Halo 3 sales top £84m in 24 hours

Video game Halo 3 earned more than £84m ($170m) in sales in its first 24 hours on release, according to Microsoft.
The game sets the record for the most money earned in a day by an entertainment product, topping figures set by film Spiderman 3.

Thousands of shops opened at midnight on Monday in the United States as gamers queued for the Xbox 360 title.

But reports of scratched discs have marred the launch, with Microsoft offering to replace them for free.

More from BBC

NCsoft Europe is planning to expand

NCsoft Europe is planning to expand with the creation of over 100 new jobs at its HQ in Brighton.

The company has received a grant from the South East England Development Agency and plans to double headcount and move to a new location by 2010.

"Brighton is a lively and growing hub for the creative and software sector," commented Geoff Heath, CEO of NCsoft.


"Our expansion will stimulate local competition and the exchange of best practice in the region. SEEDA’s support of our investment will help grow the business and keep us and Brighton at the forefront of our industry, both nationally and internationally," he said.


NCsoft Europe began operations in 2004 with just three members of staff. It now employs 112 people and plans another 116 positions over the next three years.

Codemasters refuses to edit Jericho for Germany

Codemasters has refused to edit the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Clive Barker's Jericho for release in Germany.

The decision comes after the German ratings board USK declined to give the game a rating in the region.

"Following a review by the USK ratings board, which declined to give an official rating, Codemasters has decided not to change the artistic vision of the renowned author and film-maker Clive Barker though cuts and extensive changes,".

"Codemasters respects Mr Barker's creative ideas, despite the German distribution and marketing consequences for the title.

"Therefore Codemasters will release only the PC version of Clive Barker's Jericho in its original form for adult gamers and Clive Barker fans," confirmed the company.

The game is due for release in Europe on October 26, with a demo of the game due on Xbox Live tomorrow and on PlayStation Network next week.

Source: Games Industry

Retail reports "record breaking" Halo 3 sales

Day one sales already rivaling DVD and CD products

UK retail has reported that copies of Halo 3 are flying off the shelves, with High Street outlet Woolworths praising the "record breaking" sales.

As numerous retailers up and down the company took advantage of the anticipated release by opening at midnight or early this morning, some are suggesting the game may even beat day one sales of the biggest DVD and CD releases.

"Halo 3 has been flying off the shelves this morning," said Gerry Berkley, trading manager for games at Woolworths.

"In the first two hours that our stores were open it sold thousands and thousands of copies, breaking all previous first morning sales records for a computer game.

"If sales continue at this rapid pace, it could end up being the biggest ever first day sales number for an entertainment product, beating any CD, DVD or book that has gone before it," he revealed.

Specialist retailer Gamestation also saw a successful launch, as it opened over 190 stores at midnight throughout the UK, and provided a link-up for customers in two different cities to play against each other.

"Our midnight openings were a great success. Big crowds showed up with customers and staff alike in great spirits," offered Jenny Leach, senior product manager for Gamestation.

"The live link-up between our Birmingham flagship and Edinburgh stores added another exciting new dimension to the launch, providing extra entertainment during the lead up to midnight."

Don McCabe, managing director of Chips, said that some stores were close to selling out already, and he expected to be ordering more before the weekend.

"It's gone very, very well indeed," he said.

"In hindsight I wish we'd ordered more. Quite a few shops are heading for a sell-out by the end of the day and we'll be restocking for the weekend.

"Microsoft and (distributor) Gem have done a very good job, they deserve praise for keeping the supply lines strong and giving us everything we've asked for," he added.

Following a successful launch in the US, Microsoft treated a select audience of UK gamers to a special red carpet screening of Halo 3 last night at London's iMAX cinema.

Source: Games industry

Activision acquires Bizarre Creations

Activision has announced the acquisition of UK-based developer Bizarre Creations.

Under terms of the agreement, Bizarre Creations will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision and the company's management team and employees will continue with the company as their teams start to develop two new AAA titles alongside their current projects.

According to Bizarre, there will be no redundancies.

"Activision continues to grow and drive greater value for our shareholders by broadening our portfolio and entering new gaming categories with strong global appeal," said Robert Kotick, chairman and CEO of Activision.

"Bizarre Creations is the leading independent developer with a proven track record in developing highly successful and influential original properties, especially in the racing field. They are one of the most innovative and creative studios in the industry, and we are very excited to welcome this talented creative team to Activision."

