Remember this day, Britons: there is not a single DS game in the top ten. Not one. Not even Brain Training. And Lord only knows the last time that happened (though the Lord quietly tells me it was probably in 2005). Taking its place is a surprisingly strong debut from Codemaster’s Grid, with both versions charting well, while the 360 version of GTA IV enjoys its temporary stay at the top while Nintendo Europe continue to struggle to get stocks of Wii Fit into the country.
1) GTA IV (360) 2) 2) Wii Play 3) Mario & Sonic (Wii) 4) GTA IV (PS3) 5) Grid (360) 6) Haze 7) Grid (PS3) 8) Mario Kart Wii 9) Sega Superstars Tennis 10) Rock Band
[Individual-Format charts courtesy of ChartTrack]
Looking at this month’s release schedule, it sure looks like a ton of DS games are coming out. After that, looks like the PS2 is getting the most new games, followed by the PS3. The Wii, the PSP and the Xbox 360 are bringing up the rear in number of new games. But wait! Let’s take a closer look at this month’s PS3 release schedule:
Oh, hey, those Gears of War figures are out. If you’re after one or two, great, hope you got ‘em. If you’re after all four of them, this may be of interest: NECA are to release a box set, which includes all four Gears of War figures in the one pack plus a couple of minor additions, like a new Locust head and the Hammer of Dawn. No word on price yet, but it should be out in a few weeks time.
Microsoft used to own Halo developer Bungie. Now, Microsoft does not! What was that experience like — being owned by a corporate monolith? Says Bungie engineering lead Chris Butcher:
To their credit, they did a really good job of getting Bungie our own building. Essentially, we were in a bubble. We were mostly independent the entire time, with all of the perks of having a partner. They respected what Bungie had culturally.
When they bought Bungie, they didn’t try to assimilate us and break our will and make us all drink the punch. They let the team maintain what made Bungie, Bungie. I think that’s one of the smartest things that they did.
…On the Microsoft side, they still have a great partner in Bungie, and a great relationship. We have a team now that’s reinvigorated and also made great games for their platforms. It really was a win-win. It doesn’t seem like it really adds up to people, but both groups got what they wanted out of the deal. We’re happy that Microsoft allowed this arrangement to happen. It really is a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Everybody’s happy! Everyone wins! Hooray!!
Reflecting on Halo [Gamasutra][Pic]
Sony Japan so are not done with the colour changes. Next up, following the new red PS2, is this “Metallic Blue” PSP. Which is new for Japan, not so new for the US, since it’s the same colour North America’s getting in the limited edition Madden 09 PSP pack. This one will be a limited edition as well, and will come in two bundles: a “value pack” (Â¥23,800/$US 228), which is the PSP, a 32MB card, AV cables and various bags/straps, and a “1 Seg” pack (Â¥29,800/$US 286), which is everything that comes in the value pack, but with the addition of the nifty 1 Seg TV tuner. Both will be out in Japan on July 17.
Timed Xbox 360 exclusive Eternal Sonata is getting a PS3 release with extra content in Japan. But what elsewhere? According to a Namco Bandai US spokesperson:
I can’t speak for any other territories, but I believe Eternal Sonata is only announced for the PS3 in Japan right now… We have no plans to release the game on the PS3 in the US at this moment.
So no plans “at this moment.” But tomorrow? The day after that? Next month? Who knows?!
Namco Bandai Eternal Sonata PS3 Japan Only [videogaming247 Thanks, nekotails!]
Sure, the PS2′s time is nearly up, but it’s got at least one colour change left in it before it shuffles off this electronic coil. Sony Japan have just announced that, on July 3, they’ll be releasing a new PS2 model in the colour Cinnabar Red. And before you ask, yes, it’s a real (familiar) colour. It’ll go for ¥16,000 ($US 153). Shouldn’t make too big a dent in many of your purchasing plans, but then that shouldn’t stop you looking and thinking “you know, that’s one very nice colour for a console”, either.
Gamers have a “consistently positive” opinion of in-game advertising? That’s what ad agency Massive, which is owned by Microsoft, found in a survey whose results it announced this morning.
Media research firm Interpret looked into four of Massive’s advertisers: an unnamed fast-food restaurant, candy company and entertainment studio, plus Adidas footwear and apparel, and found the ads are having an effect, showing significant percentage increases in brand recognition when compared to those who didn’t see the in-game ads.
With the Adidas promotion, for example, gamers who saw the ads in 2K Sports’ Major League Baseball 2K7 said things like “Adidas is the only brand for me” and “Adidas is an inspirational brand” 70 percent more often than those not exposed to the ads.
And Massive’s study seems to show gamers don’t mind being influenced: 70 percent of gamers said the ads enhanced realism, fit the games they appeared in (universally sports games, except for the ads in Rainbow Six: Vegas) and that the ads “looked cool.”
Approximately 200 theatergoers walked out of a free Postal screening in New Jersey last Friday. While Hoboken Mayor David Roberts refused to attend the screening, stated that he did not like the film’s 9/11-style attack gag and added that it was “too soon to mock a plane going into the World Trade Center.” According to Boll:
Being politically correct, let’s say, the big studios are kind of overdoing it… I feel it is time now to make a really wild movie, something over the top… We don’t spare any group. We don’t want to hurt anybody but we want to break the rules… We want to make people think: What is a taboo? We want to make people start thinking about their own boundaries and rules.
It’s kind of curious of Mayor Roberts to say it’s “too soon to mock a plane going into the World Trade Center”. Does that mean eventually it will be okay to mock that? And if so, who will decide that? Rather subjective, no?
Postal Offends Some [NJ.com via Binge Gamer][Pic]
Tomonobu Itagaki is leaving Tecmo and suing the company for unpaid bonuses. The Dead or Alive creator cites an unfulfilled Dead or Alive 4 completion bonus, stating, “President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me ‘if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it.’”
Tomonobu Itagaki’s translator Andrew Szymanski contacted Kotaku, telling us, “At approximately 2:30 PM Japan Standard Time today, June 3rd 2008, an official statement from Tomonobu Itagaki was sent by fax to major Japanese news outlets. In the interest of fair and expedient reporting of this story throughout the English-speaking world, I have been asked by Itagaki to convey this statement to you. Herein find attached Itagaki’s official statement, in English, for the benefit of your readers.”
What does this mean for Itagaki’s future? Szymanski does not know, adding, “You will likely have questions regarding the content of the statement, or about Itagaki’s future plans. I am afraid that I will be unable to answer such questions for the time being; however, rest assured that more information will be forthcoming as soon as it is deemed appropriate to do so.”Quitting Tecmo (and suing it) means the chances of Itagaki making Dead or Alive 5 are more dead than alive. Hit the jump for Itagaki’s full statement.
