In the News
Microsoft Getting Pre-Natal
At last month’s E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft unveiled, what it hopes, will be the device to give them a competitive edge in the next generation console wars, as well as perhaps being the hand that beats Wii. Project Natal was both simultaneously unveiled to Expo-goers and shipped to video game
developers on June 1st. Natal is a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" and is basically a ruler-sized sensor that will sit on top of your TV or entertainment unit. Based on an add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, Project Natal enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller, in a natural user interface using gestures, spoken commands, or presented objects and images. Natal is expected to be released in time for Christmas 2010, and will reportedly serve as the basis for the third generation of X-Box. "Today with cultural visionaries at our side and controller-free gaming on our horizon, Xbox 360 authored a new page in home entertainment history," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. Among other announcements made concerning X-Box was the expansion of X-Box LIVE to include social networking sites like Facebook and Last.fm. "For us, this E3 is about breaking down barriers -- between generations, between games and entertainment, and most important, between video game players and everyone else -- in a way that only Xbox 360 can."
Sony and Nintendo Not Outdone
Following up on Microsoft’s revelations at E3, their chief competitors both made some announcements of their own. Sony’s big thing was the revelation of the next generation of PlayStation Portable, which will be released this October. The new PSP Go will be smaller and lighter than the previously released PSP 3000 in order to be more competitive against the industry leading mobile device, the Nintendo DS. Closer in size to a run-of-the-mill smart phone and 40 per cent lighter, the PSP Go will retail for about $249 US and will go on sale October 1st in North America. Nintendo, meanwhile, announced that it plans to release a sequel to the blockbuster Wii Fit video game sometime later this year. Nintendo also announced the development of the Wii Vitality Sensor, a fingertip pulse oximeter sensor that connects through the Wii Remote. According to Nintendo, the device "will initially sense the user's pulse and a number of other signals being transmitted by their bodies, and will then provide information to the users about the body’s inner world." No applications for this device were announced though.
Price Cut rumours for Sony (and Microsoft?)
The one thing gamers didn’t hear about at E3, and probably wish they did, was a price cut announcement for the PS3. Well, it seems that they may get their wish in the next few months thanks to a leak revealed on the website Gadget Republic.com. “A story from Ars Technica involving an unnamed source with a ‘reputation in the industry for breaking large stories’ has said that retailers are getting ready to rid themselves of 80GB PS3 stock to make way for the new PS3 Slim console rumoured to be launching this autumn,” writes Marie Boran. Further it seems that Microsoft may want to move stock on the X-Box 360 Pro, so that they can sell the forthcoming 120GB Elite at the same price point. The article says that consumers should look for 360 Pro to be packaged into bundle deals to shift stock for this phasing out. As for Sony and PS3, Boran says look for an announcement before August 18th.
Charts
Some big titles made June a good month for gamers, but the numbers tell a different story. While sales were up for June over May, they are way down as opposed to the same time period in 2008. Among other surprises on this month’s charts is a new X-Box 360 game supplanting the perpetual gold metal winner Wii Fit, which now has over 8.5 million purchases to its credit. Playstation 3 also made a strong showing in June by taking one-quarter of the slots in the Top 20; sadly though the number of PS3 units sold is still barely half of the X-Box 360 and a little more than a third of the Nintendo Wii.
