The first wave of download content for Ninja Gaiden II has been detailed by Microsoft, which includes an 800 Microsoft Point (about £6.50) 'Mission Mode' pack and several secret-revealing videos. Mission Mode, the big one, includes 25 self-contained survival stages that feature trials not found in the normal single-player story.

Karma Attack missions challenge you to get the highest score, while Survival missions dish out a single weapon and then throw enemies at you until you kick the ninja bucket.

Ninja Gaiden II is the sequel to Ninja Gaiden and was released worldwide on Xbox 360 in June, 2008. It was developed by Team Ninja and published by Microsoft Game Studios, marking the first time a Team Ninja developed game was not published by Tecmo. While sharing the same number as the Nintendo Entertainment System game Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, it is not a conversion of that older title. The game has not been released in Germany, due to lack of a USK rating.

Reference:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/n/ninjagaiden2/default.htm

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 3:33 PM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Microsoft, XBox

According to a new survey by the video game industry's trade group, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) forty percent of U.S. gamers are women. They also analyzed consumer demographics and usage behaviors indicators. It showed that the average age of game players has risen to 35.

Here are key statistics of the survey:

* 65 percent of American households play computer and video games;

* 38 percent of American homes have a video game console;

* The average game player is 35 years old;

* One out of four gamers is over age 50;

* Women age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (33 percent) than boys age 17 or younger (18 percent);

* 41 percent of Americans expect to purchase one or more games this year;

* 94 percent of parents are present when games are purchased or rented;

* 88 percent of parents report always or sometimes monitoring the games their children play;

* 63 percent of parents believe games are a positive part of their children's lives.

The new research also shows how involved parents are in the way their children buy, rent and play games:

* 94 percent of parents are present when games are purchased or rented;

* 88 percent of parents report always or sometimes monitoring the games their children play; and,

* 63 percent of parents believe games are a positive part of their children's lives.

Speaking about the findings Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA said "This new data underscores the fundamental principle that computer and video games are a mainstream entertainment form, which captures the imagination of every segment of our society,"

"No longer is there a stereotypical gamer. With deeper market penetration and the broadening of our audience base, video games have incorporated themselves into America's cultural and social fabric."

The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet.

References:
http://www.theesa.com/newsroom/release_detail.asp?releaseID=26

http://www.theesa.com/

Posted by Lika Todadze at 8:21 AM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Reviews

E3, the video-game industry's big trade show, is next week, so a lot of the new software coming between now and Christmas. But there's a bit of a lull until Aug. 12, when "Madden NFL 09" unofficially marks the beginning of the fall game season. Here are the best of the year so far:

1. "Grand Theft Auto IV" (Rockstar, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3): The latest episode of "GTA" has its flaws, particularly in the storytelling department. But living a life of crime has never been more fun, thanks to much tighter gameplay and an exquisitely detailed vision of a decaying metropolis.

2. "Lost Odyssey" (Microsoft, for the Xbox 360): The epic tale of immortal mercenary Kaim is a delight for fans of classic role-playing games.

3. "The World Ends With You" (Square Enix, for the Nintendo DS): This adventure set in modern Tokyo is the most innovative RPG in years.

4. "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" (Konami, for the PS3): It may be more of a movie than a game, but it's a dazzling finale for one of gaming's most fascinating sagas.

5. "Professor Layton and the Curious Village" (Nintendo, for the DS): Charming characters wrestle with clever puzzles in this beautifully written and illustrated gem.

Reference:

http://www.gamepro.com/

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 4:22 PM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Games, Nintendo, PlayStation, Wii, XBox

"Boogie SuperStar" - Electronic Art's latest game for the Nintendo Wii system is already announced. But instead of finding Prince Charming, the goal of the game is to beat rival players' singing and dancing skills to earn the grand title of Boogie SuperStar. Players are "discovered" and whisked away in a stretch limo to an island where they hone their skills for the competition. Electronic Arts created the game specifically for female teens.

In the United States, 38 percent of all gamers are female, according to the Entertainment Software Association.

Girls - and boys too - can choose their own character and customize its name, hairstyle and outfit for their performance. They then pick music from a playlist of Top 40 pop songs, including hits from Britney Spears, Leona Lewis and Kanye West.

