After a record-breaking sale of 48 million global consoles last year, Nintendo has been encountering problems to satisfy demand recently. In fact, it is only now that they are able to satisfy the demand, a factor that may have become critical for its underachieving status since a lot of buyers cannot find the game console in certain areas.
According to an interview with Gamasutra, GameStop has said they finally have enough Nintendo Wii supply to keep up with demand.
GameStop Senior Vice President of Merchandising Bob McKenzie added: “Three years later, we finally have enough inventory on the shelf, and we’ve got a couple of weeks in supply.”
McKenzie also says he is fully confident gamers can walk in and purchase the console without any lines, in any retail location. The company is the largest gaming retailer in the biggest market, the US.
(Source) AfterDawn
If you are familiar with Rock Band and Guitar Hero, chances are you will love this new game from Pretzel Time. Pretzelmaker / Pretzel Time announced today that the company has launched a new online video game and sweepstakes in support of “Combo*Nation”, the brand’s current combo-meal promotion.
The “Pretzelmaker Rocks” video game offers all individuals who register a chance to win instantly and also enters registrants for the grand prize drawing. The game and sweepstakes can be found at www.pretzelmaker.com and will run through April 28, 2009. Pretzelmaker / Pretzel Time is managed by NexCen Franchise Management, Inc., a subsidiary of NexCen Brands, Inc.
Pretzelmaker Rocks is a game of musical rhythm and timing that challenges gamers to navigate through two levels of play. At the start, players are given the option to customize their rock star by selecting a male or female character and a rock star hairdo. Gamers then use the arrow-keys on their computer keyboards to sync to a patterned delivery of digital pretzels from an oven in the game’s background–points are earned each time the player hits the correct pretzel.
All registered players will have an opportunity to scratch-and-win a $10 gift certificate booklet redeemable at any Pretzelmaker or Pretzel Time store. Registrants will also be automatically entered to win a 42″ flat screen television, a Nintendo Wii(R) and Rock Band(R) 2 video game. Gamers can play up to five times a day through April 28, 2009. After the sweepstakes, the game will be open to ongoing play.
(Source) Press
With the announcement that Trivial Pursuit has been released and catered to all gaming consoles popularly known today, it looks like EA will be making life entirely easier for gamers all over the world. Apparently one thing that gamers hate is specifics on which console would get first crack on certain games and it looks like EA has taken that issue out of the picture.
The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts , Inc. announced the release of a digital version of Trivial Pursuit on multiple digital platforms including the Xbox 360, PlayStation2, Playstation3, and the Nintendo Wii. The Trivial Pursuit video game builds on the original gameplay by adding categories, questions and modes of play.
The Trivial Pursuit video game features three ways to play: Classic, which mimics traditional board game play; Clear the Board, a single-player experience that challenges players to race against the clock to earn multipliers for the highest possible score; and Facts & Friends, a multiplayer mode of play where scoring is based on team responses and guessing the opposing team’s ability to answer their trivia question correctly.
The game’s profile feature allows a player to track and analyze performance statistics, such as the number of games won, a player’s best category, and the percentage of questions answered correctly in each category. This feature also compares a player’s strengths and weaknesses versus those of the opponents.
(Source) Trading Markets
Last year saw the release of a whole bevvy of highly anticipated titles including Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Gears of War 2, GTA IV and many others. With the incredible sales of the Nintendo Wii it’s no surprise that the best-selling game of the year was one for Nintendo’s slim, white console. Many would guess that Wii Fit is the top seller, given that the accessory has been difficult to find since its launch, and with 8.31 million units sold it’s got the number two spot.
Number one was held by what is undoubtedly one of the most successful franchises in Nintendo’s stable: Mario Kart Wii. The racing game sold 8.94 million units in the major three territories: five million in the USA, two million in Japan and 1.94 in the UK. Not only does this show that Mario and company are still a powerhouse for moving games, it shows just how big a market the UK has become, with enough consoles for the vast majority of households there.