Top 20 Games - June
1. Prototype (X360/Activision Blizzard) - 305,054/305,054
2. Wii Fit (Wii/Nintendo) - 296,882/8,553,924
3. EA Sports Active (Wii/Electronic Arts) - 282,607/658,330
4. Wii Sports (Wii/Nintendo) - 274,597/23,637,732
5. UFC 2009 Undisputed (X360/THQ) - 260,025/848,371
6. Red Faction: Guerrilla (X360/THQ) - 211,757/211,757
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii/Electronic Arts) - 165,431/165,431
8. Prototype (PS3/Activision Blizzard) - 157,841/157,841
9. UFC 2009 Undisputed (PS3/THQ) - 153,449/470,486
10. Ghostbusters: The Video Game (X360/Atari) - 136,802/136,802
11. infamous (PS3/Sony Computer Entertainment) - 134,119/308,268
12. Pokémon Platinum Version (DS/Nintendo) - 120,565/1,833,938
13. Mario Kart Wii (Wii/Nintendo) - 116,606/6,943,376
14. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (X360/Electronic Arts) - 115,734/115,734
15. Punch-Out!! (Wii/Nintendo) - 94,927/274,909
16. New Super Mario Bros. (DS/Nintendo) - 94,493/6,902,795
17. Wii Play (Wii/Nintendo) - 93,406/12,198,725
18. Mario Kart DS (DS/Nintendo) - 85,500/5,726,038
19. Red Faction: Guerrilla (PS3/THQ) - 85,305/85,305
20. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (PS3/Electronic Arts) - 83,820/83,820
Hardware
Nintendo DS: 531,758/35,975,397
Nintendo Wii: 274,597/23,637,732
Microsoft X-Box 360: 155,965/17,580,742
Sony Playstation 3: 124,114/8,772,935
Sony Playstation 2: 99,061/50,524,379
Sony Playstation Portable: 96,627/16,964,337
Total: 1,282,122 (-17%)
Previews
Fight Night Round 4 – X-Box 360 – from Game Shark
“The new punching system, while similar to the old system, is a bit more fluid in movement. I absolutely hated it at first - too many punches require Street
Fighter-esque stick movements to execute while others are incredibly simple. Fighting became a frantic exercise in slamming the analog sticks back and forth until someone fell down, but as the game continued, I learned to appreciate the new scheme and, eventually, came to really like it. It also helps that the loading screen includes boxing tips, which, trust me on this one, you’ll have plenty of time to read while waiting for your fight to load. This is definitely a candidate for hard drive installation. “Naturally, if a fighter comes in swinging and never avoids a hit, eventually someone is going to hit his button and knock him out. That’s where the strategy comes in. Fight Night rewards patience with their new counter-punch system. Counter-punching requires a precise block or a well-timed duck to initiate and, if you hit the other player, does quite a bit more damage than your average strike. Waiting an opponent out, taking shots when an opening presents itself and knowing when to clinch, make the difference between which column has a 1 added. Though, sometimes, luck does play a factor. There’s nothing more infuriating than a lucky 1 punch knockout, and it happens more than seems statistically reasonable. I’m OK with being knocked out, sort of, but not at the regularity that seems to show up in Round 4.”
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood – PS3 – from GameSpot
“While the weapons may be authentic to the time period, the brothers have one skill that's pure Hollywood. It's called concentration mode, which allows you to slow down time and kill several enemies in one fell swoop. The mode is activated by pressing B on the pad, after which the screen turns black and white, and the game goes into slow motion. You guide the targeting reticle with the right thumbstick and use it to highlight all the enemies onscreen, which causes Ray to fire off a volley of bullets and kill all the enemies. Concentration mode is particularly useful in later sections of the game where you can be overrun with enemies. It's a nice change of pace from simply blasting away at enemies with your six-shooter, though using your weapons is very satisfying due to their accuracy and feel in combat. The concentration mode also comes into play at predetermined points in the game, where it is used to take down enemies in Unison. These points are signified by red highlights on the floor outside doors which Ray and Thomas must kick down to progress. “Later missions allow you to experience classic Western standoffs. They're very cinematic, with the camera hovering just above the hip next to your gun. You use the right thumbstick to edge your hand closer and closer to you gun, the goal being to keep your hand as near as possible to the gun without touching it. A bell sound signifies the time to draw your gun and take down your opponent. It's a very tense affair, and the music, along with the odd tumbleweed flying past, adds to the atmosphere.”
