GameStop / EB to open 600 new games stores

GameStop reported the rise of its quarterly profit due to solid sales of games software, and said it plans to open up to 600 stores.

GameStop, whose headquarters are in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas ) is the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer. The company operates 5,000 retail stores throughout U.S., Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Austria, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Portugal and Sweden.

Retail stores operate primarily under the GameStop and EB Games brands. In addition, the company runs two e-commerce websites, GameStop.com and EBgames.com, and also Game Informer magazine, GameStop's proprietary video and computer game publication.

In addition to video and computer games, GameStop sells magazines, strategy guides, entertainment DVDs, and other related merchandise. A major source of the company's profit is also buying used games and movies from its customers and selling them back at an increase. A new store concept called MovieStop, which focuses on selling movies rather than games, is currently building and operating stores in the Southeastern United States, including the Dallas area.

The company's net earnings were $189.8 million, or $1.14 a share for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Feb. 2, up from $129.8 million, or 81 cents per share, a year earlier

Revenue rose 24.4 percent to $2.87 billion from $2.30 billion.

No escaping adverts inserted into Microsoft XBox 360 or Windows PC games via Internet

There's no way for online video game players to avoid these ads.

The ads are integrated into games for XBox 360 and Windows-based PC platforms and can be specifically timed and tailored as the games are played online.

Known as "dynamic in-game advertising," it's a fairly new trend that advertisers are hoping will reach the target audience of 18-to-34-year-old men, a demographic that is often hard to reach.

"Ads are geared to the type of game," said Cory Van Arsdale, CEO of Massive Inc., an in-game advertising firm owned by Microsoft Corp.

Massive Inc. announced Tuesday it has a two-year extension of its deal with California-based Electronic Arts Inc. to offer dynamic in-game advertising for EA video games.

Electronic Arts is the publisher of the "Madden" and "Need for Speed" series, among other game franchises.

Massive says video games are the medium of choice for young men. The gamers could see ads for upcoming movies, or a Coke machine, or a billboard for Castrol motor oil, all blending in with the scenery as part of the gaming experience. They could also see ads in a football stadium or on a racing track in video games.

"It's a lean-forward experience," Van Arsdale said from Seattle. "Users don't pause or fast forward or go get a snack or go to the restroom during the ads."

Van Arsdale said that when a user connects to the XBox Live online platform, Massive can download ads to be inserted into a game, and can change those ads often.

If a gamer buys a game and doesn't connect to the Internet to play, ads in the game don't change, but Arsdale noted that an increasingly large percentage of gamers play online.

Digital media expert Ian Bogost said that while the ads can make the gaming environment realistic, it's not certain they are having any affect on the young gamers' habits as consumers.

"It would sort of be the same thing as asking the football player or the NASCAR driver in the real world, 'Gee what did you think of that ad?' "said Bogost.

"They are going to tell you: 'I am playing my game. I am racing my race. I am not thinking about that,' " said Bogost, who teaches at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

"I think that the dynamic ads are a kind of hopeful fantasy of the advertising industry that don't really connect yet to the way that video games work, and especially the way that they work differently than print or even than television."

Van Arsdale defends the ads, saying gamers find the video games' environments less realistic without them.

Massive says its Canadian clients include the Rogers Sportsnet and Rogers Wireless divisions of Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications, Telus) and Bell Sympatico. American and European clients include 20th Century Fox, General Motors and Puma.

The agreement with Electronic Arts will also include more titles and the next two releases of EA Sports franchises, including "Madden NFL" football, "NBA Live" basketball, "NASCAR" racing and "NHL" hockey that would be available to advertisers.
Dynamic in-game advertising in PC, console, mobile and casual games is expected to grow to 84 per cent of the overall in-game advertising market in 2012, up from 27 per cent in 2006, says U.S. based Parks Associates, a market research and consulting firm.

In-game advertising will experience the highest growth rate among the various categories of game advertising forecasted, increasing to more than $800 million in 2012 from $55 million in 2006, according to Parks Associates.
While in-game branding has been around since the 1980s, Massive says it pioneered dynamic in-game advertising and served its first ads three years ago.

Analyst James Belcher there will be resistance to this kind of advertising by hardcore gamers.
"It's a huge group," said Belcher, senior writer at New York-based EMarketer, which publishes Internet market research.

