EA collects Pogo titles for DS release

Pogo Island to feature five casual gaming favourites

Electronic Arts is to repackage five of the most popular titles from casual gaming site Pogo.com for release on the Nintendo DS.

Word Whomp, Poppit, Phlinx, Tri-Peaks Solitaire and Squelchies will feature in the package, due for release this March.



"Million of people have been captivated by these simple, yet addictive casual games," said Kevin Chorney, producer for Pogo Island.

"We're so excited to finally bring the online experience to players on the go," he added.

EA bought Pogo.com in 2001, and the site currently enjoys an average of 2.6 million users per day.

No 20gig PS3 for Europe

Europeans who fancy getting their hands on the 20GB model of the PS3 will also be disappointed, since Sony has decided not to launch the cheaper version of the console in this market - not initially, at least.

The company says it'll continue to monitor demand for the 20GB version, of course, and claims that it's only going with the 60GB version as the sole offering because that's what retail has told them to do.



Whether that's entirely true or not (we've spoken to several retailers who seem bitterly disappointed at the decision to launch a single SKU and not offer a lower priced proposition), it's obvious where the decision has its basis.

Sony are no doubt mindful of the fiasco at the launch of the Xbox 360, when Microsoft chose to ship a large number of crippled Core systems as part of it day one allocation - leaving frustrated consumers who wanted the premium system stuck with buying a Core, and then battling over short stocks of the hard drive add-on.

Wii Lineup For First Quarter

Wii Lineup For First Quarter 2007 Expands Nintendo's Global Phenomenon

Fans Will Find Dozens of New and Classic Games Everyone Can Play

After watching everyone from gamers to grandmas fall under the spell of ground-breaking Wii™ games during the holidays, Nintendo fulfills its promise to continue the flow of fun for veteran and new gamers alike. Nintendo's first-quarter lineup is filled with new games that expand the breadth and depth of the Wii library and build on the kind of fun that has made Wii such a smash hit. The first three months of the year are filled with games for everyone, from sure-fire favorites like Wii Play™ to SSX ™Blur and The Godfather® Blackhand Edition from EA and a new Prince of Persia® Rival Swords game from Ubisoft. Fans can enjoy the classic Nintendo franchises such as The Legend of Zelda®: A Link to the Past® and the upcoming Mario Kart 64™ for the Wii Shop Channel. And on Jan. 27, the News Channel goes live with global coverage provided by the Associated Press.

"Our tremendous worldwide launch shows people, from experienced players to non-players, are hungry for the kinds of entertainment only Wii provides," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "Wii hardware production continues full bore, and every week we're delivering more incredible content to further expand the experience."

Casual game players who recently discovered or rediscovered the thrills of video games through games like Wii Sports™ and WarioWare™: Smooth Moves will be glad to know Wii Play, a collection of nine new games in the Wii Sports style, will be available Feb. 14. Wii Play includes games like Billiards, Fishing and Shooting Range, a target-practice game in the style of Nintendo's classic Duck Hunt™. Wii Play comes packaged with a Wii Remote™ to highlight the fun multiplayer aspects of Wii, and to provide an incredible value.



Veteran gamers who spent countless hours playing through The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess will find new challenges by entering worlds populated by everyone from Tiger Woods to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, thanks to a deep list of new offerings from third-party publishers.

Beyond the current library of 34 new Wii titles, the schedule for upcoming Wii releases includes:

• Feb. 14 Wii Play with Wii Remote Nintendo


• March 27 Disney's Meet the Robinsons Buena Vista


• March Bust-A-Move Bash Majesco


• March Prince of Persia Rival Swords Ubisoft


• March TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Ubisoft


• March Bionicle Heroes Eidos


• March Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII Ubisoft


• Q1 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 EA


• Q1 SSX Blur EA


• Q1 The Godfather Blackhand Edition EA


• Q1 Medal of Honor Vanguard EA


• Q1 Sonic and the Secret Rings Sega

But new titles don't begin to describe the array of game action available on Wii. With yesterday's Virtual Console release of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past from the NES®, the library of downloadable Wii titles grows to 42. Also, next week will see the addition of an all-time favorite, Mario Kart 64. Nintendo will continue to make weekly announcements to update Wii owners about upcoming releases.

