Microsoft says core gamers will tire of Nintendo Wii’s ‘party’ image

In a comment that is obviously meant as a cheeky little dig at Nintendo’s strategy with the Wii (and one that Microsoft is actually hoping to emulate with the Xbox 360), the firm’s European boss Chris Lewis has stated that he doesn’t want the Xbox 360 to become something that “only gets yanked out of a cupboard at Christmas.”

Speaking to GamesIndustry about Microsoft’s plans to expand its audience outside the majority of hardcore gamers that currently make up the Xbox 360’s user base, Lewis said:

“I think you’ve got to be prepared to be appealing in lots of different areas and make sure you don’t become something that only gets yanked out of a cupboard at Christmas and particularly holiday peaks and doesn’t really get used the rest of the time. I think you’ve got to be careful with that. I think our depth and breadth of experience will ensure that we never get in any way put into the cupboard in that way.”

Thing is, Microsoft has had a year’s head start over the Nintendo Wii, and we’re almost positive that the ‘hardcore’ owners of Wii consoles will continue to be catered for as time goes on. With titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, No More Heroes, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and others, they already are.

Source: Games Industry

Nintendo Wii Fit US campaign to be biggest in history

Nintendo of America is believed to be planning a huge and historic campaign to support Wii Fit.

Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter has said that although US video game retailer GameStop is reporting record sales of US$7.1 billion, the company is set to lose ground to retailers like Wal-Mart and Target in the future.

What's more relevant, however, is that Pachter also discussed that Wedbush expects a "repeat of the 2002 phenomenon in 2008," meaning that hardware sales are anticipated to be flat to slightly negative for the industry.

"We expect overall Wii and PS3 dollar sales to grow by approximately $400 million per console in the U.S., but expect the other consoles to decline by around the same amount," Pachter added. "At the same time, we expect the Wii supply situation to increase by 150,000 per month, on average, with allocations of hardware favoring the mass merchants once supply and demand are in balance."

And the first glimpse of that, according to Pachter, will occur on May 19 when Nintendo debuts Wii Fit. Further on the subject of the game, Pachter expressed that he's learnt that Nintendo of America plans to support the game "with the biggest marketing campaign in its history."

Pachter added that Wedbush believes "it is unlikely that such a large marketing campaign is intended to disproportionately benefit GameStop. Rather, we think that the Nintendo campaign is likely to feature key retail partners such as Target and Best Buy, notorious for attracting so-called ‘couch potatoes’.”

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Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Sony PlayStation 3 screenshots

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Ring of Fates

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates will be on sale from tomorrow exclusively on the Nintendo DS system.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates has been designed to be the most accessible title in FINAL FANTASY series. The unique action-based gameplay offers exciting 3D levels, exploration and puzzle solving, with a control system that allows you to engage enemies on your terms and without any random encounters.

The best part of this exciting adventure is that up to four friends can team-up and co-operate with Nintendo DS Wireless Play. Like all great heroes, you’ll want to look good during the action and there are hundreds of different items and costume combinations to make your character unique.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “With a strong focus on action and exploration FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates offers an exciting, fast-paced adventure. If you’ve never played a FINAL FANTASY game before, Ring of Fates is the perfect introduction and offers even more fun when played with friends.”

For more information about FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates, please visit the official website at finalfantasycrystalchronicles.co.uk

About FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates

Story

The Great Crystal protects the land from the malefic glow of the blood red moon.
Twins are born to this land, endowed with a shared, mystical power.
Their peaceful life is suddenly changed with the rise of the blood red moon.
All fates are etched into the crystal.

Features

• Unique action-based gameplay – with 3D levels, exploration and puzzle solving.
• Action-based control system lets you experience the adventure your way.
• Experience exhilarating real-time battles with intuitive controls.
• Gorgeous 3D graphics and an emotional audio score create a beautiful world to explore.
• Up to four players can co-operate via DS Wireless Play!
• Realise the tale of two heroic yet innocent twins in a unique story of fate, adventure and fraternal love.
• Hundreds of different item and costume combinations add to the fun. Changes to costume/equipment are directly visible on your character in the game.
• Trade with friends using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection functions.
• Additional content over the original Japanese version, with four new quests.
• Can be played in four different languages – English, French, German and Spanish. The multiplayer mode, which allows up to four players to play together, can be played seamlessly even when each player selects a different language.

