Again DS Crime Solving GDC 2010 Trailer
Written by from on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsTecmo Koei presents Again, a new interactive crime novel for the Nintendo DS.
Bit.Trip Runner GDC 2010 Gameplay
Written by from on March 11th, 2010 | 0 CommentsOff-Screen: Dash your way to the finish line in the fast paced Nintendo Wii game.
Super Robot Taisen Prequel Announced
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsOver in Japan this week, Namco Bandai Games took the veils off Masou Kishin: The Lord of Elemental , the latest game in their sprawling Super Robot Taisen series of anime-inspired robot sims. The game is due out for the Nintendo DS May 27 in Japan for the retail price of 6090 yen. The Lord of Elemental is more than just another SRT Original Generation title — it’s the one that kicked off the whole series, sort of. Originally released in 1996 for the Super NES in Japan, the game marks the debut of hot-blooded robot pilot Masaki Ando and his elementally-powered craft Cybaster, popular enough that they starred in a 26-episode TV anime in 1999. Once a normal Japanese kid, Masaki gets his mecha career kick-started in this game when he’s summoned to La Gias, a world housed under the Earth’s crust, and asked to pilot one of the four elemental robots built by the kingdom of Languran to stave off a prophesied disaster. “We’ve never dug into the backbone of Masaki and Cybaster, even though they both appear regularly in the SRTOG series,” producer Takanobu Terada told Famitsu magazine this week. “The Lord of Elemental answers the question of where those characters came from.”
Blaze Union Scorches Japanese PSPs
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsIf The Lord of Elemental wasn’t enough “strategy RPG prequel coming out May 27 in Japan” excitement for you, your prayers have been answered — also hitting PSP shelves that day is Blaze Union , a brand new Sting-developed tactical RPG that, story-wise, is a prequel to GBA and PSP hit Yggdra Union . Set in the Bronquian Empire before Yggdra came along and unified it for herself, Blaze Union’s story is centered around the Blaze Knight Corps, a rogue army fighting against the land’s corrupt emperor. You control Garlot, leader of the corps, on a series of campaigns against the evil empire, the story branching this way or that depending on your decisions. Like with Yggdra, Blaze’s battles are a mix of strategy-RPG and card action. Before a battle scene begins, you’re tasked with selecting which units and “tactical cards” to send out to the field. The subsequent fighting proceeds a bit like a sword-and-sorcery Advance Wars , with you forming multi-unit Unions to beef up your position and using special charged skills to wipe out enemy advances.
Analyst Says PS3 Will Outsell Wii by 2013
Written by from on March 9th, 2010 | 0 CommentsFor the longest time, since before their console was even released, Sony was quick to point out this generation of “console wars” would be a marathon — with the PlayStation 3 the slow-and-steady tortoise that would eventually outlast their seemingly speedier competition. Now, it looks like they’re starting to convince some industry experts that may be the case: MCV reports that StrategyAnalytics analyst David Mercer predicts the PS3 will outsell the Wii by 2013. Mercer spelled out his reasoning in a blog post ahead of the release of the company’s Global Video Game Market Forecast next week. “The signs are that the Wii has peaked in terms of console sales, and its installed base will begin to decline after 2011,” Mercer wrote. “Meanwhile, Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will continue to grow, so that the PS3 will become the largest platform globally by 2013. In terms of cumulative lifetime sales we expect the PS3 to hit 127m units, compared to 103m Wiis.” Naturally, like any good analyst, Mercer also left himself room for error: “Uncertainties clearly surround each of the major platforms, particularly relating to the new services and upgrades planned by Sony and Microsoft. Natal on the Xbox could be more beneficial to 360 sales than expected, and Sony’s own motion controller, together with its plans to upgrade all PS3s to 3D capability, also represent potential for upside to our core forecasts.”