New kind of puzzle game, The Incredible Machine,

Vivendi Games Mobile announces the forthcoming launch of a new kind of puzzle game, The Incredible Machine, in April 2007.

Inventors welcome: the weirder, the better!

Based on Sierra’s franchise with 5 games released between 1993 and 2001, Vivendi Games Mobile has developed the mobile version of this mythic game where ingenuity is the master key to success.



With 60 problems to solve and another 20 as bonuses, the game develops and will challenge your inventor -side for many hours.

As the user, you are the assistant of Professor TIM. You have to choose carefully from 34 objects to design and assemble your own contraptions which will undoubtedly have working pulleys, levers, belts, motors, balloons and more. Your ultimate goal? Generate a chain reaction which will make your contraptions work.

Each of your creations will be rated by Professor TIM. Get a good or excellent rating in order to unlock new mechanisms as bonuses (up to 20); new backgrounds for the game and new original music to be played while you are solving your next challenge.

In order to improve your skill or impress your friends; you can re-watch the workings of mechanisms you have invented.

Two game modes are offered to the user:

Classic:
Get the best results for your problem -solving skills in order to get to the next level and unlock new challenges, backgrounds and music.

Free:
Train or entertain your friends in the free mode. You can play as you wish with the mechanisms you have already unlocked in classic mode.

Final Fantasy XII Cosplay Contest

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces an exclusive Cosplay competition to celebrate the launch of its forthcoming FINAL FANTASY XII.

If you think you have what it takes to be an official Square Enix Cosplayer, you are invited to enter the official FINAL FANTASY XII Cosplay competition. Three Grand Prize Winners will win a two night trip to London to showcase their FINAL FANTASY XII costumes on stage at the official launch event in central London, and will also receive a FINAL FANTASY goodie bag.



Be sure to start cutting and sewing immediately as entry to the competition closes on 11th February 2007, 11:59 p.m. If you think you have what it takes to be an official Square Enix Cosplayer, send an email with three photos of you in your FINAL FANTASY XII costume to the dedicated email address – found at Square-enix. Before entering please read the Official Contest Rules for entry details and eligibility requirements.

Any other Final Fantasy Cosplayers wanting to showcase their costumes from previous Final Fantasy adventures are welcome to join the celebrations at the launch event, but are not eligible to enter the above competition. A number of goodies and giveaways will be available at the launch – full event details will follow shortly.

FINAL FANTASY XII will be available from 23rd February 2007, exclusively on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

WoW Level 70 in 2 days!

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Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Wii) with Ed Boon

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Publishers wary of creating Nintendo wii titles

Perception of poor third-party performance sees big names hold back

Big publishers have been wary of creating new titles for the Nintendo Wii due to the perception that first-party titles are better supported than third-party games, says Brian Dreyer, business development manager for Frontline Studios.

The trepidation of companies to support the console and its motion sensitive controller has left a gap in the market that independent studios have been wise to exploit, claims Dreyer.



"Nintendo hardware is traditionally seen as great for first-party titles, but not so much for third-party games," said Dreyer, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz

"That fact really scares a lot of publishers and frankly we've seen a lot of publishers take that wait-and-see attitude with the Wii," commented Dreyer. "Rightly or wrongly, publishers are more frustrated with that than independent developers are."

While publishers such as Ubisoft and Sega have supported the Wii since launch, others, such as Capcom, are yet to get boxed product to market.

Frontline is currently working with Digital Amigos and Nibris on the Wii project Sadness. For the developer, the attraction of working on Nintendo hardware is the innovative elements of the console that provide a different approach to game development.

"It's the marketing warfare," said Dreyer. "Nintendo is the challenger, it's the underdog and it has to be coming to market with something that is completely different."

"Gamers are yawning at these supposedly great-looking games on other systems. With the Wii, we're back to the fundamentals, the nuts and bolts of any videogames experience, which simply means it has to be fun,"

PlayStation 3 launch details to be revealed at midnight

Price, date and software line-up to be unveiled tonight

The full launch details for the PlayStation 3 in Europe are due to be revealed tonight at midnight.