Bizarre Creations is best known for the Project Gotham Racing franchise, which has sold more than 4.5 million units in North America and Europe. The developer is currently finishing The Club for SEGA, and also created the Geometry Wars series on Xbox Live Arcade.

"Our goal at Bizarre Creations has always been to do all we can to nurture our creative and passionate teams, who excel at and enjoy what they do," said Martyn Chudley, managing director of Bizarre Creations.

"Activision's independent studio model will continue giving us creative freedom to build exciting new brands. Their financial support and marketing prowess will also enable us to build upon the commercial success that we currently enjoy, and take the company – and our games – to an even higher level."

Halo inspired mimobots kick Covenant butt to keep your files safe

From Gamez

Mimoco announces Halo mimobot® Series 1 Designer USB Flash Drives

Everyone knew that Master Chief was an expert at protecting the world, but one company is out to prove that he’s equally talented when it comes to protecting your data. Mimoco announced today a brand new crossover in their line of mimobot® Designer USB Flash Drives, the Halo mimobot Series 1, in celebration of the overwhelmingly popular sci-fi shooter’s third and final game. Licensed by Microsoft and Bungie Studios, the Halo mimobot Series 1 will be available in three limited-edition colorways – Master Chief Green (edition of 5,000), Red Spartan and Blue Spartan (3,000 each). Halo mimobot Series 1 is now open for pre-orders at www.mimoco.com and will be released officially at E for All Expo in Los Angeles on October 18th.

The tradition of preloading mimobot Designer USB Flash Drives with exclusive digital content continues with the Halo mimobot Series 1. Each Halo mimobot will contain a wide variety of Halo-related media, from wallpapers, screensavers, and soundBytes™ to unpublished pages from the Marvel Halo comics, sections from the Halo 3 strategy guide, and excerpts from the upcoming Halo novel. Additionally, the in-game talk show “This Spartan Life” has provided Mimoco with an exclusive episode only available on the Halo mimobot Series 1.

Mimobots are the world’s first character-based Designer USB Flash Drives. Previous releases have included Star Wars, Happy Tree Friends, and a variety of artist crossovers, as well as Mimoco’s original Core Series characters. The Halo mimobot Series 1 will be available in 1GB ($49.95), 2GB ($69.95) and 4GB ($109.95) capacities, are high-speed USB 2.0, and are compatible with both PC and Mac platforms. As with normal flash drives, Mimobot Art Toy USB Flash Drives can be used with the Xbox 360 as well, and preloaded images and sounds can be accessed through the Xbox Dashboard. Learn more about Mimoco and mimobot Designer USB Flash Drives at www.mimoco.com.

Ubisoft Announces All-Star Holiday 2007 Lineup

Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced that its holiday 2007 lineup will feature an exceptional selection of titles. Covering all segments of video games – from hardcore to family titles, as well as games based on some of the most popular films and television series – the rich offering also includes some of this year’s most anticipated new brands along with exciting new entries to some of Ubisoft’s multimillion-unit selling brands:

Assassin's Creed™ – One of the most anticipated video games of the year comes to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in November, and to PC in early 2008.

Beowulf™ – The video game, based on Paramount Pictures’ and Shangri-La Entertainment’s “Beowulf,” the upcoming feature film from Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis, will be released in November on Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

Blazing Angels® 2 Secret Missions of WWII – Experience World War II on the PLAYSTATION 3 system as an elite pilot in the follow-up to the successful Blazing Angels® Squadrons of WWII coming for holiday.
Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway™, previously expected to be released for holiday 2007 will be released on next-generation platforms and PC in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007-08. Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30 for Wii will be released in December.

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION™ Hard Evidence – For the first time, CSI fans will be able to play CSI on Xbox 360 and the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo this holiday.

Haze™ – Legendary development team Free Radical Design teams up with Ubisoft to deliver the mind-altering, technologically superior game Haze, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 system this holiday.

Heroes of Might and Magic® V: Tribes of the East - Enjoy the dramatic evolution and conclusion of the Heroes® V experience this holiday on PC.

NARUTO™: Rise of a Ninja - In a game exclusively developed for Xbox 360 from the ground up and for the first time ever, in October, gamers will experience Naruto starting from the series' beginning.

Rayman Raving Rabbids® 2 - The bunnies are back and crazier than ever in this new game specially developed for Wii and Nintendo DS™ this holiday.