"The word 'sucks' will be used a lot. Count on it."

Belcher said Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced the creation of a new in-game advertising business unit.

Source: Canadian Press

KONAMI SHIPS LOST IN BLUE 3 FOR NINTENDO DS

Escape the Enigmatic Island in the Next Installment of the Popular Survival Adventure Game Series

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Lost in Blue 3, developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS, has shipped to retail stores in North America. The latest installment in the Lost in Blue series offers multiple characters, a distinct storyline and enhanced game balancing to build upon the innovative game play of the original survival adventure series for the Nintendo DS.

In Lost in Blue 3, players guide one of two stranded characters, each with their own personal history, through exotic locales on a mysterious island while surviving the elements to stay alive. Players can work alone or cooperatively with other characters to gather food, explore the island and hunt dangerous wildlife. Completing one character's storyline will unlock the storylines of two additional characters, allowing players to explore the island in different ways, experience new storylines, and uncover different endings.

"The updated game balance and the inclusion of multiple characters and storylines have added depth to the brand," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "Lost in Blue 3 is sure to satisfy devoted fans of the franchise, as well as attract new players to the hit survival adventure series."

FEATURES

• Guide up to four separately playable characters, each with their own unique strengths and talents that will impact how you explore the island
  
• Each character's past gradually unfolds throughout the adventure in several flashback episodes; revealed lost memories may provide clues to help them escape the island
  
• Players can spend an equal amount of time between surviving the elements and having fun exploring the island, providing unique gaming experiences
  
• Over 20 mini-games that encompass all aspects of a thrilling island adventure, including rafting down rivers and communicating with dolphins
  
• Endure the environment and overcome various forces of nature such as lightning strikes and earthquakes; severe weather conditions will affect your character's health
  
• Challenge your friends to intense cooking battles via Multi-Card play or use Single Card Download play to share special mini-games
  

Lost in Blue 3 is rated "E 10+" by the ESRB and is available for an SRP of $29.99. For more information, please visit www.konami.com.

ATLUS CONJURES SUMMON NIGHT: TWIN AGE FOR NINTENDO DS

ATLUS CONJURES SUMMON NIGHT: TWIN AGE FOR NINTENDO DSTM

Unsheathe Your Stylus and Vanquish the Enemy this May 20th

Atlus a top 5 publisher in 2007 for overall game review scores*, today announced Summon Night: Twin Age for Nintendo DS, a fully stylus-driven action RPG set in the popular Summon Night universe. The stylus is your key to the world of Clardona, whether as your swinging sword or your shimmering wall of fire. Summon Night: Twin Age is currently scheduled to bring its precise controls, beautifully animated graphics, and addictive action RPG gameplay to the Nintendo DS on May 20th.

About Summon Night: Twin Age
From a very young age, the human girl Reiha displayed great aptitude for the magical art of Summoning. While still a child, her powers caused a terrible accident during a major Summoning experiment. It was reported that Reiha had died as result, but she survived, along with a young Summon Beast named Aldo that had been pulled into her world...

Following the accident, the two children grew up together as brother and sister on the tropical island of Jarazi, among a race of people with beast-like features. There they learned to commune with the Nature Spirits that surrounded them. One day, the Spirits began acting strangely, prompting Reiha and Aldo to investigate. Their quest to find out who or what is behind the corruption of the Spirits will lead them back to the human lands where the cataclysm first brought them together…

Key Features

- High-precision stylus control - Unleash the power of your Nintendo DS as you wield your stylus to attack foes, heal allies, and use items. Navigate your way around menus and maps with a responsive touch-based interface.
- Packed with gameplay features - Immerse yourself in a lavish gaming experience that lets you do battle, collect items, craft weapons, earn and improve skills, conjure beasts, build relationships with party members, trade items via local wireless, and much more.
- Choose the way you play - With alternate story paths, loads of battle options, side quests, and multiple ending sequences, there is a wide variety of ways to play. Replay the game and challenge yourself with extra dungeons.
- Richly woven tale of adventure - Two playable characters and several widely varying party members provide different views of your journey through the world of Summon Night.

Summon Night: Twin Age has been rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) with Mild Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes by the ESRB.

