Archive for August, 2006
TTWO shares drop on earnings warning, stock option investigation
Filed under: Business
Take Two just warned Wall Street analysts that their estimates for Take Two earnings in upcoming quarters are “too high,” and disclosed new subpoenas from the NYC district attorney’s office for documents related to stock options grants. Company shares dropped over 8% to $11.20 in after-hours trading.
Some gamers might be tempted to shrug off all this bad news and what it’s done to Take Two’s shares, figuring that what happens on Wall Street doesn’t matter so long as Take Two delivers the goods next October with Grand Theft Auto IV.
But Take Two’s financial woes do matter because the company uses its stock as compensation. When the company’s shares drop, employees take a de facto pay cut, making it more difficult for the company to motivate and retain the brains that create hit titles. In the software and creative industries, it’s said that 100% of company value walks out of the door every evening. If this keeps up, Take Two’s going to have a harder time convincing employees to return the next morning.
[Disclosure: I own way too many shares of Take Two. My wife reminds me of this almost daily.]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Zombies hot… Zombies + bikini babe… hotter!?
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Fighting
Silicon Era noticed that Japanese Xbox 360 owners will be getting a full remake of the popular, super-gory, budget console title Oneechanbara, or Zombie Zone, as it was called when a version of the game hit UK stores.
The game’s formula is simple:
- Endless host of defenseless zombies
- + tributaries of lumpy zombie blood
- + freshly harvested zombie sweetbreads
- + nearly naked babe wielding a katana
==============================================
$$
Given the success of Dead Rising on the Xbox 360, this one might make it all the way to the US. Then again, we might be all zombied out by then.
Quick access to more screenshots: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Finally! Assassin’s Creed confirmed for 360 [update 1]
Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure
Admitting to one of the worst-kept secrets in recent memory, Ubisoft has finally confirmed Assassin’s Creed for Xbox 360 in both Electronic Gaming Monthly and 360 Magazine.
Unfortunately, not much else is revealed, such as a release date or platform-specific content. Most of all, we want to know why they waited to confirm the Xbox 360 version, even though we all knew it was coming. As a developer and publisher, it would be the smartest decision to promote all iterations of the title. Was it to instigate hype, as 1UP’s Luke Smith conjectures, or were there even more sinister deals being made behind the scenes?
Assassin’s Creed is also coming out for PC and PlayStation 3.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
[Update: In a press release, Ubisoft has announced that the Xbox 360 version will launch in early 2007 alongside the PS3 version.
GameSpot also has a Q&A with Producer Jade Raymond that sidesteps important questions, such as "why deny the 360 version?" and instead opts for the more generic lead-ins. Assassin's Creed has high-def visuals, audio, and Xbox Achievements? O, thank you, Captain Obvious!]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Xbox 360 wins the MySpace war. So what?
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Online, Business
With the news that MySpace drove more traffic to online retailers last week than did MSN search, nobody can deny this MySpace monster anymore, least of all game companies who hope to reach the MySpace generation.
And yet it seems that Nintendo (Wii MySpace page, 3672 friends) and Sony (PS3 MySpace page, 494 friends) have been slow to embrace the phenomenon, sporting anemic MySpace pages (and anemic friend counts to match). This is compared to the Xbox 360’s relatively robust MySpace presence (68680 friends).
Nintendo’s weak (hard to guess, not obvious) MySpace URL also indicates that Nintendo registered their MySpace domain as an afterthought. Indeed, the first comment on the official Wii space is mid August, 2006, while the unofficial space at myspace.com/NintendoWii appeared 3.5 months earlier. When your fans are beating you to the punch by 3.5 months, there’s a problem.
Sony’s MySpace presence comes in dead last. Chances are, the Sony MySpace page isn’t even official. With less than three months to launch, it doesn’t look like Sony intends to build a proper MySpace presence at all.
In sum, the lack of Wii and PlayStation presence in the most powerful online community indicates marketing departments frozen in place even as audiences migrate away from traditional channels.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
New Spore Movies
Three new Spore movies to caress you lovingly with velvety feelers and way too many legs.
Mucking about with monsters!
Shooting lasers!
Honking and bellowing!
These all came out on the 28th over at GameTrailers, and I saw them on Aeropause, who had about as much to say as I do. One thing I will note about these trailers is the sound. The dynamic music is good, if not particularly stand-out, but the sound effects are top-notch. I love the monster croaking.
Today in Joystiq: August 31, 2006
News
DS dominates Japanese game sales charts
Far Cry Instincts Predator marks territory on XBLM
Oh look, another WWII-themed first-person shooter
EA jumps on the in-game ad bandwagon
Get Edge in the U.S. cheap(er)
Assassin’s Creed confirmed for PC, not Xbox 360
TimeShift hit with delay stick yet again
Microsoft: Marketplace has had over 50 million downloads
Rayman not Wii-exclusive, what’s Ubisoft up to?
