DJ Hero (Wii) – T
Hot and Cold: A 3D Hidden Object Adventure (DSi) – E
Jewel Quest Mysteries: Curse of the Emerald Tear (DS) – E
PALLURIKIO (Wii) – E
World of Zoo (Wii) – E
Cook Wars (Wii) – E
Ninja Gaiden (Wii/Arcade) – E10+
Rygar (Wii/Arcade) – E10+
SpongeBob’s Truth or Square (Wii/DS) – E
Tecmo Bowl (Wii/Arcade) – E
Water Sports (Wii) – E
Hasbro Family Game Night 2 (Wii) – E
DJ Star (DS) – M
A Witch’s Tale (DS) – E10+
Disney’s A Christmas Carol + DGamer (DS) – E
Family Feud 2010 Edition (Wii) – E
Let’s Play Flight Attendant (DS) – E
Team Elimination Games (Wii) – E
Tony Hawk: Ride (Wii) – E10+
Solomon’s Key (Wii/Arcade) – E
Puzzle League Express (DSi) – E
Capcom characters have crossed paths with a number of other members from significant franchises in previous fighting titles. But how does Capcom vs. Nintendo sound? Tatsunoko vs. Capcom producer Ryota Niitsuma doesn’t seem opposed to the possibility and even told NGamer magazine that it’s “an interesting idea.”
“As you know, we like our Capcom Vs series – we have quite a few: SNK, Marvel, Tatsunoko. An interesting idea would be Capcom Vs Nintendo. Capcom wins!”
While I’m not really sure if Niitsuma was being completely serious, the idea does indeed seem intriguing.
In other “vs. Capcom” news, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom was originally going to feature Phoenix Wright and Franziska von Karma, but the development team ultimately decided against including the characters. Niitsuma hopes that Phoenix Wright can make an appearance in a future title, however.
There are plenty of ways to quit a job, but one former Ubisoft staffer took it upon himself to go out in one of the more unconventional ways. Now ex-developer William David designed a flash game in order to – as he explains – “tell my co-workers I was leaving and why.” Like the way in which he left Ubisoft, the flash creation itself isn’t your typical game. You can choose to only move forward, jump, and listen to the characters. But it’s still worth a playing, as the atmosphere is excellent and is capped off off with music from Frank Sinatra. And hey, it’s not so often that someone is willing to take this kind of approach when leaving his/her job.
Famitsu First Day Sales (08/13)
[WII] Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Akatsuki no Ouji (Square Enix) – 6,600 (23%)
Famitsu August Estimates
Title – First Shipment/Total Forecast (Related Title – First Week/Total Sales)
[NDS] Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver (Pokemon) FS 1.35M-1.90M / TF 3.60M-4.40M (Pokemon DP – FW 1.586M / LTD 5.686M)
[WII] Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo) FS 310K-440K / TF 1.80M+ (Wii Fit – FW 254K / LTD 3.488M)
[NDS] Inazuma Eleven 2 (Level 5) FS 230K-320K / TF 260K-360K (IE – FW 41K / LTD 375K)
[PS3] Tales of Vesperia (Bandai Namco) FS 160K-230K / TF 230K-330K (ToV 360 – FW 101K / LTD 195K)
[PSP] Gran Turismo (SCE) FS 150K-210K / TF 210K-300K (GT5 Prologue – FW 108K / LTD 239K)
[NDS] Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (Square Enix) FS 150K-210K / TF 150K-210K (FF4DS – FW 309K / LTD 622K)
[NDS] SaGa 2 SE (Square Enix) FS 140K-200K / TF 210K-300K (Romancing SaGa PS2 – FW 221K / LTD 455K)
[PS3] Tekken 6 (Bandai Namco) FS 120K-170K / TF 170K-200K (Tekken 5 – FW 217K / LTD 317K)
[PSP] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 (Konami) FS 130K-180K / FS 190K-260K (JPPYP3 – FW 109K / LTD 356K)
[PS3] Kidou Senshi Gundam Senki (Bandai Namco) FS 110K-160K / TF 160K-220K (Gundam Musou 2 – FW 162K / LTD 316K)
[NDS] Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (Atlus) FS 90K-120K / TF 90K-120K (Devil Survivor – FW 57K / LTD 107K)
[NDS] Super Robo Gakuen (Bandai Namco) FS 80K-110K / TF 80K-110K (Mugen no Frontier – FW 90K / LTD 121K)
[PS3] Bayonetta (Sega) FS 80K-110K / TF 100K-140K (DMC4 – FW 212K / LTD 310K)
Nintendo Wii
North America:
1. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
2. Rock Band 2 Special Edition (MTV Games)
3. Wii Fit (Nintendo)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
5. EA Sports Active (EA Sports)
Japan:
1. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
2. Monster Hunter 3 Classic Controller Bundle (Capcom)
3. EA Sports Active (EA Sports)
4. Monster Hunter 3 (Capcom)
5. Wii Fit (Nintendo)
UK:
1. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
2. Ashes Cricket 09 (Codemasters)
3. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
4. Wii Play (Nintendo)
5. EA Sports Active (EA Sports)
Nintendo DS
North America:
1. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
2. Mario Kart DS (Nintendo)
3. Fossil Fighters (Nintendo)
4. Pokemon Platinum (Nintendo)
5. The World Ends with You (Square Enix)
Japan:
1. Dragon Quest IX (Square Enix)
2. Tomodachi Collection (Nintendo)
3. Irodzuki Tingle no Koi no Balloon Trip (Nintendo)
4. Puyo Puyo 7 (Sega)
5. Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Oosouji (Nintendo)
UK:
1. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)
2. Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force (Disney)
3. Mario Kart DS (Nintendo)
4. Pokemon Platinum (Nintendo)
5. Peppa Pig: The Game (Ubisoft)
SAN FRANCISCO – Madden NFL game purchasers will soon have their day in court after a U.S. District Judge recently denied Electronic Art’s (NASDAQ: ERTS) motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit that claims the company engaged in unlawful and anticompetitive agreements that monopolized the market for football videogames and nearly doubled the price of its popular game, Madden NFL.
The lawsuit alleges EA established agreements with the National Football League (NFL), The NFL Players Union, Arena Football League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), that drove competition out of the market and prevented new competitors from entering.
The agreements resulted in the company’s flagship product, Madden NFL, to increase 70 percent from a cost of $29.99 to $49.99, the suit states.
“There is nothing wrong with good, strong competition in a free market, but we believe EA rigged the game to take advantage of consumers,” said Steve Berman, lead attorney and managing partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro.
In 2004, EA experienced a blow to sales when competitor game NFL 2K5 gained popularity forcing EA to lower the price of its popular Madden NFL game and other football games. Soon after, EA entered into an agreement with the NFL and NFL Players Union that prevented any other company from producing NFL-branded interactive football software, the suit states. EA followed that agreement by entering into additional agreements with the NCAA and Arena Football League.
“EA knows that the demand for these games is based on how realistically the players and teams are portrayed,” said Berman. “When EA signed into exclusive agreements it knowingly killed the only competing game of comparable quality, NFL 2K5.”
The suit claims that EA’s manipulation of the market allows the company to sell Madden for as much as $59.95 a game.
In the company’s annual report to investors, EA notes, “that if it were unable to maintain licenses with major sports leagues and players associations, revenue and profitability will decline significantly.”
In February 2008, EA extended its anticompetitive agreements with the NFL and NFL Players Union until 2012. Two weeks after signing the extension, EA announced a $2 billion offer for Take Two Interactive, the maker of NFL 2K5.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in California, seeks to represent anyone who purchased Madden NFL, NCAA or Arena Football branded videogames from Electronic Arts from August 2005 until present.
Recently, the court dismissed two counts against EA, allowing four to move forward including violation of the federal Sherman Act, violations of California’s Cartwright Act, violation of California’s unfair competition act and unjust enrichment.
Purchasers of Electronic Arts’ football videogames can learn more about the case and participate in this class action at www.hbsslaw.com/maddennfl.
About Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro is a nationally recognized class-action and complex-litigation law firm based in Seattle with offices in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. Among recent successes, HBSS negotiated a $300 million settlement in the DRAM memory antitrust litigation, the largest antitrust settlement in U.S. history, recovered $340 million on behalf of Enron employees, and was part of the leadership team in the $3 billion Visa/MasterCard settlement. In pharmaceutical litigation, the firmýs recent successes include a $350 million settlement with McKesson, more than $200 million with other parties in drug-pricing litigation, and a $150 million settlement regarding Lupron. HBSS represented Washington and 12 other states against the tobacco industry that resulted in the largest settlement in history. For a complete listing of HBSS cases, visit www.hbsslaw.com.
Read more about the lawsuit here
Thanks to Laura for the news tip!
1. Wii Sports Resort/MotionPlus (Wii) – Nintendo
2. NCAA Football 10 (360) – EA
3. NCAA Football 10 (PS3) – EA
4. Wii Fit/Balance Board (Wii) – Nintendo
5. Mario Kart Wii/Wheel (Wii) – Nintendo
6. Mario Kart DS (DS) – Nintendo
7. Pokemon Platinum (DS) – Nintendo
8. Fight Night Round 4 (360) – EA
9. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) – Nintendo
10. EA Sports Active Bundle (Wii) – EA
11. Wii Play/Wiimote (Wii) – Nintendo
12. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii) – EA
13. Fight Night Round 4 (PS3) – EA
14. UFC 2009: Undisputed (360) – THQ
15. Punch-Out!! (Wii) – Nintendo
16. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – Autobots (DS) – Activision Blizzard
17. Prototype (360) – Activision Blizzard
18. Major League Baseball 2K9 (360) – Take 2 Interactive
19. The Legendary Starfy (DS) – Nintendo
20. NCAA Football 10 (PS2) – EA
Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version to Hit United States and Europe in Spring 2010
In Tribute to Legions of Pokémon Fans Worldwide, Announcement Kicked Off Pokémon World Championships
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo of America Inc. revealed today that Pokémon™ HeartGold Version and Pokémon™ SoulSilver Version for the Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems will be released in spring 2010 in the United States and Europe. These newest entries for the best-selling video game franchise were announced amid the biggest Pokémon video game event of the year and in front of the top Pokémon video game and trading card game players in the world at the 2009 Pokémon World Championships.
Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version return players to the scenic Johto region first introduced in the beloved original Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver games nearly a decade ago. The richly detailed adventure of Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver is now enhanced for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems with updated graphics and sound, as well as new touch-screen features and a host of surprises. Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version bring dozens of Pokémon characters back into the limelight for a new Pokémon generation – and longtime fans – to catch, train and battle.
“Announcing these much-anticipated game launches at The Pokémon World Championships allows us to give the news directly to the legions of fans who represent the true heart and soul of Pokémon,” said J.C. Smith, The Pokémon Company International’s director of marketing, who made the announcement on stage to kick off the 2009 Pokémon World Championships. “We want to thank these loyal fans by revealing the details to them first.”
The launch of Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version follows the incredible launch of Pokémon Platinum Version, which has sold more than 5.66 million copies worldwide to date.
Pokémon is one of the top children’s franchises in history. The Pokémon video game series has sold more than 193 million units worldwide since its inception 13 years ago. Additionally, Pokémon is the No. 1 collectible trading card game of all time and has shown no sign of slowing down. It boasts 374 percent sales growth in the United States alone since 2005, and is sold in more than 30 countries across the globe. Other extensions of the property include 12 seasons of the animated television series, which in 2009 will be broadcast in as many as 153 countries in more than 25 languages. Pokémon films and DVDs continue to reach fans in amazing numbers, ranking at the top of the box office in Japan.
For more information about Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, visit www.Pokemon.com.
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.
About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.1 billion video games and more than 526 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.
Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please contact Deanna Talamantez at 213-438-8742 or [email protected]. Users can receive instant Nintendo information by subscribing to the site’s RSS feed.
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