Analyst Says PS3 Will Outsell Wii by 2013
Written by from on March 9th, 2010 | 0 CommentsFor the longest time, since before their console was even released, Sony was quick to point out this generation of “console wars” would be a marathon — with the PlayStation 3 the slow-and-steady tortoise that would eventually outlast their seemingly speedier competition. Now, it looks like they’re starting to convince some industry experts that may be the case: MCV reports that StrategyAnalytics analyst David Mercer predicts the PS3 will outsell the Wii by 2013. Mercer spelled out his reasoning in a blog post ahead of the release of the company’s Global Video Game Market Forecast next week. “The signs are that the Wii has peaked in terms of console sales, and its installed base will begin to decline after 2011,” Mercer wrote. “Meanwhile, Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will continue to grow, so that the PS3 will become the largest platform globally by 2013. In terms of cumulative lifetime sales we expect the PS3 to hit 127m units, compared to 103m Wiis.” Naturally, like any good analyst, Mercer also left himself room for error: “Uncertainties clearly surround each of the major platforms, particularly relating to the new services and upgrades planned by Sony and Microsoft. Natal on the Xbox could be more beneficial to 360 sales than expected, and Sony’s own motion controller, together with its plans to upgrade all PS3s to 3D capability, also represent potential for upside to our core forecasts.”
Nintendo Patent Suggests New DS Cartridge Design
Written by from on March 7th, 2010 | 0 CommentsIt’s time once again to play everyone’s favorite news game: Boarderline-Irresponsible Patent Speculation! On this episode, we have Nintendo filing a patent for what appears to be a new cartridge design for the Nintendo DS… or , maybe a new cartridge design for the heavily rumored DS 2? The patent was picked up on by Siliconera, and to be honest, there’s nothing in it that specifically proves it could be either of the above. While the included figure shows what certainly looks like a DS, the patent filing states that it’s for “illustration purposes only.” Still, Siliconera also points out this cartridge design — which would, if it’s actually meant for the DS, stick out quite a bit — has the same number of pins as a standard DS cartridge. That’s all there really is to go on, though, so it’s impossible to say what the mystery behind this cartridge is. Will more be revealed at GDC next week? Or will we have to wait until E3 in June for answers? Or does Nintendo have no intentions of doing anything with this patent at all? Stay tuned!
Scribblenauts 2 Coming to DS this Fall
Written by from on March 7th, 2010 | 0 CommentsScribblenauts was one of 2009’s breakout hits , so it’s no surprise to see a sequel already in the works — and it’s coming pretty soon, too. The latest issue of Nintendo Power reveals Scribblenauts 2 will be released on the DS this fall, just a year after the first game’s release. According to GoNintendo’s notes from the issue, Scribblenauts 2 will have the sort of additions and improvements you’d expect for a game all about random vocabulary: It’ll have a whopping 10,000 new words, 120 “new and improved” levels, improved controls (one of the major complaints with the first game), a new hint system, a fleshed out level editor, and apparently it’ll focus heavily on adjectives. That last one could potentially open the gameplay possibilities quite a bit, considering adjectives could be used to modify the things you create. For example, maybe you aren’t just able to conjure a T-Rex, but a rotund T-Rex? Or — could you imagine — a delighted T-Rex? Hopefully we’ll know more soon enough.
Portal 2 Coming to GameInformer April Cover
Written by from on March 5th, 2010 | 0 CommentsGameInformer has dropped word of its next magazine cover story, and it’s none other than Portal 2 . The teaser promises new gameplay and story details to come, which we’ll be sure to check up on when the magazine starts to make the rounds. This comes with interesting timing, so shortly after Portal fans noticed morse code messages hidden in the patches for the first game. Now it seems that Valve may have been sending the messages to reignite awareness of the game in preparation for the cover story. We’ve known for quite a while that the bite-sized Valve game that set the world ablaze in 2007 would be getting a sequel. But in true Valve style, the company has been quiet for years now. We’re not using a figure of speech when we say “years” — the last bit of real news was casting rumors from 2008. Between these recent patches and the GameInformer cover, we’re sure to get more concrete details, and maybe even a release date, in the near future.
No Wii Price Cut Planned For 2010, Nintendo Says
Written by from on March 4th, 2010 | 0 CommentsNintendo cut the Wii’s price for the first time last year, but don’t expect a repeat performance in 2010. Speaking with GamesBeat , Nintendo’s Cammie Dunaway seemed content with the console’s current standing. “Certainly on the Wii, we are now in the fifth year. We have had extraordinary success,” she said. “The PS2 went on to sell more than 50 million. So that means there is plenty of opportunity to sell more Wiis.” She continued, “That being said, going into the fifth year, you usually don’t anticipate selling more than you did in the previous year.”