PSP GPS and camera priced and dated (in Japan)
Ubisoft shares Dark Messiah of M&M with Steam
Left Behind demo now available
Like it or not, Madden continues to be a cash cow
Lost Planet is 360 exclusive and will be out in January
Top 10 handheld imports from Japan
The only way to “beat” World of Warcraft
Rumors & Speculation
Possible PS3, Wii demo kiosks
Culture
Xbox used for stroke rehab
Bomberman photoshop contest: How to make right out of wrong
Saving yourself while killing zombies
Top 10 gaming colleges
Craigslist poster claims rare N64 cart, offering free rom for services
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Sim City DS
Seems a wee bit weird to be announcing this in Famitsu, but that’s exactly what EA did. Sim City, as in THE Sim City, is due for a winter release on DS in Japan.
Sim City DS is based on the PC Sim City 3000. This isn’t just a port, though, as the game features full stylus-based controls, mini games and a new adviser character who helps you out when designing your city.
The DS title includes three main modes of play: Build a New City, Save the City and Sister City. In Build a New City, you start a city from scratch. Save the City mode puts you in a city located somewhere in Japan and has you clear missions involving fixing traffic and other problems. The Sisters City mode lets you chat with other players and trade “landmarks.”
There’s no mention at IGN of the only thing any of us are really interested in: what are the brand new ways of destroying my carefully cultivated cities, and where do I type in porntipsguzzardo?
More Here [IGN, via Digg]
The only way to “beat” World of Warcraft
Filed under: Culture, PC, Online, MMO
Slashdot commentors respond to Next-Gen’s article on the smashing success of World of Warcraft. Just how do you “beat” the game? Contributor IflyRC may have put it best:
“The only way to beat WoW is to cancel your account and start the arduous process of putting your life back together. Call the wife that left you and see if things can be worked out. Take your kids to a park and marvel at the sunshine - it’s been a while since you’ve felt how warm it is. Apologize to all of those ex-coworkers that covered for you when you overslept from a late night raid or leveling. Look in the mirror for the first time in months and decide you might need to shower and shave.”
See also:
- Parents suing Blizzard for World of Warcraft addiction
- Doctor: 40% of World of Warcraft players addicted
- Is World of Warcraft’s success hurting PC games market?
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
“This is Living” PS3 Slogan Video
I think I was the third person to vote for “this sucks” on the poll we posted earlier about this new slogan. Seeing it in action has not shaken my beliefs any. Thanks Kristofer.
Battlefield 2142 Already Infested With Shitweasels
Battlefield 2142’s beta has been out for all of not-quite-a-month, and already the servers are filthy with vermin:
Since it’s out in the public, hackers of the original Battlefield 2 have already hacked the beta version, which is reportedly easy, since the game is built using the same engine.
Only a few modifications are needed to install a BF2 hack in the BF2142 beta, apparently EA/DICE haven’t fixed the problems with the engine before starting on Battlefield 2142.
My question, as always, is WHY. Why make flesh the accusation that you suck so bad, you cannot actually play the game? There’s a video, too. Disgusting.
Hacked Already [Digital Battle, via Digg]
Top 10 handheld imports from Japan
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Portable, Sony PSP
Have you blazed through all your favorite portable games already? Then “wait for it” ’cause Modojo has compiled their picks for the best Japanese import games to tide you over until your next anticipated stateside release. From the article: “These games represent some of the best releases from Japan, and also some of the most interesting genres that we in America rarely get to experience… Games with a rating of one require little or no Japanese, and those with five basically can’t be played without knowledge of the language.”
Rhythm game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (pictured) for the Nintendo DS was deemed the most import-worthy title with a “level two” Japanese understanding. Sugoi!
[Thanks, Cody]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
The Crown Jewel of Fan Performances: Zelda on Theremin
Well, that’s it. We never need to post another Zelda performance again. I don’t care if you’re the ghost of Jerry Goldsmith, on a completely crax0red copy of Fruity Loops, with the London Philharmonic, Morrissey, and Stephen Hawking personally providing all your samples. I don’t ever want to hear this melody again.
It’s over.
(Thanks to Metzger for sending this in. Say, didn’t I fix your radio once?)
A Plentiful Xmas 360
Eurogamer TV interviewed Microsoft Europe boss Chris Lewis at Leipzig, and while the interview itself won’t be out for a few days, some pertinent highlights are making their way to sister site GameDaily:
When asked if he was confident of having enough hardware to meet demand over the peak period, Lewis replied: “Very confident. We were pretty tight after this last Christmas, [but] we tripled production; we put plenty of inventory in the air rather than using the water because it was important to get the stock to the right places at the right time.
“I’m very confident that we have the production capacity to suit our ambitions. And there will be no stock shortages anywhere in the region over this Christmas period, I can assure you of that.”
I think when he says “region” he is referring to the UK, but if the attitude is prevalent in Microsoft generally, we can expect a well-Xboxed Xmas.