It is widely expected the console will launch on March 23, with a price of £425 in the UK.

The 20GB model of Sony's new home console is not expected to be available during the European launch window.

The console should retail for EUR 599 in most other European territories, except Ireland, where consumers will be asked to pay EUR 629.99.

The line up of software available during the launch window should also be revealed, and is expected to include titles such as Evolution Studios' Motorstorm and Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man.

It's official - Wii use can cause weight loss

Video gamers who'd rather battle virtual villains than fight the flab can take heart. Use of the new Nintendo Wii can lead to weight loss.

After six weeks and 21 hours of total game play on Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s new game console, Philadelphia resident Mickey DeLorenzo is nine pounds (4 kgs) lighter and making a splash with his new svelte self.




"I'm on my 15 minutes here," he joked, referring to the famous Andy Warhol quote about 15 minutes of fame, in a telephone interview with Reuters on Friday.

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DeLorenzo, 25, came up with the idea for his experiment after he and his fiancée ended up breathless and glistening with sweat after virtually pummeling each other in the "Wii Sports" boxing game.

"On the fly, as I was typing my blog posts, I set up a daily regimen and went at it 100 percent," said DeLorenzo, who tipped the scales at 181 pounds -- where he's been for the last couple years -- when he started the experiment on December 3.

He ate as usual and didn't deprive himself during the holidays. The only thing that changed was the addition of daily, 30-minute sessions of Wii tennis, bowling, boxing or baseball.

PS3 is harder to cost reduce

But Japanese retailers reportedly slash price

SCEA boss Jack Tretton has warned that it will be hard to cut the cost of PS3 as the machine is so expensive to make - but according to reports, some Japanese retailers have already slashed 20% the RRP.

When asked in an interview with US magazine Game Informer whether PS3 price cuts be "as soon or as drastic" as they were for PS2 Tretton replied, "No... There's a heck of a lot more under the hood and it costs us more money to make it."




But although he conceded it will be "a lot more difficult to cost reduce" PS3, Tretton said that consumers will still be willing to pay the asking price.

"I think the consumers that get their hands on a PlayStation 3 clearly see the value and not only want to buy one for $599, in some instances they're willing to pay ridiculous prices to buy one on eBay," he concluded.

However, reports suggest that demand for the hardware is already slowing in Japan. According to Media Create figures the PS3 suffered its worst sales week so far earlier this month, and now there are claims that some retailers are drastically cutting the price of PlayStation 3.

As reported on Akibablog.net and partially translated by Kotaku, some shops are said to be reducing the price for the 20GB model from YEN 49,980 (EUR 315) to YEN 39,980 (EUR 253) - a drop of 20 per cent.

But market watchers PS3 wasn't the only console to experience a post-Christmas sales slump - Media Create's figures revealed that the numbers for Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 were also down during the same period.

Companies warned of Chinese outsourcing pitfalls

A new report from Pearl Research has highlighted pitfalls in Chinese outsourcing, as the region's videogame market is set to exceed US $1.3 billion (EUR 1bn) in 2008.

Outsourcing and development in the region will continue to grow, but the report warns that costs are not as cheap as some companies believe, with travel, training and project management eroding savings made in areas such as low labour costs.

Other challenges presented by outsourcing development in the region include concerns over product quality, protection of intellectual property and competition for skilled employees.

However, Pearl Research notes that as as the market matures, so will the long-term quality of output.

The report also notes that online casual gaming will make up 30 per cent of the Chinese games market in 2008, while the most popular Chinese MMORPGs can generate US $80 million (EUR 61.6m) annually.

Miyamoto to speak at Game Developers Conference

First keynote since 1999 from Nintendo's senior MD

Shigeru Miyamoto, the acclaimed game developer behind titles such as Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda, will keynote the Game Developers Conference 2007.

In his first keynote since 1999, the developer will reveal the creative process behind his work on highly-regarded software as well as his thoughts on new Nintendo hardware, in a session entitled, 'A Creative Vision'.



