Hi all,
we are taking a quick break at The Game Council. Greg and Maria are taking some time off to recharge their batteries and will be back soon with more game news and reviews.
Thanks
The Game Council team at Podango Productions
 It’s a new Podcast today, and hot off the press is a new Ganked strip from our good friends, Ivan Gallegos and Eric Carter. Enjoy!
Host Gregory Martin returns from the Apple Developer Conference in San Francisco where exciting new games for the iPhone were showcased during the keynote. Also, host Maria Bernal-Silva reports on her latest game adventures.
Steve Jobs announces you can start downloading games to your iPhone this coming July with the launch of the App Store.Â
 
At WWDC 08 keynote Monday, Jobs announced that the App Store will be part of the iPhone 2.0 firmware update that is free to iPhone users, but iTouch owners pay $10. Games will be among the offerings, and the previously announced Super Monkey Ball from Sega will be available at launch for $9.99.
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Pangea Software showed two ports, Cro-Mag Rally, a prehistoric kart racer with 11 different vehicles on nine separate tracks. Pangea’s other game was a 3D puzzler, Enigmo, a physics-based puzzle game, where the game is completely touch-based; drag and drop, zooming, panning, and rotating your puzzle pieces around a playfield in order to get falling water, oil, and lava from a basin at the top of the screen to their intended targets. Both games will sell for $9.99 on the App Store.
 
Finally, Digital Legends Entertainment took the stage to show Krull, a fantasy 3D action-adventure game. The game features action sequences and puzzles. Sometime September is the expected launch date.
Games can be downloaded by a cell connections, if they are less than 10 MB and if greater then 10 MB, via WiFi.
Though games were a visible part of Apple’s conference, the big news from the presentation was the introduction of a new 3G and GPS enabled iPhone. They will be available July 11 in 8 GB and 16 GB models, priced at $199 and $299, respectively.
This week saw some fun releases with the likes of Kung Fu Panda, LEGO Indiana Jones, Ninja Gaiden II, The Bourne Conspiracy, The Incredible Hulk, and Summon Nights: Twin Age, and next week we have one heavy hitter - Metal Gear Solid 4 taking center stage. June is turning out to be a decent month for gaming releases.Â
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June 9
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• Don King Presents: Prize Fighter - Xbox 360
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June 10
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• Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm - Xbox 360
• Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit - PS3, Xbox 360
• Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles - Nintendo DS
• Looney Toons: Cartoon Conductor - Nintendo DS
• My Fashion Studio- Nintendo DS
• NASCAR 09 - PS2, PS3, Xbox 360
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June 12
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• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Regular and Limited Editions) - PS3
 
Exclusive downloads, developer interviews, concept art, and more for monthly subscription or $2.99 an episode.
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This week, Sony announced the latest addition to the PlayStation Network: Qore. Discribed as,”a highly interactive, monthly lifestyle gaming program covering the world inside PLAYSTATION.”
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More details on the PlayStation.Blog.Â
Via:Â PlayStation.Blog
It’s a new Podcast today, and hot off the press is a new Ganked strip from our good friends, Ivan Gallegos and Eric Carter. Enjoy!
In this episode hosts Greg and Maria visit the “Playstation” store in the San Francisco Metreon and played some games there (Heavenly Sword, Fifa Soccer 2008, Patapon)
 It’s a new Podcast today, and hot off the press is a new Ganked strip from our good friends, Ivan Gallegos and Eric Carter. Enjoy!
After going double-digit with the last episode, hosts Gregory Martin and Maria Bernal-Silvia continue strong with this weeks game news and more talk about Maria’s favorite board game “Talisman”.
 
San Francisco, CA - May 14th, 2008 - Microsoft Games Studio Spring Showcase took over the Dogpatch Studios in San Francisco for an event that had luminaries from some of the world’s top development studios to show off some of the year’s most anticipated titles.Â
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And with Dogpatch Studios just a stone’s throw from the Podango Studios, Achim was able to attend some of the event and get first hand impressions of the upcoming titles such as Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Ninja Gaiden II.
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Cliff Bleszinski, design director for Epic Games was on hand to demo Gears of War 2. With expectations being incredibly high for the follow up, Bleszinski and his teem seem confident in delivering the goods for the November release.
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Another famous game designer, Peter Molyneux, from Lionhead Studios, was on hand too showcase Fable 2, due out this fall. There was a half-hour demo of Fable 2, and he explained how it is both a role-playing game and a simulation.Â
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Tomonuby Itagaki, Ninja Gaiden II developer from TECMO/Team Ninja was on hand as well to show off his swan song for the franchise.
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Other stations around the studios showed off games like, Too Human, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolds, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise and others.
 