Atari UK To Release Driving Theory Training on Nintendo DS

Atari UK To Release 'Driving Theory Training'

Fasten your Seatbelt for Atari's On-the-Move Driving Theory Test and Highway Code Tutor for Nintendo DS

Atari UK today announce the forthcoming release of a new title for the popular Nintendo DS handheld console, Driving Theory Training, giving players the unique opportunity to revise, practice and take virtual tests on driving theory and Highway Code whilst on the move.

This will be the first time that the Nintendo DS has been used as a new media device to help learners study and simulate the actual test. Driving Theory Training is aimed at provisional license holders who need that little extra help to be successful when the day of the real test comes around and offers valuable help to anyone who’s learning to drive.

Available in Summer 08, Driving Theory Training will feature the full driving theory questions and answers officially licensed by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency). In addition to a full theory test based on the real life exam, learners can benefit from revision, graphs, mini games and questions and answers relating to vehicles. The application also features the full Highway-code, ways to learn and revise as well as fun games to entertain whilst stimulating the mind.

“Knowing the rules of the road and the highway-code is vital part of driving and passing your theory test."

Atari UK have been striving to replicate the driving theory exam in an educational and informative application. We hope this title will help people learn everything they need to know to successfully pass their driving theory test. Commented Jeremy Wigmore, Managing Director of Atari UK. Everything from speed limits to stopping distances is covered using the official question bank featured in the actual test. The application also includes the full Highway-code and fun driving related games. Wherever they are, players can take the test, revise the questions or simply play challenges. We are knowledgeable that learners need to have a deep understanding of what they’re studying rather than simply remembering questions to pass the test and hopefully this title will help them achieve that whilst also providing an enjoyable experience.

Driving Theory Training for the Nintendo DS is scheduled for UK launch in summer 2008. For more information about Atari’s entire product line up, visit www.uk.atari.com.

PC video game Dekaron Open beta starts on April 2nd

Dekaron Open beta starts on April 2nd

In a world enlightened by two moons the battle between light and darkness is about to start…

Are you ready to join the war lasting for millennia?

Dekaron is now ready to step into open beta phase: be ready for it on April 2nd!

Choose your warrior, enter Trieste and help the resistance to win the war!

Run to register to GameTribe! The battle is waiting for you!

GameTribe Team

Time to Play!

About Dekaron

• Genre: 3D MMORPG
• Developers: GAMEHI
• Plus:
–

Mix between a RPG and Action Adventure game styles

• Features:

– Realistic Combat System
– Dynamic Battle Included in Combo System
– Advanced Artificial intelligence
– Realistic 3D graphics

Sunny Blonde stops over dtp releases So Blonde demo

Sunny Blonde stops over: dtp releases So Blonde demo

Sunny Blonde stops over for a quick visit: The cute heroine of Steve Ince’s and dtp entertainment’s new PC adventure game So Blonde invites adventure gamers to have a look into the free demo version of the game. Publisher dtp entertainment today releases a German language version of the demo, an English language version will follow shortly.

Adventure gamers can download the demo from the official So Blonde homepage (www.soblonde.de for German language; www.soblonde.com for English and other languages).

The approx. 400 MB sized demo features the beginning of the new adventure game: See Sunny stranding at the Forgotten Island and meet Max, one of the three playable characters of the game.

Sunny Blonde didn’t exactly want to land in the Bermudas; in fact the gorgeous 17 year-old was on a luxury cruise with her parents to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. But a raging storm plunged the ship into distress at sea, Sunny went overboard and she regained consciousness washed up on the beach like driftwood!

Much more problematic than her unintended stay on a totally unknown island, which she has no idea how she can ever leave, the horrible realisation dawns on Sunny that she will suddenly have to do without out all the luxuries of life: her mobile has no signal, her make-up is a mess and it looks like the nearest shopping mall is miles away… on foot! And if that wasn’t enough, unfortunate circumstances have thrown Sunny back some one hundred years in time and she has ended up in a golden era of pirates and buccaneers!

Sunny Blonde is also in a really tricky situation and we are calling upon the PC gaming community to solve it in So Blonde! The person responsible for the novel plot is none other than the famous adventure author, Steve Ince (“Baphomets Curse”).

