Thursday, October 30, 2008
LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, LocoRoco 2 …
11:20PM Luke Plunkett | LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, LocoRoco 2 (And More) Dated For Europe – A buncha games have been given European release dates overnight. Which ones? LittleBigPlanet will be out November 5. Resistance 2 will be out November 28. MotorStorm 2 will be out November 7. SingStar Disney on November 7. And LocoRoco 2 on November 21, though that last one comes with a “to be confirmed” sticker. More »
Haruhi Wii Game Pushed Back To January
11:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Those eagerly waiting next month to get the Wii Haruhi Suzumiya game, wait some more. The title, based on the popular anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, won’t get released now until late January next year. As we previously posted, the game apparently no longer has dancing in it — or something. For those of you who either do not know who Haruhi is or aren’t yet sick of the Haruhi dance, click over. More »
Square Enix Making iPhone Game
10:40PM Brian Ashcraft | Square Enix is releasing its first iPhone game this winter. Called Crystal Defenders, the Final Fantasy related title is a map-based “defence simulation” game that (of course) uses the iPhone’s touch interface. Check out some screens after the jump. More »
So, How Much Did EA Spend Marketing Madden 09?
10:20PM Luke Plunkett | Contrary to popular belief, Madden does not sell itself. Some people need convincing it’s an improvement over last year, some people need reminding it’s time for a new Madden and some, like myself, need convincing it’s any better than NFL2K5. In order to get the word out (the word being “BUY MADDEN”), then, EA need to spend money on advertising. And they spend a lot. For Madden 09, for example, they spent over $US10 million on marketing. For one game. $US5.5 million alone was spent on cable TV advertising. Guess an email just reminding everyone “hey, new Madden is out” can’t get the job done. More »
This Retro Nintendo 64 Game Ad Is NSFW Maximum Risky!
10:00PM Brian Ashcraft | With the family friendly route Nintendo has taken the last couple of years, it’s easy to forget games like Nintendo Rare published, Rare developed, Nintendo 64 exclusive Conker’s Bad Fur Day. This post is a reminder. The M-rated game with its raunchy humour had M-rated ads, appearing in places like Playboy. Check out the late night cable TV spot after the jump. It’s MAXIMUM RISKY stuff, Diddy Kong Racing this ain’t. More »
News
Empire: Total War: The Expensive Edition
9:30PM Luke Plunkett | Where would a new, big-name game be these days without an expensive collector’s edition? It wouldn’t be a new, big-name game, that’s where it would be. Feels like these things aren’t a bonus any more…they’re now a right of passage. And so we come to Empire: Total War’s attempt to come packaged in a bigger box with a higher price tag. Called the “Special Forces Edition”, there’s no gold-plated musket, no George Washington action figure, no game case in the shape of a surgeon’s hacksaw. There’s just a map. A big map. Oh, and a range of elite units that you don’t get in the regular edition. Were I Sega’s expensive edition teacher, this would be marked C-, with “this is not 2004, must try harder” scrawled at the top of the box. More »
News
Nintendo Exec: ‘We’ve Never Neglected Core Gamers’
9:00PM Brian Ashcraft | For those who felt let down, disappointed and even spurned by Nintendo’s E3 2008 press conference, Nintendo UK exec David Yarnton wants you to know: Nintendo has never neglected core gamers. Sure, there might have been a brief lapse in memory, but neglect? Nope! Here’s Yarnton in his own words: More »
Radio Station Sells Soul To Nintendo
8:30PM Luke Plunkett | Sydney radio station 2UE are one of the biggest radio stations in Australia. And a reasonably respected one to boot. So it’s a little strange/sad to see that, for the next three weeks, the station have changed their name to 2U-Wii. GET IT. This isn’t a throwaway joke, either; every logo and watermark on the station’s website bears the new, temporary 2U-Wii logo. 2UE: More »
News
SNK Announces New Corporate President
8:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Osaka-based game maker SNK announced that it has a new company president. Starting today, Soichiro Hosoya will take the reins of the SNK, who’s best know for its King of Fighters franchise and Metal Slug series. “SNK will ramp up all current projects for the new growing stage and I promise to do my best with vigorous dedication,” said Hosoya. Previously, Hosoya was the SNK’s Director of Game Titles. He will be taking over from current president Koichi Toyama. Hit the jump for a full statement. More »