Reviews
Prototype – X-Box 360
“Ironically, making Alex such a badass also proves to be Prototype's undoing. It becomes a fight to follow and control Alex in the midst of the action. This problem mounts the further you get into the game, leading to more frustration than fun. It's an age-old issue exposed here by the sheer chaos of the battles. All the abilities in the world can't help deal with the hordes of viral mutants and soldiers and military hardware engaged in the fight. Too many times, you wind up at the restart screen feeling like you got there because Alex didn't do what you were trying to tell him to. […] Playing through the story opens a number of side events that you can use to bank extra experience points -- which you can use to build up Alex. The best of the events involves absorbing members of the Web of Intrigue. Many of the missions, though, are mundane challenge-like races. The lack of a quick reset makes mastering these more annoying than it ought to be.” – 1Up.com “Prototype is a sandbox-style action game, and gives you plenty of ways to get around and defeat enemies. Your character can run at superfast speeds, leaping automatically over cars and plowing through pedestrians should they be unfortunate enough to get in his way. Additionally, you can even sprint up the side of buildings and leap great distances. As you progress through the game, you’ll be able to unlock new abilities that will allow you to float for short distances, making getting around even easier. […] The game’s mission structure is pretty open ended, but shouldn’t be too overwhelming for most players. Your map will display points of interest, be they storyline missions that progress the plot, or side quests that you can perform to earn more points and thus better abilities.” – Game Zone.com
Ghostbusters the Video Game – Wii
With that in mind, the Wii version takes a slightly different tact than the other versions of Ghostbusters, and you’ll control the camera by pointing the Wii Remote while moving your character with the analog stick on the Nunchuk. Pressing the C button allows you to lock your view onto the nearest enemy, and your weapons make use of both the A and B buttons. Red Fly did a bang-up job of assigning commands; you’ll use the D-pad to switch to different weapons and your PKE meter. You fire with the B button, and each piece of equipment has an alternate use, which is executed by pressing the A button. […] For the most part, busting ghosts is a blast (no pun intended), but the wrangling mini-game is very hit-and-miss. Too often your gestures will be misread, allowing the ghosts to escape your grasp. It’s also a very tiring manoeuvre that’s likely to cause wrist pain after prolonged play. Still, the gameplay can be quite addictive, and the pacing is pretty spot-on. – Cheat Code Central “I'm sure some will complain that the cartoony visuals are weaksauce, but I for one applaud the decision to go this route. I review a lot of titles that try to just boil the PS3/360 experience down and fit it on the Wii, and that's pretty much a guaranteed way to make a crappy game. Here, the exaggerated facial features and ghosts harkens back the Real Ghostbusters cartoon and actually work with some of the more over the top dialogue choices better than the realistic visuals did on the other platforms. I felt Bill Murray and Alyssa Milano (Venkman's love interest this time around) were a bit hammed up on the PS3, but in this cartoon world, it actually works. Don't get me wrong, the visuals aren't great -- this thing isn't going to get confused with a Pixar movie due to its muddled textures, blocky parts, and sometimes quirky lip syncing -- but they are way better than trying to make this game look real.” – IGN.com
New Releases
July 1st
Worms 2: Armageddon (Strategy/Team 17) – X360
Deadly Rooms of Death: Suit Pursuit (Puzzle/Caravel Games) - PC
