The economy is still struggling, but that isn’t stopping the video game industry from pushing games out the door at a blistering pace. In addition to Sony’s new handheld video game system, the PSPgo , more than 40 different titles are being released this week. Clicking on any of the title names will give you a short description of the game. For more information on the PSPgo take a look at the PSPgo specs , learn about PSPminis , or head to the official PSPgo website . 09/28/09 Baseball Blast – Wii 09/29/09 Bass Pro Shops: The Strike – PC 09/29/09 Bass Pro Shops: The Strike – Wii 09/29/09 Bass Pro Shops: The Strike – Xbox 360 09/29/09 Battle of Giants – Dragons – DS 09/29/09 Beaterator – PSP 09/29/09 Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 – PS3 09/29/09 Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 – Wii 09/29/09 Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 – Xbox 360 09/29/09 Dead Space Extraction – Wii 09/29/09 Deca Sports 2 – Wii 09/29/09 Dream Dancer – DS 09/29/09 Family Feud – DS 09/29/09 Family Feud – PC 09/29/09 Family Feud – Wii 09/29/09 Family Fun Football – Wii 09/29/09 Hero’s Saga Laevatein Tactics – DS 09/29/09 Imagine Salon Stylist – DS 09/29/09 Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days – DS 09/29/09 MotorStorm Arctic Edge – PSP 09/29/09 MySims Agents – DS 09/29/09 MySims Agents – Wii 09/29/09 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 – PS3 09/29/09 Obscure: The Aftermath – PSP 09/29/09 Rapala: We Fish – Wii 09/29/09 Red War: Edem’s Curse – PC 09/29/09 Shimano Xtreme Fishing – Wii 09/29/09 Smart Kids: Mega Game Mix – DS 09/29/09 Sudoku Ball Detective – Wii 09/29/09 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up – PS2 09/29/09 The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road – DS 09/29/09 Undead Knights – PSP 09/30/09 Axel & Pixel – Xbox 360 10/01/09 7 Wonders II – DS 10/01/09 Gran Turismo – PSP 10/01/09 Hooked! Again: Real Motion Fishing – Wii 10/01/09 Medieval Games – Wii 10/01/09 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona – PSP 10/02/09 Risen – PC 10/02/09 Risen – Xbox 360 10/02/09 Shutter Island – PC Cheats for the above games will follow soon. Follow AboutGameCheats on Twitter for the latest cheats and codes. DM me with any suggestions, requests, or comments.
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The CEO of Activision – the largest third-party games software publisher in the world – has threatened that his company “might have to stop supporting Sony” unless the cost of the PlayStation 3 is soon reduced. “I’m getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation,” Activision CEO Bobby Kotick told The Times . “They have to cut the price, because if they don’t, the attach rates are likely to slow,” he added. “If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony. When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP too.” Dystopian future for PS3 So, in Kotick’s currently rather dystopian view of PlayStation’s future, unless Sony can reduce the cost of the hardware to the consumer and boost sales considerably over the next twelve months, there is a likelihood that PlayStation gamers will stop seeing annual refreshes of their favourite Activision gaming series such as Call of Duty , Guitar Hero , Tony Hawk and more in 2011 and beyond. Activision currently has a market value of $16 billion (£10 billion). Guitar Hero alone grossed more than $1 billion last year. “It was as big as Titanic [the film] with better margins,” boasts Kotick. Via The Times Related Stories In Depth: The evolution of gaming graphics Exclusive: Native iPhone 3G S gaming a long way off Wii bowling ball accessory breaks cover Steve Ballmer confirms Natal Xbox 360 for 2010 Alt-Delete: Hollywood does videogame comedy
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We’ve already heard plenty about Microsoft’s plans for the Natal project and the motion control it will bring to the Xbox, but could it actually turn out to be a new console in its own right? That’s the claim being made by the hardcore gamers at 1up.com , who say Natal will, in reality, be the new brand for the Xbox when it launches next year. Better hardware Writer Sam Kennedy cites a previous Microsoft comment about Natal’s debut being “as big as the launch of a console” and goes on to state: “Not surprising. That’s because Natal is going to be a new console.” Without naming sources, he speculates that the ‘Xbox Natal’ will include the new motion control as well as some minor hardware improvements to give developers more scope to create better games. He also says it will still play current Xbox 360 games. Still just talk Obviously, none of this is proven, but with all three major gaming players set to offer high-definition consoles with motion control, branding and the ability to stand out could become at least as important as the actual product. As for timing, 1up.com suggests the final incarnation of Natal could make its debut at the Game Developer’s Conference in March 2010. Related Stories Iwata: Nintendo decided against motion cameras Nintendo to launch an HD Wii? EA: Xbox 360 gaming maxed out but not PS3 Valve: PS3 is ‘too complicated’ Microsoft funding prizes for 1 vs 100