Blizzard has announced the next BlizzCon to be held this October in Anaheim, California. This marks the third convention, and has now expanded to two convention halls to accommodate more attendees.
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IRVINE, Calif. – May 12, 2008 – – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its third BlizzConâ„¢ gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on October 10 and 11. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®’s Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises. In response to the demand to accommodate more attendees, this year’s event has expanded from two convention halls to three.
“Whenever we’ve been able to meet and interact with Blizzard gamers from around the world, it’s been a great experience for us,” stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to seeing even more of our players at this year’s BlizzCon and delivering another entertaining and informative event for them.”
BlizzCon will offer a wide variety of activities to help all attendees get the most out of the two-day event. In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, attendees will be able to enjoy:
Tickets for BlizzCon will go on sale in the next few weeks at a price of $100 USD per person. As the event draws closer, further details will be announced on the official BlizzCon website: www.blizzcon.com.Â
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 Via Press Release
And with a new Podcast today, don’t forget, it’s hot off the press, a new Ganked strip from our good friends, Ivan Gallegos and Eric Carter. Enjoy!
Greg and Achim interview game music composer Spencer Nilsen about his work for SEGA and how in his latest job as president of Ex’pression College near San Francisco, he sees a new generation of game designers grow up.
Universal bringing videogame to bigscreenÂ
Universal and Gore Verbinski are going into “Bioshock.”
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Studio has signed a deal to turn last year’s hit videogame, which won numerous awards and sold more than 2 million units worldwide, into a film.Â
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The “Pirates of the Caribbean” helmer is attached to direct and produce. “Aviator” scribe John Logan is in talks to pen the screenplay.
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“Bioshock” publisher Take-Two Interactive is getting a multimillion-dollar advance against gross points on the pic. It’s believed to be the biggest videogame-to-movie deal since 2005, when U and Fox signed onto the since aborted “Halo” pic, for which Microsoft got $5 million against 10%.
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Take-Two executive chairman Strauss Zelnick said the “state of the art” deal is structured so that “Bioshock” won’t end up in turnaround like “Halo,” which is back with Microsoft.
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“The reason I structured it the way I did is to make sure it gets made,” he emphasized.
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“Bioshock” takes place in an underwater city based on the free market principles of Ayn Rand, but things have gone disastrously wrong. Players control a pilot who crash-lands at a secret entrance to the city, called Rapture, and is drawn into a power struggle during which he discovers that his will is not as free as he’d thought.
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“I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that’s cleverly unveiled to players is just brimming with cinematic potential,” said Verbinski. “Of all the games I’ve played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative.”
Via Variety
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Awhile back, we posted the news that there were games coming to the iPhone, and it seems like gloob.tv has the goods.
Even though some these games aren’t out yet, it’s very exciting to see the iPhone used for even more than making calls, listening to music, and organization.
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Videos here at gloob.tv
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It seems that Nintendo of America has launched the new Wii Channel that will offer game trailers, interviews, DS demos and a game rating system. There are demos such as Brain Age 2, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword and Flash Focus to download on to your DS.
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The channel can be downloaded free, in the Wii Shop’s WiiWare section.
 
Imagine, GTA IV surpasses entertainment records for day one and week one sales by dollar value. According to Take-Two, GTA IV sold approximately 6 million units around the world.
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New York, NY – May 7, 2008 – Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), said today that Grand Theft Auto IV has surpassed all-time entertainment records for day one and week one sales by dollar value. Released on Tuesday, April 29th, Grand Theft Auto IV, the critically acclaimed video game, has sold through to consumers approximately 6 million units globally with an estimated retail value of more than $500 million in the first week. Grand Theft Auto IV sold approximately 3.6 million units on its opening day with a retail value of approximately $310 million globally.
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“We knew Grand Theft Auto IV would break new ground in terms of the player’s experience, with its compelling story line, extraordinary gameplay and action that ranges over a broad urban canvas. Now, it has broken sales and rating records as well. Grand Theft Auto IV’s first week performance represents the largest launch in the history of interactive entertainment, and we believe these retail sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date. We congratulate the entire Rockstar team on creating a must-have experience that takes the legendary Grand Theft Auto franchise to a new level,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two.
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“Rockstar’s goal is to make each new title in the Grand Theft Auto franchise even better than those that preceded it, and Grand Theft Auto IV is a smashing success on that score. Grand Theft Auto IV makes full use of the power of next generation technology, and offers players an experience unique in the interactive entertainment medium. This game sets a new standard in the industry, with critics hailing it as both an artistic and technological masterpiece,” said Ben Feder, Take-Two’s Chief Executive Officer.
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Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system is rated “M” for Mature. For more information, log onto www.rockstargames.com/IV.Â
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Sony’s Echochrome is one mindbending puzzler now available for download from the PlayStation Store for both PlayStation 3 and PSP. Each version of the game will feature 56 distinct puzzles (levels) each available for $9.99.
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Available exclusively on PLAYSTATION®Store
Featuring an elegant black and white art design inspired by the works of M.C. Escher, echochrome™ is a puzzle game unlike any other. With gameplay based on optical illusions, players must utilize five simple laws of perspective to join walkways, hide dangers, and create new paths to reach the “echos,†or shadow guides. Once you’ve mastered the five laws, use them to create your own mind-bending levels to play and share with friends using the custom level editor.
Key Features:
  * Elegant Graphics – Simple black-and-white art style
  * Unique Gameplay – Master perspective puzzles based on optical illusions across 56 challenging levels that are exclusive to the PSP® system version
   * Canvas Mode – Create your own custom levels to play and share with friends using wireless Ad HocÂ
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More info at PSNÂ
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Nintendo has thrown down the gauntlet for Mario Kart® Wii racers worldwide. Now it’s time to see who’s up to the challenge, as players take on the world in Mario Kart Wii Tournaments.Every few weeks, a new tournament will appear on the Mario Kart Channel, an online feature that not only allows players to compete in tournaments, but also exchange race data with friends. Tournaments might take the form of a challenge for players to race a certain course as fast as they can with specific characters, or to collect a number of coins on a course using the Wii Wheelâ„¢ accessory or another control setup. They can feature unique rules or obstacles on the course.
The first tournament, which appears today, directs racers to compete for the fastest time on the Mario Circuit. Look closely though – something may be different. Players can attempt the challenge as often as they like during the duration of the tournament. Their best time will be recorded and added to the worldwide rankings, allowing players to see how they stack up against the best racers from around the world.
NOTE: If you would like to participate in Mario Kart Wii tournaments, your Wii™ console needs to be connected to the Internet. For more information about how to get online, visit Wii.com. For more information about Mario Kart Wii, please visit www.MarioKart.com.
Via Nintendo Pressroom
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Sony’s PSP outsells the DS and Wii combined during April in Japan, though Nintendo’s Wii dominates the PS3 in sales
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According to Reuters, a recent report shows that Sony sold 380,867 PSPs during the month of April, beating DS sales of 169,911 units. Capcom’s Monster Hunter Freedom 2G can take credit for spurring sales, being the top seller for the second straight month, with close to 2 million units sold in Japan.
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Nintendo’s Wii sold 187,121 units, compared to 37,676 units of the PS3.
 And with a new Podcast today, don’t forget, it’s hot off the press, a new Ganked strip from our good friends, Ivan Gallegos and Eric Carter. Enjoy!
New 3D Puzzle Games Allow Players to Step ‘Inside’ the Iconic Rubik’s Cube
 
Some 25 years ago, the Rubik’s Cube appeared for the Atari 2600. The Game Factory and developer Two Tribes will provide players the ability to step inside the cube to experience some puzzle games based around the Cube concept.Â
 