So Blonde, developed by the French developers Wizarbox, promises a wacky story line, an (anti-)heroine as pretty as a picture, deeply black humour, which far outstrips all the blonde joke clichés, fabulous comic-strip graphics and a quite few gameplay surprises!

dtp will publish So Blonde worldwide. So Blonde has shortly been released in German-speaking territories and will be published in Q2 2008 in most territories over the world.

BETA PROGRAM FOR BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY, SHIPPING JUNE 2008

EA DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts today announced the multiplayer beta test for Battlefield: Bad Company on the Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft. IGN Founders’ Club and IGN Insider will offer keys to members and the public in North America and the UK to participate in the multiplayer beta test, starting March 25, provided by IGN’s popular game download site FilePlanet . In addition, keys will also be available through IGN Entertainment’s gaming web sites including IGN.com, GameSpy, TeamXbox, Planet Battlefield and Voodoo Extreme. Battlefield: Bad Company will launch on the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system in June 2008.

“We’re really excited about this beta since it gives us a chance to let a wider audience play our new multiplayer game, ‘Gold Rush’. The feedback coming back from something like this is crucial for us as developers and will help us with the final changes and polish in the game,” stated Karl-Magnus Troedsson, Senior Producer for Battlefield: Bad Company. “Battlefield and FPS fans get their first glimpse into how tactical destruction can be applied in multiplayer gameplay. We think offering two of the multiplayer maps will give gamers a fantastic experience and some great insight into the game.”

The Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer beta test will give players a chance to return to the battlefield to embark on an exciting mission to capture the spoils of war. Gamers will battle through two different maps, access new infantry kits and vehicles as well as experience the unique tactical destruction in Battlefield: Bad Company that changes the way first-person shooter games are played. With an unlimited upgrade tree and rewards, the multiplayer beta gives players the exhilaration, excitement and fun that awaits them when the final game ships later this summer.

“Xbox LIVE has a tradition of hosting some of the greatest demo and beta events gamers can play,” said Marc Whitten, General Manager of Xbox LIVE. “We continue this practice of awesome online gameplay with the new beta of Battlefield Bad Company.”

Developed by Sweden-based developer EA DICE (Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment), Battlefield: Bad Company has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information about the Battlefield franchise, please visit www.battlefield.com

Sequel Announced for epic RPG Two Worlds - The Temptation Arrives This Autumn

SouthPeak Brings Temptation To The RPG Genre

Sequel Announced for epic RPG; Two Worlds: The Temptation Arrives This Autumn

SouthPeak Games has announced that it will be releasing a sequel to Two Worlds, its popular open-world role-playing game. Entitled Two Worlds: The Temptation, this second episode from the world of Antaloor is set for release on PC and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Due on the shelves in autumn 2008, Two Worlds: The Temptation will build on its prequel by including a host of improvements and new features, including a completely overhauled graphics engine.

Taking place shortly after the events portrayed in the first Two Worlds, The Temptation takes place in Eastern Antaloor, mostly in the regions surrounding Oswaroh and the Drak’ar Desert. Two Worlds: The Temptation will also include a host of improvements and all-new game content on the same scale as the original Two Worlds’ epic game world. From more intricate missions, improved voice-overs and animations to re-tooled horseback riding, completely revamped combat and a new graphics engine that delivers visuals that have to be seen to be believed, Two Worlds: The Temptation is set to build on the success of the original and take the fantasy kingdom of Antaloor to new heights of complexity and player freedom.

“We first envisioned The Temptation as an expansion to the original,” said Miroslaw Dymek, Chief Developer with Reality Pump explained. “However, as we started creating the story and reworking almost every aspect of the game, we realised that we were well on our way to crafting a fully-fledged sequel. Our entire development team is now putting their all into making Two Worlds: The Temptation a game that is far and away better than the original.”

“Two Worlds has a huge fan base across the world, and all will be happy to hear that The Temptation will be exactly what they’ve been hoping for in a sequel.” Said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. “The team at Reality Pump has taken to heart all the comments made by the players and will incorporate massive improvements that are sure to please and surprise everyone.”

For more information about Two Worlds, or to sign up for the Antaloor Post, please visit www.2-worlds.com.