games out for it.
In my opinion, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune is the first game that I actually want to play on my PS3. It is an action-adventure treasure hunting game largely influenced by Indiana Jones and other jungle adventures.
The gameplay attempts to bring some humor and emotion to an "everyday" hero. Rather than some super-soldier who can blast through all of the enemies, the main character will hurt his fist when he punches people and will occasionally trip and fall, for example.
Add a strong puzzle solving element revolving around the notebook in the game, which is very similar to Indiana Jones' father's diary in The Last Crusade, and you've got me hooked.
Official Uncharted: Drake's Fortune site
Monday - October 22, 2007
According to Deutsche Bank analyst Jeetil Patel, the PS2 is on its way out. If you want to read the specifics you can go here.
What always blows me away when I read video game analysts' work is that they often miss the obvious, in this case the year on year drop of 47% for the month of September for PS2 software.
Gee, Mr. Analyst, I wonder what could have caused such a drop? Pray tell! "It is currently unclear whether the drop reflects consumer transition to next-gen software or weak spending patterns amongst the low-end consumer."
Or, maybe, just maybe, it's that there aren't any quality games coming out for the PS2!!! September of 2006 saw the megaselling Lego Star Wars II, Okami, Rule of Rose, NBA 2K7, and Open Season, to name a few.
Okay, yes, there are still titles being made for the PS2 but they are often the dumbed-down, less feature packed versions, for example, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Give me a full-featured THPG on the PS2 for $40 and I'm buying it!
Finally, who is this "low-end consumer" he's talking about? The bargain basement video game shopper? Yes, you figured it out Mr. Analyst...it's weak spending habits among cheap people that is the cause for the PS2's downfall.
Tuesday - October 23, 2007
The other day, Allison reported on Double Fine's and Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend.
Today, via Joystiq, we discovered that there may well be a Psychonauts 2 in the works. For proof, head on over to Double Fine's Project Page.
Pyschonauts was one of Allison's favorite games of all time, so we'll be sure to keep following any developments.
Update: Thanks to Car1gt for shattering our dreams and letting us know about Joystiq's update to the story:
Update: Sadly, it seems that the "coming soon" image was merely intended to indicate an eventual info page for the original Psychonauts. Double Fine has recognized the confusion, and quietly un-darkened the image to make it more apparent. So no Psychonauts 2 after all. Color us disappointed.
Thursday - October 25, 2007
There's just no denying that Nintendo is, in the words of Big Goron, hot, hot, hot.
For the second time this year Nintendo has raised its annual earnings outlook. The company now expects its operating profits to reach 420 billion yen (US$ 3.7 billion) by the end of the fiscal year. This number reflects an 86% increase over the same period one year ago.
Rumors of the earnings upgrade caused Nintendo's stock to jump 7.8 percent yesterday. When the rumors were confirmed today, stocks slid a bit, down 3.5 percent to close at 66,400 yen.
While Nintendo reaps the rewards of its Wii gamble, Sony may be wallowing in the damage of its PS3 gamble. The electronics giant today reported its financial earnings, with mixed results. While the company, as a whole, posted a small operating profit, the games division nearly doubled its losses over last year, to 96.7 billion yen (US$ 841 million).
Adding salt to Sony's wound, Nintendo was able to lift its annual Wii sales target to 17.5 million units (up 1 million from previous reporting, and only 3 million shy of the Gamecube's total sales), while Sony had to admit PS3 sales will probably fall short of its 11 million target this business year.
Source
Source
What's more, the guide includes locations of ALL Artifacts, ALL Relics, ALL Secrets, and a complete Croft Manor walkthrough. That's 100% completion!
Oh, and if you're having trouble defeating those nasty Centaurs, we have the strategy for you!
Game Guide: LB Tomb Raider Anniversary
Gamespot is today reporting that Ubisoft has finished work on the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360, PS3) , and the master (gold) copy of the game has been sent off for mass reproduction!
What's more, we finally have confirmation on a release date for the title. North American gamers should expect to see Assassin's Creed on store shelves beginning on November 13th, while European gamers should expect to see it on November 16th. Look for a LB Assassin's Creed walkthrough to begin soon thereafter.
Monday - October 29, 2007
If you head on over to the official Super Smash Bros. Brawl website you'll discover that the game will include a "Stage Builder" (level editor) which will allow you to create your own stages.
After you have a stage complete you can send a stage to a friend, place it on an SD card for safe keeping, and/or submit your stage to Nintendo.
Each day Nintendo will choose one stage from those submitted and will send out that stage to all Wiis around the world. Each day you'll have fresh content, however, the stage will disappear within one day, making it a "once-in-a-lifetime encounter."
This feature adds a limitless replay value to the game. Nintendo may have just shot themselves in the foot...with a game like this, you won't need to buy any other games.
SSBB is due out in the US on Feb. 10, 2008.
It's no secret that Will Wright's highly anticipated Spore will eventually make it to every major system, however, it seems he has a soft spot in his heart for the Wii.
In an interview with The Guardian, Wright confirms that the Wii will get Spore.