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Santa Monica, Calif. – April, 2008Â
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The Game Factory, an international publisher of family-friendly and casual videogames, today announced it has signed a licensing agreement with Seven Towns Limited to publish Rubik’s World, a 3D puzzle game experience for the Nintendo Wiiâ„¢ and DSâ„¢ systems, both inspired by the Rubik’s Cube.
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“The Rubik’s Cube is one of the most well known icons in the gaming and entertainment industry,†said Henrik Mathiasen, president of the Game Factory. “We’re honored that Seven Towns Limited has chosen us to take the Rubik’s experience to the next level with Rubik’s World. We feel confident that we have created a concept for the whole family that is innovative, challenging and addictive, offering a new twist in the puzzle genre while keeping the Rubik’s Cube core values alive.â€
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“We’re pleased to be working with the Game Factory to enhance the Rubik’s brand with Rubik’s World,†said David Hedley Jones, for Seven Towns Limited, a London-based company that has introduced hundreds of successful original games and toys throughout the world in the past 35 years. “We’re confident that everybody will enjoy this video game experience.â€
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Step Inside the Cube’ with Rubik’s World
For those who have always wondered what the inside of a Rubik’s Cube looks like, the Game Factory will deliver Rubik’s World in the Fall of 2008. Designed for players aged eight and older, this otherworldly game will look and play like no other game on the market. A collection of extremely addictive, easy-to-play puzzle games will increase in difficulty as the player delves deeper into this 3D world. Each version of Rubik’s World will host its own unique and original series of games. Players will test their brainpower by constructing 3D shapes and objects, navigating through mazes and even creating their own soundtracks. The DSâ„¢ version will allow players to connect to a community of Rubik’s World enthusiasts through the platform’s wireless connection. The Wiiâ„¢ version accommodates up to four players and will feature an online message board.
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For those of you who don’t know already, Mario Kart Wii and GTA IV have already hit the shelves, but there’s still a few releases that might get lost on the shelves if we didn’t point them out.Â
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RETAIL GAMES
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Iron Man (PS2, PS3, DS, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360)
Roogoo (Xbox 360, PC, Wii)
Pixel Junk Monsters Encore (PS3)
Warhawk – operation: Broken Mirror (PS3)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360)
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
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Chameleon (PSP)
SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 (PS2 PSP)
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Brain Voyage (DS)
Let’s Yoga (DS)
Let’s Pilates (DS)
River King: Mystic Valley (DS)
Toy Shop (DS)
What’s new this week in the game world? Check it out with hosts Gregory Martin and Maria Bernal-Silva.
Drivers, start your engines!
The worldwide race is on with a whole new set of tricks, tracks, and ways to play! Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions.
* Wii Wheel: Transform your Wii Remote in to a steering wheel that feels natural in anyone’s hands.
* Worldwide Racing: Play with up to three friends locally or challenge up to 11 friends via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in the biggest Mario Kart race yet! All tracks and modes of play are available for online races.
* Mario Kart Channel: Visit the Mario Kart Channel on your Wii Menu to check regional and worldwide stats, friend rankings, download ghost data, participate in worldwide Time Trial events, and more!
* New Wheels and Courses: cruise brand-new tracks and arenas, or enjoy a blast from the past going fender-to-fender on one of the classics. Tired of riding on four wheels? Bust out one of the all-new motorbikes for special tricks and techniques.
Drawing on circuits and battle arenas from every game in the series—not to mention tons of brand-new ones—the true king of the Mushroom Kingdom racing circuits will finally be crowned! Time to get turnin’ and burnin’!
Mario Kart Wii has arrived for the Nintendo Wii platform as of April 27th.
Game overview from Nintendo.
If you’re waiting sometime for that eventual price drop, don’t hold your breath. Due to continuing strong sales, Nintendo states they they have no intention of cutting prices for the Wii or the DS this year.
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I’ve said it on our upcoming podcast, “the shelf life of a Wii is 1 hour, unlike a Hostess Twinkie.” The consoles fly off the shelves as soon as they are produced. The pricing may change during the Christmas shopping season, but that’s still months ahead.
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“Our earnings projection for the year is not based on hardware price cuts, and I don’t think we are going to need them,” Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told an analyst meeting on Friday.
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Via ReutersÂ
Ubisoft has recently release a new title update for the Xbox 360 version of Rainbow Six Vegas 2, featuring general fixes and improvements for the game.
Via Ubisoft forumsÂ
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A Title Update is now available for XBOX 360 fixing many of the issues communicated by you, the community, and includes many gameplay tweaks based on your feedback. Major props to everyone who has been communicating directly to me and posting on the forums with community feedback! It was YOU who helped us deliver.
PS3 & PC users have received optimizations and stability fixes in a patch available on launch day. An update for the PS3 with the same game tweaks is currently in the works as well.
Here is a list of what comes in the XBOX 360 Title Update:
>>> IMPROVEMENTS <<<
Weapon Switch
Swapping to & from Pistols are now faster in Multiplayer.
Sound Loops
Optimized sound bank to improve weapon firing and helicopter sound clips that loop over and over.
Pings
Servers now update their pings more often so that players have a more accurate value of server performance.
Team Leader Respawn Modification
Spawn Shield is shorter when respawning with the Leader.
XP Modifiers
When there are more people on a team than the other, there is an overall XP modifier applied to all XP gained during the game.
Outfitting
By pressing the start button, players now have access to the outfitting menu in observer mode.
Team Deathmatch Respawn Modification
Respawning in Team Deathmatch now work like regular Deathmatch (random points throughout the map) which intensifies gameplay and minimizes spawn camping/trapping.
Faster Respawns
Faster respawns for Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. You no longer have to wait a full 10 seconds!
Custom Search
Players who enter a room using custom search then exit will be brought back to an automatic search with the same criteria.Â
 
It seems one of Capcom’s artists lifted an IGN-watermarked art for the game box cover. Capcom will be making amends to anyone who would like a replacement. Capcom will be sending out new slipcovers on request with one of three different designs. The other two are pictured here.
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During the last GDC our producer, Achim Voermanek, was able to attend this presentation on Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune by Richard Lamarchand.
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“The GDC Conference took over San Francisco again on Feb 18-22, and a bunch of the Dogs were there to give presentations on the methods and techniques they honed during the creation of Naughty Dog games like Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. For those of you who couldn’t make the conference, or are just curious about the state of the art in game development, below are the presentation materials for download.”
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For those of you who weren’t able to attend GDC, this is an opportunity for you see the presentation notes as well as slides, and the other presentations are available as well.Â
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Here’s the link to Naughty Dog and the Press & Events site:
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Amazing Feats of Daring - A Post-mortem for Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
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Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness and its counterpart Explorers arrive this week for the most anticipated Nintendo DS release. The PS3 and Xbox 360 get street basketball sequel NBA Ballers: Chosen One.
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Next week is the big week for new releases for Mario Kart Wii and the multiplatform debut of Grand Theft Auto IV.Â
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Nintendo Wii:
- Battle of the Bands
- Target: Terror
- Wild Earth: African Safari
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Xbox 360:
- NBA Ballers: Chosen One
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PlayStation 3:
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Game of the Year Edition)
- NBA Ballers: Chosen One
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PlayStation Portable:
- Chameleon
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Nintendo DS:
- Dream Pinball 3D
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
- River King: Mystic Valley
- The World Ends With You
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The Homecoming of Silent Hill
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Konami’s first Silent Hill® title for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION®3
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced the official title of its first Silent Hill game for PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360. Entitled Silent Hill: Homecoming, the game will be released end of September this year across Europe.
The sixth installment in the classic video games series, Silent Hill: Homecoming introduces another protagonist to the mythos. The story follows Alex Shepherd, returning to his hometown of Shepherd’s Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his brother. From Shepherd’s Glen to Silent Hill, Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother. Struggling with his own grip on reality, Alex must unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, discover the truth behind his brother’s disappearance, and confront the evil lurks in the seemingly empty streets of Silent Hill.
Homecoming is the first Silent Hill title for the new wave of ‘next generation’ consoles, featuring all-new graphics that bring the fear and terror of Silent Hill alive like never before. Alex must survive attacks from the misshapen denizens of the town using an all-new enhanced combat system that provides a wide array of attacks and counters. Along the way, Alex will encounter a variety of weapons to battle these horrific monsters and must also solve deadly puzzles as he uncovers the darkest secrets of Silent Hill.
Silent Hill: Homecoming also features an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka.
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According to the LA Times, Sony is preparing to launch an online video service via its game console PlayStation 3 as early as this summer.
Sony is reported to be in negotiations with movie studios to start a film download service through the PlayStation Network.
Microsoft already has deals with Paramount and Warner Bros. to offer titles from those studios to Xbox 360 via internet on a rental basis.
Via: GamesIndustry.biz, LA Times
It’s a new Podcast today, and hot off the press is a new Ganked strip from our good friends, Ivan Gallegos and Eric Carter. Enjoy!
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According to NPD sales data for the month of March, Xbox 360 pulls ahead of the PlayStation 3 after a few months of the PS3 having the lead. Nintendo continues to dominate with the Wii and DS hardware.
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March 2008 Hardware Sales
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  * Nintendo Wii — 721,000
  * Nintendo DS — 698,000
  * PlayStation Portable — 297,000
  * Xbox 360 — 262,000
  * PlayStation 3 — 257,000
  * PlayStation 2 — 216,000
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Super Smash Bros. Brawl replaces Call of Duty 4 as the number one selling game, after having the lead for four months. Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 makes an impressive debut at number two, as well as Army of Two right behind at number three. God of War: Chains of Olympus and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core land in the middle of the top ten.
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March 2008 Software Sales
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1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) — 2,700,000
2. Rainbow Six Vegas (360) — 752,300
3. Army of Two (360) — 606,100
4. Wii Play/w Remote (Wii) — 409,800
5. God Of War: Chains Of Olympus (PSP) — 340,500
6. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) — 301,600
7. Guitar Hero III (Wii) — 264,100
8. Major League Baseball 2K8 (360) — 237,100
9. Call Of Duty 4 (360) — 237,000
10. Army Of Two (PS3) — 224,900Â
NINTENDO NEWS: WII FIT TO KEEP AMERICANS MOVING AT $89.99 MSRP
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April 15, 2008
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In anticipation of the U.S. launch of Wii Fitâ„¢, the new interactive fitness game for the popular Wiiâ„¢ system, Nintendo of America Inc. has announced pricing details for this groundbreaking release. Available at Nintendo World store starting on May 19, Wii Fit and the innovative Wii Balance Boardâ„¢ accessory will be bundled and sold together at a suggested retail price of $89.99.
 
Boasting a dynamic mix of more than 40 yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance activities, Wii Fit provides consumers with a fun, easy and affordable way to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. Using the included wireless Wii Balance Board accessory, every member of the household can step up and stay active, setting individual fitness goals and tracking their progress over time.
 
Consumers in the New York area who pre-order Wii Fit from the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza will receive a special bonus item. From April 18-20, the first 1,000 consumers who place a $5 deposit for Wii Fit will receive a limited edition Wii Fit T-shirt featuring the image and reproduced autograph of legendary Nintendo video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.
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Through mid-February, Wii Fit had sold more than 1.4 million copies in Japan since its Dec. 1, 2007 launch. For more information about Wii Fit, please visit www.WiiFit.com.
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Nintendo Announces Surprise Addition to Wii Lineup
REDMOND, Wash., April 10, 2008 - The ongoing excitement over Nintendo’s groundbreaking Wiiâ„¢ system gets a surprise springtime boost with the announcement of a new game. Kicking off its semiannual media summit in San Francisco near the company’s new sales and marketing offices in Redwood City, Calif., Nintendo of America today revealed plans for Mario Super Sluggersâ„¢ for Wii, giving baseball fans even more reason to root this season.
“Mario is truly a one-of-a-kind character; clearly fans can’t get enough of him and his friends,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We’re giving Wii users brilliant new ways to enjoy him while expanding our series of active-play games.”Â
In the same spirit as other sports-themed Marioâ„¢ games on Wii like Mario Strikers® Charged and Mario Kart® Wii, Mario Super Sluggers blends richly interactive baseball action with eccentric characters and elements from across the popular Mario universe. Players can swing the wireless Wii Remoteâ„¢ just like a real bat or wave it toward the plate to deliver a masterful pitch, enjoying the same intuitive, easy-to-learn controls that helped make Wii Sportsâ„¢ a living room hit. With Mario and his unpredictable pals filling out the roster, imagination and active-play innovation are sure to dominate the diamond in this lively title, scheduled for release later this year.Â
With every new Podcast, comes hot off the press, a new Ganked strip from our good friends, Ivan Gallegos and Eric Carter.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition SKU
Konami said today that the MGS4 Limited Edition would cost $84.99, and only be available at game retailer GameStop. The special edition includes the game, collectible packaging, artwork by Kojima Productions illustrator Yoji Shinkawa an additional Blu-Ray disc featuring “making of” documentaries, and Metal Gear Import Soundtrack CD.
The standard edition retails for $59.99.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots arrives in North America on June 12 for PlayStation 3.
Details and bonus offers can be found at GameStop.
Hosts Maria and Greg dig deeper into “Assassin’s Creed” and Maria dusts up her old DS to play “Brain Age”.
Sony announced that in addition to updating the interface of its PlayStation Store, this version will add DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio features for Blu-Ray movies.
Sony states, “the system software update will also add DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos, which means the high-definition visuals of Blu-ray will now be matched with the highest quality audio for the ultimate movie-watching experience on PS3.”
Firmware Details and Store Walkthrough are available at Playstation.Blog.
