Guitar Hero songs experience increase sales

The Guitar Hero franchise has surpassed $1 billion in North American retail sales since its initial release in the fall of 2005.

The series includes Guitar Hero (2005), Guitar Hero II (2006), Guitar Hero Encore Rocks the '80s (2007), and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2007). Guitar Hero Aerosmith will be added in June.

Eleven of 12 Guitar Hero II songs experienced increased sales in 2007. One of them, "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas, went from 119,000 digital sales in 2006 to 297,000 in 2007, according to USA Today.

The game — whose slogan is "Kiss Your Air Guitar Goodbye!" — is bringing together kids and their families and is getting the younger generation interested in rock music again.

Nowhere is that more evident than at The Depot Bar & Restaurant in Dalton, where avid followers — young and old — flock to Guitar Hero contests.

SNK's Neo Geo stick 2 for Nintendo Wii

SNK has announced that it will be releasing Neo Geo Stick 2 for the Nintendo Wii. It will be available in Japan on April 10th for 5040 Yen (about $47).

You simply plug the attachment into the Wii remote and you'll then be able to play with all Virtual Console games.

Source: Nintencast

Play free mind-bending Zack & Wiki Nintendo Wii mini-game!

Are your puzzle-solving skills up to scratch? In Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure on Wii you’ll have to rise to all manner of mental challenges as you seek to secure untold riches.

With puzzles that call on you to direct budding pirate Zack with the Wii Remote and use items ranging from keys to tennis rackets by making the appropriate movements with the motion sensing controller, there’s plenty to keep your brain engaged at every turn!

From today, you can enjoy a taste of the kind of unique challenges that await in Zack & Wiki by heading over to the official microsite. Once there, you’ll find a Zack & Wiki style mini-game in the site’s Gameplay section.

Just as in the real Zack & Wiki, the mini-game invites you to solve a tricky puzzle and get your hands on a glittering treasure chest! In this case, a locked door is the particular obstacle preventing you from pocketing the loot.

So get your thinking cap on and take a trip to the official Zack & Wiki microsite, where you’ll also find plenty more info on this little gem of a game!

Visit the official Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure microsite

Commodore 64 on Nintendo Wii Virtual Console - soon

Already a firm favourite with Wii owners, Virtual Console is once again expanding its catalogue, this time with the addition of a whole new games format. Later this year, Wii owners will be able to enjoy classic titles from the best selling personal computer of all time: the Commodore 64. These titles join classic gems from the likes of Nintendo, SEGA, Turbografx and NEOGEO already available via the Wii Shop Channel.

The release of the Commodore 64 in 1982 was an historic moment for the computer and video games industry. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it remains the best selling single computer model of all time, with an estimated 22 million units sold. Its immense popularity saw an unrivalled collection of over 4,000 rich games titles released through its production lifetime (1982-1994), helping to establish the C64 as a ‘gamers favourite.'


Bala Keilman, CEO of Commodore Gaming, commented, “The massive impact the Commodore 64 had on video gaming is still evident today with many gamers remembering the computer and its games with great fondness. By working with Nintendo of Europe, we are ensuring that future generations of gamers can play some of the best and most popular titles that kick-started the computer games revolution and so keep the C64 legacy in gamers hearts.”

Laurent Fischer, Managing Director of European Marketing & PR of Nintendo Europe added, “We are extremely pleased to be working with Commodore Gaming to provide even more retro hits for Wii owners to choose from on Virtual Console. With over 184 classic titles now available to enjoy, Virtual Console on Wii is a great way for users to access a breadth of classic retro games. We hope that this great choice of games will bring nostalgia to our gaming fans, while an entirely new generation of video game players can experience a host of classic games for the very first time.”

Among the first titles from Commodore 64 which will be made available on Virtual Console are International Karate and Uridium. These great titles will be bolstered by regular updates from the Commodore 64 back catalogue.

Virtual Console games from Commodore 64 will be available from the Wii Shop Channel soon and can be downloaded for 500 Wii Points each. Currently these titles will only be available on the European Wii Shop Channel.

As much as new games like Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption are fine ways to wile away the hours on your Wii, sometimes all you really want is a bit of quick drop-in gaming to waste a few minutes. The Virtual Console, then, is a great boon to any Wii player offering classics like the hilariously fun Battle Lode Runner, and it's about to get even better with the addition of Commodore 64 titles.

Better still, for the time being this is a Europe only deal, a rare treat. First up for download are a mere two titles, Internatonal Karate and Uridium, but Nintendo and Commodore Gaming promise "regular updates" to resurrect a much larger selection of the C64 back catalogue.