Unlike other popular music games such as "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero," players of the new game dictate how their character or avatar moves on screen. The game includes a microphone that measures players' vocal fluctuations. The motion-sensing Wii controller records their dance moves.

Another upcoming girl-targeted game for the Wii, Sega's "Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek," will also be released in October 2008 with "Boogie SuperStar." Analysts and critics in the gaming industry say both "Boogie SuperStar" and "Nancy Drew" Wii games are a positive step for video game publishers and will help double their consumer base.

Reference:

http://www.ea.com/read/20080626-BoogieSuperstar.xml

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 4:22 AM | 0 comments  

Labels: Electronic Arts, Game Reviews, Wii

Aerosmith fans can finally get their chance to feel themselves as Steven Tyler and Joe Perry as video game developer Activision Inc released its Guitar Hero: Aerosmith game on Friday.

Dozens flocked to the Hard Rock restaurant in Times Square to see the legendary five-member rock band debut the game and try out the latest Guitar Hero addition. Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford even brought his sons to take a look at the band's creation.

The game features 30 of the band's most notable hits such as "Love in an Elevator" and "Sweet Emotion." It also includes songs from various artists Aerosmith performed and collaborated with over the years, including Run D.M.C.'s "Walk This Way" and "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett. There is even a special guitar controller emblazoned with the band's red-and-white logo for hard core fans.

The game and guitar controller bundle for Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) Xbox 360, Sony Corp's (6758.T) PlayStation3 and Nintendo Co Ltd's (7974.OS) Wii sells for $99.99, with an additional PlayStation2 version for $89.99. The game is also sold individually for each of the consoles and costs $59.99 and $49.99, respectively.

The Aerosmith game is the first Guitar Hero edition that focuses on an individual rock band. The previous three versions of the game featured various rock music genres that ranged from grunge, classic rock, metal, punk and '80s hits.

During the game's creation, band members spent two weeks performing in a motion capture studio in order for their video game figures to move exactly as the group performs on stage. Activision is set to come out with a Metallica Guitar Hero edition in 2009, but declined to specify what month the game will be released.

The company will also release Guitar Hero: World Tour during the Christmas season, which will include a drum set and microphone in addition to the guitar controller. This version will rival Activision's biggest competitor "Rock Band," produced by Viacom Inc's MTV unit and Electronic Arts Inc.

Reference:

http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=318345

http://www.guitarhero.com/ghaerosmith/uk/#/media/

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 10:40 PM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Games

Metal Gear Solid 4 (MGS4) boosts PS3 sales in Japan. MGS4 broke records in its first week of sales in Japan, quickly becoming the best selling PS3 title yet over there. It sold 476,334 copies in four days (from June 12, 2008 to June 15).

Two special editions of Guns of the Patriots were released in Japan: the MGS4 Premium Pack, and the PS3 MGS4 Welcome Box. The Premium Pack includes the "very" limited-edition gunmetal PS3 along with the game, and retails at ¥51,800 ($481). The PS3 MGS4 Welcome Box is simply the game plus a Dual Shock controller in ceramic white, black, or satin silver and retails at ¥63,800 ($593).

MGS4 caused quite the boost for PlayStation 3 hardware sales. While the system was struggling to reach 10,000 units in a given week, MGS4 caused a sales spike to 77,208 units.

The second-best-selling console of the week ending June 15 was the PlayStation Portable, still buoyed by Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G sales (released on March 27, and currently number five in the chart), which clocked in 64,675 units. The Wii was next with 45,564, followed by the DS Lite with 39,201, the PlayStation 2 with 7,297, and the Xbox 360 with 2,163.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a story-driven adventure game, with seasoned hero Solid Snake drafted for one final mission. Set across stages including the Middle East and South America, the now aged Snake has been asked to assassinate his old adversary, Liquid Ocelot. To do this, however, he must make his way through a series of battlefields, using his legendary stealth abilities and all-new OctoCamo suit to avoid detection and to reach his target.

References:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.famitsu.com%2Fgame
%2Fnews%2F1215919_1124.html%3Fref%3Drss&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=ja&tl=en

Posted by Lika Todadze at 8:46 AM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, XBox

What does it feels like when you are politics and doing your job? It’s like a big, serious game! U.S. presidential election year was an idea of a new computer game called "Political Machine" casts you as Democrat Barack Obama, Republican John McCain, or other politicians trying to win the White House.