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You probably haven’t heard about it yet, but Nintendo quietly announced a new version of the DS handheld gamer this week specifically designed to be used in classrooms. The Nintendo DS Classroom features no new hardware, but instead consists of a package of several handhelds, a PC and newly developed educational software for the DS. Free DS for the kids Nintendo, which developed the package with Sharp, says it hopes to persuade schools to take the bundle and issue a DS to each student. Once students and teachers are connected through the DS Wi-Fi link they should be able to share study materials instantly, with students also filing some work and test answers on the handhelds. Cutting bureaucracy The supplied PC software will also make it simple for teachers to keep track of student progress and, theoretically, cut down on administrative paperwork. Nintendo aims to start selling the as-yet-unpriced DS Classroom tool from next February, initially in Japan, with overseas launches likely if the reception is positive. Related Stories New PSP Go revealed accidentally by Sony E3 2009: Sony confirms arrival of PSP Go Sony to open UMD swap shop for PSP GO owners PSP-3000 Lilac bundled with Hannah Montana Exclusive: Opera delighted with Nintendo relationship
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Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has insisted that his company ruled out motion sensing camera after trials suggested that the accelerometers the Wii uses were more effective. Nintendo’s hardware announcements at E3 were limited to a finger pulse-detector – which caused some bemusement at the exhibition – and further demonstration of the impressive Wii MotionPlus technology, which increases the sensitivity of the Wiimote and is arriving soon. Sony and Microsoft, on the other hand, showed prototypes of motion sensor tech that is not yet on the verge of being released; but Iwata told the Financial Times that using cameras to track movement was something Nintendo had experimented with but chosen not to implement. When and how much? Iwata also suggested that, until pricing and arrival dates are confirmed, it would be difficult to make a judgement on the likelihood of success. “Until they say when they’re releasing it, how much it costs and what software it comes with, we won’t know whether that is the route we should have taken. However?.?.?.?I think they couldn’t choose to release exactly the same thing,” said Mr Iwata. “Companies whose people said that motion-sensing wouldn’t work are now proposing motion sensors,” he added. Related Stories Nintendo to launch an HD Wii? EA: Xbox 360 gaming maxed out but not PS3 Valve: PS3 is ‘too complicated’ Microsoft funding prizes for 1 vs 100 Is Natal actually the next-generation Xbox?
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A service called Zune Video will be arriving on the Xbox 360 in key markets including the UK, with Microsoft confirming that it will pair two of its brands as it separately announced a new Zune media player for the US. Zune Video, a ‘revised’ service to the current US Zune Marketplace, will arrive in the UK on Xbox Live, as well as in the US, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Spain. In an interview with the Guardian , ahead of the official announcement later this week, Microsoft’s Chris Stephenson explained the thinking behind moving Zune to Xbox. “Xbox as a platform is broadening its audience, growing beyond games into living room entertainment,” said Stephenson. “That’s what’s driven the prioritisation of an enhanced Zune video service to Xbox…
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E3 is back early next month, with a return to the spectacle of old – with games publishers and hardware manufacturers putting serious amounts of marketing cash into a show set to feature big booths, garishly-attired ‘booth babes’ and loads of new videogames. The speculation as to what Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have up their respective sleeves has been raging online for months and it reaches fever pitch in the weeks running up to the event. And while PRs, journos and publishing execs start to plan what to pack for their trip to La La Land, the Entertainment Software Association – the organizers of the show – have just stoked up the excitement levels by publishing the show floor plans. Sony wins booth-battle The big news is that Sony wins the battle of the booths for E3 2009 – if that battle is based purely on the amount of floor space the company has booked up, that is! You can see all the floorplans over on the ESA’s website right here – which shows that Microsoft is the central attraction in the South Hall, while Sony and Nintendo dominate the cavernous West Hall. Stay tuned for all the E3 2009 fun and games from June 1. Related Stories New Carol Vorderman keep fit game on DS Sony halves its number of suppliers Exclusive pics of the Queen’s “Royal Wii” Turn your iPhone into an iGameboy Game of ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ announced
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The latest NPD sales data is in for US game hardware and software sales throughout the month of April 2009, with the recently launched Nintendo DSi ruling the retail roost. Over a million DS’s and DSi’s were sold in the US through April, while Nintendo was responsible for a phenomenal 56 per cent of all US hardware and software sales through the month. “Nintendo systems and software represented 56 per cent of the industry total shares in April, indicating continued strong consumer preference for quality and value,” said NoA marketing boss Cammie Dunaway. “Looking ahead, we are excited to introduce active-play games like Punch-Out!! and Wii Sports Resort into the market,” Dunaway added. Pre E3 booster The results could not have come at a better time for Nintendo, with many industry pundits and hardcore gamers alike wondering what the company has in store to reveal at E3 2009 in a matter of weeks. It will certainly be a disappointing E3 if Nintendo merely rehashes its recent successes with Wii Fit and reiterates its support to developers looking to implement Wii MotionPlus control into their new games. We can only hope that Mr Iwata and Mr Miyamoto have something clever up their sleeves to appease the hardcore… Elsewhere in NPD land, every other console’s