OPOONATM, KOEI'S ROLE PLAYING GAME FOR NINTENDO Wii

OPOONATM, KOEI'S ROLE-PLAYING GAME FOR Wii

REACHES GOLD STATUS

Pack your Bags and Get Ready to Explore a Distant Planet with Opoona

KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, today announced that Opoona, a new Role-Playing Game (RPG) exclusively for Wii has reached gold status, and is scheduled to ship to North American retailers on March 25, 2008. Gamers can begin their journey at Amazon.com, Game Crazy, Gamefly, and GameStop.

About Opoona

While on an interplanetary family vacation, the young boy Opoona crash lands on Planet Landroll after his family’s spaceship is involved in a mysterious accident. Separated from his family, Opoona is forced to live alone. On the planet, Opoona must find a job, search for his siblings, and defend himself and the people of Landroll against creatures known as the Dark Rogues. Luckily for Opoona, he is the descendant of a long line of warriors known as the Cosmo Guards. Thus, Opoona’s adventure begins as he struggles to establish a new life and reunite his family.

The game’s action-oriented battle system lets players use powerful “Energy Bonbons” against their enemies. Using just the Nunchuk™, players can manipulate an Energy Bonbon’s trajectory in a number of different ways. All of Opoona’s commands are also controlled by the Nunchuk, to allow a complete “single-hand control” of the game.

The gameplay in Opoona is not just about battling; it is a “Lifestyle RPG.” As Opoona, players must adapt to a new environment, meet new people, and contribute to society through work, all while becoming aware of the precious world and people around him. As the game progresses, Opoona will develop relationships and uncover a broader range of activities including new jobs and clues to new adventures.

The unique characters and a modern fantasy world created by Art Director, Shintaro Majima, are sure to fascinate gamers. From futuristic buildings to ancient ruins and strange rock formations in the wild, the world of Opoona is a remarkable fusion of both contemporary design and whimsical fantasy.

Developed by ArtePiazza, the team behind four installments of the best-selling DRAGON QUEST series of RPGs, Opoona showcases the talent of some of today’s most creative game designers including: Art Director Shintaro Majima, Planning Director Sachiko Sugimura, and Composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, acclaimed for his contribution to the FINAL FANTASY XII soundtrack.

Opoona is rated “E10+” (Everyone 10+ - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes) by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Opoona is a single player game. For updates on Opoona, please visit www.koei.com.

WARRIORS OROCHI FOR PSP PLAYSTATION PORTABLE SYSTEM AND WINDOWS-BASED PC

WARRIORS OROCHITM FOR PSP (PLAYSTATION PORTABLE) SYSTEM AND WINDOWS-BASED PC REACH GOLD STATUS

KOEI's Hit Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors Crossover Arrives March 2008

KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, announced today that Warriors Orochi for PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and Windows-based PC has reached gold status. Warriors Orochi for PSP ships to retailers on March 25, 2008 and will be available for Windows-based PC in March 2008 exclusively through digital download.

PC Gamers can get a taste of the excitement and prepare for battle by downloading KOEI’s Warriors Orochi System Checker. This is a free tool that will analyze your PC and let you know if it meets the game’s minimum requirements. The System Checker will also show you how the game will actually look on your PC and the frame rate at which it will be running. Gamers can visit KOEI.com to learn how to download the free Warriors Orochi System Checker.

About Warriors Orochi for PC
Warriors Orochi for Windows-based PC features enhanced graphics (for PCs meeting the recommended system requirements) Players can adjust the anti-aliasing, textures, dynamic shadows and lighting, and even set the character count. More enemies means more KOs!

About Warriors Orochi for PSP
Warriors Orochi for PSP boasts the massive seamless battlefields of the console versions, while previous games in the series for handheld platforms had combat taking place on battlefields divided into smaller “cells”. The handheld release includes all 79 playable characters, and features 2-player co-op play via wireless (ad-hoc).

About Warriors Orochi
Without warning, the venomous Serpent King Orochi descended from the heavens. Using his unworldly powers to shatter time and space, Orochi kidnapped the strongest, wisest and most courageous warriors from Ancient China and Feudal Japan in a scheme to test his might against the heroes of these ages.