The underlying mechanics of "Political Machine" will be familiar to veterans of strategy games that usually have players collect resources, build facilities and make weapons. Instead of weapons like nuclear cannons and energy beams, players deploy spin doctors and smear merchants to take down opponents and boost their own ratings. Instead of conquering planets, players must win over enough states to carry them to electoral victory.

The game also offers alternate scenarios, such as the 1860 election that preceded the U.S. Civil War, and more whimsical ones like seeing what Europe or an alien planet would be like if U.S.-style elections were transplanted there. The game had mixed success in predicting the outcome of the 2004 election: it picked Kerry over Bush but correctly foresaw that the contest boiled down to who won Ohio.

"Political Machine" went on sale this week for personal computers running Microsoft's Windows operating system. Luckiest one who loves politics!

References:

http://www.politicalmachine.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Political_Machine

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 9:16 PM | 1 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Games, Microsoft

For its first baby step, the game's Spore Creature Creator goes live at www.spore.com . The program, for Windows and Macintosh PCs, lets players design creatures using the game's editing tools. Those creations will populate the world - actually, the galaxies - of Spore when the full game launches Sept. 7. In addition to the free trial download, a $10 retail version is also sold in stores.

In development for nearly five years, Spore is an evolutionary simulation game that goes beyond the God game genre. In the full version of Spore, players can begin as a single-cell organism that must make its way out of the mire and onto land. Your critter evolves from a slug-like animal and gets smarter, joins tribes, creates a civilization and ultimately goes into space.

Each of the game's five stages - cell, creature, tribal, civilization and space - has a creative editor for evolving your creature and building structures and vehicles. The Creature Creator's drag-and-drop design tools that let you choose from a palate of body parts (mouth, eyes, legs and claws) and them adjust the malleable body and appendages to your liking. Also coming Sept. 7, in addition to the PC and Mac game is Spore Creatures, a game for the Nintendo DS, and Spore Mobile, two methods of evolving your creatures on the go.

Reference:

http://eu.spore.com/home.cfm?lang=en

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 12:56 AM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Microsoft

New research shows that U.S. retail sales of video games, consoles and game accessories hit $1.12 billion in May, a 37 percent rise over the same month last year. These parameters reported on Thursday by Market researcher NPD Group.


Take-Two Interactive Corp's Grand Theft Auto continues to be the No. 1 selling video game, and its version IV, released in April, sold 871,300 units in May. According to the research the top-selling hardware unit is Nintendo Co.'s Wii console. 675,100 units were sold in May. Nintendo's DS handheld player took second with 452,600 units sold. Those units have captured the top two spot's for four consecutive months. Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 trailed with 208,700 and 186,600 units sold.


As to hardware sales, they rose 34 percent to $428.6 million, while software sales rose 41 percent to $536.9 million, compared to the same month last year. Sales year-to-date come to $6.6 billion and the industry is on pace to bring in revenue between $21 billion and $23 billion for 2008.

Reference:
http://www.npd.com/corpServlet?nextpage=corp_welcome.html http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-06-13-video-games-sales-may_N.htm?csp=34

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 10:17 PM | 2 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Games, Hardware, Microsoft, Nintendo, PlayStation, Sony, Wii, XBox

While Grand Theft Auto IV is racking up sales records, console makers are vying for bragging rights of their own, and Microsoft seems to be the victor.

GTA IV was released April 29 and global sales totaled more than $500 million in the first week alone. The first day the latest addition to the hit Rockstar Games series hit retail store shelves, sales were $310 million. More than six million copies have been sold.

The only question is, which console is the game being played on? GTA IV was developed by Rockstar North on two platforms -- the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. Both manufacturers are reporting higher console sales as a result.

According to news reports that claim to have the inside scoop on Microsoft's sales data, Redmond is the big winner. Reportedly Xbox 360 console sales jumped 54 percent. Other reports estimate more than 60 percent of GTA IV games went to Xboxers, leaving less than 40 percent for PlayStation 3 gamers.

