Codemasters signs licence for Wii, DS games

Templar's 14 million-selling books to come to Nintendo formats

Codemasters has signed with Templar Publishing to produce games based on its best-selling Ology books.

The UK publisher will create titles based on the 14 million-selling series, with Dragonology, Wizardology and Pirateology the first three titles confirmed for the Nintendo Wii and DS.

"Extending Codemasters' reach in the family entertainment category, this alliance with Templar further demonstrates the continued growth and diversification of our portfolio," said Barry Jafrato, senior vice president of brand at Codemasters.

The Wii titles will be focused on action gaming, while the DS counterparts are to include more exploration gameplay. Dragonology will be the first title released, due in the second half of 2008.

"The Ology book brand is a powerful contemporary franchise and we always seek to work with high calibre creative partners," commented Richard Scrivener, commercial and operations director at Templar Publishing.

"Right from the outset, we were impressed by the combination of Codemasters' passion for the product and their global reach," he said.

Sony to cut chip production costs

Joint venture with Infineon will help stem department losses

Sony has announced a partnership with Infineon Technologies for future production of DRAM chips, which should have an impact on the semiconductor unit's fortunes.

The division, which also makes processors for the PlayStation 3, posted a JPY 10 billion (USD 86 million) loss last year according to a report on Bloomberg.

The deal will take the form of a Tokyo-based joint venture and will work initially on chips for consumer electronics goods, such as cameras and mobile phones.

The move follows not long after rumours that Sony is planning to sell the production line for the PS3's Cell processor to Toshiba, and comes at a point at which the company is under increasing pressure to announce a price cut in Europe for the flagship console.

Stressed? Try a Computer Game

Playing computer games to de-stress yourself? Sounds counterintuitive to me. But then again, I get stressed just playing FreeCell. So what do you make of this?

According to Dr. Kathleen Hall and the Stress Institute, playing a game for five minutes can be just the thing you need to lower your blood pressure and get your body into a more Zen state. Dr. Hall, a stress expert, is working with Pogo, a casual gaming site that's aimed primarily at women. Pogo, which offers both a free site (Pogo) and a paid subscription-based site (Club Pogo.com) with a focus on multiplayer play, combines casino games, word games, puzzlers, and other easy-to-learn games with the power of community. "Women," says Beatrice Spaine, vice-president of Pogo marketing, "love to chat and bond while they play."

Hall, who Martha Stewart called the Queen of Stress, advises that games like the ones on Pogo.com can work wonders, increasing brain health and staving off depression, anxiety, and disease. At a recent Pogo event, Hall said that older women in particular could benefit by playing games that keep their brains fit. She told stories of triumph about women who thought of themselves as overweight, suffered from depression, had substance abuse and self-image problems, and more. They all believed Club Pogo contributed to their personal solutions.

Together, Hall and Pogo are launching "Take 5 To Play," a campaign to encourage women everywhere to pick up their mice and start playing games like Pogo's hits Poppit! and Word Whomp. As part of the campaign, you'll find Hall on the Pogo web site answering questions about stress that are posed to her by the players.

Pogo's not alone in the casual gaming space by a long shot. The casual category has been identified as the fastest-growing part of the gaming industry. Each has a different twist, though. Bonus.com is relaunching this month as a place for Gen X families to play together. It will combine family social networking activities with casual gaming and entertainment. PopCap, creators of popular casual games like Bejeweled and Zuma, want you to download their games and play casually by yourself, minus the social networking. What they all have in common is a belief in "better living through gaming."

I've said it before—I don't play computer games in my spare time (probably because I'm on the computer so much of my non-spare time). The thought of relaxing in front of my computer is right up there with relaxing in front of my dentist. For me, equating games with de-stressing is like Ponce de Leon equating Florida's waters with everlasting youth, but then again, maybe not. The number of casual gamers is just too high.

Maybe there is something to this notion of gaming to help you distress that I'm missing.

Set me right if I'm wrong. Does gaming help you cope with stress?

Source: Yahoo Tech

Nintendo shares hit all-time high

Shares in Nintendo hit an all-time high of JPY 64,800 before closing up 2.7 per cent, or JPY 64,300 on Wednesday, following Goldman Sachs giving the company a “buy” rating.

Goldman Sachs compared Nintendo's success in new markets to that of Apple, suggesting that both companies had managed to knock rival Sony off its top spots in both the portable music and home console markets.