We're doing Spore on the Wii, and we did MySims. It takes signifcant re-thinking to work out how you're going to do it. PS3 and Xbox 360 are similar enough that you can basically use the same system for both. So it comes down to what the interesting major platforms are and which markets we want to hit.Continue reading "'Spore' confirmed for Wii"
Tuesday - October 30, 2007
The Toys 'R' Us "Big Toy Book" is out and who do I spy as one of the cover models? Jaslene, the winner of ANTM cycle 7? No, no, she can't talk. It's the Wii!
Yes, Toys 'R' Us is presenting its unsuspecting customers with the classic bait and switch. Nintendo has already said that it won't be able to meet Wii demand for the holidays and featuring it on the cover, Toys 'R' Us, is just rude.
How does a huge company get around this? "Select items...may not be available at all locations" and something about rainchecks.
If you're on the hunt for a Wii this holiday, let your fingers do the walking before you head out. It'll save you some time and some gas money. Also, keep in mind that many big box stores will hold back their Wiis for Sundays, therefore, go early on Sundays for your best shot.
In a press release today, Lucasarts and Bioware announced that they are working together on something.
That's right, something. The press release couldn't be more vague if it was written by Fred Thompson's policy advisers.
Let me paraphrase; We, Lucasarts and Bioware, are going to make a super awesome game together.
As of now rumors are rampant that it will be some sort of KOTOR MMO. Personally, I hope it's a Lego Star Wars MMO. Imagine building your world. *drools*
Wednesday - October 31, 2007
Last night, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric covered Rockstar Game's new ultraviolent Manhunt 2.
In their "Eye on Technology" segment, Daniel Sieberg, the "tech reporter" with obligatory geek-chic black glasses and highlighted spiky hair, went over the gameplay, showed some footage, and interviewed a few gamers, a video game reviewer, a media watchdog, and a child pychologist.
All in all, the report was fine. Manhunt 2 is an ultraviolent game that is only suited for adults; there's no argument there.
There are a few things that caught my eye, though and I'll lay them out in handy bullet form:
- Where were you people when Manhunt came out? Why the focus now? Because the Wii has upped the publics' awareness of games?
- Why no focus on violent media in general? Ever seen a Saw movie?
- The suggestion that somehow wagging the Wii Remote allows you to "act out the violence," and therefore makes the violence more real, is silly. Flicking a white remote in the air does not make for good weapons training and does not make the separation of reality and fantasy any more fragile.
- The focus on Nintendo is odd, particularly when the game is also coming out for the PS2 and will most likely sell better on that system.
- Katie's comment at the end peeved me. "Why anyone would want to play that creepy, disturbing game is beyond me." That could be applied to so many things, like horror movies or novels. Many people don't understand the draw of another's entertainment choice, but it's not for the evening news anchor to comment on that.
If it weren't Halloween I wouldn't post this newest Condemned 2 offering, as just not very exciting. However, since it is Halloween, and because the original game freaked out Jer to a new level, I thought I'd post it.
Look for Condemned 2: Bloodshot to hit the PS3 and X360 sometime in 2008.
Official Condemned 2 site
Oh the humanity! Gamespot is today reporting the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has been delayed.
Konami admitted in July that MGS4 would not be shipping simultaneously to worldwide markets for the Holiday '07, which was the original plan. Instead, we were led to believe we'd see the game on store shelves in Q1 '08. Well, if "we" are in Japan, that is actually the case. However, for the rest of "we", we're going to have to wait until Q2 '08.
The reason for the delay? "Konami has decided to delay the title's release in order to make further improvements to the quality of the game and provide even greater enjoyment for more customers worldwide."
I have no problem with that. After all, this is THE must have game for the PS3, so Konami has to make sure it lives up to expectations. I just hope the game will actually be released during Q2 '08, as Sony really does need the boost. However, I can't escape the feeling that we won't see it until Holiday '08. I guess we'll see...
The most polished look that we've seen yet of the PS3 exclusive, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Did I mention that I can't wait to play this game? It's due out on Nov. 19, 2007.
While I have not played Manhunt 2 (and have no intention of doing so), do yourself a favor and pick up RE4, as it exemplifies what a survival-horror video game should be. The graphics are great, the story is great, the tension is great, and the zombies are wicked awesome.
Oh, and, because it's Halloween, you can download our Resident Evil 4 (Wii) Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for free. Enjoy it today, because it will be gone tomorrow! Mwahahahahahahahaha!
Update: Halloween is over, so the guide is no longer free. However, we have made available a $2 off coupon for the RE4 (Wii) Game Guide w/ Screenshots. To order the guide, click the link below and enter this coupon code: CPN3307013805.
Purchase Guide: LB Resident Evil 4 Game Guide
More info: Resident Evil 4 Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
Warning: include_once() [function.include-once]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/lunabeanftp/public_html/news/2007_10.php on line 2707
Warning: include_once(http://www.lunabean.com/includes/footer_no.html) [function.include-once]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/lunabeanftp/public_html/news/2007_10.php on line 2707
Warning: include_once() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://www.lunabean.com/includes/footer_no.html' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/lunabeanftp/public_html/news/2007_10.php on line 2707