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First Two Days Dragon Quest IX Sales Tally Is In
On July 11, the eagerly awaited Dragon Quest IX went on sale in Japan. According to Famitsu publisher Enterbrain, the game racked up 2.34 million in sales. PS2 title Dragon Quest VIII sold 2.23 million in its first week. Think about it. 『ドラクエIX』発売2日間で、販売本数234万3440本−−エンターブレイン調べ [Famitsu] [Pic]
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
Report: Games Making More Money Than Consumer Electronics In Japan
For the past 40-50 years, Japanese prosperity has been linked with the success of the nation’s world-beating consumer electronics companies. Sony, Panasonic, Fujitsu, etc. Recent figures released by analysts Eurotechnology show, however, that as those former giants of the Japanese economy take hit after hit in the current global economic crisis, the country’s games business…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Last beatmania Game On PlayStation 2 Is…
Arcade music title beatmania IIDX 16 EMPRESS is getting a PS2 port. It’s the last beatmania coming to the PlayStation 2. To mark the occasion, Konami is releasing the game with a “PREMIUM BEST DISC” set that continues new songs and tracks especially for the home version. There’s a total of 180 tunes as well…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
Switch DS Games Without Switching Consoles
Here’s a nice compromise between the legality of using only legitimate DS cartridges and the (albeit less legal) convenience of having multiple games on the one cart: a device that lets you switch between legitimate cartridges. This is the Blaze 3-in-1 Game Selector, and while it looks a little clunky, it makes up in handiness…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
Pirate Girl (And Pantsu) in Tales of Vesperia Demo
Later this year, Namco Bandai is bringing former Xbox 360 exclusive Tales of Vesperia to the PS3. The Sony console version features a slew of new features and a new pirate girl character. Today, Namco Bandai released a ToV PS3 demo. Pirate girl Patty Fruel is a playable character in the demo. Swing by the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
Resistance Fan Gets Crafty, Builds Resistance Rifle
While Sony showed a little love to Killzone fans by manufacturing some replica Helghast rifles, there’s been no such courtesy extended towards fans of the PS3’s other sci-fi shooter, Resistance. So fans have to pick up the slack. Hyokenseisou, who makes a tidy living on the side producing cosplay costumes and accessories, has built this…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
This iDOLM@STER Character Is A Trap
Namco Bandai’s idol sim THE iDOLM@STER series lets players manage a group of young, female pop stars. Well, not all of them are female, it seems. In DS title THE iDOLM@STER DearlyStars, 15 year-old Ryo Akizuki reveals that she is a he. A clip of the game has popped up online, and Ryo is worried…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
God Of War Movie Sticks To Game Plot Like Loincloth To Kratos
A writer over at CC2K claims to have gotten hold of a script for the long-in-pre-production God of War movie. Having read that script, he proceeds to tell us all about it. While a movie project can go through scores of screenplays, and none of what he reveals will be too big a shock to…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
India’s Got Mario Talent
A group of talented folks do their version of Super Mario Bros. for television program India’s Got Talent. I don’t remember Bowser wielding a laser gun, or Tag-Team Luigi harnessing the power of the moon. Mario recreation on India’s Got Talent [Boing Boing]
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
These Amazon Japan Customers Do Not Like DQIX
Did you hear? Dragon Quest IX is out in Japan. And if the Amazon Japan reviews are anything to go by, the people have spoken and the people are upset. These are Amazon reviews, so please, take them just as that: Amazon reviews. At the time of writing, the game has 503 reviews, averaging 2.5…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2009 - Uncategorized
Drive Time
To: Crecente From: Owen Re: Kansas City Since you and I both just finished up epic drives across our great nation, I figured I’d address this to you. I’m curious, however, if your journey with your family was anything like mine: Did you guys: • See any “game crossing” signs on the highway, particularly in…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Week in Games: For a Hero, You are Quite Cheeky
That is apparently the Japanese name (translated) of the cult hit making its North American debut this week as “Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This?” on PSN for PSP. It goes up against NCAA Football 10, which finally delivers create-a-school and other previous-gen features to the next-gen package. It’s…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Mario Marathon Fundraiser Blows Past 2008 Totals
Game marathons became something of a fad last year, but the original’s still the best. Year two of the Super Mario Marathon, which raised more than $10,000 in 2008, is already past $16,000. Update/Clarification: My remarks above failed to consider Desert Bus for Hope, which is both a year older than the Mario Marathon, is…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Five Million Die in First Day of Battlefield 1943
The fourth Coral Sea map for Battlefield 1943 will unlock after 43 million kills are achieved. After just one day of fighting, the community was more than 10 percent of the way there. That’s one of the fun facts Gordon Van Dyke of DICE dropped in a a forum post updating Battlefield’s response to overwhelming…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Texas Library Geeks Out with Consoles, Cosplay
I’m 35, and “teen summer reading program” sounds only slightly more fun than “adopt a highway,” so, good luck firing up kids for that, right? Well, add cosplay and games and suddenly you’re talking. The 40-plus strong of San Antonio’s Alamo Cosplay Troop are a regular act at the city’s Forest Hills library, which buttresses…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
EA Opens ‘Micro-Studio,’ Teases First Offering
New EA dev shop 8lb Gorilla – because it’s a fun-size version of the 800-pound simian now bankrolling it – is up, running and looking to deliver a new iPhone/iPod Touch title every month. According to TouchArcade, the mission of the ‘micro-studio’ is a departure from Electronic Arts‘ previous mobile M.O. – which offered mobile…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Confused About Commenting? Consult This Chart
Late to the party on the latest development? Weekend friends B-Miggs and Agent B have broken down the orthodoxy of each console’s partisans and their most common reactions to the most common industry news. Predictably, most of the reactions have less to do with one’s favored console, and more to do with another. Lovely how…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Online Gaming Up 22 Percent as Console Revenue Down 23 Percent
ComScore’s data by itself suggests that gamers are seeking cheap, if not free, online games in greater numbers. Compared to other metrics, does it mean movement away from consoles? VentureBeat reports the figures, which show online gaming posting a 22 percent year-over-year boost in players from May 2008 to May 2009. Coincidentally, the number fits…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Not Everyone Thrilled by Ubisoft Toronto Deal
News of a $260 million incentive package to bring a new Ubisoft studio – and 800 jobs – to Toronto has not received universal applause. One columnist depicts studios as faithless corporate welfare recipients. Writing for Toronto’s Globe & Mail on Saturday, Marcus Gee rips Ontario’s government as trying to be more hip than responsible,…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009 -
UncategorizedThe Most Bizarre 5 Minutes You’ll Spend This Morning
This video is a documentary intro, and even though 1) the creators are German, 2) they show Mario peeing and 3) everyone has sex at the end, it still doesn’t explain what’s going on. You’re just gonna have to see this for yourself – but it’s more than 5 minutes long, and doesn’t start getting…
By Owen Good Published July 12, 2009