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Microsoft: Wii Is Still Just Fad

Apparently analysts’ opinions and research aren’t enough to keep Microsoft down. During an interview Microsoft’s director of product management, Aaron Greenberg, used the topic of appealing to casual gamers as an opportunity to state that the Wii is still just a toy, and that the novelty will wear off eventually.

Everyone says that eventually the novelty will wear off, right? I think that a lot of the people that are buying that console today are not people that have generally bought consoles in the past, right?

You see they’re not buying games on it, right? They’re buying it, it’s like something they break out when people come over, and it’s maybe a fun thing, but it’s almost like the same people that buy a karaoke machine, you know? They’re not really buying it for games, they’re just buying it as a novelty.

One thing he fails to mention is the viral effect that “breaking” the Wii out in company has. Regardless of the tie-in ratio, the Wii is still selling completely out, although it is, admittedly, a lot easier to find one now. Now, one could assume from that statement that Mr.Greenberg doesn’t think that the Wii should be taken too seriously, right? That’s odd, because early in the interview he was actually speculating that the Xbox 360 “complements” the Wii.

I think for us, we don’t really see the Wii as a direct competitor, we actually very much complement the Wii experience. It’s obviously clear that we’re going head-to-head with the PS3 in this generation. I think what Xbox will be able to do as well as the Wii is grow the market.

I’m pretty sure Nintendo doesn’t see Microsoft as competition either. To be fair, Aaron Greenberg doesn’t actively go out of his way to bash the Wii. All the same, when it comes down to it, this is still him, on behalf of Microsoft, try to brush off the fact that the Wii is outselling the Xbox 360, despite being released significantly later.

RHCP, Rush Rock Rock Band

Even with all the buzz behind the sequel, Harmonix is still pumping out content for the original Rock Band, announcing next week’s additions to be two tracks from Red Hot Chilli Peppers and two from Rush.

“Snow (Hey Oh)” and “Tell Me Baby” by RHCP will be released alongside “Closer to the Heart” and “Working Man” by Rush. A cover of “Working Man” was previously released as DLC in January.

“This version, however, is an alternate-take master from the same session [Rush] recorded the hit with an alternate solo,” Harmonix explained on the game’s forum. “It has never been released.”

The songs are priced at 160 Microsoft points ($2) each. It will be available on Xbox Live starting July 8, followed by a PlayStation Network release two days later.

Free Multiplayer Halo 3 Map, Legendary Price Cut

Bungie announced on its site that a new multiplayer map for Halo 3 will be released as a free download on July 7. It is a remake of the original Halo’s Chill Out map redubbed as Cold Storage.

Additionally, the studio disclosed that the price of the recently released Legendary Map Pack for the game will be permanently lowered from 800 Microsoft points to 600 Microsoft points beginning the same day.

Viva Pinata Sequel Gets Dated

Proving that there is a market for everything, the original Viva Pinata saw success that guaranteed the sequel. Microsoft has announced that the garden-tending, Pinata-breeding sequel Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise will be released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in North America on September 2, with a European release three days later.

The sequel follows the original’s formula, offering improvements and more environments and piñatas and the debut of cooperative multiplayer.

Prizefighter Dev May Shut Down

Kotaku reports that UK-based Venom Games may face layoffs or outright closure following an evaluation by parent company Take-Two Interactive.

“We are assessing the role of Venom Games in Take-Two’s overall global studio system and are in a consultation with the employees of Venom in relation to possible redundancies at the studio,” Take-Two revealed in a statement. “No final decision will be made until after the consultation with employees.”

The studio is known for its work on the Xbox 360 version of Prey and the recently released boxing simulation Don King Presents: Prizefighter.

No reason was provided for the assessment of the studio, though guesswork suggests the negative critical reception of Prizefighter to be the cause.

Four Studios Working on PS3 BioShock

I can’t quite understand why they’d need four studios to do one’s job, but they are doing it… 2K Games has revealed that the PS3 port of BioShock is being worked on by 2K Boston, 2K Australia, 2K Marin and Digital Extremes.

2K Marin is composed of several ex-BioShock staffers and have been handed the responsibility for the sequel; Digital Extremes is known for its work on Dark Sector and Unreal Tournament 2004.

The exact role of each studio is not clear, though 2K noted that Digital Extremes is helping optimizing the game for the PS3.

BioShock, released last year on PC and Xbox 360, is expected to hit PS3 this October with unspecified new features and content.

Some Rock Band 2 Songs Listed

Following on from the previous report, a list of some of the songs from Rock Band 2 have been posted by Kotaku, who thankfully archived some of the information from the deleted forum post which was host to this following list:

• “One Step Closer” - Linkin Park
• “Peace Sells” - Megadeth
• “Testify” - Rage Against the Machine
• “American Woman” - The Guess Who or Lenny Kravitz
• “White Wedding” - Billy Idol
• “You Oughta Know” - Alanis Morisette
• “Aqualung” - Jethro Tull
• “Bad Reputation” - Thin Lizzy or Joan Jett
• “We Got the Beat” - The Go-Go’s
• “Man in the Box” - Alice in Chains
• “Spoonman” - Soundgarden
• “Drain You” – Nirvana

Harmonix is yet to announce any of the game’s tracks, or any other details for that matter. The game is due out this Fall on Xbox 360, with a PS3 release set for later in the year. It will be compatible with all DLC released so far for the original.

Soul Calibur’s XBLA Release Lacks Mission Mode

Contradicting their own assurances that the Xbox Live Arcade version of Soul Calibur would have “no major additions or subtractions” over the Dreamcast edition, Namco’s port lacks the original’s substantial Mission Mode.

Mission Mode contained the bulk of the game’s single-player option, having players go through objective-based fights, among other things. It also served as a means of unlocking bonus content which is now immediately available at the game’s outset.

All of the other modes are present. The game was released earlier this week on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft points.

WoW Lich King Beta Signups Open

This has been one hell of a month for Blizzard, as the studio announced Diablo 3 just last week and hosted the Worldwide Invitational event. The studio is in the spotlight this week, too, as it has begun allowing World of Warcraft subscribers the chance to register for the beta of the upcoming expansion pack – Wrath of the Lich King.

The European and North American account pages for subscribers now features an “opt in for a chance to participate” link. No need to rush though, as the selection of participants will be completely random.

As reported earlier, the expansion will introduce new areas, spells and whatnot, but will most importantly offer the Death Knight, which players will be able to create once their characters reach level 55. The expansion currently doesn’t have any release date, but is expected by the end of the year.

Raven Squad Announced

SouthPeak Games has announced Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger, a “unique [blend] of real-time strategy and first-person shooter genres.”

In development for PC and Xbox 360, the game is set in the near future, putting players in control of eight mercenaries each with “distinctive skills and weaponry,” with players being able to switch between RTS and FPS gameplay at will.

The game is being developed by Hungarian studio Atomic Motion and will be published by Evolved Games. It is due out this Fall.

Day of Defeat Update Released

An update for Day of Defeat: Source has been released, offering a new map, achievements and more for the WWII multiplayer shooter. To celebrate the release, Valve is holding a free weekend for all Steam users, so if you’re reading this right now, you’re missing out on some serious multiplayer fun.

The update brings a set of 51 achievements to the game via the company’s Steamworks development suite. It also introduces the nemesis and revenge freeze cams as seen in Team Fortress 2. Additionally, detailed player statistics are now reflected in Steam’s community features, breaking down kills and other information in a team and class-based format. The update also includes the new map Palermo, a new remixed version of the popular community-created map.

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2008: Best Gaming Year Ever?

Last year was touted as the best year for gaming. There was an unusually high amount highly anticipated games such as Halo 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Bioshock, just to name a few. The idea was that after Halo 3, the would be a steady flow of triple-A titles that would keep gamers occupied for the rest of the year, and then some. So what happened? The article will examine several reasons why 2007 didn’t quite live up to the hype and why 2008 will take the title as best year ever for gaming.

Read on »

Guitar Hero DS Sets Sales Records

Proving the strength of the Guitar Hero brand, Vicarious Vision’s DS entry has set new sales records for publisher Activision. In the week following its June 22 release, the game sold over 300,000 units in North America, with Activision claiming that it is the largest DS software launch in the region “by more than a factor of eight.”

Guitar Hero: On Tour is a portable version of the popular rhythm game, offering gamers the chance to make a fool of themselves in the subway and other such public places with like-minded fools.

PS3 Catching Up to Wii in Japan

The wide-open chasm between the sales of the Wii and the PS3 has lessened a lot if the latest numbers are any indication. While the Wii outsold the PS3 in Japan last month, its lead has faltered, only outselling its rival console by 1.7 to 1, a far cry from the 6 to 1 lead the Wii had in May.

The launch of Metal Gear Solid 4 may have something to do with this however. Nintendo sold over 235,000 units of the Wii, with sales of the PS3 coming in at around 140,000. Always at the distant end of the line, Xbox 360 came in with sales of about 11,000 units. Interestingly, Sony owns the handheld sales, with PSP selling 274,000 units, surpassing Nintendo, who sold 195,000 DS units.

Rock Band 2 to Have 80 Master Tracks, No Music Creation

Having only announced the game, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos revealed in an AP interview that Rock Band 2 will feature over 80 master tracks, including more female-fronted bands. He noted that the playlist will be released at E3.

Additionally, the CEO noted that the game will not feature any sort of music creation unlike Guitar Hero World Tour. Instead, music creation will be featured in a future title.

“We really felt like we wanted to do it right,” he said. “We’re taking a radically different approach to that problem. It’s something we wanted to take more time to do it right. It’s actually something we’re not focused on in ‘Rock Band 2.’ We’re really focused on other areas related to the music and bringing the community together.”

Rigopulos also talks about peripherals, stating that they will be much better than the ones introduced with the original.

Rock Band 2 is due out this Fall on the Xbox 360 first, with a PS3 release coming later in the year.

inFamous Details in Game Informer

The magazine saga continues at PlayStation headquarters, as PlayStation Blog carries word that the July issue of Game Informer offers a 10-page cover story on infamous, an upcoming open-world superhero action game exclusive to the PS3.

According to the post, the article offers a firsthand account of the title’s gameplay, an introduction to the player-driven storyline and more details on the game. The site notes that more information will be revealed come E3 later this month.

American McGee’s Grimm Free for First 24 Hours

Free stuff can be hard to come by, and quality free stuff is extremely rare. Hoping to make a splash, GameTap has announced its plans of releasing American McGee’s Grimm for free during its first 24 hours of availability after which users will be charged to download. This will apply to each episode of the game, which will be supported by “minimal up-front advertising.” The price for episodes is yet to be determined.

Famous for twisting the world of Alice, American McGee is focusing on Western fairytales, giving them a similar dark edge. “A Boy Learns What Fear is,” the first episode, is set to launch on July 31.

Resistance 2 Details in GamePro

Resistance 2 will undoubtedly be one of Sony’s flagship titles at this year’s E3, as well as the Holiday season, and those itching to know more about the title won’t have to wait too long. You can go out and pick up the August issue of GamePro magazine which will feature a 10-page cover story on the game and divulge first details on one of its bosses who they lovingly refer to as Leviathan.

The story will talk in detail about the 8-player online co-op and competitive multiplayer. It will also feature some exclusive artwork from the project’s artists. The issue is hitting subscribers now and will go on newsstands early next week.