Pokémon Diamond/Pearl

DISCOVER THE ULTIMATE POKÉMON TRADING DATABASE!

Over 10 million people globally are enjoying the phenomenon that is Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl and in Europe, 1.6 million copies have been sold in just 7 weeks since launch. For the first time in the Pokémon series, these games have allowed fans to trade Pokémon with anyone in the world via the Global Trading Station, using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Now an all-new and exciting Pokémon service is being made available, as fans are invited to visit the Pokémon GTS website - www.pokemon-gts.net - where they can keep up-to-date on the global Pokémon trade.

From Friday 14th September, 5pm CET, the Pokémon GTS website will be the place to go for fans across the globe, giving them access to top trading information such as the most traded Pokémon, most deposited and wanted Pokémon at the Global Trading Station, as well as discovering which Pokémon are being traded most in each country. The top 50 most traded Pokémon, as well the top 50 most wanted and most deposited Pokémon in the world.

Trying to work out which Pokémon are the best to collect? Using the GTS site, you can simply click on the image of the Pokémon being traded to gain all the information you could ever need, including Pokémon name, type, moves learnt and the time, date and country it was deposited in. What’s more, users have the opportunity to bookmark any Pokémon discovered, adding them to a ‘favourites’ folder to look out for next time they visit the GTS in Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl.

Using the interactive globe element, users can rotate and research Pokémon trading action from many parts of the world. By simply spinning the globe and clicking an area of interest, users can find out more details about the Pokémon but also discover facts about many countries, including capital city, population, language spoken and local greetings!

So log on and discover a whole new world of trading everyone’s favourite Pokémon! Visit www.pokemon-gts.net from 14th September.

Madden NFL '08 scores high

More than 2 million units sold

The NPD Group has released the US hardware and software sales figures for August 2007, with EA's Madden NFL '08 dominating the charts.

The Xbox 360 version of the game was number one, with 896,600 units sold, followed by the PlayStation 2 version, with 643,600 units sold. The PlayStation 3 version of the game sold 336,200 units, which was good enough for fourth place overall.

The Wii, Xbox, and PSP versions of Madden NFL '08 were in eleventh, twelfth, and eighteenth place, respectively.

Bioshock, which is atop the charts in other countries, came in third with 490,900 units sold.

Three Wii games--Wii Play, Metroid Prime 3, and Mario Strikers: Charged--took the fifth, sixth, and seventh positions on the charts. Mario Party 8, also for the Wii, was in the ninth spot.

Guitar Hero II for the PS2, with the guitar controller, sold 145,400 units and was in eighth place. The follow-up, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s for PS2, made tenth place on the charts with sales of 127,100 units. The Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II was in seventeenth place on the August sales chart.

Hardware-wise, Nintendo continues to dominate, with an estimated 403,600 Wii consoles and 383,300 DS handhelds sold in the US in August.

Microsoft sold 276,700 Xbox 360 consoles on the strength of a price cut, with Sony selling 130,600 PlayStation 3 consoles. Sony also sold 202,000 PlayStation 2 consoles and 151,200 PSP handhelds.

Overall, videogame hardware and software sales were up 46 per cent from the same period last year.

Sony could cut prices as Halo 3 spoiler

Price reduction would continue overall market growth for '07

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes Sony couldn't pick a better time or place to announce further price cuts for the PS3 and PS2 than next week's Tokyo Game Show.

Not only would a much-rumoured price announcement take some of the shine off rival Microsoft's Halo 3 launch on September 25, but it would also help the US industry see a further increase in sales for the rest of 2007.

"There have been recent rumours about a new 40GB PS3 sku planned for release prior to the holidays at a USD 399 price point, and other rumours about an impending PS2 price cut to USD 99," noted Pachter.

"We think that both of these ideas have merit, and note that SCE president Kaz Hirai is the keynote speaker at next week’s Tokyo Game Show. If the rumours are true, we cannot think of a better forum for making such an announcement, given that the event is less than a week before the launch of arch rival Microsoft’s Halo 3.