References:

http://www.gamerankings.com/

http://www.biline.ca/xbox_list.htm#g

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 8:40 AM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Microsoft, PlayStation, XBox

The accolades lavished on criminal action video game "Grand Theft Auto 4", long expected to be the best-selling game of 2008, pushed Take-Two shares as high as $27.10, more than a dollar higher than the $25.74 per share offered for the company by rival Electronic Arts Inc. It was the highest level for the stock since February 28, when it touched $27.61 three days after Electronic Arts went public with its $2 billion hostile bid.

These ratings are quite extraordinary. It's something special and helps critics to understand why Take-Two was so confident and adamant that they wanted to wait. Many analysts have long said EA may have to raise its bid by a dollar or two per share.

Take-Two and Electronic Arts were not immediately available to comment.The Tuesday launch of "Grand Theft Auto 4" is expected to be the biggest entertainment event of the year, with first-week sales of up to $400 million.

Scores on gaming review aggregation site Metacritic.org show the game, in which players work for a crime syndicate in a fictionalized New York, is on track to be the highest-rated video game of all time.

Based on more than a dozen reviews so far, the version of GTA4 for Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 game console has scored a perfect 100 while that for Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360 has achieved a score of 99.

Reference:

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/grandtheftauto4

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 9:10 PM | 2 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, PlayStation, XBox

According to data released today by the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association and compiled by Chart-Track, the UK games industry racked up a total of £418.4 million in software sales in the first quarter of 2008. It appears that Nintendo is the real winner of the increased sales, scooping up 37 percent of all unit sales thanks to the success of its Wii and DS offerings, which took the top two spots. The PC was the third most popular platform for game sales, followed by Microsoft's Xbox 360. The report also shows Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games to be the most popular game in the first quarter.

ELSPA's director general, Paul Jackson, used the release of the figures as an opportunity to petition the government for increased industry support. "The UK continues to blaze a trail in terms of creativity yet over the last few years it is becoming apparent that some talent is being lured away by more attractive prospects overseas. As it stands, the UK is already down to fourth place from third as the world's creative centre for games. It is time the Government recognised the massive financial contribution we make to the UK economy, especially when compared to the film, TV and music industries." - he said.

As previously reported on GameSpot, the UK games industry employs 25,000 people and contributes £2 billion per year to the country's economy.

References:

http://www.chart-track.co.uk/?i=543&s=1111

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 10:00 PM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Games, Nintendo, XBox

God Of War: Chains Of Olympus has already been dubbed as a game of the year. However, many people think that GoW is not very suitable for a handheld gaming device. To say mildly, this is a wrong assumption.

BlendGames.com presents you with a short but interesting review of the game. You can read it at: http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Review-God-Of-War-Chains-Of-Olympus-9665.html

Chains of Olympus is a great PSP game. If not the game of the year, it certainly is one of the best games of the year and it ought to be on every PSP owners collection.

Posted by George S. at 10:23 AM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Reviews

French telecom and media group Vivendi won permission from the European Commission on Wednesday to merge its videogame unit with Activision Inc in a $9.85 billion deal. The deal will give Vivendi a 52 percent stake in a new industry giant called Activision Blizzard with annual revenue of $3.8 billion.

The Commission said for "all categories of game software, the combined firm would continue to face several strong, effective competitors, such as Electronic Arts, and the game console manufacturers, such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft." Activision is riding high on the success of games such as "Guitar Hero", "Tony Hawk" and "Call of Duty" but has lacked an offering in the online role-playing area, dominated by "World of Warcraft" from Vivendi's Blizzard Entertainment.

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 9:02 PM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing

U.S. video game sales including hardware and software jumped 34 percent in February to hit $1.33 billion, even with two top-selling consoles in short supply, according to data from market researcher NPD Group.

Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 have been in such high demand stores are having a hard time keeping them in stock. Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said the company moved up shipments during the holidays and hasn't been able to catch up since. He added: "we should be in good shape" by the time "Grand Theft Auto IV," the highly anticipated latest installment of the Rockstar Games franchise, hits store shelves April 29.

The game, which will be available on the Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3, is expected to boost sales mutually of both consoles. Pre-orders have been better than expected, according to its publisher, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan, expects the game to sell about 9 million units during the company's fiscal year, which ends in October. Roughly 6 million of this, he added, will be to Xbox 360 owners.

