Monday, September 27, 2010
Claims have recently been made that PSP2 hardware is possessed by several developers.
The PSP has been around for almost six years since its launch in Japan on December 12, 2004. Worldwide the PSP has sold over 60 million units. For a while now, people have wanted to see or hear about an upcoming PSP2. Not a new model, but a completely new unit. There have been claims from developers like NetherRealm Studios that they actually possess PSP2 hardware. There is no way to tell when a PSP2 will come out, however. It's great to know that Sony is listening to their buyers as they have begged for a PSP2 for almost 2 years now.
No software or hardware has been revealed. We can only listen to rumors and decide if we want to believe them. A popular rumor mentions that the PSP2 will have touch-sensitive buttons. Others think the PSP2 will have phone qualities like texting or even calling ability. None of the information has been confirmed.
So, for right now, don't get too hyped up about a PSP2 from rumors. Gamers should expect some confirmed information, from Sony, soon. However, this might take a couple of months.
Source: Kotaku
Posted by
Nimbus on 09/27 at 04:44 PM
[0
Trackbacks]
Thursday, September 09, 2010
The monthly NPD numbers have been released for console and software sales.
Not surprisingly, Madden 2011 dominated this month's sales on both Xbox 360 and PS3. The next closest game (Super Mario Galaxy 2) sold over 700,000 units less than Madden on either system. Console sales have also had interesting numbers, with the Xbox 360 leading, followed by both of Nintendo's current consoles. For next month, expect the highly anticipated Halo: Reach to top the charts.
Full numbers (approx.):
Consoles:
Xbox 360 456,000 units
Nintendo DS 342,700
Nintendo Wii 244,300
Playstation 3 226,000
PSP 79,400
Software
Madden NFL 11 - Xbox 360 - 920,000
Madden NFL 11 - PS3 - 893,600
Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Wii - 124,6000
Mafia 2 - Xbox 360 - 121,600
New Super Mario Bros. - Nintendo DS - 110,400
New Super Mario Bros. - Nintendo Wii
Mafia 2 - PS3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360
NCAA Football 11 - Xbox 360
Wii Fit Plus - Wii
Source: ars technica
Discuss this topic on the forums
Posted by
Spiner202 on 09/09 at 06:59 PM
[0
Trackbacks]
Monday, August 30, 2010
Developer and publisher of the Megami Tensei meta-series to be absorbed by parent company and merged with fellow subsidiary October 1st.
Another Japanese developer has been dissolved today. Following developers such as Cavia and Feelplus comes word that Atlus, developer of Shin Megami Tensei, Etrian Oddysey, and Trauma Center, will cease to exist as an independent developer as of October 1st. Parent company Index Holdings, whom acquired Atlus in 2006 following their very successful RPG/Social Sim hybrid Persona 3, announced that the current staff will be merged with another of Index Holdings's subsidiaries, mobile developer Index. The dissolution of Atlus and its fusion with Index is said to best "leverage" the stable of properties Atlus has created over the last two and a half decades, as well as the Atlus brand name itself.
Given Index's focus on mobile games and the recent announcement of Persona 3 Social, a mobile spin-off, one could assume this will lead to an increased number of such games featuring Atlus's intellectual properties. Details beyond that are scarce at best, however. While the Atlus brand name will continue to be used for publishing, there's been no word on how this will affect day-to-day operations and future projects. Speaking with Gamasutra, Atlus USA Public Relations and Sales Manager, Aram Jabbari, declined to comment on how this may affect the North American publishing branch. Gamasutra reports that we can look forward to an official statement soon, however in the meantime the "Atlus Faithful" are sure to be on pins and needles.
Source: Index Holdings, via Gamasutra
Thanks to m4tt for the heads-up!
Discuss this topic on the forums
Posted by
Warp on 08/30 at 09:47 PM
[0
Trackbacks]
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony of Europe's President, Andrew House, shared his thoughts on EA's and THQ's recent efforts to counter used game sales.
One of the more controversial topics of the past year has been EA's "Project Ten Dollar." A system designed to, in part, combat used video games sales, Project Ten Dollar sees the removal of online-enabled portions of select games such as Mass Effect 2 and Madden NFL 11. These portions are then made as premium downloads, costing between $5 and $15, which customers must purchase before being able to play their game online or accessing specific, online-oriented content such as roster updates or DLC expansions. This fee is waived for customers that purchase the game new via a one-time use code included inside the game box.
While EA's intents were and are obvious, the number of inconveniences imposed on customers by Project Ten Dollar speak for themselves. Concerns were raised again when Ubisoft, having taken heavy criticism for the ridiculous DRM (Digital Rights Management) used in the PC version of Assassin's Creed II, went on record that they were carefully watching EA's efforts and stated that they would probably follow suit in the future. Thus far Ubisoft has yet to implement an online pass system into their games, however publisher THQ was quick to act, adding an online pass to May's UFC Undisputed 2010.
Now it seems it may be Sony's turn. Speaking with GamesIndustry, Andrew House, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, expressed support for EA and THQ's online pass structure when asked about it and rumors that Activision will eventually charge for Call of Duty's multiplayer. "On the principle of making online portions of the game available or unlocked from the disc-based release for a fee, we're broadly supportive of that. And we're exploring actively the same option for our own content," House said. "In terms of just a charge for basic online play, thats something that we have to talk about a lot more and we struggle with a little bit because we feel very vindicated and base a lot of the success of PSN today - a 70 per cent connection rate across consoles - on the fact that weҒve removed that major initial barrier to entry."
Should these plans lead to games such as SOCOM 4, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, or MLB 11: The Show having online passes, it wouldn't be Sony's first attempt at combating used sales and pirates in this manner. Two PlayStation Portable games, ModNation Racers and SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 3, have already used online "entitlement codes" required in order to play them online. This would, however, open the proverbial floodgates with third-party publishers wasting no time following Sony's lead -- at least on the PlayStation 3.
Source: GamesIndustry (Registration Required), via Kotaku
Discuss this topic on the forums
Posted by
Warp on 08/24 at 04:01 AM
[0
Trackbacks]
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Engadget reports Sony is Planning a PlayStation Phone based on the Android Operating System.
After long-term speculation about a potential PlayStation phone, Engadget has today released a report claiming that Sony-Ericsson is presently working on a phone based on the Android Operating System.
Rumored to be a cross between the PSP Go and the Samsung Captivate, early mock-ups seem to suggest a mobile phone appearance with the PSP's d-pad and button layout in a slide-out keypad. PSP-capable titles such as God of War and LittleBigPlanet are said to be cross-compatible with the new device, while non-PSP releases, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, could be "on tap" for the mobile device.
Sony has yet to confirm that the phone is in the works, but could be waiting for either Gamescon or the Tokyo Game Show to announce the new device.
Source: Kotaku
Discuss this topic on the forums
Posted by
Apollo on 08/12 at 12:16 AM
[0
Trackbacks]