This holiday, Ubisoft will also release games that appeal to all audiences, with its innovative and appealing Games for Everyone lineup:

Chessmaster®: The Art of Learning for DS and Chessmaster®: Grandmaster Edition for PC - In both games, Josh Waitzkin, International Master and eight-time National Chess Champion, coaches players to grasp the basic fundamentals of chess and to master the game through exciting courses and tutorials taken directly from his groundbreaking book, The Art of Learning (Free Press).

Cranium® Kabookii - designed specifically for Wii, Cranium Kabookii is an all-new game where families jam, draw, act and puzzle as they collect points and take center stage in the Kabookii Arena to win. Special Kabookii Decoder Glasses reveal secret answers for added fun!

Imagine™ - The Imagine line allows girls to explore their favourite interests and hobbies - as indicated by extensive lifestyle research on this audience – in an interactive and entertaining way with titles such as Fashion Designer, Happy Cooking and Pet Vet 2 for Nintendo DS and PC.

My Coach - Play and learn with this suite of entertaining training coaches that will teach you languages (My French Coach, My Spanish Coach) or help you to improve your expression (My Word Coach) for DS and Wii.

Petz® - This holiday will see the return of Pippa Funnel®, Catz®, Dogz® and Hamsterz on the DS, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PC – and for the first time on Wii!

The Sex Pistols Re-Record 'Anarchy In The U.K.' For Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock

Famous for Kick Starting a Musical and Cultural Revolution, Original Members of The Sex Pistols Enter the Studio for the First Time in 30 Years

Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Sex Pistols, who famously turned down the award, recently returned to the studio to re-record "Anarchy in the U.K.," which will be included in Guitar Hero™ III: Legends of Rock as a master track. Now, fans can perform their own live version of the punk anthem in the next installment of the #1 best-selling music and rhythm video game franchise.

The Sex Pistols were an obvious choice for Guitar Hero, having established themselves as the definitive punk band of the 1970s. Unable to locate the original multi-tracks for inclusion in the game, Activision invited the band back into the studio to re-record a couple of songs including "Anarchy in the U.K." Original members John Lydon on vocals, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook re-teamed with producer Chris Thomas, utilizing the original analog sound desk (circa 1969) that was built for George Martin at Air Studios, London, England in order to maintain the classic sound.

Thirty years ago this fall, the song was first included on The Sex Pistols' only studio album, "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" which will be re-issued on vinyl on October 29, 2007, in its exact original format, including poster and Submission 7". The single 'Anarchy In The UK' will also be re-issued on vinyl on October 1, along with three other classic singles throughout October. Celebrating this milestone, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will be sponsoring the historic Sex Pistols show at The Brixton Academy in London taking place on November 8, 2007.

John Lydon stated that "Re-recording them [the songs]-what a stress you put on us but we rose to the occasion I think...admirably!" Adding that, "a bit of anarchy in a video game is alright by me."

"It was great for Guitar Hero to, in a way, get us back in the studio. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but it actually turned out great and I think everyone held their own," said Steve Jones. "I like it [Guitar Hero] because my friends' kids like it. And I like what kids like."

"Guitar Hero fans have been requesting more punk rock in the game since its first iteration," said Tim Riley, Activision worldwide executive of music. "We are honored that The Sex Pistols went into the studio after 30 years, so that we could have a song from the most renowned punk band of all time in the game."

"We are proud to have joined forces with such a legendary and influential band as The Sex Pistols for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," said Kai Huang, president and co-founder of RedOctane. "We are very excited to partner with them on their 30th Anniversary and expose them to an entirely new generation of fans through the game."

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform. The game will feature a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. The sequel also will offer a vast array of downloadable content including songs from some of the most popular European bands.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, published by RedOctane® and developed by Neversoft, is rated 'T' for Teen by the ESRB and will be available October 28, 2007. For more information about the Guitar Hero franchise, please visit the dedicated community site: www.guitarhero.com.

Bridge Construction Set v1.36

A new update to Bridge Construction Set has been released which includes a universal binary version for OSX along with several other minor fixes for OSX, Windows and Linux. If you have already purchased Bridge Construction Set you can look up your registration information and download the new version here:

http://www.chroniclogic.com/pontifex2/p2lookup.htm

Or Try the new demo here:
http://www.chroniclogic.com/bcs_download.htm

About Bridge Construction Set:
Building a bridge that doesn't break is what it's all about, although watching your bridge creation break and plunge a train into the watery depths below can be half the fun. In Bridge Construction Set you design and build bridges and then stress test them to see how your creations hold up under pressure. When test vehicles pass over your bridge and make it safely across you know you've succeeded. If they plummet into the river you know you need to go back to the drawing board. The robust physics deployed in Bridge Construction Set let you build a wide variety of bridges. Try your hand giant suspension bridges or complex draw bridges, multi-level train and automobile bridges and everything in between. The 3D graphics allow you to view your bridge from any angle including a first person train view - its like being strapped to the front of the train when your bridge is first tested…

More information on Bridge Construction Set:
http://www.chroniclogic.com/pontifex2.htm

Screenshots:
http://www.chroniclogic.com/pontifex2screens.htm

Try the demo today:
http://www.chroniclogic.com/bcs_download.htm

Get the full version:
http://www.chroniclogic.com/pontifex2order.htm

Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE DUEL EVOLUTION

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has introduced the DUELPASS SMS, a new Premium SMS based payment system that allows players of Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE DUEL EVOLUTION to buy DUELPASS Points with their mobile phone to compete in the hottest duels online.

UK, French, German and Spanish users can now text “DP” and will be sent a DUELPASS SMS message with their DUELPASS code by return. The code is entered into the game and adds 15 DUELPASS Points to a player’s account for 15 duels of online play. The system is extremely fast and convenient to use, and also very affordable: In the UK, price is £1.00 plus standard text fee. In Germany, a DUELPASS SMS costs 1.49 Euro plus standard text fee. In France and Spain, price is only 1.50 Euro and 1.38 Euro respectively (all prices including VAT, no subscription).

Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE DUEL EVOLUTION is an online version of the incredibly popular Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. It allows duelists from all over the world to play against each other and collect and trade thousands of virtual cards. The game can be downloaded for free from www.yugioh-online.net. More than 75 million duels have already been played worldwide since the release of the game in April 2005.

“The new DUELPASS SMS will make it easier than ever to experience Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE DUEL EVOLUTION,” commented Christopher Heck, European Brand Manager, Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “Its 24/7 availability, simplicity and speed will make it an essential part of Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE DUEL EVOLUTION.”

“As Konami continues to expand its mobile division, the use of Premium SMS to play Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE DUEL EVOLUTION is a logical extension of our business,” added Florian Stronk, Head of Mobile Division at Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “It showcases the versatility of the mobile phone platform and is another example of Konami’s commitment to this exciting medium.”

For more information about Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE DUEL EVOLUTION and the new DUELPASS SMS, please visit www.yugioh-online.net.

Halo 3 - videos and pictures

The biggest video game of the year has been launched and the reviews are coming in thick and fast. We are providing extensive coverage including news, videos and in-depth reviews.

Blown away

With its big guns and sci-fi plot, the Halo video game series is undeniably the province of the teenage boy, yet it is one of the most lucrative entertainment franchises of all time. Sam Leith meets the programmers and professional gamers to find out why.

Videos:
Watch the making of Halo 3 Telegraph
Watch the trailer for Halo 3 Telegraph
Halo 3 in pictures Telegraph

More from Telegraph

Halo 3 enters the fray in £19bn video games battle

At first sight it is just another fantasy-science fiction-shoot-em-up, the staple diet of teenage computer gamers. But the launch of Halo 3 at midnight last night represents the latest shot in what is becoming the entertainment industry's most lucrative battleground.

In just six years Halo has sold more than 15m copies worldwide and become the most profitable video game franchise in history. Thousands of gamers turned out at shops around the country overnight to get their hands on the final instalment in the series, underlining the growing importance of console games to the entertainment industry - and Halo's vital role in the war to control the £19bn market.

Just 24 hours after it went on sale in the US on Monday, the game had racked up $125m (£62m) in sales. By comparison, Spider-Man 3 - which broke box office records when it was released this summer - made $151m in its first three days.

The numbers underscore the growing value of the games industry, estimated to be worth $38bn worldwide. Although the movie business is still larger - thanks to DVD sales - profits made by gaming have quickly elevated its position. The launch of new games and consoles are now staples in the entertainment industry calendar.

More from Guardian

The Harry Potter of video games

This year's trio of box office big-hitters share a number of traits. They are all male, they all have special powers and they have fans across the globe. But while most of us have heard of a certain adolescent wizard and of a certain Spandex-clad arachnophile, the third member of this exclusive club is something of a mystery to most film fans and bookworms.

Everyone knows about Harry Potter and Spiderman; but Master Chief? The chances are that the name means nothing to you – even though, in commercial terms, he is as big as, if not bigger than, either of his rivals. The difference is that his fame is not down to a bestselling book or blockbuster movie but to a video game. But that game is, by any standards, a blockbuster.

More from Independent

Sony to consider bigger PS3 HDD for Japan

While Americans and Koreans sun themselves from the collective glare bouncing off their shiny, whopping 80GB PS3s, other parts of the world make do with 60GB models. Japan, surprisingly, is one of them, but Japan's COrporate News are reporting that might not be for much longer, Kaz Hirai saying that Sony are considering "boosting" the Japanese model's HDD capacity, and also that they'll take user requests into account when making the decision. Japanese readers, if you're going to fire off a request to Sony, try and keep it sensible, OK? The thing's expensive enough as it is, it doens't need a gagillion-billion GB HDD. That would be silly.

PS3 helps Tiger Woods top UK charts

MySims debuts at number two

Electronic Arts' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 has climbed the charts to become the number one selling game in the UK thanks to its release on the PlayStation 3.

The sports game has jumped from number three to number one, knocking the publishers' own Medal of Honor: Airborne off the top.

MySims, another EA property for Nintendo consoles, has entered the charts at number two, with the game seeing 58 per cent of sales on the Wii and 42 per cent on the DS.

Super Paper Mario climbs the charts to number three, with Midway's John Woo Presents Stranglehold at number four.

Elsewhere in the charts, Codemasters' Colin McRae: Dirt enters the top ten at number eight and the second highest new entry is VU Games' World in Conflict at 15.

Sony's SingStar Rock Ballads has entered the charts at 25 and Sega's Sonic Rush Adventure breaks into the top 40 at 26 on its second week of release.

The only other new entry is Sony's PS3 title Warhawk at number 38.

Elite tempting new gamers

Latest Xbox SKU is bringing a new audience to the platform

The Xbox 360 Elite is selling well, and market research is indicating a high proportion of those buying it are people who don't already own an original Xbox 360.

That's according to Neil Thompson, senior regional director for the UK and Ireland at Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, who spoke exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz.

"It's gone very, very, very well. Our data is saying so far that a lot of people buying it are new to the platform."

"It was interesting to us, because we thought that a lot of people who came to the platform early would have chosen the Elite, but a lot of the data we're getting out of store visits, etc, is showing it's new people, which is fantastic."

Thompson added that he wasn't sure what the overriding reason for that was, but felt it was vindication for Microsoft's plan to offer differing price points for its hardware.

"I don't know if that's because it's got great memory capacity and people are anticipating Marketplace and those sort of technologies, or whether they just like black. I don't know."

"But certainly here and what we've seen in the US there's a very strong trend to the Elite being a major proportion of the overall mix of consoles that we sell."

"What we're starting to find is the balance between the different levels of console that we have now, it is evening out somewhat - which I think is a great testament to the strategy that we had to begin with said that we need to offer to people at different points in their gaming experience, what they want from gaming and what they're prepared to invest in gaming."

In the second part of the exclusive interview, available tomorrow, Thompson also talks about the success of the Xbox 360 to-date, whether Microsoft will pursue a handheld gaming strategy, and if there's such a thing as too much hype for a videogame.

Source: games Industry

TOP 40 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE

TOP 40 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE (ALL PRICES), WEEK ENDING 22 September 2007

TW Title
1 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08
2 MYSIMS
3 SUPER PAPER MARIO
4 JOHN WOO PRESENTS STRANGLEHOLD
5 WII PLAY
6 MEDAL OF HONOR: AIRBORNE
7 MORE BRAIN TRAINING
8 COLIN MCRAE: DIRT
9 DR KAWASHIMA'S BRAIN TRAINING
10 TRANSFORMERS: THE GAME
11 BIG BRAIN ACADEMY: WII DEGREE
12 HEAVENLY SWORD
13 THE SIMS 2: BON VOYAGE
14 BIOSHOCK
15 WORLD IN CONFLICT
16 STUNTMAN
17 COOKING MAMA
18 GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY STORIES
19 HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
20 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.
21 NEED FOR SPEED: CARBON
22 MARIO PARTY 8
23 RUGBY 08
24 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 6
25 SINGSTAR ROCK BALLADS
26 SONIC RUSH ADVENTURE
27 RESIDENT EVIL 4
28 RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN
29 BOOGIE
30 TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: WARFIGHTER
31 THE SIMS 2: PETS
32 FIFA 07
33 WORMS: OPEN WARFARE
34 POKEMON DIAMOND
35 FORZA MOTORSPORT 2
36 CARS
37 MOTORSTORM
38 WARHAWK
39 POKEMON PEARL GAME
40 SURF'S UP

Halo 3 gamers going ballistic over scratched game discs

Microsoft and Bungie pulled of what appears to be a successful launch of the third installment of Halo. However, by noon today, reports about scratched game discs were surfacing. Retailers confirmed the damaged DVDs to be a "known problem."

One of our readers pointed us to what appears to a slowly but surely developing issue for the first batch of Halo 3 copies: Some buyers of the Limited Edition silver tin box of Halo 3 are complaining about game disks that were scratched enough to prevent the game from loading. Pictures of the damaged disc have been posted on NeoGAF.

Three stores of three major retail chains confirmed to TG Daily that there in fact is a "known problem" with "damaged discs." As we were told, the DVDs are not mounted correctly inside the box, which causes the disc to "slide around" and scratch. The store managers declined to comment how widespread the problem is, but one employee told us that there in fact a "good portion" of all Limited Edition Halo 3 disks "is not functional".

All three stores said they are allowing buyers to open the tin box before a purchase to make sure the game disk is not damaged.

Microsoft confirmed the problems with the Limited Edition box and posted information about a replacement program on its Xbox website. The program covers the the Halo 3 Limited Edition disc and Essentials Disc until December 31 of this year.

Microsoft demos in-game advertising

Microsoft showed off its Massive advertising platform in Times Square in New York on Tuesday.

The tech giant wanted to show the advertising world, which is gathered in New York for the annual Advertising Week conference, exactly how the dynamic in-game advertisements work.

Flashing high above 43rd Street were clips from a series of games that showed avatars stopping to view a movie trailer for the Hollywood blockbuster 300. A Toyota advertisement also lined the outfield wall in a baseball game that's played on Microsoft's Xbox game console.

"The idea is to have advertisements appear and fit in naturally to the games just as they would in real life," said Jay Sampson, vice president of North American and Asia Pacific sales for Massive, Microsoft's in-game advertising marketplace. "But these advertisements are also dynamic. So the ads can be updated or changed by the advertiser at any time."

Microsoft, which bought Massive in May 2006, is a leader in placing dynamic advertising in games. The market is filled with many smaller players, such as a company called Double Fusion. But it's also attracting other big technology names, including Google, which bought AdScape Media for $23 million earlier this year.

Analysts say the in-game advertising market is worth about $514 million today. And dynamic in-game dynamic advertising, which allows advertisers to change the advertisements at will, is expected to reach $675 million by 2012 in the United States, according to consumer research group Parks Associates.

Microsoft sees its early lead in the in-game advertising market as a strategic opportunity that fits well into the company's overall advertising strategy.

"Emerging media, like in-game advertising, is a huge component of our overall strategy," said Matthew Carr, senior director of Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions. "We're already in a leadership position here. And we see this as being where the future growth will be."

Source:CNet

British Academy Video Games Awards

Nominations Announced

Wii Sports leads the way with seven BAFTA nominations

London, 25 September 2007: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts today announced the nominations for The British Academy Video Games Awards in association with PC World. The Awards ceremony will reward the individuals behind the very best in artistic, creative and technical innovation in video games, and will be held at Battersea Evolution on 23 October.

Wii Sports which enables players to try their hand at a range of sports including baseball, tennis, boxing and golf received the highest nominations with seven, for Best Game, Casual, Gameplay, Innovation, Multiplayer, Sports and Strategy and Simulation. Crackdown, Gears of War, Okami and God of War 2 all secured five nominations each, while Guitar Hero II garnered four.

The nominations in the Best Game category exemplify the breadth of genres for players to enjoy today; from squad action and adventure in Kane and Lynch: Dead Men and Gears of War to battling mysterious undersea creatures in Bioshock, countering alien invasions in Crysis to rocking away in Guitar Hero II or enjoying a workout, playing Wii Sports.

In the Sports category, Colin McRae’s racing game Colin McRae: DiRT, is joined by the off-road rally racer MotorStorm, FIFA 08, Football Manager 2008, Wii Sports and Virtua Tennis 3.
In the Innovation category the nominations spanned the sensory experience of aquatic critters in flOw, the nature adventure game Okami, the quirky role-playing Super Paper Mario, the card battle game The Eye of Judgement, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, and Wii Sports.