"We believe Nintendo's talent in creating new markets, evident from the launch of the DS and Wii, could bring it close to the level of Apple, whose high valuations are due in large part to its innovative business model," reports Reuters.

Shares were also boosted by speculation that Nintendo will again raise its earnings forecasts thanks to continued strong sales of the Wii and DS and its associated software.

Source: Games Industry

Channel 4 and EA mobile game competition

Winner to receive placement and £2500

Channel 4's 4Talent department and Electronic Arts are offering aspiring games designers a chance to pitch their ideas for a new mobile phone game.

The winner will receive £2500 and a placement at EA Mobile.

"4Talent is committed to helping emerging content producers maximise their creative potential," commented James Estill, senior producer for 4Talent.

"This partnership with EA provides the perfect opportunity to support the gaming industry and nurture the next generation of games developers."

The closing date for submissions is October 17, with the winner being announced at this year's Golden Joystick Awards on October 26.

The judging panel will consist of Channel 4 Education's Matt Locke, EA Mobile's Tim Harrison and Chris Gibbs and O2's head of games Despina Kaparaki.

New Xbox 360 Arcade package

5 XBLA titles and wireless controller for $279.99

Retailers in the US are taking pre-orders for a new Xbox 360 Arcade bundle, due for release later this month.

The Arcade bundle consists of a Core unit, a memory card, wireless controller and five Xbox Live arcade titles including Pac-Man Championship Edition and Uno.

Toys R Us and Amazon.com both have the deal listed, with a price of USD 279.99 – the current asking price for the Core unit.

In the US, leading retailer GameStop has removed listings for the Xbox 360 Core, leading to suggestions that this new Arcade bundle will replace the existing USD 279.99 SKU.

Source: Games Industry

Halo 3 Records More Than $300 Million In First-Week Sales Worldwide

Xbox 360 Console Sales More Than Doubled; Nearly 3 Million Gamers Play Online Via Xbox LIVE

Interactive entertainment will never be the same, with the launch of one title that has changed the way the world thinks about video games. “Halo 3” has captured the attention of consumers worldwide and has made history as one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

Microsoft Corp. today announced that “Halo 3” has officially become a global phenomenon, garnering more than $300 million in sales in the first week alone. The critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive, which was released in Europe on Wednesday 26th September, is the fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.

Initial reports from retailers worldwide show console sales have more than doubled compared with the weekly average before the launch of “Halo 3.” With games like “Halo 3,” “BioShock,” “Mass Effect” and “Project Gotham Racing 4,” Xbox 360 has the greatest line-up in the history of video games and the only console where consumers can play all of the year’s biggest blockbusters.

“‘Halo’ is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of ‘Halo 3’ is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form,” said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. “‘Halo 3’ embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world’s greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling.”

“Halo 3” is quickly staking its place as the most popular Xbox LIVE® game in history with members gathering in record numbers to play on the world’s largest online gaming and entertainment network on TV. More than 2.7 million gamers have played “Halo 3” on Xbox LIVE in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide. Within the first day of its launch, “Halo 3” players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay. Since “Halo 3 launched,” gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements. In its first week alone, “Halo 3” drove a record number of Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships as hundreds of thousands of new members gathered online with friends, family members and other gamers around the world to collectively compete and complete the game.

“Halo 3” is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where “Halo 2” left off, answering questions about the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief™ and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, “Halo 3” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE. The game’s online multiplayer and innovative four-player cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favourite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables myriad customization options, are just some of the new features gamers are experiencing.

Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. “Halo 3” was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 20 million copies of the games in the “Halo” trilogy have been sold worldwide.

Record week-one sales come on the heels of the previously announced $170 million in sales in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of the game’s release, which marked not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history. The Xbox 360 title beat previous U.S. sales records set by blockbuster openings for entertainment events such as the release of “Spider-Man 3” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” In addition, more than 1.7 million copies of “Halo 3” were pre-ordered in the United States, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of “Halo 2.”

Buy Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 from Play.com and net £50k!

Konami Digital Entertainment and Play.com team up for incredible launch competition for PES 2008

3rd October 2007, Konami Digital Entertainment, the publisher of the forthcoming PES 2008 video game, is backing a very special campaign organised by leading online gaming retailer Play.com where one Play.com PES 2008 customer will net a massive £50,000.

This unique promotion will see Play.com invite any customer who buys a copy of PES 2008 from them, to join an online tournament that will pit them against thousands of other Play.com customers.