This week has only a few releases forthcoming.
Baroque - Nintendo Wii
MiniCopter: Adventure Flight - Nintendo Wii
Assassin’s Creed - PC
Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 2 - PS2
Slight changes to remote play and PS1 games on PSP
Sony has announced on the PlayStation.Blog that yet another PSP firmware update will be coming soon, bringing it up from version 3.93 to 3.95.
This latest update adds only a few minor fixes to playing PS1 games on the PSP and the remote feature for PlayStation 3 games.
New Tom Clancy Intellectual Property Poised to Become the New Air Combat Benchmark
“Tom Clancy’s HAWX marks the next evolution of warfare set in the Tom Clancy video game universe,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “We are thrilled to take to the skies and provide a new environment along with an extension of a familiar storyline from Ubisoft’s successful Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2®.”
Read the Press Release.
 
LucasArts Announces Release Date for Breakthrough New Star Wars® Game, and Teams with Spike TV to Unveil New Details
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - April 3, 2008 — LucasArts today announced that its highly anticipated videogame Star Wars®: The Force Unleashedâ„¢ will be released on September 16, 2008 in the United States, September 17 in Southeast Asia and Australia, and September 19 in Europe.
You can read more here at the press release on LucasArts.
 
Rumble is back with the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for PLAYSTATION 3. These are shipping to store shelves as we speak, so be on the lookout for them next week. Now I know that the list of compatible games is the most important thing to you, so we’re including that at the bottom of this post. The titles with an asterisk in the list below will require a patch in order to activate the rumble feature. The patch will automatically download to your PS3 if your console is connected online. If you are not connected online, check our PlayStation Knowledge Center for more information.
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Here’s the complete list of titles supporting the DUALSHOCK 3 at launch:
â—¦ SCEA - Formula One Championship Edition* (PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - MotorStorm* (PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - PAIN (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - High Velocity Bowling (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - MLB 08: The Show (PS3)
◦ SCEA - Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - Resistance: Fall of Man* (PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - Go! Sports Ski* (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - Folklore* (PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - Heavenly Sword* (PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - Warhawk* (PSN / PS3)
â—¦ SCEA - Super Stardust HD* (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - Snakeball (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - Toy Home (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - PSOne Emulation (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - Piyotama (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - PixelJunk Monsters (PSN)
â—¦ SCEA - Blast Factor* (PSN)
â—¦ Sega - Condemned 2: Bloodshot (PS3)
â—¦ Ubisoft - Lost: Via Domus (PS3)
◦ Ubisoft - Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2* (PS3)
â—¦ EA - Burnout Paradise (PS3)
â—¦ KOEI - Dynasty Warriors 6 (PS3)
â—¦ Capcom - Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
â—¦ Atari - Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (PS3)
â—¦ Disney Interactive - Turok (PS3)Â
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With every new Podcast, we like to feature Ivan Gallegos’ comic strip, Ganked!
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See more of Ivan’s work here.
