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PAL PlayStation Store Update: Premature Encapsulation

Sony Computer Entertainment are trying something new this week, announcing the latest PlayStation Store update a day before it’s out. Risky business! Let’s check back on Saturday, see how they went. Taking pride of place is Fat Princess, which mercifully arrives in PAL territories the same time it does in the US. Don’t think I…

How Did Nintendo Software Do? (Total Sales Are Down)

Like hardware, Nintendo’s total software sales were down during the April – June 2009 quarter. There were some flickers of life, but generally, sales are down, down, down. For the DS platform, total software sales reached 29.09 million during the quarter compared with 36.69 million during the same period last year. Down elsewhere in the…

How Did Nintendo Hardware Do? (Total Sales Are Down)

Nintendo’s DS sales took a slight dip during the last quarter, down from 6.94 million total units sold year-on-year to 5.97 units this past April – June 2009 quarter. Sales were up slightly in Japan, but down elsewhere. DSi sales did help energize the platform, and the Nintendo DS reached a new life-to-date total of…

Nintendo Sales Down 40 Percent

Kyoto-based Nintendo Co., Ltd. released its financial statement from its April – June 2009 earnings. Net sales were down compared to the same time last year — down by 40 percent, that is. Obviously, Nintendo experienced phenomenal sales during the same period last year and faced a much more optimistic global economy. According to Nintendo,…

PS3, PS2, PSP Software Sales Down

Across the board, Sony posted lower software sales on all three of its platforms: PS3, PSP and the PS2. The PS3 software sales were the highest at 14.8 million during the April – June 2009 quarter, but that’s down from 18.9 from the previous quarter and down from 40.8 million from the quarter before that.…

Sony Game Business Sales Down 18 Percent

Electronics giant Sony has released its April – June 2009 quarter financial earnings. Like most corporations operating in this sluggish global economy, Sony’s sales are down. According to a report issued by the company, “Game business sales and operating revenue declined 18.0 percent year on year, to ¥1,053.1 billion.” One of the main causes of…

PS3, PSP Sales Down, PS2 Sales Up (?!)

You know it, we know it: times are tough. And Sony, Sony definitely know it, with the company’s freshly-released quarterly report highlighting declining sales for both the PS3 and PSP. But good news first! In the first quarter of the 2008 fiscal year, Sony sold 1.5 million PlayStation 2 consoles worldwide. In Q1 2009? That…

Final Fantasy Anecdote Dated for Japan

DS title The Four Warriors of Light: A Final Fantasy Anecdote is a traditional turn-based roleplaying game for the Nintendo DS that tells the story of a boy trying to save a princess. It’s coming out in Japan! The game is dated for October 29 and is priced for ¥5,980 (US$63). Check out game play…

Red Faction Guerrilla: 1 Million Served

More reasons for THQ to count their cash and keep on smiling: open-world hammer sim Red Faction Guerrilla has sold over a million copies since it launched early last month. And good for it! While the game has its problems with AI and endless spawning, the physics engine and emphasis on demolitions have made it…

With Mr. T, This Could Have Been The Next Big Thing

Pandemic Studios was working on a Wii game called The Next Big Thing. It’s been canned, but here’s a trailer of what could’ve have been, well, the next big thing. Pandemic Studios Brisbane closed earlier this year. The embedded clip features the game’s working title, No Limits Racing. Pandemic’s Next Big Thing [Australian Gamer News…

Left 4 Dead Meets The Sims, Francis Looks…Different

It had to happen. Somebody – in this case Ben Borthwick – has recreated Left 4 Dead in The Sims 3. Complete with a household narrative. I’ll spare you the story (you can read up on that yourself if you’re interested), and instead just focus on what he’s done to the characters. Well, what The…

New Final Fantasy XIII Field Screens

A trio of gorgeous screens showing Final Fantasy XIII characters Lightning, Snow and Oerba in three very different FFXIII field settings. Beautiful stuff. Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the PS3 in Japan sometime this winter. スクエニ、PS3「FFXIII」情報総まとめ【後編】。バトルシステムや召喚獣、イベントシーンを公開 [Game Watch]

Sega: Fixing Sonic Is Going To Take Time

Once was a time Sonic games were just as good as Mario games. Some may even say better. That time, however, was back in the 1990’s. And it’s been a while since the 1990’s. Yet the blue hedgehog is still Sega’s most prominent mascot, and Sega keep on churning out Sonic games, even though they…

Hey Nintendo, Why Aren’t Core Third Party Games Selling?

Third party Wii titles like MadWorld and The Conduit are aimed towards core gamers. And…they’re not selling so hot. Why the heck not? Tons of people own Nintendo Wii consoles. According to Nintendo’s Denise Kaigler, “You know, I don’t know. It’s hard to say. It could be titles have the same type of sales curve…

Punch Sackboy, Right In His Goofy Little Face

The tables, they have been turned. Rather than having other characters appear in his game, Sackboy is making the leap into somebody else’s. The game in question is Rag Doll Kung-Fu, and he’ll be made available as a playable character as part of tomorrow’s PlayStation Store update, where he’ll join the game’s unlockable characters in…

PaRappa Creator Exploring Platform Options

The DS has been a juggernaut in Japan, racking up amazing sales. But nothing lasts forever, not even strong platform sales. PaRappa The Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura is looking for a new option for platform development. “I think many developers and publishers are just focusing on DS but everybody understands [DS’ significance in the market]…

Happy Birthday ESRB!

Happy Birthday ESRB! Fifteen years ago to the day, SEGA and Nintendo proposed the Entertainment Software Rating Board in the wake of the Mortal Kombat gore game controversy. As Wired points out, the original ratings were: • Early Childhood (eC): Suitable for ages 3 and over, usually educational in nature. • Kids to Adults (K-A):…

Yakuza 3 So Not Coming To America

I’ve played the demo for Yakuza 3. It’s pretty good! I loved the way it revels in the minutiae of Japanese culture, right down to the fully-stocked convenience stores. Sadly, the demo is as close as I’m going to get. Sega America’s Ray Almeda has told The Examiner that the game won’t be released in…

Dreamcast, NES Ported to Papercraft

Sure, they don’t work, but these cardboard consoles definitely start more conversations. Best part, you don’t even need tape or glue. Thicker paper is recommended, as is a nice printer that can handle 150dpi printouts. You don’t technically even need color, like these old-school pals. (There is a little bit of red, in the logos;…

Punch-Out!! Developer Envisions, Wants Sequel

Unsurprisingly, the developer of the critically acclaimed Wii re-imagining of Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! would like to make a sequel. Yes, Next Level Games enjoys steady work and continued paychecks apparently. But the proposed ideas for a sequel are what’s interesting. Next Level Games’ gameplay lead Bryce Holliday tells the Official Nitnendo Magazine UK that the developer…