Deadly Rooms of Death: Complex Complex (Puzzle/Caravel Games) - PC
Delta Force Angel Falls (Action/NovaLogic) - PC
Battle Tanks (Action/Gameloft) – PS3
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (Action/Capcom) – X360, PS3
Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Fire Dragon (Adventure/Her Interactive) - PC
Diner Dash (Puzzle/Hudson) - Wii
The Punisher: No Mercy (Action/Zen Studios) – PS3
King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 3 (Action /SNK Playmore)- PS3
July 7th
The Bigs 2 (Sports/2K Sports) – Wii, X360, PS3, PS2, PSP
CID The Dummy (Action/Oxygen Interactive) – Wii, PS2, PSP
Memento Mori (Adventure/Got Game Entertainment) - PC
The Bigs 2 (Sports/2K Sports) - DS
Tales of Monkey Island (Adventure/Telltale Games) - Wii
BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle (Action/2K Games) – X360, PC
Street Fighter IV (Action/Capcom) - PC
ARMA II (Action/505 Games) - PC
Tales of Monkey Island: Launch Screaming Narwhal (Adventure/Telltale Games) - PC
July 13th
Sherlock Holmes: Mystery of the Mummy (Adventure/Dreamcatcher) – Wii, DS
Fritz Chess (Puzzle/Deep Silver) – DS
July 14th
Ant Nation (Action/Konami) – Wii, DS
Science Papa (Puzzle/Activision) - Wii
Birthday Party Bash (Puzzle/Take-Two Interactive) - Wii
Science Papa (Puzzle/Activision) - DS
Sudoku Ball Detective (Puzzle/Playlogic) – Wii, DS
NCAA Football 10 (Sports/Electronic Arts) – X360, PS3, PS2, PSP
Nancy Drew: The Ransom of the Seven Ships (Adventure/Her Interactive) - PC
Officers (Strategy/Tri Synergy) - PC
July 15th
WarpForce (Role-Playing/Artix Entertainment, LLC) - PC
Sushi Academy (Action/City Interactive) - DS
July 16th
Unbound Saga (Action/SCEA) - PSP
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! (Role-Playing/NIS America) - PSP
July 17th
Fifi and the Flowertots (Puzzle/Avanquest Software) - DS
July 20th
Black College Football Experience: The Doug Williams Edition (Sports/Aspyr) – X360
The King of Fighters XII (Action/SNK Playmore) – X360, PS3
July 21st
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1 & 2 (Puzzle/Warner Bros.) – X360, PS3
Rock Band Country Track Pack (Puzzle/MTV Games) – Wii, X360. PS3, PS2
G-Force (Action/Disney Interactive) – Wii, DS, X360, PS3, PS2, PSP,
PCG-Force (Action/Disney Interactive) - DS
Dreamer: Top Model DS Action Jul 21, 2009 Dreamcatcher
Reel Fishing: Angler's Dream (Sports/Natsume) - Wii
C.O.R.E. (Action/Graffiti Entertainment) - DS
Little King's Story (Role-Playing/Xseed Games) - Wii
July 24th
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled (Action/Ubisoft) – X36-
Sudoku Ball Detective (Puzzle/Playlogic) - PC
Strikers 1945 Plus Portable (Action/Arc System Works) - PSP
July 27th
Wii Sports Resort (Sports/Nintendo) - Wii
Space Bust A Move (Puzzle/Square Enix) - DS
July 28th
7 Wonders II (Puzzle/MumboJumbo) - DS
Rockin' Pretty DS (Puzzle/Aksys Games) - DS
Aliens in the Attic (Action/Playlogic) – Wii, DS, PS2, PC
Bionic Commando (Adventure/Capcom) - PC
East India Company (Action/Paradox Interactive) - PC
Dreamer: Zoo Keeper (Simulation/Dreamcatcher) - DS
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Action/Aksys Games) – X360, PS3
Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection (Action/Microsoft Game Studios) – X360
My Secret Diary (Puzzle) - DS
July 30th
Summer Athletics 2009 (Sports/DTP Entertainment-49 Games) – Wii, X360, PC
Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals (Puzzle/Vivendi Games) - Wii
Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta (Role-Playing/Bethesda Softworks) – PC, X360
Wallace & Gromit Episode 4: The Bogey Man (Adventure/Telltale Games) – X360, PC
Resident Evil 5 (Action/Capcom) - PC
The Warriors: Street Brawl (Action/Paramount Digital) – X360
Shorts (Action/Majesco Games) - DS
Namco Museum Essentials (Action/Namco Bandai) – PS3
Driift (Driving) - Wii