sales were down on the same month in 2008. The Wii, for example, sold only 340,000 units in April 2009 compared to 714,200 in April 2008, though it is still at the top of the hardware chart by a considerable margin. “It is important to remember that last April, Wii hardware sales were fueled by two huge new titles: Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart . Taking that into account, Wii unit sales are still very strong,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier in a statement. “April would have been a great month to release a big new game because there weren’t a lot of high profile new releases. In fact, you can see that the top 10 list for the month includes many games we’ve seen on the list for months, if not years,” said Frazier. Aaah, the benefit of hindsight! Those games publishers must be kicking themselves… Related Stories New Carol Vorderman keep fit game on DS Sony halves its number of suppliers Exclusive pics of the Queen’s “Royal Wii” Turn your iPhone into an iGameboy Game of ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ announced
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The rumour mill is in overdrive as E3 approaches, but here’s one with a ring of plausibility – a cut-price PlayStation 3 redesigned to lose some flab. PlayStationLifestyle has heard the magic word ‘redesign’ and thinks this can mean only one thing: a smaller, lighter PS3 with a price-cut to boot. The omens for something interesting happening are certainly good. Sony boss Howard Stringer, interviewed in Japan last week, admitted that the cost of the PS3 has been “high” and talked about “evolving” the console into a platform for web services. Sony to ditch the discs? This could mean a cheap new PS3 with a mini Cell processor, downloading all its movies and games online. Or it could mean a new paint job and fifty quid off the RRP. Some motion-sensing hardware seems almost a given, following the success of the Wii and rumbles from Microsoft about a new body-sensing webcam accessory for the Xbox 360. One arrival that you can bet on is the PSP Go! , a handheld upgrade that ditches the dreadful UMD drive and adds a sliding display. All will be revealed at E3 on June 2. Via PlayStationLifestyle . Related Stories Facebook and PS3 near in-game tie-in In Depth: Wii 2 – everything you need to know Competition: WIN! An Xbox 360 and the new Chronicles of Riddick game EA launches PS3 Sports Complex Guest column: don’t fall for PS3 virus alerts
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Microsoft looks set to finally unveil its new three-dimensional motion-control sensing camera at E3 early next month, according to a report in the The Wall Street Journal . The report comes from unnamed sources – “people familiar with the matter” – with the Journal’s Nick Wingfield reports that Microsoft is “developing a new videocamera for the Xbox 360 console that will allow players to control games with the movement of their bodies…an effort to attract the casual players who have fueled Nintendo Co.’s recent success. “Unlike the Wii, the Microsoft camera won’t require users to hold any hardware to control on-screen action, the people familiar with the matter said. The camera would sit near the television and capture when players move their hands, legs or head.” Microsoft and Nintendo are, unsurprisingly, not commenting on the report. 3DV Systems tech Microsoft bought 3DV Systems earlier this year, an Israeli company that produces a camera that senses motion along the X, Y, and Z axes. That deal was confirmed by VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi – about as reliable an Xbox specialist journalist as one can ask for – reported that the camera was “definitely” being used for a 360 device and that it the camera’s “motion detection was accurate, much more so than with the Wii.” The Journal report follows rumours from Engadget earlier this month of a motion-sensing camera that allows “full body and hand gesture control of games [and] characters” and the ability to “kick, punch, duck, dive, [and] jump” and will recognise “hand gestures like pinching, grabbing, and scrolling” and allow live video conferencing and more.” In an email to the Journal Zvika Klier, chief executive of 3DV Systems, said “unfortunately I can’t comment on the rumors surrounding this deal. …We will provide more information when we can.” Stay tuned for further news, comment as E3 ‘rumour and hype’ watching reaches fever-pitch over the coming weeks. Related Links 3DV Systems Related Stories New Carol Vorderman keep fit game on DS Sony halves its number of suppliers Exclusive pics of the Queen’s “Royal Wii” Turn your iPhone into an iGameboy Game of ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ announced
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Sony looks set to open up its PlayStation Network download service to other devices beyond the PlayStation 3, according to recent statements from the company’s CEO Howard Stringer. Speaking in a recent interview the Sony CEO outlined his longer-term vision for the development of the PlayStation Network. “We developed brand new, absolutely incredible technology for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), but the cost was high. We’ve adopted a slightly different approach now, and are evolving the PS3 into a platform for web services,” Stringer told Nikkei Electronics Asia . PSN no longer doomed “A lot of people thought Sony’s content download service was doomed, but it’s in a pretty good place right now in the form of the PlayStation Network, available to PS3 users for network gaming, video, etc.,” added the Sony boss. “The DRM is based on Marlin, an open scheme developed by consumer electronics companies and other companies.” “What does all this mean?” he added. “Very simply, it means that Sony has begun the transition from a closed system to an open one. And while he remained coy as to exactly which devices he was talking about actually opening up PSN to work with (PSN-compatible Bravia anybody?) Stringer’s reasoning is clear. “We will be expanding the PlayStation Network to hardware other than the PS3, because the number of PS3 units sold puts a limit on the scale of the network possible,” said Stringer. “Sony has a vertical structure for each product line, an organisational structure that resists change, so it will take time to achieve this network growth. However, a large number of employees share my opinion on this.” Related Stories New Carol Vorderman keep fit game on DS Sony halves its number of suppliers Exclusive pics of the Queen’s “Royal Wii” Turn your iPhone into an iGameboy Game of ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ announced
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Clickfree has a line of portable back-Up drives that are small and compact in size with a plug and use feature. No power adapters to connect just a simple USB cable and the drive will back up the files you choose automatically. The whole line is being shown at CES this week. The drives can be used on more than one computer and even knows if you’re using XP or Vista. They also are showing off their new line for Mac users. The sizes go from 1 TB to 120 GB and are going to be priced at a reasonable price point. They also are showing off their new single use back-up DVD’s and other items. Check out their website by clicking here. Early word is that the drives work great and are a breeze to use.
If you have been waiting to get your hands on the new Mad Catz Fender Bass for Rock Band 1 and 2 there is some good news. Today Mad Catz announced it has started to ship units out. A few stores already have them in stock but in limited quantities. I also know some stores are now posting a release date of September 10th so just watch and check with the store you are going to before heading out to buy it.
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If you listened to our last podcast I brought up the fact that managers of certain stores talked about strange SKU numbers for the Xbox 360. I then get word of a price drop slated for sometime in early September. Today Microsoft confirmed the price drops and here are the new prices. The Arcade without a hard drive would be $199.99 the Xbox 360 with 60 gig Hard Drive $299.99 and the Elite with the 120 gig Hard Drive is now at $399.99. While not the only place to break the story we are glad and of course this is a Holiday strike to create sales.
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I heard rumors about a price drop and today it was confirmed the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is now $129.99. A quick search on the web shows some places selling the unit even cheaper and you can still get the 5 free HD movies. I am not sure if this is a power move to help sales after the Warner Brothers announcement or perhaps a way to make it more accessible to those wanting the unit. The price drop is a pretty large one since the price was at 179.99 I personally think the DVD format war is far from over but we will see.
Headsets for Xbox Live are a dime a dozen these days, so is it worth it to spend the extra cash on a third party headset? We recently took a closer look at Plantronics’ Gamecom headset lineup (the Gamecom X10, X20, and X30) and found that it boils down to personal preference, style, and sound quality.
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D-Link showed off their new Media Player the DSM-750 at the Microsoft booth at Digital Life today. The new unit will be available for sale next month and has some impressive features. D-Link has always brought out great products and their new Media Player will continue this trend. Here are some of the features and a link to their website. The DSM-750 provides the Windows Media Center experience independent of whether the host PC is being used for other uses, so you can watch a recorded TV show in the living room while your child does homework on the PC. In addition, up to five media players can be used to extend Microsoft Media Center simultaneously from the same PC to enjoy music in the kitchen, a photo slideshow in the bedroom, etc.
The first major add-on for the Xbox 360 recently hit the store shelves. Of course by now everyone knows about the Xbox 360 Live Vision Camera. It’s a camera for video chats and can also be used in certain games to enhance the titles it supports. Packaged in two different versions one at 39.99 and the other at 79.99, we wanted to give you our thoughts about the latest accessory.
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ATI Technologies today announced that Microsoft Corp. has chosen ATI’s H.264 decoder for the Xbox 360™ HD DVD player, bringing users sharper, more true-to-life visuals and smoother playback of high-definition content. HD DVDs encoded using one of three approved codecs deliver up to six times the resolution of traditional DVDs all on a single disc.
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Alienware — the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktop, notebook, media center, server, and professional systems — has enhanced its notebook line and addressed the diverse needs of on-the-go gamers, students, professionals, and other mobile users with three versatile new systems: the Area-51 m5750, Area-51 m5550, and Sentia m3450. Ranging in screen size from 14.1″ to 17″, Alienware’s newest notebooks pack powerful Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology and the latest in gaming, multimedia, and wireless technology into stylish, easy-to-carry cases.
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