February is normally a slow month for video game publishers coming off holiday highs, and consumers have also been cutting back spending amid economic worries.

Game hardware sales rose 19 percent during the month to $480 million, NPD said late Thursday. Of this, the portable Nintendo DS was the best-seller with 587,600 units, followed by the Wii at 432,000. The Xbox 360 sold 254,600 units even amid supply constraints.

"It appears that Wii and DS shortages abated in February, likely in anticipation of strong March software launches," - Pachter wrote in a note to investors.

Going strong since its launch in 2000, Sony's PlayStation 2 continued to outpace its successor. The PS2 sold 351,800 units compared with 280,800 for the PS3.

February's software sales grew 47 percent to hit $668.7 million, with Activision Inc.'s first-person shooter "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" at No. 1 with 296,200 units sold for the Xbox 360. Capcom USA's "Devil May Cry 4" and Nintendo's "Wii Play," which comes with a remote and includes games like pingpong and fishing, also did well.

The NPD Group was founded in 1967. Today it is the global provider of consumer and retail market research information for a wide range of industries.

Reference:

http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_080311.html

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 8:29 PM | 2 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing, Nintendo, PlayStation, Wii, XBox

Electronic Arts is to release a free online version of the popular Battlefield game to be supported by adverts and micro payments. The PC game, Battlefield Heroes, will be available only online later this year, and will not be sold in shops.
The move marks EA's first major attempt to tap into new sources of ad-driven revenue in Western markets. The firm has a free version of its Fifa game in South Korea, earning more than $1m a month through in-game sales. "Online gaming has a massive audience," - said EA's Gerhard Florin, in a statement.
"People want to play games in new ways, with easier access that is quick to the fun. With Battlefield Heroes, EA brings its first major franchise to North America and Europe with a new distribution model and pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play."
The video games industry is taking its first steps away from a retail-focused sales environment and towards digital distribution. EA hopes the model of a free game as download that is supported by adverts and micro-payments could be applied to other franchises it owns.
The new version of Battlefield is designed to have more mass market appeal than current titles in the series, which have sold about 10 million copies worldwide.
The games has a "cartoon-feel" and has been made simpler to play, with more emphasis on participation and fun than skill and strategy. Ben Cousins, senior producer at Dice says that no adverts would be appear in the game itself: "They wouldn't work inside the fictional world. Instead, adverts will appear on the website and the 'front-end' of the game." Gamers will be able to buy items which customize their appearance in the world, but will not be able to seek an advantage through buying weapons.
Mr. Cousins said Battlefield Heroes was about exploring new revenue models as well as making a game more accessible: "I've always felt there was some really good fun core gameplay which was locked away by several barriers to entry: the game is complex, it is full of skilled people, you need quite a high-end PC on which to play and you need to go to store to purchase a copy. We're removing all barriers to entry and we hope there is broader audience for the title. You will be able to play this game on grandma's laptop."
Mr. Cousins said EA expected 95% of people who played the game never to spend any money.
"If you look at Korea and Asia this is a model that works. Given the enormous explosion in web-based gaming products, this is going to be a real source of growth in the industry and Battlefield Heroes is the first step towards doing that in West."

Posted by Maka Asatiani at 8:04 AM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Development, Game Reviews, Game Sharing

A while ago I downloaded a demo of Siphon Filter: Logan's Shadow for PSP from PlayStation Store. To admit, I liked the game and decided to get a full version.

Along with the Siphon, I bought a couple of other games on UMD. One of the games was SWAT: Target Liberty. I had not heard of this game before and I bought it based on the seller's advice.

I have not played much but the first impression is positive. The gameplay is a bit slow, but I don't think this is developer's fault. The very nature of the game dictates the gameplay. But you will be amazed with the detail of the game. The graphics is very nice, audio effects are cool. Overall, a very pleasant game and if you enjoy tactical games, you will like it.

Due to the nature of the game, it has a quite lengthy tutorial. You may be tempted to skip it, but I highly recommend to go through it. It will save you time later and will make your play more enjoyable and efficient.

Posted by George S. at 1:24 PM | 0 comments  

Labels: Game Reviews, PSP