"The Game Developers Conference is a place for developers to learn from one another, and I think it is safe to say that every member of the community has at one time or another fantasised about having Shigeru Miyamoto as a mentor and teacher," said Jamil Moledina, executive director of the GDC.

"By guiding us through his creative vision with a keynote at this year's GDC, Miyamoto is allowing all attendees this incomparable privilege."

The Game Developers Conference tales place March 5 - 9 in San Francisco. Discount for early registration for the event closes January 31.

Miyamoto's keynote will take place at the GDC on Thursday March 8, in the Moscone Centre.

European DS sales top 10million

Nintendo's handheld breaks more records

Nintendo of Europe has announced that 10 million DS units have now been sold across the continent, making it the fastest and best-selling handheld in history.

The DS launched here in March 2005, and was followed by the redesigned DS Lite in June last year. It was one of the most popular products for European consumers at Christmas, with 1.7 million units sold during December alone.



"This landmark figure of 10 million Nintendo DS gamers cements the console's position as undisputed leader of the handheld market, bringing gaming to a whole new audience - something that was unimaginable a few years ago," said European marketing director Laurent Fischer.

"The DS is now helping to shape the whole market with sales of the Nintendo DS console and games being the main drivers behind recent market growth all across Europe."

The original DS is priced at EUR 130 / £89, while the DS Lite retails for EUR 150 / £99. Forthcoming titles for the handheld include Mario Slam Basketball, Star Fox Command and Final Fantasy III.

EA predicts software price cut

Ryan Jones, general manager of Electronic Arts Australia, has said that he believes the console cycle transition phase is now at an end - and that game prices are set to fall as a result.

Jones said, "I think it's safe to say that we're just about done with transition.

"Retail will show strong growth with the investment of GAME into the market, and it bodes well for the future having two strong specialists in the market as they tend to hold pricing and discount less to drive sales," he continued.




"On that point though, we do see next-gen pricing drifting down to AU $99 [EUR 60] by the end of the calendar year for all premium new releases." At present, full price Xbox 360 games retail for AU $120 (EUR 73) in Australia - the same price PS3 titles are expected to cost when the console launches there. Wii games sell for AU $100.

"We've had very successful next-gen launches in 360 and Wii, and with PS3 launching in March its initial success has become less significant," Jones said.

"Longer term it's hard to say who will win the console war out of the three hardware platforms but three strong platforms is certainly better than one strong, one average and one failure.

According to Jones the Nintendo DS is still enjoying strong growth, which he believes will make the handheld "a strong bet" for third-party publishers.

"We might see Nintendo's dominance on their own platforms challenged for the first time," he added.

"The challenges will be maximising the retail opportunities with so many different platforms in the market and limited growth in retail real estate in the medium term."

Rumor: Mario Galaxy Pushed Back Metroid Coming in April

The word around Nintendo is that promises of Mario Galaxy in the spring are not going to be kept. Although, the New Metroid for Wii will be coming sometime between April and June. He also told me that Metroid will be the first Wii game to be playable over the internet. When. The lack of Wi-Fi games so far has been due to developers not making use of it.

Wii laptop in action

Wii laptop created by Ben Heckendorn



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Playstation 3 Capacity

How much capacity on a BluRay disc?



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Google Plays Video Games

It appears that Google will be buying AdScape Media which delivers ads so that they can be viewed within video games. Google has already announced plans for brokering ads into newspapers and radio using the targeting capacity it has developed for search engine text advertising.



Google's moves into video games and other media could be viewed as a plan to fashion a larger footprint in the media buying market. But, its is also probably an unspoken acknowledgment that the Internet text advertising business is not longer growing as fast as it was a year ago.

Google's expansion may actually be masking a contraction.

PS3 unsold all over the USA

Over Christmas and New Year anecdotal reports from North America suggesting that the PS3 is languishing unsold on shelves across the continent.



This, at least, should extinguish some of the doubts about the European launch date - after all, those reports were largely based on the assumption that Sony wouldn't be able to divert enough stock from the USA to satisfy a decent European launch by March.

This medicine is more bitter than the ailment it cures, and uncertainty over the prospects for PS3 is unsurprisingly high as a result.