Today, Nintendo has announced that fiscal year 2008 has brought operating profits of more than $487 billion yen to the company. Mario is clearly raking the coins in. Looking at the lifetime system sales, as of March 31, 2008, Nintendo has shipped 24.45 million Wii systems and 70.6 million DS systems. Nintendo is also reporting a "life-to-date" ratio of 6.07 games sold per Wii system and 5.24 games sold per DS system.
Fiscal Year 2008 (worldwide) units SHIPPED:
Wii system: 18.61 million units
Wii software: 119.6 million units
DS system: 30.31 million units
DS software: 185.62 million units
Fiscal Year 2009 (worldwide) units PROJECTED:
Wii system: 25 million units
Wii software: 177 million units
DS system: 28 million units
DS software: 187 million units
A downloadable demo for Operation Darkness is now available from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The download is 493 MB.
Details on the game, from the Xbox 360 dashboard: "Enter an alternate WWII-era world where history and fantasy collide! Leading an army of ruthless officers and unearthly creatures, Adolf Hitler marches through Europe, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. With his powers on the rise and his armies on the move, it falls on you and your team of elite soldiers to cut deep into the heart of the Third Reich and strike a fatal blow to Hitler’s ever-growing legion of evil!"
Sony Computer Entertainment America releases a new trailer for SingStar on the PLAYSTATION 3. The video shows the gear to be used, a bit of the SingStore, PLAYSTATION Eye compatibility and My SingStar Online (share your SingStar performances with photos & videos and then view/rate online). See the trailer below.
About SingStar: "Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's London Studio, SingStar PS3 takes the successful interactive singing experience established with the multi-million selling global PlayStation 2 franchise to the next level with personalization and community taking center stage. SingStar PS3 allows you access to a catalog of hundreds of downloadable songs featuring the real artists and videos, via the PS3 online SingStore."
SingStar is scheduled for a late May 2008 release in the US. See a SingStar performance here. Take a peek at the UK SingStar website here.
Square Enix has released several screenshots for Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS. See 19 screenshots here. The RPG will be released on July 22, 2008, exclusively for the Nintendo DS system. FFIV was originally released in the US in 1991 as Final Fantasy II on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). As you'll see in the screenshots, the graphics have been upgraded from 2D to 3D.
"FINAL FANTASY IV for DS is a classic revived for the 21st century," said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. "The visual upgrades are remarkable, and the plot has been enhanced with added detail and depth. We hope that fans of the original, as well as players new to the FINAL FANTASY franchise, will enjoy all that this title has to offer."
In a move similar to Project Gotham Racing 4, Burnout Paradise gets the addition of motorbikes. That's a first for the Burnout game series.
From Criterion Games: "For the first time, we'll let you loose in a Burnout game on motorbikes! And because we're dedicated to bringing you game-changing new Burnout Paradise content all year, bikes will feature their own game modes, challenges and even some new locations tailored to fit their unique performance and handing characteristics."
Can't wait to see those burnouts on the bikes. We'll have to see how the Criterion team handles the wipeout of the motorcyclist. The motorbikes will be included in the "Davis" Burnout Paradise update in August 2008. In addition to announcing the new motorbikes, there will also be a night mode.
Capcom has announced a few bonus extras for the PC version of Devil May Cry 4. More enemies, extra difficulty and cut scenes running at 120 frames per second are some of the highlights. Prior to the game's release, a demo will be available to allow PC gamers to not only try the gameplay, but see how their system holds up in the "benchmark mode."
Details on the PC exclusive options: "Turbo mode will turn-up the action to insane speeds, while Legendary Dark Knight Mode will harness advanced PC processing power and fill the screen with an unbelievable number of enemies for extra difficulty. Moreover, familiar enemies from the console versions will show-up in new locations in the PC version. The high resolution screen settings allow the cut scenes of the game to run at up to 120 frames per second (up from 30 frames per second in the console version of the game). Slider options are available to manage various visual effects seen throughout the game."
Devil May Cry 4 will be available for PCs this summer.
Think of LOL as social gaming, or a party game, on the Nintendo DS. LOL is a unique multiplayer only (2-4 players) DS game that provides a few basic drawing and voting controls, leaving the subject open to anything.
Agetec explains how the game is played: "LOL is played by one of the players making a challenge in writing to the others. The crazier the challenge, the more fun everyone will have. The person who delivered the challenge chooses an appropriate time limit, and everyone has to answer the challenge on their touch screen however they see fit – with words, pictures, or whatever comes to mind. The host reveals the answers, and everyone votes on a winner who will then decide on the challenge for the next round. Always different and a blast to play every time, LOL will, as its name implies, make everyone laugh out loud."
You won't be seeing this game at retailers. Obviously because it's a multiplayer only DS game. Hiro Fukuoka, producer at Agetec, states: “We love LOL, and think it’s a completely unique game, however we think it’ll be tough to sell into the retailers. So we decided to release it exclusively online. Hopefully it catches some attention like Electroplankton did. LOL will be available through Agetec.com on the day of its release, and we’re currently looking for an online retailer to do exclusive pre-orders with.”
LOL comes from SKIP, creators of other Nintendo exclusive titles like Chibi Robo and bit Generations. It was originally designed as a "comedy-training game."
LOL supports "DS Single-Card Download Play," which means only one DS system needs to have the game. You'll just need 3 other friends with a Nintendo DS. LOL will be available for purchase online at Agetec on May 30th for $19.99.
In an interesting move for Microsoft, the company announced today that they would be forming a partnership with the Companions in Courage Foundation. This foundation is a non-profit organization which helps families struggling with seriously ill children. Through this partnership, Microsoft will be supplying Xbox 360 Kiosks to various children's hospitals and pediatric centers.
"The customized and hospital-friendly Xbox 360 kiosks are pre-loaded with a variety of Y-rated TV programs, G-rated movies, games rated E and E10+, as well as Xbox 360 Headset and Xbox LIVE Vision Camera capabilities, which enable patients to communicate over a dedicated Xbox LIVE network. This network, created just for Xbox 360 kiosks and consoles in children’s hospitals, allows patients to play games over Xbox LIVE, but limits chat via voice, text and video to only those children playing from select hospitals across the country. The industry-leading parental controls on Xbox 360, known as Family Settings, will be used to help restrict access to content outside ratings parameters, as well as the times during which patients can use the kiosks or consoles."
This seems like an awesome way for sick children to break the monotony of the hospital bed. To make a donation to help provide more kiosks to hospitals, click here.
Today, KontrolFreek has announced that their Xbox 360 FPSFreek and SpeedFreek will soon be available for PLAYSTATION 3 gamers. The controller enhancements snap on to the existing PLAYSTATION 3 controller to improve your gameplay in racing and skating games (SpeedFreek) and FPS games (FPSFreek). The SpeedFreek cradles your thumb for ease in drifting and sharp turns, preventing slippage as well! The FPS Freek adds leverage to provide better accuracy to your aim.
The PLAYSTATION 3 SpeedFreek is now available for order at www.kontrolfreek.com. The FPSFreek is currently in the final testing stages and will be available in about a month for both the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3. Pre-orders receive a 20% discount.
Activision has released the intro trailer and details of the upcoming Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 game, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars. "MegaTexture graphics technology" is listed as one of the unique features of the game. What does that mean? Activision explains:
"Ground-Breaking Technology – Using id Software’s new MegaTexture rendering technology, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars renders large, highly-detailed and un-tiled outdoor environments all the way to the horizon, providing a seamless experience that accurately simulates shadows, atmosphere, vegetation and weather for a graphically immersive gaming experience. Advanced real-time physics and all-new network code support large-scale military combat for up to 16 players through real-world locations, including deserts, glaciers, mountains and countryside."
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars was previously released on the PC, but Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 gamers will get to "choose to play offline or online modes as Human or Strogg in one of five unique character classes." There's also "persistent character growth" to get you hooked and coming back for more. Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars will be available May 27, 2008.
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game, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars. "MegaTexture graphics technology" is listed as one of the unique features of the game. What does that mean? Activision explains:
