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.

Premier Hollywood Actors To Star In Cinematic Story Of Turok

Timothy Olyphant, Powers Boothe, Ron Perlman, William Fichtner and Donnie Wahlberg Voice Characters in Dinosaur-Filled First Person Shooter Game

Prominent actors will star as the major characters appearing throughout Turok, the upcoming story-driven, sci-fi first person shooter game from Touchstone. Timothy Olyphant, Powers Boothe, Ron Perlman, William Fichtner and Donnie Wahlberg are among the actors who recorded voices of characters in the game, which will be released on February 5, 2008, for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Turok is an epic, story-driven first person shooter set on a dark, mysterious planet in the future. The player will take on the role of Joseph Turok, a former black ops commando, now part of an elite special forces squad, known as Whiskey Company, which is on a mission to take down Roland Kane and his army, the Mendel-Gruman Corporation. As Whiskey Company’s ship approaches the planet inhabited by Mendel-Gruman, the ship is shot down. Turok is stranded on the planet and must locate other crash survivors while confronting Mendel-Gruman soldiers and a variety of dinosaurs and other ravenous creatures.

The realism of Turok and his team’s terrifying circumstance is conveyed through the distinguished voice talent. Gregory Norman Cruz provides the voice of Joseph Turok and the other members of Whiskey Company are: Timothy Olyphant (as Cowboy), Ron Perlman (Slade), Donnie Wahlberg (Shepard), William Fichtner (Logan), Mark Rolston (Cole), Chris Judge (Jericho), Lombardo Boyar (Gonzales), Gideon Emery (Reese), Josh Gomez (Parker), Jon Curry (Foster), Jason Harris (Carter) and Steve Van Wormer (Henderson).

Powers Boothe is the voice of the villain, Roland Kane, an escaped war criminal and Turok’s former mentor. Sean Donnellan voices Grimes, Kane’s mysterious, elusive henchman and part of Mendel-Gruman.

“The actors who lent their voices to Turok are a testament to both the magnitude of the project and the interest of top-notch talent,” said Josh Holmes, vice president and general manager of Propaganda Games, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based developer. “The characters in the story are paramount to the experience and we have assembled an outstanding cast to assure high quality performances across the board.”

For more information about Turok, log on to www.turok.com.

Nintendo Goes Fashion Forward With New Crimson/Onyx Nintendo DS

Playing the new two-tone Crimson/Onyx Nintendo DS is sure to get you noticed. Just like the hottest new cell phones and MP3 players, it combines incredible functionality with a sweet look: bright red coupled with smooth black.

The new Crimson/Onyx system is now available in stores at an MSRP of $129.99. Previously it could only be purchased as part of a bundle with Brain Age™ 2: More Training in Minutes a Day. It's the latest addition to the color palette for Nintendo DS, which continues to sell well around the world.

For more information about Nintendo DS, please visit www.NintendoDS.com.

Gears of War Fact Sheet

"Gears of War," a Games for Windows title, features the amazing tactical action and multiplayer excitement found in the critically acclaimed "Gears of War" for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system that sold more than 3.5 million units, and a variety of all-new content, including three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game type, Game Editor, five new campaign chapters and DirectX 10 support.

"Gears of War" thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet.

With "Gears of War," Epic Games returns gamers to the massively scoped worlds, memorable characters, cooperative gameplay and hyper-realistic combat that gamers have come to expect from the franchise, plus a few new surprises.

Frag-filled new content. "Gears of War" will feature locations that are unique to the franchise and the genre. Players will encounter all their favorite foes from the Xbox 360 version; however, these intense encounters will take place in some new environments and allow players to manipulate the new game modes and technology found only in the Games for Windows title. Boasting three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game type, Game Editor, five new campaign chapters and DirectX 10 support, "Gears of War," will challenge and push the limits of the PC gaming experience and provide an unparalleled visual presentation.

Engaging and disturbing cinematic story. Movie-like cut scenes, cinematic camera moves and in-game storytelling bring the brutal, emotionally charged narrative to life. Gamers control Marcus Fenix and his fire team as they pit advanced technology against the overwhelming and horrific Locust Horde.

Unmatched online gaming. "Gears of War" will tap into the power of Games for Windows — LIVE to deliver online matchmaking for its Gold account members. The service will enable gamers around the world to connect via their PCs, allowing players to experience individualized matchmaking, view player statistics, earn player Achievements, customize games and create personalized profiles.

New Game Editor. The game will also feature the all-new Game Editor, guaranteeing new user-generated content in the future. The "Gears of War" community will be able to tap its endless creative potential to develop an unlimited number of user-created levels through complete access to the Unreal Editor. Using the new engine, players can now import custom artwork into the engine, create particle systems, scripted encounters, cinematics and more.

Astounding visuals in next-generation gaming. "Gears of War" ushers in the next generation with incredible visuals, pushing DirectX 10 visual designs and bringing out the smallest details in the largest battle. Gamers experience a rich, dynamic world with a supreme level of detail. Characters come to life with unbelievable model quality and a physics-integrated animation system that has them truly reacting intelligently to events unfolding around them.

Hyper-realistic and intense combat. In "Gears of War" the battlefield is a lethal place — to foolishly stand out in the open is to invite an untimely demise. To survive, gamers must employ strategy, take cover using the interactive and dynamic environments, and suppress the enemy with blind fire, using their weapons and teammates to outwit and outfight their terrifying enemies.

BUYERS GUIDE TO VIDEO GAME CONSOLES

There is now a video games console to suit practically every need, taste and budget. But the range and diversity of gaming systems, never mind the games themselves is a daunting prospect to the uninitiated.

Today’s systems offer much more. Are you an online gamer? Are childrens’ games a priority? Want to take full advantage of that 50-inch flat-screen plasma TV? Or are you just looking for cheap hassle-free fun with friends and family?

Conclusion:

Nintendo Wii is the best console for families

Nintendo DS Lite is the best handheld console

PlayStation 2 is the best budget console

Xbox 360 is the best console for online gaming

The new PlayStation 3 is the best high-definition video games console

Once you’ve decided what you want the console for and which one to get, where next? Here are the key things to keep in mind to buy a games console in complete confidence:

1. Watch out for worthless extras

Many shops offer bundle deals in addition to selling stand-alone consoles. Typically they throw a load of games in for “free”. While the savings can be substantial with such deals they can also be illusionary. Are the “free” games on offer actually worth having? If you are not careful you could end up spending more than you intended on games you will never play so check them out first.

2. Make sure all the essentials are included

Do not assume everything you need to get your console working will come in the box. Extras you may need to purchase separately may include additional handsets for multiplayer games; subscriptions for online gaming; and special cables which will boost the audio and visual performance of your unit.

3. Compare Prices

Retail competition in this market is fierce, so shop around for the best prices. Game (and to a lesser extend) console prices vary wildly from place to place, so doing research in advance and checking prices on-line makes sense. Unless you really need to buy the latest blockbuster on day of its release, wait a month or two - all games are reissued on budget labels and console prices also fall over time.

4. Duck and Dive

Staff at specialist computer games stores are much more likely to have expert knowledge than their equivalents at supermarkets and the like. But if the supermarket is cheaper, don’t be afraid to take advice from one place and buy in another. Also, consider asking the specialist store for a discount if you know the product is available for less elsewhere.

5. Read Expert Reviews

Don’t know your Halos from your Half-Lifes? Websites such as ProductSifter (dot) com, Gamerankings.com and Metacritic.com all have excellent reviews and rankings for a wide range of video console and game products.

6. Test before you buy

Many games shops have in-store demo units, so you can take a game or a console for a test run before you buy. Remember, you can also rent video games or use online clubs like Swapgame.com to cut costs further.

7. Check the age ratings

Every video game should have an age rating. In Europe, the Pan-European Game Information standard is used. It is not legally binding, but offers a clear guide to parents about a game’s suitability for children. Also, any game featuring mature or realistic content is rated by the British Board of Film Classification.

Move over Halo 3: Online games offer free play

Some video game publishers have stopped charging for their games in the hope that once hooked - players will pay for special features.

For all the hype about Microsoft's Halo 3 video game, 10 times as many people have played the hit online game Diner Dash.

Unlike Halo 3, which is played on Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console and targets hard-core gamers willing to part with $60, Diner Dash is a so-called casual game - an inexpensive, easy-to-learn online game that appeals to a wider audience.

Casual games are played on a Web site or downloaded and, due to the cheaper format, they don't bring in the kind of money that traditional video games generate. While Halo 3 took in $170 million in the first 24 hours after its release last week, the casual game industry struggles to get players, particularly young ones, to pay up.

Source: Money CNN

FIA World Rally Championship

Greatest spectator sport in the world revs up and premiers on mobile !

I-play, the mobile entertainment company, today announced the global launch of ‘FIA World Rally Championship’, the mobile game based on one of the most exciting spectator sports in the world. For the first time ever, mobile gamers can experience the most dynamic and challenging motorsport imaginable, pitting their skills to overcome every extreme weather condition possible on all types of demanding terrain.

Featuring the 16 official WRC locations, players must master four challenging environments and road surfaces in both arcade and championship modes – all against the clock! Bonus points are awarded for crowd pleaser stunts and extra rallies and car upgrades come as unlockable features. The game also features cinematic camera angles; third person driving views; track hazards such as logs, boulders and crashed cars as well as the official WRC music and sound effects!

The ‘FIA World Rally Championship’ is the only officially licensed WRC mobile game. This world-renowned franchise is recreated through original visual settings with the intense environments that the World Rally Championship epitomizes.

Millions of fans attend live WRC events every year and the WRC website alone regularly attracts over 500,000 visitors a month from five separate continents. The target audience for the mobile game includes the 18-35 year old racing fans, speed enthusiasts and thrill seekers who make up WRC’s fan base.

David Gosen, President, I-play, commented: “High speed frenzied action, with detailed and incredibly high quality graphics, will raise WRC above and beyond any other mobile rally racing game. Staying true to I-play’s casual development philosophy, the game will incorporate ‘one thumb’ play and will be easy to get into, but challenging to master.”

Simon Long, Managing Director of International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC), commented: “We are delighted to partner with I-play in introducing the first Official FIA World Rally Championship game on mobile. This platform delivers WRC content in a new format to a new generation of gamers who are able to experience the high-octane challenge of the WRC, on demand. High quality full rally simulation is now accessible in bite-size chunks relevant to modern lifestyles, bringing WRC directly into the hands of a global fan base.”

The 2D game is developed internally by I-play and the 3D game by I-play’s developer partners at Firemint. Both games are being distributed globally across I-play’s extensive network.