The entry mechanic is now open and will close at midnight on November 24th 2007 and applies to purchases of PES 2008 on PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 or PC-DVD formats.

Entrants will be placed within leagues of 20 people, which will be hosted by the official www.PESRankings.com site. PESRankings is Konami’s official league organiser and moderator. Registered players will be given special codes that will automatically enter them into their mini-division, wherein they will be put in touch with their fellow competitors.

These customers will then play each other via the PES 2008 online mode, with all results submitted to PESRankings and recorded online. All recognised football ratings apply, with victorious teams awarded three points for a win, and one for a draw. Goal difference will be used to determine league placing if the scores are tied. The top two players from each league will progress to a knock-out tournament, before the final 32 are invited to the ‘Venue of Legends’, Wembley Stadium on 15th March 2008 to determine the tournament’s overall winner.

Entrants must be over 12 years-old, and games must be played using club teams, with ten-minute matches with no extra time or penalties used within league matches, but extra time and penalties coming into play during the knock-out stages if the scores are level following a ten-minute match.

Fine and daytime weather must be selected, as must the random stadium setting, while the player level must be set at normal, with injuries turned on. If the eventual winner of the tournament is aged 12-17, the prize will be placed within a special trust fund for them which they can access on turning 18.

Further rules and conditions can be found at www.play.com/pes2008p

Working with Games

At Bafta, 195 Piccadilly Tuesday 23rd October, 9.00-5.00 at the London Games Festival.

Tiga is pleased to reveal more details of speakers and programme for the Cross media conference – Working with Games.

The conference will feature speakers from the games, film, TV, advertising and web areas but the unifying theme will using games and games related skills to reach now audiences.

The conference is structured to be a series of quick fire presentations from games, creative advertising, and web companies and broadcasters and one from talent agency 19 - the speakers will all point to how games skills and know –how can be applied to many applications outside the traditional games market including education with a many examples being showed for the first time:

Speakers include: Adam Singer, Peter Cowley Endemol, Peter Davies BBC, Jonathan Smith – TTGames, and Nice Tech also working on BBC virtual world application. Ubisoft will talk about their move into CG film, 19 about the how interactivity can work for the Beckhams, and Google on how games are written into their new thinking. Cimex and Pre-loaded have made inroads into the educational content market and will show examples, whilst Mark Boyd of BBH, Blitz’s Sion Lenton, IGA’s Ed Bartlett, and Dan McDevitt of Woot!media will show how there is a healthy market for games growing in advertising.

The delegates will be members of Bafta, Pact and Tiga with plenty of scope for networking – book now places going fast and limited to 120 only.

PlayStation 3 magazine PSU3 merges with long-standing Play

Imagine Publishing chooses to focus on its core PlayStation brands for 2008 and beyond

Imagine Publishing today announced the merger of PSU3 with Play, effective immediately.

The move comes after careful deliberation into the state of both the PlayStation and the related magazine market which has not seen the significant growth shown by Xbox 360 titles. With the PlayStation magazine market unlikely to improve in the short to medium term, the decision was taken to merge the two titles in order to focus resources on what is Imagine’s market-leading PlayStation title.

The merger will see key staff from PSU3 move over to Play to bolster its already talented team, and will see some of PSU3’s innovative features incorporated into Imagine’s bestselling independent title and improve Play’s editorial package in time for what is hoped to be a stronger 2008.

Nick Jones, Editor in Chief of Imagine’s PlayStation titles commented, “The fact is that the PlayStation market is at an all-time low and this has been reflected in the sales of PlayStation magazines. With a lower than expected PlayStation 3 installed user base, no price reduction of the hardware, and few triple-A games until much later next year, we have taken the decision to merge PSU3 with Play and focus on our most long-standing games brands and also our new launches.”
“By concentrating on Play, our premium PlayStation multiformat magazine, and of course PowerStation the market-leading tips and cheats title, we will be able to ensure that Imagine stays ahead of its competitors and remains an attractive opportunity for games publishers and advertisers alike.”

Issue 159 of Play will be the first issue to incorporate PSU3 and will be on sale on 19 October. Existing subscribers of PSU3 will be offered Play as a substitute.

Imagine Publishing is one of the UK’s fastest growing consumer specialist publishers. Formed in May 2005, it now publishes 20 magazines and 20 websites in the videogames, computing, entertainment and photography markets. An Imagine magazine is purchased every ten seconds.