As you all know, the C64 is the single best selling computer system of all time with some 4,000-odd titles produced for it in total. Obviously not all of these are going to be on the VC (some deservedly remaining locked up) but nonetheless, there are numerous truly awesome games which I for one am just itching to play again. C64 games will set you back 500 Wii points a piece (about £4 in real money) and the first pair of titles should be available soon.

Source: Press Release

Sony PlayStationPortable PSP Go! Messenger Launched - Instant messaging Free at BT WiFi hotspots

We first caught a glimpse of Go!Messenger way back in August last year at the Games Convention, and now a mere five months later it's launched in the UK. If you fancy a bit of instant messaging and video conferencing on your PSP, for free at BT WiFi hotspots, then you'll want to pay attention.


Importantly, unlime many the recent additions such as Skype, you'll not need to have a Slim & Lite PSP, with its improved hardware specs, to get on the Go!Messenger gravy train, so there are no limitations. Also importantly there is no cost to actually download the program.

As well as simple text-based instant messaging, Go!Messenger will also allow purchasers of the optional Go!Cam to stream video and audio to any other PSP also using the program. While the appeal of doing so doesn't immediately seem as great as using, say, Skype or Windows Live Messenger, I have no doubt that it will prove popular.

Adding Go!Messenger to the PSP will work exactly like the Skype add-on, in that rather than requiring a software update, would-be users simply download the software to the console and install. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to actually grab the download, which will appear on the PlayStation store.

Source: Trusted Reviews

Frontline: Fuel of War multi player demo on Microsoft XBox live

Platforms: PC and Xbox 360

Is modern combat the new World War II? With Battlefield 2, Call of Duty 4 and Conflict: Denied Ops behind us and Battlefield: Bad Company and Far Cry 2 ahead, it's definitely beginning to feel that way. Of course, Frontlines isn't actually set in the modern day - the conflict in question is a near-future scrap over oil and energy between a Russian/Chinese alliance and the western world - but it still feels very much like Call of Duty 4 or Battlefield 2. The latter might not be surprising considering that in a past life its developer, Kaos Studios, was known as Trauma Studios; best known for creating the Desert Combat mod for Battlefield 1942.

For a whole mass of other reasons, it's impossible to talk about Frontlines without mentioning DICE's Battlefield series - and particularly Battlefield 2. This is still fundamentally a game of large maps designed for large numbers of troops, based around control points to occupy and objectives to destroy. It also focuses heavily on vehicles, with a range of different armoured cars, tanks, helicopters and jets for those moments when you need to travel (and blow things up) in relative safety and style. It's also a game that demands and rewards teamwork rather than every-man-for-himself showboating. If you're a Battlefield 2 veteran, even the scenery and the character models can seem eerily familiar at times. Denying any similarity between the two games would just be silly.

Yet Frontline does deviate from the established Battlefield formula in some very significant ways. Most importantly, it's a game where single-player action - not just multiplayer - is a real priority. Those cynically expecting a glorified bot-match are in for a shock. Frontlines has a proper single player campaign, based on the activities of the Stray Dog assault company during a critical period of what soon becomes a third-world war. Each mission within that campaign has a proper structure, with the completion of one set of objectives opening up another, and even its own set-pieces. Kicking off with a simple patrol around a contested oil facility, it's not long before you're involved in attacks on tank factories, sniper incursions into enemy territory and full-scale assaults on missile bases and enemy HQs.

It's while playing the single-player campaign that thoughts of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and its sequel or Call of Duty 4 will inevitably creep in, which is almost a complement for a game that's still firmly based on the basic play mechanics of a Battlefield game. However, while the actual run and gun gameplay is very reminiscent of GRAW2 or CoD4, the combat in Frontlines feels more organic and less contrived. You have a certain degree of control, and you're not just being funnelled from firefight to firefight to set-piece. The maps are surprisingly wide-open, and you're free to achieve the objectives in your current list in roughly any order. If there are tanks or armoured cars to use then you can use them, but rarely are you forced to. You can pick up deployable heavy weapons (including an awesome railgun) and use them where you will, or take one of the various drones and employ them as you see fit. For once, you feel in control of the action.

Source: Trusted Reviews

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Best shooter just got better - Call of Duty 4 Feature Patch on Microsoft Xbox Live

Infinity Ward on Friday released the highly anticipated Call of Duty 4 Feature Patch over Xbox Live and unveiled the new enhancements that fans can look forward to.

New kill cams have been added to follow ambitious grenades, RPGs, M203's, claymores, and Airstrikes. Multiplayer sessions will no longer be dropped if if the host player leaves, rather a new host will be assigned so play can continue.