More here [GameDaily.biz]
Lost Planet is 360 exclusive and will be out in January
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Online, Interviews, Competitive Gaming, Business
GameSpot recently cornered Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi to confirm that Lost Planet will stay on the Xbox 360 despite rumors that it wouldn’t be the exclusive it was thought to be. Also, Takeuchi has revealed that the anticipated title will come to stores in January 2007.
Takeuchi says the plan was to always keep Lost Planet on the 360 and the 360 only:
Lost Planet is an exclusive Xbox 360 title. Typically when the development team sets out to create a game, we focus development of the title on a single platform and for Lost Planet that platform is the Xbox 360. We have no plans at this time of porting to or developing for another console as this would potentially dilute the final product.
Ever since E3 and the demo hit Xbox Live, we’ve been eagerly anticipating this chilly third-person shooter. How about you?
[Thanks, Zelda Master]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
COWBOY HAT: Oneechanbara Coming to 360
Siliconera is giddy as a pus-covered schoolgirl about the looming American release of Oneechanbara for the Xbox 360. Oneechanbara, aka “that cowboy hat bikini zombie game”; the game that launched one thousand latex catsuits; devourer of souls and destroyer of worlds. Yes, THAT Oneechanbara:
The Oneechanbara series is sort of like Dynasty Warriors, except your hacking away at zombies and playing as a bikini clad, sword wielding, female warrior with a cowboy hat. The Oneechanbara games are also infamous for spewing out blood when zombies are slashed away.
[...] previously the Oneechanbara was released in Europe under the name Zombie Zone, but none of the games have ever been brought to North America.
Nor have I ever played this game of games, but jesus wept, just look at the screenshots (follow the link, our galleries are broken). How could you resist?
Oneechanbara Screenshots [Siliconera]
Nintendo: Wii Announcements Coming in Two Weeks
The Nintendo event in New York City with Reggie Fils-Aime is just two weeks away and my Wii-spidey senses are tingling. Unable to sit still in my seat, I harassed one of the Nintendo PR guys I know for more details. All he could tell me is that there will be Wii games there to play as well as “Wii announcements.”
Me: “So Wii announcements or BIG announcements?”
Me: “lol”
Me: “See what I did there?”
Nintendo: “Wii”
Nintendo: “Yeah I see”
The man’s a rock, a ROCK. It’s gotta be the price and date right? What else could it be?
Japanese Early 80’s Famicom Ad
This Japanese ad, for the Famicom disk system in the early 80’s, proves Japanese people screamed a lot even two decades ago. Banzai!
Like it or not, Madden continues to be a cash cow
Filed under: Culture, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, Online, Sports, Strategy, Competitive Gaming, Business
Electronic Arts has released estimates that show its yearly updated franchise, Madden, has just reached a new high: two million copies sold in the first week. EA says this is a record for a franchise that has been chugging along for 17 years now. A PR mouthpiece had this to say about the results:
“Consumers are the most meaningful judge of game quality and based on sales and the record-setting online activity, our toughest critics think Madden NFL has delivered another great game experience.”
We guess it pays to be the only NFL game in town. For those of you that bought it, is Madden NFL 07 the best Madden ever?
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
This Day in Gaming, August 31st
1997: Activision releases Dark Reign for PC in the US. This is classic robots versus humans warfare with extremely cool box art. Every reader should be training on this game daily, because it’s only a matter of time before you nostalgically load the game and realize the humans can no longer win. Yeah, it’s basically proven: the computers will first demoralize us through video game spankage - then they’ll move on to refusing us treats in vending machines, despite the use of proper change. We’re doomed/a litte hungry.
1997: GT Interactive releases Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee for the PS in the US. Something about Oddworld was always a little unsettling: not sure if it’s the green or the weird ponytail thing that comes out from the middle of Abe’s head. It’s such a fine line between iconic and just plain “odd”, even if the game is decent. Yes, usually we would accompany this poetic imagery with a picture, but it’s Dark Reign Day.
2004: Atlus releases Pro Fishing Challenge for Xbox in the US. Editor note: if you’re playing this game and a bass goes for your eye, see Dark Reign entry.
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
Mortal Kombat: Armegeddon Gameplay Video
Midway just sent out a gameplay video for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Well, actually it’s mostly a trailer talking about what little plot there is in MK, but there are a few seconds of gameplay footage. It’s hard to tell, but the graphics look kind of ass to me. I think it’s a deliberate style, not ass, but like some sort of version of cel-shading. I just absolutely hate it. Saint’s Row has the same look, and I’m equally unimpressed. There’s also about three seconds of character creation video shown. That, I think, could be the coolest aspect of this latest MK.
We need to make different characters for each of us. I could be King Kotaku and give him a fatality that spews grammatical errors at your head until it explodes. Florian, of course, would be The Malcontent. He’d just mope around glaring at people until they killed themselves in desperation.