"Should Sony cut prices, we think that continued strong industry sales are all but certain," he added.

Recent figures from the NPD Group have shown that sales of the PlayStation 3 are trailing the Wii and Xbox 360 in North America – with Xbox 360 sales double that of the PS3 in August.

Pachter also estimates that Halo 3 will sell over 3 million units in the US in 12 days, helping to drive Xbox 360 console sales over 400,000 in the month of September.

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Japan sees hardware sales slump

Console units shifting less than half of numbers compared to last month

Japan's hardware sales have taken a nosedive in the past month, with some platforms now selling fewer than half the numbers of just four weeks ago.

According to figures from Media Create, last week's console sales were the lowest for many months, with top-seller Nintendo DS shifting fewer than 100,000 units for the second week in a row.

It sold 77,488 last week, compared to 153,834 during the week ending August 19, with almost all the other consoles dropping by a similar proportion.

The Wii sold 29,088 last week compared to an August high of 73,938, the PlayStation Portable sold just 15,564 - down from 33,715 four weeks ago - and the PlayStation 3 also fell by around 40 percent, from 21,720 units to 13,248.

Usually it would be possible to point to specific software title releases contributing to strong hardware sales, but comparing the same weekly data shows that the week ending August 19 boasted no new titles in the top ten, with the best-selling game notching up 127,724 sales.

That's compared with last week, when there were three new entries in the software top ten, and the number one game sold 186,422 units.

The complete hardware sales figures are as follows:

1. Nintendo DS (77,488)

2. Nintendo Wii (29,088)

3. Sony PSP (15,564)

4. Sony PS2 (13,360)

5. Sony PS3 (13,248)

6. Microsoft Xbox 360 (1,286)

7. Nintendo GBA (550)

8. Nintendo GameCube (82)

Snoopy the Flying Ace Mobile Game

Following the July launch of Snoopy the Flying Ace for mobile phones, Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of mobile games and entertainment for the mass-market casual gamer, today announced a sweepstakes for Sprint’s mobile phone customers who purchase Snoopy the Flying Ace.

“As an original game based on a mass-market brand, Snoopy the Flying Ace appeals to millions of consumers, both young and old, and the game stays true to brand by incorporating some of its most recognizable storylines and characters,” said Scott Rubin, vice president of sales and marketing, Namco Networks. “Because the mobile gaming industry continues to gain popularity, publishers and carriers must do as much as possible to introduce new consumers to the high level of quality and fun that can be had on mobile phones. Through this sweepstakes, we will encourage mobile game customers to download and play Snoopy the Flying Ace and as a result, increase awareness about how entertaining mobile gaming can be.”

The sweepstakes is simple to enter. Sprint customers can enter from their handsets’ games home page on the Sprint wireless Web or by texting the word ‘snoopy’ to 26262 on their Sprint wireless phone (standard text and data rates apply). Visit www.namcogames.com/snoopy for the official rules and an alternate method of entry.

Namco Networks will award one grand prize winner with a trip to the Charles M. Schulz museum in Napa Valley for a VIP behind-the-scenes tour complete with accommodations, airfare and car service plus $1,000 in spending money. Additionally, 25 runners-up will receive Peanuts® Classics: The Ultimate Box Set that includes eight hardcover classic Peanuts titles plus The Peanuts Cookbook, available for the first time in 30 years. The giveaway will run through Oct. 15, 2007.

In Snoopy the Flying Ace by Namco, players put their piloting skills to the test. In Snoopy’s famous fantasy as the WWI Flying Ace, players steer his Sopwith Camel deep within ”enemy territory,” the familiar Peanuts neighborhood, to capture balloons and raise Woodstock’s nest. Players earn points by collecting bonus items in the air while raiding Peanuts gang “ground troops.” Players can double, triple or quadruple their score by recruiting bird buddies along the way to help Woodstock. When using the game’s network components, available on select phones, earned points can be redeemed for unlockable features and rewards such as downloads of PEANUTS comic strips from Namco’s server-based comic collection.

Snoopy the Flying Ace is currently available on most Sprint Vision and Power Vision phones. For more information, including handset compatibility, visit www.NamcoGames.com/snoopy.

NINTENDO DS LITE GOES PLATINUM!

Not content with just providing a raft of quality titles to look forward to this winter, Nintendo of Europe is adding a new colour of Nintendo DS Lite to the range. Joining the already popular black, white and pink versions, from 12th October 2007, Nintendo DS Lite will be available across Europe in silver - the perfect accessory whatever you are wearing!

Nintendo DS has become Europe’s best-selling games console, with over 14 million sold to date and in many markets across Europe it is the fastest selling handheld games console in history. Strong sales are being maintained even in traditionally slow sales periods in the video games industry’s seasonality and this is being seen with software as well as hardware. More Brain Training from Dr. Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? will soon hit the 1 million milestone in Europe, with over 915,000 already sold in just 11 weeks since launch. The original Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? has sold over 3.3 million copies and continues to feature high in software sales charts across Europe, despite launching over a year ago. Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl have sold approximately 1.6 million copies combined in just 7 weeks since their launch.

As sales continue to grow at a rapid rate, it is not only traditional gamers who are enjoying the touch screen controls and wide range of software. Whether you wish to exercise your brain, train and communicate with puppies, battle and collect Pokémon or embark on in-depth adventures, the DS has software that is appealing to both avid games and new gamers of all ages. This momentum for Nintendo DS is set to continue with forthcoming new releases, including the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass which launches across Europe on 19th October 2007.

Nintendo DS Lite Silver launches across Europe on 12th October and will be available for the estimated retail price around £99.

Target, XBOX 360 and Chip Ganassi Racing to Feature HALO 3 Paint Scheme DURING SNEAK PEEK NASCAR

Target, Microsoft and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that the No. 40 car will feature an exclusive "Halo 3"-themed paint scheme during the Dover 400 Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 23. As fans throughout the world line up for the blockbuster Xbox 360 title, CGRFS driver David Stremme will showcase a distinctly designed paint scheme in advance of the game’s much anticipated release on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

"I'm honored and excited to be running the 'Halo 3' car at Dover and can’t wait to show off this awesome paint scheme," said Stremme. "It's going to be a special experience when the car rolls off the truck for the first time at Dover – as a Halo fan, I'm thrilled."

In addition to the special paint scheme in the Nextel Cup race on Sunday, Target and Microsoft are giving select drivers the chance to play "Halo 3," one of the most anticipated video games of all time, before it releases to the public.

"Target is proud to partner with Microsoft to bring some 'Halo 3' excitement to Dover race fans before the much anticipated release date," said Target Senior Buyer, Troy Peterson. "We expect this to be one of our largest gaming releases ever."

"Halo 3," the final chapter in the groundbreaking "Halo" trilogy, is set to shatter day-one entertainment sales records when it is released worldwide beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25. Created by legendary developer Bungie Studios and exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, "Halo 3" will set a new standard for interactive storytelling and social gaming by engaging consumers worldwide in the epic battle of Master ChiefTM to save humankind.

In November 2004, the world’s view of video games changed forever with the release of "Halo 2," which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE® online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,537 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives more than $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

About Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

With 13 wins already in 2007, including the company’s best stretch in history with six victories in 30 days, CGRFS continues to add to its tally of 89 trips to victory lane. Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with a new sponsor, Target. Today, his teams include two IRL IndyCars, one Indy Pro Series car and along with Felix Sabates he has three cars in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, two entries in the NASCAR Busch Series and two Daytona Prototypes in the world of Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series racing. Ganassi’s IndyCar teams have amassed five Championships and 56 wins since 1994; his NASCAR teams have 12 wins and a Rookie-of-the-Year title; and the Grand American team has won two of the last three Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Championships and are the two-time defending Champions of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Chip Ganassi Racing operates out of state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis, Ind., and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Matchstick Puzzle by DS

Mercury Games announces today a new game for the Nintendo DS as part of the Zen series, entitled “Matchstick Puzzle by DS”. The game is a classic puzzle game which requires lateral thinking and includes lots of brain teasing conundrums.

The aim of the game is to answer the questions by moving or rotating matchsticks; for example the player may be presented with two match sticks and then asked to make 14 boxes by adding six other match sticks.

Matchstick Puzzle by DS has more than 150 puzzles of four difficulty settings to complete. The game also has hints to help the player decipher the more abstract clues. In addition, the game has a time attack mode in which the player must complete 10 random puzzles in the fastest time possible but without any hints to help them.

Thanks to the straightforward, uncomplicated nature of the game and the simplicity of the Nintendo DS, the game can be played by people of all ages regardless of whether they have played computer games before.



Matchstick Puzzle by DS is part of the Zen series of games which have been developed with the busy, contemporary urbanite in mind. Matchstick Puzzle by DS, in line with the rest of the Zen series, does not contain any violent or competitive elements. Zen games are co–published by Mercury Games and Ertain.

Tomo Ohno, Chief Operating Officer of Ertain BV said: “Matchstick Puzzle by DS” is a fun, taxing and yet relaxing game. The game will appeal to all people, who like puzzles and a challenge.”

The game will be released at the end of October and will be priced at £19.99/ €24.99.

Halo ActionClix Launch Countdown

Continuing our countdown to the September 19th release of the Halo ActionClix collectible miniature game from WizKids, this week we’ll be focusing on figures from one of the most terrifying organisms in the Halo universe: The Flood!
Carrier Form

The Flood’s Carrier Form serves as the primary method of spreading the Flood parasite to other species. In Halo ActionClix, the uncanny speed of the Carrier will be their most notable trait, allowing them to move and attack at will.

Infection Form
Infection Forms are released like spores by carriers and are the actual agent by which other organisms are infected by the Flood. The Halo ActionClix version of the Infection Form will share many traits of the Carrier form, including its speed.

Combat Form
The Combat Form is the result of actual Flood infection in an individual. Their gruesome appearance reflects the mutation process that results once the parasite completely takes over an organism.
Halo ActionClix will include Flood-infected versions of both Covenant Elites as well as Human Marines. They will retain some of their original abilities, such as using guns in the Marine’s case. They will also acquire new abilities, including a bonus to close combat, reflecting their whip-like tentacles!

PC Games FREE at FreeGamePick.com

FreeGamePick (www.freegamepick.com) announced the opening of their Free Gaming Portal. You can choose from various downloadable games for PC and online games. All of their games are full version games and totally free. You will not find any try-before-buy or shareware games there. Yes, this means you don't pay a cent to play or download a game!

FreeGamePick concentrates on providing their visitors the best Action, Shooters, Racing and Arcade gaming content, however popular Puzzle, Card and Business games are also available.

One great thing about the portal is that it's very easy to pick a game and start playing. You don't have to register, fill any forms or submit your e-mail anywhere and you will not experience any annoying pop-ups as well. Their gaming site is very simply structured and easy to use.

On another note, FreeGamePick promotes other gaming sites and game related information via its sponsored links. This means that by frequently visiting the website you can always find even more fun and new gaming for yourself no matter where you are - at home or at work.

The website is also multi-language friendly. You can now choose to have it displayed in English, Spanish or Russian. More local languages are coming soon.

Come visit FreeGamePick.com and check out their latest PC titles, such as Forbidden Galaxy, Machine World, Intense Racing, Ultimate Tank, Sky Battle and more.


Website address: http://www.freegamepick.com