The Feature Patch also includes improved sniper and ACOG accuracy for a more fluid and natural feel, and the Spectator Cam has been upgraded to follow matches in third-person, first-person, or 360 degrees. A quick mute option has also been added to silence potty mouth adolescents.

On Wednesday, the Infinity Ward blog said the Xbox 360 Feature Patch was "very very close" to release, and that the PS3 version would soon follow pending certification from Sony.

New trailers for Microsoft XBox 360 Army of Two, Bourne Conspiracy EA video game out next week

The Bourne Conspiracy makes liberal use of a cover system, much like Gears of War and Unchartered before it. The game is based on the The Bourne Identity series and will introduce new plot elements into the story upon release on Xbox 360 and PS3 this third quarter (July-September).

Game Trailer (Age restricted)

And immediately prior to its release next week, EA shows off its latest trailer for Army of Two, a third person shooter for Xbox 360 and PS3 that follows a pair of paid mercenarie

Nintendo Wii owners will buy a Sony PlayStation 3 in 2008

Sony's key growth may come not only from its PS2 installed base upgrading to PS3, but also from millions of Wii owners looking for a second console, according to iSuppli, which called 2008 a "turning year" for PS3.

Research firm iSuppli, who forecast earlier this month that Sony's PlayStation 3 would eek out a victory in the console war by 2011, has told Reuters that 2008 will be a "turning year" for the PS3. "Sony is offering a better forthcoming software pipeline with blockbuster titles like Gran Turismo 5, which will boost PS3 sales this year," said iSuppli analyst Pamela Tufegdzic.

Importantly, Tufegdzic is looking at Nintendo's Wii audience as a driver of PS3 sales. She believes Sony will drop the price on its console enticing Wii owners to finally get a second, more powerful system. "We anticipate Sony will have another price slash on the PS3 this year, and come Christmas, consumers who originally bought the Wii will likely purchase the PS3," Tufegdzic said. "The battle over consoles ultimately boils down to price."

Another strong point for the PS3 of course will be its Blu-ray victory over HD DVD. As more consumers upgrade to HDTV and HD movies, there's a good chance they could look to the PS3 as their first Blu-ray player. "People may buy the PS3 not only for their gaming needs, but for video as well, which gives the PS3 a unique competitive edge over the Wii and Xbox 360 well into the longer term," Tufegdzic noted.

With the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4 launching on June 12, along with a new hardware bundle including the game and a DualShock 3 controller, the PS3 could have a strong summer. Konami Digital Entertainment CEO Kazumi Kitaue likened the release of MGS4 to a Hollywood summer blockbuster, and you can bet that Sony has high hopes that Solid Snake will do for PS3 what Master Chief and Halo have done for Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Source: Game Daily

Donkey Kong Jet Race - not worth the wait on Nintendo Wii

Donkey Kong Jet Race
Wii
Classification: G
Price: $99.95(Australia) £29.99 (UK) $39.90 (US)
Rating: 2 out of 5

Poor old Donkey Kong - once again he's had people making a monkey of him. Strapped to a couple of rocket barrels and jettisoned towards a finish line, he's got little to do in Jet Race other than gobble bananas and drift out of the way of precariously placed obstacles. As far as racing games go, this is nothing to go ape over.

Jet Race has a string of simian stars from a bunch of other Donkey Kong offshoot games. The cheeky monkeys Diddy, Candy, Kranky, Funky and Dixie don't exactly make for a stellar line-up but they do exhibit a certain goofy charm that younger gamers will enjoy.

Much like the brilliant Mario Kart, scooping up bananas gives you a momentary burst of speed, while popping balloons rewards your character with power boosts that help you in the race. Whirlwinds can sap your opponents' bananas, a Backward Barrel can be dropped behind you to knock someone out, a Tasty Melon can make you invincible and the Pineapple Launcher attacks the character in front of you with a spiky fruit to the back of the head.

To provide some kind of obligatory Wii motion control activity, players must vigorously shake both the remote and Nunchuk controllers up and down - as if slapping an invisible bongo drum - to accelerate. Once you hit top speed, it's a case of waggling your left or right hand to indicate the direction in which you want your character to turn.

This clumsy control method is imprecise and too slow for responding to sudden make-or-break manoeuvres. As the races get faster and the circuits begin to overflow with objects that can bring your character to a devastating halt, shaking your hands to weave through danger becomes needlessly frustrating.

ENDGAME The control method is a mess, so wait for a more conventional racing game to come along if you want to take your Wii for a wild ride.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald