NDS Kidou Senshi Gundam 00 – 30,000 (50% sell through)
NDS Lux-Pain – 8,000 (20% sell through)
NDS Tetsudou Seminar: JR-Hen – 3,000
WII Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga – didn’t make it (<1000?)
WII Tomb Raider: Anniversary – didn’t make it (<1000?)
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – March 28, 2008 – THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) today announced that WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2009 is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Wii™ videogame console, Nintendo DS™ and mobile devices. Joining the immensely successful World Wrestling Entertainment® roster of WWE SmackDown/SmackDown vs. Raw licensed videogames, which have shipped more than 37 million units worldwide since 1999, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is expected to begin shipping to retail outlets worldwide this fall.
“The ambitious cross-platform launch of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 last year yielded tremendous growth for the franchise, as we delivered multiple gameplay experiences across seven platforms and greatly expanded our audience of WWE videogame fans,” said Bob Aniello, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. “With dynamic new features and the extension of our gameplay experience through downloadable content, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 will bring more console, handheld and wireless gamers together to enjoy the virtual world of WWE.”
“We are tremendously excited about the next groundbreaking release in the billion dollar WWE SmackDown vs. Raw videogame franchise,” said Nelo Lucich, vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. “Downloadable content, innovative experiences with tag teams and a new Create-A-Finisher feature, along with significant annual improvements across all platforms, combine to bring the sports entertainment experience to new heights and gratify our long-time fans, casual gamers and franchise newcomers alike.”
Rumors
– Tecmo Bowl coming to both the Wii and DS.
– Disney asked Warren Spector to create a Mickey Mouse Mario-killer.
– Traveler’s Tales to make games (plural) based on live-action Akira movie.
Review Scores – Wii
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: A, A-, A- [Game of the Month]
Okami: A, B+, A
Opoona: C, C+, C+
Review Scores – Nintendo DS
Lost in Blue 3: B-, C, D+
The World Ends With You: A-, B, A-
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer: B+, A, B
Coming in the June 2008 Issue
– Feature on the “sweetest” games you haven’t heard of yet, including Capcom’s Dark Void.
Sonic Chronicles
– Random battles, turn-based
– Allocatable skill points
– Branching dialog paths
– Dialog close to Mass Effect system
– Core story has a single outcome
A young boy, Olivier Baptiste, was killed by a close friend, William Suarez, after Baptiste refused to give him a videogame. After Baptiste had visited Suarez’s apartment, holding a videogame in his hands, Suarez demanded that his “friend” hand the game over. Baptiste refused, and Suarez immediately revealed a gun and pointed it at Baptiste’s head. Oliver had actually told Suarez to “Stop it. It’s got a bullet in it.” Suarez pulled the trigger, but it did not fire. Suarez pulled the trigger a second time, however, and a bullet struck Oliver Baptiste in the left temple.
It’s always extremely sad to see events such as this. I feel terrible for everyone involved, and hopefully something like this will not happen again.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL 09 will be available in retail stores in North America on August 12, including a special collector’s edition in celebration of the 20th anniversary of one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition will be the ultimate interactive NFL experience – featuring full versions of both Madden NFL 09 and the all-new NFL Head Coach 09, exclusive classic Madden NFL gameplay, and an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content.
“The Madden NFL franchise has a rich history, and we’re proud to be celebrating it with this definitive video game package,” says Peter Moore, president of EA
SPORTS. “Featuring two deep and innovative new standalone games, as well as a host of exclusive bonus content, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is the ultimate interactive offering for both long-time Madden NFL fans and anyone who enjoys football on Sundays. I can’t think of a better way to get your NFL fix than to enjoy everything that’s unique about both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, and then connecting and sharing content from both.”
Whether you prefer to make your moves on the field, from the sidelines or in the front office, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition has something for every football fan. Madden NFL 09 will feature the most immersive gameplay, the richest online offerings and the most comprehensive feature depth in the history of the franchise, while NFL Head Coach 09 has been reinvented to provide a unique new NFL experience by allowing fans to be in total control of their favorite franchises. The two games offer unique experiences and then can even interact with one another with gamers being able to import their user-designed plays from NFL Head Coach 09 and put them into Madden NFL 09 to create customized playbooks for complete control on the field.
01./00. [NDS] Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (Pokémon) – 242,000 / NEW
02./00. [WII] Deca Sporta (Hudson) – 65,000 / NEW
03./00. [PS3] Armored Core for Answer (From Software) – 54,000 / NEW
04./00. [NDS] SimCity DS 2: From the Past to the Future (EA) – 49,000 / NEW
05./03. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) – 48,000 / 1,752,000
06./00. [PSP] Tales of Rebirth (Bandai-Namco) – 47,000 / NEW
07./04. [WII] Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) – 41,000 / 1,490,000
08./00. [NDS] Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi wo Yobu Cinema Land (Banpresto) – 35,000 / NEW
09./01. [NDS] DS Beautiful Letter Training (Nintendo) – 35,000 / 101,000
10./00. [NDS] Time Hollow: Seeking the Lost Past (Konami) – 34,000 / NEW
The best and most recent Sonic titles have been found on the Nintendo DS. Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure were the closest games that returned Sonic to his roots and are ultimately two of the more entertaining games on the DS. With that being said, the Sonic games on console have been notoriously awful throughout the years. Sonic Unleashed may be changing this, however. The latest rumor floating around about the game is that Sonic Unleashed will use the same game system/engine as the Sonic Rush titles do. If this is to be believed, Sonic Rush might possibly turn out to be one of the most surprisingly enjoyable games of the year.
NEW YORK, March 25 /PRNewswire/ — 1UP Network, the recognized leader in print and online videogame content, announced today that celebrated author, Dr. Oren Harari, will be headlining a stellar lineup of speakers at the 11th Annual Electronic Gaming Summit. The Electronic Gaming Summit, held May 19-21, 2008 in Napa, Calif., is the only event of its kind to provide a platform for leading videogame industry influencers and top-level executives to learn, network, and exchange ideas about the gaming culture
and its future.The 2008 Electronic Gaming Summit boasts presentations from an array of elite videogame industry and non-industry leaders, who through their vast knowledge, experiences and business visions, will share invaluable insight on hot-button gaming-related issues and trends. In addition to Dr. Harari, author of ‘Break from the Pack: How to Compete in a Copycat Economy,’ Summit speakers include such key business players as Cammie Dunaway, executive vice president of sales and marketing, Nintendo of America, Inc.; Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft Corp.; Peter Moore, president of EA Sports; Michael Pachter, managing director, research, Wedbush Morgan Securities; Jason Holtman, director of business development, Valve Software; Beth Simone-Noveck, professor of law, director, Institute for Information Law and Policy, Democracy Design Workshop; Tanya Giles, senior vice president, research and planning, MTV Networks Entertainment Group;
and a panel of prominent journalists that cover the gaming industry including N’Gai Croal, Newsweek, Daniel Sieberg, CBS News, Geoff Keighley, Spike TV, and Brian Crecente, Kotaku.com.
“From the inception of the Electronic Gaming Summit, this event has been the gaming industry touchstone for uncovering key trends and generating forward thinking,” states Jason Young, CEO, Ziff Davis Media. “This year’s diverse lineup of speakers truly continues the prestigious reputation of this event. Through their varied backgrounds and specialties, their presentations will no doubt enlighten minds, open important dialogues within the industry, and cultivate new ideas. I can’t wait to hear what
this great group of minds has to say!”The theme of this year’s Electronic Gaming Summit is 1:1, exemplifying what the focus is of this unique event, as it is defined in many different ways — the meeting of individuals face to face, the opportunity to have direct, focused communication, and the current industry genesis as the birth of the next-generation consoles translates into continuous growth and opportunities.