In Warriors Orochi the characters from both the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors® franchises must team-up to wage war against this new, yet powerful force. The game boasts an amazing roster of 79 playable characters, while four action-packed “crossover” storylines feature amazing team-ups and some long-awaited confrontations between characters from both series.

The game’s new “Team Battle System” and “Weapon Fusion” push Tactical Action to a whole new level. For the first time in KOEI’s Tactical Action games, players can create their own three-person tag team. At any given time, one warrior will be engaged in battle, while the other two are recuperating; restoring their Life Meters and Musou Gauges. Every character is categorized according to offensive ability, and with new fighting techniques, it’s up to the player to find the most lethal combination of warriors. “Weapon Fusion” lets players combine the attributes from different weapons for more devastating results.

This game is rated “T” (Teen- Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Violence) by the ESRB. Warriors Orochi for PSP is developed by KOEI CANADA, based on an original work by Omega Force. Warriors Orochi for PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and PC is developed by Omega Force. Warriors Orochi for Xbox 360 delivers the complete console Tactical Action experience with stunning graphics in 720p HDTV and in game Dolby Digital audio. Warriors Orochi is in stores now for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

Warriors Orochi PC Minimum Requirements

OS: Windows XP and Windows Vista
CPU: Pentium 4 1.6GHz, Pentium 4 2.6GHz recommended
RAM: 256MB, 512MB recommended
Hard Disk: 4GB or more of free space
Display: 640×480 True Color enabled, 1024×768 recommended
Video Card: 3D Accelerator with Hardware T&L and Pixel Shading supporting 64MB or more of VRAM, DirectX 9.0c+, 128MB or more of VRAM recommended
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c+ compliant, 16-bit stereo with 44KHz playback supported by Windows XP/Vista
Middleware: DirectX 9.0c or higher, Windows Media Format 9 or higher Controller: Keyboard, DirectX 9.0 compatible 12-button gamepad recommended

For more information, please visit www.koei.com.

TWELVE new eGames Roller Rush, Puzzle Master 1,000,000, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Flip or Flop, Galaxy of Mahjongg 1,000,000, Greedy Words, Family G

Greenstreet are delighted to announce the release of a staggering TWELVE brand new full content titles from eGames.

Each title is packed with top quality family entertainment like all eGames titles, all are full release titles with no shareware and all are Vista compatible.

Releases include: Roller Rush, Puzzle Master 1,000,000, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Flip or Flop, Galaxy of Mahjongg 1,000,000, Greedy Words, Family Game Time, DROP! Anniversary Edition, Mahjong Tales, Sveerz, Teddy Factory and Wobbly Bobbly.

Full of fun, challenges and entertainment for all ages these are set to be an immediate hit with both retailers and consumers alike.

Fans of eGames will be pleased they won’t have to wait long - these fantastic Family Friendly titles are all due for release between now and the end of April.

Greenstreet are also celebrating a first in their longstanding history with eGames in that, due to popular demand, some of these titles will also be available via download from the www.greenstreetgames.com web store.

“eGames has continually been a strong brand in our expanding portfolio of products so we are delighted to be able to release twelve Vista compatible titles all promising to provide quality entertainment to the masses.” commented Jeff Fenton CEO Greenstreet Software. “It is a further demonstration of our commitment to continue to provide new quality family entertainment products in a market full of repackaged old material.”

Soul Nomad gives you the power of a God but wants your soul in return.

CRIME PAYS WHEN YOU'VE SOLD YOUR SOUL TO THE DEVIL

Soul Nomad gives you the power of a God but wants your soul in return.

KOEI today announced the release of Soul Nomad on PlayStation 2. Designed by the strategic geniuses at Nippon Ichi, Soul Nomad expands upon the tactical delights of their Disgaea games with a brand new innovative battle system. Soul Nomad combines the strategy of tactical RPGs with command based battles that put the controls at the player’s finger tips. Soul Nomad is scheduled for release in June 2008.

“Soul Nomad once again cements Nippon Ichi’s position at the forefront of tactical RPGs. Said Will Curley, KOEI Sales Manager. “Anyone who has fallen for the addictive charms of the likes of Disgaea and Makai Kingdom will revel in the ambitiously expansive battle system and a cast of characters that are truly memorable and utterly unique. This release also reaffirms KOEI’s continued commitment to bringing the very best Japanese RPGs to European gamers.”

About SOUL NOMAD

When an enemy emerges that is far too powerful for the good guys to defeat you do the only decent thing and sell your soul to the devil. Well, actually to someone worse than the devil. You strike a deal with your old arch enemy. And in return for some truly awesome power you’re giving your soul away to him one little piece at a time. How much power you wield and how much of your own body you give up to the ultimate incarnation of evil is totally up to you.

With a full army at your disposal battles are now an exciting combination of vast grid based battlefields and nerve shredding real time combat. By making the best use of your battlefield recon reports you have complete freedom to place your squads and take advantage of the terrain and ultimately inflict embarrassing defeat upon anyone who stands in your way.

You have total freedom to create your own army of terror and bestow each unit with their own unique talents and abilities. You can even try to press gang innocent townsfolk into your army. The entire world is your playground and you can be as good or as bad as you like.

Soul Nomad is the latest Strategy RPG spectacular from Nippon Ichi and follows in the footsteps of hugely popular titles Makai Kingdom, Phantom Brave, and the critically acclaimed Disgaea series.

NVIDIA Launches the Fastest Graphics Card on the Planet

NVIDIA Launches the Fastest Graphics Card on the Planet

New Generation Dual GPU solution provides a complete, high definition entertainment experience for the PC

The NVIDIA GeForce 9800GX2 is the latest graphics card to revolutionise your PC experience. GeForce 9800 GX2 gives the best gaming performance in the world, HybridPower means a quiet, low power and more environmentally friendly PC and PureVideo HD takes your PC to the cutting edge of High Definition.

Bar None the fastest Graphics Card on the Planet

The GeForce 9800GX2 is at the cutting edge of technology; with 256 screaming fast processor cores and a 1GB total framebuffer, all running through PCI Express 2.0, means the GeForce 9800GX2 is designed from the ground up for Gaming at Extreme HD resolutions.

NVIDIA Hybrid Power – gives you power when you need it most

Combining a GeForce 9800GX2 with one of the latest motherboards featuring NVIDIA’s nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset makes your system ready for Hybrid Power. Not all applications require a high end GeForce discrete GPU, for times such as these an integrated GeForce GPU can run these applications perfectly while saving power and therefore the environment. The intelligent Hybrid Power system can also combine the power of the GeForce 9800GX2 with the onboard graphics for maximum performance.

PureVideo HD – make your PC the centre of your digital home

PureVideo HD makes High Definition content come to life on your PC – whether video’s are downloaded, streamed, or on Blu-Ray – even the most demanding HD content plays back effortlessly thanks to the best HD engine available on the market. But it is not only the speed of HD rendering that is improved, with PureVideo HD films comes to life with dynamic Contrast Enhancement and automatic enhancements to Greens, Blues, & Skin Tones

The NVIDIA GeForce 9800GX2 Makes all of the above possible, for the very best graphics on the planet there is no other choice.

Processor Cores: 256 (128 per GPU)
Core Clock: 600MHz
Shader Clock: 1500MHz
Memory Clock: 1000MHz
Memory: 1GB GDDR3 (512MB per GPU)
Power Connector: 8-pin + 6-pin
Board Power: 197W
Thermal: Patent Pending Integrated Cooling Solution
Outputs: 2x DVI-DL + HDMI

Powershot Pinball Constructor PC video game is shipping!

Powershot Pinball Constructor is shipping!

Play it. Create it. Share it.

Oxygen Games is excited to announce Powershot Pinball Constructor for the Nintendo DS is shipping and will be available in the shops from 28th March 2008.

Powershot Pinball Constructor offers pinball with a twist – disrupt your opponent’s game with the unique sabotage feature – shake their screen, invert their flippers or even deploy the penalty multi-ball!

Powershot Pinball Constructor also allows you to create and design your own customised pinball table. Share your creation with your friends by sending it wirelessly to their DS, then challenge them to a game and see who has got what it takes to reign supreme on the leader board!

Play it… with multiple modes. Create it… with the unique table editor. Share it… wirelessly with friends!

Powershot Pinball Constructor for the Nintendo DS will be available in-store on 28th March 2008.