This year’s nominations show the real diversity of today’s video games and their increasing appeal to both sexes and all ages, exemplified by the fact that the forty three different games nominated are rated 3+, 7, 12, 15, 16 & 18. This year’s categories have been fine-tuned to encapsulate the ingredients which contribute to making the video game one of the most exciting and engaging moving image art forms of today’s popular culture. The Academy will recognise excellence in Artistic Achievement, Technical Achievement, Gameplay, Innovation, Original Score, Use of Audio, and Story and Character as well as achievements in the genres of Action & Adventure, Casual, Multiplayer, Sports, Strategy & Simulation plus Best Game.

This year’s Awards will include the publicly-voted PC World Gamers Award and a new BAFTA Ones To Watch Award in association with Dare to be Digital. Online voting for the PC World Gamers Award will be live on October 3 at www.obsessedwithgames.co.uk

A FULL LIST OF ALL NOMINATIONS ACCOMPANIES THIS RELEASE

Notes to editors:
The Awards will be broadcast on both E4 and Channel 4’s T4 – date to be confirmed.

About BAFTA:
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is the UK’s leading organisation dedicated to the recognition and promotion of excellence in the fields of the moving image. Renowned for its high profile Film & Television Awards ceremonies, the prestigious BAFTA mask has long been seen as a symbol of excellence.

About the judging process:
Games were entered by both developers and publishers into all the categories listed in this release and were initially whittled down by BAFTA games members and a carefully selected list of industry experts via a secure website.
The reduced list of titles for jury consideration was then divided into released titles and pre-release titles. The released titles were sent to jurors’ for them to play in their own homes. The pre-release titles were played on test units in a secure room at BAFTA by every juror over a period of some five weeks.
Once every juror had played every game, each category jury convened to create the 6 nominations in each category. The voting is done on paper by each juror, confidentiality papers are signed and the results in each category are not known until the envelope is opened on the night.

XLEAGUE.TV Gets Ready For Halo 3 Launch

WORLD'S BIGGEST GAME NEARLY HERE!!

With everyone excited and anticipating the launch of Halo 3, it is clear to say XLEAGUE.TV cannot wait for the latest Bungie classic to hit the shops. Not only will gamers be able to take on the role of Master Chief once again, using the newly added “Man Cannon” and re-emergence of the “Assault Rifle” but they can also get the chance to pit their skills against the best, Live on Television, and win upwards of £10,000. Not bad eh?!

The whole world has been waiting for what seems like an eternity for this game to be unleashed, and XLEAGUE.TV is obviously no exception. The 4 vs 4 Team League registration opens on 26th September to coincide with the game’s release. “The launch of Halo 3 is a landmark in the gaming world. The prize fund of £10,000 is a significant increase to our previous prize funds, but we felt it necessary to give such a game the prominence it deserves” Ray Mia, XLEAGUE.TV Channel Manager.

The prize breakdown is as follows:

1st Place - £5000
2nd Place - £2500
3rd Place - £1500
4th Place – £1000

XLEAGUE.TV is the UK’s first dedicated eSports channel and fully integrated website launched in May 2007. The revolutionary channel, which broadcasts on Sky channel 279, offers a comprehensive range of services to its members including leagues and tournaments, customisable user profiles, match scheduling and club and team creation. By competing on www.xleague.tv, gamers can win the opportunity to be invited to the studio for the chance to play on television.

Check out www.XLEAGUE.TV or tune into Sky Channel 279.

About XLEAGUE.TV:

The channel was launched at a cost of £5 million and is part of the Portland Media Group. XLEAGUE.TV has a wealth of In-house facilities include production, post-production and play-out, as well as an advertising agency, a media buying and planning department and a modelling agency.

Nintendo becomes second most valuable stock in Japan

Investor confidence rises ahead of Christmas sales

Nintendo stock has become the second most valuable in Japan following investor confidence in the company's performance ahead of the crucial Christmas period.

As noted by Reuters, the games giant has passed Canon and sits behind only the Toyota Motor Company to become the second most valuable traded company. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has a bigger market value than Nintendo, but shares are currently suspended due to a imminent share split.

Shares in Nintendo were up to 59,200 JPY on Tuesday, or 3.1 per cent, bringing its market value to 8.39 trillion (GBP 36.4 million).